27 October 2004
Dr Annamaria Pagliaro, a specialist in Italian studies, has been appointed the new academic director of the Monash University Prato Centre.
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New academic director of the Prato Centre, Dr Annamaria Pagliaro.
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She commences her appointment on 1 January 2005, taking over from the centre's founding director, Professor Bill Kent, who steps down from the role at the end of October.
Dr Pagliaro, who is convenor of Italian studies in Monash's School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics at Clayton campus, has had a long association with the Prato centre.
"I have been a great supporter of the centre since its inception," she said. "I was a member of the first working party formed to study the feasibility of establishing the centre, and in recent years I have delivered courses there.
"I am very attracted to Monash's international approach, and I see the Prato centre -- and the presence it gives us in Italy and Europe -- as a very important aspect of that."
Dr Pagliaro and her colleague, Dr Carolyn James, have developed two courses in Italian studies, which run regularly at the centre.
"My new role will involve maintaining
the programs put in place by Professor Kent, as well as exploring new directions and making new links to expand the work being done by the centre," Dr Pagliaro said.
Born in Carrara in northern Tuscany, Dr Pagliaro moved to Australia with her family as a teenager.
"I have had frequent working trips to Italy since coming to Australia, so I am very comfortable with the prospect of living there again and working in an Italian context," she said.
"Professionally, it will also be very exciting to develop closer links with Italian academic institutions, as well as with UK, US and European universities that have contacts with Italy." | 
