Elisa Santos

Elisa Melo Franco Santos is a researcher and graphic designer interested in the intersections of literature, history, visual culture, and social change. Currently a PhD candidate at Utrecht University and the University of Bologna, her work explores how children’s literature can engage with political and social realities, focusing on picturebooks published in Brazil and Argentina during military dictatorships.

Elisa’s academic journey has taken her across diverse countries and disciplines. After earning two bachelor's degrees in Brazil—one in Portuguese Language and Literature and one in Graphic Design—she completed an Erasmus Mundus Master’s degree in Women’s and Gender Studies in Italy and Poland. Elisa is a firm believer in the transformative power of education, literature, and design to inspire understanding and change. She brings this perspective to her new role at AMI as an archivist, where she will help preserve and expand historical collections while engaging with the public and researchers interested in the life and work of Maria Montessori.