HESBURGH LECTURE SERIES 2012 Program - Alumni Association ...

Rev. Ronald J. Nuzzi, Ph.D.
Senior Director, The Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program
Biography
Father Ron Nuzzi, a priest of the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, currently serves as the
director of the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program in the Alliance for Catholic Education
(ACE) at the University of Notre Dame, the nation’s largest provider of faith filled principals
for Catholic schools. Nuzzi holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership and graduate degrees in
theology, philosophy, and educational administration. He has extensive experience as a parish
priest, elementary and high school teacher, department head, high school administrator, and
university professor.
A nationally recognized speaker and author, he has written about multiple intelligence theory
in Catholic education, the spirituality of leadership, inclusion, and church documents on
education. His publications include various handbooks of research on Catholic K-12 schools
and Catholic higher education, a two-volume encyclopedia of Catholic education, and dozens
of articles and columns. He has served as editor of Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry & Practice and currently serves as
the founding chair of the Catholic Education Special Interest Group (SIG) in the American Educational Research Association
(AERA).
Nuzzi has conducted two research tours at the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education, and did research on seminaries for
the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB). He has opened a session of the U.S. Congress, said the opening prayer in the
U.S. House of Representatives, and is active in the world of educational policy. Currently, he is working with several Notre Dame
colleagues on two new studies: a survey of U.S. Catholic school principals and a study of available Catholic school facilities in the
U.S.
He has been a visiting professor at Notre Dame Fremantle in Western Australia, and has addressed Catholic educators
throughout the U.S., Canada, Australia, Ireland, and Mexico.
Lectures
Gentleness Comes From the Strong: Toward Spirituality for Leadership
Leaders are often thought to be demanding, if inspiring, figures. The world of politics and business has certain expectations for
leadership. The Catholic tradition, including the Scriptures, the life of Jesus, and the example of the saints, are instructive about a
Catholic approach to leadership. Those with authority over others at work or at home can bless their life situations by developing
a spirituality that is oriented to leadership.
Who Will Save Catholic Schools?
Declining enrollment, financial struggles, and closing schools have led some to say that there is a crisis in Catholic education.
This lecture offers a more hopeful view of the future for Catholic education and explores the various national initiatives already
underway to help sustain and strengthen Catholic education.
Why Catholic Schools Matter
Catholic schools in the U.S. have been the single most effective means of evangelization the church has ever invented. This lecture
will explore the historic successes of Catholic schools and examine the current challenges facing Catholic schools in the next
decade.
84 The Hesburgh Lecture Series, 2012 Program
Categories
Church, Education, Notre
Dame