Robert A. Dowd
{{Short description|American Catholic priest and 18th president of Notre Dame}}
{{other people|Robert Dowd}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Reverend
| name = Robert A. Dowd
| honorific-suffix = CSC
| image = Robert Dowd 2024 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Dowd in 2024
| order = 18th
| office = President of the University of Notre Dame
| term_start = June 1, 2024
| term_end =
| predecessor = John I. Jenkins
| successor =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1965}}
| birth_place = Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| residence = Cavanaugh Hall
| education = University of Notre Dame (BA)
Jesuit School of Theology (MDiv)
University of California, Los Angeles (MA, PhD)
| module = {{Infobox religious biography |child = yes
| religion = Christianity
| denomination = Catholic Church
| order = Congregation of Holy Cross
| institute =
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| ordination = 1994
| profession = 1993
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}}
Robert Alfred Dowd, C.S.C. (born 1965){{cite web |title=Dowd, Robert Alfred, 1965- |url=https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2005090812.html |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=2 December 2024}} 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.
Biography
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Dowd grew up in Michigan City, Indiana, and 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.{{cite web |title=University of Notre Dame Announces Fr. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., as 18th President |url=https://holycrosscongregation.org/news/university-of-norte-dame-announces-fr-robert-a-dowd-c-s-c-as-18th-president/ |website= holycrosscongregation.org |publisher=Congregation of Holy Cross |access-date=5 July 2025 |date=December 5, 2023}}{{cite web |title=Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. |url=https://holycross.nd.edu/directory/rev-robert-a-dowd-c-s-c/ |website=Holy Cross at Notre Dame |publisher=University of Notre Dame |access-date=5 July 2025}} He later earned an M.A. in African Studies from UCLA in 1998, followed by a Ph.D. in political science in 2003.
Before his election as president, Dowd served at Notre Dame 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.{{Cite news |date=January 6, 2007 |title=Jenkins part of ND group visiting Uganda |pages=1 |work=South Bend Tribune |location=South Bend, Indiana}}
Dowd's 2015 book titled Christianity, Islam, and Liberal Democracy was praised by many and called "groundbreaking" by reviewer Muhammed Haron.{{Cite journal |last=Haron |first=Muhammed |date=2017 |title=Book review |journal=Islamic Studies |volume=56 |issue=3/4 |pages=335–337}} 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.{{cite news |last1=Garvey |first1=Michael O. |title=Three questions with political scientist Rev. Robert Dowd |url=https://news.nd.edu/news/three-questions-with-political-scientist-rev-robert-dowd/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |work=Notre Dame News |publisher=University of Notre Dame |date=2015-10-23}}
On December 4, 2023, it was announced that Dowd would succeed John I. Jenkins as the 18th university president, and began his term in that role on June 1, 2024.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-04 |title=Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., elected 18th president of the University of Notre Dame |url=https://news.nd.edu/news/rev-robert-a-dowd-c-s-c-elected-18th-president-of-the-university-of-notre-dame/ |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=Notre Dame News |publisher=University of Notre Dame}} He was formally inaugurated at the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center on Friday, September 13, 2024.{{Cite web |last=Relations |first=Media |date=2024-09-13 |title=President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., Inaugural Address |url=https://news.nd.edu/news/rev-robert-a-dowd-c-s-c-inaugural-address/ |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Notre Dame News |language=en}}
Publications
- {{cite book|last=Dowd|first=Robert Alfred|url=https://archive.org/details/christianityisla0000dowd/page/n3/mode/2up |title=Christianity, Islam and Liberal Democracy : Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa|location=New York |publisher=Oxford University Press|author-mask=1|isbn=978-0-19-022522-3|year=2015}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://news.nd.edu/news/three-questions-with-political-scientist-rev-robert-dowd/ Three Questions with Rev. Dowd] (Notre Dame News, 2015)
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NskCBvWjOms Introducing President-Elect Rev. Robert Dowd, C.S.C.] (Notre Dame press release, late 2023)
{{University of Notre Dame presidents}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dowd, Robert A.}}
Category:American Roman Catholic priests
Category:Congregation of Holy Cross
Category:Educators from Louisville, Kentucky
Category:Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley alumni
Category:Presidents of the University of Notre Dame
Category:Religious leaders from Louisville, Kentucky
Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni
Category:University of Notre Dame alumni