Colleen Hammond | editor-in-chief
Sept. 30, 2021
On Saturday, Duquesne Board Chair John C. McGinley made the first public announcement that President Ken Gormley’s contract has been extended for an additional five years.
Gormley’s extension means he will continue to serve as Duquesne’s 13th president through the 2026-2027 academic year.
Among reasons for the renewal, McGinley cited the opening of the new UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, the creation of the new School of Osteopathic Medicine and Gormley’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis.
“It is hard to enumerate how much Ken Gormley has accomplished,” McGinley said.
These sentiments were echoed by Assistant Vice President of Alumni Engagement Sarah Sperry during her opening remarks at “An Evening with the Stars” on Saturday.
Sperry noted that Gormley’s efforts have caused fundraising to “reach new heights,” under his direction. According to McGinley, Gormley has raised more than $162 million since the beginning of his tenure as president — more than any other similar period in Duquesne’s history — both McGinley and Sperry said.
In his announcement, McGinley further praised Gormley’s recent initiatives to increase diversity, inclusion and inclusion across campus.
Gormley has been part of Duquesne’s faculty since 1994, when he began teaching in the Law School after teaching at the University of Pittsburgh and privately practicing law. Before his appointment as president, Gormley was the Dean of the Law School.
“I’m doubly honored now that the board has given me more time to keep moving Duquesne forward,” Gormley said. “They have shown unwavering support for me, my leadership team and for all of us at Duquesne for what we’ve done and for the bold aspirations we have for our students.”
