Irene Bubula-Phillips was born and raised in Italy. She graduated from the University of Trieste with a laureate in modern languages (Spanish and English) and an emphasis on literary translation. After moving to California, she received her MA in Spanish from San Jose State University. She has been teaching Italian and Spanish at Santa Clara since 1996. Ms. Bubula-Phillips is passionate about teaching and sharing her interest in languages and cultures with the students at Santa Clara University.