November 26, 2025

Dear Gonzaga Community, 

Greetings! I hope you all had a joyful and restful summer full of time spent with family and friends. The summer season is one that I always treasure as it provides time for reflection on the previous year, creative exploration of new ideas and preparation for all that we can achieve in service of our students.

While I am just two months into my tenure as Gonzaga’s 27^th President, I have already felt deeply connected to our Mission as an institution. That connection has translated into a whirlwind of activity over the last two months, and what an inspiring time it has been:

Listening, Learning, and Connecting
This past weekend, I experienced my first Gonzaga “Welcome Weekend,” culminating with the Welcome Walk and Academic Convocation. The energy and excitement from our new and returning students and their families was further proof of what makes this place so special.

I’ve enjoyed many other rich encounters throughout these first few weeks: discussions, both formal and informal, with division leaders, Cabinet members, members of the Board of Trustees, Jesuits, students, faculty and staff. Each has been an opportunity to listen, learn and — most importantly — to absorb the unmistakable energy, dedication, and warmth of Gonzaga University.

Community Partnerships: Growing Together
Equally important to me is extending that spirit beyond our campus and as such I’ve been warmly welcomed in conversations with federal, state and local leaders that have reaffirmed our shared commitment to leadership, service and access to the higher educational experience. Our Mission to shape servant-leaders resonates strongly with so many of our regional partners, and I’m eager to deepen and expand these relationships for the benefit of our students and our community.

The Dedicated Work of our Leadership
Our July Board of Trustees meeting was President Emeritus Thayne McCulloh’s final Board meeting as President, and seeing the Board in action affirmed for me what dedicated individuals we have volunteering their time and talents to help guide Gonzaga for long-term success. We accomplished several key items at the meeting including approving the University budget for the year ahead, receiving an update on our Strategic Plan and perhaps most poignantly, hearing Dr. McCulloh’s final address to the board where he offered thoughtful reflections on his time as President and insightful advice to consider as we start this next chapter in Gonzaga’s story.

Global Engagement and Catholic Identity in Action
This summer took me to two significant international gatherings: Bogotá and Guadalajara. In Bogotá, President Emeritus McCulloh, Chief Mission Officer Ellen Maccarone, Fr. Tim Breen, S.J., and I attended the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) General Assembly and in Guadalajara, I represented Gonzaga at the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU), where I was also honored to be appointed Vice President. At both assemblies, the energy was palpable in roundtables on creativity in learning, academic freedom, faith and culture, research ethics, engagement with the business world and universities’ social impact. I came away inspired and committed to positioning Gonzaga as both a contributor to, and beneficiary of, this global Catholic educational network.

Connection and communication are two of the most important things to me. I am planning to communicate updates about the University through a Presidential E-Newsletter that will highlight activities, priorities and projects. In the meantime, you can learn a little more about my first 30 days and connect/follow via social media using the links at the bottom of this message. 

To those that I have already met, thank you for welcoming me so openly, sharing your perspectives, embodying the incomparable Zag Spirit and for making Gonzaga such a living, breathing expression of our ideals. And for those I have yet to meet, please know how excited I am to connect with you, to learn from you and to walk alongside you as we continue to amplify the Mission of this place we call Gonzaga University.

With deep gratitude and eager anticipation,