Robert Manuel

Robert L. Manuel became DePaul’s president on August 1, 2022, drawn to the university because of its Catholic, Vincentian mission to serve the public good.

Since joining the university, he has engaged faculty, staff, students, and alumni to develop and implement Designing DePaul - the framework to become a national model for quality higher education. Current initiatives include advancing interdisciplinary research to address the most pressing challenges facing society and launching new retention strategies to eliminate the achievement gap for all students.

Prior to DePaul, Rob was president for 10 years at the University of Indianapolis, which is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. He also has held administrative roles at two additional Catholic universities, first at LeMoyne College and later at Georgetown University, where he served as dean of the School of Continuing Studies and then associate provost. At Georgetown, he participated in immersive religious experiences, including a year-long retreat with the Jesuits, which culminated in an immersive service trip to Kenya. In addition, he held several senior-level administrative positions at New York University.

Rob is currently the chair for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. He is a member of the Cristo Rey Network Board of Directors and EAB President’s Advisory Board.