In trying to come up with an introduction-reflection that would move away from my usual academic self-presentation, I thought of this assemblage of selfies that I’ve taken in the last couple of years.  They convey various aspects of me, including how crucial the two women also depicted are to my thinking and feeling about learning and community: my mother Lella Gandini, an international expert in early childhood education, who is close to the end of her life; and my daughter Miriam, who is Autistic and nonspeaking.  So much of my emotional investment in and dedication to honoring and supporting others comes from my mother, so much of my learning about neurodiversity and neurodivergence (including ultimately my own) from my daughter.  My public persona is readily accessible — these images are who I am as I prepare to come learn and share in our IEH community and beyond into the MyFest.

Since in previewing I’ve realized that if I put the image in the header it’s trimmed automatically, I’m going to also embed it here.  And: I’m providing the image description here and not just in the “alternative text” field since the assemblage is my introduction-altCV so I think the description of the image is integral rather than an “alternative”

An assemblage of seven phone selfies featuring Andrew Dell’Antonio, a white man with glasses and short greying hair that is high on his forehead (“balding”). Clockwise from top left, Andrew is wearing a purple bow tie and leaning slightly to the right, his mother Lella (an elderly white woman with grey hair) is leaning into him from behind, both are smiling; Andrew is wearing a teal T-shirt wtih a purple bow tie design and the inscription “compose justice”, designed by his friend Cal; he is wearing a wooden bowtie given to him by his friend Etta and standing in front of an abstract multicolored painting; Andrew is looking mischievous, his hair is especially messy, and he is holding a cup in the foreground with the inscription “I have been known to be a TREBLE MAKER” given to him by his friend Steph; Andrew and his daughter Miriam (a dark-haired Asian young woman) are smiling and wrinkling their noses at each other, he is wearing a purple T-shirt with the inscription “Fine Arts” and she is wearing a white and blue striped dress; Andrew and Lella are standing side by side smiling, he is wearing a blue button down shirt and straw hat with a flower; Andrew is smiling and standing in his office wearing a grey shirt and a pink and purple bow tie; Andrew and Miriam are giving each other a forehead bump, Andrew is wearing a bow tie that Miriam has just given him as a gift, Miriam is wearing a pink dress.