Distinguished Service Award for College/University (2018): Frank Nuessel

Frank Nuessel

Dr. Frank Nuessel, Professor of Spanish, Italian and Linguistics and University Scholar of the University of Louisville, and former Vice-President (2010-2011), President (2012-2014), and current Past President (2015-2017) of the American Association of Teachers of Italian has been awarded the Distinguished Service Award for College and Universities for 2018.

Nuessel, a scholar in the fields of Semiotics; Linguistics applied to the study of literature; the Italian philosopher of language, Giambattista Vico; Neuropedagogy and the application of neurolinguistics to second language acquisition; Gerontology and geriatrics humanistic study of the process of aging; Ageism, prejudice and discrimination against older adults; Metaphor Research; Onomastics; Paremiology; has written 16 single-authored monographs plus two in progress, two co-edited/co-authored books, five single-edited volumes, and over 200 journal articles, book chapters, and book reviews; and the majority of his articles appear in high impact, top peer-reviewed journals. In addition to his scholarly work, he currently serves on numerous editorial boards in different positions.

In addition to his scholarly contributions, Nuessel has been an asset in establishing and stabilizing the Italian language and culture within the AP Examination framework. Nuessel worked hard with College Board to solidify the program as the first Chief AP Reader for the program. As Marcia Ardnt, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, AP World Languages and Cultures has noted:

“At each year’s Exam Reading, Frank provided strong and capable leadership, offering solid guidance, insights and direction to all Exam Leaders and Readers and made sure that each student’s exam was carefully, thoughtfully and correctly scored. Frank never forgot that behind each exam there was a student, and he took great care to make sure that each exam and each student received dignified consideration.  Following each year’s Exam Reading, Frank worked meticulously on the preparation of his Chief Reader reports for teachers…Frank has always impressed me as a serious academic who is passionate and knowledgeable about world language education and who is very willing to offer his time and talent in service.”

Thus, Nuessel not only served as a key leader for the AP Italian exam but also an ambassador for our cause, always with integrity and respect.

Following in Vico’s footsteps, I am reminded of one of his citations, “One truly understands only what one can create.”  Dr. Nuessel understands the importance of AATI and its mission, vision, and the place it holds in preserving, advancing, promoting the Italian language and culture in North America.