DePaul's New Provost

Dear University Community: It is my great pleasure to announce the appointment of Donald Pope-Davis, Ph.D., as Provost of DePaul University.  Don is an accomplished leader, teacher and scholar, and we are happy to welcome him to DePaul. Don brings 35 years of higher education administrative experience and 30 years of faculty experience to DePaul.  He joins us from the University of Notre Dame, where he is the vice president and associate provost.  In his current role, which he has held since 2007, he leads and manages the faculty recruitment and hiring process, tenure and promotions, mentoring programs for faculty and new programs to prepare faculty leaders to carry out administrative tasks.  Prior to serving as associate provost, Don held senior administrative roles in the Notre Dame Graduate School for five years, including interim dean.

A nationally recognized scholar with a passion for teaching, Don is a professor in the Counseling Psychology Program in the Department of Psychology at Notre Dame.  Recognized in 2008 by the Journal of Counseling Psychology as the third leading contributor to the field of multicultural counseling, his research interests include cultural and racial identity development and cultural competency training. He has published extensively in academic journals, authored three books and is a research fellow in the American Psychological Association.  He recently co-authored the first national survey of African American Catholics, an unprecedented study that revealed significant demographic trends in the church. Don earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Benedictine University and his doctorate in counseling psychology from Stanford University.  He is one of 12 children.   He and his wife, Sara, have three children, David, Daniel and Gabrielle. To learn more about Don, please see his CV and letter to the DePaul community. A Newsline story is also available. In his new role at DePaul, effective July, Don will serve as chief academic officer.  Responsible for the intellectual life of our university, he will oversee Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management and Marketing, and Student Affairs.  Everyone at DePaul was moved by his dedication to students, especially those who are the first to attend college in their families.  I would like to thank the search committee, chaired by Board of Trustees Member and Alumna Connie Curran.  The committee devoted countless hours to conduct a vigorous nationwide search over the course of several months.  I am extremely grateful to them.  When I spoke to Don, he expressed his deep respect for the university’s academic achievements, commitment to diversity and its Catholic-Vincentian identity. We look forward to welcoming him to the DePaul family. Respectfully, Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M. President Email sent to University, February 27, 2013