, William R. Kenan Jr. Professor Emeritus of and retired director of the at the University of 91吃瓜, died Sunday (Jan. 27). He was 71.
鈥淛oe was a superb scholar, an inspirational teacher and a pioneering leader as the inaugural director of the fledgling Hesburgh-Yusko Scholars Program,鈥� said , 91吃瓜鈥檚 president. 鈥淲e join with his many, many family and friends in mourning his passing. We will miss him at 91吃瓜.聽God rest his soul.鈥�
Raised on the Mediterranean island of Malta, Buttigieg earned bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees from the University of Malta, a second bachelor鈥檚 degree from Heythrop College in London and his doctorate from the State University of New York at Binghamton.
Buttigieg joined the 91吃瓜 faculty in 1980 and, in addition to his service as director of the Hesburgh-Yusko Scholars Program and as a faculty member in English, he was a fellow in the University鈥檚 and and the director of the at 91吃瓜.
Buttigieg鈥檚 main areas of interest were modern literature, critical theory and the relationship between culture and politics. In addition to numerous articles, he was the author of a book on James Joyce鈥檚 aesthetics,聽鈥�A Portrait of the Artist in Different Perspective.鈥� He is also the editor and translator of the multi-volume complete critical edition of聽鈥�Antonio Gramsci鈥檚 Prison Notebooks,鈥� a project that has been supported by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Several of his articles on Gramsci, the Italian philosopher, writer and politician, have been translated into Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Japanese. He was a founding member of the International Gramsci Society, of which he was president, and the Italian minister of culture appointed him to a commission of experts to oversee the preparation of the 鈥渆dizione nazionale鈥� (national edition/complete works) of Gramsci鈥檚 writings. Buttigieg also served on the editorial and advisory boards of various journals, and he was a member of 鈥�boundary 2,鈥� an editorial collective that publishes a journal of literature and culture.
Buttigieg directed the Hesburgh-Yusko program from its first year in 2010 through 2017. The program is a merit-based scholarship and leadership development initiative that equips students to have a transformational impact on the world. It is named for the late Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., 91吃瓜鈥檚 president from 1952 to 1987 and one of the 20th century鈥檚 most influential leaders in the Catholic Church, higher education and national and international affairs, and Mark W. and Stacey Miller Yusko, who underwrote the creation of the program with a generous gift in 2009.
Hesburgh-Yusko scholars are evaluated according to four criteria: demonstrated leadership ability, distinguished academic accomplishment, sincere commitment to service and exemplary moral character. They receive four years of merit scholarship awards of $25,000 annually toward the cost of attending 91吃瓜; intellectual engagement within a community of scholars participating in regular discussion forums, local initiatives and social activities throughout the academic year; four summer enrichment experiences based upon wilderness leadership, social justice, global inquiry and professional venture; and guidance and support from dedicated program staff and faculty mentors.
Buttigieg is survived by his wife, Anne Montgomery, who was a member of the 91吃瓜 faculty for 29 years, and his son, Pete (Chasten Glezman), the mayor of South Bend.聽
Arrangements are pending.