Dr. Judith A. Dwyer, who attended Our Mother of Consolation School, Mount Saint Joseph Academy and Chestnut Hill College, relishes her new role as President of Notre Dame de Namur in Villanova.

by Len Lear

Dr. Judith A. Dwyer, who has a doctorate degree in theology from the Catholic University of America, has Chestnut Hill in her blood, you might say (figuratively, not literally). She was born in Chestnut Hill Hospital, attended Our Mother of Consolation School, Mount Saint Joseph Academy and Chestnut Hill College and lived in Mt. Airy and Flourtown as well as Chestnut Hill.

But Dwyer can hardly be called parochial. She has traveled to all 50 states studied in Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh and has held educational positions in New York, Boston, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Chicago and Tampa. “Every city is unique, with its own flavor,” she said, “and this richness contributes to America's greatness.”

Dwyer’s resume is most impressive, to put it mildly. She has been President of Saint Xavier University in Chicago, Executive Vice President, of the University of Saint Thomas (Minnesota), Academic Dean of Arts and Sciences at Saint John's University (New York), Assistant Academic Dean of Arts and Sciences at Villanova University, and has taught theological ethics at Weston Jesuit School of Theology (now situated at Boston College) and Villanova University. (Over the years many people have asked her if she was related to the Dwyer Oil Company family of Chestnut Hill. The answer is no.)

Nineteen months ago Dwyer was named President of Notre Dame de Namur, a private Catholic girls school in Villanova. Because of her reputation as a leader in contemporary Catholic education, Dwyer was brought in to emphasize academic excellence and to oversee the development of a new student center and a center for the liturgy and performing arts, among other projects. We conducted the following interview with her recently:

Why did you major in theology in graduate school?  

I majored in theological ethics, and my doctoral thesis examined the morality of nuclear warfare and deterrence strategies in light of the traditional just war theory. This thesis led directly to invitations to participate in an extended leadership seminar at the Army War College to pursue further research as a Fulbright Scholar for a year in Germany to observe NATO maneuvers in Europe and to visit the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

What would you say are the major challenges facing your students at Notre Dame?

Our students at Notre Dame are self-confident and poised and take pride in their Catholic education and their hope to serve the global community as compassionate leaders, especially toward the poor and those who live at the margins of society.

Like all young people, our students seek inspiration, which their parents and teachers provide. Our society as a whole, however, often presents a different tone. Each one of us must ask: How can we encourage today's young people, especially young women, to believe in themselves and keep their hopes alive? How can we inspire them to believe that the best is yet to come?

How has technology changed your job?  

Technology significantly impacts education today, from research opportunities to teaching methodologies, such as the flipped classroom and adaptive learning models. Our challenge as educators is to help our students use technology wisely, from Facebook postings to discernment of materials on the Internet. One does not want to sacrifice significant social relations and depth of understanding to the daily possibility of superficiality.

What is your most treasured possession?  

My Catholic faith. I shall always be grateful to my parents and to the Sisters of Saint Joseph at Mount Saint Joseph Academy and Chestnut Hill College. All helped me to appreciate the immeasurable quality of God's love and forgiveness.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I appreciate art, music, film, theater, reading — and baseball. Go, Phillies!

What is your most impressive characteristic?  

You would have to ask that question of others.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

No virtue can be overrated. We need them all to live as authentic human beings. If anything, it is the insidious nature of vice that is underrated today.

If you could meet and spend time with anyone on earth, who would it be?

Angela Merkel. She exhibits courage and has emerged as an international thought leader at a time of great urgency and serious threats within the global community.

For more information, visit www.ndapa.org or www.facebook.com/NDAVillanova.