Rate My Professor Hilary Haakenson

Haakenson's research centers on early Italian cartography and the grand civic monuments commissioned by several maritime cities in Italy, including Venice, Pisa, Genoa, and Naples. She investigates how these maps and monuments visualized the cultural encounters occurring in and around the Mediterranean Sea, and how, in turn, art shaped contemporary European visions of the world. She has received several prestigious awards, including a Fulbright Fellowship for dissertation research in Italy during 2010-2011 and a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad fellowship. The latter supported a five-week trip to Morocco, where she led a group of 14 Cal Poly Pomona community members to deepen understanding of Morocco's history, art, and culture within the Mediterranean context. This experience culminated in her co-curating the exhibit 'Morocco: Crossroads & Meeting Ground' at the Don B. Huntley Gallery, featuring photographs, objects, and sound installations to educate the campus community and challenge stereotypes about the region and the Islamic world. Prior to her appointment at Cal Poly Pomona, Haakenson taught at the University of Connecticut, Murray State University, and Rutgers University.