Dr Paolo Gruppuso

Biography

I am an anthropologist interested in urban ecologies, nature conservation, water landscapes, and in the environmental and social history of wetlands and land reclamation.

I studied Social Anthropology at the University of Rome 'La Sapienza, and at the University of Aberdeen, where in 2016 I obtained a PhD with a dissertation on environmental conflicts between farming and nature conservation in two protected wetlands of Agro Pontino, Italy. From 2013 to May 2018, I was affiliated to the European Research Council project “Knowing From the Inside: Anthropology, Art, Architecture and Design,” based at Aberdeen University and led by Professor Tim Ingold.

In 2018 I was Visiting Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (Berlin), where I worked within the Art of Judgement working group led by Dr Wilko Graf Von Hardenberg (Dept.3). My project at the MPIWG concerned the history of wetland conservation within the wider fields of conservation science and environmentalism.

From 2018 to 2021 I worked as a research fellow at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, with teaching and administrative responsibilities. Particularly, I have been teaching food anthropology courses focusing on environmental issues, and I have coordinated the interdisciplinary program “Master of Gastronomy: Creativity, Ecology and Education”, directed by prof Nicola Perullo.

I have authored a monograph on the Pontine Marshes, and articles on environmental conflicts, anthropocene landscapes, and wetland imaginaries and materialities.

External Memberships

I am a researcher affiliated with Casa dell'Architettura - Istituto di Cultura Urbana. Latina

http://www.casadellarchitettura.eu/

I am adjunct professor at the American University of Rome

https://aur.edu/

Research Overview

I conducted my doctoral research in protected wetlands of Agro Pontino, Italy. Based on extensive archival and ethnographic research, the thesis is an in-depth study of how wetlands emerge over time as entanglements of landscape policy, local use, and environmental ethics. Particularly, I studied the environmental history of the region and explored the different and contested cultural, economic and ecological values attributed to marshlands: from their integration into local social life, to their drainage during the fascist reclamation, and to the present designation as protected wetlands.

In the last few years I have started exploring interstitial ecologies in contemporary cities, looking particularly at urban wetlands, artificial channels, vernal pools, and abandoned areas, and the role they play in shaping new modes of ecological resilience and multispecies conviviality. I am also interested in understanding the role of these areas in drawing relations between urban and rural environments, built and natural landscapes.

Conviviality in the Anthropocene - Short presentation

Knowledge Exchange

Invited talks and seminars

2021, October 28 – 29 - ONLINE

Brandenburgh University of Technology

“The Making and Unmaking of an Ambiguous Identity: The Reclamation District of Agro Pontino, Italy”.

International Symposium: The Making of Identity through Rural Space: Scenarios, Experiences and Contestations in the Rural Built Environment.

2021, May 31– ONLINE

University of Grenoble

“The city and its double: exploring wet lands and interstitial natures in urban environments”.

Seminar: Paysages élémentaires: approches anthropologiques.

2021, April 3– ONLINE

University of Florence

“City and Nature: an anthropological approach”.

Seminar for undergraduate students enrolled in the program ‘Urban and Landscape Planning’.

2021, March 3 – ONLINE

University of Gastronomic Sciences, Bra (Italy)

“Food, cities, and the current crisis: anthropological ruminations.

Conference for the resident academic community.

2018, November 20

Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin

“The Art of Judgment in Wetlands: Landscape Ethics, Aesthetics, and Science in Nature Conservation”.

Department III Colloquium.

Organisation and participation in public events of dissemination

2021, October 2

Food&Science Festival – Mantova (Italy)

Talk on the relationship between water and society.

2017, February 25

World Wetlands Day - Circeo National Park, Sabaudia, Italy.

Talk on the history and ethnography of wetlands in Agro Pontino.

Exhibitions

2017, May / September

University of Aberdeen.

Imaginative Map of Water in Seaton Park (with illustrator Simona Trozzi)

Final exhibition of the ERC Project “Knowing From the Inside”: The Unfinishing of Things.

2017, October 15-31

Creando con la Storia – Latina, Italy

Exhibition on the history of land reclamation in Agro Pontino Italy organized by Latina City Council and Casa dell’Architettura di Latina.

Member of the scientific committee.

Funding and Grants

2015 Principal's Excellence Fund

Teaching Responsibilities

University of Gastronomic Sciences, Bra (Italy)

2018 – 2021

- Co-coordination of the Master program “Master of Gastronomy: Creativity, Ecology, and Education”.

Design, lecturing, and grading of the following courses:

- ‘Food and Anthropology’ (course for Master students).

- ‘Deep Mapping’ (workshop for Master students).

- ‘Food and Anthropology’ (course for undergraduate students).

-  Co-supervision of Theses for postgraduate students enrolled in the programme “Master of Gastronomy: Creativity, Ecology, Education”

- Mentoring of undergraduate students.

2020

- Cordination of the online reading group for postgraduates Contagion, Disasters, Anthropocene.

2019

- Co-coordination of the ‘Friday Forum’ Food and Environment.

University of Aberdeen, Scotland (UK)

2014-2015

- Teaching Assistant

Planning and leading tutorials, advising and grading undergraduate work. Courses:

AT1003  Introduction to Anthropology: Peoples of the World.

SX1501  Humans and Other Animals.

Non-course Teaching Responsibilities

University of Gastronomic Sciences, Bra (Italy)

2018 - 2021

-  Co-supervision of Theses for postgraduate students enrolled in the programme “Master of Gastronomy: Creativity, Ecology, Education”

- Mentoring of undergraduate students.

2020

- Coordination of the online reading group for postgraduates Contagion, Disasters, Anthropocene.

2019

- Co-coordination of the ‘Friday Forum’ Food and Environment.