New Director for Prato

26 February 2009

Dr Loretta Baldassar has been appointed as professor and Director of the Monash Prato Centre.

Dr Baldassar is currently Associate Professor in Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Western Australia. She brings to the role a distinguished record of leadership and scholarship in Italian Studies and migration studies.

Dr Baldassar has strong links within Italy. She chairs the Cassamarca lectureships committee, a key Italian Studies committee within Australia, and until recently she chaired the key national group Australasian Centre for Italian Studies (ACIS).

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International), Professor Stephanie Fahey, congratulated Dr Baldassar on her appointment: “Dr Baldassar brings to Monash a wealth of relevant experience. I look forward to working with her as we move into the next stage of the Prato Centre’s development”.

Dr Baldassar succeeds Dr Annamaria Pagliaro, who will undertake a period of research leave in 2009, after concluding as director at the end of December.

Professor Fahey commended Dr Pagliaro on her contribution to the Centre:

‘Dr Pagliaro oversaw important growth in the teaching, research support and community engagement activities of the Prato Centre. More students and departments are accessing and benefiting from the Centre than ever before.’

Professor Baldassar will take up duties in Prato in late April 2009. Centre Manager Dr Sasha Perugini will look after day-to-day running of the Centre in the interim.