President
An Interview with Cristiana Panicco, Sant'Anna Institute Founder and President
After studying abroad as a university student in England and Germany, my world changed. My world became bigger, and I realized that there are few barriers that one cannot overcome.
As a speaker of four languages and a world traveler, I believe in the transformational power of exposure to new languages, people, and cultures. I started Sant’Anna Institute to share this philosophy and vision with others.
I really enjoy sharing my passion for language and diversity with students. I like to contribute to the growth of students by understanding their difficulties and helping them see all of the possibilities for their life.
I am an educator and an entrepreneur and want others to experience the beauty of learning and creating. It is a privilege to watch students open their minds, become more intuitive, and see all that the world has to offer them.
I was born and raised in Turin, Italy, in northern Italy. I have traveled extensively but have always been fascinated by southern Italy; the culture, traditions, and sheer beauty of its landscape have drawn me back ever since I first visited the unspoiled, typically Italian small town of Sorrento.
When I arrived in Sorrento, I felt as if I had just woken up from a long, deep sleep. Sorrento was one of the most charming and distinctive towns I had ever seen. Its unique location was a deciding factor in my decision to open a school that could help international students expand their worldview.
Sant’Anna Institute, born in 1998, has evolved into an international community where Italian and foreign students of all ages and from all corners of the globe can come together to exchange ideas, cultures, and projects. I started by providing Italian and cultural courses for foreigners and then added foreign languages for native Italians.
A couple years after Sant’Anna Institute was founded, we set up collaborative relationships with American and other foreign universities and high schools, providing study abroad programs. Despite the world’s uncertain political and economic outlook, we offer students, teachers, and universities a professional service in international education.
Our Team
StaffCristiana Panicco
PresidentMarco Marino
Vice President of Academic Affairs and University Relations - Title IX CoordinatorOlga Stinga
Director of Operations - Health and Safety ManagerSerena Vacca
Director of Study AbroadGabriella Russo
Assistant Director of Study AbroadChad Blunt
Assistant Director of Custom International ProjectCaroline Amuro
Internship CoordinatorAntonino Thomas Gargiulo
Student Engagement SupervisorDanila Cinque
Student Engagement CoordinatorRaffaele Acanfora
Inclusion OfficerMICHAEL NELSON
Partnership Development CoordinatorHolly Hammeren
University Relations Coordinator, MidwestLaura Megna
Housing CoordinatorRoberta Russo
Student Life AssistantStefania Villani
CounselorDaphne Iaccarino
Mindfulness CounselorElena Iaccarino
Coordinator, Foreign Languages DepartmentPasquale Santovito
Social Media & Communication CoordinatorLicia Amura
Head of FinanceValeria Formicola
Finance OfficerAziz Fatnassi
JU 330 Anthropology of Europe (Summer II 2019; Summer I 2021; Summer II 2022)Annmarie Kent-Willette
COMM 452 International Multimedia Journalism: Communication, Culture and the Amalfi Coast (Summer I 2019) - COMM 217 Introduction to Multimedia Journalism in the Mediterranean (Summer II 2019)Leslie Rogne Schumacher
HIST 165 Western Civilization since 1648 (Summer I 2019) IS 305 Special Topics: Mediterranean Culture and History (Summer I 2019)Jill Blondin
ARH 376 Special Topics: History of Art (Summer II 2018)