Dr Paola Di Giuseppantonio Di Franco

Biography

I am a UKRI Future Leader Fellow, Round 6, and Senior Lecturer in Heritage and Digital Humanities. My research combines material culture, heritage, and cognitive science to explore how new technologies impact heritage making processes and the interpretation processes of the past. My UKRI FLF is titled "REbuilding a sense of PLACE (REPLACE): The socio-cultural role of 3D technologies in increasing community resilience after natural disasters". REPLACE is a programme of research that aims to increase community resilience after natural disasters by advancing our understanding of the socio-cultural role 3D technologies can play in rebuilding a sense of place, thus enabling communities to prepare for, respond to, recover from, mitigate the effects, and adapt to natural disasters. My previous fellowships include a Marie Skłodowska Curie fellowship at the University of Cambridge & an Eastern ARC fellowship. These grants, among others, have allowed for the development of two research strands: One line of research studies the role new technologies (3D digital, replicas, 3D prints, and digital soundscapes) play in enhancing processes of meaning making and interaction with past material culture inside museums; specifically how 3D virtual and material replicas, as well as object-based soundscapes, can re-define authenticity and enhance more performative and affective museum displays (Projects: DIGIFACTS and Neurocuration). The other focusses on collaboration with small/medium enterprises & educators to study how novel pedagogies and 3D technologies can be combined to enhance young people's engagement with their heritage in conflict afflicted countries. I co-developed a project in Tunis, supported by the British Council Cultural Protection Fund, and in collaboration with the faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, Virtual Experience company, and Rambourg Foundation (Project: Ksar Said: A Virtual Experience); I am now co-developing similar programmes of research in Syria, Lebanon, and Uganda. My research outputs are practice-based as well as journal or book focused and I have recently been awarded a BAFTSS Practice Research Innovation award for my co-directed film "Italia Terremotata", which tells the story of resilient communities in post-earthquake Italy.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. University of California, Merced,

• Post-graduate Specialisation in Late Antiquity and Medieval Archaeology Sapienza University of Rome,

• BA+MSc Sapienza University of Rome,

Appointments

University of Essex

• Senior Lecturer in Heritage and Digital Humanities, School of Philosophy and Art History and Interdisciplinary Studies Centre, University of Essex (1/10/2022 - present)

• Lecturer in Heritage and Digital Humanities, School of Philosophy and Art History and Interdisciplinary Studies Centre, University of Essex (1/1/2021 - 30/9/2022)

• Eastern ARC Fellow in the Digital Humanities, SPAH, University of Essex (1/1/2018 - 31/12/2020)

Other academic

• Marie Skłodowska Curie Fellow, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge University (15/9/2014 - 14/6/2017)