Inaugural Alumni Travel Program Immerses Grads in Florence

Center for Publishing & Applied Liberal Arts Director Jenny McPhee and Dean Angie Kamath Launch NYU SPS Alumni Global Travel Program with 8-Day Excursion to Tuscany

In July, NYU SPS launched its inaugural Alumni Travel Program with an eight-day cultural immersion in Italy’s Tuscany region. Led by Jenny McPhee, continuing education director of the Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, the journey kicked off at NYU’s Florence campus with a deep dive into the city’s rich cultural heritage, including gallery, museum, and historic site visits.

Alumni, joined by Dean Angie Kamath, Executive Director of Alumni Relations Tim Valentine, and Senior Director of Global and Strategic Innovation Scott Bankert, savored Italian cuisine, dove into the history of Florence's couture and textile industries, and attended a wine tasting at the historic Cantina Antinori winery.

“Many had been to Italy before,” says Valentine, “but this trip provided participants with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the historic Villa La Pietra, tour its exclusive Acton Collection of art and fashion, and meet with global leaders through NYU faculty connections.”

“Villa La Pietra was such a special place; the staff from NYU are so professional, knowledgeable and dedicated,” adds alum John Hui. Participants relished exclusive conversations with former Uffizi Gallery director Eike Schmidt; Slow Foods urban policy manager Yael Pantzer; and Lapo Cianchi, communication and events director at the fashion industry’s Pitti Immagine. “What made our trip special was the expertise of our tour guides and our speakers—NYU curated that exceptionally,” noted alum Ellysa Smith.

“The value of connecting experiential learning with continuing education cannot be overstated,” says Dean Kamath. “Once the School started exploring the potential opportunity of this program, I was all in.” The trip proved so successful that McPhee will be hosting another Florence excursion in 2025—and alumni travel programs are already being planned in other cities with NYU sites, including Berlin, Buenos Aires, and Prague.

For information about Florence ‘25 as well as other Alumni Global Travel Programs in the works, reach out to Tim Valentine, executive director of school alumni relations, at tim.valentine@nyu.edu or register today!