On September 24, 2026, John Cabot University formally invested Dr. Antonia Maioni as its seventh president, beginning a new chapter for JCU.
President Maioni joins John Cabot University after a long and distinguished career at McGill University in Montreal. A political scientist with a PhD from Northwestern, she is known internationally for her research on comparative health policy. From 2016 to 2021, she served as McGill's Dean of the Faculty of Arts — the first woman to hold that role, overseeing the university's largest faculty (social sciences, humanities, liberal arts). She has also held visiting and research posts worldwide, including the William Lyon Mackenzie King Professorship at Harvard's Weatherhead Center and a fellowship at Johns Hopkins SAIS in Bologna.
The ceremony, which took place next door to JCU in the auditorium of Rome’s prestigious Accademia dei Lincei, began with a processional performed by Maestro Stefano Brizzi and an invocation by His Eminent Highness, Frà John T. Dunlap, Prince & Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and JCU Trustee.
Vice President of Academics Dr. Mary Merva welcomed guests and explained the meaning behind the investiture, noting that the ceremonial mace carried by Dean of Academic Affairs Nicholas Startin represents the importance of defending the university as a custodian of knowledge, learning, and tradition.
Student Greeting
Katarina Kierkegaard, President of JCU's Student Government, welcomed President Maioni to the University and expressed hope for her leadership. She praised President Maioni's kindness, intellect, joy, experience, and genuine connection with the JCU community, and encouraged her to foster openness and respect for the University's diverse international student body. "My wish for you is to lead with kindness in all that you do, and as you do, I know your experience at JCU will be as prosperous as that of its students," concluded Katarina.
Faculty Greeting
Professor Tara Keenan, Faculty Senate Co-Executive, welcomed President Maioni to JCU, "the only American liberal arts university where global citizenship is not a slogan but a general distribution requirement." Speaking on behalf of the faculty, Professor Keenan said that "universities are among the last institutions built around the belief that knowledge outlives crises, that critical thinking and the spirit of liberal arts-based inquiry is how we attain that knowledge." She described the president's role as a steward of the conditions that allow curiosity, learning, and scholarship to flourish, particularly amid challenges such as AI, geopolitics, and pressures on higher education. "It is our sincerest hope that we can work together with you to see John Cabot thrive as a global leader known for its liberal arts tradition and spirit of innovation," added Professor Keenan. "We welcome you warmly, and we promise to support you with energy, collegiality, and the occasional spirited debate that only a university like ours could consider a true sign of affection."
Alumni Greeting
Francesco Ruspoli (Class of '94), President of the JCU Alumni Association and Member of the Board of Trustees, welcomed President Maioni and celebrated the inauguration as the beginning of an exciting new chapter for JCU. He reflected on how JCU teaches students to question, listen, think independently, and engage with people and ideas from around the world, with Rome providing a unique setting for this experience. He praised President Maioni's academic achievements, leadership, and international experience, as well as her belief in education's power to connect people and broaden horizons.
Civic Greeting
Giulia Silvia Ghia, Councilor for Culture, Education, Sport and Youth Policies for Rome's First Municipality, welcomed President Maioni on behalf of the city’s mayor Roberto Gualtieri, and emphasized the close relationship between JCU and the Trastevere neighborhood. She thanked former President Franco Pavoncello for his outstanding leadership of the University and highlighted Maioni's appointment as the first woman to lead JCU.
Councilor Ghia stressed that JCU is not simply located in Trastevere but is part of the neighborhood's daily life, with students contributing energy, languages, cultures, and ideas while also learning from residents, schools, businesses, and associations. She added that JCU is also an important bridge between Rome, the United States, and the wider world, while Rome itself is an essential part of students' education. She concluded by expressing the municipality's willingness to be an attentive partner to President Maioni and JCU, and its desire to further strengthen the university's relationship with the local community.
Board of Trustees Greeting
Frank Desiderio, Vice Chair of JCU's Board of Trustees, welcomed President Maioni and explained the Board's responsibility to safeguard JCU's mission and values while creating the conditions for its continued growth. Reflecting on the presidential search process, he said that Dr. Maioni ultimately stood out because of her academic credentials, institutional experience, and, above all, her strong alignment with JCU's mission, history, identity, and future direction. He expressed the Board's and the wider JCU community's enthusiasm for her presidency and the chapter ahead.
Keynote Address
Senator Francesca La Marca
The keynote speaker was Francesca La Marca, Senator of the Italian Republic, representing the North and Central America constituency. Senator La Marca celebrated President Maioni's investiture as a historic moment for JCU, highlighting her appointment as the University's first woman president and as an Italian-Canadian whose international background reflects JCU's global character. She outlined Dr. Maioni's academic and professional achievements across Canada, the United States, and Italy, emphasizing her work in political science, public policy, healthcare reform, and social policy.
"President Maioni, I know that John Cabot University will thrive under your leadership, and that it will continue to be a crossroads of cultures and experiences where students come from around the globe, not only to study but to challenge one another and forge relationships that will have a positive impact on society," concluded Senator La Marca.
Formal Investiture
William J. Martini, JCU Trustee and Vice Chair Emeritus, formally invested Dr. Maioni as the university's seventh president and presented her with the presidential medallion. The Board charged her with preserving the mission of the University, advancing academic excellence, fostering inclusion, serving the university community, and leading with integrity, compassion, and courage, and with preparing future generations to become global citizens. The medallion symbolizes the authority and trust of the presidency, as well as JCU's history, the responsibilities of the office, and the University community's shared commitment to its future.
Inaugural Address
President Maioni began by thanking her family and all the members of the JCU community who have made her feel at home. "I would like to thank the Board of Trustees and its chair, Salvatore Salibello, for the confidence placed in me and for the inspired stewardship that has guided this institution's growth and success," said President Maioni.
She honored the University's previous leaders, particularly outgoing President Franco Pavoncello, as well as other founders and supporters who helped transform JCU into an exceptional institution for the 21st century.
JCU President Antonia Maioni
President Maioni explained that her connection to Italian explorer Giovanni Caboto, also known as John Cabot, dates back to her childhood and to growing up in an Italian-Canadian immigrant family. She quoted the Roman philosopher Seneca, who wrote, "I am not born for one corner; the whole world is my native land." According to President Maioni, this captures the essence of the University's mission: to encourage its students to venture beyond their corners, to embrace the world, and to be inspired by the University motto, Explorando Excello — in exploring, I excel. She emphasized that Rome is not merely JCU's setting but an integral part of the educational experience, offering students exposure to history, culture, diplomacy, creativity, and international exchange.
She reaffirmed JCU's commitment to liberal arts education and international learning, arguing that the liberal arts provide students with the adaptability, critical thinking, and human understanding needed to navigate technological, economic, and geopolitical change.
On her leadership approach, President Maioni said that she would combine continuity of JCU's mission with a willingness to change structures and practices where necessary. She emphasized shared and delegated leadership, evidence-based decision-making, institutional memory, collaboration, clarity, and accountability.
The President laid out a roadmap for JCU organized around three priorities: 1. Provide — create the best possible conditions for teaching, learning, work, community life, and student success; 2. Prepare — strengthen academic vitality, innovation, faculty quality, institutional resilience, sustainability, and JCU's ability to respond to a changing world; 3. Promote — raise JCU's profile among American universities abroad, deepen its relationship with Rome, highlight its global and future-ready graduates, encourage philanthropy and appreciation of the University, and position JCU as a forum for international dialogue.
She closed by reflecting on her own family's migration between Italy and North America, describing her presidency as a personal return to her roots and a continuation of that transatlantic journey. "Today, as I wear this medallion, I commit to becoming a champion for John Cabot University's future as an international institution of higher learning. Together, as John Cabot's motto urges us to do, let us keep exploring. Together, let us excel," concluded President Maioni.
