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Major Representatives

The major representatives, commonly called major reps, are chosen each year by the Chair of the Transnational Italian Studies Department. These students officially represent the majors to the department faculty and other students. They are available to talk with students informally about the Italian major and to serve as a resource for declared majors as they complete work in the major. Representatives may bring issues to the department on behalf of majors. They also help organize department events. On the occasion of a search for a faculty member or the case of a reappointment, tenure, or promotion of a faculty member of the department, the major representatives assist the department and the College in soliciting and evaluating student views about the candidates or the case.

• 2024-25 ITAL Major Representatives 

  • Eleanor Taylor '25
  • Lilian Belzer '25

See at this link l'archivio storico 2013-2022 dell'Italian Club (by the Italianiste di Bryn Mawr) to discover the recent history of Italian Studies at Bryn Mawr College.

Study Abroad in Italy

Study Abroad in Italy

The Department of Transnational Italian Studies at Bryn Mawr College has formal exchange agreements with many selected institutions in Italy. Students typically spend 1 or 2 semesters abroad during their junior year, taking credits that are then transferred to their major and minor curriculum. These programs are overseen and administered by the Study Abroad Office, which provides assistance to Bryn Mawr undergraduates seeking to study abroad at an Exchange Partner Institution. The list of destinations and programs in Italy can be found at this link:

Study Abroad: Europe

Departmental Prizes and Awards

• Elinor Nahm Prize in Elementary Italian: it is awarded by the Department for excellence in the study of Italian at the elementary level.
• Elinor Nahm Prize in Intermediate Italian: it is awarded by the Department for excellence in the study of Italian at the intermediate level.
• Elinor Nahm Prize in Italian Language & Literature: it is awarded by the Department for excellence in the study of Italian at the advanced level.
• Gamma Kappa Alpha National Italian Honor Society: the induction in this society is proposed and sponsored by the Department for high academic merit and distinction in the study of Italian (see the section here below).

Bryn Mawr Prizes and Awards

The Department can nominate and recommend students for the following college-wide competitive undergraduate awards in the fields of Languages and Literatures:

• Hester Ann Corner Prize For Best Thesis Written In a Foreign Language
• Laurie Ann Levin Prize for Best Thesis in Comparative Literature
• Barbara Riley Levin Prize for Best Thesis in Comparative Literature
• Richmond Lattimore Prize for Poetic Translation
• Hester Ann Corner Prize for Distinction in Literature
• Thomas Raeburn White Scholarship in Foreign Language Study
• Judy Loomis Gould Scholarship for Summer Study Abroad
• Elizabeth S. Shippen Scholarship in Foreign Language
• Charles S. Hinchman Memorial Scholarship
• Hanna Holborn Gray Undergraduate Research Fellowship
• Charles S. Hinchman Memorial Scholarship

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

The Annual Convention of NeMLA (The Northeast Modern Language Association) annually features a separate Undergraduate Research Forum in the form of poster presentations. Students are invited to give 3- to 5-minute presentations on their research followed by a networking event. This is an opportunity for aspiring scholars to discuss their research with peers, graduate students and faculty, and to be awarded prizes by NeMLA's various constituencies. Students can receive mentorship on writing and structuring their presentations. Students should present clear and innovative arguments that put their unique insights in conversation with existing scholarship (secondary sources). For more information about the deadlines and how to submit poster proposals, please consult this website.

• The AATI – American Association of Teachers of Italian annually awards two outstanding undergraduate college students for an outstanding essay in Italian language, culture, literature, and cinema. Each award carries a cash prize of $500 and an official announcement is made at the annual AATI-ACTFL conference.

  • For more information about previous winning essays, and future updates and deadlines, please visit this website.

• The Journal "Riflesso: Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Journal of Italian Studies" is a space to showcase undergraduate research and foster critical dialogue on the multifaceted nature of Italian culture loosely defined. The journal invites submissions from undergraduate students (or recent graduates) globally in the forms of original research essays, creative pieces, or translations. Research articles can be written in English and Italian and should be between 2,000 and 5,000 words in length, including footnotes and bibliography. Creative pieces, such as poetry, short stories, personal essays, or other written works must be a maximum of 1,000 words. Submissions will undergo a rigorous and blind peer-review process and will be published only upon approval by the reviewers and editorial board. All disciplines will be considered, including but not limited to: literature and languages, linguistics, cinema studies, migration and diaspora studies, history, art history, philosophy, religious studies, gender and sexuality studies, political science, and medical and environmental humanities. Accepted submissions will be published in the journal through an open-access platform hosted permanently by University of Toronto Libraries.

  • For more information and to submit, please consult this website, email riflessojournal@gmail.com, and see their Instagram page (@riflesso_journal).

Gamma Kappa Alpha National Italian Honor Society

Gamma Kappa Alpha, the Italian Honor Society, is an organization that acknowledges superior scholastic performance in the field of Italian language, literature, and culture. Its Greek initials signify "Knowledge And Virtue" and it recognizes outstanding achievements in the field of Italian language and culture by inducting deserving students as lifelong members. Our Department serves in the society as a National Chapter and Advisor, and each spring it sponsors students with high academic merit and distinction in the study of Italian by covering the application fee that secures lifelong membership. Each spring we also organize an induction ceremony, during which new members swear the oath and are presented with a certificate and an honors cord. For more information about the society, please visit its official website of the society at this link.

Departmental Courses and Resources

• Luca Zipoli presents "Philadelphia the Global City: the Italian Legacy across Time"
• Italian past courses Spring 2021 (Giammei, Benetollo, Bozzato, Ricci)
• Italian past courses Fall 2020 (Giammei, Benetollo, Bozzato, Ricci)
• What is Comparative Literature?
• Teach Yourself Italian, by American Pulitzer prize Jhumpa Lahiri