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Honorary Degree Recipients

Recognizing Meaningful Contributions

Honorary Degree Recipients 2026

Honorary degrees represent one of the highest distinctions bestowed by John Cabot University, recognizing individuals whose exceptional accomplishments in their fields or meaningful contributions to society exemplify the pursuit of excellence and the advancement of the common good.

Through their achievements and dedication, honorary degree recipients serve as an inspiration to our graduates, encouraging them to pursue their aspirations with purpose and to embrace the values of intellectual curiosity, cultural understanding, and positive impact that define the University’s mission.

Giorgio Parisi

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Professor Parisi was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann for groundbreaking contributions to the theory of complex systems, specifically for his discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems from atomic to planetary scales. His work has proven foundational not only in theoretical physics but across a remarkable range of disciplines — from mathematics and biology to neuroscience and machine learning.

Born and raised in Rome, Professor Parisi graduated from Sapienza University of Rome in 1970 under the guidance of Nicola Cabibbo and has remained one of the defining figures of Italian and international science ever since. Over the course of his career, he has made decisive contributions to particle physics, statistical mechanics, fluid dynamics, condensed matter physics, and the study of complex systems. He is the author of over 600 scientific articles and four books. A member of the Accademia dei Lincei (the Italian National Academy of Sciences), of which he has served as president, the US National Academy of Sciences, and the French Académie des Sciences, Professor Parisi has received numerous international honors, including the Boltzmann Medal, the Dannie Heineman Prize, the Max Planck Medal, and the Wolf Prize.

Franco Pavoncello

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After receiving a B.A. in International Relations and Chinese and Japanese Studies (summa cum laude) from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Franco Pavoncello continued his studies at the University of Michigan, where he obtained an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Political Science.

He has been a member of the faculty at John Cabot University since 1990, where he served as Dean of Academic Affairs from 1996 to 2005 while continuing to lecture in Political Science. In 2005, Franco Pavoncello became Acting President of the University and was confirmed President in April 2006. Dr. Pavoncello has led the University for over two decades, from April 2006 to June 2026.

A leading analyst of Italian politics, Dr. Pavoncello's work has appeared in, among others, the American Political Science Review, the British Journal of Political Science, Asian Studies, and World Affairs. He is also a well-known media commentator on Italian affairs, a contributor to major international newspapers, and appears regularly on radio and television networks, including CNN, BBC, New York Times, Reuters Press and TV, International Herald Tribune and many other media organizations.

Previous Recipients

2025
• Alberto Angela, Leading Experts in Scientific and Historical Outreach
• John C. Meditz, JCU Trustee

2024
• Marta Dassù, Senior Advisor for European Affairs at the Aspen Institute, and Editor-in-chief of Aspenia
• Francesca La Marca, Senator of the Italian Republic

2023
• David P. Haney, President of Hiram College
• Luise Druke, Nobel Peace Prize Certificate Laureate & Fellow of Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs

2022
• Billy Collins, U.S. Poet Laureate
• Azza Karam, Secretary General, Religions for Peace International

2020 & 2021
• Staffan de Mistura, Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

2019
• Greg Burke, Journalist

2018
• John Timothy Dunlap, JCU Trustee and His Most Eminent Highness, the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

2017
• Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
• Milena Gabanelli, Italian Journalist and Television Host

2016
Dario Franceschini, Italian Minister of Culture and Tourism
Roberto Wirth, President and Managing Director of the Hassler Roma

2015
• Dacia Maraini, Author

2014
• Matthew Festing, Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta
• Nicholas Vreeland, Buddhist monk and former abbot of Rato Dratsang

2013
• Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, Founder and Chairman of the Board of the National Museum of Women in the Arts
• Edwin Frederick O’Brien, Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem

2012 - Special Convocation
• Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agatha, Minister of Foreign Affairs

2011
• Ertharin Cousin, US Ambassador to the US Mission to the UN

2010
• David H. Thorne, US Ambassador to Italy
• Ali Reza Arabnia, ’83, JCU Trustee

2009
•Josette Sheeran, Executive Director, World Food Program

2008
• Gianni Letta, Under Secretary to the Presidency of the Council of Minister, Republic of Italy
• John Bailey, President, American College of Greece

2007
• Ronald Spogli, US Ambassador to Italy

2006
• Robert D. Putnam, Peter and Isabel Malkin Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University

2005
•Marcello Pera, President of the Senate of the Republic of Italy
• James F. Creagan, Former President of John Cabot University

2004
• Joseph Hagan, Chairman JCU Board of Trustees

2003
• Walter Veltroni, Mayor of Rome
• Portia Anne Prebys, JCU Trustee

2002
• James Nicholson, US Ambassador to the Holy See
• Letizia Moratti, Minister of Education
• Antonio Martino, Minister of Defense

2001
• Cathrine Bertini, Director, World Food Program

2000
• Giuliano Amato, Prime Minister of Italy
• Giovanna Melandri, Minister of Culture
• James R. Bowditch, Professor at John Cabot University

Honorary Degree Recipients