Rev. Robert T. Walsh, S.J., a former Catholic school president and principal, was appointed executive director of Loyola Marymount University’s Center for Catholic Education in July 2013. An expert on Catholic schools and the role of Catholic education for the common good of society, Walsh has deep ties to LMU, having attended Loyola University in the 1970s. He is a current member of the LMU Board of Trustees, where he serves on the Student Life and Governance committees, and has previously served on the LMU School of Education Advisory Board.
He is an experienced Catholic educational leader, school board member, speaker and pastoral minister. He formerly served as president of St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco and president and principal of Loyola High School of Los Angeles. He has more than 25 years of leadership experience in Jesuit high schools in California, including tenures as president, principal, assistant principal for teacher supervision and curriculum, and assistant principal for campus ministry.
“Father Robert Walsh is a well-renowned Catholic educational leader – a person with tremendous experience, intellect and faith,” said Shane P. Martin, dean and professor of the School of Education. “He is the right person to take the Center for Catholic Education to the next level of impact, both here in Los Angeles and nationally.”
LMU’s Center for Catholic Education builds on the university’s more than 60 years of service to Catholic schools. Housed in the School of Education, the CCE brings together a broad range of successful Catholic-focused education programs at the SOE to advance preK-12 Catholic education by training school leaders and teachers, increasing awareness of Catholic schools’ impact on communities, and developing innovative ways to support Catholic schools. Through its areas of emphasis — leadership development, teacher preparation, and research and outreach — the center serves as an anchor for Catholic schools in Los Angeles and nationally.
“I value the mission of preparing women and men for the vocations of teaching and leadership in Catholic schools, as well as the university’s commitment to conduct research and outreach and provide professional development in support of the future of Catholic education,” said Walsh.
