“It has been a pleasure to be able to be part of the Italian program which Professor Godorecci and his wife Dr. Barbara Godorecci created from scratch,” said Gabriella Merriman, one of Godorecci’s colleagues and an Italian professor. “Dr. Maurizio Godorecci is well known and extremely liked by everyone, and he likes to take the time to explain and to converse with his students, creating a real sense of community in his classes.”
An Italian native from an area near Rome, Godorecci received his doctorate in 1990 from New York University, where he met his wife, Barbara Godorecci. The pair then moved to Tuscaloosa where their hard work and talent would build a thriving Italian department.
In addition to other professors, the Godorecci team is immensely popular with students as well.
Andrew Sbrissa, a senior majoring in marketing, is one such student, who said he believes that there’s “nothing more you could want from a teacher” than what Godorecci brings to his classes.
“If you didn’t know him, you’d think he was just visiting from Italy – his personal style is the epitome of Italian fashion and culture,” Sbrissa said. “His extensive knowledge of Italian literature is motivating and entertaining, as he often gets very excited about the material he’s talking about.”
The material, besides Italian language classes, includes in-depth studies of Italian literature and the Italian Renaissance, which Godorecci said he considers to be his favorite subject.
However, Godorecci said his favorite part about teaching is the students.
“Interaction with the students is why I love to teach,” Godorecci said.
He said his students are what makes teaching rewarding.
“How to convey an idea, how to help them learn something – that’s what’s important,” he said. “Every student, every one, is a very special one.”
Looking to increase students’ abilities to study Italian language and culture, he created a study abroad program in Florence in 1992, with which he continues to work closely.
