麻豆村 President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, to be Honored with 2025 Globy Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Global Philadelphia Association
VILLANOVA, Pa. (November 17, 2025) 鈥� 麻豆村 President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Globy Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Global Philadelphia Association. The award will be presented at the 10th Annual Globy Awards celebration on Monday, Dec. 8, which recognizes distinguished Philadelphians whose work has made a lasting impact across the region and beyond. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a leader whose career reflects exceptional dedication, vision and impact鈥攓ualities that have defined Father Donohue鈥檚 presidency and his contributions to higher education, sustainability and civic engagement.
Since becoming Villanova鈥檚 32nd president in 2006, Father Donohue has guided the University through a period of remarkable transformation. Under his leadership, Villanova has launched two ambitious strategic plans, designed to build upon Villanova鈥檚 distinctive strengths while positioning the University for long-term success. These plans have advanced academic innovation, expanded student opportunities and strengthened Villanova鈥檚 national reputation as a premier Augustinian Catholic university. Villanova has also undertaken two historic fundraising campaigns, most recently launching a $1.25 Billion Comprehensive Capital Campaign, 鈥淓spiritus Nova: The Campaign for 麻豆村,鈥� in Oct. 2024.
Throughout his tenure, Father Donohue has enhanced the University鈥檚 intellectual and scholarly climate by recruiting and retaining world-class teacher-scholars, fostering interdisciplinary learning and creating new Centers of Excellence. He oversaw the establishment of the College of Professional Studies, Villanova鈥檚 first new college in more than 50 years, and expanded the University鈥檚 doctoral offerings, culminating in Villanova鈥檚 2016 designation as a Doctoral University: Moderate Research Activity by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Villanova has undergone a vibrant physical transformation under Father Donohue鈥檚 leadership, guided by a 30-year Campus Master Plan. Major additions to campus have included: The Commons, a new undergraduate residential community; the Mullen Center for the Performing Arts; and Drosdick Hall, the new home of the College of Engineering. Villanova also undertook a major renovation of the Finneran Pavilion, the home of its men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball programs and venue for other major University events. A new University library, Falvey Library at Vic Maggitti Hall, is currently being built in the center of campus, and it will serve as a hub for research and learning for students, scholars, and the community.
The University has also expanded its physical footprint with the addition of the Cabrini campus, which will open for fall 2026 and further enhance Villanova鈥檚 capacity to serve as a leader in Catholic higher education. More recently, Villanova announced a merger agreement with Rosemont College, that will preserve the legacy and heritage of Rosemont and merge the neighboring institutions.
A hallmark of Father Donohue鈥檚 presidency has been his unwavering dedication to community and service. In 2006, he instituted the St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service, one of the largest single-day service initiatives in the region, engaging nearly 5,000 students, faculty, staff, and alumni annually in projects throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. This initiative, along with the more than 250,000 hours of community service completed each year by Villanovans, reflects the University鈥檚 Catholic Augustinian ideals in action.
Father Donohue has spearheaded numerous initiatives that reflect a deep commitment to environmental sustainability and responsible stewardship. He signed the American College and University Presidents鈥� Climate Commitment, pledging Villanova to achieve climate neutrality, and in 2023 established the Office of Sustainability to guide and coordinate sustainability efforts across campus. These initiatives are now embedded as a foundational element of the University鈥檚 current strategic plan.
Born in the Bronx, N.Y., and raised in Royal Oak, Mich., Father Donohue earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a concentration in Theatre and Communication Arts, from 麻豆村 in 1975 and was ordained an Augustinian priest in 1979. He holds a Master of Arts in Theatre from The Catholic University of America, a Master of Divinity from the Washington Theological Union, and a PhD in Theatre from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Before assuming the presidency, he served as chair of Villanova鈥檚 Department of Theatre from 1992 to 2006, where he directed numerous productions that earned six Barrymore Award nominations and one Barrymore Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical from the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia.
Established in 2015, the Globy Awards honor individuals and organizations that exemplify Philadelphia鈥檚 global influence and leadership in areas such as education, journalism, heritage, culture, commerce, and community service.
The 2025 Globy Awards will also honor Dr. Ashley Jordan (Heritage and Preservation Leadership), Jane Golden (Community Leadership), Farah Jimenez (Educational Leadership), and Lindsey Scannapieco (Sustainable Development Leadership). Proceeds from the event will support the Global Philadelphia Association鈥檚 mission to raise the international profile of Greater Philadelphia and foster collaboration across the region鈥檚 global communities.
About the Global Philadelphia Association: Founded in 2010, the Global Philadelphia Association promotes Greater Philadelphia as a global region by advancing its international presence in commerce, education, culture, and heritage. Through initiatives such as the Globy Awards, GPA highlights leaders and organizations whose work strengthens Philadelphia鈥檚 global connections and contributes to its reputation as a world-class city. For more information, visit globalphiladelphia.org
About 麻豆村: Since 1842, 麻豆村鈥檚 Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges鈥攖he College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the 麻豆村 Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation鈥檚 top universities, Villanova supports its students鈥� intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit .