It is extremely difficult to decide what to highlight when describing Colette Mazzucelli, Ph.D., and her life’s work, given her impressive education, academic career, awards, grants, publications and activism in the world of peace and diplomacy.
Once upon a time, however, she was a young girl in Brooklyn searching for the perfect undergraduate college. Her parents, Silvio Anthony Mazzucelli and Adeline Maria DePonte Mazzucelli, were “not so keen” on the prospect of their only daughter moving from Brooklyn to Scranton. When Colette and her parents visited campus, they had the good fortune of encountering Michael D. DeMichele, Ph.D., chair of the Department of History, who immediately sensed her parents’ anxiety and went out of his way to address their concerns.
Soon after, the Mazzucellis became avid supporters of Colette’s decision to study at The University of Scranton, and Dr. DeMichele became a mentor whose avid interest in Colette’s academic goals and personal well-being (which included regularly checking in with her parents to assure them that all was well with their daughter in the Electric City) helped illuminate her future career path.
“Scranton prepared us for leadership, provided the important Jesuit values, tapped into our deeper conscience, encouraged us, and even instilled in us, the importance of being part of the global community to make a difference in the world,” Colette says. “Scranton professors gave us the roadmap and tools to accomplish international learning in a tangible way.
“All the professors who taught me were dedicated to a global vision, thereby helping me unlock my potential. I was encouraged to bunk during summer term studies with a student from Nepal. It was a fascinating time in my life, an experience I will never forget. There is no question, all the wonderful opportunities that I have today and the experiences along my journey are connected to the influences during my time as an undergraduate student on Scranton’s vibrant and exciting campus. For the experiences of these formative years, I am forever grateful.”
While at Scranton, Colette also studied under another mentor, William J. Parente, Ph.D., the professor of Political Science she referred to as, “the father and genius of Scranton’s Fulbright program.” Dr. Parente gave Colette the tools and the template that earned her the 1984 IIE Swiss Universities Grant that she credits as the launching pad for the rest of her career.
“As the recipient of 11 international awards, including two Fulbright Scholarships, I am especially proud of Scranton’s continued success and its stellar reputation for earning national accolades as a top producer of IIE Fulbright Scholarships,” she says.
Since graduating from Scranton, Colette earned a MALD from the Fletcher School of Tufts University, a Ph.D. from Georgetown University and an Ed.M. in International Educational Development, International Humanitarian Studies from Teachers College Columbia University.
Today, she is a BMW Foundation Responsible Leader, Chair of the NYU European Horizons Advisory Board and a member of the Advisory Board of The Data Union. She is also on the graduate faculty at New York University, where she organizes the Bosch Workshops in The Ethics of Personal Data Collection and a member of the undergraduate faculty at LIU Global, where she mentors talented students.
“Given my undergraduate education, I am in constant service to my local community, The University of Scranton and the world,” she says. “This way of life reflects my formative undergraduate years. It is truly the Scranton legacy; what differentiates a Scranton education from other schools.”
Recently, Colette established an endowed scholarship at the University in honor of her parents.
“The important work at Scranton continues today,” she says. “This is the reason I established The Silvio Anthony and Adeline Maria DePonte Mazzucelli Scholarship. I cannot think of a better estate gift to give Scranton in appreciation of my education at the University.
“I am privileged to be an alumna and support the Endowed Scholarship Program. It is the gift that keeps on giving, living on perpetually with interest and providing the award to deserving students. There is no better gift than a gift of education and opportunity. I am thrilled to help The University of Scranton’s mission continue for the generations that follow.”
To learn how you can show your appreciation for Scranton with a gift in your estate, like Colette, contact Carol Maculloch, MBA, CFRE at plannedgiving@scranton.edu or 570-941-7799.