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OU in Arezzo Staff

Faculty and Staff

I am trying to come up with something to say about the OUA Staff, about how no matter what happened someone had an answer and an easy fix, and about how you guys made it really easy for me to feel safe and like no matter what happened there was a plan and a way to fix it all, but that experience of having what I am calling my OUA Family just leaves me at a loss for words. I would have been completely lost without all of you. I don't think I could have done it without feeling like all of you guys had my back, and I can't thank you guys enough for allowing me to have this experience with the comfort of knowing you were there for me. 

- Sarah Ex, OU in Arezzo Spring 2013

Directors

Kirk Duclaux

Kirk Duclaux
Director of Italian Programs

Kirk Duclaux is OU’s on-site Director of Italian programs in Italy. He lives in Italy with his wife, Charlotte, and their two sons, Max and Alessio, teaching Italian Decorative Complexes and overseeing the program on the ground in Arezzo. He received his undergraduate degree in Art History from the University of Cincinnati and his graduate degree from Syracuse University's Renaissance Art History Program in Florence, Italy. Kirk has been traveling around Italy and educating people about art for years. He worked as a guide for the American Embassy in Rome and the American Consulate in Florence before building up OU’s own study abroad program, which is today thriving in the heart of Tuscany.

 

 


Charlotte Duclaux
Director of Student Affairs

Charlotte Duclaux is OUA’s on-site Director of Student Affairs in Italy. Charlotte oversees the non-academic aspects of the summer and semester programs. She's from Ohio and received her undergraduate degree in Spanish and Secondary Education from the University of Cincinnati and her graduate degree in Hispanic Civilization at New York University in Madrid. Charlotte has been living abroad for most of her professional career, in Spain and in Italy. She worked for many years as an educator and administrative coordinator before joining the OUA team in 2009. As a former study abroad student herself, she understands the challenges that students can experience when living in a foreign country and tries to help students get the most out of the study abroad experience. She lives in Arezzo with her husband Kirk. They're "empty nesters" since their two sons are studying in the U.S. and so their Corgis Bea and Daisy make great companions. 

 

 

Ursula Armstrong

Ursula Armstrong
Assistant Director of OU in Arezzo

Ursula Armstrong was born and grew up in the UK, where she got her undergraduate degree at the University of East Anglia in English and American Literature. She then went on to study English as a foreign language and came to Italy to teach. During her first year in the country, she fell in love with the Italian language, culture and way of life and decided to prolong her experience there. She now lives in Arezzo with her husband and three children, River, Giovanni and Jamie. In 2015, after ten years as an educator with an Italian nonprofit, she joined OU in Arezzo where she oversees program operations and collaborates with the wider Education Abroad team on planning sustainable academic programs for the Italian Study Center.

 

 

Marta Agnelli

Marta Agnelli
Assistant Director, Financial and Administrative Operations

Marta Agnelli was born and raised in Arezzo and at the age of 19 moved to Florence to study at the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy, where she got a degree in Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures. As a teenager she had the opportunity to stay for long periods in the US and to travel throughout Europe. Before graduating, she worked in England as Group and Activity Leader for Italian students and in Austria as Italian Language Lecturer for High School. She worked for an American multinational company in Florence for 12 years before joining the OUA team in 2011. She lives in Arezzo with her husband Francesco and their two children, Michelangelo and Olivia.

 

 

Staff

Lucio Bianchi

Lucio Bianchi
Student Services Coordinator

Lucio Bianchi was born and raised in the Arezzo area. He has an undergraduate degree in Foreign Languages and Cultural Mediation from the Universita’ degli Studi di Siena in Arezzo. He knows a lot about OU campus life because he won a grant to study at the University of Oklahoma in Norman during the fall of 2008. It was one of the most enriching experiences he had ever had and he fell in love with the philosophy of colleges and the approach that English-speaking countries have towards higher education. Lucio is an easy-going person who likes to meet new people and to learn new perspectives because he believes that recognizing differences in others can help a person enrich him/herself.

 

 

Christiana Datubo-Brown

Christiana Datubo-Brown
Residence Life Coordinator

Christiana Datubo-Brown is OUA’s Residence Life Coordinator (RLC). She brings a unique perspective to the role as a Nigerian immigrant and a former study abroad student. Christiana directs the daily operations of the Rooney Family Center, supervises the student employees, and helps students with their personal well-being. Prior to joining OUA, Christiana was a lead researcher at the Southern Regional Education Board. She assisted the director of education data services with analyzing postsecondary data and producing publications. Christiana holds a Master of Science in Human Development from Auburn University. She hopes to use her lessons learned as a traveler, mentor, social scientist, and college instructor to help OUA students have an amazing study abroad experience.

 

 

Giulia Lombardi

Giulia Lombardi
Programs Coordinator

Giulia was born and raised in Arezzo. At the age of 18, she moved to Perugia to study at University, where she graduated in Communications and International Relations. Before her master’s degree, she had the chance to study abroad for a year and do an internship in Spain, thanks to the Erasmus Program. After several years in Rome, where she worked for nonprofit organizations and a school administration office, she decided to move back to Arezzo with her husband, son and daughter. Giulia joined the OUA team in 2017, first as a Summer Assistant and then became the Programs Coordinator. She really likes working with international students and faculty and thinks that studying abroad is an essential part of lifelong learning.

 

 

Luca Mariottini

Luca Mariottini

Luca Mariottini is from Arezzo and has been working at OU in Arezzo since July 2016. His working relationship with the university began long before because he was working for companies that provided the same type of service that he now does full-time at OUA. He has worked throughout Italy with IT support companies for banks and private and public companies. He is married and he and his wife Kristina have a daughter named Laila. He loves his work because every day brings about new challenges and solutions.

 

 

Gineka Ferguson

Gineka Ferguson
Graduate Resident Director

Bio coming soon!

 

 

Instructors

Patrizia Ghezzi

Patrizia Ghezzi
Italian Language Instructor

Patrizia Ghezzi was born and raised in Arezzo where she lives with her husband and son. She teaches Italian and has a love for languages. She is fluent in English, with a British accent! She received her graduate degree in English Language and Literature at the University of Florence.  She studied abroad to improve her English and she considers this experience one of the best of her life. She has worked as a professional translator and freelance teacher of English for state-run schools and private organizations and companies.  At a certain point of her career she realized that she wanted a change.  In 2005, she obtained a diploma to teach Italian as a Foreign Language at the University of Siena.  She started teaching Italian and understood that this was the professional experience that she was looking for.  Patrizia has been teaching for OU in Arezzo since 2010.

 

 

Antonio Cioni

Antonio Cioni
Italian Language Instructor

Antonio Cioni was born and raised in Anghiari, a small village in Tuscany. He received his bachelor’s degree in Cultural Heritage from the Università di Perugia and his master’s degree in Anthropology and Etnology from Bologna University. In 2010 Antonio earned a certification for teaching Italian as a second language from Siena University.  He worked with immigrants, refugees after Arabic spring, English and American people residing in Italy as well as the London Southbank Orchestra, teaching Italian to Simon Over, the Director of the Westminster Choir. Antonio also taught Italian at Rondine Cittadella della Pace, a peace-building organization based in Tuscany where students come from countries in conflict to study together, and Meredith College’s abroad program in Sansepolcro.

 

 

Education Abroad
Farzaneh Hall (formerly Hester Hall)
729 Elm Ave., Room 144
Norman, OK 73019

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Updated 2/10/2023 by Education Abroad: ea@ou.edu