Angelina Dobbs 

Angelina Dobbs, an IDEA grant recipient and Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) student, uses her undergraduate research efforts to educate others about how women participated in Enlightenment ideas in the 18th century. Dobbs seeks to provide engaging and accessible course material for future students to enjoy via her podcast about Italian women’s sociability.

In tandem with her research, Dobbs has participated in the Women’s Leadership Institute and strives to create a welcoming and empowering space for women in academia.

How did you choose FSU?

Choosing FSU was not hard at all. I am originally from Denver, Colorado, and at the beginning of my college application process, I wanted to go to Boston to study. I initially applied to FSU because my twin sister, Sofie, wanted to attend a Florida university and I didn’t want to separate from her. Of course, it helped that FSU has a fantastic editing, writing, and media program, which aligned well with my aspirations for the publishing field. It wasn’t until I toured the campus in November 2022 that I absolutely fell in love with the school. I found the red brick buildings charming and the still-green plants refreshing. My tour guide’s genuine enthusiasm and stellar review sold me on the school. After hearing about the abundance of opportunities for undergraduate research, I left the tour feeling that I needed to go to FSU. As soon as I saw my acceptance letter, I made my decision. Now, I am here and I haven’t regretted my choice for a second.

How have your academic achievements shaped your journey at FSU?

In fall 2023, I joined professor Irene Zanini-Cordi’s project “Culture, Conversations, and Social Networks in 18th and 19th Century Italy” in the UROP program. Through the lens of social network theory, my research team examined how Italian salonnières influenced the growth of Enlightenment culture through their agency and contributions to art, science and literature.

My research within this project focused on how famed Venetian salonnière, Isabella Teotochi Albrizzi, used her educational connections and intellectual merit to reframe her identity into that of a respected literary critic and published author, at a time when women were unable to do so. My primary goal was to study how she successfully challenged social and literary gender norms.

What was the thinking behind your podcast?

To spread our research, my team wrote, edited and produced a podcast series, “Sip and Connect: Social Networking Italian Style,” and co-authored “Conversations that Shape Identity,” a peer-reviewed, pedagogical article for Eighteenth-Century Studies, slated for publication in spring 2025.

Our team won an IDEA grant to expand our podcast to examine how innovative technological and cultural developments in coffee culture, journalism, politics, early science, religion, fashion, social etiquette, art and opera shaped Italian sociability during the 18th century and embodied Enlightenment ideas. The podcast episodes will be used in course curriculum for a class on Italian sociability in the 18th century at FSU, taught by professor Zanini-Cordi. While our main objective with this series was to help students explore Enlightenment culture, we also learned how to conversationally engage the public with intellectual topics and use modern media to circulate knowledge.

How have you gotten involved with your community, and how has that shaped who you are?

I attended the Women’s Leadership Institute in October 2022. I wanted to meet like-minded, ambitious women and learn from mentors who could teach me how to advocate for myself as I entered the uncharted territory of academia. During this influential weekend, we discussed topics on women’s experiences in the workplace and how to approach difficulties with confidence. The Women’s Leadership Institute laid a foundation for my college experience and professional persona. I have become comfortable directing projects, using my abilities to chase opportunities I wouldn’t have previously attempted and motivating other women to do the same. This institute also sparked my interest in Women’s Studies, which has been a crucial aspect of my research.

My research projects have also worked to support the women in my close circle. My work highlights how women have historically exercised agency to accomplish outstanding achievements and contribute to the development of our modern world. By revealing and sharing the rich history of these women’s hard work, I encourage the women around me at FSU to build each other up and attempt the impossible.

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