D. Michael Reilly, Chair of the Gonzaga University Board of Trustees, today announced the selection of Katia Passerini, Ph.D., as the University's next president, effective July 15, 2025. She will succeed Thayne M. McCulloh, D.Phil., who will step down in July 2025 after serving as Gonzaga's president for the past 16 years.

"After a seven-month national search, involving a highly qualified and diverse pool of candidates, I am thrilled to announce that Dr. Passerini will be Gonzaga's next president," said Reilly in an introductory video announcement released this morning. "Her current role as Provost and Senior Executive Vice President at Seton Hall University, together with her previous academic and administrative appointments, have prepared her well for this next stage in a stellar higher education career. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously in favor of electing Dr. Passerini to serve as Gonzaga's next great leader, and we look forward to welcoming her to the Gonzaga community. I want to thank the Search Committee and its Chair, Trustee Christy Larsen, for their extraordinary work."

"Through the series of interviews, Dr. Passerini displayed her capability and desire to be a leader who will navigate the challenges, concerns and joys of the changing landscape of higher education by placing Gonzaga's mission at the center of her work. With an impressive record of leadership progression, the Search Committee believes Dr. Passerini is uniquely positioned to build on Gonzaga's legacy of excellence," said Larsen.

"I am very excited to join the Gonzaga University family this coming summer," said Passerini.

A native of Italy and a lifelong Catholic, Dr. Passerini is an accomplished academic and a seasoned university administrator and leader. Prior to her current appointment as Provost and Senior Executive Vice President at Seton Hall University, Passerini was The Lesley H. and William L. Collins Distinguished Chair & Dean of the Collins College of Professional Studies at St. John's University, where she also held an appointment as Professor in the Division of Computer Science, Mathematics and Science. From 2003 to 2013, she was Professor and Hurlburt Chair of Management Information Systems (MIS), Martin Tuchman School of Management, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), where she held a joint appointment in the Information Systems (IS) Department in the Ying Wu College of Computing Sciences.

During the academic years 2013-16, she served as the Dean for the Albert Dorman Honors College, where she worked closely with the Board of Visitors to launch the third Albert Dorman Honors College strategic plan (2014-2020) while advising, recruiting, and developing new programs and articulations.

At NJIT, Dr. Passerini taught courses in MIS, knowledge management, project management, and IT strategy. She received the NJIT Award for Excellence in Innovative Teaching, the Van Houten Alumni Teaching Excellence Award, and was designated as a Master Teacher.

Dr. Passerini holds degrees in political science (LUISS University, Italy), economics (University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy), MBA (1996) and Ph.D. (2001) degrees from The George Washington University, and a Certificate in Business Project Management from New York University. She was a Fulbright Student Scholar and Fulbright Administrator Scholar, as well as an Italian National Research Council Fellow (CNR). Dr. Passerini served as Interim President at Seton Hall University during the 2023-24 academic year.

Dr. Passerini was selected as Gonzaga's next president following a national search conducted by the University's Presidential Search Committee, chaired by previous Board of Trustees Chair Christy Larsen and comprised of student, faculty, and staff representatives, as well University administrators and members of the Board of Trustees and Regents. National executive search firm Russell Reynolds Associates supported the search. The search committee considered nominations and applications from Jesuit and lay candidates representing a diversity of professions and academic fields, leading to the unanimous selection and approval of Dr. Passerini.

Dr. Passerini joins Gonzaga at an exceptional time in the University's history. Gonzaga has been recognized among the nation's best comprehensive universities during McCulloh's tenure, with its programs nationally ranked, its faculty engaged in important scholarship and research, and its alumni achieving renown in their professions. This past August, Gonzaga's prestige as a renowned academic institution was further underscored through recognition by Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most distinguished honor society.

In addition to historic excellence in the humanities, sciences and the arts, law, business administration, engineering, education, nursing and leadership studies, the University has catalyzed innovation in future-facing fields such as healthcare, advanced composites manufacturing, artificial intelligence, supply chain management and information security. Gonzaga's updated Strategic Plan addresses these and other exciting priorities and does so in a way infused with the moral, ethical and value-based context of its Jesuit identity and priorities. Chief among these initiatives are Gonzaga's expanded programs in Global Engagement, a new School of Health Sciences; the Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology; the Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment; and statewide collaboration with industry, local governments, civic organizations and cultural communities to obtain a federal Tech Hub designation with the American Aerospace Materials and Manufacturing Center - which recently received a $48 million federal grant - at its core. Lifelong Learning opportunities include new certificates in Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, Business Analytics, and Leadership in the A.I. Revolution.

Dr. Passerini and her husband, Arturo, have three sons, Luis (23), Michelangelo (21), and Diego (13). A family of animal lovers, the couple adopted two cats to join their eight-year-old Shorkie during the COVID-19 pandemic. The family plans to relocate to Spokane this summer. Dr. Passerini will begin her presidency on July 15, 2025, with inauguration ceremonies to be scheduled for fall 2025.