Dr. Maria F. Loffredo Roca

Maria F. Loffredo Roca, Ph.D. is Chair of the Department of Integrated Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University.  She has her Ph.D. in Media Ecology from New York University, her M.A. in Performing Arts Management also from NYU, and her B.A. in Interpersonal and Public Communication from Purdue University.  She is a GreenFaith Fellow and served as the Director of the GreenFaith Inspirations project from its inception in December of 2017 until March of 2020 .  A founding faculty member of FGCU, Dr. Roca has been recognized for her work with the Professor of the Year Award from Florida Gulf Coast University (1997-1998), two-time recipient of FGCU’s McTarnaghan Award for Excellence in Teaching (2002-2003; 2015-2016), the Faculty Award for Service Excellence (2001-2002), and most recently with the Chair Excellence Award (2018-2019).  

In 2015 she was presented with the Rachel Carson Award for distinguished service to the field of environmental and sustainability education.  She has trained with the Center for the Contemplative Mind in Higher Education.  She oversees the Roots of Compassion and Kindness (ROCK) project at FGCU, partnering college students with elementary and middle school students in the teaching of compassion, empathy and kindness.  Maria is the mother of one daughter, Alissa, who is a professional opera singer.  She is honored to serve on the Board of the RESET SWFL Center.