Donata Francescato

Francescato is currently the Scientific Director of the post-graduate School of Specialization in clinical community psychology and psychotherapy at ASPIC (Associazione per lo Sviluppo Psicologico dell'Individuo e della Comunità, Association for the Psychological Development of the Individual and the Community). Previously, she was a Full Professor of Community Psychology at the University of Rome, a position she retired from in 2014 at the age of 70.

Background

Francescato earned her B.A. in French literature from Rice University in 1967. She later went on to receive an M.A. in French literature from Rice University in 1970, and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Houston in 1972. Her post-doctoral fellowship was undertaken at Brandeis University as a research associate in the Sociology department.

Upon her return to Italy, she wrote the first Italian textbook on community psychology and co-founded Effe, a feminist magazine active from 1972 to 1982. She also co-founded the European Network of Community Psychologists (ENCP) which gave birth to the European Association Community Association (ECPA). She is a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, the Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, Psicologia di Comunità (Community Psychology) and Psicoterapia Familiare (Family Psychotherapy).

During her academic career Francescato developed the concept and practice of innovative online teaching methodologies to teach professional competences using computer-supported collaborative learning. She also developed intervention methodologies to promote individual, group, organizational and community empowerment, as well as many intervention programs for the empowerment of women, immigrants and members of disadvantaged communities. One prong of her research involves evaluating these methodologies.