Commencement 2015 Special Guests: Ambassador Phillips and Author Dacia Maraini
John Cabot University is proud to announce the special guests for the 2015 Commencement Ceremony, which will take place in Rome at the Villa Aurelia on May 18, 2015.
Commencement Speaker: U.S. Ambassador to the Italian Republic, John R. Phillips
Ambassador John Phillips
It is a great privilege for John Cabot University to welcome the Honorable John R. Phillips, U.S. Ambassador to the Italian Republic and the Republic of San Marino as this year’s Commencement Speaker.
Ambassador Phillips was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2013. His engagement with public interest law began in 1971 when he cofounded one of the first Ford Foundation funded Public Interest law firms in Los Angeles, focusing on the environment, civil rights, and corporate responsibility. He played a significant role in getting Congress in 1986 to modernize the dormant Federal False Claim Act which has since become the government’s primary tool in holding accountable corporations that have defrauded the U.S. government. Ambassador Phillips’ full biography can be found on the official website of the United States Diplomatic Mission to Italy.
Honorary Degree Recipient: Dacia Maraini
Dacia Maraini
John Cabot University will have the honor of conferring a Degree in Humane Letters, honoris causa, to renowned Italian novelist, poet, playwright, and essayist Dacia Maraini.
An iconic figure in Italian cultural life as well as a tireless social activist, Ms. Maraini has received many literary awards, including the prestigious Premio Campiello and Premio Strega. She is the author of many novels and more than sixty plays performed in Italy and abroad. In 1973 she founded the Teatro della Maddalena, managed exclusively by women. Her latest novel is Chiara Di Assisi. Elogio della disobbedienza (2013). Her works have been translated into 22 languages. An English translation of four of her plays is forthcoming from John Cabot University Press.
“Dacia Maraini’s personal history, her professional activity, and her commitment to social causes make her an important role model for our students and for all of us,” said JCU President Franco Pavoncello.
Commencement Information
The Class of 2015, with its 148 students representing 27 countries throughout the world, is the largest in JCU history. The University’s 43rd ceremony will take place at the Villa Aurelia on the Janiculum Hill overlooking the city of Rome.
This will be JCU’s most environmentally friendly Commencement ceremony to date. For example, graduation gowns are made from 100% post consumer plastic bottles. There are about 23 bottles in each gown!
Learn more about Commencement at John Cabot University.
