A New Semester Starts At Umbra! Insights from Director Zach Nowak
The Spring 2025 semester has officially begun! We talked with Dr. Zachary Nowak, our Director, who was excited about the Umbra students meeting their professors.
Some Things Change…
Zach’s first Arrivals Day was in September 2005, when Umbra welcomed a group around as large as this semester’s cohort. ‘I remember being down at the Rome airport in my green Umbra t-shirt, with students coming up to us as they emerged from the baggage claim,’ he said. ‘It was the exact same mix of being dead tired from the flight, but also being so, so excited to start their Italian experience. It was fun to be at the airport again last week and see those exact emotions!’
Voci di corridoio
In Italian this literally means ‘voices in the corridor’ though it figuratively means ‘rumors’. Students are full of questions about their new city but Zach also remarked about what he has heard so far ‘unofficially.’ Because one of the Umbra coffee machines is in the hall right outside his office, Zach often hears students remarking to each other about what they’ve seen so far. ‘They’re always overwhelmed—in a good way—with how beautiful the city is. They find the best panoramas quickly and recommend them to their friends, as well as where to get the best panino or pizza. And they talk about their first attempts to order in cafés and how patient the baristas are with them,’ Zach said.
Courses that count
A big change from 2005 is the fact that students are increasingly taking courses that count for their majors, not just elective credit towards graduation. ‘When I first started at Umbra, we had great classes and excellent professors, but most students just got GenEds checked off,’ said Nowak. ‘Now students can come and take classes in our curricular concentrations in food/sustainability/environment (the FSE) and multicultural psych (MPP), as well as in a wide range of other disciplines like Photography, Roman History, Ren Art…‘
Welcome to Perugia!
So, to our new students, welcome to Italy, to Perugia, and to Umbra! You’re joining a community where learning goes beyond the classroom, into the streets of Perugia and the hearts of its people. Here’s to a semester of discovery, connection, and unforgettable memories.