Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi
Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi, the Lewis Atterbury Stimson Professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery, was honored as an Official of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy, the most prestigious and important distinction awarded by the president of the Republic of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, to Italian citizens of particular merit. Dr. Michelassi received the rank of Commendatore, one of the highest honors the president can bestow. The Order of Merit recipient is also approved by the highest level of Italy's government, including the Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. It was presented in a special ceremony on April 20 by the Honorable Francesco M. Talo, the Consul General of Italy, at the Consulate General's offices in New York City.
Dr. Michelassi, who was born in Pisa, Italy, was also the recipient of the Republic of Italy's Silver Medal in 1988, another unique distinction and one of the highest honors awarded by the president to persons of great merit or valor.
By virtue of this recent award, Dr. Michelassi was also recently inducted as a member of the American Society of the Italian Legions of Merit (ASILM). One of the most exclusive Italian-American entities in the U.S., the ASILM comprises solely those 600 individuals who have been so decorated by the Republic of Italy. It engages in chivalric, diplomatic and beneficent activity in furtherance of the friendship between the United States and Italy.