Four U of A Undergraduates Present Research Among Top Boccaccio Scholars in U.S.

Dr. Daniela D'Eugenio, assistant professor of Italian, organized a two-day symposium dedicated to Medieval and Book Studies on Feb. 24-25, 2026, focusing on the study of facsimiles and Giovanni Boccaccio, the renowned 14th century Italian author of the Decameron.

Through an Honors College Research Team Grant, D'Eugenio, along with four stellar undergraduate Honors students - Sydney Casey, Lillian Crawford, Siena Ralph and Isabella Thompson - collaborated since May 2025 on individual research projects connecting Boccaccio's Decameron with their fields of study: English/comparative literature, psychology, art history and politics/feminism. Each student collaborated with D'Eugenio to produce an academic paper with original research questions complimenting their major course of study. For the symposium, D'Eugenio worked with the students to pare the presentation down to an academic length of 15-20 minutes.

In order to enhance this unique undergraduate research experience, D'Eugenio, in collaboration with the Italian Program, invited four leading scholars of Boccaccio's Decameron -- Elissa Weaver (University of Chicago), Eleonora Stoppino (University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign), Kristina Olson (George Mason University) and Maggie Fritz-Morgan (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) - to present and interact academically with our four undergraduate students for a one-day intense interactive symposium aimed to celebrate Boccaccio's 650th anniversary of his death (Dec. 21, 1375). Boccaccio, who is one of the "tre corone," or Italian "crowns" of literature (along with Dante Aligheri and Francesco Petrarca), structured the Decameron as a collection of 100 short stories plus an "Introduction" revolving around issues of fortune, morality and humor during the Black Plague in Florence. The four undergraduates presented alongside the four international scholars and engaged in an entire day of exchange with the Italian Program.

Beyond their individual research projects, these undergraduates also curated, alongside D'Eugenio, an exhibition entitled "Boccaccio Between Text and Image," focusing on the various rare books and facsimiles held in Special Collections on Boccaccio, other Italian authors connected to the Decameron and a copy of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, inspired by Boccaccio's collection. Please make sure to visit Mullins Library, first floor, to catch the amazing work of the students.

The two-day marathon, however, does not end here. Additionally, D'Eugenio brought Giovanni Scorcioni of Facsimile Finder, with the support of Associate Dean Joshua Youngblood and Special Collections, to present two workshops: "What Is a Facsimile? A Workshop on its History, Definition and Materiality" and with Youngblood, "Fine Press Facsimiles vs. Digital Images: A Conversation on Manuscript Studies." Relatedly, Sara Barclay organized an exhibit entitled "Facsimiles: The Magic of Reproductions," which also still lives in Special Collections and is worth a visit.

Linda Jones, chair of WLLC, said, "I was superbly moved by the entire event and the effort that went into planning and providing this wonderful experience for so many. The expertise of the facsimile creator, Giovanni Scorcioni, truly grounded my understanding of the importance of these treasures for best exposing us to medieval readings when originals are out of reach. And the exquisite presentations given by our Italian students who were not only well prepared but enthusiastic and poised to answer any and all questions that came their way with genuine expertise on their topics. Kudos to Daniela D'Eugenio, Special Collections and all involved in these amazing two days."

Youngblood noted, "It was gratifying to see Special Collections spaces and materials so valuably utilized by Italian Studies students, showcased through scholarly presentations, the Boccaccio exhibit and inspiring interactions with visiting researchers and community members. The intersection of public discourse, engagement with rare materials and active learning by U of A students is a fulfilment of the vision for the Libraries, and we are grateful for the collaboration."

Besides the amazing work these students have offered the U of A campus, all four have been accepted to present at the International Conference of the American Association of Teachers of Italian hosted at the U of A Rome Center in July 2026, which is a true tour de force for our students and the Italian Program.

Special thanks goes to our sponsors: U of A Honors College, the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program; Special Collections of Mullins Library; Gender Studies; Art History in the School of Art; the English Department; the Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Program; the Medical Humanities Program; the U of A Humanities Center; the Italian Program; the Professor Antonio Marinoni and Rosa Zagnoni Marinoni Endowed Chair; the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures; and the WLDH Studio.

If you are interested in studying Italian, please contact the Italian Program's section head, Prof. Calabretta-Sajder, at calabret@uark.edu.