Mela ALBANA

MELA ALBANA is Associated Professor of Roman History at University of Catania, Italy.

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

2020-21 Department of Educational Sciences (University of Catania):

• History of educational institutions in the Roman age, degree course in ‘Pedagogical sciences and educational planning’ (master degree);
• Roman history, degree Course in ‘Tourism Sciences’ (first level degree);
• Roman History, degree course in ‘Educational Sciences’ (first level degree).

1992-2019: She also taught Roman administrative history; Ancient history; Economic and social history of the ancient world; Archivistics, bibliography and library science; Female condition in the Roman world; History of Christianity; Roman history .

2002-2003 lecturer in the seminar meetings promoted by the PhD course in History of Mediterranean Europe (University of Basilicata, Italy)

2001-2008: History of ancient historiography at School of Specialization for Teaching in Secondary Schools.

INSTITUTIONAL ASSIGNMENTS

• President of the commission for students trainership of the Master degree course in Pedagogical sciences and educational planning (Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania (2020-);
• Member of the Commission for the quality of teaching/learning activities at the Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania (Commissione paritetica)
• Member of the Board (Giunta) at the Department of Educational Sciences (2012-2020);
• Member of the scientific committee of the Libraries and Documentation Centre of the University of Catania (CDB) (2010-2012);
• Scientific delegate for the library Department of Educational Sciences (2006-2012)
• Member of the Ph.D Teaching Committee in ‘Human Sciences’ Department of Educational Sciences of the University of Catania (2005-2012)

IMPACT OF THE RESEARCH

Her scientific activity insists on socio-economic and administrative problems of the imperial age, in particular on the Roman tax system, on the social role and the juridical condition of women and on the evolution of educational institutions. She also deals with the republican period, investigating the birth, structure and content of its archives. She resumed her investigations in the late antique period, focusing on the study of the legislative policy of the emperor Constantine on marbre quarries in Africa. Lately, she has focused her research on some particularly significant aspects of the medical profession and the military bureaucratic apparatus, in particular on the socio-cultural and economic impact of the legio III Augusta in Africa.

She presented some results of her research at international conferences

• ‘People Abroad’, XVI. International Colloquium on Roman Provincial Art, Tübingen, April 9 - 13, 2019.
• ‘Fiscalità ed epigrafia nel mondo romano’. Atti del convegno internazionale di studi (Catania, 28-29 giugno 2019)
• ‘Benefactors, Dedicants and Tomb Owners. Society – Iconography – Chronology’, XV Colloquium on Roman Provincial Art, 14th–20th June, 2017 Graz | Austria
• ‘International Conference Roman Empire: a 21st Century Perspective’. In memoriam Géza Alföldy (1935-2011), 8-10 November 2016, Institute of European Culture, Adam Mickiewicz University, Gniezno, Poland
• Convegno internazionale de L'Africa Romana XVIII 2008; XIX 2010; XXI 2018.
• Fra Costantino e i Vandali. Convegno internazionale di studi per E. Aiello (1957-2013), Messina, 29-30 ottobre 2014.

She published in national and international journals and publishers.

CONFERENCES ORGANISATION.

She was part of scientific committees of many conferences. Among the others:

• Presentation of the volume Amicitia res plurimas continet. Omaggio a Febronia Elia, Catania, Palazzo Ingrassia, 21 marzo 2019;
• Convegno internazionale Politica, retorica e simbolismo del primato: Roma e Costantinopoli (Catania 4 -7 ottobre 2001);
• Convegno internazionale su Corruzione, repressione e rivolta morale nella Tarda Antichità (Catania 11-13 dicembre 1995);
• Giornate internazionali di studio in memoria di Santo Mazzarino (Catania, 21-24 aprile 1988).

RESEARCH GROUPS

• Member of the Saperi Project 2020 A.Ma.Vi.: ‘Autorità maschile e vissuti femminili tra storia e psicologia - Male authority and female experiences between history and psychology (University of Catania)’;
• Principal Investigator of FIRD Project 2017: ‘Relazioni politico-istituzionali, economiche e socio-culturali nel Mediterraneo dall’antichità all’età contemporanea- Political-institutional, economic and socio-cultural relations in the Mediterranean area from antiquity to the contemporary age (University of Catania)’;
• Member of FIR Project 2014: ‘Per la realizzazione di un progetto su BD-R (Biblioteca digitale romanistica. Archivio elettronico della letteratura romanistica), voll. IV-VI’- For the realization of a project on BD-R (Romanistic Digital Library. Electronic archive of Romanistic literature), vols. IV-VI.
• Member of PRIN Project 2000: ‘Una proposta scientifica per un nuovo modello didattico informatizzato – Forma civitatis e dinamiche politiche, economiche e sociali’- A scientific proposal for a new computerized educational model - Forma civitatis and political, economic and social dynamics
• Member of PRIN  Project 1997: ‘Organizzazione ed evoluzione strutturale delle società del mondo greco-romano - Autonomia municipale e potere centrale nel basso impero - Organization and structural evolution of the societies of the Greek-Roman world - Municipal autonomy and central power in the lower empire’

SCIENTIFIC COMMITEES

• Member of the scientific committee of the ‘Annali della Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione – University of Catania (2008-)’;
• Member of the scientific committee of the Quaderni Catanesi di Studi Classici e Medievali (1986-2007);
• She is peer reviewer for some journals.

SCIENTIFIC MEMBERSHIP

• Member of the ‘Associazione Internazionale di Studi Tardoantichi (A.I.S.T.) – Society for the Promotion of Late Antiquity Studies’ (2018-);
• Member of the ‘Scuola archeologica italiana di Cartagine’ (SAIC) (2016-);
• Member of the ‘Società italiana della Storia della Medicina’ (2016-);
• Member of the ‘Consulta Universitaria per la Storia Greca e Romana’ (CUSGR) (2006