Global Citizenship Curriculum Project - Georgetown University

Mark Anthony D. Abenir is an associate professor of development studies and the service-learning program manager at the Ateneo de Manila University. A dedicated practitioner-scholar, he integrates service-learning as a key pedagogical approach in his courses on community development and social change, project management, and sustainable development. He also serves as section co-editor of the International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE). His expertise lies in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of community, social welfare, and poverty reduction programs that are participatory, people-centered, gender-sensitive, and rights-based. His research interests include service-learning and community engagement in higher education, grassroots social and community development, studies on children and youth empowerment, and disaster management and resilience. He holds a doctoral degree in social development and a master's degree in community development, both with a focus on social development planning and administration. He is a member of the Global Citizenship Curriculum Project Faculty Working Group.

Juan Javier Aguiar Román is a legal scholar and university professor based in Quito, Ecuador. He currently serves as Director of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Center “Dra. María del Rocío Bermeo Sevilla” at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE), where he also teaches law. His academic work focuses on equality, non-discrimination, and the legal experiences of LGBTQIA+ communities, particularly in Latin America. He is a doctoral candidate in law at Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, where his research develops the concept of “subjugated diversity” as a critical framework for analyzing structural inequalities. His scholarship engages constitutional and inter-American human rights law, with an emphasis on the transformative role of legal institutions. Through his teaching, research, and professional practice, he seeks to promote inclusive justice and contribute to the mission of Jesuit higher education. He is a member of the Global Citizenship Curriculum Project Faculty Working Group.

Liliya Harutyunyan has been working for Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE) for twenty years. She has taught subjects related to academic reading and writing in Spanish as well as in English, international cooperation, conflict resolution, global affairs, globalization, research, and more. Harutyunyan was the first coordinator of the languages applied to global studies major at PUCE, she has been a member of her faculty committee and was in charge of faculty internalization, and she has served as director of several outreach and research projects. She is a member of the Global Citizenship Curriculum Project Faculty Working Group.

Roxana Henriquez Maugard is a professor at Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Chile. She is a teacher of English and journalist with experience teaching Latin American culture, Spanish, Hispanic American short stories, Spanish grammar and poetry, Latin American gender issues, intercultural communication, English for specific purposes and other classes for different universities and the Chilean Navy. She is a member of the Global Citizenship Curriculum Project Faculty Working Group.

María Eugenia Ibarrarán is a researcher at the Xabier Gorostiaga SJ Environmental Research Institute of the Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla. She obtained a PhD in geography, with a specialty in energy and environmental studies at Boston University, and a bachelor's degree in economics from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México. Her area of research is environmental economics, in particular, oriented to the economics of climate change, air pollution and economic valuation of environmental quality. She participates as a member of the Scientific Council of the Megalopolitan Environmental Commission (CAMe), presides the Technical Council of Climate Change of the State of Puebla, Social Counselor for the Evaluation of the National Climate Change Policy, and as a member of the National System of Researchers in Mexico. She tutors the Global Environmental Citizenship Course of the Magis Exchange Program, and she is a member of the Global Citizenship Curriculum Project Faculty Working Group.

Laura Muro is a professor of accounting and international business sustainability at Saint Louis University (SLU), Madrid Campus. Her research focuses on corporate governance and business sustainability, with a strong emphasis on environmental and social responsibility. She has represented SLU at high-level events, including the United Nations Summit of the Future, where she contributed to transformative dialogues on the 2030 Agenda and financing for development, and she has served as a panelist at international conferences addressing sustainability and social justice. Muro was awarded SLU's "Distinguished Faculty Award" (2021) and the Honorary Fellowship at the Hanken Centre for Accounting, Finance, and Governance (2022). Her work has been published in top-tier journals. She has spoken at institutions such as the University of Cambridge and Trinity College. Through her teaching, research, and public engagement, Muro inspires future leaders committed to a more just and sustainable world. She is a member of the Global Citizenship Curriculum Project Faculty Working Group.

Dr. Cyrus P. Olsen III, D.Phil. (Oxon.), is a professor at The University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Recipient of the University Provost's “Excellence in Advancing Global Learning” award (2025), Dr. Olsen’s pedagogy is deeply informed by lived experience and scholarly engagement across Africa, Europe, and the U.S. A fellow of Harvard Medical School’s Human Network Initiative and co-PI on a Templeton-funded Uganda-based project integrating brain health, social networks, and spiritual ecology, he pairs theological training with global health research. He has held the endowed Lo Schiavo Chair in Catholic Social Thought at the University of San Francisco and contributed to AI ethics dialogues at Oxford and the United Nations. With over two decades teaching diverse learners—including first-year seminars, global theology, race and religion, and civic leadership—Dr. Olsen models transdisciplinary education rooted in global responsibility, justice, and care for the common good, aligning with Georgetown’s Jesuit mission and the values of global citizenship. He is a member of the Global Citizenship Curriculum Project Faculty Working Group.

Theboral P. is a faculty member in the department of sociology at Loyola College, Chennai, where she has been teaching since 2012. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in sociology at VIT University, building upon her academic foundation with a master’s degree in medical sociology from Loyola College. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Women’s Christian College, Chennai, and qualified for the UGC-NET in sociology. She has contributed to multiple funded research projects, including studies on the socio-economic and ethical impact of artificial intelligence on workplace well-being, substance use and process addiction among students, migrant neglect and ethical business practices, and health-seeking behaviors in Tamil Nadu. She has published in peer-reviewed and Scopus-indexed journals such as Universal Journal of Public Health and Asian Journal of Human Services and contributed chapters to edited volumes addressing social health, reproductive rights, and sustainable practices. Her works explore diverse sociological themes, including early marriage, postpartum depression, gendered experiences of abortion, and the influence of social media on consumer behavior. Beyond teaching and research, she has held various academic leadership roles at Loyola College, including Youth Red Cross Society (YRCS) Club Coordinator, PG Programme Coordinator, IQAC in-charge, and Additional Director of Resource Centre for the Differently Abled. She is a member of the Global Citizenship Curriculum Project Faculty Working Group.

Francesca Parmeggiani holds degrees from the University of Bologna (Italy) and Indiana University-Bloomington (USA). She is Professor of Italian and Comparative Literature at Fordham University in New York (USA). She teaches 20th- and 21st-century Italian literature and cinema. Her research focuses on contemporary Italian literature and culture with special interests in the interplay of politics and religion in literature and film, women’s writing, and feminist theory. She is the author of a study of the fictional adaptations of Scripture by Italian writers in the 1960s and 1970s, and the co-editor of three volumes on the representation of violence in Italian culture, on poetry and prayer in the Italian literary tradition from the Middle Ages to the present, and on Krzysztof Kieślowski’s TV cycle, The Decalogue. Her articles have appeared in Annali d’Italianistica, Autografo, Cahiers d’études italiennes, Forum Italicum, Italica, Italianistica, Romance Languages, and IMAGES, among other venues. She has been collaborating with Patrizia Guarnieri (History, University of Florence) on the Digital Humanities project, Intellettuali in fuga dall’Italia fascista / Intellectuals Displaced from Fascist Italy as a translator and editor of translations. She is a member of the Global Citizenship Curriculum Project Faculty Working Group.

Ildikó Szegedy-Maszák, Ph.D., is a faculty member of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Law School Bogotá and director of the Master Program in Economic Law. She is a lawyer of ELTE Budapest University with LLM of London School of Economics and Political Science and Ph.D. in Sociology of Law and Political Institutions of Universidad Externado de Colombia. Szedegy-Maszák is an honorary adjunct professor of Budapest Corvinus University and a visiting professor of Universidad Pontificia Comillas Madrid and University of Cincinnati Law School. She is Honorary Consul of Hungary in Barranquilla. Her research is in international trade; comparative economic policies and the European Union. Szegedy-Maszák's latest writings are “La competencia y las empresas controladas por estados de economías de no mercado: el caso de la China” (Legis, 2024); “Sostenibilidad y OMC: La necesidad de reestructurar las normas de antidumping y antisubvenciones de la OMC – conflictos comerciales entre China y EE.UU.” (Tirant Lo Blanch, 2025). She is an international media commentator, and she is a member of the Global Citizenship Curriculum Project Faculty Working Group.

Catarina Vieira da Silva is an assistant professor for the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences at Universidade Católica Portuguesa. She holds a degree in social work from Universidade de Coimbra and a master's in social work from Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Vieira da Silva completed a PhD in social work through the interuniversity doctoral program at Universidade de Coimbra and Universidade Católica Portuguesa. She currently coordinates the bachelor's degree program in social work and the master's degree program in applied social gerontology. Since 2013, Vieira da Silva has served as the technical coordinator of a private institution of social solidarity, providing social support for older adults. Vieira da Silva is also a researcher at the Center for Philosophical and Humanistic Studies (CEFH). Her research interests include poverty studies, vulnerability and social exclusion, gerontological social work, global citizenship, innovative teaching methodologies, and sustainable development. She is a member of the Global Citizenship Curriculum Project Faculty Working Group.

Timothy Ajay is a postgraduate student in international relations at Loyola College, Tamil Nadu, India. He is a member of the IAJU Global Citizenship Fellows Program 2025-2026 cohort, and he serves as an Alumni Ambassador for the IAJU Global Citizenship Curriculum Project for fall 2026. Formed by Catholic faith and Jesuit values, his life and work are guided by Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, with a desire to give glory to God through learning and service, and by the spirit of Magis as a call to do more with what is already at hand. His academic research works examine the fields of women's leadership, Jesuit social engagement, and social movements in India, including a funded project on gender dynamics in corporate leadership. Alongside research, Timothy has held leadership roles within his institution and has been an active part of the Model United Nations circuit, while engaging in community outreach. These experiences have shaped his conviction that love is the root of true service, enabling empathy, attentive listening, and meaningful solidarity.

Deacon Nkafu Carlson Lekeaka is a master’s degree student at Hekima University College in Nairobi, Kenya specializing in peace studies and international relations. He is a member of the IAJU Global Citizenship Fellows Program 2025-2026 cohort and serves as an Alumni Ambassador for the IAJU Global Citizenship Curriculum Project for fall 2026. Originally from Cameroon, he is a Catholic deacon serving the Diocese of Buea in Cameroon. Passionate about mediation, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding, he is committed to applying his academic work to foster justice, reconciliation, and ethical governance. He serves as a research assistant for Coventry University in collaboration with Hekima University, contributing to the project Kenya’s Presidency-Led Regional Conflict Mediation in Eastern Africa. As a member of the IAJU Global Citizenship Fellows Program 2025-2026 cohort, he is dedicated to advancing initiatives that promote equity, healing, and collaborative approaches to social transformation. He aspires to contribute to international efforts that empower communities and build frameworks for lasting peace in Africa and beyond.

Born and raised in Quito, Ecuador, Paola Murillo Jiménez is an undergraduate student at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE) majoring in linguistics. As a language and linguistics enthusiast, she has had the opportunity to volunteer for different embassies’ events, be a staff member at linguistics congresses, and be involved in academic research and colloquiums. In addition, she was honored to win first place at the International Essay Contest for Young People in 2022. Due to her strong interest in linguistic policy, she hopes to become an interpreter. She is a member of the IAJU Global Citizenship Fellows Program 2024 cohort, and she serves as an Alumni Ambassador for the IAJU Global Citizenship Curriculum Project for fall 2025 and fall 2026.

Ruth Noll (C’27) is studying comparative literature on the pre-health track at Georgetown University. Ruth has academic interests in literature, genetics, and the medical humanities. She volunteers at a hospital and in a research lab as well as participating in various clubs and activities at Georgetown. She also enjoys teaching dance classes and tutoring. She is a member of the IAJU Global Citizenship Fellows Program 2024 cohort, and she serves as an Alumni Ambassador for the IAJU Global Citizenship Curriculum Project for fall 2025 and fall 2026.

Camilo Andrés Villegas Pulido is a student at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia pursuing a degree in medicine. He is a member of the IAJU Global Citizenship Fellows Program 2025-2026 cohort, and he serves as an Alumni Ambassador for the IAJU Global Citizenship Curriculum Project for fall 2026. Originally from Bogotá, his passion lies in the field of surgical oncology and understanding how technological advancements in the health sciences can reduce social inequalities. Firmly believing that concrete actions can generate meaningful change, Camilo has participated in multiple projects to support children with catastrophic illnesses throughout their treatment process. Additionally, he is an active member of the Con-Ciencia Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to secure resources to promote research projects led by the Colombian National Cancer Institute. He aspires to contribute to the development of health policies that foster the creation of equitable, innovative, and ethically grounded health care systems, particularly in contexts affected by social vulnerability and post-conflict dynamics.