Ann founded the Academy in 1984 in Syracuse upon completion of her BSc degree in Linguistics at the University of Salford, which included exchange semesters in Grenoble (France) and Trieste (Italy), as part of the Leonardo program, precursor of the Erasmus exchanges in Europe. She acknowledged as from the outset the value of promoting intercultural communication and understanding in Southern Italy, enabling exchanges through the development of a network of partner schools and international organizations. Her efforts in engaging the local community to promote intercultural values and advance women’s entrepreneurship have been acknowledged over the years with awards issued by Cambridge Assessment and the local municipalities. Ann is a board member for the NGO AccoglieRete and works with drive and commitment to increase access to educational and vocational training opportunities for youth in Sicily and beyond.

Peter leads the program management and strategic partnership development at The Italian Academy.  He holds an Honours degree in Neuroscience at University College Dublin, an MA with Distinction in Educational Technology at the University College London Institute of Education, and held a Visiting Postgrad position at Stanford University. Peter actively volunteers within NGOs promoting educational and social justice; he served as National Representative for Ireland of the Erasmus Student Network, coordinating a range of volunteering projects with international offices and the growth of the association across several university campuses. He currently works alongside the administrative and faculty teams at Syracuse Academy to further expand the reach of academic offerings through innovative pedagogies and institutional collaborations.

Giada manages administration for the programs at The Italian Academy, including program accounting and contract reviewing, as well as working on grant applications and being involved in the partnership development process.  Giada completed a BA degree in Tourism Management at the University of Catania and a MA degree in International Business at the University of Venice Ca’ Foscari, awarded cum laude distinction for both degrees. During her studies, Giada attended an Erasmus exchange program in Southampton (UK) and a research internship at Bilgi University in Istanbul (Turkey), followed by a 6-month working experience in the US as part of an Italian Cultural Promotion program. Giada fluent speaks English and Spanish and over the years has continued to be actively involved in several volunteering activities in Sicily. 

Melania coordinates the Pathway Programs at The Italian Academy. She holds a MA degree in Italian Language and Culture for Foreigners from the University of Bologna. Melania worked as teaching assistant at the Italian Department of Wellesley College in Massachusetts, where she also attended an academic year abroad during her graduate studies. Her passion for modern languages and intercultural learning led Melania to also attend several other exchange programs, including a semester at MIT, an Erasmus scholarship program at University of Edinburgh (Scotland) and an Erasmus traineeship program in Malaga (Spain). She currently focuses on actively engaging and supporting Syracuse Academy students, sharing with them a deep understanding of the values of international education.