University Of Dayton Names Distinguished Leader In Higher Education As 19th President
DAYTON, Ohio, Sept. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The University of Dayton has named Eric F. Spina, Ph.D., the 19th president of the University and the second lay leader in its 165-year history.
Spina (speé nah) — who has served Syracuse University for 27 years, including nine as vice chancellor and provost — was selected unanimously by the University of Dayton's board of trustees. He will succeed Daniel J. Curran, president since 2002, who will step down in June 2016 after presiding over an era of unprecedented growth for the national, Catholic, research university.
"I have learned about the University's Marianist values and the deep commitment to social justice and community engagement here. I found that these values are my values, these priorities are my priorities," Spina said. "In a way, I feel that I am coming home."
In making the Sept. 15 announcement, Steve Cobb, chairman of the University's board of trustees, said Spina is a nationally recognized leader in higher education, with a career marked by excellence in academic leadership, teaching, research and community engagement with a warm, engaging personal style.
A Roman Catholic, Spina said the mission of the University aligns with the personal values he learned from his parents — both teachers — and in 12 years of Catholic education, including four years at Canisius High School, in Buffalo, New York.
Spina joined the Syracuse faculty in 1988 as an assistant professor and rose through the ranks as department chair, dean, and vice chancellor and provost, the university's chief academic officer. He also briefly served as interim chancellor and president in 2013.
He earned his doctorate and master's degree from Princeton University in mechanical and aerospace engineering. A prolific researcher and author with a 20-year research focus on experimental high-speed fluid mechanics, he has worked on multi-million dollar grants from NASA, the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency. He holds two U.S. patents and authored, co-authored or edited dozens of academic publications.
For more information, visit udayton.edu/president/19 and visit the University of Dayton Facebook page. Join the conversation at @univofdayton and #UDnewprez.
About the University of Dayton
Founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary, the University of Dayton is a top-tier Catholic, research university and the largest private university in Ohio, with academic offerings from the undergraduate to the doctoral levels. In the Marianist tradition, the University is committed to educating the whole person and linking learning and scholarship with leadership and service. Learn more at udayton.edu.
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SOURCE University of Dayton
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