A new chapter opened in the storied history of Gonzaga University today as Dr. Katia Passerini took the helm as the Jesuit institution’s 27th president. She is the second layperson to serve in the role, succeeding Dr. Thayne McCulloh.

President Passerini was selected to lead Gonzaga following a national search and unanimous selection by the Gonzaga University Board of Trustees earlier this year. She is a native of Italy and lifelong Catholic who most recently served at Seton Hall University in New Jersey as provost and senior executive vice president from 2020-2025, a tenure that included a one-year stint as Seton Hall’s interim president during the 2023-24 academic year.