Sitting in a swivel chair under warm lighting, kicked back reading a Spiderman comic book, Marc DiPaolo looks comfortably at home. A safe space, a genuine man. That’s how those who know the Moraine Valley humanities professor see him.
Office mate and friend Amani Wazwaz, a communications and literature professor, describes DiPaolo as “genuine, and genuinely him.” And that authenticity runs through every conversation, every class, every comic book reference.
DiPaolo’s office feels like stepping into his mind: pop culture bursting out the seams and multicultural literature lining the walls, all reflecting both his passions and his teaching philosophy.
A Godzilla poster towers over you when you enter the room. You’ll see a Wonder Woman figure given to him by his grandmother and two bookshelves overflowing with books. He even had to fight for a second bookshelf to be added to his office just to display all of his items.
But the space is not chaotic, it’s curated, blending perfectly with the large green plants hanging all over and photos of cats spread out on the other side of the room, in the space inhabited by Wazwaz.
Just like DiPaolo, his office invites questions, encourages you to try to find meaning in detail.
DiPaolo teaches LGBTQ+ Humanities and has previously taught Women in Humanities. Between grading assignments and expanding his multicultural knowledge, he can be found spending time with his wife and two children.
Born in Brooklyn and raised in Staten Island, New York, DiPaolo describes his hometown as “a little rough.”
Growing up as an Italian in New York, he often felt like an outsider, even among the other Italian kids, who bullied him throughout the early stages of his life.
“I wasn’t accepted by my own people, and that was a little odd,” he says.
That disconnect followed him until he moved to Oklahoma, where he and his wife found a small but welcoming Italian community.
DiPaolo adapted his teaching style from a Catholic priest he saw in junior high who was also a film professor. He thought church that Sunday would be boring, but this priest conducted mass with seriousness while seamlessly blending current events with things from the Bible, creating a “beautiful essay sermon.”
This mass awakened DiPaolo’s mind and squashed the boredom. He was inspired to teach in a similar way: bringing history, personal anecdotes, humor and edgy politics all together.
“I didn’t become a teacher to be boring,” he said. “You know, there’s an expectation where you come into class, sit down, and it’s like you’re waiting for a root canal. And I just don’t want people to feel that way.”
“I didn’t become a teacher to be boring. You know, there’s an expectation where you come into class, sit down, and it’s like you’re waiting for a root canal. And I just don’t want people to feel that way.”
Marc DiPaolo, humanities professor
DiPaolo’s teaching style is anything but conventional. He uses pop culture examples as an outlet to explore multiculturalism. In his Women in Humanities course, you may find students watching Star Trek to study Dorothy Fontana, or watching Maya Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon.
Psychology major Jaylen Dubuclet, 19, took that course. His first impression of DiPaolo was that he was “silly and goofy. Like an animated guy. Not too asshole-ish or anything.”
“I was the only boy in the class besides the professor,” Dubuclet said. “It was a bit uncomfortable at first.”
He sat right in front of DiPaolo’s desk, unsure of what exactly to expect. But over time, his discomfort faded. “I would stay back and talk to him,” he said. “He was a good teacher.”
When DiPaolo and his family of four moved to the Chicago area, his friends joked, “You are SO Chicago.” He laughs about that now, but before the move, he was unsure how he’d fit into the vast multiculturalism of the big city.
“In Oklahoma it’s flatter, dustier,” he said. “Most people are Baptist. They like brisket and watching football. And…they kind of all dress the same.”
But once he arrived and looked around, a wave of relief washed over him. Seeing so many different people and personalities made him feel more connected than ever.
“I feel like I’m home,” he said. That feeling only intensified when he came to Moraine Valley.
“These are the coolest students I’ve ever taught,” he says. “I’ve taught in Oklahoma, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and you’re all cooler than all of them.”
That admiration hasn’t gone unnoticed, either. Wazwaz has seen his rapport with students.
“From the very beginning (I’ve seen how) he appreciated his students, and I want to tell you that is such a powerful experience I had,” she said.
Marc DiPaolo is more than a professor with a love for comics and culture. He is someone who sees the classroom as a place of connection and curiosity. His goal is always to make students feel seen, challenged, and inspired.
In a world where everything and everyone moves so fast, DiPaolo does what he can to slow things down, inviting others to think deeply and laugh freely. At Moraine Valley, he has found a place of community where all his morals and ideals can thrive.
Velocity 
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