VCU Office of International Education

Medical Sciences faculty from the University of Messina (Sicily, Italy) and a delegate from the University of Córdoba (Córdoba, Spain) visit Virginia Commonwealth University with a presentation of initial ideas and areas of collaboration, built out from a longstanding relationship in Neurosciences and Pharmacy between UniMe and VCU (dating from the late 1980s). The delegation presents to a VCU commission the potential creation of a center in Messina focusing on research pertaining to the Mediterranean Basin.

UCo commissioner

• Rafael Solana Lara – professor, School of Medicine

UniMe commissioners

• Alessandro Anastasi – professor, School of Economics


• Giuseppe Anastasi – professor, School of Medicine


• Mario Centorrino – professor, School of Political Sciences


• Nico d’Avella – professor, School of Medicine


• Antonino Germanó – professor, School of Medicine


• Giuseppe Piedimonte – professor, School of Veterinary Medicine


• Andrea Romano – professor, School of Political Sciences
• Antonella Saija – professor, School of Pharmacy


• Dario Tomasello – professor, School of Letters and Philosophy

VCU commissioners

• Peter Kirkpatrick, Ph.D. – Office of International Education


• McKenna Brown, Ph.D. – School of World Studies


• Dr. Ross Bullock – Department of Neurosurgery


• Antonio Masullo, Ph.D. – School of World Studies


• Dr. Heber H. Newsome – School of Medicine


• Dr. John Povlishcock – Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology


• Dr. Tony Marmarou – Department of Neurosurgery


• Richard Toscan, Ph.D. – International Affairs and School of the Arts


• Dr. Harold Young – Department of Neurosurgery

Video conference with the University of Messina and the University of Córdoba

Video conference with the University of Messina and the University of Córdoba.

Site visit of the University of Córdoba by CIMS commissioners from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Messina. VCU attendees included:

• Peter Kirkpatrick, Ph.D. – executive director, Office of International Education
• Dr. Dickie Newsome – executive director, CIMS

A Joint Declaration between Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Messina (Sicily, Italy) and the University of Córdoba (Córdoba, Spain) is signed by the president/rectors from all three universities, establishing CIMS.

A CIMS meeting is held at Virginia Commonwealth University. Attendees from the University of Messina and the University of Córdoba included:

• Giuseppe Anastasi – UniMe
• Antonino Artemisia – UniMe
• Antonino Germano – UniMe
• Letterio Guglielmo – UniMe
• Michele Limosani – UniMe
• Andrea Romano – UniMe
• Dario Tomasello – UniMe
• Rafael Solana Lara – UCo
• Fernando Lopez Mora – UCo

Students and professors from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Córdoba visit the University of Messina for a three-week CIMS Neuroscience Summer School (Part I). They included:

• Dr. George Leichnetz – professor, anatomy and neurobiology, VCU
• Dr. John Povlishock – chair, anatomy and neurobiology, VCU
• Nabil Altememi – VCU student
• Anna Baranova – VCU student
• John Greer – VCU student
• Brian Kelley – VCU student
• Melissa McGinn – VCU student
• Eric Oberlander – VCU student
• Phil Yeager – VCU student

Students and professors from the University of Córdoba and University of Messina come to Virginia Commonwealth University for the continuation of the CIMS Neuroscience Summer School. They included:

• Dr. Puccio Anastasi – UniMe professor
• Dr. Giancarlo Cordasco – UniMe professor
• Dr. Nino Germano – UniMe professor
• Gabriella Bottari – UniMe student
• Domenica Crupi – UniMe student
• Giuseppe Farago – UniMe student
• Salvatore Fed – UniMe student
• Nicola Gambadauro – UniMe student
• Rosario Maugeri – UniMe student
• Demetrio Milardi – UniMe student
• Maria Pitre – UniMe student
• Immaculada Tasset – UCo student

CIMS Conference on the Mediterranean Diet and Health Care is held at the University of Messina, Italy. Virginia Commonwealth University participants included:

• Dr. Eugene Trani – VCU President
• Peter Kirkpatrick, Ph.D. – executive director, Office of International Education
• Dr. Dickie Newsome – executive director, CIMS
• Dr. John Clore – professor, Department of Internal Medicine
• Dr. Don Abraham – professor and director, Institute for Structural Biology and Drug Discovery and School of Pharmacy
• Dr. Diane Wilson – associate professor, Department of Internal Medicine
• Mark Wood, Ph.D. – associate professor, School of World Studies

Delegations from the University of Córdoba and the University of Messina visit Virginia Commonwealth University for meetings with faculty and administration. They included:

• José Roldan Nogueras – UCo rector
• Manolo Torres Aguilar – UCo vice rector, academic affairs
• Isabel González Roncero – UCo vice rector, international relations
• Giuseppe Calabrò – UniMe pro-rector
• Antonino Germanò – UniMe professor of neurosurgery

The University of Messina in Sicily hosts the CIMS “Immigration and Cultural Identities” Conference for faculty members from Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Córdoba and University of Messina. They included:

• Dr. Dickie Newsome – executive director, CIMS
• Peter Kirkpatrick, Ph.D. – executive director, VCU Office of International Education
• Mark Wood, Ph.D. – associate professor, VCU School of World Studies
• Martin Reardon, Ph.D. – professor, VCU School of Education
• Elizabeth Hiett – executive assistant, CIMS

CIMS Neuroscience Summer School repeated with students and faculty from Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Córdoba and University of Messina.

CIMS dental conference at the University of Messina, followed by a CIMS business meeting with representatives from Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Córdoba and the University of Messina.

CIMS conference on the Mediterranean Basin to be held at the University of Córdoba, followed by a CIMS business meeting.