In October 2026, JCU’s Vice President of Academics Mary Merva returned to Jilin University in Changchun, northeastern China, where she taught for a year in 1985. She was invited to join the university’s 80th anniversary celebrations, marking a memorable return more than four decades after her first visit.
On September 30, 2026, John Cabot University had the honor of welcoming world-renowned political scientist Robert D. Putnam for a Presidential Lecture titled "The Transformation of American Politics, Between Long Trends and Recent Earthquakes."
On September 24, 2026, John Cabot University formally invested Dr. Antonia Maioni as its seventh president, beginning a new chapter for JCU.
Originally from South Carolina, Elaine Deer is a History major with minors in Creative Writing and Art History. As Chief of Staff in the Student Government, Elaine manages the Department Representatives, drawing on her previous experience as a History and Humanities Representative. She is also the founder of the History and Humanities Society.
JCU students participated in the AgriThreads challenge in collaboration with the social fashion studio Coloriage. The results were presented at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome on October 13, 2026.
From September 17–20, 2026, 12 JCU students and alumni traveled to the northern Italian city of Trento to attend the 2026 Religion Today Film Festival, as part of their internship with So Fare Films, an independent production house founded by JCU Professor Jenn Lindsay.
After graduating from JCU in 2017 with a BA in Humanistic Studies and a minor in Art History, New York native Giulia Stasi went on to create a career centered on meaningful experiences. Now based in Puglia, she is the founder of a women’s retreat that brings women together through reflection, community, and personal growth.
Class of 2025 graduates Brontë Delmonico and Emma Saul met at John Cabot University in Rome, where a friendship built through shared classes, a home, and the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) grew into a professional partnership.
Giorgia Conte graduated from JCU in 2016 with a major in International Business and a minor in Entrepreneurship. After building a career in corporate marketing and communications, she returned to JCU as a professor, bringing her passion for mentoring and career development into the classroom.
Originally from South Carolina, Elaine Deer is a History major with minors in Creative Writing and Art History. As Chief of Staff in the Student Government, Elaine manages the Department Representatives, drawing on her previous experience as a History and Humanities Representative. She is also the founder of the History and Humanities Society.
On October 14, 2026, John Cabot University welcomed Santiago Peralta, founder and CEO of Paccari, for a talk on sustainability and entrepreneurship in the chocolate industry.
On October 5, 2026, Francesco Lapenta, director of the Institute of Future and Innovation Studies, was invited to participate in a discussion at the Consiglio Nazionale dell’Economia e del Lavoro (CNEL) in Rome, to talk about the future of the automotive industry and the wider transformation of Europe’s industrial system.
JCU students participated in the AgriThreads challenge in collaboration with the social fashion studio Coloriage. The results were presented at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome on October 13, 2026.
Christopher Gaffney is a human geographer whose research focuses on urbanization, tourism, sports, and the political economy of cities. His research has examined the impacts of major sporting events such as the World Cup and Olympics, as well as overtourism and its effects on communities.
On October 6, 2026, John Cabot University hosted “Woke Capitalism or Neo-Deniers: Who Is Right?”, a discussion on climate change, corporate sustainability, and the role of business in the energy transition.
JCU hosted Professor Amitav Acharya, Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance at the School of International Services at American University, in Washington, DC. Acharya presented his book "The Once and Future World Order" (Basic Books, 2025).
From September 17–20, 2026, 12 JCU students and alumni traveled to the northern Italian city of Trento to attend the 2026 Religion Today Film Festival, as part of their internship with So Fare Films, an independent production house founded by JCU Professor Jenn Lindsay.
In October 2026, JCU’s Vice President of Academics Mary Merva returned to Jilin University in Changchun, northeastern China, where she taught for a year in 1985. She was invited to join the university’s 80th anniversary celebrations, marking a memorable return more than four decades after her first visit.
Katarina Kierkegaard, originally from a small town in Pennsylvania, is a Political Science major with minors in Psychology and Legal Studies. Katarina is President of JCU’s first all-female Student Government (SG). They are also a Resident Assistant (RA) and previously served as their representative in SG Senate.
