Georgetown’s board of directors unanimously elected Eduardo M. Peñalver, the president of Seattle University, as the 49th president of Georgetown during their annual fall meeting.
Peñalver will begin his tenure on July 1, 2026. He will succeed Robert M. Groves, who has served as interim president since President Emeritus John J. DeGioia stepped down in November 2024 to recover from a stroke.
Peñalver was the first layperson to lead Seattle University, a Catholic, Jesuit university, in its 134-year history. Prior to Seattle, Peñalver served as the dean of Cornell Law School and a law professor at Fordham Law School, the University of Chicago Law School and Cornell Law School. He studied philosophy and theology at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and earned his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and law degree from Yale Law School. He also clerked for former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.
“President Peñalver is an exceptional leader steeped in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition who brings a wealth of experience in higher education, a global mindset, a commitment to social justice and academic excellence, and a bold vision for Georgetown’s future,” said Thomas A. Reynolds (B’74), chair of the board of directors. “We look forward to him joining our Georgetown community.”
The board formed a presidential search committee led by chair Kevin Warren (B’84) and vice chair Jeanne Ruesch. The committee hosted 11 listening sessions, soliciting comments from hundreds of students, faculty, staff and alumni earlier this year to help inform the search.
“President Peñalver has demonstrated innovation, courageous leadership and a commitment to elevating the academic excellence of every institution he has served,” Warren said. “We are excited for him to advance Georgetown’s legacy of excellence.”
In addition to appointing a new president, the board approved funding for new construction and renovation projects and welcomed new board members during their October meeting on the Capitol Campus.
A New Home for the Humanities
The board approved a request to advance the next phase of design and construction for the Humanities Quad, a new unified home for the humanities departments on the Hilltop Campus.
The Humanities Quad will be made up of Old North, New North, McNeir Auditorium and the Davis Performing Arts Center. The quad will also include a new Humanities Center, Georgetown’s first dedicated space for humanities-focused resources and interactions.
As part of an initiative to honor President Emeritus John J. DeGioia, Georgetown will rename Old North and New North as DeGioia Hall and will renovate Old North to restore and preserve its historic character.
The renovations will improve accessibility and create new convening places, updated classrooms and spaces for collaboration for students studying the humanities in Georgetown’s oldest academic building.
The renovations will also pave the way for a Humanities Center, which will serve as a central space for faculty, students and visiting fellows to collaborate and address issues at the intersection of the humanities and fields like medicine, business and environmental science.
“The Humanities Quad’s location in the heart of Georgetown’s campus speaks to how central the humanities are to our liberal arts education,” said Soyica Diggs Colbert (C’10), interim provost of Georgetown. “We look forward to having a unified humanities hub, a place where we can break down silos, exchange ideas and continue advancing the discipline to its fullest.”
Construction is anticipated to be complete in spring 2028.
McNeir Auditorium
As part of the Humanities Quad, Georgetown is renovating McNeir Auditorium to modernize the space and create a focal point for humanities activities, performances, lectures and programming.
McNeir, located inside New North, was formerly a lecture hall. Today, it’s used as a venue for performances, classes and events.
Interior renovations will replace the flooring, wall treatments, ceilings, lighting and seating as well as upgrade the audiovisual systems, a stage curtain and a larger digital display surface. The project will also improve the auditorium’s accessibility, creating a new stage ramp and renovated restrooms.
The board approved a request to fund the remaining construction, which is expected to be open to Georgetown staff and students in spring 2027.
New Clinical Simulation and Innovation Center
The board also authorized the Capital Projects team to move forward in the design process to transform the sixth floor of the Reiss Science Building into a simulation and innovation center in partnership with MedStar Health.
The 18,500-square-foot facility will serve multiple disciplines at Georgetown, including health professions and science programs, creating advanced simulation labs that promote cross-disciplinary training, experiential learning and research. The simulation and innovation center will feature state-of-the-art facilities for clinical training, a cross-campus infrastructure for large data and workflow visualization, a maker and biomaker space, new opportunities for behavioral science research, and classroom, office and teaching space.
“As Provost Colbert and I continue to build out the proposed simulation and innovation space in Reiss, we are uncovering so many important avenues where this space can enhance research and education across disciplines,” said Dr. Norman J. Beauchamp, executive vice president for health sciences at Georgetown University Medical Center. “The potential is enormous and our partnership with MedStar Health is critical to our success.”
The project is expected to be funded through philanthropy and other external funding, with a targeted completion date of fall 2027.
The Earth Commons
During the meeting, Peter Marra, dean of the Earth Commons—Georgetown University’s Institute for Environment & Sustainability, discussed the long-term vision for the institute.
He spoke about Earth Commons’ new presence in Greece, which addresses environmental challenges in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions. Earth Commons Greece provides a hub for environmental and sustainability innovation, research and education to support solutions to pressing issues in Greece and the Mediterranean while fostering global partnerships and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Marra also discussed his own research on the ecology and conservation of birds throughout their lifecycles, and elaborated in conversation with Interim President Groves at the board dinner.
His lab currently researches the migratory habits of birds; the impacts of climate on migratory birds in different stages of their annual cycle; how urbanization has altered habitats, populations and communities of birds; and factors that cause declines in bird populations.
New Board Members
The board welcomed four new board members, whose terms began on July 1, 2024.
They include: new members Gail Gillis-Louis (C75), president of the Georgetown University Alumni Association, and Cary Grace (C’90), president and CEO of AMN Healthcare; and returning board members Fr. Antonio Spadaro, S.J., undersecretary to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education; Joseph Baratta (B’93), global head of private equity strategies for Blackstone; and Suzanne Donohoe (C’92).
The board also approved a resolution to elect Donohoe as vice chair.
