Resident Director Welcome
Ciao da Roma!
We are extremely fortunate to be housed in the historic 15th century Palazzo Pio, in the heart of Rome’s Centro Storico. Palazzo Pio was built literally on top of the ancient theater complex where Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC. The location and the historical context are absolutely unique.
What began in 1970 as a small architecture study abroad program by Professor Emerita Astra Zarina grew into the official seat of the UW in Rome by 1985. In 2018, we will host nearly 400 UW students from a range of disciplines including, of course, architecture and classics, but also engineering, mathematics, cinema studies, art history, anthropology, literature, and more.
And we want that number to be higher. We are actively working to expand opportunities for more UW students to experience their own transformations abroad, developing global awareness, appreciation for other cultures, self-confidence and independence. Research tells us that college students who study abroad are more likely to graduate and more engaged in their entire educational experience. The UW Rome Center is the ideal setting for immersion and transformation in a city with more than 2000 years of history.
To better serve a greater number of students and programs, the UW Rome Center recently underwent major renovations of our space in the Palazzo Pio to ensure the long term continuation of the transformative experience of study abroad, research and international collaboration. Moving ahead, we envision opening our doors more to the community, inviting them to join us in learning from our expert faculty and guest lecturers who frequent the UW Rome Center in our grand conference room and new exhibit space. We imagine the UW Rome Center to be a place where UW programs and the broader community will come to share in the creation and delivery of knowledge, expanding all of our cultural boundaries.
I invite you to be a part of this transformation of the Palazzo Pio, and to stay in touch with us via our website, Facebook, Instagram and newsletters. We are beyond excited to embark upon this project to unveil the full potential of the UW Rome Center!
Sincerely,
Amity Neumeister
Resident Director, UW Rome Center