Meet the Staff

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.