Paladino rises to Gotlieb director

After 30 years working under Howard Gotlieb, Vita Paladino was named director of Boston University's Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center over the summer.

Paladino has been the interim director since February 2004, accumulating significant experience in planning events and lining up well-known individuals to come visit BU as part of the HGARC's seminar series.

"I feel both very excited and very peaceful," the New York City native said about her appointment. "I've seen the peaks and valleys of many careers, and I also feel very connected to the people [whose documents] we collect."

Paladino's close work with the center's founder has transferred to her work with the Center now.

"Personally, I'm thrilled with Vita's appointment as director of [the] HGARC," HGARC archivist Maria Morelli said in an email. "Having worked at Dr. Gotlieb's right hand for so many years, we know that Vita will continue to take [the] HGARC into the future and build on the vision that Dr. Gotlieb had when he founded the archives."

Gotlieb Center Archivist J.C. Johnson said she thought Paladino would combine her style of leadership with the lessons she learned from founder Gotlieb.

"I'm sure that we'll see Vita work to acquire collections that will represent the 21st century," he said in an email. "While also working to build the profile of HGARC on campus by putting on more events aimed at BU students and professors."

Besides the Student Discovery Seminars that the HGARC holds every year, the Center would also be holding the Friends Speaker Series and the Fall Student Enrichment Series, according to Paladino, who holds degrees in sociology and social work.

The Friends Speaker Series will feature painter Everett Raymond Kinstler and authors and journalists Peter Beinart and Gerald Posner. The Fall Student Enrichment Series will be in collaboration with the Boston Ballet, BU's Luce Program in Scripture and Literary Arts and BU's Opera Institute and Voice Department.

During the Student Enrichment Series, Pulitzer Prize winning poet Franz Wright will be reading and men from the Boston Ballet will be performing an excerpt from its upcoming show, Don Quixote.

"I get great pleasure out of putting together these programs," Paladino said. "[They] give me the opportunity to bring the archive to life by bringing living people to campus to share their experiences with the students and faculty."

She said hosting these events would also be good for the "creative people" that the HGARC has gotten to come speak at BU, since these events would allow them to connect to students.

Paladino reminisced about her own college days, when she went to a lecture that was given by Dick Gregory, a comedian who was outspoken against the Vietnam War. She said going to Gregory's lecture opened her eyes and made her question aspects of her world, which is what she said she wants to happen with the various lectures that the HGARC is putting on this year.

"She is truly passionate about making [the] HGARC a vital resource to the BU community, especially the students," Morelli said. "She's made outreach a major priority of the archives, and that is very exciting to the staff, since it allows us to interact with the students and really show them the treasures that are available for their use right here on campus."

HGARC Associate Director Sean Noel said he was thrilled when he learned of Paladino's appointment to director.

"I can't say enough good things about her stewardship," he said. "She takes it all very seriously -- the responsibility of looking after these collections."

Noel praised Paladino's ability to come up with fresh ideas or new interpretations of the many outreach programs the HGARC puts together each semester.

"She inspires passion in the [HGARC] employees," he said.