Robert A. Dowd
Robert A. Dowd | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Dowd in 2024 | |
| 18th President of the University of Notre Dame | |
| Assumed office June 1, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | John I. Jenkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1965 (age 60–61) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Residence | Cavanaugh Hall |
| Education | University of Notre Dame (BA) Jesuit School of Theology (MDiv) University of California, Los Angeles (MA, PhD) |
Robert A. Dowd | |
|---|---|
| Orders | |
| Ordination | April 9, 1994 |
| Personal details | |
| Denomination | Catholic |
Robert Alfred Dowd Jr., C.S.C. (born 1965)[1] is an American Catholic priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross and academic who has served as president of the University of Notre Dame since 2024.
Early life and career
Dowd was born in 1965, in Louisville, Kentucky, to Robert Alfred Dowd Sr. and Norma Dowd Krentz. He has a sister, Mary, 11 months younger. At age 2, the family moved to Michigan City, Indiana, where Dowd ultimately attended Marquette Catholic High School. He earned his B.A. in psychology and economics from the University of Notre Dame in 1987, and an M.Div. from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley in 1993. He was made his final profession for the Congregation of Holy Cross on August 28, 1993, and was ordained as a Catholic priest on April 9, 1994.[2][3] He later earned an M.A. in African Studies from UCLA in 1998, followed by a Ph.D. in political science in 2003.[4]
At Notre Dame, Dowd served as vice president and Associate Provost for Interdisciplinary Initiatives, Assistant Provost for Internationalization, Director of the Ford Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity, and the director of the Notre Dame Millennial Development Initiative in the Mpigi District in Uganda, an initiative to advance agriculture, education and health initiatives.[5]
Dowd's 2015 book titled Christianity, Islam, and Liberal Democracy was praised by many and called "groundbreaking" by reviewer Muhammed Haron.[6] In it, he makes the case that religious tolerance in Nigeria and other African countries happens because of a variety of religions, rather than in spite of it.[7]
Notre Dame presidency
On December 4, 2023, Notre Dame's Board of Trustees announced that Dowd would succeed John I. Jenkins as the 18th university president, and began his term in that role on June 1, 2024.[4] He was formally inaugurated at the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center on Friday, September 13, 2024.[8]
Publications
- — (2015). Christianity, Islam and Liberal Democracy : Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-022522-3.
References
- ^ "Dowd, Robert Alfred, 1965-". Library of Congress. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
- ^ "University of Notre Dame Announces Fr. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., as 18th President". holycrosscongregation.org. Congregation of Holy Cross. December 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ "Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C." Holy Cross at Notre Dame. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ a b "Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., elected 18th president of the University of Notre Dame". Notre Dame News. University of Notre Dame. December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ "Jenkins part of ND group visiting Uganda". South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana. January 6, 2007. p. 1.
- ^ Haron, Muhammed (2017). "Book review". Islamic Studies. 56 (3/4): 335–337.
- ^ Garvey, Michael O. (October 23, 2015). "Three questions with political scientist Rev. Robert Dowd". Notre Dame News. University of Notre Dame. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
- ^ Relations, Media (September 13, 2024). "President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., Inaugural Address". Notre Dame News. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
External links
- Three Questions with Rev. Dowd (Notre Dame News, 2015)
- Introducing President-Elect Rev. Robert Dowd, C.S.C. (Notre Dame press release, late 2023)