Luigi de Luca, SMATCH Vice President, Awarded the Title of "Grande Ufficiale" of the Order
Luigi De Luca was awarded one of Italy's highest honors, "Grande Ufficiale" of the Order of the Star of Italy, at the Italian Embassy in Washington, DC, on June 13, 2014. The award was given to De Luca in recognition of his work in cancer research at the National Cancer Institute, his leadership role in the Italian community in Washington, D.C., and his scholarship in the field of ancient Greek and Latin. De Luca is the vice president of SMATCH and is a member of the Faculty at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
This title was originally established in 1947 (known as “Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity”) to recognize the achievements of Italians and foreigners who played a distinguished role in the reconstruction of Italy after World War II. Giorgio Napolitano, President of the Republic of Italy, reformed the order with its actual name in 2011 and has since bestowed it on individuals who distinguished themselves in the preservation and promotion of national prestige abroad.
Luigi De Luca receives the insignia of the Order of the Star of Italy from Luca Franchetti Pardo, Deputy Chief of Mission, at the Italian Embassy in Washington, DC.
