The Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A.
President
Villanova University

Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., became Villanova University’s 32nd President in June 2006. Father Donohue first joined the faculty of Villanova in 1985 as an instructor in the theatre department. He left to pursue his doctoral studies in 1988 and returned in 1992. A tenured associate professor, Father Donohue was chair of the department of theatre for 13 years.

Father Donohue received his B.A., with a concentration in theatre and communication arts, from Villanova University in 1975 and was ordained an Augustinian priest four years later. He earned an M.A. in theatre from the Catholic University of America in 1983 and an M. Div. from the Washington Theological Union in 1985.

In 1992, Father Donohue received his Ph.D. in theatre from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His dissertation topic, Shozo Sato and the Interculturation of Kabuki and Western Theatre, reflected an interest he had developed in this classic Japanese form. While pursuing his doctorate, he taught theatre at the University of Illinois and received honors for outstanding teaching. In 1990, he was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest, largest and most selective all-discipline honor society.

From 1993 to 2006, Father Donohue annually directed musical theatre productions at the University’s Vasey Theatre. His productions earned him six Barrymore Award nominations and one Barrymore Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical from the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. These productions also earned numerous nominations and awards in other areas, including acting, musical direction and costume design.

At Villanova, Father Donohue has been a resident life hall minister, a member of the new student orientation team and a chaplain to the University’s NROTC program. He has served on numerous University committees, including the Board of Trustees Academic Affairs Committee, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Diversity Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee and the University Judicial Boards.

Father Donohue has served on the NCAA Certification Self-Study committees of 1996-1997 and 2001-2002, and two terms as a member of the Board of Trustees of Merrimack College. He is a member of the Augustinian Institute advisory board.

In September 2007, Father Donohue began his tenure as chair of the Regional Colleges and Universities Presidents’ Council for the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.