BCSP Bologna

BCSP alumni news is back with Olivia Metelo (BCSP Fall 2025, University of North Carolina)! 🎉

Olivia has returned to Bologna for a UNC funded research project examining EU students' perceptions of economic anti-globalization policies. Olivia is interviewing Italian students at University of Bologna. Next month she'll be in Amsterdam interviewing Dutch students on the same topic at University of Amsterdam.

This semester Olivia studied abroad through a direct exchange at University of Edinburgh, where she continued to study Politics and Public Policy.

Olivia observed: "BCSP, although a direct enrollment program, is much more structured with program support, whereas Edinburgh was a much more independent, self-guided experience."

Olivia's favorite course at UniBo was Comparative Political Economy, and it inspired her current research project!

Olivia is excited to be back in Bologna....living just two steps away from Piazza Maggiore!

Olivia, we can't wait see your research project results! So interesting and relevant!! Bravissima, la politica internazionale del futuro ha bisogno di te!!!
Avanti tutta!!!!

Future BCSP students may be interested in being part of this fun local choir, just like Eva Mallamaci (BCSP Spring 2026, Indiana University). All they need to do is find Michael Brusha (BCSP 1972-73, University of Wisconsin) at his music school, Merry Melodies, right around the corner from the BCSP office! In a way this is an alumni news _collaboration_ post now that Eva has finished her semester with BCSP's English Track (we miss you, Eva!). Having studied voice definitely helped Eva learn Italian and develop an attuned, harmonious pronunciation!

Here is what Eva had to say about the experience:
"I’ve been a part of different choirs for as long as I can remember, and since being in college, much of my time has been spent in my a ca****la group. I was bummed to have to take a break from singing while studying abroad, but thankfully that ended up not being the case! Michael Brusha is a past alumnus of BCSP, but he lives in Bologna, operating a music school and performing with a jazz band around the city. I joined his choir of other English-speaking women, and had so much fun rehearsing and performing with them! The choir performs at different events around the community— the one pictured was from a kindergarten graduation 😊 I’m so grateful to have had such a great opportunity to keep doing what I love, to be involved in the community, and to meet other expats in Bologna!

Thank you also to BCSP friend Joanne Maloney for helping Eva get involved in the choir!

If today starts a new BCSP "off-the-beaten-track" student travel series, then this post about the lesser known but paradisiacal nature trail SentierElsa is perfect!

Two of BCSP's English Track students, Brianna Meyer (BCSP Spring 2026, University of Wisconsin) and Eva Mallamaci (BCSP Spring 2026, Indiana University) took friends visiting from the U.S. on this Tuscan adventure!

If any future BCSP students are interested in following Brianna's and Eva's footsteps (why wouldn't you want to take pictures from a cristalline waterfall pool while studying abroad in Italy?....and it's not that far from Bologna!), here is what Brianna had to say about their escape to nature for the day:

"Recently, Eva and I (and some friends visiting from home) traveled to Colle di Val d’Elsa to hike the Sentierelsa Trail and swim in the Elsa river! It was a long day of travel but we made it a fun day trip, taking the train to Poggibonsi and then a bus down to the trail. The water was such a beautiful blue with many little waterfalls along the river. There was also a big waterfall at the end. The trail crosses the river in some spots where we had to rock-hop to continue!"

Thank you, Brianna and Eva, for sharing!

BCSP alumni news is back again today with Anthony Nussmeier (BCSP 2003-04, University of Minnesota)! 🎉🎉🎉

Anthony visited BCSP yesterday afternoon. He has the distinction of having been a part of Prof. Ricci’s _very first class_ of students 22 years ago! 

After his BCSP year and graduation, Anthony worked for a time at the poor man’s Wall Street (aka the Minneapolis Grain Exchange) before attending Indiana University for his Master’s and Ph.D. 

Why is he in Bologna? Anthony just took part in the Notre Dame-Yale Dante Seminar at the University of Notre Dame Rome Campus and is now traveling.

Anthony lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife Kayla and their six children. He is an Associate Professor of Italian at the University of Dallas, where he also serves as Chair of the Department of Modern Languages, Director of Italian, and Chair of the Faculty Senate. Anthony writes about medieval Italian literature and is a “dantista,” and he founded an Italian cultural festival, the DFW Italian Festival, which takes place every October.

It goes without saying that his year with BCSP in Bologna was a life-changing event. He enjoys visiting Bologna as often as he can, teaches his students “dialàtt bulgnaiṡ,” and three years ago even taught an entire course on the city of Bologna. Anthony has the fondest of memories from his time with BCSP and the old office on Via Val d’Aposa, and stays in regular contact—even two decades later—with other BCSP students from his year and Italian friends he met along the way.

Anthony, it was wonderful to catch up with you yesterday. Thank you for your dedication to the thriving divulgence of Italian culture, literature and language!!!

BCSP alumni news returns today 🎉
This time with.....

Giovanna (Dacanay) Caffrey (BCSP Spring 2015, University of Illinois)!

Giovanna stopped by yesterday with her husband Brendan. While Giovanna and Brendan have extensively traveled the world, this is Giovanna's first time back in Italy in 11 years!

Giovanna and Brendan started their trip in Rome and are working their way north through Florence to Menaggio on Lake Como.

Giovanna and Brendan live in Chicago city center. Suggestion for fellow alums in Chicago: Giovanna's favorite Italian restaurant at the moment is Dimmi Dimmi! 😃

Giovanna majored in Business and is now managing a commercial office building in Chicago.

Giovanna is good friends with the wife of Elaad Applebaum (BCSP Spring 2014, University of Illinois). They have attended each other's weddings and traveled Europe together!

Giovanna is happy to be back to visit the old sites in Bologna and see if the city has changed at all! It was such a delightful surprise to hear Giovanna ring the BCSP doorbell and hear about all that she has been up to since study abroad!

We wish you both the absolute best and many, many more trips back to Italy!!

BCSP alumni news returns today 🎉 with....

Jacob Schmalz (BCSP 2015-16, Indiana University), who came to visit with his partner Will.
Jacob and Will stopped in Bologna for the day after a two week tour of Italy with stops in Venice, Florence, Rome, Siena and Milan.

After graduating from IU in Art History, Jacob went on to law school at Boston University. He currently lives in New Haven, CT, with Will and their adorable dog Winston. Jacob works in mergers and acquisitions. Will does fundraising for Connecticut's Goodspeed Opera House.

Their next trip is to Paris in the Fall, but they're already planning their next Italy adventure exploring countryside villages and the lesser known artistic wonders they hold!

The highlights of this trip have been their engagement in Florence's Boboli Gardens 🥂 and Jacob spending his birthday 🎂 in Bologna!!!

Jacob, ten years have past, but we remember so many of your accomplishments during your year abroad! We're happy to see that you pursued law, as you always said you would, and that art history continues to be your travel inspiration! Congratulations to you and Will!!!!

Also see unearthed.... ten years later.... from the BCSP library....a sketch in a UniBo course book by Valerie Acker's (BCSP Spring 2016, University of Wisconsin) sister Emily!

Le nostre “due Lily,” Elisabeth Stevens & Liliane Guerrera (BCSP Spring 2026, Mount Holyoke College), e Serena Chiapparini (studentessa UniBo di Lingue, Mercati e Culture dell’Asia e tirocinante al BCSP), hanno partecipato a un “viaggio” in Giappone, all’insegna della ceramica: tutto in lingua italiana! 🇯🇵

Nello studio Polline di Irene Vicino hanno decorato la propria tazza da sake, simbolo di condivisione e convivialità. 🍵

Grazie a Matilde Orsi di Matiaccompagno, e l’incenso al bambù, sembrava essere in Giappone! ✨

Matilde ha chiesto a tutti di descrivere un viaggio. Le “due Lily” hanno raccontato di essere due studentesse all’estero. Nelle foto le tazze che hanno decorato. Hanno seguito perfettamente le istruzioni!

Le “due Lily” hanno scoperto un’altra cultura insieme a coetanei italiani e due piccole, crescenti, attività imprenditoriali di un’appassionata di ceramica-studentessa UniBo e di una giovane appassionata di viaggi tanto da farlo diventare il suo lavoro. Chissà che le “due Lily” non siano state ispirate a qualche progetto futuro!


Our “two Lilies,” Elisabeth Stevens & Liliane Guerrera (BCSP Spring 2026, Mount Holyoke College), and Serena Chiapparini (UniBo student of Languages, Markets and Cultures of Asia and BCSP intern) took a “voyage” to Japan through ceramics: all in Italian! 🇯🇵

At Irene Vicino’s Polline studio they decorated sake cups. Sipping sake = creating connection. 🍵

Thanks to Matilde Orsi of Matiaccompagno, and the bambù incense, it felt like a ceramics class in Japan, but in Italian! ✨

Matilde asked participants to describe a recent trip. The “two Lilies” spoke about being abroad in Bologna. See their sake cups in the slideshow. They perfectly understood Irene’s instructions!

Our “two Lilies” discovered another culture alongside Italian peers and two small, but growing, entrepreneurial endeavors by a ceramics-artist-UniBo-student and a young Italian travel enthusiast who made travel her profession. Maybe the “two Lilies” were inspired to create something of their own in the future!

Brianna Meyer (BCSP Spring 2026, University of Wisconsin) is BCSP’s first student majoring in Dairy Science. She is also a Pre-Vet major.

Brianna grew up on a dairy farm and has participated in many cow shows in the U.S. While studying abroad, Brianna made sure to fit in visits to dairy farms. Through the connections and friends that she made through these shared interests, she found fortunate and unique opportunites to show cows in Italy. It’s wonderful and encouraging to see a student not abandon but cultivate and deepen talents, pursuits and studies while abroad, in order to gain new knowledge and perspectives. Here is what Brianna had to say about it:

“A big reason I chose to study with BCSP is because northern Italy has a fairly progressive dairy and agriculture industry. As a Dairy Science and Pre-Veterinary student, I was very interested to explore the Italian dairy industry. I have visited multiple farms in Italy and Switzerland with farm-friends I have made since arriving. I’ve also been able to attend and lead some animals at multiple dairy cattle shows including the Verona National Dairy Show and Giubiespo. It has been so cool to explore this part of Italy that aligns with my passion and future!”

Thank you, Brianna, for sharing!

Even if you are not a Dairy Science or Pre-Vet major, we suggest that you visit the ‘malghe,’ dairy farmhouses where you can stay overnight and often enjoy their products at breakfast and dinner, in Italy’s countryside and mountain areas from north to south!

Brianna applied to be part of BCSP’s English Track. In addition to taking the Applied Italian Communication & Culture course at the BCSP office, she took at University of Bologna: Molecular Biology of the Cell I & II, Microbiology and Fermentation Laboratory and Cognition and Neuroscience I & II.
It is possible for students of agricultural sciences subject matters to study abroad!

BCSP alumni news returns today with.... 🎉

John Biesack (BCSP 1985-86, University of Wisconsin), Lisa Gelhaus (BCSP 1985-86, University of Wisconsin), Loretta Dusini (BCSP 1985-86, Queens College, City University of New York), Maureen McDermott (BCSP 1985-86, University of Wisconsin), and Kenneth Olson (BCSP 1985-86, University of Minnesota) who recently reunited in Bologna and stopped by the BCSP office to say hello!

Wonderful to see these lasting and thriving friendships! 🇮🇹✨

BCSP alumni news is back! ✨

A week after meeting Flor Macias Delgado (BCSP Spring 2009, University of Pennsylvania) at the IES Abroad Amsterdam Center (see two posts ago), Sarah Tolman (BCSP 2011-12, University of Wisconsin) met another fellow alum Lena Schroeder (BCSP 2016–17, University of Minnesota) during a gathering of Minnesota study abroad professionals at Macalester College (St. Paul, MN), where Sarah is Assistant Director of Programming and Assessment in the college’s Center for Study Away. Lena Schroeder is the Program Manager of Customized Programs at Augsburg University’s Center for Global Education and Experience.

What a small world! 🌍