A gift of $500,000 has been bestowed on the Italian Program by Dr. Charles Ray Ross, a generous donor unconnected with either UCSB or the Italian Department. This gift shall establish the Charles Ray Ross Fund for Italian Studies to support teaching, research, and program needs at the direction of the Department Chair, for research and other programming that advances Italian Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. We are very thankful to this donor and will make sure his name remains associated with all the activities sponsored with this money.