DIBS, DePaul's mascot, stopped by the Lincoln Park Campus to welcome President-elect Robert Manuel and his family to the university community. (DePaul University/Randall Spriggs)
On Tuesday, May 10, DePaul University announced Dr. Robert Manuel will serve as its 13th president. Trustees, faculty, staff and students welcomed Manuel and his family to the DePaul community at events hosted throughout the day. “Rob brings a proven record of working with faculty in developing academic innovation, fostering collaboration, strengthening shared governance and prioritizing the voices of underrepresented constituencies," said Judy Greffin, chair for the Presidential Search Committee and vice-chair for the Board of Trustees, at a livestream event to introduce Manuel to the university community. “I believe that his inspirational leadership combined with his dedication to academic values will solidify DePaul's future as a distinguished institution and a sought-out destination for a diverse student body."
Manuel joins DePaul from the University of Indianapolis, where he has served as president since 2012. He brings 30 years of higher education experience to DePaul. Following an invocation by Fr. Memo Campuzano, C.M., vice president of mission and ministry, Manuel joined Gerald Beeson, chair of DePaul's Board of Trustees, for an armchair discussion at the livestream event.
“Four pieces of higher education will define the quality of the future – faculty, standing between the creation and application of knowledge; students, who are passionate and articulate about what they want their future to be; industry, the community that is connected to the classroom; and a unique mission that animates the work being done," Manuel said.
“To me, there was no better opportunity to write the next standards of quality for higher education than at DePaul. This institution has all of those characteristics to define what higher education is and should be. I was so honored to be asked to be a part of that community," he said.
At the end of the morning's program, A. Gabriel Esteban, president of DePaul, welcomed Manuel, his wife, Wilmara, and his youngest daughter, Margaux, into the university community.
“We have felt blessed to be surrounded by community who put our students first," he said. “Welcome to this amazing institution."
Later in the day, Manuel met with faculty, staff and students at two welcome receptions on the Lincoln Park Campus.
See more of the day's events in a photo gallery. View a recording of the livestream conversation. Learn more about Robert Manuel on the president-elect website.
Rachel Wojnicki is an editor of Newsline and the internal communications manager for University Marketing and Communications.