Noted Jesuit Educator to Give 2016 Huegli Lecture on Christian Higher Education

WHO/WHAT: Since 1995, Valparaiso University has held a biannual Huegli Lecture to honor the legacy of Albert G. Huegli, who served as president of Valparaiso University from 1968 to 1978. A scholar of issues of church and state, Huegli came to Valparaiso as vice president for academic affairs in 1961 before becoming president. During his tenure, 18 buildings were constructed or renovated, the University endowment grew nearly tenfold, and academic programs and faculty were substantially enhanced in variety and quality.

This year, Valparaiso University hosts Father Peter Ely of Seattle University, who will present Valparaiso’s 2016 Huegli Lecture on church-related higher education. His lecture is entitled “Jesuit Higher Education in the Age of Pope Francis.”

A noted scholar and leader of Catholic higher education, Ely has extensive experience at a variety of Jesuit universities in the United States. He earned his Ph.D. in philosophy at Fordham University, then joined the faculty of Gonzaga University, where he later served as academic vice president and acting president. He also served as the president of Rockhurst University and most recently as a faculty member and vice president of mission and ministry at Seattle University.

Ely has published and lectured widely on the Catholic intellectual tradition and Jesuit higher education, as well as on Hegelian philosophers and religiously accented writers, including Bernard Lonergan, Albert Camus, Rene Girard, and Paul Ricouer. He has participated in many Jesuit international programs and exchanges around the world, including France, Jordan, and China.  At Seattle University, Ely also leads the Arrupe Seminar, which introduces new faculty and staff to Jesuit Higher Education.

WHEN: Monday, April 11, 4 p.m.

WHERE: Helge Center, adjacent to the Chapel of the Resurrection, Valparaiso University

CONTACT: Kristen Knoerzer at kristen.knoerzer@valpo.edu