Professor Spanish
Global Cultures
Breiseth Hall 314
paola.bianco@wilkes.edu
(570) 408-4519
In March 2002 Dr. Paola Bianco was appointed coordinator of the study abroad program.
Since then, studying abroad has become a common option for Wilkes students, many of
whom are studying in Spain, Japan, Australia, England and Peru.
Dr. Bianco has taught at Wilkes since 1996 and fluently speaks, reads and writes English,
Spanish, Italian and French. Prior to joining Wilkes, Dr. Bianco served as an Intermediate
Italian Coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and she served
as the Study Abroad Program Coordinator and Assistant Director at the Lorenzo de’
Medici Institute in Florence, Italy, while attaining her PhD. in Romance Languages.
Dr. Bianco believes that studying abroad is a tremendous learning experience. “You
can only learn so much about different cultures through a book. To see the culture
in person, to experience it, to learn about a country by studying there is invaluable,”
said Dr. Bianco. “Studying abroad makes you stronger as a person, and helps you to
learn about your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the strengths and weaknesses
of our country.”
FLUENT IN:
Speaking, reading and writing English, Spanish, Italian and French.
INTERPRETER:
Spanish into English and English into Spanish interpreter for the Luzerne
EDUCATION:
Ph.D. Romance Languages: Spanish and Italian University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1998)
Major field of study: Twentieth Century Sicilian Poetry
Dissertation Title: "From Hermeticism to Social Realism: Three Sicilian Poets."
B.A. in French Wilkes University, Wilkes Barre, PA (1983)
Certificate of Advanced French courses - Inlingua Institute of French , Nice, France.(1999)
Italian cinematography courses Lorenzo de' Medici Institute, Florence, Italy. (1994-1995)
Advanced French courses. Université Laval, Quebec, Canada. (1982)
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
Associate Professor.
Intermediate, Advanced levels in Spanish.
Advanced Conversation, Culture and Civilization of Spain, Medical Spanish (Spanish
for Health and Social Sciences), Golden Age Poetry, Syntax and Advanced Grammar, Political
Systems of Latin American countries, Latin American Civilization and Culture, Hispanic
Short Stories, Feminist Perspectives of Latina Writers, Pedagogical Methods in Foreign Language Teaching, Critical Introduction to
Spanish American Literature, Latino Issues Through Hispanic Films.
Created and Designed a new course Spanish 212; Non-Literary Translation.
Wilkes University, Wilkes Barre, PA.
COMMITTEES:
Member, Teaching Recognition & Effectiveness (TREC), 1997-99.
PDC Tenured professors committee for Humanities.
Member of the Curriculum Committee for the School of LiberalArts and Human Sciences, 1997.
Member, Search Committee for the Interim Dean. School of Liberal Arts and Humanities, Summer, 1997.
Assisted with the Middle States Accreditation on a sub-committee for teaching evaluation.
American Association of Italian Studies 1996 to present.
South Atlantic Modern Language Association, 1996-1999.
American Association of Teachers of Italian 1996 to present.
American Association of Teachers of Spanish & Portuguese 96-98.
Chair, organizer, abstract reviewer for “Latin American Modern and Post-Modern Appropriations of Time.” 12th Annual Conference of The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, SUNY, Binghamton, March 23-24, 2001.
Chair, organizer, abstract reviewer for “Gendered Identities of Chicana and Latina Women Artists.” 11th Annual Conference of The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, SUNY, Binghamton, March 10-11, 2000.
Chair for “Notions of Subjectivity in Spanish Narrative and Film.”
10th Annual Conference of The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, SUNY, Binghamton, March 5-6, 1999.
“Identidad femenina en ‘El árbol’ de María Luisa Bombal” in the 10th Annual Conference of The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, SUNY, Binghamton, March 5-6, 1999.
“Dimensione socio-politica nella poesia di Bartolo Cattafi.” South Atlantic Modern Languages Association. November 13-15, 1997. Atlanta, Georgia.
"Carattere e comportamento della donna della brigata." South Atlantic Modern Languages Association. 8-10 November 1996. Savannah, Georgia.
Guest speaker. “Italian Everyday Lifestyle." Hazleton Public Library, Hazleton, PA, 1999.
Guest speaker. “Latino Culture and Identity in Unites States.” Wilkes University, 1998.
Presentation: “Three Cultures in Latin America” for the Multicultural Awareness Week during the Hispanic Heritage Month. Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre. 1997.
Lecture: "Italian Diet and Eating Habits" for the Nutrition Dept. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 1995.
“I enjoy the environment that is created between the faculty and the students the most at Wilkes. The student body is very motivated with an interest to learn. They are conscientious, responsible, and reliable. They always want to achieve more that what is asked of them, and they are really well rounded.”
“When you study abroad it is not just about learning a language; you can stay with your particular focus and major,” said Dr. Bianco. “Any area of study that is compatible to Wilkes University’s curriculum can be studied abroad. The credits will transfer, and you can still receive financial aid. “
BOOKS
Mujeres con voz propia. (Women in their own voices) offers a great variety of texts written by Hispanic women. It maps the development of women writers from the XVIIth century to the present in all countries where Spanish is spoken. The women chosen are diverse and don't only include Latin America and Spain but also The Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and the United States. The selection of these authors has been less guided by their prestige or relevance and more by their connection and relationship to women’s issues and the topics selected. This anthology can thus be said to be representative of the work of women writers in a far larger geographical area than is the norm in most textbooks and anthologies.
- Conversando con literatura. Wilkes-Barre, Panda Publications, 2013.
- Prisma: Análisis de textos en español. Wilkes-Barre, Panda Publications, 2008.
- Introducción a la literatura española. Mass: Focus Publishing, 2006.
- Introducciónj a la literatura latinoamericana. Mass: Focus Publishing, 2005.
- García Lorca, Federico. La casa de Bernarda Alba. Paola Bianco and Antonio Sobejano, eds. Mass: Focus Publishing, 2005.
- Unamuno, Miguel. San Manuel Bueno, mártir. Paola Bianco and Antonio Sobejano, eds. Mass: Focus Publishing, 2005.
- Tra ermetismo e realismo. Foggia: Bastogi, 1999.
REFEREED JOURNALS:
- “Marcos y metatextos en La nave de los locos”. Hispanófila #141, 2004: (77-87).
- “Dicotomomía narrativa en El árbol de María Luisa Bombal”. Acta literaria # 27, 2002: (12-27).
ARTICLES:
- Magazines, newspapers: Interview with Italian Film director, Gianfranco Cabbiddu, In America Oggi, Verona New Jersey, October, 2008.
- Interview with Italian poet and critic, Eduardo Sanguineti. In America Oggi, Verona, New Jersey, September, 2006.
- “Immigration: changes and attitudes.” Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. October, 2005.
- Inmigración: Antes y ahora.” La voz Latina, Scranton, Pennsylvania. August, 2005.
- Interview with contemporary composer, Nuccio D’Angelo, “A colloquio con il compositore siciliano - Musica in tutta libertà.” In America Oggi, Verona, NJ, September 2001.
- Dimensione socio-politica nella poesia di Cattafi.” In Il Ponte Italo- Americano, Verona, New Jersey, May-August, 2001: 23.
- “An Oscar for ‘La vita é bella.’” In Il Ponte Italo-Americano , Verona, New Jersey, May-June, 1999: 2.
- ‘Life is Beautiful,’ Benigni: 2 more winners from Italian cinema.” Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, April 1999: 5C.
- “La poesia di Giuseppe Bonaviri” In Il Ponte Italo-Americano, Verona, New Jersey, November-December, 1997: 16.
- “Cristoforo Colombo: le nostre radici”. In Il Ponte Italo-Americano, Verona, New Jersey, November-December, 1996: 35.
- Interview with contemporary writer Domenico Rea, "Incontro con Domenico Rea -- Rea e le due Napoli". In America Oggi, Verona, NJ, 1992: 32.
- Cultural articles onItaly in La follia and Il ponte, Verona, New Jersey, 1992-1993.
- Italian Cultural Column. Sunday Dispatch, Pittston, PA, 1989.
- Sabbatical Spring semester to complete research and publish two volumes of Spanish literature books. (2005)
- Faculty Development Award - Type 1 Award to travel in Spain to conduct research for a book. (2004)
- Faculty Development Award – Type 1 Award to travel in Italy to conduct research for an Italian book and interviews. (2002)
- FDCAward for Research - (1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002)
- Dissertation Travel Award to Italy -University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (1996)
- Scholarship sponsored by the Italian Government.
“Workshop on "Methodology" Techniques to teach Italian to non natives. Università per Stranieri, Siena, Italy (1993) - American Italian Memorial Award
SUNY, Binghamton. (1988)