The purpose of the Award is to recognize and further encourage the achievements and contributions of the members of the AATI for distinguished teaching and or published research in the fields of Italian language, literature, and civilization. The Award, consisting of a plaque, is presented, under the auspices of the AATI Selection Committee at the Association’s annual convention. The Award, initially presented every two years, is currently awarded yearly.
The AATI Distinguished Service Award Committee had been accepting nominations and has recently completed the selection process. The Executive Council of the AATI would like to thank all those who participated in the process, particularly the Distinguished Service Award Committee for its hard work and dedication to preserving the honor of this most outstanding award.
This year the AATI honors Barbara Borghi for the K-12 Award and Irene Marchegiani for the College/University Award. The Executive Council who like to thank both Barbara and Irene for their dedication and service to the AATI and to the preservation, advancement, and promotion of the Italian Language and Culture.
Please find below two excerpts from the winner’s dossiers.
Barbara Borghi for the K-12 Award
Barbara Borghi of Pascack Valley High School, we learn in one of the letters of support, “truly brings the study of Italian language and culture to life, real life. Her enthusiasm, professionalism, and commitment to her students have had an ever-lasting effect on the students and families with whom she has so diligently worked… [She] came to me with the idea of expanding her Italian classroom beyond the walls of Pascack Valley and the US. She wanted to find a sister school in Italy with whom we could collaborate and learn along side. So the journey began. Today, we have one of the most unique programs in New Jersey. Every Friday morning her students come to school at 7 am to attend class with Liceo Scientifico Leonardo da Vinci, a magnet school in Treviso, Italy. … [They] are not only learning a language, but also utilizing Google docs and other technological resources where they are being completely immersed in one another’s culture.”
Irene Marchegiani for the College/University Award
Irene Marchegiani of Stony Brook University is described as a colleague who for over thirty years “has demonstrated outstanding achievement in all aspects of our profession – research, teaching, and service – and her work has had a profound impact in the Italian Studies and foreign language pedagogical communities in North America and beyond….She has conducted an exemplary career as both 18th century and contemporary literature scholar and as expert pedagogue for Italian language and culture. Moreover, Professor Marchegiani’s ongoing commitment to the teaching and learning of Italian (through materials writing, teacher licensure programs and professional development workshops, and AP Italian Language and Culture, for example) spans from coast to coast and bridges the high school and college levels too.”