Eric joined Italian Dream Academy in 2026. In addition to his work at IDA, he serves as an Italian Lecturer at The Ohio State University. Eric studied at the University of Pittsburgh, where he completed his MA in Italian Language & Literature. After finishing his MA, he moved to Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned his PhD in Applied Linguistics & Second Language Acquisition.
While at CMU, Eric developed an interest in digital game-based language learning, and his dissertation presented a qualitative investigation into the emergence of language learning opportunities in a collaborative, game-based pedagogical intervention.
He has also served as an instructor in the Master’s program in Technology-Mediated Language Teaching and Learning at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. Eric is passionate about leveraging engaging and innovative technologies in language instruction.
Outside of the university setting, Eric spent three years as a member of Duolingo’s Italian-English contractor team. He also taught Italian courses at all levels to adults for several years at a private language school in his hometown of Pittsburgh, spent a year teaching English to adults in Bologna, and most recently worked as an on-site manager for a study abroad program in Rome.