The University of Dayton Board of Trustees named Darlene Weaver, UD's provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, as the University's 20th president. She will begin her tenure July 1 as the first woman to serve as president in UD's 176-year history.
Weaver, a nationally respected ethicist and moral theologian, accomplished academic leader and Catholic educator, has served as UD's provost since July 2023.
"Darlene has an innate understanding of the University of Dayton, a deep belief in our Catholic, Marianist mission and a demonstrated ability to move important work forward," said Deborah Tobias, chair of the University of Dayton Board of Trustees and the presidential search advisory committee. "She brings intellectual depth, moral clarity, operational discipline and a strong commitment to community. At a time when higher education faces significant challenges and opportunities, she is well prepared to lead UD with purpose, courage and humility."
As provost, Weaver is the University's chief academic officer, working across schools, colleges and divisions to support faculty excellence and research, student learning, and the integration of academic priorities with the broader student experience. Her leadership has been marked by thoughtful decision-making and a clear focus on preparing students for future leadership and service in a changing world.
Among her accomplishments and collaborations, Weaver advanced holistic advising and helped shape UD's "Flight Crew" model to support every undergraduate student through their journey at UD; championed an experiential learning guarantee enabling students to develop real-world skills and insights; prioritized faculty scholarship through the creation of the office for academic research; cultivated a new artificial intelligence curriculum for first-year students; worked to enhance graduate and professional education by developing a strategic portfolio of programs aligned with workforce demand; and helped secure a partnership with IBM for creation of a state-of-the-art semiconductor lab on campus.
"UD's mission has never been more important," Weaver said. "In a world shaped by technological change, social division and questions about the value of higher education, the University of Dayton has a distinctive role to play in serving the common good. We educate students not only for professional success, but for lives of meaning, responsibility and service. That is the promise of a Catholic, Marianist education, and it will guide the work ahead."
Before joining the University of Dayton, Weaver spent 25 years in Catholic higher education, including a decade at Duquesne University, where she served four years as associate provost for academic affairs and professor of theology; and seven years at Villanova University, where she earned tenure and was promoted to associate professor. She also was a visiting assistant professor at Georgetown University. She is the author of dozens of articles and two monographs.
In addition to serving on several boards in the Dayton region and beyond, Weaver is an associate editor for the Journal of Religious Ethics. She is a Pell grant recipient with degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, Yale University and the University of Chicago.
The UD Board of Trustees' decision followed a national search led by Isaacson, Miller, with leadership from Tobias and the support of a presidential search advisory committee including trustees, Marianists, faculty, staff, students and alumni.
"I am deeply honored by the board of trustees' confidence and humbled by the opportunity to serve the University of Dayton in this new role," Weaver said. "UD is a remarkable Catholic, Marianist university because of its people: our students, faculty, staff, alumni, families, Marianists and friends. Together, we will continue to build on the University's strengths, make the decisions required for long-term vitality and deepen our commitment to educating students for lives of purpose, leadership and service."
Weaver will succeed Eric F. Spina, who will retire June 30. Additional details about transition activities, opportunities for the campus community to welcome Weaver into her new role and her early priorities will be shared in the coming weeks.
You can learn more about Darlene Weaver at our 20th president page.