A 2001 Mountain Home High School alumnus was recently awarded a Fulbright Foundation for Southern Italy Award, an honor often given to senior faculty members. The 33-year-old visiting assistant professor of Italian at the University of Arkansas, Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, said he went into Italian studies because he has "always been fascinated with language."

"I would say that culturally I was raised rather Italian, and that was my initial introduction to the culture," he said. Calabretta-Sajder is also an author and is working on his second book. He was invited to teach and do research at the University of Calabria, Arcavacata, Italy. The application, edited by his mentor Mark Bernheim of Miami University in Ohio, was due in August — the first round of vetting closed in November.

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Source: http://www.baxterbulletin.com/