It is a very bittersweet feeling to have to say goodbye to the ones you care about deeply, even if you know they will be happy in their new life. That is the current sentiment in the LACIS office, as we wave goodbye to Angela Buongiorno, who is retiring after 12 years of dedicated work to LACIS and UW-Madison.
Angela is originally from Rome, Italy, but having moved to Madison in 1975, she also considers herself a Madisonian. She began her stay here living in University housing – like many of us do – before moving into a house in the Madison area, where she has “been happy ever since.” She frequently travels to France, where her husband Joseph is from, and also back home to Rome to be with family.
Angela first started working in the LACIS office at the end of 2003 as a Limited Term Employee (LTE), before becoming a permanent University employee early in 2004. Prior to LACIS, she worked for the university in the Department of Special Education for many years.
Mrs. Buongiorno was the Senior Financial Specialist in the LACIS office, which came with a multitude of financial duties and responsibilities that she always handled diligently. She helped with the budget and found ways to make many events and programs a reality through her hard work. She showed up for work everyday with a smile on her face and was always a pleasure to be around.
When asked about her experience in LACIS and also at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Angela had nothing but positive feelings to report. She loved the happy and friendly atmosphere of the LACIS office and cited her favorite part as working with all of the students and her co-workers.
Angela had this to say about the university as a whole: “I hope that it (UW-Madison) continues to be an excellent place for students to come and study, and that it continues to be supportive of all of the diversity and people that work and study here on campus. The teamwork and commitment to excellence are what help make it such a wonderful university/institution.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Mrs. Buongiorno is retiring to spend more time in Berkeley, California with her children and three-month old grandson Lorenzo. She plans to spend more time reading, learning and expanding her mind. She also enjoys gardening and knitting, which will mean many new sweaters and hats for baby Lorenzo.
LACIS was pleased to honor Angela’s years of hard work with a private luncheon at the University Club and with a get together with all of the area studies centers in the Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) on the second floor of Ingraham Hall. We are all saddened to see her go, but also happy for her and her well-earned retirement. We wish her the best of luck in her next adventure!