Peter M Donohue

The Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A. became the 32nd president of Villanova University on June 1, 2006. As president, Father Donohue has worked together with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents to strengthen the Villanova community and renew its commitment to the institution’s Catholic, Augustinian, and educational mission. Born in Bronx, N.Y., and raised in Royal Oak, Mich., Father Donohue earned a B.A., with a concentration in theatre and communication arts, from Villanova University in 1975 and was ordained an Augustinian priest in 1979. He holds an M.A. in theatre from the Catholic University of America, a M. Div. from the Washington Theological Union, and a Ph.D. in theatre from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While pursuing his doctorate, Father Donohue taught theatre at the University of Illinois, where he received honors for outstanding teaching. He is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest, largest, and most selective all-discipline honor society. Father Donohue is a tenured associate professor at Villanova who served as chair of the University’s department of theatre from 1992 to 2006. Father Donohue serves as the chair of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Regional College and University Presidents’ Council, a consortium of leaders in higher education that meets regularly to share ideas and discuss issues facing the more than 90 colleges and universities located throughout Greater Philadelphia. Father Donohue also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for Villanova University, the Board of Trustees for the Malvern Preparatory School in Malvern, Pa., and the Board of Directors for the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania, and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.