Sicily & Amalfi Coast, Italy Preliminary Info- Summer 2017

 

Sicily Mount Etna

We are still in the planning stages of our Sicily/Amalfi Coast Summer 2017 program and are in the process of working out details with our partnership company AIFS concerning dates, prices, lodging options, and when the application link will be available. We expect departure for this trip sometime in June 2017, with 5 weeks abroad and at least one or two class meetings before departure.

INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS SCHEDULE JUST ANNOUNCED:

Below is the Spring 2017 schedule of information sessions facilitated by Professors Michelle Hughes Markovics (mhughesmarkovics@santarosa.edu) and David Kratzmann (dkratzmann@santarosa.edu), our instructors on the trip:   

Ancient Cultures and Volcanoes of Southern Italy & Sicily--Summer 2017

Wednesday

Jan. 25, 2017

11am-12pm

PC 211 Doyle Hall

Petaluma Campus

Thursday

Jan. 26, 2017

3:15-4:15pm

PC 211 Doyle Hall

Petaluma Campus

Friday

Jan. 27, 2017

11:00am-12:00pm

Rm. 4244, Doyle Library

Santa Rosa Campus

Monday

Jan. 30, 2017

3:15-4:15pm

PC 211 Doyle Hall

Petaluma Campus

Tuesday

Jan. 31, 2017

12-1:00pm

PC 211 Doyle Hall

Petaluma Campus

Thursday

Feb. 2, 2017

3:30-4:30pm

Rm. 4244, Doyle Library

Santa Rosa Campus

Click here for the PDF printable flyer of Information Meetings Schedule.

Tentative Schedule:

--1 week in the Bay of Naples area
--about 4 days in the Aeolian Islands (Lipari, Vulcano, Stromboli, and others possibly)
--rest of the time based in Siracusa on the island of Sicily
 

Itinerary will include:

•    3 active volcanoes – Etna, Vesuvius, and Stromboli
•    Mediterranean islands – Sicily, Lipari, and Ischia
•    World famous archaeological sites, including Pompeii, Herculaneum, Agrigento, and Neapolis in Siracusa

Please see below for some preliminary information regarding the instructors and proposed classes, the necessary qualifications, and how to request to be put on our contact list for this program.

Why Study in Sicily, the Aeolian Islands, and Bay of Naples, Italy?

Southern Italy is known for its terrain that is lined with rugged cliffs from which pastel-colored towns cling to the edge, overlooking the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean. The surrounding countryside is often filled with olive and lemon trees. The Bay of Naples region in southern Italy has for centuries been a destination for artists, writers and musicians, and features the allure of nearby sights such as Pompeii, Herculaneum, Mt. Vesuvius, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast. Further south, just off the tip of Italy’s boot, is the island of Sicily, with its warm-water beaches, rich agricultural land, and its iconic volcano, Mt. Etna—the largest and most active volcano in Europe. Sicily is the largest and arguably most picturesque island in the Mediterranean and is also a melting pot of diverse cultures and peoples. Its historic artistic, architectural and cultural remains have earned Sicily the nickname “Crossroads of Civilization.” North of Sicily is the volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea known as the Aeolian Islands. Named after Aeolus, the demigod of the winds, the islands feature two active volcanoes—Stromboli and Vulcano—and steaming fumaroles and thermal waters. All three of these southern Italy regions—Sicily, the Aeolian Islands, and the Bay of Naples—will undoubtedly each serve as an inspiring and remarkable base for the anthropology and geology classes you’ll be taking, as well as for your study abroad experience as a whole.

What Classes Will I Be Taking?

Everyone participating in this program will be taking two classes: ANTHRO 4 (Ancient Peoples and Society) and GEOL 1 (The Earth).

ANTHRO 4 is a 3-unit course transferrable to CSU and UC. It is an introduction to the development of complex human societies using cross-cultural, comparative examples from the archaeological record beginning with early hunter-gatherer societies and concluding with the collapse of ancient empires. For the trip, this class will be structured around major periods of Italian prehistory and archaeology, such as pre-Roman Italy/Mediterranean, Greeks and Phoenicians in Italy, and the Romans. The class will incorporate visits to archaeological sites (including the opportunity of seeing archaeologists in action), monuments, and museums that illustrate course topics.

GEOL 1 is a 3-unit course transferrable to CSU and UC. It’s an introduction to rocks, minerals, landforms and the dynamic processes that shape the Earth. The course includes the study of plate tectonics, volcanoes, earthquakes, and surface processes that shape the Earth. For the trip, this course will be structured around understanding geology as a science and major volcanic events in recent Italian history, with topics covering plate tectonics, subduction-related volcanism, the Vesuvius 79 AD eruption and destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and recent volcanic activity at Mt. Etna and Stromboli. The class will include field trips to geologic sites and monuments, as well as seeing a volcanologist in action at the Etnean Observatory.

Who Are the Instructors?

Michelle Hughes Markovics will teach ANTHRO 4, and David Kratzmann will teach GEOL 1, and they will be accompanying the students on their field trips. They will also be giving informational meetings about the trip tentatively beginning late Fall 2016 and into Spring 2017 (dates and times TBD).

Michelle Hughes Markovics has been teaching as a full-time instructor in SRJC’s Department of Behavioral Sciences since 2008. From 1998 on she has been involved in multiple international multidisciplinary archaeological projects in Italy, Hungary and Romania, as well as in the U.S. She also currently serves as the president of the North Coast Society of the Archaeological Institute of America, the nation’s oldest and largest archaeological organization. In addition, she was SRJC’s anthropology instructor in the hugely successful Summer 2015 Study Abroad program to Rome and Sorrento.    

David Kratzmann earned his Ph.D. in Geological Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island in 2009. His research focused on the explosive eruptions of Cerro Hudson in Chile. Geology has taken him to over 20 countries around the world, and he has training as a physical volcanologist and personal knowledge of Vesuvius and Pompeii. He has overseas teaching experience and has taught a number of field-based courses in Costa Rica focused on volcanology and interdisciplinary geology/biology. Professor Kratzmann became a member of SRJC’s Earth and Space Science Department in 2013.

What are the minimum qualifications of the Sicily/Sorrento summer program?

All students must be at least 18 years of age at the time of departure and be in good academic standing. Students on academic probation or dismissal will not be allowed to participate. In addition, due to the nature of the classes with field trips, the program will have a maximum capacity (TBD), and we do expect this program to fill.

How can I find out when more information becomes available?

We are creating a contact list to inform interested students when more information will be available on the website, when the application link will be available, and when informational meetings will begin to take place. To request to be put on this list, please email Patty Warne, coordinator of Study Abroad, at pwarne@santarosa.edu.

Sicily/Amalfi Coast Preliminary Flyer (PDF)