Ryan Calabretta-Sajder Named Director of International and Global Studies Program

Ryan Calabretta-Sajder has been appointed as the new director of the International and Global Studies Program (INST) within the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

Calabretta-Sajder, who currently serves as an associate professor and section head of Italian, as well as the associate director of the Gender Studies Program, brings a wealth of academic leadership and interdisciplinary expertise to his new role.

Since joining the university in 2013, Calabretta-Sajder exhibited teaching excellence across multiple disciplines and programs including Italian, African and African American studies, comparative literature and cultural studies, film and media, Jewish and gender studies.

His contributions also extend beyond the classroom, encompassing roles such as chief reader of the AP Italian Language and Culture Examination, president of Gamma Kappa Alpha and active membership in two Modern Language Association committees.

“We are delighted to appoint Ryan Calabretta-Sajder to lead the International and Global Studies Program,” said Brian Raines, dean of Fulbright College. “His demonstrated excellence in teaching and research makes him exceptionally well qualified to oversee such a crucial academic program.”

The International and Global Studies Program, renowned for its expansive curriculum, prepares a diverse cohort of students for careers spanning international business, government, education, diplomacy and advanced studies.

“We are all very excited to have Ryan on board with International and Global Studies! He’s a dynamic professor and very student focused,” said Kelly Hammond, associate director of the program. 

In addition to his academic pursuits, Calabretta-Sajder has earned numerous accolades for his contributions to education, including a prestigious Fulbright Award in 2017. His commitment to teaching has also been recognized with awards such as the Ives Visiting Distinguished Professorship in Italian and the American Association of Teachers of Italian Distinguished Service Award.

“I’m excited to direct such a rich and diverse program which sends students all over the world to study, research, and intern, pushing them to use both their language and cultural skills to succeed,” Calabretta-Sajder said. “The program truly embodies the mission of our college as well as the liberal arts and sciences at large.” 

Calabretta-Sajder is also the author of “Divergenze in celluloide: colore, migrazione e identità sessuale nei film gay di Ferzan Özpetek” (Mimesis editore) and serves as the founding director of Diasporic Italy: Journal of the Italian American Studies Association.

He holds a B.A. with honors in Italian and English literature from Dominican University, an M.A. in Italian from Indiana University Bloomington and a Ph.D. in modern languages Italian from Middlebury College. 

This story also appeared in the University of Arkansas News publication.