Andre Burnham ’18 and Michael Valeri ’19 have been awarded Coccia Foundation Scholarships for study abroad in Italy. The Coccia Foundation was established in 1994 by Cavaliere Joseph Coccia, Jr., and his wife Elda. The organization is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of Italian culture, with a particular emphasis on promoting the rich Italian cultural heritage among younger generations at the college level.
Burnham will attend the Babilonia Institute in Taormina, Sicily. A biochemistry & molecular biology major from Arlington, Vt., he also recently received a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Burnham is an organic chemistry teaching assistant and is conducting research on honeybee immunity/productivity, and researching drug design for a honey bee pathogen.
Burnham is a member of the Hamilton Golf Team, the Italian Club and heads the Hamilton College Beekeeping Club. He has also been involved in designing/running Hamilton’s Beekeeping Orientation Trip.
Michael Valeri will be studying at the Umbra Institute in Perugia, Italy. A philosophy major from Portsmouth, N.H., he is treasurer of Hamilton’s Italian Club.
