Samantha Gillen

Samantha received her Ph.D. in Italian Studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022. Her research explores industrialized spaces of the 1950s and 1960s in the works of Italo Calvino, Luciano Bianciardi, Paolo Volponi, and Michelangelo Antonioni. 

She has taught Italian language from beginning to advanced, and was a 2025 recipient of a Sandy Beaver Excellence in Teaching award. Her pedagogical interests include differentiated instruction, active learning, and digital media to enhance student engagement. Samantha participated in the Active Learning Summer Institute in May 2025 and has been a recurring faculty member on the Experiential Learning Connect Abroad: Discover trips for first-year students since the program's inception in 2024. A product of many study abroad programs in Italy (Florence, Rome, Lecce, Perugia) and Germany (Berlin), Samantha has accompanied students to Italy (2024), Greece (2025), and Germany (2026) through Connect Abroad and UGA Cortona.

Outside of UGA, Samantha is a co-collaborator of the open educational resource PRIMA, a media-based and DEIB-forward site for Italian language learners, and a managing editor for the online journal gender/sexuality/italy.