Italian community honours York professor


Faculty of Arts Associate Dean of Curriculum Gabriella Colussi Arthur (right) has been awarded the Premio della Fedeltà al Lavoro, del Progresso Economico Award by the Toronto Italian Chamber of Commerce for her dedication to building the international reputation of Toronto.


Colussi Arthur was recognized for her ingenuity, creativity and dedication in her work promoting Italian-Canadian culture. The award was presented to Colussi Arthur on Nov. 28 at a special reception hosted by the Toronto Italian Chamber of Commerce and promoted by the province of Pordenone, Italy.


Over 400 guests attended the event, which also honoured Canadian diplomat Sergio Marchi, Ontario MPP Sandra Pupatello, entrepreneur Joseph Zentil and Toronto lawyer Rudolph Bratty.


A specialist in the Italian language and second language pedagogy, Colussi Arthur has published numerous articles in academic journals. She serves on the advisory boards for the The Mariano A. Elia Chair in Italian Canadian Studies at York University and York International. Among her other activities, Colussi Arthur has served on the advisory board for the Canadian Society of Italian Studies and has been book review editor for the Canadian Modern Language Review.