A Message from the President: Barbara E. Wall, PhD

July 8, 2019

Dear Members of the Villanova Community,

I am writing to share some news regarding Barbara E. Wall, PhD, Vice President for Mission and Ministry and Associate Professor of Philosophy. For the past year, Dr. Wall has been on sabbatical and will return on August 1, 2019, to her role in the Office of Mission and Ministry. At the end of this upcoming academic year, Dr. Wall will officially retire from Villanova University.

Dr. Wall has been an integral part of the Villanova community for the past 50 years and has made a significant and lasting impact during her time at the University. During her tenure, she has worked tirelessly to help Villanova strengthen and renew its commitment to the University’s Augustinian, Catholic intellectual tradition and educational mission. She was Associate Dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; is the founder of the Office of Mission and Ministry, the Women’s Studies Program, the Ethics Program and the Journal for Peace and Justice Studies; and is the co-founder of the Center for Peace and Justice Education. In each of these areas she has held leadership positions, guiding a wide array of Villanova’s scholarly and pastoral programs in service to our community and the Church. Dr. Wall is also the recipient of the Gallen Outstanding Service Award and the Lindback Award for Outstanding Teaching.

Apart from her numerous leadership roles on campus, Dr. Wall is also a well-known and respected authority on Catholic social teaching. She is the founder and editor of the Journal of Catholic Social Thought; co-editor, with Massimo Faggioli, of Pope Francis: A Voice for Mercy, Justice, Love, and Care for the Earth; author of Love and Death in the Philosophy of Gabriel Marcel; and co-editor, with Kevin Hart, of Experiencing God: A Postmodern Response. She has been published in numerous academic publications, and her research is focused on Marxism, political theory and Catholic social teaching. Her work has earned her more than a dozen grants and she has presented at more than 50 conferences during her career.

I am extremely grateful to Dr. Wall for her contributions to the Villanova University community over the past five decades. Countless members of our University community, including myself, have benefited tremendously from her leadership, knowledge, dedication and guidance. Villanova is truly a better place because of her.

Please join me in thanking Dr. Wall for her untiring service and commitment to Villanova University. Although she is retiring from the University at the end of the 2019-20 academic year, she will always be an important part of the Villanova community.

Sincerely,