A note from our Departmental Chair

During this academic year, our department has again offered innovative courses, such as the ever-popular Eat, Live Die: Food and Family in Italian America Culture, has made significant strides in improving graduate student support, and has honored the extraordinary career of Professor Eileen Julien and celebrated the promotion of Prof. Nicolas Valazza to the rank of Full Professor. These are only a few of the many exciting events that have confirmed our outstanding tradition of education and scholarship in French and Italian languages, literatures, and cultures.

 Yet, like countless academic programs in the US and around the world, we have been faced with the unprecedented challenge brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic which has tested our ability to continue our teaching and research mission while maintaining our spirit as an academic community in a new context marked by uncertainty, social distancing, and non-residential teaching. We would therefore like to express our sincere appreciation for the talent, resourcefulness, and dedication that our students, faculty and staff have demonstrated. This year’s FRIT awards confirm, once again, the extraordinary resilience and brilliant work that define our department.

Congratulations! Félicitations! Congratulazioni!

Oana Panaïté, Chair