WolfTracks The American University of Rome Alumni & Friends Newsletter - Fall 2014
WolfTracks Dear AUR Alumni and Friends, Time is right for a change in the editorial management of our WolfTracks newsletter. I am very happy to announce that, starting from this Fall 2014 edition, my colleague Anna Schorch is taking over as Editor. Anna, an AUR alumna herself, joined us in the President’s Office as our Alumni and Development Assistant in July 2013 and has gotten to know many of you personally and through the Alumni Blog, the Alumni Facebook group and the reunions she has helped organize.
Fall 2014 Contents 2
Alumni Updates
9
Alumni Features
14 Professor News 22 News and Events 30 Student Activities 37 Community Announcements 40 Upcoming Events
I am proud to hand over to Anna a publication which has developed from a twopage flyer to a real magazine in the past seven years. Thanks go to my former colleague Heather Miller, who must be remembered for devising the attractive name, and to the several incredible student assistants (now alumnae) who have been instrumental in making this happen: Michelle Spaulding, Lyndsay Krebs, Aleksandra Petrova, Alessandra Potenza, Chelsea Graham, Edwina Dennison, Arly Montes, Jennifer Pedraza, Evelyn Hill, Suzanne Darkan, Alexa Lloyd, and Ariela Assin. Congratulations to Anna and many happy readings! Maurizia Garzia President’s Chief of Staff
The WolfTracks Team Anna Schorch Editor Giulia Ramadan Content, Design, and Layout Cover photograph: Gabrielle Arduini
ALUMNI UPDATES Nohea takes the US by Storm
W
hile recruiting in the US, AUR’s Admissions Counselor & Recruiter (and alumna herself, Business Administration, 2011) Nohea ReveleyMahan ran into AUR alumni, past study-abroad students, and interns scattered all over the country. She caught up with Amanda Schulz (Archaeology & Classics, 2013) and Justin Schaefer (Italian Studies, 2014) in Baltimore; Jen Pedraza (Business Administration, 2012) in Washington D.C.; Ajda Birgen (Art History, 2012), Kristin Lichtenberg (Business Administration, 2012), Shakira Mongul (Communication, 2011), Matt Ringard (attended in 2011), and Katherine Tempel (Study Abroad, 2010) in California; as well as Marcella Morris (Study Abroad, 2012), Colleen Marquart (Intern, 2011), and Maria Sandone (Intern, 2011).
Nohea and Ajda Birgen
Maria Sandone and Nohea
2
Amanda Schultz and Nohea
Justin Schaefer, Colleen Marquart and Amanda Schulz
Shakira Mongul and Kristin Lichtenberg
Matt Ringard, Nohea, and Katherine Tempel
3
Ajda Birgen (Art History, 2012)
“I
’m living back in Miami at the moment! I’m working as a cocktail waitress at Toro Toro inside the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Miami. I’m still traveling all the time! I went to Brazil in June and Myanmar in September. What made AUR so special for me was that it was a small, close-knit environment. I transferred in from a state school with almost 50,000 students and I hated the fact that I was just another number. At AUR you form such special bonds with your classmates and your professors and I really valued that. I loved being able to grab a coffee or a drink with one of my professors or classmates at Archi after school!”
“I
’m a senior at Saint Mary’s College of California in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’m a Communication major and English minor, and I’m currently working on my capstone. For the past two years I have worked for the college as the campus Italian tutor (the only one). I’m now the Opinion Editor of our college newspaper and the president of the Communication Club. AUR was a singular experience for me. It was the first time I had been away from home for more than a few weeks, so it forced me out of my comfort zone and spurred me to grow both intellectually and personally. I became more independent and confident. A lot of this had to do with the access we had to Rome – I would spend hours exploring the city on my own. But I also loved the rich cultural diversity at AUR. I’ll never forget going to a birthday party and counting eight languages being spoken. What makes AUR students is that they are curious. Or, as I like to put it, they are hungry for the world. They want to Matt Ringard experience different people and differ(Attended, 2011) ent places, and AUR provides that opportunity.”
4
“S
ince studying at AUR I finished my undergraduate degree in California, went on to work for an NGO in Cambodia and most recently finished my master’s degree in International Business. AUR was truly one of my favorite life and academic experiences; I met amazing people both on campus and in Rome.
Through AUR I was able to get hands-on experience in projects and was also able to secure an internship at the Food and Agriculture Organization. AUR is special for its location, diversity in students and its hands-on learning experience. I love Rome, its food, people and history and would not trade my time [there] for the world!”
Katherine Tempel (Study Abroad, 2010)
“S
tudying abroad I knew would be a unique, enriching experience… From arriving at AUR until the day I left, the faculty, staff, and students welcomed me as one of their own, and that support continued after I left. It helped me [get to] where I am today. When studying at AUR, I was able to engage with topics not available to me at a domestic university. Studying politics of the Balkans paired with the field experience in Serbia and Montenegro was unparalleled, and brought together my previous fields of study in identity and civil society and terrorism. This was a life changing understanding brought about by exploring new topics in new places with spectacular professors as a guide. This has launched me to my graduate study in Conflict Analysis and Resolution – for which Dr. Walston wrote my admissions applications – and my drive to continue with a focus on comparative politics for a PhD. While I know I spent a mere 4 months as a student at AUR, I count that time as transformative and critically important to my life. AUR was more than a study abroad [experience], it became my home and it truly shaped my life.” Marcella is pursuMarcella Morris ing her Master’s at George Mason Uni(Study Abroad, 2012) versity after having completed her Bachelor’s in Government & Politics with a minor in Global Terrorism Studies from the University of Maryland in 2013. 5
S
ofìa, past study abroad (Fall 2011), was recently accepted by the University of Westminster where she will persue a master’s degress in International Relations. She got awarded the ‘Central American & Caribbean Scholarship’ that covers flights to and from London, tuition fees, accommodation and a monthly stipend for a full-time 12 month course.
Sofìa Flota
Prof. Sonnabend helped Sofìa along her graduate school and (Study Abroad, 2011) scholarship application process. When we asked her about her future plans she said, “I hope this master’s program will help me decide what it is that I will do for the years to come but I would love to work for an International Organization like the United Nations one day. Prof. Sonnabend helped me get an internship at FAO when I was in Rome and I also worked with them in Mexico during the COP16, so I would like to get a chance to work with them again in the near future.”
S
Sara J. Muriello
ara J. Muriello (Communication, 2004) (Communication, 2004) recently launched a book The American Mindset at the Simon Business School in Rochester NY, where she is currently heading an international program series. “With American Business English being referred to by many as the world’s leading global commodity, my book addresses acculturation, professional personal branding, and networking in the US for international business graduate students.” The opening chapter, “Lost in Rome” details the beginning of Sara’s 10-year stint in the eternal city and her personal experience of acculturating into the Italian lifestyle. She also highlights what she refers to as the “10 Essentials,” pointing out major cultural differences one might find when they first arrive in the US and parallels them to her own experiences being an expat and working as a cross-cultural communication coach.
6
“I
am currently enrolled as a graduate student at The University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business in the inaugural M.S. Social Entrepreneurship program. I also work as a Law Clerk for Sustainable Law Group, a boutique firm specializing in social enterprise and non-profit law. My passion for social entreIan Zurzolo preneurship grew from volunteer and non-profit work (Italian Studies, 2010) experience that began while I studied in Rome at AUR. After moving back home to Los Angeles post-graduation, I started to network with social entrepreneurs and other businessmen in the local community who shared my belief that business can be a tool for positive social change in addition to generating profit. I am grateful for the experience I shared at AUR with forward thinking individuals from around the globe. I intend to bring that perspective and insight to my classmates at USC and into all my future ventures.”
“A
UR fulfilled my desire to work Elise Cevetello in an international en(Communication, 2012) vironment while continuing to live abroad. After graduating, I interned for the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in both the fisheries and emergencies departments. Then I took on a consultancy contract with FAO in Mauritius on a sustainable fishing project. After finishing this project I spent additional time in Mauritius getting a post-graduate diploma in Endangered Species Recovery while volunteering with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and Mauritius Marine Conservation Society. My thesis project centered around a field study on humpback whales. Currently I am working as a writer for an international destination wedding photography company based in Rome. I am looking forward to taking on more adventures and discovering new locations.” 7
Congratulations! Isabelle McDonnell & Ahmed Badenjki (Business Administration, 2012)
I
sabelle and Ahmed are engaged!
Katja Munoz
Monica Lizarraga
(International Relations, 2004)
(Business Administration, 2005)
K
atja welcomed a new baby, Ana Luz.
8
M
onica and husband Fernando welcomed a son, Sebastian. Fernando reports, "He is 6 lbs. 14 oz; 20 inches long and has tons of hair.�
ALUMNI FEATURES Veronica Crociani
(Film & Digital Media, 2014)
“A
fter graduating from AUR last May, I never would have thought I would have come back and become part of the staff of my alma mater. I have been a student at AUR for the last four years of my life, and seeing things from the other side of the spectrum has been a truly fulfilling experience. I always knew that behind great institutions there must be great people, but now I have been able to see it with my own eyes.
My years in university have been quite challenging, and I was stressed every day. I always came to school as if it were my job and I never actually took the time to really enjoy it to the fullest. I never stopped a moment to appreciate where I was and who I was surrounded by. When I was approached with the position in AUR’s Provost’s Office in September I was really excited to be offered my first working position in the institution from which I had just graduated. I felt like working in an office was what I wanted to do initially, and being able to do it in such a familiar environment has been a blessing. I already knew the background of the school and as an alumna I knew that I could give my best contribution to benefit the expectations of AUR.
Now, after having worked for the past three months as the assistant to the provost’s office, I must say that I have fully gained knowledge of how lucky I am to be part of this university. As a student, I rarely came up to the administration offices, if not to go to the registrar, which by now, I have understood is the most popular office at AUR. I have realized all the effort it takes to organize and plan programs, courses and events – all things that students take for granted. I was able to see and understand all the work that our staff and faculty undertake every day to make AUR such a valuable experience. Thanks to these past few months, I have also discovered who the people working here are and now I understand how they are able to keep the university’s community so well connected. Never would I have been able to meet them personally and never would they have been able to get to know me. I believe every single person who studies or works here is blessed to have this American experience in such a beautiful city like Rome. As a Film & Digital Media graduate I can best describe this experience as a fantastic ‘behind the scenes’ of The American University of Rome. Thank you for having me be a part of AUR once more!” 9
Kelsea Brennan-Wessels (Communication, 2008)
K
elsea Brennan-Wessels, a 2008 AUR Communication graduate, is currently working for EJR-Quartz, a company that provides content management and editorial support to the European Space Agency (ESA). Her position consists of writing articles for ESA’s website while also producing and presenting the ‘Earth from Space’ video program. “While I do not have a background in space or science, my former work as a journalist for Vatican Radio, along with my studies at AUR in Communication, prepared me for a career as a writer and editor. These are skills that can be used for virtually any subject.”
Recently, ESA coordinated and produced an exhibition at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome entitled ‘My Planet from Space: Fragility and Beauty’ for which Kelsea wrote the original editorial content, from image descriptions to promotional materials. The exhibition, open until November 2nd, examines the fragility of our planet and the impact of climate change through satellite images. “Working on this project – and working at ESA in general – has opened my eyes to so many aspects of the global environment that I wasn’t familiar with. I hope that this exhibition is an eye-opener for other people as well. An educated public is the first and most important step in environmental protection, so communicating the reality of climate change in an attractive and comprehensive way is imperative.” After going to see the exhibition, we got Kelsea to answer some questions, and here is her piece of advice to graduating Communication majors: “Keep your options open. Communication skills – such as writing, video production, graphic design, presentation and more – can be used in any sector, so don’t limit yourself to a single career path. Use your expertise outside of your comfort zone and you’ll learn something new, not only about the world around you, but about yourself. And make sure you have a decent cover letter!”
10
Roy Halstead (Art History, 2009)
N
ative to the Eternal City, Roy graduated from AOSR before going on to Webster University in The Netherlands to study Graphic Design. He then transferred to The American University of Rome from which he received his B.A. in Art History with a concentration in Heritage Management in 2009. He quickly moved onto to Parsons Paris where he got his M.A. in Photography.
The Royal Waiting Rooms
Discover Hong Kong
In 2012, along with fellow entrepreneur Matteo, Roy launched MARO Sailing Couture, a company that turns non-disposable sails into original apparel in “a world where sailing meets fashion.” Having begun with bags, the environmentally-aware duo plan to expand by creating other couture items from recycled sails and other material. Since, Roy has joined the Account Management Team of XS2, an Amsterdam-based company dedicated to creative marketing in the current world of mobile media and technology. He has taken part in various projects while working for XS2, one feature being an application which allows users to see 360 degree imagery from their mobile devices. For example, The NS railway system has virtually “opened its doors” to their Royal Waiting Rooms, allowing the beautiful rooms to be revealed while keeping them preserved. Another application, Discover Hong Kong, serves as an augmented reality allowing users to search hotspots through their mobile device’s camera viewer to more easily and efficiently navigate the city. 11
Bronwyn Sweeney
(Business Administration, 2007)
B
ronwyn Sweeney kicked off the Fall Business Speaker Series with a talk focusing on her career as an advertising copywriter. She is a copywriter with MRM Meteorite in London, and has also worked for R/GA. During her lecture, she shared her journey to becoming a copywriter, and her experiences on a wide range of intriguing campaigns on which she has worked, including Nike Fuel Band, Getty Images & Beats By Dr. Dre. Bronwyn’s career has perfectly melded the two areas she studied at AUR: Business with a marketing concentration and a minor in Writing. In addition to her Business Lecture Series talk, Bronwyn also conducted a two-day creative workshop with the Advertising Strategy class, giving the students pointers and helping them understand how to develop and evaluate good creative work. She acted as “Creative Director” with each of the five teams in the class, helping them fine-tune the creative execution they developed as part of their final project.
12
“It was amazing to be back at AUR. I was honoured to be asked back and feel really lucky to get to talk to the students as I was sitting exactly where they were only seven years ago! AUR has had such a profound impact on my life both professionally and personally and I love to be able to share my story. Lessons I learned at AUR and living in Rome still impact my life and work today too, though I miss the days of sitting at the Archi Bar and wolfing down a suppli before class!”
Bronwyn, Prof. Fitzsimmons, and current Business Administration Students
Dana Phelps
(Art History & Archaeology, 2008)
2
008 Art History & Archaeology alumna Dana Phelps stopped by AUR on her way home from her annual summer fieldwork in Albania. While here, she lectured to both the Sustainable Cultural Heritage MA students and Archaeology undergraduates. Dana is about to start her second year of Stanford University’s PhD program in Archaeology. “Since AUR, I have been pursuing a career in cultural heritage. In 2010 I earned an MA in Cultural Heritage Studies from University College London. For my MA thesis, I studied the role that local communities have in archaeological sites in developing countries. I used Butrint’s archaeological site and UNESCO World Heritage site in southern Albania for my case study. From there, I went on to work in various capacities in international development, including cultural heritage management in Albania, a World Heritage site reporting at the UNESCO headquarters,
Dana with MA students
and as an evaluation specialist for an international development contracting agency in Washington, DC. Last year, I began the PhD program in Archaeology at Stanford University. My focus is on cultural heritage and I continue to work in Albania. My research project looks at the role of minority groups in Albania in the management of its cultural heritage. Mainly, I look at how particular minority groups are celebrated culturally while others are erased. With an archaeological perspective, I aim to find physical sites that represent the cultural heritage of these minority groups and to research how these places and people are managed at the local, national, and international levels. As part of the PhD program, I am required to obtain high proficiency in my fieldwork language. Currently, I am enrolled in an intensive Albanian language program and am in Albania learning the language and conducting preliminary fieldwork research.”
Dana with Prof. Higgins
13
Professor News Natural Disasters Published this August, Professor Elizabeth Geoghegan’s ebook Natural Disasters was instantly ranked by Amazon in the “Literary Short Stories” category. This is Professor Geoghegan’s second ebook with Shebooks, a San Francisco-based publisher specializing in women writers. According to Shebooks Editorial Director, Laura Fraser, “From Boulder to Bangkok, Seattle to the Silk Road, Elizabeth is a wonderful guide to the female journey of mistakes, self-revelation, and real love.” Professor Geoghegan has taught a variety of writing courses at AUR since 2003. “A lot of former students have gotten in touch with me after the publication of both The Marco Chronicles and Natural Disasters and it has been truly gratifying, not only to reconnect with each of them, but to know they finally have a chance to read some of my work for a change,” Prof. Geoghegan said.
The Human Work of Art AUR’s Director of Religious Studies, Davor Džalto, published a new book called The Human Art Work: A Theological Appraisal of Creativity and the Death of the Artist. “One of the most interesting and creative examples of Orthodox theological engagement with contemporary thought that I have read, as Džalto uses modern art both to affirm Metropolitan John Zizioulas’s theological insights, but also to revise critically Zizioulas’s notion of personal uniqueness. Throughout the text, Džalto’s familiarity with post-modern philosophical debates on subjectivity, identity, and art is also clearly evident. Džalto is unequivocally one of the most important thinkers today in the Orthodox world.” -Aristotle Papanikolaou, Fordham University 14
Professor Fitzsimmons Honored by USA Girl Scouts
Prof. Kathleen Fitzsimmons has been awarded the Thanks Badge Award for above-and-beyond dedication to the Girl Scout movement in the area of adult training. The Thanks Badge Award is conferred after a referred nomination and review process. “The Thanks Badge honors an individual whose ongoing commitment, leadership and service have had an exceptional, measurable impact on meeting the mission-delivery goals and priorities of USA Girl Scouts Overseas or the entire Girl Scout movement. It is the highest adult honor in Girl Scouting.”
“Kathleen has demonstrated all of the qualities of a recipient of the Thanks Badge, in her work on behalf of USAGSO in the area of adult training and therefore is most deserving of receiving Girl Scout’s most prestigious adult recognition.”
Professor Connelly Wins First Prize in the Annual Fermoy International Poetry Festival On July 7, Dr. Daniel Connelly, Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication and English, won First Prize in the annual Fermoy International Poetry Festival, based in County Cork in the Republic of Ireland. In its third year, the festival, sponsored by The Blue Max Review, has become a unique event in the world of poetry. For four days in August, the town of Fermoy is transformed into a poetic space with readings held in private houses, barbers’ shops, laundrettes, supermarkets and restaurants among many other impromptu sites. Dr. Connelly was flown to Fermoy at the beginning of August in order to participate in the festival in its entirety. 15
Roman Kosher Prof. Villani’s New Film Premieres in L.A. Prof. Villani’s 48min. independent film Roman Kosher was an official selection in the 2014 Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival and played to a full house in LA on May 3. The screening was the picture’s world premiere. Roman Kosher is a surprising culinary journey through the rich and textured history and tradition of Jewish Rome highlighting the work of kosher chef and caterer Giovanni Terracina who kindly agreed to open his kitchen to the camera. As a result, the audience will see and learn about Roman Jewish dishes in their different stages of preparation, visit a traditional bakery in the heart of Rome’s ancient Jewish district, and join a fancy Bar Mitzvah dinner party. Film & Digital Media student Francesco Malavasi aptly collaborated with Prof. Villani on one of the shoots earning his first professional screen credit.
Prof. Salgó Welcomes Baby Lara Prof. Eszter Salgó and her husband are glad to announce the birth of their daughter, Lara Rebecca. “Lara joins her (only occasionally Orwellian) Big Sister, Fiamma Miriam. Lara is interested in global politics, political psychology and comparative foreign policy – she didn’t miss a class in the previous two semesters (comments depicting her as a watermelon notwithstanding). Touched by students’ warm friendship, only after participating in the end-of-the-semester IR party did she decide (on May 20) to check out whether things seen from within look different from the perspective of an active observer. This picture captures the conclusion she has arrived at after six months of mature reflection.” -Prof. Salgó
16
Chef and Caterer Giovanni Terracina
Prof. Ennis Exhibits Her Work
Fine Arts Program Director Prof. Ennis exhibited her beautiful work at this year’s Itinera group exhibition in Venice. (See one of the exhibited pieces below) Prof. Ennis also acted as Guest of Honor at the IX Rassegna Internazionale di Arte Pittorica Contemporanea, an exhibition entitled “PREMIO TARGA D’ORO CITTÀ di GUBBIO – 2014.”
Breda Ennis Celestial Sunset, 2012 Soft pastels and charcoals on paper, 11x16 cm
17
Dr. Lisa Colletta Promoted to Full Professor
P
rofessor of English Lisa Colletta was promoted to Full Professor, a first at AUR. She studied French literature as an undergraduate, but after working for the Getty Museum and for Bon Appetit Magazine, she returned to literature, her first love, earning her PhD at Claremont Graduate University in Southern California. Her expertise is in 20th-century British and American literature, and her first book grew out of her doctoral dissertation, Dark Humor and Social Satire in the Modern British novel. The two motives that have always propelled Professor Colletta’s work are humor and travel. “The word ‘travel’ comes from the same Latin root as ‘travail’, painful or laborious work, or to suffer, and since most humor is a defense mechanism against pain and suffering, the two are actually quite related,” says Colletta, “anyone who travels a lot knows that is true!”
Professor Colletta has written many articles about humor, gender, and political satire, in addition to her first book. Most recently she has returned to work on travel and exile. “While writing my book on dark humor, I noticed that a number of the writers I was working with had spent some time in Hollywood in the early days of the studios, and this made me curious about the connections between humor, travel, exile, and Hollywood,” says Colletta, who was awarded a prestigious fellowship at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California to work in its large archive of British writing. “While researching my book on British novelists in Hollywood, I came across boxes of letters written by the writer Christopher Isherwood during the 1930s. He wrote to his mother every week, for six years, as he moved around Europe with his young German lover, Heinz, trying to find a place that would accept him, as German citizens— and homosexuals—were not welcome in Britain after Hitler came to power.” The result was another book, an edited collection of Isherwood’s letters to his mother, which document a fascinating time during the last century: the rise of fascism, the personal struggles of an artist, and a world about to explode, again, into war. This last year has been a busy one for Professor Colletta as her book, British Novelists in Hollywood: Travelers, Exiles, and Expats, recently came out, as well as two book chapters, “The Gendered Uses of Political Satire” in Woman and Comedy and “The Celebrity Effect: Isherwood, Hollywood, and the Performance of Self” in The American Isherwood. She will be a keynote speaker this month at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice, speaking on Anthony Powell and Venice. “Powell was the most unlikely British writer in Hollywood,” writes Colletta, “but his experiences there of an increasingly visual, modern culture, defined by Hollywood aesthetics, made him a careful, nuanced observer of the decline of letters so evident in his ‘Venice’ novel, Temporary Kings.” 18
This semester Professor Colletta lectured at the Centro Studi Americani in Rome on her book and will also give a distinguished lecture funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) on “Isherwood as Travel Writer” next fall at The Huntington Library in California. Currently, she is busy editing a new book, The Legacy of the Grand Tour: New Essays on Travel, Literature, and Culture, which will be out next year. “I am interested in how the places of the Grand Tour, France and Italy in particular, still define our ideas of culture and sophistication,” she explains. “Even the beleaguered tourists I see every day in Rome, trudging over the sampietrini in the hot sun or waiting for a bus that will never come, still think this is the trip of a lifetime and feel part of a grand tradition. That is because it is … and they are … Rome never disappoints.”
Prof. Colletta Gives Keynote at Fondazione Giorgio Cini
P
rofessor Colletta gave a keynote talk at a literary symposium devoted to modernist writer Anthony Powell. The symposium was hosted by La Fondazione Giorgio Cini, on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore.
accurately noted that “Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go,” and the city never fails to overwhelm a visitor with its beauty. Professor Colletta’s talk focused on the various ways the city of Venice has been represented in literature, focusing on In literature Venice has represented how Powell used it as the setting for his everything from Republican progress penultimate novel, Temporary Kings, in to decaying tomb. Truman Capote most the series Dance to the Music of Time.
19
Professor Kristen Palana Wins Best Animated Short At Cannes Short Film Festival
P
rofessor Kristen Palana, Director of the Film and Digital Media program, just won Best Animated Short at the Cannes Short Film Festival. AUR: A lot of your recent work has been based on your experiences with relationships: relationships our society has with food (Veggie Propaganda), relationships in marriage (Larry and Roz), and the relationship between a son and his mother (This Too Shall Pass). How do you go through the process of turning your experience into art? When do you have the aha! moment that any given experience is something from which you can create art? KP: I tend to have several projects going on at the same time that I switch around between over long periods. For me it’s even more complicated because I switch from film and animation to web and interactive design, to graphic design, illustration, and fine art. It’s hard to explain in words exactly how I know when to take an experience and turn it into art or design. It’s more of a feeling and an intuition that what I have to say will possibly resonate with other people who might be experiencing something similar or that it might be a way to educate others about an experience they never had. I know I’m on the right intuitive track with a project when I feel as if I’m being overcome with a fever to work on the project and get it out there. This is why I tell my students if they lose track of time when working on their own projects that this is a great thing. It means they are “in the zone.”
20
AUR: This Too Shall Pass was created when your sons were much younger than they are now. Is this because you need some time to distance yourself from your experience in order to reflect? Does something stop you from being able to draw out the artistic creativity when you are actually in the midst of the experience you eventually turn into art? KP: It’s true that I do like to reflect on experiences before turning them into a project, but actually the main reason so much time passes from when I start and complete an animation is because I am stubborn and insist on creating a fine-art, painterly sort of traditional 2D animation that requires much more time than other animation styles. Essentially every image you see is a miniature digital painting. For me it helps me stay true to my fine art painting roots and I feel it has a less computer-generated feel that is a bit warmer and more personal. I’m also stubborn about working independently as opposed to with a large team which is much more typical with animation. I just like wearing all the hats but it also means more work for me in exchange for full creative control. AUR: You say in the beginning of the film that you created this video as evidence that your eldest son, Lukas, once thought you were wonderful, amazing, beautiful, the world. This is a line that sums up the feelings that many people confront when dealing with changes in relationships over long periods of time. How did you articulate this? Where did this come from?
KP: This comes from the fact that I found myself (then and now) becoming this cultlike, goddess figure called “Mamma” to my young Roman sons. It’s a strange and wonderful feeling to be so high on this pedestal, but it also feels sometimes to be lopsided and undeserved because it’s hard to live up to such an ideal. Italy is also world famous for this over-the-top mother/son dynamic and every now and then I mourn the eventual day when I will be replaced with other interests, best friends, girlfriends, partners/ wives, etc. Yes, of course it is natural and normal for the mother/son or mother/child relationship to change over time. This Too Shall Pass is all about how time passes, both too slowly and also too quickly. In the end I wanted to make an animated document of sorts to record a very specific time in my life, to remember the good as well as the bad times. AUR: What are you working on right now? Or rather, what are you experiencing now that you may work on in the future? KP: I finished This Too Shall Pass just over two months ago and I immediately declared out loud for everyone to hear that I wouldn’t make another animation again for “a long time,” simply because my animation process is such a slow one. That said, I already starting thinking that I’d like to create an animation that helps educate
people and create empathy for foreigners and refugees all over the world. I’ve been living in Rome now for over eight years and I thought I understood foreigners and the immigrant experience well before moving here, but actually BEING a foreigner (in a non-English-speaking country) has opened my eyes to just how much of a challenge it can be. Just one example would be my experience trying to set up a bank account my first week here, thinking that would be a challenge in and of itself, and then not being able to get in the door of the bank for a good ten minutes because it was a completely different system than what I was used to. Needless to say, the tone of the animation will be comedic. I’m also very much into social activism and all the groups who are currently trying to make education accessible to underrepresented communities in the developed world and to the extreme poor in the developing world. I’d like to work with the Ashoka Foundation as they try to make empathy an actual 21st century skill taught to children of Elementary School age so I may begin creating multimedia projects based around this idea. Current projects also include my usual work with the grassroots online website www.aurashouse.com and experiments with using online teaching methods as a supplement for my offline university students and classes.
Prof. Palana On Animation and Comics
life events as well as specifically presented two works in progress that deal with birth and parenting in a foreign country.
Prof. Kristen Palana presented a talk on April 24, 2014 in Stuttgart, Germany entitled, “Mother of Dragons: Using Animation and Comics as Tools to Document the Multiple Realities of Early Parenthood.” She discussed how animation and comics can be used as tools to document real
Prof. Palana is currently writing and illustrating a chapter in a graphic anthology entitled A Broad Abroad: Women Traveling Alone. This forthcoming book is a collection of stories about women at all stages of life, and for all reasons, traveling on their own. 21
News & Events
Honorary Alumna Mary Beard Comes Back to AUR
O
22
n October 16th, AUR’s honorary alumna Dr. Mary Beard returned to Rome for a special lecture on her book Laughter in Ancient Rome: On Joking, Tickling, and Cracking Up. The night provided its audience with a hilariously delivered presentation introducing the principal question at hand: what made the Romans laugh?
Roman humor had to do with questions of identity and the separation of dreams from reality. By reviving the ancient comedian Cicero, Beard constructed a rich portrait of Roman thought. Not only did she enlighten the audience with her ancient humorous jokes but also her extensive knowledge on the ancient Roman culture.
Using the Roman joke book, The Laughter Lover, Beard hypothesized that similar to contemporary societies, the recurring themes of Roman jokes were ethnic based jokes and misogynistic jabs. A large part of
Dr. Mary Beard brought in a full house, of students, staff and members of the community. We were touched and truly honored to have our honorary alumna back on campus and hope to see her again soon.
Mary Beard with alumnus Michael Botula (Communication. 2004)
23
Aurelio De Laurentiis on The True Profession of the Content Producer A
stute businessman, creator of FILMAURO, producer of blockbusters and masterpieces such as Hannibal and the Oscarwinning Crash, and owner of SS Napoli, Aurelio De Laurentiis, spoke to an eager crowd of Film & Digital Media students and members of the extended AUR community on November 11th, 2014. True to form, Aurelio’s lecture, “The True Profession of the Content Producer”, was part anecdotal stories about growing up in a film-producing family (like the missed chance to buy the rights to a little known book about a serial-killing shark to Steven Spielberg – Jaws!), and part analysis of how much the production industry has evolved and where the future of cinema is heading. Much like the move from theater to film, there is currently a gravitational shift away from film to TV production. We currently live in a culture and society that wants to know the characteristics and life experiences of a character’s background which influence his actions and personality.
24
More and more, we look for personal connections with our characters, something that can’t happen in a 2-hour film. Series like True Detective and Vikings give the viewer the chance to understand the background story, the supporting characters, and the main characters. The film industry is responding to this, and so is the money. De Laurentiis predicts another ten years of mega powerhouse funding for feature films, and then the focus of production will lay in TV series. “But a great producer doesn’t do it for the money,” he says, “but for the love of cinema. And if you love what you do, you will always be the protagonist”. His true passion for cinema threads seamlessly through every aspect of his career and he calls himself a “survivor”, diversifying his portfolio with all the changes made over the decades. Perhaps it’s his feeling of surviving the industry’s tough twists and turns that created a common bond of solidarity with the students and prompted him to offer an opportunity for hands-on learning with the legendary producer himself on set this summer. That’s right; three top Film & Digital Media students will have the unprecedented opportunity to participate in the inside workings of a content producer on set for three months!
25
AUR Hosts Young Leaders Security Forum
O
n the 9th of October, The American University of Rome hosted Young Leaders Security Forum, organized in collaboration with the Pacific Forum Centre for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) and sponsored by the Worldwide Support for Development (WSD). A group of twenty young leaders from around the world traveled to Rome to take part in the conference addressing issues of EU peace and security together with senior international relations and defense experts. The event was held at the stunning Trajan Markets Museum, overlooking the Roman Forum. AUR’s International Relations & Global Politics Program Director, Dr. Irene Caratelli, coordinated the conference and pulled together a panel of eminent speakers from academia, think-tanks, journalists, diplomats, and companies dealing with security. AUR’s IRGP students at AUR also attended the Forum, joining the young leaders in the discussion and participating in the events surrounding the conference.
26
The conference was divided into 4 panels: Trans-Atlantic Security Alliance, The EU and Security Challenges in the Mediterranean, EU Defense, and EU Neighborhood Policy. AUR students that took part in the event saw it as a great source of hands-on learning and networking in their field and have been offered the possibility of joining future forum events as young leaders themselves. “I found the forum extremely interesting as the speakers were experts and also diversified, which is, I think, one of the strongest aspect of this forum: to unite, around a table, students, teachers, academics, journalists, military personnel and so on. Moreover, they were able to share their point of view with an objective insight. I mean by this that despite their agenda, they could explain to us facts without taking part for one side or the other. The discussions were very useful, as I have papers to write on the European Union and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.” – Jules, AUR participant from France
Code-Breaking at the Archivio di Stato in Florence I talian Studies major Kristen Hook has successfully cracked a code used in three 1522 epistles written by Lady Maria della Rovere to her teenage son, Sigismondo da Varano, warning him of plots against his life. Though signed by Lady Maria, all three letters were actually written by the della Rovere family’s “most faithful servant,” neo-Latin poet and diplomat, Francesco Sperulo, who served the family diligently in various legal, political, and private matters throughout the 1520s [the subject of Professor Gwynne’s new book: Patterns of Patronage in Renaissance Rome: Francesco Sperulo, Poet, Prelate, Soldier, Spy, 2 vols (Peter Lang; Oxford, 2014)].
osyncrasies, a familiarity acquired through several months spent translating and analyzing a large body of Sperulo’s letters. Also helpful was her contextual knowledge of the figures and events referenced in these missives, drawn in part from letters written by other, contemporary “characters” that appear within the poet’s narrative. The translation of these now decoded letters is an exciting progression in this project, as it has shed light on events leading up to the death of Sigismondo, who was assassinated on the order of his uncle, Giovanni Maria I da Varano, two months after these letters were written in July 1522.
Kristen was able to re-construct this alphanumeric cypher largely due to her familiarity with Sperulo’s linguistic and graphic idi-
Jan Turek’s Recent Discoveries in Abusir, Egypt
A
UR was proud to have had guest speaker Jan Turek from the Czech Institute of Egyptology in Abusir present on their recent discoveries. Turek explained the hardships they have been facing during their excavation in Egypt. He also displayed through photos the effect that conflict and war in Egypt has had on its historical sites.
people. It was spectacular and emotional to see how much honor the ancient Egyptians had for their ancestors and the deceased. They designed grand, complex burials and tombs with false doors and shafts in order to protect the deceased from being disturbed in the afterlife. They painted elaborate features and displays on the wall, and honored them with great gifts glorifying them and their life. This site is a perfect example of the respect that people had for the afterlife, and demonstrates its importance in ancient Egyptian culture.
Nevertheless, Jan Turek and the Czech Institute of Egyptology have made several astonishing discoveries in Abusir, including an unopened tomb. It was overwhelming to see the amount of antiquities that have remained buried in Abusir for thousands of years. One particularly astonishing object was an uncompleted false door. The false door is a rare find because the three different stages of the door’s design were visible. This showed the process and time that the ancient Egyptians put into designing the resting place of their 27
Religion and Realism Conference
Culture and Christianity. The conference took place at the Auriana Auditorium on November 28th, 2014.
T
The Religion and Realism Conference brought together scholars from different universities who presented their papers on various subjects related to aspects of Religion and Realism. Specific debates revolved around ancient traditions of religion and how they relate to the present social, political and cultural context.
he American University of Rome and the Religious Studies Program were delighted to host an international conference on Religion and Realism, organized by The American University of Rome, in cooperation with the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade, and The Institute for the Study of
Stephen LeDrew, Slawomir Sztajer, Leonardo De Chirico, Marco Conti, Dannis
AUR Students Visit the Liberi Nantes FC, the First Football Team for Refugees in Italy
O
n Tuesday, November 11, a group of AUR students studying Sport and Society visited the Liberi Nantes FC, the first football club for refugees in Italy, based in Pietralata, a popular district in Rome.The students met the President and the Head of Football Activities of the Liberi Nantes Sport Association (ASD) and were able to watch a training session. The Liberi Nantes ASD is an association that aims to provide free access to sport. Their mission since 2007 is to promote and guarantee the access to sport and play to migrants who find themselves away from home seeking asylum and humanitarian protection. Because of the turbulent nature of current migratory flows, the composition of the team is very flexible: players come
28
from sub-Saharan Africa, Iran, Afghanistan and even Tibet. The volunteers collect second hand cleats, boots and trainers to give to each player for the training sessions. The team is allowed to play in the third division regional championship. They are the only one in Italy to be granted this special permission by the FIGC as long as the team does not gain official points (all their games are considered friendly). Their mascot is a sea-turtle called Dudù, an acronym for “Dichiarazione Universale Diritti Umani” (Universal Declaration of Human Rights). Their uniforms are blue and have the UNHCR logo, a symbol of peace, a reassuring message for all players, and a reminder to all of us that access to sport and the freedom to play are basic human rights. N.B.: Contact Prof. Conti if you would like to donate your old trainers, cleats or other sport equipment. (francescaconti.uk@ gmail.com)
Advertising at Alitalia On Tuesday November 18th, 2014, the AUR Business Administration Program welcomed a distinguished speaker for the business lecture series. The talk entitled Advertising at Alitalia: “The Milan to New York Campaign”. The room was buzzing with a wide range of business students while they waited to hear from Francesca Forte, Alitalia’s International Communications Manager who has more than fifteen years of experience with the company.
campaign peaked the interest of the audience, so much so that she had to pause her presentation to answer the numerous hands that were raised.
The focus of the talk was on the specific campaign for the company’s direct flight between Milan and New York. When a competitor reached this market and became a threat, Alitalia knew that something must be done. The campaign consisted of focusing on commercializing actions, an advertising campaign, and frequent flyer promotions while working on the angle of having a strong customer base. Ms. Forte’s detailed overview of the
“A New Spin on Fibre Revolution: Plants, Textiles and Technology in the Ancient Mediterranean”
O
n Wednesday, November 12th, The American University of Rome was honored to host Dr. Margarita Gleba from the University of Cambridge as she spoke about textiles. Dr. Gleba gave an extremely thorough and informative lecture on not only the importance of textiles in society, but how they are manufactured and maintained.
Dr. Gleba astonished us all as she spoke about the important function of textiles in society. People often associate textiles with clothing and carpeting, but textiles are used by everyone, everyday, in many ways. We use textiles for warmth, for protection from the environment, for decoration, for transportation (on water and by air), as containers to carry things, to build our dwellings, as money, as tributes, as sacred objects, for military and political identification. Textiles are a necessity. Dr. Gleba also informed us on how textiles are best preserved, how to analyze fibers found at ancient sites through both chemical and physical tests, and the types of fibers used to make textiles. 29
Student Activities
Meet AUR’s First MA Students Lauren Coughlin My name is Lauren Coughlin and I am from Baltimore Maryland. I am working on my Master’s degree at AUR studying Sustainable Cultural Heritage. I found out about the Master's Program through the AUR website last April. The most exciting thing about studying in Rome is being surrounded by my subject of study. I look forward to continuing my education in Rome in order to eventually create change in the world of cultural heritage. In order for humanity to move forward, we need a vision of our past. That vision, ever changing, is the fuel to the fires of Heritage. 30
Rich Moore My name is Rich Moore and I’m from the Washington DC area. I was searching for PhD programs in Rome and found this new program at AUR. I am looking forward to studying and mastering how to create, implement, and sustain a Cultural Heritage program in a variety of markets that are of international interest.
Jessica Edwards My name is Jessica Edwards. The question of where I am from is always a little tricky for me to answer. Most of my childhood was spent in the Far East, Asia and Africa, where we lived in 25 countries for varying amounts of time. We then returned to London which remained my base until I moved to Italy where I have lived longer than anywhere else. I found out about the Master’s Program through the internet. I was searching for appropriate educational opportunities in Rome. Having lived in Rome for many years now, my relationship with the city has been through various evolutions. I am now looking forward to rediscovering it again, through the new approaches offered on this program.
Blake Cantrell My name is Blake Cantrell and I am from Black Diamond, Washington State. I’m studying Sustainable Cultural Heritage. I found out about the Master's Program through a Google search of graduate schools in Rome. I'm most looking forward to studying Sustainable Cultural Heritage in Rome because of the city's incredible breadth of history and culture. The city is a perfect place to study as the long-term sustainability of Rome's monuments is a problem that currently needs addressing. 31
AUR at Trajan’s Markets
A
UR students have been enlisted to take part in a “Visitor Services Assistant” program serving an exhibition commemorating the 2000th anniversary of the death of Emperor Augustus at Trajan’s Markets. The exhibition, mounted by the Comune di Rome and the Centro Nazionale di Ricerca, is entitled “Keys to Rome, City of Augustus.” It is a unique event, simultanously being held in the cities of Alexandria, Amsterdam, Sarajevo and Rome. The four cities, symbolizing the “four corners” of the Roman world, were chosen for their importance in Roman culture during the time of Augustus. About 30 students and Professors Kathleen Fitzsimmons and Bob Sonnabend, along with AUR staff member Francesca Selvetti, have participated in a series of trainings led by staff of the Centro Nazionale di Ricerca, the designers of the state-of-the-art technology that characterizes the exhibit. Participating students are responsible for greeting visitors and explaining the technology involved in illustrating the Augustus exhibit. They are placed both at the entrance and at various points through the exhibition, and wear badges that indicate which languages they speak and their association with AUR. Among the languages represented by this group of AUR students, in addition to English and Italian, are Arabic, Portughese, French, Spanish, Indonesian, Xhosa and Amharic.
32
33
Yoga Club
“The Yoga Club met up Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:50 on the terrace to practice a vinyasa flow style of yoga. This means we cycled through poses more quickly than a non vinyasa style class. We focused on a combination of flexibility, strength, and balance. At the end of class we took about 10 minutes to meditate and reflect on our time in Rome.” Becca Davis, Study Abroad
Volunteer Club
A group of students and Student Life Coordinator Kathy Bemis came together this semester to create the AUR Volunteers Club. As their first project, they teamed up with Prof. Palana’s project Aura’s House to raise funds to ensure the continued university education of Anna Marie Arroyo of the Philippines. The Volunteer Club hosted a bake sale in October raising $415 for the cause. Aura’s House has nearlyreached its goal as a result. Future projects include involvement with Retake Roma, Susan G. Komen Italia, and Spazio Asperger.
Student Clubs Tennis Club
The idea of initiating a tennis club at AUR came from freshman student Vittorio Smoot Palchetti. Vittorio had seen that there wasn’t a tennis club at AUR so his passion for tennis drove him to start AUR’s first Tennis Club. The club meets weekly at the ASD Pamphili Tennis Club in Piazza San Pancrazio, only minutes away from AUR.
BizClub
The BizClub had a very busy and productive semester filled with sales, new ideas, a field trip to the San Marino Wine festival, and the Annual Etiquette Seminar and Thanksgiving Dinner Party.
34
“Transcendence” Student Art Exhibition On Thursday, Novemeber 27th the Fine Arts Department presented its biannual exhibition of student works. Students from all art courses displayed their best pieces from the semester. An impressive showcase of student talent, “Transcendence” was a success, attracting everyone from the AUR community to admire the collection.
35
T
Student Life Activities
hroughout this semester, the Student Life Office hosted a number of activities that focused on developing students’ multicultural awareness. The Student Life Office organizes field trips each semester to places such as Assisi, Pisa, Florence, Sorrento, Capri, and Pompeii. Each trip introduces students to the history, culture, and cuisine of each city. Who wouldn’t want to climb to the top of Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed Pompeii? During arrivals week, the ResGrads took students around the neighborhoods of Monteverde and Trastevere. The walk gave students the chance to explore the historic
36
city center and learn about its rich history. ResGrads planned activities such as cooking lessons, aperitivi, day trips to neighboring towns, soccer games, beach days, and language exchanges. The cooking lessons were a huge success as Emmett Cassidy, one of the ResGrads, taught students the secrets of Italian cuisine. Students learned how to make food from scratch and how cheap it is to eat well in Italy. Held every Monday evening, the language exchange is a direct and easy way to learn and/or improve one’s Italian. All Student Life events offer the opportunity to meet other students and mingle with Italians.
Community Announcements Anna’s Wedding AUR’s Wolftracks Editor and Alumni & Development Assistant, Anna Schorch, married Giuseppe Borrelli this fall at Basilica di Santa Sabina. Congratulations!
Evelin’s New Baby Evelin Di Girolamo, AUR’s Administrative Assistant to the Provost’s Office, and husband Paolo welcomed baby Matteo this summer. Welcome Matteo!
Buona Fortuna Alexa
Upon graduating, I was hired as AUR’s Social Media Assistant... Words cannot accurately express how blessed I feel to have worked and grown in such an environment, with bosses and co-workers that were nothing but supportive and encouraging. But after a few months as an employee in Rome, I started to feel the urge to see what Master’s programs I could consider in Italy for 2015. Almost immediately I got a call from the Accademia del Lusso in Milan for their one year program in Luxury Goods Communication Management, a subject that I have always been interested in. After a few meetings in the beginning of October I was accepted to the program of only twelve people, with an amazing scholarship opportunity. Even though I was scared to take the plunge into an entirely new life in Milan, everything seemed to fall into place.
The program has been amazing so far, with most of our instruction from professionals “It feels so strange for me to be giving working in the fashion industry here in Milan. WolfTracks an update, considering that Immediately, it was apparent how well preI spent the past year hassling people to send them for my editions of the newslet- pared I was for this master’s thanks to my education at AUR, especially after Professor ter! Sonnabend’s courses. Those classes taught me what is expected in a working environSince graduating in May, my life has been a bit of a whirlwind. I was lucky enough to ment and how to impress a client. What I love about the program is the fact that have been the President’s Office Student we get to work with actual designers and Assistant my senior year, which gave me invaluable experience working within an in- brands, the most recent being Agatha Ruiz ternational institution and skills that would de la Prada. My goal is to get an internship, or better yet a job, here when I finish my have taken me years in the ‘real world’ to studies in July.” learn. 37
Hunger Run - 2014 Nourishing Bodies, Nourishing Minds
A
UR Center for Food Studies, organized AUR’s participation in the Hunger Run 2014, sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP), Bioversity International with the technical partner Gruppo Sportivo Bancari Romani. The Hunger Run consisted of a 10K competitive race and 5K walk/run.
38
AUR students, faculty and staff took an inspiring 5k walk/run in the historic streets around Circus Maximus, Piazza Venezia, Imperial Fora, Colosseum and the Baths of Caracalla on a beautiful warm day, under a clear blue sky amongst large crowds of students from other schools, families, children and dogs wagging their tails happily.
Proceeds of Shakespearean Performance Go to The James Walston Scholarship Fund
O
n the evening of the 24th of October The Voice Professionals Italy (VPI) presented Shakespeare: Sonnets of Love – An Evening of Readings and Song, a performance in memoriam of Professor James Walston. Special thanks go to VPI, Michael Fitzpatrick, Rory Stuart, Shelagh Gallivan, John Michael, and Edwin A. Francis for the organization and performance of the event. We look forward to holding a similar event in the spring. Proceeds from the event went to The James Walston Scholarship Fund. The scholarship supports AUR degree-seeking students enrolled in the International Relations & Global Politics program by helping fund field trips to study international organizations in major EU cities and to gain firsthand experience in areas of conflict, separatism, nationalism or development. These field trips have taken students to Brussels, Geneva, Vienna, Kosovo, Basque country, and Ghana. To donate to The James Walston Scholarship Fund, please visit: www.aur.edu/give/ james-walston-scholarship-fund/.
39
Upcoming Events San Francisco Alumni Reunion
FEBRUARY
8
Save the date for a joint alumni reunion between The American Overseas School of Rome (AOSR) and AUR in San Francisco, held at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero. We welcome back all alumni to enjoy a memorable evening amongst their peers and catch up with old friends from the AUR community. Time: 18.00 to 20.00
Open Day - Spring 2015 A chance for the local community, prospective students, and families to visit the AUR campus. All Day Event at the AUR Campus
APRIL
18
New York Alumni Reunion February
Save the date for a second joint alumni reunion between The American Overseas School of Rome (AOSR) and AUR in New York City.
23
Time & Location: TBD
Annual Rome Alumni Reunion Save the date for AUR’s 3rd Annual Rome Alumni Reunion, held on May 21st, 2015. We welcome all alumni back to Rome to catch up with old friends from the AUR community.
MAY
21
Time & Location: TBD The Summer Vocal Institute
JUNE
1 40
The American University of Rome is elated to announce that the highly celebrated Summer Vocal Institute will return for its second term in June 2015. The program will feature guest artists Mariella Devia, Éva Marton, and Francisco Araiza. For more information, please contact Timothy Martin: t.martin@aur.edu.
Stay Involved Creating a Global Network Whether a graduate or a past study abroad student, please keep in touch with the AUR community. Join the “AUR Alumni” Facebook group; network on the LinkedIn page, “The American University of Rome Alumni; and visit the alumni blog (www.aur.edu/ alumni) to read about your peers. Contribute to WolfTracks with your stories and updates. Write to us at alumni@aur.edu. And if you find yourself in Rome, please come visit!
Help AUR • Volunteer at University events • Assist in organizing an alumni reunion • Act as an ambassador to the university
Donate Credit Card Visit link: www.aur.edu/give/ Checks - Dollars Payable to: The American University of Rome U.S. Postal Service deliveries: The American University of Rome c/o Bank of America - Lockbox Services P.O. Box 841229 Dallas, TX 75207 - 1229
Express Mail (UPS, FedEX, DHL):
The American University of Rome c/o Bank of America - Lockbox Services Lockbox 841229 1950 N. Stemmons Freeway, Ste. 5010 Dallas, TX 75207
Checks - Euro: Payable to: The American University of Rome
The American University of Rome Via P. Roselli, 4 00153 Rome, Italy
Wire Transfers: Account: The American University of Rome Bank: Banca Poplare di Sondrio Branch: 21 Rome Address: Via Famiano Nardini 25 Rome, Italy Account Number: 000003010X51 IBAN: IT48 C056 9603 2210 0000 3010 X51 Swift /BIC: POSOIT22
Photograph by: Gabrielle Arduini
41
WolfTracks
Via Pietro Roselli, 4 00153 Rome, Italy Tel.: +39 06 5833 0919 Email: alumni@aur.edu www.aur.edu