Il Postino
Volume: SUMMER 2012
California State University, Long Beach
Message from Dr. Clorinda Donato
July 3, 2012
From Clorinda Donato, Graziadio Chair of Italian Studies
Dear Friends and Colleagues of the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies,
As we enter the “Center of Summer” and prepare for that all-American fourth of July
celebration, having just finished watching the Italian National Soccer Team’s striker Mario
Balotelli become the third of the “Super Marios” along with Prime Minister Mario Monti
and President of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, it’s time to take a moment to
reflect on the accomplishments of Italians in the world and in the world of Italian Studies at
CSULB.
The number of students studying Italian at CSULB continues to rise. With some 400
students studying Italian every semester, and increasing numbers of students deciding to
make Italian their area of specialization or co-specialization, we are seeing tangible
evidence of how the presence of the Graziadio Center is making a difference. As word
spreads through the increasing numbers of students studying Italian, more students arrive in
our classes and at our doorstep everyday. Indeed, the number of majors and minors in
Italian Studies has doubled over the past two years and shows no signs of abating!
I want to dedicate the rest of my message to the person who has been the Graziadio
Assistant for the past two years, Alessandro Russo. As many of you know, Alessandro will
be leaving the Center for a job with the CSULB Learning Assistance Center, as
Coordinator, Reception, and Information Services. In this capacity, he will coordinate all
of the mentoring and tutorial services for CSULB students. It is an important job, a place
where all of his multiple talents will shine and prosper, not the least of which is his Italian
warmth, humor and compassion. Students who come to campus afraid, seeking a friend
and a mentor who can guide them and connect them with the best services, will find that
person in Alessandro Russo. Thanks to Alessandro, our programs have flourished and
grown. What has he not done at the Center? Thanks to his hard work, the mailing lists are
updated, the books are in order, the newsletters are written and posted, and we are a
popular presence on Facebook! Alessandro has built the foundation for our operation, and
upon that basis, we will continue to thrive.
We are so happy that Alessandro will still be on campus, and will be a regular visitor at the
Center and all of our events. There is no more loyal, dedicated, or stalwart member of the
Italian American community of Southern California than Alessandro Russo! I know I
speak for us all when I tell you, Alessandro, that we are so proud of you and wish you the
very, very best. You will be greatly missed, but always with us.
Con amicizia e ammirazione,
Clorinda Donato
Inside this issue:
The Language of Da 2
Ponte, the Magic of
Mozart: Figaro
2nd Annual Frank J. 3
De Santis Lecture on
Italian Americans
The Western
Foundation of OSIA
Education Award to
be Bestowed on Dr.
Clorinda Donato
4
5
San Pedro High,
CSULB partner to
use Spanish skills to
teach Italian, French
Club Italia: Spring
2012 and San Pedro
Community.
6
Faculty Spotlight:
Violetta PasquarelliGascon
7
Bridges to Italy offers 8
1st Internship to
CSULB Italian
Studies Student
Study Abroad
Scholarships
9
Page 2
“The Language of Da Ponte, the Magic of Mozart: Figaro”
By: Daniela Zappador-Guerra
On Tuesday, March 13, 2012 the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies in the Romance German
Russian Languages & Literatures Department, the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Opera Institute and Club
Italia of CSULB, held an event titled “The Language of Da Ponte, the Magic of Mozart: Figaro” at the Bob
Cole Conservatory of Music.
Dr. David Anglin, Associate Director of Opera/Vocal Studies, and Daniela Zappador Guerra, lecturer of Italian
in the RGRLL department, spoke about Mozart’s Opera “Le Nozze di Figaro” (1786) and Lorenzo da Ponte
(1749-1838), the Italian librettist of the Opera.
The innovative “Opera
buffa” signaled the
peak of Da Ponte’s
popularity and became
a milestone in the
genre, a unique result
of a perfect union
between a musical
genius and an
exceptional poet of
theatrical impact and
effective
versification. .
Details on Da Ponte’s life were obtained from his “Memoirs”, especially some anecdotes on the relationship
between the librettist and his patron, the Austrian emperor Joseph II, and on his collaboration with Mozart for
the production of “Le Nozze di Figaro”. The innovative “Opera buffa” signaled the peak of Da Ponte’s
popularity and became a milestone in the genre, a unique result of a perfect union between a musical genius and
an exceptional poet of theatrical impact and effective versification. Some insights were presented on the
adaptation of Pierre de Beaumarchais’s French play “Le Marriage de Figaro” for the libretto, comparing the
two texts, and revealing Da Ponte’s talent of translating, expanding and expounding on the original source text,
for the goal of bringing merit to the music, in accordance with Mozart’s desire, “in an opera the poetry must be
the obedient daughter to the music”, which he wrote in a letter to his father.
Da Ponte’s “Memoirs” offers a picture into his colorful adventurous long life, totaling eighty-nine years, of a
man exiled from Venice as a rebellious priest, a glorious success at the Imperial Court in Vienna as a librettist,
a ruinous economic failure in London as an Opera House manager, and a restless attempt to promote Opera and
Italian culture in the US as a teacher and professor at Columbia College in New York. He did all this in the
18th and 19th centuries, amidst the backdrop of an Ancient Regime, the Enlightenment, the American
Revolution, the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era, having traveled the world and encountered a variety
of peoples, from the most successful politicians, writers and artists of the time to the lowest and most corrupt
individuals; all the while, networking to find a decent job, learning and mastering several languages, collecting
thousands of books and courting many women.
Like many autobiographies, the “Memoirs” are not completely reliable, but they are authentic and lively, giving
the reader a significant example of Italian passion and entrepreneurship.
When the presentation switched to Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro”, it connected perfectly with the biographical
introduction, transporting the audience deep into the Opera, by offering beautiful samples of the opera’s
ensembles and solos, with recitative and arias performed by the talented students of the Cole Conservatory of
Music CSULB, Opera Institute, Stephen Salts (Figaro), Christina Liem (Susanna), Alyssa Wills (La Contessa)
and Anthony Moreno (Il Conte) accompanied by Dr. David Anglin.
The audience was able to follow the words and music on handouts, while Dr. Anglin pointed out how Mozart
rendered the thoughts and emotions of the characters and dramatic plots of the storyline, with special musical
choices. The audience could sense in the music, the humiliation of the Countess forced to seek help by
intervention from her servant in order to regain her husband’s love, the pleasure of provoking jealousy in a
lover, and other moments of laughter, sadness, and concern when the Italian language and the music magically
combined.
The CSULB students present from the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies/Club Italia and the Bob
Cole Conservatory of Music were enthusiastic and very attentive during the entertaining and educational
presentation, and many of them were looking forward to seeing the performance of the Opera.
Those in attendance left the event with the music of Mozart on their minds, confirming Da Ponte’s words,
“Such melodies linger on the ear and in the hearts of those who hear them; lovers of music hum them over as
they leave the theater; the music dealers rush to reprint them; and when they are published, people who know
how to sing as well as people who do not, buy them and sing them over and over again, returning to the theater
many times to hear them. Two or three pieces of this sort are sometimes enough to make an opera succeed, with
honor to the singer, glory to the composer, and what is more important, profit to the producer” (Memoirs, Part
Five).
Page 3
The George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies’
2nd Annual Frank J. De Santis Lecture on Italian Americans
By: Dr. Clorinda Donato & Alessandro Russo
The Second Annual Frank J. De Santis Lecture on Italian Americans took place on Thursday, March 15, 2012 at the Petersen
Automotive Museum. This year’s guest speaker was Miguel Angel Galluzzi, who discussed “Perspectives on Italian Design”
during the museum’s exhibition “Sculpture in Motion: Masterpieces of Italian Design”. Galuzzi was born in Buenos Aires,
Argentina, but has lived in the United States, Germany and Italy on and off for the last 32 years.
Galluzzi is an award winning motorcycle designer who created the iconic Ducati Monster. He graduated from the Art Center
College of Design’s Transportation Design Program in Pasadena, California in 1986. Galluzzi first worked for Opel, and then for
Honda's V-Car/Omega design studio in 1988, first in Offenbach, Germany and later in Milan. In 1989 Galluzzi went to work for
Ducati's parent company at the time, Cagiva, in Varese, Italy. He stayed at Cagiva for 17 years, until July 2006 when he became
Styling Director at Aprilia, rising to become Vice President of Design for Piaggio Group, Aprilia's parent. As of January 2012,
Galluzzi helped found Crimson Design Center USA in California working exclusively with PIAGGIO S.p.A. as an advanced
design center. This new reality will explore and design the future of the world wide urban mobility.
Last year, the Frank J. De Santis Lecture was established to not only introduce an essential component to the academic mission of
the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies, but to also honor a man who has been a tireless advocate of Italian Studies his
entire life – Comm. Frank J. De Santis. This lecture is an annual event that draws upon the wealth of contributions that Italians
and Italian Americans have made to humanity. It provides a venue for members of our community to come together to share the
best things about Italy – great food, great conversation and interesting speakers.
The 2nd Annual Frank J. De Santis Lecture at the Petersen Automotive Museum was put into motion thanks to their education
director, Clayton Drescher, who last July, picked up the phone and called the George L. Graziadio Chair for Italian Studies, Dr.
Clorinda Donato, to enquire about a collaboration around the exhibit, "Sculpture in Motion: Masterpieces of ltalian Design." And
what better way to celebrate Italian ingenuity in an American context than to gaze upon sharp, sexy, classy, fast and breathtaking
Italian cars and motorcycles in such a posh and accessible museum venue in Los Angeles. It was a thrill to bring the Graziadio
Center to the Petersen Automotive Museum, from CSU Long Beach, for the reach of the Center is to the entire Southern
California Community. Being at the Petersen Automotive Museum was also a way of paying tribute to the many, many donors
from the greater Los Angeles area who have supported the Center, and whom, we hope will continue to support as they focus on
expanding programs, both academic and public, that serve the community.
The past year has been spectacular for The George L. Grazadio Center for Italian Studies-among the highlights, a new scholarship
endowment, The Kyera and Nicole Giannini Scholarship Endowment that will defray costs in sending students abroad; a major
grant from NIAF to support the building out of the curriculum to include courses on Italian American Studies, and last but not
least, a very significant grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to expand our model program for teaching Italian
to Spanish Speakers. In an extremely competitive environment in which only 5% of proposals are funded, the pride that the
quality of the Center, Department, College and University are recognized at the national level in these competitions is
outstanding. The mission of the George L. Graziadio Center is: to teach Italian language, literature, and culture, and now Italian
American Literature and Culture. There is no program like this in the entire state, nor in the entire Western United States! The
George L. Graziadio Center seeks the community’s help in funding in perpetuity the Frank De Santis Lecture Series.
Dr. Clorinda Donato is currently teaching the course "The Italian American Experience" this semester and in this class, there are
students from every ethnic background. As they read and research the Italian American Experience in historical perspective, they
make connections with their own lives and they gain an understanding of the migration and movement of peoples, and the cultural
values that move with them, taking root in new environments to flourish a new. They have made connections between the
internment of Japanese Americans and Italian Americans, or racial discrimination in courts of law. It was not so long ago, it was
discovered, that the Italian American was the racial other. In the language classroom, students are learning to express themselves
as fluently in Italian as they do in English, or Spanish, in preparation for specialized work in the many fields that intersect with
Italian. This year the Graziadio Center has also begun to work closely with the College of Business Administration, thanks to
College of Liberal Arts Dean Gerry Riposa and College of Business Dean Michael Solt as well as Lisa Vollendorf, Chair of the
Department that houses the Center, who have spearheaded, together with Italian Professor Enrico Vettore, a special Italian course
for MBA students who will visit Italian companies in Italy for the second summer in a row to study Italian products and
marketing. The Center thanks kindly and with great warmth, the Honorable Giuseppe Perrone, Consul General of Italy Los
Angeles for having co-sponsored the 2nd Annual Frank De Santis Lecture.
The George L. Graziadio Center of Italian Studies has become a landmark in California Italian Studies education. With a thriving
BA program in Italian Studies, the subject matter program for the teaching credential in Italian, the establishment of the annual
Frank J. De Santis Lectureship on Italian American issues and plans for the Master of Arts degree in Italian Studies, the George L.
Graziadio Center represents the future. The Center’s continuing relationship with the community will ensure the permanence and
future growth of our presence.
Page 4
“The Western Foundation of OSIA Education Award to be Bestowed on Dr.
Clorinda Donato, George L. Graziadio Chair of Italian Studies, CSU Long Beach
By: Alessandro Russo
The George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies at California State University, Long Beach is proud
to announce that their Chair, Dr. Clorinda Donato will be this year’s recipient of the Education Award
from the Western Foundation of the Order Sons of Italy in America during their 10th Humanitarian
and Leadership Gala on September 22, 2012 at the Doubletree Hotel in Santa Ana.
The Western Foundation of the Order Sons of Italy in America honors and celebrates individuals who
have demonstrated extraordinary achievement and Dr. Clorinda Donato is no exception. She earned
her PhD from UCLA in Romance Languages, Literatures and Linguistics and has served California
State University, Long Beach for 24 years as professor of French and Italian, eight as the Chair of the
Department of Romance, German, Russian Languages and Literatures. She was instrumental in
helping save the Italian program at CSULB in the 1990’s with the help of the community and
especially Commendatore Frank J. De Santis who secured the founding gift from Henry Salvatori as
well as the naming gift from George L. Graziadio to endow a the Chair in Italian Studies at CSULB.
Dr. Donato’s resume is a shining example of her expertise in the field of eighteenth- and nineteenthcentury literature, in particular, the history of encyclopedic knowledge and its compilation and gender
studies, fields in which she has published over 50 articles and four edited collections. She, along with
her colleagues Dr. Claire Martin and Dr. Markus Muller, have earned CSULB the honor and prestige
of being awarded a National Endowment for Humanities $100,000 grant for their work in “Italian and
French for Spanish Speakers”. This grant gives CSULB the necessary funds to implement new, innovative courses based on the Intercomprehension method, recognized in Europe, which gives students
with a knowledge of one romance language the ability to learn and comprehend another romance
language at an accelerated pace. Dr. Donato and her colleagues have also been able to train local
colleges and high schools in this method. Among the participants is San Pedro High School Italian
teacher and Language Department Head, Ida Lanza. Thanks to this program, San Pedro High School
will expand their Italian courses to include Italian for Spanish Speakers. The collaborative project was
recently featured on KPCC (Pasadena City College) radio by renowned journalist, Adolfo GuzmanLopez.
Dr. Donato exudes a passion for Italian as it is her cultural background. Her inspiration to fight for
Italian derives from the memory of her father and the generations of immigrants and Italian Americans
who could not study Italian at universities and high schools in this country. Her work has been
influential in the creation of the BA program in Italian Studies and the Single-Subject Credential in
Italian at CSULB, which is now the credential program for Italian in the State of California. She is
deeply committed to her students, who admire and respect her for the knowledge and warmth she
conveys in and out of the classroom. She is known to say “students first” and truly means that as she
is always available for advisement, writing letters of recommendation, assisting students with the
writing and editing of papers for scholarships, grants and the presentation of their academic work. She
has also established new linkages with Italian universities and consistently helps students find suitable
study abroad programs in Italy.
Dr. Donato’s numerous awards and recognitions include the CSULB Distinguished Faculty Scholarly
Achievement Award (1999), the Prix De Felice from the University of Lausanne (2000), the
“Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques” by the French Government (2005), the American
Society for Eighteenth Century Studies Innovation in Teaching Award (2008) and The George L.
Graziadio Chair of Italian Studies at CSULB (2010), and Corresponding Member of the Accademia
Roveretana degli Agiati (2012). The Education Award from the Western Foundation of OSIA will
culminate a lifelong devotion to the promotion of Italian and Italian American Studies. None of these
accomplishments would have been possible without the love and support of her devoted husband, Dr.
Sergio Guarro and her children, Marcello, Adriana and Gianluca. Please join us in congratulating this
extraordinary woman and proud Italian American.
Dr. Clorinda Donato
Dr. Donato exudes a
passion for Italian as it
is her cultural
background. Her
inspiration to fight for
Italian derives from the
memory of her father
and the generations of
immigrants and Italian
Americans who could
not study Italian at
universities and high
schools in this
country.
Page 5
San Pedro High, CSULB partner to use Spanish skills to teach Italian, French
By: Adolfo Guzman-Lopez (KPCC Radio)
San Pedro High School has partnered with a nearby university on a curriculum that may not surprise some people:
teachers are using students’ Spanish-speaking skills to speed their progress in Italian and French classes.
Observers say it’s a big deal in a public school system that’s done little to nurture the heritage language skills of
Latino students.
The method is in evidence bright and early at San Pedro High. On a recent morning at 8 a.m., 11 students walked into
advanced placement Italian. Teacher Ida Lanza believes that’s not too early for a good aria. She plays a century-old
recording of “Vesti la giubba,” sung by Enrico Caruso. Then she plays the same song sung by Luciano Pavarotti.
The debate is who’s the best opera singer, ever. No contest, Lanza tells her students. Caruso cries through song, she
says, and listening to him makes her want to cry too.
San Pedro High School teacher
Ida Lanza is creating an
"Italian for Spanish Speakers"
class next year. It's a unique
curriculum that's being
supported by CSU Long Beach
Venezuela-born
The students have immersed themselves in Italian by cooking and eating Italian food and taking summer trips to
Italy. They’re preparing to go to the Music Center in downtown L.A. to see a production of Puccini’s “La Boheme”
in Italian. With the libretto on each desk, teacher and students talk about the opera’s star-crossed lovers.
Each has different reasons for taking the class. Twelth-grader Nick Amalfitano said Italian’s in his cultural DNA.
"I think my parents’ parents and before that all came to [San] Pedro, worked on fishing boats, were all fishermen, and
that’s what I do now," he said. "I enjoy fishing just like my grandparents."
Most of his classmates, though, aren’t members of San Pedro’s old Italian families. All but three of the students in
the class are sons and daughters of Mexican or Central American parents. More than two-thirds of the high school’s
student body is Latino.
Students Alex Romero and Luis Villalobos have stuck with Italian for four years partly because of its similarity to
the Spanish they learned from their Mexican and Central American parents. Just look at the libretto of “La Boheme,”
they said.
instructor Violetta
"'Dolcemente,' that’s 'sweetly,' and in Spanish it’s 'dulcemente,'” Romero said. “Or 'amici,' it’s similar to 'amigo,'”
Villalobos added.
Pasquarelli Gascon
Teacher Lanza reminded them not to get too comfy with the similarities.
effortlessly shifts
between Italian, Spanish
and English. Cal State
Long Beach won a
$100,000 federal grant
"Basically a Spanish speaker can understand 80 percent, 85 percent of what I’m saying in Italian," she said. "But
yeah, there are words here and there. The one that all my Latino students love is the word 'burro,' because in Italian
'burro' means butter, that you put on your bread. And a 'burro' in Spanish is a donkey."
One scholar says California public schools take a "subtractive education" approach to Latino students like these. That
is, treating students' native or heritage language as a liability to mastering English. Italian teacher Lanza treats students’ Spanish as an asset.
She’s creating an "Italian for Spanish Speakers" class next school year.
to train high school and
college instructors in
"If I can do the Italian for Latino students, they could really advance more quickly. We could do two years in one,”
Lanza said. She said she believes that would boost students’ advanced placement college credits, along with the rest
of their academic achievement.
this method, called
“intercomprehension.”
At the other end of the L.A. harbor, at Cal State Long Beach, French professor Markus Muller opens a university
classroom door to a beginning Italian class to show how it’s already working.
Venezuela-born instructor Violetta Pasquarelli Gascon effortlessly shifts between Italian, Spanish and English. Cal
State Long Beach won a $100,000 federal grant to train high school and college instructors in this method, called
“intercomprehension.”
Cal State Long Beach Italian Studies Chair Clorinda Donato and professor Markus Muller say Europeans have done
this for a long time.
"Let’s say I’m a Spanish speaker, or an Italian speaker, and I say, 'Markus, que tal? Como estas?' Let’s say he’s a
French speaker — he can answer me in French," Donato said.
"'Je vais bien,'" Muller replied. "So we basically understand the other person speaking in their mother tongue, [and
then] we answer in our own mother tongue."
That, she said, opens comprehension between people who don’t speak the same mother tongue. And that can lead to
understanding — in business or pleasure.
http://www.scpr.org/blogs/education/2012/05/24/6294/san-pedro-high-and-local-university-partner-unique/
Page 6
Club Italia’s Spring 2012 Semester:
A Success with San Pedro Community Initiative
By: Alessandro Russo
The exceptional leadership of Club Italia is a testament to their success during the
Spring 2012 semester and their purpose in promoting positive images of Italian and
Italian American culture through planned events that include students, faculty and the
community.
This last Spring, President Vincenzo Amalfitano took the initiative to spearhead an
event in the Italian American Community of San Pedro in which he is also a
member. Under the guidance of Club Italia Advisor Dr. Enrico Vettore and the
assistance of Graziadio Center Assistant Alessandro Russo, Club Italia was able to
secure Dr. Stanislao Pugliese of Hofstra University as guest speaker for a 2-day event
on Naples and the Neapolitan roots of Italian Americans May 1 - 2, 2012. This event
was an opportunity to bring the Italian Studies Program at California State University,
Long Beach, the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies, and Club Italia
directly to the San Pedro community that CSULB serves.
Vincenzo collaborated with Raffaello’s Restaurant of San Pedro for a fixed menu and
location for the May 1st dinner and presentation on the culture of Naples, one of Dr.
Pugliese’s areas of specialization, and the topic of a book, whose working title is
“Dancing on a Volcano: A Cultural History of Naples”. Club Italia’s Vice President
Brianna Richardson, Treasurer Vania Herrera and Secretary Victoria Perez organized
the invitations and seating for the event with a packed house that included Ann
Potenza President of the Federated Italo-Americans of Southern California, Carmela
Funicello President of the Ischia, Italy/San Pedro, CA Sister City Organization and
many members of the Italian Community of San Pedro. Dr. Pugliese gave an
exceptional presentation on the culture of Naples, which was greatly appreciated by so
many of the community members who are of Neapolitan origin.
On May 2nd, Dr. Pugliese was again a guest on the campus of CSULB for a
presentation on the Italian Americans, which was given during Dr. Clorinda Donato’s
course, The Italian American Experience. The students, faculty and community
members in attendance were educated on the history and experiences that faced the
Italian immigrant to the United States. We continue to discover through our studies
and through presentations by researchers such as Dr. Pugliese how much there is to
know and understand of our heritage and history.
The George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies looks forward to future events with
the San Pedro community.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Club-Italia-Csulb/185283041503552
Page 7
Faculty Spotlight on
Violetta Pasquarelli-Gascon
Violetta Pasquarelli-Gascon was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela. She first came to the United States to study
Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) at UC Irvine, which she completed in 1982. While working on her
ICS degree, she was admitted in the 3-2 honors program in Business. This program allowed her to begin her
MBA in the last year of her ICS studies. Violetta completed her MBA in 1983. She worked in the investment
world for about 13 years and then became co-owner and CFO of Biotechna Research, Inc. of Irvine, CA along
with her husband. Her company became a subsidiary of Pevonia International in 2008, where she still serves as
CFO.
Violetta began to learn Italian about six years ago because of a profound desire to discover her Italian roots.
Her paternal ancestors were Italians from the Basilicata region of Italy. Her grandfather, Doctor Michele
Gerardo Pasquarelli, was an Italian psychiatrist, forensic doctor and a scientific writer at the beginning of the
nineteenth century (http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Gerardo_Pasquarelli). His research and his books are
in the library of the University of Naples. In particular, his book, Antropologia e Cultura Popolare, La Basilicata
(which constitutes one of the first anthropological studies of the region), inspired Violetta to learn not only the
language, but everything she could about Italian culture.
Violetta received a Bachelor of Arts in Italian Studies in 2009 and an Interdisciplinary Studies Master of Arts in
Italian Studies in 2012 both from CSULB. Since 2009, she has been a Teaching Associate in Italian at
CSULB. The NEH Grant, Italian and French for Spanish Speakers has given her the opportunity to use her
native Spanish to teach Italian and becoming the first to teach of Italian for Spanish Speakers on the CSULB
campus.
Violetta
Pasquarelli-Gascon
“Teaching Italian to Spanish
Speakers is not only
rewarding and exciting, but it
is also a great way to keep
the students’ languages
proficiency levels very high.
The students find that
through their
The honors and awards that Violetta has earned include the Exceptional Student Achievement Award from the
Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at CSULB (2009), Outstanding Italian Undergraduate Student Award in
recognition of academic excellence (2009) and Outstanding Graduate Award in recognition of excellence in
teaching (2010) from the Department of Romance, German, Russian Languages and Literature CSULB, College
of Liberal Arts Graduate Dean’s List CSULB (2012), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer
Institute ‘The Art of Teaching Italian Through Italian Art in Italy’ (June 27-July 22, 2011). She was also selected
as a participant for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) ‘Teaching French and Italian to
Spanish Speakers Project that will take place at CSULB over the next three years (2012-2014). Violetta has
presented her research on the English translations of Giuseppe Parini’s Il Giorno at three conferences and research competitions, “An Afternoon of Translation in Memory of Professor Claudia Gosselin,” at CSULB
(2011), CSULB Research Competition (2012) and at The American Society of Eighteenth-Century Studies in
San Antonio, Texas (2012). The forthcoming special issue of The Journal of Italian Studies will feature English
translations of Italian short stories from the book Funeral Train e Altri Racconti, which will include Violetta’s
translation of “Qualcosa Non Va” (Something is not Right) by Matteo Favaretto.
Violetta was asked to reflect on her teaching experience at CSULB, “As a result of excellent academic guidance,
brilliant professors and the opportunity to tap into the latest teaching methodologies of foreign languages,
teaching Italian has become my new passion. Teaching Italian to Spanish Speakers is not only rewarding and
exciting, but it is also a great way to keep the students’ language proficiency levels very high. The students find
that through their multilingualism, they can be very effective learners of Italian. My students love Italian and
Italian culture, especially its art, music, fashion and foods.”
We couldn’t agree with Violetta more! She is a pleasure to have in class, is a consummate professional and a
great friend and colleague. She is a truly gifted teacher and a great asset to the Italian Studies Program at
California State University, Long Beach.
multilingualism, they can be
very effective learners of
Italian. My students love
Italian and they also like very
much the Italian culture
specially its art, music,
fashion and foods.”
Page 8
Bridges to Italy Collaborates with
the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies
Offering 1st Student Internship to Michael Dennison
Bianca Dellepiane
This summer Bridges to
Italy offered its first
internship to Michael
Dennison, a student of
Italian at the George L.
Graziadio Center for
Italian Studies. Michael
is a second year
student of Italian
Studies, interested in a
career in international
business.
Bianca Dellepiane, President and founder of the non-profit business association,
Bridges to Italy (http://bridgestoitaly.org) and Dr. Clorinda Donato, George L.
Graziadio Chair for Italian Studies, met for the first time last year and immediately
had a connection in terms of a mutual passion for Italy. Additionally, both Bridges to
Italy and the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies believe that creating
opportunities for students to gain exposure to the booming sectors of technology and
international business through internships could be an asset as they prepare to
graduate and enter the workforce.
This summer Bridges to Italy offered its first internship to Michael Dennison, a
student of Italian at the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies. Michael is a
second year student of Italian Studies, interested in a career in international
business. He conducted the initial phase of strategic market research for an Italian
technology company that produces a unique Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
product. The company wanted to identify US market opportunities and competitors.
After some initial meetings with Bianca Dellepiane where information was shared to
help him understand the sector related to the project, he confidently took the reins
with his summer assignment. Within a few weeks, he crafted a strategically relevant
report which correctly assessed the Italian company’s options to exploit market
opportunities; he also made some tactical recommendations about how the company
might enter this market. Bridges to Italy wishes to highlight two elements of success
resulting from this intern’s work intern: 1) He provided a concise, understandable
and well-organized report and 2) He articulately defended and substantiated each of
his findings when interviewed by Bridges to Italy in a professional business
debriefing.
Bianca Dellepiane stated: “Given the results of this wonderful initial match, we plan
on continuing our involvement in offering internships to the Graziadio Center for
Italian Studies students with the intention of assisting them in opening the doors to
job opportunities when they graduate.”
Michael Dennison
Page 9
Congratulations to this year’s recipients of Italian Studies Scholarships
to study abroad in Italy

George L. Graziadio Scholarship - Cristina Simut
- Plans on using her scholarship to study at Università per Stranieri di Perugia
The George L. Graziadio
Center for Italian Studies
CSULB
1250 Bellflower Blvd., AS-306
Long Beach, CA 90840
during the Fall 2012 semester

Sons of Italy, Renaissance Lodge Scholarship—Vincenzo Amalfitano
- Is currently using his scholarship in Florence at the Michelangelo Institute

Kyera and Nicole Giannine Scholarship—Karen Schindler
- Plans on attending the Università di Venezia Cà Foscari during the Spring 2013
semester

Beverly August Scholarship—Victoria Perez
- Is currently using his scholarship in Florence at the Michelangelo Institute
MISSION STATEMENT
Contacts:
Dr. Clorinda Donato
The Graziadio Chair of
Italian Studies
Phone: 562-985-4621
E-mail: clorinda.donato@csulb.edu
Alessandro Russo
Administrative Assistant
The George L. Graziadio Chair of
Italian Studies
Phone: 562-985-1396
E-mail:
alessandro.russo@csulb.edu
The George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies at California State University, Long Beach is
committed to offering outstanding programs in Italian language, literature and culture to prepare
students for careers in the global arena where strong skills in Italian Studies are an asset for
professional success. Founded through an Italian American Community and University
partnership, the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies is equally committed to serving
the cultural goals of these communities through events that present and interpret Italian and
Italian American culture.
Events For Fall 2012:

Dr. Mia Fuller (UC Berkeley) - Italian Colonialism, Libya (TENTATIVE)

Dr. Clarissa Clo (San Diego State University) - Italian Women Writer, Sibilla Aleramo
(TENTATIVE)

Saturday October 27, 2012, 8:30am to 5pm: SEMINAR - “Italian for Spanish Speakers:
An Accelerated Plan for the Acquisition of Italian” at the Italian Cultural Institute of Los
Angeles during La Settimana Della Lingua Italiana Nel Mondo.

Dr. Paolo Torresan (Universita` di Venezia, Ca' Foscari/Santa Monica College Fulbright
Scholar in Residence) - Italian Language Linguistics and Teaching Methodologies
(TENTATIVE)

Club Italia Film Series: (Theme TBA)