School of Public Service
Marco Tavanti, Ph.D.
Office: 14 E. Jackson Suite 1614
Phone: 312.362.8463
Fax: 312.362.5506
Email: mtavanti@depaul.edu
Associate Professor
Dr. Marco Tavanti received his Ph.D. with distinction in sociology from Loyola University Chicago, master of arts in cross-cultural theology and master of divinity from Catholic Theological Union.
Dr. Tavanti is chairperson of the International Public Service (IPS) degree and his areas of expertise include: sustainable development, social entrepreneurship, poverty reduction, international ethics, cross-cultural leadership, global civil society and management of non-governmental organizations.
Dr. Tavanti’s research focuses on the study of contemporary practices of leadership in indigenous and international organizations. His fieldwork research in Chiapas, Mexico generated a book on the indigenous civil society Las Abejas (Routledge 2003), published in the Outstanding Dissertation Series on Religion in History, Society and Culture. Dr. Tavanti conducted the founding research for the Hay Leadership project, designed the Vincentian Leadership Assessments (VLAs) and published various articles on contemporary Vincentian leadership practices. As a Wicklander Research Fellow for the Institute for Business and Professional Ethics (IBPE), Dr. Tavanti began the study of Vincentian ethics and Vincentian poverty reduction. The findings were published in the book What Would Vincent Do? Vincentian Higher Education and Poverty Reduction (Vincentian Heritage Journal, 2008). Currently he directs the University-Community Impact Assessment Project for the Steans Center for Community-Based Service Learning and Puerto Rican organizations in Humboldt Park.
Dr. Tavanti has designed and taught classes in the International Public Service Graduate Program including courses in international ethics (MPS 502), global civil society (MPS 614), intercultural communication (MPS 615), international conflict management (MPS 616), management of INGOs (MPS 611) and comparative public policy (MPS 613). He created and designed the Value-Centered Leadership Certificate and course (MPS 520). Dr. Tavanti has been instrumental in the creation of the Peace Study and Poverty Study programs at DePaul. His pedagogy focuses on professional adult education, community engagement and international experiential learning. He is currently serving the school and the University Committee for International Programs (UCIP) in their efforts to internationalize the curricula and culture at DePaul. As member of the Ethics across the Curricula (EAC) committee, he conducts ethics trainings for DePaul University faculty.
Dr. Tavanti has more than 15 years of practitioner experience working in international development and poverty reduction in Europe, East Africa and Latin America. In Italy, his native country, he worked for Caritas, fair trade organizations and co-founded Casa Aperta a community house for immigrant and at-risk youth. He worked in rural development programs near Dodoma in Tanzania and in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. In Sao Luis, Brazil he worked and collaborated with the Landless Movement (MST) and Christian Base Communities (CEBs). Since his arrival at DePaul in 2002, Dr. Tavanti has been coordinating programs with the United Nations. Currently he serves as Chairperson of the International Public Service Graduate Program and directs the Chiapas-Mexico Program on sustainable development, the Manila-Philippines Program on urban poverty reduction and the Tuscany-Italy Program on the study of European food policy.
He also serves on the Board of Jubilee Economic Ministries, Advisory Boards of the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Dr. Tavanti speaks six languages and in his spare time his favorite hobby is graphic design.
Curriculum Vitae