It is difficult to decide what to highlight when describing Colette Mazzucelli, Ph.D. ’83
Once upon a time, however, she was a young girl in Brooklyn, New York, searching for the perfect college, and her parents, Silvio Anthony Mazzucelli and Adeline Maria DePonte Mazzucelli, were “not so keen” on the prospect of their only daughter moving to Scranton. When the family visited The University of Scranton 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 their daughter’s decision to study at Scranton, and Dr. DeMichele became a mentor whose interest in Mazzucelli’s academic goals and personal well-being helped illuminate her future career path.
Scranton “encouraged us, and even instilled in us, the importance of being part of the global community to make a difference in the world,” she said. “Scranton professors gave us the roadmap and tools to accomplish international learning in a tangible way.”
While at Scranton, Mazzucelli 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.” Parente gave Mazzucelli the tools that earned her the 1984 IIE Swiss Universities Grant that she credits as the launching pad for her career.
“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 said.
Since graduating from Scranton, Mazzucelli earned a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, a Ph.D. from Georgetown University and a Master of Education 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.
“I am in constant service to my local community, The University of Scranton and the world,” she said. “This way of life reflects my formative undergraduate years. It is truly the Scranton legacy, what differentiates a Scranton education from other schools.”
Recently, Mazzucelli established an endowed scholarship at the University in honor of her parents.
“The important work at Scranton continues today,” she said. “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.
“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.”
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