From Rome to D.C. to New York City, Gonzaga president Katia Passerini lands in Spokane with high hopes for school’s future amid higher ed challenges
Standing in a huddle of students at a recent orientation event, Gonzaga University’s next president anticipated the arrival of her Kawasaki Z400 from New York. Katia Passerini is already planning a trip up Mount Spokane on her motorcycle this summer. In a few months, she’ll bring up her skis. “Is it true they open up the slopes at night?” Passerini...
Dr. Katia Passerini Begins Role as Gonzaga University’s 27th President
A new chapter opened in the storied history of Gonzaga University today as Dr. Katia Passerini took the helm as the Jesuit institution’s 27th president. She is the second layperson to serve in the role, succeeding Dr. Thayne McCulloh. President Passerini was selected to lead Gonzaga following a national search and unanimous selection by the Gonzaga...
WSU's Wine Science Center: At the Centre of Innovation and Education
Wine is big business in Washington state, the second-largest wine producing state in the nation, with an economic impact of more than $10 billion. But how do you keep an industry vibrant, growing and influential decade after decade when challenges such as drought, pest management and wildfires are becoming more disruptive? The answers might lie wit...
Medford (OR) students visit sister city Alba, Italy
Local students from North and South Medford High Schools are saying ciao to Medford’s Italian sister city, Alba, through a cultural exchange program in their tour across Italy. The students have visited Rome, Turin, and of course, Alba, where student Will Brock stopped to sing at a cathedral. The Medford Alba City Sister Exchange Association says t...
Savoring la dolce vita at the University of Arizona’s Italian club
On a late rainy Wednesday afternoon in the University of Arizona’s Integrated Learning Center, a group of 35 students savors some loaves of home-baked olive and tomato focaccia at the sound of soft music and frolicsome chatter. There are also cups of Italian-style cioccolata calda. With food being Italy’s main wealth and best-known symbol abr...
Gonzaga University Names Dr. Katia Passerini as its Next President
D. Michael Reilly, Chair of the Gonzaga University Board of Trustees, today announced the selection of Katia Passerini, Ph.D., as the University’s next president, effective July 15, 2025. She will succeed Thayne M. McCulloh, D.Phil., who will step down in July 2025 after serving as Gonzaga’s president for the past 16 years. “After a seven-month nat...
New scholarship program launched in memory of Maui professor Victor Pellegrino
A new scholarship program has been established for Maui County students interested in pursuing a career in education and with a strong commitment to environmental and social justice. The Victor C. Pellegrino Memorial Scholarship offers $1,000 awards to college undergraduate or graduate students. Applications open Feb. 1., and the deadline is March...
Collaboration, Not Competition
As a former collegiate gymnast, Elaina Greco knows a thing or two about competition. But as a junior in the finance program at the BYU Marriott School of Business, Greco has learned that succeeding in the face of opposition stems not just from willpower or talent—true progress is often the result of mutual support and shared growth. Greco fueled an...
‘Mesmerized and amazed’: Utah Tech dance students immerse selves in Italian art, traditions
Communicating with a language barrier can be hard, but when these students traveled to Italy, they found a common ground that transcends spoken word: the art of dance. “Whether the teacher could speak English or not, through dance, we were able to communicate and share the love of dance with each other,” Utah Tech University dance Adviser Jenny Mai...
ASU names Graham Rossini as new Athletic Director
Graham Rossini is the new athletic director for Arizona State University. Rossini worked for the Arizona Diamondbacks for 13 years, ten of those as the vice president of special projects and fan experience. He later spent a year with Lincoln City FC in England, before returning to ASU. Rossini replaces Ray Anderson, who resigned in November as the...
The Italian saint who inspired two Spokane educational institutions
Gonzaga University and Gonzaga Preparatory School are both named after Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, S.J., whose feast day is celebrated by Catholics on June 21. Aloysius Gonzaga was an Italian noble who is recognized as the patron saint of youth. He served people dying of the plague during the height of the Black Death and eventually succumbed to the il...
UW launches food and culture study-abroad program in Perugia
The Umbrian city of Perugia is a joy to explore, with centuries of history and charm in every stone wall and winding alleyway. Who wouldn’t want to spend June and July exploring this vibrant Umbrian capital? On June 15 of this year, 12 University of Washington students will do just that, as they inaugurate a new study-abroad program in Perugia focu...