Senate Resolution No. 2055
BY: Senator MATTERA
HONORING Dr. Anthony Julian Tamburri upon the
occasion of his designation for special recognition
by the New York Conference of Italian-American State
Legislators on May 18, 2026
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
pay tribute to individuals of distinguished purpose whose lifework and
civic engagement have profoundly contributed to the advancement of
cultural heritage and the enrichment of society; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Dr. Anthony Julian Tamburri upon the occasion of his designation for
special recognition by the New York Conference of Italian-American State
Legislators on Monday, May 18, 2026; and
WHEREAS, Anthony J. Tamburri is the Dean of the John D. Calandra
Italian American Institute (Queens College, CUNY) and Distinguished
Professor of European Languages and Literatures; his research interests
lie in literature, cinema, semiotics, interpretation theory, and
cultural studies; and
WHEREAS, Anthony J. Tamburri has divided his intellectual work
evenly between Italian and Italian-American studies, authoring more than
a dozen books and one hundred essays on both subject areas in English
and Italian; he is also the editor of more than 30 volumes and special
issues of journals; and
WHEREAS, Anthony J. Tamburri's degrees are from Southern Connecticut
State University (B.S., Italian), Middlebury College (M.A., Italian),
and the University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D., Italian and Spanish);
and
WHEREAS, Among his many accomplishments, Anthony J. Tamburri has
founded and directed summer programs in Italy and held positions for the
University of Pennsylvania and Middlebury College's Scuola Estiva
Italiana; he was also the first Esposito Visiting Faculty Fellow at the
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth; he has been the recipient of
various academic and scholarly awards and grants through the years; and
WHEREAS, Anthony J. Tamburri was awarded a Regents Scholarship and
the Italian-American Fellowship at UC Berkeley, received a Certificate
of Appreciation for Distinguished Contribution to the National Defense
and numerous Research Foundation grants while at Purdue University, and
named Distinguished Alumnus for the year 2000 from Southern Connecticut
State University; and
WHEREAS, In addition to teaching at Smith College, Middlebury
College, and Auburn University, Anthony J. Tamburri spent 13 years at
Purdue University before moving to Florida Atlantic University where,
from 2000 to 2006, he served as Chair of Languages and Linguistics,
Associate Dean for Research, Graduate, and Interdisciplinary Studies,
and Director of the Ph.D. in Comparative Studies; and
WHEREAS, Additionally, Anthony J. Tamburri received numerous honors
and awards, including the Association of Italian American Educators'
Promotion of Italian Language and Culture Award and the Lehman-LaGuardia
Award for Civic Achievement, conferred by the New York Grand Lodge
Commission for Social Justice of the Order Sons of Italy in America; and
WHEREAS, Anthony J. Tamburri is a member of numerous organizations
for which he has also held administrative positions and national office;
he has been a Delegate for Foreign Languages for the Modern Language
Association, a member of its Executive Committee for the Division of
Modern Italian Literature, and co-founder of the Discussion Group on
Italian-American Literature; and
WHEREAS, For the American Italian Historical Association, Anthony J.
Tamburri was the newsletter editor for eight years, a member of its
Executive Council since 1993, and president; he was also vice-president
of the American Association of Teachers of Italian; and
WHEREAS, Anthony J. Tamburri's enduring legacy is one of
intellectual rigor, public service, cultural preservation, and an
unyielding commitment to community empowerment and the Italian-American
experience; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Dr. Anthony Julian Tamburri upon the occasion of his designation
for special recognition by the New York Conference of Italian-American
State Legislators on May 18, 2026, and to commend him for his
unparalleled contributions to education and Italian-American culture;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Dr. Anthony Julian Tamburri.
