Rev. Scott Pilarz, S.J., named as next
Marquette president

Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., president of the University of Scranton, was named the 23rd president of Marquette University on August 31, 2010. He will assume office in summer 2011, succeeding the Rev. Robert A. Wild, S.J., who announced in March that he would retire June 30, 2011, after 15 years as Marquette president.

The Marquette Board of Trustees unanimously elected Father Pilarz at a special Board meeting Tuesday. Marquette bylaws require that a Jesuit lead the university. Father Pilarz is one of the eight Jesuits who serves on the Marquette Board of Trustees, which he has done since September 2009.

In announcing the selection, Board Chair Darren Jackson said, “Father Pilarz demonstrates enormous passion for the mission of Catholic, Jesuit education and boasts a record of accomplishment, both as an educator and as a leader, that speaks directly to Marquette’s commitment to excellence. He is the right person to lead our continued growth as one of the nation’s top Catholic universities.”

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Previous search updates

At its May meeting, the Board of Trustees, based on the input of the more than 300 people who attended Listening Sessions and the additional 200 who submitted online input forms, developed and approved a Presidential Profile that describes the academic qualifications, leadership qualifications, professional characteristics and experience and personal attributes sought in the 23rd president of Marquette University.

The Search Committee subsequently prepared a comprehensive document, the Marquette Presidential Prospectus, that provides an overview of Marquette and a reflection of community input, including verbatim quotes from the listening sessions and online forms.

Since May, the Search Committee has been engaged in discussion, and both formal and informal conversations, with potential candidates and references. In an August 2 update to campus, the Search Committee affirmed that it hopes to identify an outstanding Jesuit as Marquette's 23rd president, in keeping with the university's current bylaws. Both the Presidential Profile and the Presidential Prospectus have been shared with potential candidates and have been used to guide the Search Committee's deliberations.

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Thank you to the more than 300 members of the Marquette community who attended a listening and discussion session regarding the Presidential Search during the week of April 5.

Attendance broke down as follows:

• Alumni and Parents: 20 participants, with Marquette Trustee Ulice Payne, Jr.
• Administrators: 115, with Marquette Trustee Jim Flaherty, S.J.
• Support Staff: 30, with Marquette Trustees Natalie Black and Jim Flaherty, S.J.
• Students: 15, with Marquette Trustees Jim Janz and Jim Flaherty, S.J.
• Faculty: 46, with Marquette Trustees Natalie Black and Jim Flaherty, S.J.
• University Academic Senate: 15, with Marquette Trustees Dick Fotsch and Jim Flaherty, S.J.
• MUSG: 35 students, with Marquette Trustee John Stollenwerk
• Marquette University Parents Association: 30 parents, facilitated by Dr. Chris Miller and Julie Tolan, staff to the Search Committee

A session was also held with the Marquette University Jesuit Community.

A transcript of each session, created by a professional transcriptionist, was prepared for the Search Committee and is also available here.

There are additional discussion sessions planned with the University Academic Senate on Tuesday, April 20, and with the National Alumni Board on Friday, April 23.

Special thanks to Janine Geske, distinguished professor of law, and Chris Miller, vice president for student affairs, for facilitating each of the above sessions.

Videos

Video of Board of Trustee Chair Darren Jackson introducing Rev. Scott Pilarz, S.J., to the Milwaukee media.


Rev. Scott Pilarz, S.J., the newly named president-elect of Marquette, shares his impressions of the university.

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Presidential Prospectus

“The Search for the 23rd President of Marquette University” is a comprehensive overview of Marquette University, including the approved Presidential Profile. The input of more than 500 members of the Marquette community was used to prepare the profile, and is reflected throughout the document.