Christine de Vollmer Receives Honorary Doctorate from Universidad Monteávila

Caracas, May 2026.— The Superior Council of Universidad Monteávila has conferred its first honorary doctorates.

Within the framework of its 25th anniversary, Universidad Monteávila joins a long-standing academic tradition aimed at honoring individuals whose trajectories embody the university’s values and who serve as references in social life. Under this premise, the institution’s Superior Council unanimously decided to award its first Honorary Doctorates to Mrs. Christine de Marcellus de Vollmer and Dr. Rafael Tomás Caldera Pietri.

With this honorary distinction, the university recognizes the exceptional merits of these distinguished national figures. The selection criteria included their contributions in the fields of education, science, culture, professional practice, and social leadership; the integration of knowledge achieved throughout their careers; as well as their vocation for service and the synthesis of faith and reason reflected in their lives.

A Lifetime Dedicated to Education and the Family

Christine de Marcellus de Vollmer is an internationally recognized advocate for values-based education and family development. Founder of Provive and current President of its Board of Directors, she is creator and coauthor of the Aprendiendo a Querer program. She also serves as President of the Latin American Alliance for the Family. She was the first woman appointed as a Consultant to the Pontifical Council for the Family, a role she held from 1994 to 2016; during that same period, she was also a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life. She participated as a member of the Holy See delegation to the United Nations (1990–1995).

The nomination committee for this doctorate highlighted among its selection criteria “her lifelong commitment to service, her pioneering leadership, and her significant contributions to education and the defense of human dignity”. 

This recognition underscores the growing global relevance of her work in advancing social transformation through education, transmitting universal values to children and young people to help them develop the best version of themselves..

Event Details

The formal ceremony for the conferral of the Honorary Doctorate will take place on May 6, 2026.