From here to there to everywhere...

No matter what your goals are in life, the Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy program can help you reach them. Whether you have mapped out a long-term career plan or if you are just taking it one day at a time, our study abroad program can pave the way to building your future. It can help build your confidence, which in turn fosters independence and responsibility. And it just may change you in ways you might not imagine.

A Message for Parents from the Executive Director

Dear Parents and Families,

Students who participate in the Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy program have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live and learn in Palazzo Chigi, a 15th century palace now home to Auburn University’s only permanent overseas campus. This safe and secure home-away-from-home creates a comfortable home-base while also serving as a launching pad to the wider world as we get outside the classroom on excursions and fieldtrips throughout Italy to learn about Italian and Roman history, food, culture, art, architecture, design, language, family life and geopolitical challenges.
By the end of your student’s 12 weeks abroad, they will earn 16 academic credit hours and an International Minor in Human Sciences. Not only will these credentials enhance their resume, lessons learned will help your student develop as a young global citizen, leader and change agent who can problem solve in today’s increasingly diverse careers and communities.
Parents and families play a vital role in successful study abroad experiences. On our website you will find an overview of the entire program, policies and procedures, and how we will be working with your student. There is also practical information about finances, banking, communication, travel, health and safety.
The faculty and staff of the College of Human Sciences Office of Global Education and Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy program look forward to speaking with you and your student in preparation for their Italian study abroad adventure.

Ciao!
Lacey Armstrong, Executive Director
Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy

Elisa Bracalente

Italian Literature

Francesca Fabi

Life & Times in Italian History

Antonio Forcellino

The Renaissance and the Art of Michelangelo

Mary Louise Gray

Italian Cooking

Livio Iacuitti

Art Restoration

Leonardo Paulillo

The European Union

Francesco Petrucci

History of Italian Architecture & Director of the Chigi Palace

Andrea Sorrentino

History of Italian Fashion and Costume

Rossella de Venuto

Italian Mythology & Iconography

About Joseph S. Bruno

Joseph S. (Joe) Bruno is remembered as both an entrepreneur and humanitarian. Born to Sicilian immigrants, Joe, the eldest of eight children began his grocery store career at age 12. He was sent to board with the Vincent Rosato family and to work in the Rosato grocery store to supplement the Bruno family income. The Bruno heritage began when Joe purchased the first store with the family savings of $600 in the midst of the Great Depression. The entire family participated in various capacities of operating the store, but Joe Bruno was considered the head of the family business. In 1952, Joe made the decision to incorporate the family’s four stores and use the pooled volume to buy direct from the wholesalers. By 1970, Bruno’s operated 27 grocery stores in the state of Alabama along with the first discount drug store, Big B Discount Drugs, which opened in 1968. Bruno was not only an outstanding business leader but also a leader in numerous professional activities and community services. He served in capacities such as president, director, and member of the board for business, philanthropic and community organizations across the state. For his varied accomplishments and services, Bruno was honored by numerous local, state and national organizations. Joe Bruno takes no credit for all he and the Bruno family have accomplished in this country, where, he has said, “anyone willing to work and persevere can make it.” Everything the Bruno family has, he continued, “comes from God…He has blessed us all more than we deserve….and more than most….I have been the one who seems to have attracted all the attention, but every one of them (the family) has contributed as much as I have.”In the words of Joe Bruno, “You can’t stand still, and you can never stop dreaming.”