Syracuse Florence’s highly qualified staff is committed to helping students make the most of their study abroad experiences in Florence.
Sasha Perugini
Program Director
VR-Rm 22
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-336
A native of Tuscany with Serbian background, Professor Perugini is fluent in Italian, Serbian and English. She earned her Laurea Magistrale (MA comparable) in English and Russian at the University of Siena and her doctorate in History of Performing Arts from Tufts University. She has been the Director of Syracuse Florence since 2011 and acts as the program’s legal representative. She teaches cross-cultural management and communication. Perugini has published five books and many scholarly articles on topics ranging from language to food to AI and bias. Recipient of the Chancellor’s Fellowship in 2023. She is involved in advocacy for women in leadership, and regularly leads dedicated seminars on the subject.
Kevin Barnett
Information & Communication Technology
VR-Rm 20
Email: jkbarnet@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-355
Kevin Barnett collaborates with the IT Manager at SU Florence and at other Syracuse Abroad centers on the development and upkeep of information and communication technology systems.
Andressa Bavaresco
Wellness & Services Coordinator
VR-Rm 27
Email: abavares@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-324
Andressa Bavaresco is responsible for student health and wellness services. She helps students with the kinds of personal, social, and cultural concerns that can arise during their time in Italy. She keeps the 24/7 student emergency phone on an occasional rotating basis.
Stefania Berutti
Field Studies Program
VR-Rm 24
Email: florencefieldtrips@syr.edu; sberutti@syr.edu
Work phone: +39 055-5031-331
Stefania Berutti organizes and oversees all Syracuse Florence iExplore trips and assists faculty with the organization and logistics of their course-related trips. She is an archeologist and teaches courses at Syracuse Florence in archeology and classical mythology.
Jacopo Bertone
Student Services Assistant
VR-Rm 25
Email: jbertone@syr.edu
Work phone: +39 055 5031-361
Jacopo Bertone takes care of some aspects of Student Life, including organizing student activities and making sure they run smoothly. He also assists the Cultural Engagement Office with organizing activities that aim to give back to the Florentine community. He is a member of the 24/7 student emergency phone on an occasional rotating basis.
Olimpia Bozza
Internship Program & Experiential Learning
VR-Rm 24
Email: flrinternships@syr.edu; obozza@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-332
Olimpia Bozza is in charge of the Syracuse Florence Internship Program. She also manages course fees and budgeting for site visits and course related field trips and handles matters related to acquisitions for studio arts courses. She keeps the 24/7 student emergency phone on an occasional rotating basis.
Silvia Brandi (currently on leave)
Field Studies Program
VR-Rm 24
Email: florencefieldtrips@syr.edu; sbrandi@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-331
Silvia Brandi is in charge of planning, scheduling and budgeting field trips for Syracuse Florence’s I-Explore program and manages the logistics of the course-related field studies. She also handles budgets and logistics for the signature seminars and assists with faculty-led summer programs.
Andrea Colombo
Facilities & Operations Assistant
VR-Rm 25
Email: acolombo@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-365
Andrea Colombo assists the Operations Manager with campus-wide facilities maintenance and operations management and provides assistance to the Housing Office. He also keeps the 24/7 student emergency phone on an occasional rotating basis.
Claudia Delli
Business & Operations Manager
VR-Rm 25
Email: cdelli@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-337
Claudia Delli is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the budget as well as ensuring compliance with all health and safety protocols relating to facilities and general operations throughout the Syracuse Florence campus, including oversight and enforcement of student health and welfare protocols. She also keeps the 24/7 student emergency phone on an occasional rotating basis.
Jennifer Haag
Assistant to the School of Architecture
Donatello 25
Email: jrhaag@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-345
Jennifer Haag handles budget transactions and bookkeeping operations for the Architecture department in cooperation with the Business Manager. She is responsible for organizing the architecture field study trips, cataloging new acquisitions, and maintaining updated files in the Faculty Research Library. She also coordinates office operations and building maintenance for the Architecture Studios.
Sylvia Hetzel
Library Coordinator & Website Administrator
VIL-Rm 15
Email: syhetzel@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-359
Sylvia Hetzel is responsible for all library operations, including collections development, circulation, reference assistance, acquisitions, cataloging and resource management. She oversees Syracuse Florence’s Villa Rossa Archive and the SU Florence website.
Melanie Honour
Housing & Services Facilitator
VR-Rm 27
Email: mchonour@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-321
Melanie Honour is responsible for student housing and information services. As a member of the student emergency team, she keeps the 24/7 student emergency phone on an occasional rotating basis.
Fabio Landi
Network Services Assistant
VR-Rm 20
Email: flandi@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-329
Fabio Landi assists the IT manager with maintaining the school’s extensive computer network and technical operations.
Silvia Landi
Building Maintenance
VR-Front DeskEmail: slandi@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-320
Silvia Landi is responsible for campus mail distribution, classroom and equipment upkeep, cleaning and maintenance services, and receptions for special events.
Francesca Messeri
Assistant to the Director
Email: fmesseri@syr.edu
Work phone: +39 055-5031-336
Francesca Messeri provides administrative assistance to the director, including appointment scheduling, visitor itineraries, and events organization and promotion.
Luca Molli
IT Manager
VR-Rm 20
Email: lmolli@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-323
Luca Molli provides oversight for all technology operations in collaboration with, and reporting to, ITS on the home campus and Syracuse Abroad. This includes technology architecture and design, hardware and software life-cycle management as well as the initiation of new projects. He is also responsible for ensuring compliance with data security and privacy regulations.
Simone Monaco’
Cultural Connector
VR-Rm 10
Email: smonaco@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-352
Simone Monaco provides general information and assistance to students in the Student Life Office, including sign-ups for the various activities offered at Syracuse Florence. As a member of the student emergency team, he keeps the 24/7 emergency phone on an occasional rotating basis.
Mohamed Mousa
Academic Office Intern
VIL-Rm 14
Email: mmousa@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-347
Mohamed Mousa provides assistance to the offices for academics, internships, field trips, the library and student life helping mainly with special projects and events.
Alessandra Pino
Immersion & Guidance
VR-Rm 10
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-320
Alessandra provides cultural immersion guidance to students in the Student Life Office. As a member of the student emergency team, she keeps the 24/7 student emergency phone on an occasional rotating basis.
Rebecca Ricci
Business Office Assistant
VR-Rm 25
Email: rericci@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-326
Rebecca Ricci assists the Business and Operations Manager with administrative tasks related to the budget and expenditures.
Gelso Sassonia
Facilities & Grounds Maintenance
VR-Front Desk
Email: gsassoni@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-337
Gelso Sassonia assists with the upkeep of buildings and grounds as well as with audiovisual equipment operations and maintenance.
Rachael Smith
Academic Manager
VR-Rm 21
Email: rsmith81@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055 5031322
Rachael Smith is the Academic Manager responsible for coordinating academic operations and ensuring they run smoothly. She liaises closely with the Student Services and administrative teams, as well as providing support to faculty and students.
Erika Soncin
HR Administrator
VR-Rm 26
Email: esoncin@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-382
Erika Soncin provides administrative support to Human Resources operations and organization.
Kamila Subko
Human Resources Administrator
VR-Rm 26
Email: ksubko@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-333
Kamila Subko is responsible for overseeing HR administration tasks and people management focusing on communication and effective teamwork.
Michelle Tarnopolsky
Academic Office Assistant
VR-Rm 24
Email: mtarnopo@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-381
Michelle Tarnopolsky provides program assistance to the Academic Office and is the contact person for students with accommodations. She also assists the Art History department with site visits and field trips and coordinates the Villa Rossa Voice newsletter.
Jessica Volpe
Assistant Director, Student Services
VR-Rm 29
Email: jbvolpe@syr.edu
Work Phone: +39 055-5031-327
Jessica oversees staff and operations within the Student Services team, including the Student Life Office, Health and Wellness, Community Engagement, and Housing. She is responsible for semester planning, budgeting, and housing protocols in collaboration with the business, risk management, and SUAbroad offices. She coordinates arrivals and orientation and serves as backup to Emergency Team staff outside of office hours. She also keeps the student 24/7 emergency phone on an occasional rotating basis.