Alessandro Signorini Named “Professor of the Year” by Class of 2023
On May 12, the graduating class of 2023 honored Professor Alessandro Signorini as “Professor of the Year” during the traditional Gala Dinner at Rome’s Villa Miani.
Professor Signorini, who joined JCU in 2008, teaches Principles of Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Social Marketing and Fundraising, and Strategic Marketing Management.
Professor Alessandro Signorini
Education as a catalyst for truth
“We are constantly exposed to ruthless mass marketing techniques to control us, to take advantage of our deepest fears, our anxiety, our anger, to shape our personalities, our dreams, our aspirations,” said Signorini during his acceptance speech. “But we have one barrier to this overwhelming power, and that is education. Education shows what is behind the scenes, the hidden objectives that are set for the benefit of businesses and governments, not for the people. Education may reveal the truth, which is in many cases unpleasant, harsh, and disturbing, but only the truth should guide us. Education sets you free, education is about free and critical thinking against manipulation and exploitation. This is why I chose to be an educator and a teacher.”
Professor Signorini recalled that at the end of one of his courses, a student said, “I hope that I am going to make you proud.” His answer to the student was, “I am already very proud of you for what you have achieved, and I always will be, but I will be even prouder if you follow your heart and soul deeply and truly be yourself.”
He concluded by saying, “Thank you so much, everyone, it was an honor and a privilege to be your Professor of Marketing.”
What students say
Here’s what some of Professor Signorini’s students had to say about him:
“Professor Signorini undoubtedly shaped my understanding of marketing since the first class I took with him. His teaching style made me understand and appreciate marketing and made the study of the subject fun, interesting, and easy to understand. I ended up taking all the courses offered by Professor Signorini. The individual projects were the opportunity to be creative with the concepts studied, and group projects were the perfect chance to apply them to real life.”
“He goes above and beyond for his students! He really does so much more than just teach marketing concepts, he teaches his students how to become successful adults in this new and competitive market. He also gives the best career advice while helping to reduce stress! Truly a great professor!”
“Professor Signorini was one of the best professors I had at JCU. I took his Consumer Behavior class in the Spring 2023 semester and I regret that I didn’t have the chance to take his other classes as well.”
“Professor Signorini goes above and beyond for his students. He genuinely cares about us not only as students but as professionals. He always has the best answers to our questions, and he gives us the creative freedom to express ourselves with no judgment. I can say with great confidence that I am well prepared for the professional world thanks to Professor Signorini.”
“Professor Signorini is the best Professor I have encountered in my time at John Cabot University. He is incredibly knowledgeable, he cares about his students, he is funny and he is one of the best human beings you’ll meet.”
“Professor Signorini is a knowledgeable and outstanding professor who cares about his students and their understanding of the subject matter. Professor Signorini is that professor that you will remember forever as someone who taught you a lot in the classroom and also about life in general.”
“Truly the best professor I’ve ever had. He gave me real-life examples and taught me more about the professional world than anyone else. In addition, he is kind, generous, and extremely intelligent. I hope everyone has the chance to take a class with him.”
Professor Signorini earned his M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. In September 2008, he joined JCU as Assistant Professor of Marketing and he was granted tenure in 2012. He was Chair of the Business Administration Department from 2012 to 2014 and from 2016 to 2018. In September 2020, he became Associate Professor.
Since 2005, Professor Signorini has also cooperated in fundraising projects for a number of non-profit organizations such as Bioversity International, the World Food Programme, Oxfam, and Ashoka. In 2016, Professor Signorini co-founded an innovative social start-up in the field of charity cashback called Donapp, where he was Chief Marketing Officer until April 2019. Since May 2019, Professor Signorini is the Director of the Health Economics Evaluation (HEE) Research Unit for UniCamillus, a fully-recognized medical university based in Rome, where he coordinates economic-health projects in Covid-19 and the malaria vaccine.
