University President Peter Kilpatrick will celebrate the first anniversary of his installation as the 16th president of The Catholic University of America on Nov. 11.
He has answered the leadership call and followed the Oath of Fidelity he took at his installation Mass one year ago. The year has been nonstop, filled with many days of service, prayer, and sharing wisdom with students, faculty, and staff.
Here are some highlights from an unforgettable 12 months on Washington, D.C.'s largest college campus with photos by University photographer Patrick G. Ryan.
An emotional installation
In an interview after the Mass on Nov. 11, 2022, Dr. Kilpatrick said that he was overwhelmed by joy and gratitude by the presence of the many who have supported him throughout the years. He said during the ceremony he thought about all the people in his life who helped shape his journey. Dr. Kilpatrick said that the memory of his World War II veteran father was especially on his mind since the Installation was held on Veterans Day.
“I’m an emotional person, it’s just the way I’m wired. I think when you experience that kind of joy I think it’s pretty natural that it bubbles over,” he said after being installed.
Watch the installation:
The Dance of a Lifetime
At the gala held following his installation, the president and his wife, Nancy, put significant thought into selecting the right song for the occasion. Nancy finally settled on “I Say a Little Prayer” by Dionne Warwick for the gala, saying, “I thought it was a good message for each other and for the students.”
Service to Others
The University community gathered on Jan. 16 earlier this year for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff volunteered at different service projects throughout Washington, D.C. President Kilpatrick gave remarks at the start of the day and worked alongside other students and volunteers packaging food at the Washington Hebrew Congregation.
Marching for Life
Before the annual March for Life on Jan. 20, University members assembled in Heritage Hall where President Kilpatrick encouraged students in their fight for life with a rousing speech.
“The pro-life movement has been growing in strength for many, many years and it is because of people like you,” President Kilpatrick told those gathered. “The march is great, it’s a way for us to derive strength from each other, it’s a way for us to be encouraged by one another. The pro-life cause will not be won until hearts and minds are changed all over the world. That will only happen when we befriend people, when we love others, when we walk humbly with mothers experiencing unwanted pregnancy, like our Guadalupe Project.”
Launch of Presidential Speaker Series
The president launched his Presidential Speaker Series on March 21 with a conversation on women and gender from a Catholic perspective with Abigail Favale. Favale, a professor at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, drew upon her recent book The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory.
“My intention in launching the series was to on the one hand be authentically and unabashedly Catholic in what we do in addressing important issues, but also to be as welcoming and embracing and loving as we possibly could be to those who may differ with the Catholic position,” said the president.
Support of Innovation and Research
President Kilpatrick was the keynote speaker for this year’s Research Day (URD) on April 18. A noted chemical engineer who has authored over 100 refereed journal articles and holds or shares 12 patents, the president spoke about research's key role in University life. The eighth annual URD was an in-person and virtual event, where students, innovators, and scholars presented their work on everything from antibiotics to video game development.
“Through our many partnerships with external funding agencies … including NASA Goddard (Space Flight Center), the Department of Energy, the NIH, Children’s National, the Templeton Foundation, NSF, and many others, we have been lighting the way when it comes to discovery and research,” the president said.
Watch a vibrant video from Research Day:
Taking the Lead for a Safe Community
President Peter Kilpatrick brought together Catholic University leadership, law enforcement, and Brookland community members for the first University-wide safety walk to identify and discuss increased safety and security measures on the campus perimeter.
He engaged regularly with Washington, D.C. leadership, including Mayor Muriel Bowser and Chief of Police Pamela Smith to discuss ideas to foster a safer city.
“We all have the responsibility to keep our community safe,” the president said during a summer safety walk. “My hope is that this is just the beginning of us all coming together — reclaiming this community, these streets — for us, not for the people that want to come and do us harm.”
The University created an Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to enhance safety and security on and around campus, hiring Renaud D. Scott II as the University’s program director for emergency response planning.
The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) coordinates emergency planning and management operations, including the development and implementation of robust emergency preparedness programs and initiatives aimed at equipping the entire campus community with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively.
Move-In Day
President Kilpatrick and his wife were among the hundreds of community members welcoming new students on campus during move-in activities in August.
He greeted new Cardinals and their families as they arrived and helped unload their vehicles. He said he looks forward to this because “I love the energy of the day.”
“My hopes for this class are that they would really be together, they would really watch out for each other, they would really care for each other. They really become one community,” he said.
Guided by the Holy Spirit
President Kilpatrick was a key speaker at the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit to open the 2023-24 academic year, encouraging all those present to pray about how we can all “be moved by the power of the Holy Spirit to draw more closely together as one community.”
Dr. Kilpatrick said Masses celebrated on campus that incorporate the traditions of the diverse student body serve as an example of our inclusive identity as the nation’s Catholic university.
Watch the president speak at the Mass and see what makes it such a unique experience for students:
A Grand Slam Night
Hundreds of University students, faculty, and staff took in a hometown Nationals win over the White Sox on Sept. 19 and received a Nationals-Catholic University co-branded quarter-zip pullover.
President Kilpatrick was on the field before the game, meeting the University’s mascot, Red, and the Nationals mascot, Screech, while also greeting members of the ROTC and other community members.
Stay tuned for an exciting second year.