Juliann Vitullo received her Ph.D. in Italian studies from Indiana University. She is an associate professor of Italian studies at Arizona State University and has served as associate director of the School of International Letters and Cultures. She has written on various aspects of medieval, early modern, and contemporary Italian culture with emphasis on the relationship between textual traditions and the material world, including economics, food, and gender studies. She currently is researching the history and culture of the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle in Italy, strategies used for maintaining it in Italian communities, and possible ways to adapt to it to our local food system.