Congratulations, Spring 2020 Award Winners!
This page is dedicated to showcasing some of our best and brightest students and faculty. Join us in celebrating them!
Spring 2020 Awards
A note from our Department 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.
In the challenging context created by the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s FRIT awards confirm more than ever the extraordinary resilience and brilliant work that define our department’s students, faculty, and staff.
Congratulations! Félicitations! Congratulazioni!
Oana Panaïté, Chair
Meet the award recipients!
To learn more about the individual awards and their namesakes, please visit our Scholarships + Awards page. Click here for a printable summary of this year’s award recipients. More information about each award winner, including faculty and supervisor comments, can be found below.
Grace P. Young Undergraduate Award Winners:
- Arielle Pare
What the faculty say:
“Arielle’s quiet confidence and calm, unwavering pursuit of her academic goals are admirable. Arielle brings to her work a well-developed sense of professionalism and responsibility, and she is fully engaged in the collaborative work of the classroom, offering valuable and astute observations in large and small group discussions. With her thorough preparation, she is ready to tackle any task or question that arises, even in one instance deciphering the obscure secrets of a medieval calendar with ease. Her written assignments demonstrate a facility in analytical methods that she deploys with care and ingenuity, as well as an impressive mastery of both the detail and its broader significance. Arielle’s sustained excellent achievement in French studies is truly deserving of recognition.”
In addition to her excellent academic performance, Arielle was one of just a few undergrads to volunteer to help out at the First Thursdays Festival. We appreciate this service to the Department!
- Dalton Hartwick
What the faculty say:
“Dalton’s beautiful command of spoken and written French is matched by his intellectual curiosity, sharp critical spirit, impressive cultural knowledge and generous approach to the most complex and difficult topics such as race, migration, identity, and the ethical dilemmas that confront our French and American societies.”
“Dalton was a pleasure to have in class. He was reliably present and well prepared with sophisticated insights, waiting to be called upon when just the right answer was needed, or at minimum a thought-provoking response that helped the class engage topics in a meaningful way.”
“Dalton has a distinct literary sensibility. He is able to appreciate and understand the figurative subtleties of very complex poems.”
“Dalton is able to articulate concisely the crux of any problem. His contributions to discussion are insightful, and the clarity with which he can see and express complex ideas is an asset to his peers. What is more, he is able to translate his insights from the classroom environment and apply them in written form with versatility, and in superb French. His talent for distilling information is a skill that will undoubtedly serve him well in his future studies.”
- Chithra Vedantam
What the faculty say:
“Chithra is a superlative student, earning one of the highest grades in my Introduction to French and Francophone Studies class. A fine linguist, Chithra is now also demonstrating her literary skills in my Aix-program Director’s course. Very motivated, always prepared, endlessly conscientious, she consistently earns high participation grades in any group for her eager, enthusiastic involvement in every class discussion… A recent paper for our Aix course (completed and submitted in the midst of frantic preparations for her forced and sudden return to the US when the program was abruptly closed) probingly explored the manipulation of gendered stereotypes in the protagonist’s progressive assumption of her own identity.”
“Chithra’s spoken and written work is perceptive, and she has a gift for respectful and productive debate with her peers, which she often continues energetically after leaving the classroom. One such conversation in our medieval cultural history course was about the way that the West periodizes history, and the role colonialism played in imposing this periodization on other cultures. Chithra takes pleasure in the critical engagement with ideas for their own sake… Chithra’s love of learning, wonderful sense of humor, and enthusiasm make her an absolute joy to have in class.”
Grace P. Young Graduate Award Winners:
- Alisha Reaves
What the faculty say:
“It is a pleasure to recognize Alisha, who is finishing up her dissertation this semester and transitioning from a temporary to a tenure track job, as a very promising young second language acquisition specialist and an insightful scholar of French discourse analysis and pragmatics. At each juncture in her professional development, Alisha has shown herself to be adept at identifying important research questions and finding creative and successful strategies for advancing knowledge. She has also been a committed and generous member of the department, presenting her work – for example on Old & Middle French! -- at GSO conferences and leading activities and workshops for undergraduates.”
“Alisha Reaves is making brand new contributions to the research on the acquisition of French through her dissertation, entitled Discourse Markers in L2 French. Through sociolinguistic interviews and other communication with 50 native and non-native speakers, Alisha gathered substantial data for an analysis which addresses the acquisition of pragmatics, specifically students’ use of discourse-oriented expressions in managing the flow of information. Her research crucially examines the use of French discourse markers in learners of French along the proficiency cline. Alisha is moving into a tenure track assistant professor position at Towson University this coming fall. Congratulations to Alisha on her many achievements this year!”
- Jade Liu
What the faculty say:
“Jade is an outstanding student who has also demonstrated a particular talent for serving the department as GSO representative and as the French Club Coordinator. It has been a privilege to watch her grow in her studies and her community building over the past few years.”
“Although she’s primarily a literary scholar, Jade is also a fine linguist. She excelled in our History of French course, where she always had an insightful question to ask or a striking comparison to suggest across a variety of languages. Her enthusiasm for medieval Romance has also led her to become a dedicated contributor to the Old Occitan Reading Group. In the context of the undergraduate program, I have been fortunate to benefit even further from Jade’s energy and creativity on outreach projects such as the FRIT booth at the First Thursdays Humanities Festival.”
“Jade writes with a rare synthetic force, often bringing new light to even well known passages. Moreover, she an inquisitive mind, coupled with diligence, which has lead her, among other things, to become fluent in Italian.”
Graduate Student Service Excellence Award Winners:
- Carlotta Vacchelli
What the faculty say:
“Carlotta has done an amazing job as a graduate assistant for Simultanea, the Journal of Italian Media and Popular Culture that Marco Arnaudo and I are co-editing. Carlotta is the Assistant Editor and the ‘soul’ of the journal. She has been instrumental to envision and execute the graphic and artistic aspects of the journal, to implement them, as well as to advertise to various media and to reach out to potential collaborators…Her work continued while she was working full time during the College’s Salerno Program, working for Simultanea during her free time, and out of passion… Carlotta also served as the campus coordinator for the WWI year-long commemoration last academic year. Besides the correspondence and the contacts …, I can just stress the amazing job she did in collecting, translating, editing and printing the multilingual booklet The Literary Legacy of the Great War.”
“Carlotta has gone above and beyond her regular duties towards the Department ... While being my assistant [for the Italian language program] she exceeded my expectations: she worked restlessly to help undergraduate and graduate students, she used her endless creativity to make things better than before, and the program publicity campaign was by far the most vibrant and engaging than ever.”
“Among our current graduate students, Carlotta is unquestionably the most energetic, imaginative and generous in her dedication to fostering a welcoming and intellectually stimulating environment for our undergraduate students through co- and extra-curricular activities.”
- Renata Uzzell
What her colleagues and faculty say:
“Renata has been a supportive peer and an active student leader throughout her studies here. Most recently, she volunteered to interact intensively with each of the candidates for our Assistant Professor position in French Linguistics, even though she will not be here to benefit directly from this hiring process! On very short notice, Renata also provided invaluable and timely feedback to the hiring committee by synthesizing comments from her fellow students. She’s always happy to step up when needed.”
“Renata is a very worthy recipient of this award. She was instrumental during the department's external review, organizing meetings between the DGS and the grad students, and she has continued to make herself available to the new DGS, offering her willingness to help in such matters as organizing meetings with the grad students, collecting feedback on initiatives, etc… She is a reliable presence in the visits and lunches with guest speakers and prospective students… Overall, she has a very positive attitude and is regularly supportive of the department in many ways big and small.”
“In addition to representing FRIT by co-running the organizational committee for [the foreign language] Share Fair, Renata has served our department as acting F200 course supervisor, and as our GSO representative… In addition to this, she ran a French Linguistics Brown Bag Series … [and generally she] has done so much to build community and solidarity amongst the graduate students.”
Kuersteiner Memorial Prize Winners:
- Kiley Gardner
What the faculty say:
“In our cultural history course on medieval France, Kiley consistently demonstrated excellent nuanced analysis and a fluency in theory and method that is truly remarkable. Beyond engaging with the content of the course, she was able to operate comfortably with its theory, adopting the historical perspective and methods introduced in class and applying them with excellent results. In her written assignments, she deftly showed that terminology and values are subject to historical change, identifying and challenging received ideas about medieval France, particularly in the realm of women’s writing. She heightened the level of discourse in the classroom by modeling this thinking for her peers with her constructive, open-minded, and incisive comments in class—in excellent French.”
“Kiley is a very rigorous and engaged student, who does not shy away from arguing with the professor about questions that are dear to her.”
- Mitch Korolev
What the faculty say:
“Mitch exemplifies intellectual curiosity… [He] is fluent in multiple disciplinary perspectives that enrich his critical thinking, and he is dedicated to deepening his already impressive knowledge by integrating and applying new discoveries right away. This is apparent in his language skills—he has already achieved an impressive fluency in spoken and written French. Mitch approaches his work with enthusiasm and assiduousness inside and outside the classroom…”
“[With Mitch] I had the feeling that every assignment, every activity--whether in or out of class--was taken deeply to heart…in his sincere, understated way. He came regularly to see me to talk about our readings… I vividly remember one of our office-hour conversations in particular; there was a minus-27-degree windchill, classes had been cancelled for the cold, there were scarcely any signs of life across the glacial wastes of campus—and yet, here was Mitch to talk about our Baudelaire poem for the next class session!”
“Mitch is a very diligent student eager to study. The most marked feature in him is that his mind is constantly moving and thinking with the texts that he is reading. He also voices his thoughts very well in class. He has a very friendly, and accessible character, and it is a delight to have him in class.”
- Grace McDougall
What the faculty say:
“Grace is an outstanding student. She brings confidence and inquisitiveness to her coursework, and although her critical thinking shines through each assignment, her research skills are particularly exceptional. Grace’s final paper in our cultural history course examined a scene of medieval silk production in Yvain, a romance of Chrétien de Troyes. In this excellent essay, Grace contextualized the fictional scene in the realities of this luxury industry in Paris, showing that the exoticized depiction in Yvain reflects the gendered nature of silk embroidery by foreign and itinerant women artisans. This just one example that demonstrates the consistently high caliber of her writing and thinking.”
“Grace’s performance in two extremely different courses with me—Critical and Creative Writing in French and Introduction to French and Francophone Studies—has been exemplary. Whether imagining the emotional ‘autobiography’ of a hand-crafted doll in the Mathers Museum or analyzing a disturbingly violent, erotic Baudelaire poem for an oral presentation, Grace unfailingly demonstrates insight, passion, commitment, and eagerness for challenge… Her perceptive and meaningful contributions to our class discussions consistently took the discourse to a new level; yet, a scrupulous team player, Grace was invariably attentive to and respectful of other points of view.”
Italian AI Teaching Award Winner:
- Pantalea Mazzitello
What her supervisor and colleagues say:
“Pantalea has been an exceptional instructor since the first semester of her teaching because she genuinely cares about her students… She is sensitive to their needs and modifies her teaching to achieve the learning goals while at the same time not leaving anybody behind. It has been a real pleasure to observe her transformation from a person who never taught to a mentor for her less experienced colleagues.”
“Pantalea is a fantastic teacher because, among other things, she is a great collaborator. From the very beginning, she made sure that she and I would organize together the whole course M301 on Italian politics… She is a collaborative teacher with her students, too, by really putting them at her level. She works with her students: she provides them with the necessary tools—like vocabulary and historical facts—so that they are able to do in-class conversations among themselves and with her on topics that she finds compelling in the first place.”
“Pantalea is always happy to help you when you are overwhelmed by your work and she does that without showing off. Moreover, Pantalea is incredibly smart: she has been able to build a great syllabus with awesome ideas and effective pedagogical tools… Her immense culture, generosity, reliability and camaraderie is what makes Pantalea an amazing colleague.”
French AI Teaching Award Winners:
- Arielle Roadman
What her supervisors say:
“Arielle is a natural teacher. She encourages student engagement and participation at every turn, and she fosters a warm and welcoming classroom environment, where students feel comfortable enough to be vocal with questions, comments, and jokes. Arielle has a strong foundation on which to build her teaching skills in the semesters and years to come. She is extremely at ease in front of her class, and the classroom dynamic was healthy and very friendly.”
"She maintains a lively rhythm in her classroom, transitioning seamlessly from one activity to the next, and keeping her students on their toes. There are no dull moments in her classroom. Her strong speaking voice and clear articulation in her native French provide a superb model for her students, and she makes great use of the classroom space and structures her modules so as to be a ‘guide on the side’."
“Arielle is also a thoughtful colleague who has been prompt in her contributions to lesson plans and exam preparation. She has quickly adapted to the rigors of balancing her teaching and graduate student responsibilities with humor and professionalism. In brief, it is clear to any observer that Arielle enjoys her role as an instructor and as a colleague.”
- Victoria Lagrange
What her supervisors say:
“It has been such a pleasure to have Victoria on the F100 teaching team. The best way I can think to describe Victoria is that she is a total pro. When I say she has mastered our teaching methods, I mean that every class that I have observed could be used as model for incoming instructors at IU. She also has excellent intuition in the classroom, and I am so impressed with how she leads students through the various classroom activities, including—both times I observed her—linguistically challenging cultural videos from the textbook. In short, I learn something every time I observe her.”
- Lee Killey
What his supervisors say:
“Lee has really come into his own as a teacher, already during his first year at IU and first year of college teaching! He encourages student engagement and participation as much as possible…[and] his time management is excellent. He has a warm, friendly, yet authoritative presence in the classroom, and his sense of humor can’t help but come through in his teaching. He ensures that all students have an opportunity to participate, and he is firm about keeping them speaking in French at all times, and not switching into English himself. He is a master of corrective feedback, focusing only on the structures and vocabulary that are pertinent to the lesson, and giving either a binary choice or explicit guidance as to what the accurate form is.”
“In addition to being an excellent instructor, Lee is a true pleasure to work with. He is unfailingly conscientious, always early with his lesson plans, exam drafts, and feedback, and often catching mistakes that everyone else misses. I can always count on him to be on top of his teaching responsibilities, and he is deeply dedicated to his students’ learning and overall wellbeing.”
- Claire Fouchereaux
What her supervisors say:
“As a teacher, Claire first distinguishes herself by critically reviewing and improving upon existing lessons. She shows strong mastery of important ‘behind the scenes’ pedagogical considerations of sequencing and pacing. Last semester I marveled at her deft handling of a notoriously confusing and often tedious grammar point: the differences between comparative and superlative of nouns and adjectives. Fully in command of her classroom, in her teaching presence, I admire the perfect balance she strikes between being strict but compassionate, seeming to sense the most she can get out of each individual student.”
“Having Claire on a teaching team is almost like having a personal course assistant. A careful reader and editor, she reliably catches syllabus typos and other glitches before materials have gone out to students; she is consistently the first to provide critical feedback and suggestions on exam drafts; unprompted this semester she proposed an excellent revised syllabus calendar for the unexpected need to move teaching online; finally, she spearheaded the movement to create our fully online final exam. From the high level of professionalism she shows outside the classroom, to her exemplary performance within, Claire is a very deserving recipient of this award for excellence in teaching!”
Lander MacClintock Award Winner:
- Preston Gilts
What the faculty say:
“From day one, Preston struck me as an exceptional student who dedicates himself to studying and learning with a real passion. He is one of the best students I have met in my seven years of teaching at Indiana University…
Preston’s work ethic and perseverance are not the only traits that I truly admire in him. What is more important for me is his incredible sensibility and ability to combine different fields of study in order to understand and better analyze the world that surrounds him…His work [in M450] elevated the readings that we did in class to another level, allowing other students to see deeper meanings and the applications to real life… Preston’s knowledge and exceptional sensibility to others allows him to help anybody around him who might be struggling. Preston manages to extend his help so genuinely that everybody accepts it without questioning his motives.”
“Preston’s interests in social justice, representation of minorities, and gender issues made him a vibrant and vital presence in that [M307] course. He impressed me throughout with his intellectual verve and mature outlook. Even more than that, Preston showed a remarkable degree of resilience... There is no doubt in my mind of Preston’s bright future ahead.”
Mary V. Lèbano Memorial Prize Winner:
- Victoria Myhand
What the faculty say:
“Victoria was one of the best students in my M450 class (even though she didn’t have any previous experience analyzing Italian literature) because she knows how to work hard, has a real passion for languages and cultures, is an avid reader, and has outstanding skills when it comes to analyzing literary works…She is just a perfect example of an intellectual explorer, always ready to sacrifice whatever is needed to learn more and discover the world. The intellectual curiosity and thirst for knowledge are the two driving forces that allow her to succeed in any academic environment… Victoria is a great citizen and classmate. She respects others and is always available to help… She is a natural leader who draws people towards her.”
“Her contagious good mood and sense of humor has always been fundamental for the general atmosphere of the class.”
“Victoria’s intellectual gifts are clear to anyone who encounters her, but she is the furthest thing from off-putting and intimidating to her peers. It is her grace and passion that set Victoria apart, and she raises up her fellow students to engage with her at the highest reaches of the pursuit of knowledge.”
Eneria Ruggeri Memorial Award Winner:
- Pantalea Mazzitello
What the faculty say:
“Pantalea is one of the brightest graduate students I ever encountered. Her intellectual acumen and critical capacities, together with her rock-solid understanding of Italian literature, make her an incredibly strong candidate, and an academic success story in the making.”
“Pantalea is a wonderful scholar, rigorous and disciplined in her approach. In the class she took with me, I was consistently impressed with her high degree of preparation and her mature conception of scholarly research. She holds herself and her community to the highest standard of excellence, yet always remains graceful and kind in her approach.”
“Pantalea joined our program with a strong historical and philological preparation and an impressive roster of publications in medieval and early modern studies. Through curiosity and humility, during her time at IU she has broadened her preparation to include all periods of Italian literature as well as cinema and media; she has further honed her methodological skills in manuscript studies and history of the book; and she has enhanced her interdisciplinary and cross-cultural interests.”
Mario and Katrina Vangeli Award Winner:
- Giorgio Losi
What the faculty say:
“Giorgio is a remarkably gifted intellectual with a passion and enthusiasm that never cease to inspire his community to reach higher. He combines scholarly rigor with an unrelenting pursuit of knowledge; no matter how large or small a point, Giorgio will not rest until he knows what he wants to know. He does it all with a smile on his face; the joy that he derives from teaching and study is always evident and he remains a truly uplifting force in our community.”
“Giorgio came to IU with a degree in classical studies and a thesis focusing on ancient philosophy. While critical animal studies are his main interest, Giorgio’s intellectual curiosity is much broader and encompasses all periods of Italian literature, media and popular culture, which he analyzes through a comparative and theoretical lens. Particularly notable and promising is the way his work combines sound historical and philological research with sophisticated theoretical thinking.”
Olga Ragusa Award Winner:
- Francesco Samarini
What the faculty say:
“The Olga Ragusa award is awarded for scholarly commitment and ability, and no-one deserves this award more than Francesco Samarini. Francesco is a great all- around graduate student, as proven by the fact that he is a past recipient of the AI teaching award and the Ruggeri Award, which takes in consideration teaching as well. However, when it comes to scholarship, his devotion is absolute: almost each one of his term papers has been turned into a refereed journal article. His range is broad and has a natural transcultural approach, as proven by the topics of his publications on subjects as diverse and as religious poetry after the Counter Reformation; American TV series in Italy; Philip Roth and Italian culture; Italian Pop music; baroque poetry; Italian cinema; and Italian comics.”
“Francesco joined our program with a remarkable training in all of Italian literature and, for a scholar of his age, an exceptional record of publications. Even more remarkable is the fact that he has never allowed his superior preparation to turn into arrogance or complacency; rather, he has embraced the challenges and opportunities of a new academic environment with openness and curiosity and he has interacted with students, peers and faculty with collegiality and a genuine respect.”
Quentin Hope Award Winner:
- Abigail Cooke-Akaiwa
What the faculty say:
“Abigail is a serious student of French and a deeply committed study-abroad participant, having spent a summer in Québec and an academic year and a summer in Aix-en-Provence. During her sophomore year she excelled in our French grammar class, mastering the smallest details along with the larger concepts and always aiming at perfection in both her writing and conversation. Returning to IU as a senior, she led our conversation courses both semesters. This award recognizes her service to our French program as well as her outstanding academic achievement in many courses, both at IU and abroad.”
Peter Cannings Prize Winner:
- Charlène Gilbert
What the faculty say:
“Charlène is a brilliant young scholar whose keen insights and great power of analytical thinking reveal the promise of a successful career in linguistics. In addition, she always manages to make time to support and be involved in the intellectual and social life of the department.”
“It’s always a pleasure to have Charlène in a class – she’s smart, creative, dedicated, and always manages to look like she’s enjoying things even when working on a particularly thorny syntax puzzle – or perhaps because of those thorny syntax puzzles. Her dissertation takes a very sophisticated look at some fascinating L2 French data at the syntax/semantics interface and is sure to make a lasting impact on the field.”
John K. Hyde Award Winner:
- Abigail Erickson
What the faculty say:
“Abby is a generous classmate and a skillful researcher. The breadth of her studies, from biology to chemistry to French, has not prevented her from diving deeply into her intellectual passions. A bright and poised student, Abby impressed me with her resourcefulness and her ability to rise to any challenge, from creative writing to the successful pursuit of a carefully focused research question, such as the Viking influence on medieval French maritime practices. I congratulate her on her upcoming graduation and look forward to hearing about the great things I know she will accomplish in graduate school and beyond.”
“As a sophomore in our Advanced Grammar class, Abigail did outstanding written work and could always be relied on to keep small groups on task and speaking in French. She has gone on to excel in every French course she has taken IU and on our summer study-abroad program in Paris. As a biology major, Abby has specialized in the now-crucial area of infectious diseases, conducted research in Belize, and volunteered in health care and health education in Indiana.” Indeed a well-rounded student!
Gamma Kappa Alpha Italian Honor Society Initiates:
- Anthony Brescia
- Isabella Castillo
- Nathaniel Esten
- Natalie McClelland
- Kathleen Tellus
- Kayla Vivace
- Natalie Mardoian
Trustees Teaching Award Winner:
- Eileen Julien
What her students and colleagues say:
“Prof. Julien is an inspiring professor, an extraordinary academic and an incredible person and I'm deeply grateful and thankful for having met and worked with her at IU.”
“Eileen has been deeply invested in my success as a human being throughout my graduate studies.”
“She has this ability to make you feel as if you’re the most important person in the room, and when she meets with you, she makes sure that you have her undivided attention, because she wants to make sure you have the tools to succeed.”
“I have learned so much just by watching Eileen think, as she asks the tough but necessary questions or draws surprising connections that bring a new, important dimension to the discussion.”
“Her rhizomatic work has brought together many profound ideas and connected people from different fields.”
“S’il y a des professeurs qui enseignent, il y en a d’autres qui nous renseignent, et notamment sur nous-mêmes, ce qui n'est pas une mince affaire, et ces renseignements sur la vie et l'existence furent toujours prodigués par Eileen avec un incomparable sourire."
“As I grew as a teacher-scholar, I understood that there is only one Eileen Julien, and that she had been the best mentor and had trained me to become the best academic I could be, taking with me some of her wisdom, passion and immense knowledge.”
The College of Arts