Seattle College President Eduardo Peñalver — credited with “a legacy of progress and innovation” — is leaving to turn into president of Georgetown College, the 2 Catholic Jesuit establishments announced Wednesday.
Peñalver, who has led Seattle U. since 2021, will step down March 31, 2026, and begin in his new function at Georgetown in Washington, D.C., on July 1.
Throughout his tenure, Seattle U. launched a “Technology Ethics Initiative,” designed to “convene and encourage productive discussions in regards to the function of transformative applied sciences for a simply society.” The initiative is led by political science professor Onur Bakiner, whose present analysis examines AI governance fashions.
Final yr, the college welcomed Father Paolo Benanti, an advisor to Pope Francis on synthetic intelligence and know-how ethics, as a distinguished visiting professor. Peñalver moderated a dialog between Benanti and Microsoft President Brad Smith for workers on the corporate’s campus in Redmond, Wash.
Like many establishments, Seattle U. has skilled elevated enrollment demand in science, know-how, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. It has additionally partnered with native tech firms, together with Amazon and Microsoft, which helped fund the $100 million Center for Science and Innovation.
At Seattle U., Peñalver helped launch new educational applications and built-in Cornish Faculty of the Arts into the Seattle U. neighborhood.
“This was not a simple determination,” Peñalver mentioned in a message to the university community, “however one I make with gratitude for all that we’ve completed collectively and confidence within the college’s continued momentum. Whereas I’m excited in regards to the alternative to proceed my work in Jesuit larger training at such a pivotal second, I’m additionally unhappy to be leaving Seattle College and the Pacific Northwest, which can all the time be my residence.”
Peñalver was raised in Puyallup, Wash., and attended Henry Foss Excessive Faculty in Tacoma earlier than he went on to graduate magna cum laude from Cornell College in 1994.
He studied philosophy and theology at Oxford College as a Rhodes Scholar and earned his bachelor’s diploma from Cornell College and regulation diploma from Yale Legislation Faculty. He additionally clerked for former U.S. Supreme Court docket Justice John Paul Stevens, and previous to Seattle U., was dean of Cornell Legislation Faculty.
“President Peñalver is an distinctive chief steeped within the Catholic and Jesuit custom who brings a wealth of expertise in larger training, a world mindset, a dedication to social justice and educational excellence, and a daring imaginative and prescient for Georgetown’s future,” mentioned Thomas Reynolds, chair of Georgetown’s board of administrators, in a news release.
Peñalver will succeed Interim President Robert Groves, who has led Georgetown for the previous yr after former President John DeGioia stepped down from his function in 2024 to get well from a stroke.
