Elected in 2005 as the University of Notre Dame’s 17th president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., has devoted himself to fostering the University’s unique place in academia, the Church, our nation, and the world.

A philosopher trained in theology and a member of Notre Dame’s Department of Philosophy since 1990, Fr. Jenkins earned undergraduate and advanced degrees from Notre Dame, a doctorate of philosophy from Oxford University, and a master of divinity and licentiate in sacred theology from the Jesuit School of Theology. He is the author of the book Knowledge and Faith in Thomas Aquinas, and of numerous scholarly articles published in The Journal of Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy and Theology, and the Journal of Religious Ethics. Prior to becoming president, Fr. Jenkins served as vice president and associate provost at Notre Dame. A popular teacher, he has taught courses on ancient and medieval philosophy, faith and reason, and Thomas Aquinas.

He was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2010 and a year later appointed to the Academy's Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences. He has served on the board of directors for the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities and currently serves on the board of directors for the Commission on Presidential Debates, which sponsors and produces all U.S. presidential and vice-presidential debates.

As president, Fr. Jenkins has been committed to combining teaching and research excellence with a cultivation of the deeper purposes of Catholic higher education. While pursuing academic distinction, he has brought renewed emphasis to Notre Dame’s distinctive mission, rooted in the tradition of the Congregation of Holy Cross, the University’s founding community, to educate the whole person – mind, body, and spirit – to do good in the world.