Dr. Robert L. Manuel has been named the 13th president of DePaul University in Chicago, succeeding Dr. A. Gabriel Esteban, who is retiring. On Sept. 1, Dr. Manuel will take office at DePaul, the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private nonprofit university in the Midwest.
Dr. Manuel will be the second lay president of DePaul University, which is sponsored by the Congregation of the Mission Western Province and was founded by the congregation in 1898. He comes to DePaul from the University of Indianapolis, where he has served as president since 2012.
“The naming of Dr. Robert Manuel as our new president opens a renewed spirit of hope and possibilities for DePaul University to grow in its Catholic and Vincentian mission,” said Fr. Patrick McDevitt, C.M., provincial superior for the Congregation of the Mission Western Province. “This transitional moment is a gift for the DePaul community to stand united in our commitment to the values and ideals of our university patron, St. Vincent de Paul. I look forward to welcoming Dr. Manuel to DePaul and working with him to help DePaul become more and more what God calls it to be.”
Gerald Beeson, DePaul Chairman of the Board, announced Dr. Manuel’s appointment on May 10, 2022, following a nationwide search. Dr. Esteban announced his impending retirement in June of 2021. Dr. Manuel has 30 years of experience in higher education, including leadership and administrative roles at numerous institutions, such as Georgetown University and New York University. At the University of Indianapolis, a faith-based institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church, he advanced diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, expanded the university’s graduate and undergraduate degree offerings, and led a capital campaign that raised more than three times its $30 million goal.
“The search committee prioritized hiring a leader who shares DePaul’s commitment to diversity and its long tradition of serving first-generation and low-income students,” said Judy Greffin, chair of the DePaul Presidential Search Committee and vice chair for the university’s Board of Trustees.
Dr. Manuel earned his Ph.D. in higher education administration from New York University. He holds a master’s in higher education administration from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s in history and political science from Allegheny University.
More information on Dr. Manuel is available HERE.