Top
World Languages & Cultures

Maria C. Mansella

Click for Bio

Bio

Professor Emerita Maria C. Mansella was born in Galluccio (Caserta). She attended the Istituto Magistrale and earned the Diploma of Maturità Magistrale from the Istituto Vincenzo Gioberti, Sora (Frosinone), Italy.
 
Maria C. Mansella holds a BA Cum Laude from Rhode Island College in Secondary Education with a concentration in French, minor in Portuguese and a Student Designed Concentration in Italian Studies from the University of Rhode Island and Providence College. She earned her Master Degree from Middlebury College and continued graduate studies at Brown University and the University of Rhode Island. She participated in the Salamanca Summer Immersion Program in Spain. She taught Bilingual Education-ESL, and Italian, French and Spanish for several Rhode Island elementary and secondary schools, Rhode Island College, Providence College and Providence College School of Continuing Education.
 
Maria C. Mansella is currently a teaching Emerita Professor, at the  Community College of Rhode Island where she dedicated 40+years (full/part time) teaching Italian with occasional assignments in French and Spanish. Concurrently, she has been a senior lecturer for Providence College and for Providence College School of Continuing Education from 1990 to 2019. 
 
Active in several professional associations, Maria C. Mansella served as President of RITI (Rhode Island Teachers of Italian) 2000-2004 and as a member of AATI (American Association of Teachers of Italian) she served on their AATI National Examination Committee. She was the Corresponding Secretary of RIFLA (Rhode Island World Language Association) and RITI Newsletter Co-Editor. Maria C. Mansella served as Vice President of C.A.S.IT. (Centro Attività Scolastiche Italiane) an Ente Gestore of the Italian Consulate in Boston, 2000-2002 and she has been an active C.A.S.IT. Board Member 1996 to 2019. She is an active member of AATI (American Association Teachers of Italian), RIFLA (Rhode Island Foreign Language Association), RITI Executive Board Member (Rhode Island Teachers of Italian), IAHSRI (Italian American Historical Society of Rhode Island), The Renaissance-Alliance Lodge - Sons of Italy, NOIAW (National Organization Italian American Women), CAIS (Canadian Association Italian Studies), LLC (Lifelong Learning Collaborative) and Member of the Comitato Scientifico Accademia Properziana Del Subasio, Assisi, Italy.
 
Maria C. Mansella presented several foreign language workshops at the local and state levels, participated in conferences in the US and abroad and she is a mentor for novice teachers in Secondary Education with a concentration in World Languages and Cultures.

Maria C. Mansella's leadership role, her strong commitment to teaching and her genuine interest in "learning and sharing"  have been the solid foundations in offering our CCRI community cultural trips to Italy in Summers 1997 and 2000. In addition, the CCRI Summer Immersion Program in Italy has become "a unique transformative experiential opportunity of a lifetime"  from 2003 to 2023. For Maria C. Mansella, teaching is a passion that she embraces with enthusiasm guiding her students to discover their potential while learning about various cultures of this beautiful planet. 
 
If you are interested in learning about opportunities to Travel-Study in Italy, please contact Prof. Mansella <mmansella@ccri.edu>

Office Hours

For information, please E-mail: mmansella@ccri.edu
ZOOM and/or in-person meetings by appointment

2025 Fall Semester Schedule
(TBA)


 

Classes

2025 Fall Courses Available for Registration

(Please click here) 


CCRI Course Catalogue

ITAL-1000 - Basic Spoken Italian
ITAL-1030 - Elementary Italian I
ITAL-1040 - Elementary Italian II
ITAL-1510 - Conversational Italian I
ITAL-1520 - Conversational Italian II
ITAL-1900 - The Italian Heritage
ITAL-1910 - Italian Culture-Cuisine
ITAL-1950 - Italian for Business and Travel
ITAL-2010 - Intermediate Italian I
ITAL-2020 - Intermediate Italian II

ITAL-2210 - Italian Conversation and Composition I
ITAL-2220 - Italian Conversation and Composition II

NEW course offering: 
LIBA 1500 - THE GLOBAL EDGE: An Introduction to Language & Culture(s) to Thrive as Global Leaders

Awards & Honors

  • "Teaching Italian Through Food"  - Professional Development Founded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, California State University, Fresno, April-June 2024
  • The Verrazzano Day Observance Committee Award
    Dr. Renato Leonelli Resource Award, May 2023
  • CAIS (Canadian Association Italian Studies) International Conference, Orvieto, Italy, June 2019
  • NOIAW "Wise Woman" AWARD (National Organization Italian American Women), January 20, 2019
  • The Verrazzano Day Observance Committee Award
    Dr. Renato Leonelli Resource Award, May 2017
  • AATI (American Association Teachers of Italian) International Conference, Siena, Italy, June, 2015
  • Italian Culture Ambassador, X Anniversario, Orvieto, Italy,
    June 2012
  • The Verrazzano Day Observance Committee Award
    Dr. Renato Leonelli Resource Award, May 2012
  • CCRI - Providence College School of Continuing Education
    Maria C. Mansella Merit Award, May 2011
  • The US Army 197th Fires Brigade Award, May 2011
  • AATI (American Association Teachers of Italian) Professional Development Fellowship Fondazione San Vigilio, Ossana (Trento), Italy, June 2009
  • Associazione Carabinieri C. Ugolini, Terni-Orvieto, Italy, June 2007
  • The Verrazzano Day Observance Committee Award
    Dr. Renato Leonelli Resource Award, May, 2007
  • RIFLA (Rhode Island Foreign Languages Association) Teacher of the Year Award, Spring 2005
  • Honorary Inductee Eta Lambda Award - Alpha Sigma Lambda Providence College School of Continuing Education, December 2004
  • NISOD Teaching and Leadership Excellence Award 2003 (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development)
  • The Verrazzano Day Observance Committee Award
    Dr. Renato Leonelli Resource Award, May 2002
  • AATI (American Association Teachers of Italian) Professional Development Fellowship Siena, Italy, June 1997
  • The Verrazzano Day Observance Committee Award
    Dr. Renato Leonelli Resource Award, May 1997
  • RIFLA (Rhode Island Foreign Languages Association) Mary Borra Award, May 1996
  • CCRI Teacher of the Month, Spring 1995
  • RIFLA (Rhode Island Foreign Languages Association) Novice Teacher Award
    Northeast Conference, New York City, March 1994
  • URI Immersion Program, Salamanca, Spain, Summer 1994