Addio, Dennis Costa
“[Dennis Costa] developed the department’s first comparative literature courses, gave life and passion to the Core, brought madrigals and sacred music, raised a ton of money for Italian Studies and for Mugar, and drew the Department intellectually together with other departments and disciplines here and abroad. As our colleague he has always been known for his consideration and kindness, his sense of high intellectual purpose, his respect for others, his humanism. ”
Christopher Maurer, Chair ad interim
After 44 years, Associate Professor of Italian Dennis Costa is saying farewell to the BU Romance Studies Department. The department celebrated Prof. Costa’s time at BU with a reception held on the evening of Tuesday, November 13.
At the reception, Christopher Maurer, chair ad interim, spoke of Costa’s long service to the university and his many contributions to the study of foreign language and literature at BU. Costa then delivered a lecture on one of his favorite topics, the Italian poet Dante, with a response provided by Prof. Stephanie Nelson of the BU Classical Studies Department.
Costa joined what was then called the Department of Modern Foreign Languages & Literatures in 1974. He will be remembered as an erudite scholar with wide-ranging knowledge, as well as a passionate and beloved teacher.