Recapping Spring 2022 -Buon’estate!

As we conclude the 2021-22 academic year, the Coccia Institute is reflecting on a year’s worth of exciting programming initiatives and launches, particularly within the Spring 2022 semester.

This semester, the Institute held its annual Italian Scholarships and Awards Ceremony for deserving student recipients as we resumed an in-person celebration for the first time since 2019. We were honored to have Montclair State University’s new President, Jonathan Koppell, present at the event and deliver remarks to those in attendance. We were also thrilled to have generous donors in attendance, including Elda and Elisa Coccia, Larry Inserra, Joe Agresti, Charles Cannata, and Carol Ann Russo. This event also featured a fabulous performance of excerpts from Italian operas by Courtney San Martin of the John J. Cali School of Music.

The Coccia Institute also held the premiere on-campus screening of Potentially Dangerous: When it Was a Crime to be Italian, directed by Zach Baliva. The film explores the untold story of Italian immigrants interned and persecuted as America’s “Enemy Aliens” during World War II. Potentially Dangerous has received numerous recognitions for its excellence, including being the winner of the the 2021 Russo Brothers Film Forum. The event featured an insightful Q&A session with Zach Baliva, moderated by Coccia Institute Director, Mark Rotella.

We ended the semester with a lively discussion panel with mother-daughter duo, Sophie and Elizabeth Minchilli, in partnership with the Montclair Literary Festival. Sophie, author of her debut book, The Sweetness of Doing Nothing, and Elizabeth, author of The Italian Table, shared their insights on their impressive careers as female entrepreneurs living in Italy, and also shared their favorite travel tips when visiting Italy and their favorite Italian recipes.

We look forward to offering more programming initiatives in the upcoming academic year! Stay tuned for more updates of our Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 events! Buon’estate!