The inauguration, on the 28th of September, of the Academy of Motion Pictures Museum, designed by Renzo Piano, was the occasion chosen by Ambassador of Italy to the United States Mariangela Zappia for her first visit to LA. Ambassador Zappia, who is the first Italian woman nominated Ambassador in Washington, met the local scientific and business communities, as well as Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti and city council member Joe Buscaino.

During an all-female luncheon organized by Consul General Silvia Chiave, Ambassador Zappia met with women entrepreneurs, academics, scientists, and Italian representatives of culture and cinema. She visited UCLA (Royce Hall), where she met lecturers and students from the Italian department, and NASA’s JPL, currently led by ISSNAF President Cinzia Zuffada. While in LA, Ambassador Zappia also sat down with L’Italo-Americano for an all-around interview.