The final draft of the Award was unanimously approved by the Executive Council at the December 1984 Meeting of the AATI in Washington, D.C.
The purpose of the Award is to recognize and further encourage the achievements and contributions of the members of the AATI for distinguished teaching and or published research in the fields of Italian language, literature, and civilization. The Award, consisting of a plaque, is presented, under the auspices of the AATI Selection Committee at the Association's annual convention. The Award, initially presented every two years, is currently awarded yearly.
The recipients of the AATI Award for Distinguished Service are:
| ◊ 2011 | Michael Lettieri, Professor of Italian, University of Toronto | ◊ 2010 | Graziana Lazzarino, Professor of Italian, University of Colorado at Boulder | ◊ 2009 | Paolo Giordano, Professor of Italian, University of Central Florida, Orlando |
| ◊ 2008 | Bruna Petrarca Boyle, Teacher of Italian, Narragansett High School, Narragansett |
| ◊ 2007 | Nicholas J. Perella, Professor of Italian, University of California, Berkeley | ◊ 2006 | Christopher Kleinhenz, Professor of Italian, University of Wisconsin, Madison |
| ◊ 2004 | Rosa Bellino Giordano, Teacher of Italian and French, Lyons Township High School, La Grange, Illinois |
| ◊ 2002 | Anthony Mollica, Professor of Education, Brock University, Ontario, Canada |
| ◊ 2000 | Albert N. Mancini, Professor of Italian, Ohio State University |
| ◊ 1998 | Julius A. Molinaro, Professor of Italian, University of Toronto |
| ◊ 1996 | Joseph A. Tursi, Professor of Italian, SUNY at Sony Brook |
| ◊ 1994 | Edoardo A. Lèbano, Professor of Italian, Indiana University |
| ◊ 1992 | Robert C. Melzi, Professor of Italian, Widener University |
| ◊ 1990 | Olga Ragusa, Professor of Italian, Columbia University |
| ◊ 1988 | S. Bernardo, Professor of Italian and Comparative Literature, SUNY at Binghamton | ◊ 1988 | Giovanni Cecchetti, Professor of Italian, UCLA |
| ◊ 1986 | Joseph Tusiani, Professor of Italian, Herbert C. Lehman College, CUNY |