Eduardo M. Peñalver will begin his new role on July 1, 2026.
WASHINGTON — Georgetown University has a new president. The school’s board of directors unanimously voted to name Eduardo M. Peñalver as the university’s 49th president. He will begin his new role on July 1, 2026.
Peñalver is currently the president of Seattle University, where he has served since 2021. He was the first layperson to lead the Catholic, Jesuit institution since its founding in 1891. He is also a Rhodes Scholar and the former dean of Cornell Law School.
Peñalver will succeed Interim President Robert M. Groves, who has led Georgetown for the past year after former President John J. DeGioia stepped down from his role in 2024 to recover from a stroke.
“We are pleased to welcome Eduardo Peñalver to Georgetown University,” said Thomas A. Reynolds, chair of the board of directors, who shared the news in a message to the Georgetown community. “President Peñalver is an exceptional leader steeped in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition who brings a wealth of experience in higher education, a global mindset, a commitment to social justice and academic excellence, and a bold vision for Georgetown’s future. We look forward to him joining our Georgetown community.”
Peñalver has taught law at Fordham Law School, the University of Chicago Law School and Cornell Law School. He has also been a visiting professor at Harvard and Yale law schools.
In a statement, Peñalver thanked the board for choosing him for the role, calling it a pivotal time for Georgetown and higher education as a whole.
“I’m deeply honored to have the privilege of serving as Georgetown’s next president,” Peñalver said. “I would like to thank the Presidential Search Committee and Georgetown’s board of directors for entrusting this role to me at such a pivotal time for Georgetown and for higher education. I am also grateful to Jack DeGioia for his decades of transformative leadership and to Interim President Bob Groves for his careful stewardship this past year.”
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