Tag Archives: NIAF

The National Italian American Foundation has elected its board of directors for the 2021-25 term. Robert Carlucci, former NIAF vice chair of development, will serve as the foundation’s chairman, succeeding Patricia de Stacy Harrison and the late Gabriel Battista, who served as co-chairs. Carlucci is the founder and CEO of RC Group, which operates Yum Brands Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut. He also co-founded Bay National Bank of Annapolis, Maryland. On the philanthropic front, he served on the board of the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts and established the Carlucci Entrepreneurship Forum at the American University …

A dedicated community leader and standout public relations professional with deep Chicago roots, Robert Allegrini has been tapped to helm one of the nation’s preeminent Italian-American organizations. Like many Italian-American offspring of the Greatest Generation, Robert Allegrini had to find his way back to his roots. His mother was born in Italy, as were both of his paternal grandparents. But Allegrini’s father was a decorated veteran of World War II and a patriotic American who downplayed his ethnicity both at home and in public. He went off script at a key point in his son’s life, though, and that made …

In recognition of Dr. Anthony S. Fauci’s life saving work, National Italian American Foundation has launched the Fauci Fellowships to award two $50,000 post-doctoral research grants to support research in infectious diseases and help establish the recipients’ independent careers. One grant will go to an Italian researcher working in Italy, and the other to an Italian-American researcher working in the United States. The funding will finance each researcher and his or her specific research program. Applicants must have completed all the requirements for a Ph.D. in medicine, biological sciences, pharmacy, chemistry, or other scientific disciplines. Preference will be given to …

I’m ceaselessly amazed by the ingenuity and tenacity we show in the face of adversity. A half year ago, the coronavirus had us against the ropes, sending us scurrying for shelter and forcing us to cancel every blessed event we were so blithely planning. Yet here we are today, with COVID-19 still bearing down on us, back in the middle of the ring bobbing and weaving as we find ways to celebrate community and culture while keeping the pandemic at bay. For the past 16 years, a cavalcade of authors and scores of enthusiasts have gathered in the Florentine Room …

  Applications are being sought for the Fulbright Fondazione Falcone-NIAF Scholarship in Criminology. Sponsored by Fondazione Giovanni e Francesca Falcone and the Fulbright Program in Italy in cooperation with the National Italian American Foundation, the scholarship will be awarded to a U.S. graduate student to study and conduct research in criminology and the rule of law at the Fondazione in Palermo, Italy. Students at the Bachelors, Master of Arts, Doctor of Philosophy and Juris Doctor levels, with special interest in criminology and related disciplines, including economics, sociology, education and anthropology, are invited to submit applications. Preference will be given to …

On behalf of Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Italy’s Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero bestowed the prestigious Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana upon Joseph V. Del Raso, chairman of the National Italian American Foundation and Frank Giordano, member of the Foundation’s board of directors. At the Ambassador’s residence, Del Raso received the Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica for fostering greater relationships and partnerships between Italy and the United States. Giordano received the Cavaliere Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana for his tireless work within Philadelphia’s Italian-American community and his leadership with the Italian language initiative in that city.

The National Italian American Foundation Board of Directors has voted to create a special one-time NIAF Emanuele and Emilia Inglese Memorial Grant of $100,000 to support the “Save the Saint” restoration project by the International Patrons of Duomo di Milano. The funds will go toward the restoration of the spire dedicated to St. Frances Cabrini, America’s first saint. The Cabrini spire is one of 135 available for restoration through the “Save the Saint” project. International Patrons of Duomo di Milano is a New York-based charitable organization established in 2014 to support the conservation, restoration and protection of the cathedral. www.duomopatrons.org. …