Portrait of Dr. Ilaria Serra

Ilaria Serra, Ph.D.

Professor of Italian and Comparative Studies | CLL Committee

Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters

Languages, Linguistics, and Comparative Literature

iserra1@fau.edu
561-297-0286

Boca Raton Campus

Ilaria Serra is from Venice, Italy. She is a Professor of Italian and Comparative Studies, the coordinator of the FAU Italian Program and faculty member in the graduate programs (Master's in Comparative Literatre and PhD in Comparative Studies). Her research weaves Italian American Studies into Italian Studies more broadly; main areas of focus include Italian cinema, Italian literature, Italian history through popular song, and the history of Italian immigration to the United States. She founded and co-leads the FAU Study Abroad Program in Venice, Italy (promotional video), where she teaches the course Venice and Its Reflections (course video).
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She has received FAU's highest scholarly honor twice: University Scholar of the Year Award at the Assistant Professor Rank (2012); and University Scholar of the Year Award at the Associate Professor Rank (2020). In 2023 she was knighted by the President of the Italian Republic for her merit in the promotion of Italian culture abroad. In 2024 she received the Premio alla Carriera by FATI-勛圖厙 Association Teachers of Italian, the Teacher Recognition Award by the Italian Language Foundation, New York, and the Columbus International Award (Rome-Miami).
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Dr. Serra created with her students the digital humanities projects, Italian American Oral History Archive, Italian American Memories Documentary Archive and Floritalians. She started and coordinates the FAU Italian and Italian American Film Festivals and organizes the annual International Symposium "Italy in Transit." She recently received an EU-Jean Monnet Center of Excellence grant (click here for the Monnet Center interview .)
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Courses

  • Italian Language
  • Poetic Geography of Italy (graduate) "" in Parchi Letterari Magazine;泭 泭presentation (h10.59).
  • Italo Calvino's World (graduate)
  • Venice in the Italian Literary Imagination (graduate)
  • Scrivere se stessi: lautobiografia italiana (graduate)
  • Translating Identities: Italian America (graduate)
  • Italian Culture Through Film (graduate)
  • Venice and Its Reflections
  • The Italian City between History and Imagination
  • Italian泭Language through Film
  • Italy in Lyrics (Italian History through Its Music)
  • Italian Literature from the Baroque to the Present
  • Masterpieces of Italian Cinema
  • Italian-American Cinema
  • Italian Cinema and Literature: From Text to Screen
  • World Literature

Books

Serra, Ilaria and Edoardo Lebano.泭 . Third edition. Wiley, 2025.

lebano serra book

Serra Ilaria.泭 .泭 A Culture and Language Textbook. New York: Linus Learning, 2021.

italia cantata

Serra Ilaria (ed.). Eugenia Bulat,泭 . Tropea: Meligrana, 2018.泭

pietra bulat

Serra, Ilaria, and Alan Gravano, eds.泭 . 泭Selected Proceedings of the 42th Annual AIHA Conference. New York: Bordighera Press, 2013.泭

southern exposure

Serra, Ilaria.泭.泭Farleigh Dickinson University Press, 2009.泭

immagined immigrant

Serra, Ilaria. 泭 .泭 Fordham University Press, 2007.泭

value worthless lives

Serra, Ilaria.泭 泭 . 泭Cierre, 1997.泭

immagini immaginario

Selected Articles

Serra, Ilaria. .泭 Rossocorpolingua. 泭IX.1 (2026): 58-83.

Serra, Ilaria. .泭 Letteratura e Pensiero. Rivista trimestrale di Scienze Umane 泭26 (2025): 77-100.泭

Serra, Ilaria. for泭 Rossocorpolingua 泭VIII.4 (2025).

Serra, Ilaria. . Literary Geographies 11. 2 (2025): 161-182.

Serra, Ilaria. .泭 Polisemie 泭5 (2024). DOI:10.31273/.v5.1246

Serra, Ilaria. G. Biography: An Interdisciplinary Journal (University of Hawaii Press) 46.1 (2023). 49-52.泭

Serra, Ilaria. 梗.泭 The Italianist 泭 Special Issue, 'Cross-Cultural Approaches to Italian Ecocriticism.' 42 (2022-23).

Serra, Ilaria. ,泭 Italian Culture 泭41.1 (2023). 80-102.泭

Serra, Ilaria. Fuori dalla porta, dentro dalla finestra: Dio nellarchitettura di Pietro di Donato,泭 Campi Immaginabili泭66/67 (2022). 456-471.

Serra, Ilaria. Paper in Hand and Eyes Wide Open: The Year in Italy.泭 Biography: An Interdisciplinary Journal. 44.1 (2021): 83-90.

Serra, Ilaria. Scorsese and Dante: Art and the Afterlife. O'Briens Martin Scorsese's Divine Comedy. Movies and Religion. Review essay. 泭Italian Americana. Cultural and Historical Review. 29.1 (Winter 2021), 85-88.

Serra, Ilaria. Needlework and the Feminine in Adriana Trigiani's Novels.泭 Letterature d'America 泭XL.179 (2020). 81-100.

Serra, Ilaria. Biography. An Interdisciplinary Journal 42.1 (2019) (University of Hawaii Press): 69-76. muse.jhu.edu/article/726549. Published. Print and web.

Serra, Ilaria. .泭 Biography:泭An Interdisciplinary Journal泭(University of Hawaii Press) 43.1 (2020): 101-108.

Serra, Ilaria. . Biography. An Interdisciplinary Journal 泭42.1 (2019): 69-76.泭

Serra, Ilaria. .泭 Forum of Modern Language Studies泭54.5 (Fall 2018): 1-24.泭

Serra, Ilaria. .泭 New Cinemas: Journal of Contemporary Film 泭15.2 (2017). 191-207.

Serra, Ilaria. .泭 Biography. An Interdisciplinary Journal泭泭40.4 (Fall 2017).泭

Serra, Ilaria. "Voyageurs 泭sulle vie italiani del mondo." 泭Studi italiani泭XXVIII.1 (gennaio-giugno 2016). 181-99.

Serra,泭Ilaria. "."泭Forum Italicum 泭 : A Journal of Italian Studies泭泭 Special issue "Music and Society in Italy." 49 (August 2015): 545-566.

Serra, Ilaria. "Geografia poetica dellassenza. Poeti italoamericani e lItalia abbandonata."泭Lettere aperte泭(University of Innsbruck, Austria). Edition 2, 2015.泭

Serra, Ilaria. "The Last Dance: Orienta Badia's Autobiographical Novel,泭 Rina."泭 Italianamericana泭 32.2 (Summer 2014): 146-71.

Serra, Ilaria. "Alterit acquatica nella poesia italo-rumena di Eugenia Bulat."泭Lingua Romana泭11.2 (Fall 2013).泭

Serra. Ilaria. "."泭 Italian Sound. Special issue of泭 California Italian Studies泭4.1 (2013).泭

Serra, Ilaria. " ."泭 Luci ed ombre泭 1.4 (Settembre-Ottobre 2013).泭

Serra, Ilaria. "."泭 History Workshop Journal泭 76 (Fall 2013).泭

Serra, Ilaria. "."泭 Adaptation泭 4.2 (September 2011).泭

Serra, Ilaria. "."泭 Italica泭 88.1 (Spring 2011): 94-114.

Serra, Ilaria. "From Immigration to Art Appreciation. The Extraordinary Case of the Morikami Museum in 勛圖厙."泭 International Journal of the Arts in Society泭 4.3 (2009): 447-55.泭

Serra. Ilaria. "."泭 Mnemosyne.泭 (Quaderno dell'Osservatorio Scientifico delle testimonianze autobiografiche e della memoria scritta e audiovisiva) 2 (2009): 133-44.泭

Serra, Ilaria. "."泭 Italica泭 86.3 (2009): 452-70.泭

Serra, Ilaria. "Creare una memoria collettiva: Le donne e i documentari italoamericani."泭 Oltreoceano. Percorsi Letterari e Linguistici泭 2 (2008): 85-92.

Serra, Ilaria. "."泭 Dante. Riviste internazionale di studi su Dante Alighieri泭 3 (2006): 129-45.

Serra, Ilaria. "Rhyming Immigration. Two Italian American Autobiographies in Verses."泭 New Expressions. 泭Special issue of 泭VIA. Voices in Italian America泭泭 17 (2006): 69-84.

Dinev, T., Bellotto, M., Hart, P., Colautti, C., Russo, V., Serra, I. "."泭 European Journal of Information Systems泭 15.4 (2006).泭

Translation

Serra, Ilaria. Giovanni Corona. Poesie/Poems Translation and Critical Introduction.泭 Mosaici: Learned Online Journal of Italian Poetry, 2017.

Recent Book Chapters

Serra, Ilaria. On Monte Stella. Living Biculturalism, Writing Transculturalism. Celebrating Luigi Fontanella, edited by Anthony Tamburri. Casa Lago Press, 2025. 39-54.

Serra, Ilaria. Poetic Calabria: Hidden Metaphors among its Rocks.泭 , Caterina Pangallo ed. Sidney, Australia: Cambridge Scholars, 2023. 219-240.泭

Serra, Ilaria. Il linguaggio dei fiori in Romancero gitano.泭 泭by Federico Garcia Lorca (Marino Magliani e Riccardo Ferrazzi, transl). Cosenza: Pellegrini Editore, 2023. 5-14.

Serra, Ilaria. Emigrazione e circo: la famiglia Zopp矇 tra Italia e Stati Uniti.泭 Viaggiare in un mondo diviso. Marco Severini, ed. Ronzani editore, 2022. 191-208.泭

Serra, Ilaria. 泭Questions on an Old Map: Joseph Tusianis If Gold Should Rust.泭 Il miglior Fabbro. Essays in Honor of Joseph Tusiani, edited by Paolo Giordano and Anthony Tamburri. New York: Bordighera Press, 2021. 239-258.

Serra, Ilaria. I molteplici trattini del cinema italoamericano.泭 Gli italiani in USA: nuove prospettive di una diaspora secolare, edited by Anthony Tamburri and Silvana Mangione. New York: John D. Calandra Italian American Institute 2021. 97-128.

Serra, Ilaria. Voci da un sogno veneziano in 勛圖厙: Boca Raton.泭 Loriginalit della ricerca storica, edited by Marco Severini. Fano: Aras, 2021. 155-168.

Serra, Ilaria.泭La Sardegna come poesia: Giovanni Corona. Una lettura geografica.泭 Nuovi studi su Giovanni Corona, edited by Simona Cigliana. Roma: Carocci Editore, 2020. 77-101. Book review泭 .

Serra, Ilaria. Street is Feminine in Italian. Feminist Bodies in Italian Streets.泭 , edited by Richard Shusterman. Leiden (NL): Brill, 2019. 153-176.

Serra, Ilaria. La giovent羅 di Mario Isnenghi tra libri e campielli.泭 La gioventu degli storici e delle storiche, edited by Marco Severini and Lidia Pupilli. Venice: Marsilio.泭

Serra, Ilaria. "Italian American Femininities,"泭The Routledge History of the Italian Americans, edited by William Connell and Stanislao Pugliese. New York: Routledge, 2017.

Serra, Ilaria: "Femminismo Ruggente Cantato,"泭Dieci passi nella storia de 泭 llemancipazione femminile italiana. Marsilio Ed., Venice, Italy (2016). 209-27.

Serra, Ilaria. "Ritorno alla泭 polis: i film di Dennis Dellai."泭 Un nuovo cinema politico italiano?泭 Ed. William Hope, Luciana d'Arcangeli, and Fabiana Stefanoni. Vol. 2. London: Troubador Press, 2014. 40-51.泭

Serra, Ilaria. "De Salvos泭 Rialto: Walking on a Livable Bridge."泭 : Essays on Memory, Culture, and Women in the Work of Louise De Salvo. Eds. Edvige Giunta and Nancy Caronia. New York: Fordham University Press, 2014. 222-32.泭

Serra, Ilaria. "Rina quasi Orienta. Il romanzo autobiografico di Orienta Badia Johnson."泭Culture e transcultura nelle Americhe. Studi dedicati a Daniela Ciani Sforza.泭Ed. Silvana Serafin. Venice: La Toletta Edizioni, 2014. 159-73.

Serra, Ilaria. "Introduction."泭 . 泭Ed. Laura Ruberto. New York: Bordighera Press, 2010. 17-31.泭

Serra, Ilaria. "Outsider Rhetoric in Italian Immigrant Autobiographies."泭 泭New York: Farleigh Dickinson University Press. 143-64.泭

Serra, Ilaria. "Travel Literature: Crossing the Gaze between Italy and America."泭 Teaching Italian American Literature, Film, and Popular Culture.泭 Ed. Edvige Giunta and Kathleen Zamboni McCormick. New York: Modern Language Association, 2007. 578-88.泭

Serra, Ilaria. "Forme e deformit della famiglia nel cinema italoamericano."泭 .泭 Ed. Giuliana Muscio and Giovanni Spagnoletti. Venezia: Marsilio, 2007. 164-72.泭

External Links

Ilaria Serra presents La casa e il bosco di Mario Rigoni Stern at the Conference泭Luoghi, oggetti, arredi e case d'autore, il contesto degli archivi degli artisti e degli scrittori, Associazione Premio Nazionale Elio Pagliarani and Fondazione Baruchello, Rome, October 28, 2025.泭).

Ilaria Serra presents Pinocchio illustrato sul gioco delloca at the Conference泭Il burattino Multimediale, Fondazione Collodi, Collodi, Tuscany, July 5, 2025.泭 .

Ilaria Serra's short story-essay "" (Natale a Venezia, 2025) is read by Elisabetta Tiveron泭at the Avamposto, a surviving pocket of Venetian culture in the tourist area of Venice.

Ilaria Serra interviewed for泭, November 2024. 泭 泭

Ilaria Serra presents the FAU Italian Program for the magazine泭WeTheItalians:泭泭by Umberto Mucci.

Ilaria Serra interviewed by Dean Horswell for "In Conversation. An Arts and Letters Podcast" on her research on Italian music.

Ilaria Serra featured in FAU Research Thursday in泭2022, and in泭2020.

Ilaria Serra in泭

York University, The Mariano A. Elia Chair in Italian-Canadian Studies,泭Roundtable discussion泭 . Michela Baldo (U Birmingham), Licia Canton (Accenti Magazine, AICW), Ryan Calabretta-Sajder (U Arkansas), and Ilaria Serra (勛圖厙 Atlantic U); facilitated by Elia Chairholder Abril Liberatori.

泭sullo studio dell'Italiano a FAU, Marzo 2020.

: Ilaria Serra interviewed by WPBF about an Italian language love story.

Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters

The College of Arts & Letters offers degree programs and certificates in the performing arts, fine arts, languages and social sciences.