A Good Day to Be A Villanova Alum

My alma mater's been making me proud with athletic accomplishments lately, but they just made a much more important decision... and once again, did us proud...

The Board of Trustees of Villanova University today elected Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A. as the University’s 32nd president to succeed Edmund J. Dobbin, O.S.A. who has announced his intention to step down as president at the conclusion of the 2005-2006 academic year.

Father Donohue is currently a tenured associate professor and the chairperson of Villanova’s theatre department, a position he assumed in 1992. A recognized University leader, Father Donohue is a highly sought after academician, teacher, minister, colleague and lecturer. He is a member of the Augustinian Institute Advisory Board and has served on numerous committees at Villanova including, as faculty representative on the Board of Trustees Academic Affairs Committee, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Diversity Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, and the University Judicial Boards. In addition he served on the NCAA Certification Self-Study committees of 1996-1997 and 2001-2002. Father Donohue served two terms as a member of the Board of Trustees of Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts.

An award-winning director, Father Donohue received five Barrymore nominations for Outstanding Direction of a Musical for Parade, Children of Eden, Into the Woods, Evita, and Chicago, which received nine nominations and three 2002 Barrymore Awards, including Outstanding Direction of a Musical.

A devoted liturgical minister, Father Donohue regularly celebrates weddings for Villanova alumni and conducts the Sunday evening Mass for the Villanova community. Father Donohue is the long time Chaplain of the University’s Navy ROTC program, offering counsel to midshipmen, presiding over the annual commissioning Mass and lecturing in the Senior Leadership Seminar.

Any man who suffered through the indignity of having me for a Theatrical Expression class and survived with his sense of humor intact deserves great accolades... whether this counts as one, I'll leave to others to decide. I'll second a point that Johnny Red made -- I suddenly feel closer to my alma mater.

I'll leave it to the Lord of Truth to add his thoughts if he so wishes (if he ever blogs again -- ahem), but the University could not have made a better choice to lead it forward in the new millenium.