I am a philosopher with a focus on
phenomenology and the philosophical implications of Catholic faith. I am from
Italy, where I received my BA and MA at the State University of Milan, and my
PhD at the University of Calabria, with a dissertation on Merleau-Ponty’s
phenomenology. Before joining the Department of
Catholic Studies at DePaul University (Fall 2017), I had various teaching and
research experiences in Europe, the USA, and Israel. During my PhD, I had an opportunity to study in Germany,
at the Husserl Archives in Freiburg and Cologne. After graduating, I spent two
years at Boston College, first as a post-doctoral fellow at the Lonergan
Institute, and then as a lecturer in the Philosophy Department. Just prior to
joining the DePaul faculty, I lived for three years in Jerusalem, teaching at
the Studium Theologicum Jerosolymitanum.
Research
My current research is
devoted to issues arising from the relationships among philosophy, science, and
Catholic theology – issues that I approach from a phenomenological perspective.
In particular, my research is based on the work of Edmund Husserl, Max Scheler,
Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and other phenomenologists – as well as thinkers outside
the phenomenological milieu, including Michael Polanyi, Bernard Lonergan, and others. The leading questions of my research revolve
around two distinct – though intertwined – philosophical issues: the problem of
the relationships between different forms of knowledge and the question of the nature
of the human being.
Teaching
I
believe that teaching is a wonderful job and a big responsibility. Teaching is
the best way to make my research fruitful, putting it to the test in a
continuous dialogue with colleagues and students. My activity as a teacher has
greatly informed and inspired my research. At DePaul University, I have the
opportunity to incorporate in my courses all the aspects of culture that
interest me the most, including philosophy, science, and Catholic theology,
exploring them and making connections among them for my students.