Support the Bologna Center | Memorial Initiatives | Remembering Fred Hood

We are very proud to announce the first research projects supported by the Fred Hood Research Fund!

In March 2011 Ms. Zsofia Barta from Hungary, one of the Bologna Center Ph.D students, was able to participate as a panel discussant in the 12th Biennial European Union Studies Association, EUSA, International Conference held in Boston, MA. Click here to learn more.

In April 2011 another Bologna Center PhD student, Ms. Saskia van Genugten (BC07/DC08) from The Netherlands who is working on a dissertation on the history and present of Italian and British relations to Libya, was able to attend the European Research Seminar organized by the SAIS European Studies Department in Washington D.C. During the seminar the Ph.D students enrolled in the program presented their work-in-progress, discussed it with key faculty members, and several M.A. students that are potentially interested in joining the SAIS European Studies Ph.D. program.

Upon his sudden and tragic death on December 24, 2008, former classmates and friends of Frederick Hood decided to launch, in his memory, an initiative connected to the Bologna Center, a place he loved and was associated with for so many years.

Fred was an MAIA student in Bologna from 2002 to 2004. He was an extremely gifted student and chose to undertake the PhD program, studying initially at SAIS Washington before returning to the Bologna Center again from 2005 to 2007.

A core group of Fred's closest friends and compatriots from the Bologna Center convened at his funeral in New York on January 10, 2009 and decided that the best way to commemorate Fred's love for his research, the Bologna Center and the city itself was to create a fund in his memory. The "Frederick Hood Research Fund" supports research activities of PhD and MAIA students at the Bologna Center, contributing towards research costs such as travel to conferences or the purchase of research publications.

The initial goal was to raise $100,000 over a period of five years. In little over a year, pledges exceeded the goal. Moved by the generosity and affection of his friends, Fred's family decided, in December 2009, to add a significant contribution to the Fund by matching the amount pledged at the time, with the aim to perpetuate Fred's memory and reflect his great affection for the Bologna Center. The Family's donation has given a terrific push to the initiative and it has allowed for the Fund to become operative starting in the current academic year.

"The Bologna Center was very much Fred's home for most of the last seven years of his life. My children, Stephen and I are happy to support this initiative, and hope that the Fund will help to keep our beloved Fred's memory alive at the Bologna Center for years to come." said Fred's mother, Ms. Maya M. Hood.

Class leaders are willing to push the goal further toward $300,000 by the time of their Class 10th anniversary celebration in Bologna in 2013. If this new goal is reached, this will be the most successful Class initiative conducted in such a short timeframe. To date we have raised US$203,912.80. Click here to view our current donor list.

Classmates, friends and students of Fred who are interested in joining the initiative should contact Gabriella Chiappini (gchiappini@jhubc.it) at the Bologna Center or the initiative leaders:

Bologna Class of 2003:
• Saverio Grazioli-Venier email
• Pete O'Brien email
• Headley Butler email

Bologna Class of 2004:
• Yoshi Funaki email
• Lucy Payton email

Bologna Classes of 2005 through 2007 and PhD students:
• Timo Behr email