Duquesne University extends contract for President Ken Gormley

Ken Gormley will continue for an additional five years as president at Duquesne University, school officials announced Saturday.

Duquesne’s board of directors recently voted to extend Gormley’s contract through the 2026-27 academic year. Board chair John C. McGinley made the announcement in video remarks at the school’s annual President’s Dinner.

McGinley said Gormley embraces the university’s Spiritan tradition and fosters its presence. Duquesne was founded in 1878 by the Spiritans, a Catholic religious congregation and missionary movement.

“He is an advocate of academic excellence and, as a president, he serves God by serving students, and is concerned for their physical, emotional and academic well-being,” McGinley said. “With Ken at the helm, we can look forward to another five years during which Duquesne will seize new opportunities and pursue bigger goals.”

Gormley, 66, took the reins as Duquesne’s 13th president in fall 2016 after serving as Duquesne’s law school dean from 2010 to 2015. A graduate of Harvard Law School and a nationally recognized expert in constitutional law, he is the author of several books, including the New York Times best-seller “The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr” and “Archibald Cox: Conscience of a Nation.”

Gormley grew up in Edgewood and Swissvale and served as mayor of Forest Hills from 1998 to 2001.

“When I give talks, I always start by saying I’m honored to be Duquesne’s president to serve our amazing students,” said Gormley. “I’m doubly honored now that the board has given me more time to keep moving Duquesne forward.”

When he began as president, Gormley said he wanted to raise Duquesne’s profile, locally, nationally and internationally. McGinley said he has done just that, through initiatives including the John C. Rangos Awards for Students and Faculty; the Grefenstette Center for Ethics in Science, Technology and Law; the Duquesne-China Institute; and the Center for Emerging and Innovative Media.

Gormley thanked the board for its support.

“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,” he said.