Terry Schilling Named Visiting Fellow at Franciscan University’s Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life

STEUBENVILLE, OHIO- The Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life at Franciscan University of Steubenville has named Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project (APP), as its visiting fellow.

An alumnus of Franciscan University and the Claremont Institute's Lincoln Fellowship, Schilling will begin his Veritas Center fellowship in August 2026. Through public lectures, student mentoring, faculty engagement, media appearances, and collaborative scholarship, he will contribute to the Veritas Center's mission of bringing Catholic thought to bear on the most pressing moral, cultural, and political questions facing society today. The center seeks to promote human dignity, strengthen the family, and illuminate public life through the truths of the Catholic intellectual tradition.

Under Schilling's leadership, APP has become one of the nation's most influential organizations advocating for parental rights, the protection of children, women's sports, marriage, and family life. He founded APP's Big Family initiative and has helped shape national conversations on issues affecting the family through policy advocacy, political strategy, and public engagement. His work has been featured in major national media outlets and has helped elevate family issues to the forefront of public policy debates.

"The Veritas Center exists to ensure that faithful Catholic scholarship does not remain confined to the classroom but enters the public square," said Dr. Anne Hendershott, director of the Veritas Center and professor of sociology at Franciscan University. "Terry Schilling has spent his career doing precisely that. He combines intellectual seriousness, practical political experience, and a deep commitment to Catholic teaching. At a time when the family faces unprecedented challenges, Terry brings both clarity and courage to some of the most important debates shaping our culture. We are delighted to welcome him back to Franciscan."

For Schilling, the appointment represents a homecoming to the University that formed him intellectually and spiritually.

"Franciscan University shaped me profoundly as both a student and a man of faith," said Schilling. "It instilled in me a deep love for truth, a disciplined intellect, and an unwavering commitment to defending God's design for the human person and the family. Today, I carry that formation into the public square, working each day to promote core American values-especially the sanctity of marriage, the protection of children, and the renewal of family life-against a culture that increasingly rejects them.

"I am honored to return to Franciscan as a fellow of the Veritas Center, bringing back the fruit of years spent advancing these principles in the broader culture. I look forward to contributing to the University's vital mission of forming courageous leaders who will bring light and clarity to our time."

The fellowship reflects the Veritas Center's growing role as a national hub for conversations at the intersection of faith, ethics, politics, and culture. Through conferences, scholarly research, public commentary, and student formation, the center has become a leading Catholic voice addressing questions surrounding family life, religious liberty, economics, education, human dignity, and the common good.

"Terry Schilling brings to the Veritas Center a remarkable record of defending the family as the foundational institution of society," said Concetta Pilsner, associate director of the Veritas Center and adjunct professor of literature at Franciscan University. "His life's work has focused on strengthening the family and promoting policies that allow families to flourish. As a Franciscan alumnus, Terry is a powerful example of how faith-filled formation can transform culture. We are excited for our students to learn from his experience, his witness, and his commitment to advancing truth in public life."

Schilling joins Visiting Fellow Mary Rice Hasson, JD, who will continue her work with the Veritas Center through the end of the 2026-27 academic year.

A nationally respected attorney, policy expert, and author, Hasson serves as the Kate O'Beirne Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., where she co-founded and directs the Person and Identity Project. Her work has equipped parents, educators, clergy, and policymakers to address issues related to human dignity, parental rights, religious liberty, and gender ideology. She has advised bishops, legislators, and international organizations and has served as a consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"Mary Rice Hasson has been instrumental in helping establish the Veritas Center as a trusted Catholic voice on some of the most challenging issues confronting the Church and society," said Hendershott. "We are deeply grateful that she will continue her work with us as Terry begins his fellowship. Together, they represent the kind of faithful scholarship and public engagement that defines the Veritas Center's mission."

Founded in 2013, the Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life seeks to restore truth as the foundation of human flourishing by bringing Catholic moral and social teaching into dialogue with contemporary issues. Inspired by St. John Paul II's Veritatis Splendor, the center promotes interdisciplinary scholarship, public engagement, and student formation rooted in the conviction that authentic freedom can only flourish in the light of truth.