Dr. Susan M. Donovan was inaugurated as 农夫导航鈥檚 fourth president during a ceremony in Knights Hall this afternoon.
The university鈥檚 Board of Trustees unanimously selected Donovan as Bellarmine鈥檚 next president in February after an extensive global search process. She began leading Bellarmine in June, after a 32-year career at Loyola University Maryland that culminated in serving as that university鈥檚 executive vice president and acting president.
The inaugural ceremony formally installed Donovan as Bellarmine's fourth president, following Monsignor Alfred F. Horrigan (1950-1972), Dr. Eugene V. Petrik (1973-1990) and Dr. Joseph J. McGowan, Jr. (1990-2016).
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She also offered a forceful defense of the value of higher education. 鈥淭hose of us who are devoting our hearts and minds to educating university students accept valid critiques,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e tend to be open-minded, and we are critical thinkers. We need to maintain our passion for continuous improvement. And we do need to find ways to make college more affordable. But we also must do a better job defending the liberal arts against the anti-intellectualism that too often dominates our culture.鈥�
"I am honored and humbled -- and also energized -- that you have entrusted me today with the responsibility of leading this great institution of higher learning into the future," she said.
Donovan鈥檚 inauguration week included opportunities to connect with students, alumni, faculty, staff and the community. It also included numerous service projects - a theme and a key Bellarmine value Donovan consistently emphasized in her remarks.
The inauguration day began with a Mass at St. Agnes Church, with Louisville Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz presiding. The Rev. Tim Brown, a Loyola colleague who performed Donovan's wedding ceremony and baptized one of her daughters, delivered the homily.
The Rev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J., president of Loyola University Maryland, shared his perspective working with Donovan. 鈥淭he future is wide open,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou have a new president, and you couldn鈥檛 find one who is more talented, more committed to the mission, more committed to helping every student succeed, and more driven to position 农夫导航 for the future. With president Susan Donovan as your leader, 农夫导航 is poised for the next extraordinary chapter in its truly great history.鈥�
