Judith A. Mayotte, Ph.D., Named First Desmond Tutu Distinguished Chair in Global Understanding

This fall, Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu will bring his special insight to the 103rd voyage of Semester at Sea when he and his wife Leah set sail for their second full voyage. Tutu, 78, will help launch the first Desmond Tutu Distinguished Chair in Global Understanding, a program established to honor his lifelong contributions to global awareness and intercultural understanding. Judith A. Mayotte, Ph.D., a colleague and long-time acquaintance of Tutu, has been named the inaugural chair.

The responsibilities of the Desmond Tutu Distinguished Chair in Global Understanding are to provide at least one lecture in a foreign port or university for an audience of U.S. and foreign students and to provide academic and personal leadership and inspiration during the voyage, in consultation with Archbishop Tutu, and the voyage's executive and academic deans. Mayotte will join the voyage in Cape Town and sail to Chennai, India, offering some of her insights in the arena of global understanding and the responsibility required of today's global citizens.

An expert in human rights and refugee studies, Mayotte has served as Women's Chair in Humanistic Studies in the Department of Theology at Marquette University, where as visiting professor she started the Marquette University South Africa Service Learning Program. She also serves on the board of the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation, and teaches with the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre and Leadership Academy in Cape Town, South Africa.

Mayotte formerly served on the faculty of Seattle University and taught at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C.. In 1994 she was appointed by the first Clinton Administration to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration as special adviser on refugee policy. A talented writer and producer, she won an Emmy in 1985 for the documentary series "Portrait of America". She is the author of Disposable People: The Plight of Refugees (Orbis, 1992).

Ms. Mayotte was selected as a recognized leader of global interests and influence, in matters of particular global importance," said Les McCabe, President of the Institute for Shipboard Education. "We searched for someone who holds a record of distinguished academic and global reach, of lasting effect upon the world's progress toward peace and understanding. She is a person capable of inspiring others and affecting necessary change."

Tutu described Mayotte as "just the right person" for the role.

Archbishop Tutu last sailed on Semester at Sea in Spring 2007 as Distinguished Lecturer-in-Residence and was a beloved member of the voyage community. Among his many achievements, Archbishop Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his efforts to end apartheid, served as Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa, and received the International Gandhi Peace Prize. He is a member of the ISE/SAS Board of Trustees.

Learn more about the Fall 2010 voyage of Semester at Sea, including the itinerary, academic program, and courses offered.