Hey, there!

"With Love", a portrait by Jonny Zeller, February 2021.

Dr. Milena Anfosso here!

When I meet new people, it’s always challenging to answer the simple question, “What do you do?”

In fact, I have never fit into one box. Am I a creative scholar or a scholarly creative?

My interest in human language is the common thread connecting my Ph.D. in Historical Linguistics, my passion for writing, and my ease of learning and translating between different languages. No wonder I have explored human language from every possible angle: from ancient languages to modern languages, from hardcore linguistics––language as an object of the investigation itself, to creative writing and literary criticism––language as a means of artistic expression.

I think that this uncommon mixture between an analytical mindset and a creative penchant is what sets me apart from others.

 

I am an award-winning researcher in Historical Linguistics (Harvard University’s Research Fellowship in Hellenic Studies 2020; Publicis Group’s Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet Foundation Award “Prix de la Vocation” 2015), a multilingual (Italian, English, French, and Spanish) published author (academic and creative writing), public speaker, and a highly qualified translator. I originally come from a small village (300 people!) named Coazzolo, in Northern Italy. After spending several years in Paris to pursue my Ph.D. at Sorbonne University,  I fell in love with Los Angeles, and I currently live in this wonderful city. In light of my life journey, I fight against the discrimination that minorities – and above all, women – still have to face in Academia and, more generally, in their professional lives. 

about me

Do You Think I Can Help?

My mission is to act as a bridge between the academic world and the non-academic world to lead various projects to completion.

 

Whether you are:

 

(i) Willing to work with me on a project (inside and outside of Academia) in the frame of the “Ask a Scholar!” Scientific Advising Service

(ii) Needing my help to submit your work internationally through the “International Scholar” Academic Translations Service (languages available: English, French, Italian, Spanish);

(iii) Looking for academic and post-academic coaching in the frame of “The Rockstar Scholar and Beyond” Career Coaching Program (if you are planning to apply for an academic position in the U.S. or Europe or wanting to hone your “transferable skills” to increase your value on the job market inside and outside of Academia);

I am looking forward to meeting you!

Let’s Work Together!

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What They Say About Me:

A large part of why I have had the success that I have had is my ability to identify talent both in front of and behind the camera. My confidence in Milena as a writer is unshakable, which is why I have chosen to mentor her. After only a few minutes of talking with Milena, it is quite apparent that her creativity would be unjustly stifled by staying strictly in the academic field. Our first literary discussion was stimulating and, as I have had the chance to get to know her better and to read some of her English works... (unfortunately, I cannot read her poems in Italian!) Yes, Milena can write!

Anna Elizabeth JamesScreenwriter/Director of the hit Netflix movie "Deadly Illusions"

As I develop films and television, I’m constantly on the hunt for writers with a defined voice and unique perspective. I also look for writers with a clear vision. Milena’s approach to creative writing check those boxes and is always fascinating to observe. Her encyclopedic knowledge of culture (both past and present), traditions, and language brings a sense of true depth to her characters. (...) Moving beyond her intellectual prowess, I’ve genuinely enjoyed collaborating with her from a personal standpoint. She’s been easy going, inspires my team with new ideas, and is able to distill her ideas down in a way that makes them digestible to us lowly non-scholars. Despite generally being the smartest person in the room, she never makes you feel like it and her inclusive demeanor only encourages creativity amongst colleagues.

Jonny ZellerDirector and Executive Producer of award winning content with some of the world’s biggest talent alongside many major brands like Google, Anheuser Busch, and BMW

Dr. Milena Anfosso is an engaging speaker, capable of transmitting her passion and of keeping the attention of her audience alive. Her complete mastery of many modern languages (English, Italian, French, Spanish) gives her the chance to engage effectively with an international public. (...) She earned a Ph.D. summa cum laude at Sorbonne University, Paris, which has one of the most difficult grading systems in France. Half of the students enrolled in a Ph.D. program in France abandon it before graduating and, unfortunately, that is even more true for women. Milena stood firm and grew out of this experience that shaped her and raised her to the rank of recognized specialist in her discipline. 

Dr. Lauriane LocatelliResearch Engineer, InIst CNRS

I have witnessed in Dr. Anfosso's research unmistakable signs of truly outstanding scholarship and I certainly would consider her among the very best of our generation. (...) Not only she is a first-rate scholar of comparative Indo-European Linguistics, but she also demonstrates a clear ability to consistently work to the highest level in such fields as modern Greek dialectology and Sociolinguistics, bringing together the best in traditional classical and philological scholarship with the state-of-the-art in modern Linguistics.

Dr. Giuseppina SilvestriLecturer, Department of Linguistics, UCLA

Dr. Anfosso's dissertation is so rich that — unlike the typical Ph.D. dissertation, which is routinely converted into a book — this work provides material for at least two books, and probably several additional research projects as well. The problems treated range across an unusually broad scope of academic disciplines and concerns (historical, ethnographic, literary, linguistic, epigraphic, metrical, etc.; of interest to ancient historians, classicists, linguists, etc.). I cannot actually think of another scholar, whether junior or senior, who is able to control all of these areas in sufficient depth, and with the appropriate specialized knowledge, to be able to pursue research of this kind.

Prof. Brent VineChair, Program in Indo-European Studies, UCLA

In 2017, I was working on the translation of a book (...) from French into Italian. Since Wittgenstein is a philosopher who worked on the philosophy of language, the book in question was the perfect fit for a linguist. Even more so, for a linguist whose native languages are both Italian and French, and who is able to grasp all the subtleties of these languages almost effortlessly. Thus, I asked Dr. Milena Anfosso to carry out a linguistic revision of my Italian translation. The final result got substantially improved by her feedback. Her expertise was crucial in perfecting the translation, thus ensuring the success of the book.

Dr. Elisa GrimiExecutive Director of the European Society for Moral Philosophy; Editor-in-Chief of Philosophical News
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