The John Cabot University community is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Dr. Portia Anne Prebys, Vice Chair of the JCU Board of Trustees, on October 16, 2026, at the age of 82.
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."
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.
On Saturday, September 26, 2026, 90 members of the John Cabot University community gathered at the Hotel Hassler in Rome for the annual President’s Gala to welcome Antonia Maioni, JCU’s seventh president. Trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends came together to celebrate the newly invested president.
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.
JCU celebrated the naming of the Paula Frohring Wing of the Frohring Library, previously known as the Aurelian Wing, in the Guarini Campus.
On October 9, 2026, as part of a company visit organized by the Center for Career Services, a group of 15 JCU students was invited to Hotel de Russie, one of Rome's five-star luxury hotels, to discover what goes into creating an exceptional guest experience.
Professor Donatella Della Ratta has recently published the book "Violenza speculativa: Come l'IA ci sta abituando all'orrore" (Einaudi, 2026), which will be published in its original English version in early 2027 with Haymarket Books.
On Saturday, September 26, 2026, 90 members of the John Cabot University community gathered at the Hotel Hassler in Rome for the annual President’s Gala to welcome Antonia Maioni, JCU’s seventh president. Trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends came together to celebrate the newly invested president.
On October 20th, JCU welcomed Ihor Brusylo, Ambassador of Ukraine to Italy for a discussion on diplomacy in times of conflict. The event was organized by the Center for Career Services. Ambassador Brusylo had previously served as a diplomat in Italy and held numerous senior roles in the Ukrainian government.
The John Cabot University community is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Dr. Portia Anne Prebys, Vice Chair of the JCU Board of Trustees, on October 16, 2026, at the age of 82.
Originally from Bolivia, Pilar Murguia works as Associate Dean of Student Engagement. She is also involved in the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), where she fulfills the role of Director of the Global Division.
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.
