Month: October 2024

Dean Anthony Julian Tamburri Receives Special Award at IASA Conference

Posted on by Sian Gibby
Alan Gravano, Anthony Tamburri, Ilaria Serra
Gravano, Dean Tamburri, Dr. Serra

At the annual conference of the Italian American Studies Association in Boca Raton, Florida, this past weekend, Calandra’s dean, Anthony Tamburri, was presented with the IASA’s 2024 Distinguished Service Award. “The most important feature of Anthony’s sense of the word service is one that comprehends all,” said IASA’s former president Alan Gravano. “Anthony serves his colleagues because he enjoys the success of others as his own. He loves to provide ways for others to succeed. He creates venues and means for others to shine. … You could not find one person in our field who has not been helped or motivated to become a better scholar by Anthony Tamburri.” Gravano, along with Dr. Ilaria Serra, presented the award. Congratulations to Dean Tamburri.

Calandra Chosen as NYC Launch Site for Italea Initiative

Posted on by Sian Gibby

On Thursday, October 10, a slew of Italian dignitaries gathered at the Calandra Institute to toast a roots-travel initiative by Italea. From the Italea website:

Italea is the program to promote roots tourism, launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation within the NRRP project and financed by NextGenerationEU.

The project aims to attract Italians abroad and Italian descendants intending to discover the places and traditions of their origins, providing a set of services to facilitate travel in Italy, thanks also to the widespread organization of 20 groups, one in each Italian region, who will take care of informing, welcoming and assisting travelers from their roots.

Italea is a project dedicated both to those who already know their Italian origins and want to organize a trip to discover and rediscover the places, customs and culture of their ancestors, and to those who need to identify them, and who will be able to make use of a network of reliable genealogists.

The name Italea derives from “talea,” a practice by which a plant is allowed to propagate. By cutting a part of it and replanting it, it can be given new life, making new roots grow: just as happens with migrations. This program represents gratitude to the “mother plant” for its flowering in the world.

Photograph of Calandra Dean Anthony Julian Tamburri and Cons. Amb. Giovanni Maria de Vita courtesy of Catalina Santamaria

Calandra’s Joseph Sciorra on Pete Panto, at Casa Italiana

Posted on by Sian Gibby

Last week, Calandra’s Dr. Joseph Sciorra delivered a talk at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò on the topic of labor activist Pietro “Pete” Panto. Sciorra spearheaded a successful effort last year to have Panto’s headstone made and installed in St. John’s Cemetery on Long Island, where the longshoreman’s remains are buried.

Click here to watch the entire presentation at Casa Italiana.