LMU Center for Catholic Education names Sr. Rosemarie Nassif Executive Director

Sr. Rosemarie Nassif, SSND, Ph.D., has been named the next Executive Director of the Loyola Marymount University Center for Catholic Education in the School of Education beginning July 2018. 

Sr. Rosemarie follows Rev. Robert T. Walsh, S.J., who served as Executive Director from 2013 to 2018, and as of June 1, 2018 will serve as Chancellor of LMU.

As a School Sister of Notre Dame, Sr. Rosemarie worked most recently at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, serving as Program Director for the Catholic Sisters and Catholic Schools priority areas from 2012 to 2017. During her tenure, she led the granting of $90 million to Catholic Sisters in 23 countries and $25 million to Catholic schools in the U.S.

“It is with great enthusiasm that I join the LMU community,” said Sr. Rosemarie Nassif. “It is an honor to have the opportunity to work with the distinguished and dedicated LMU faculty and staff. I am inspired and impressed by LMU’s openness to advance and learn from all educational sectors as well as its commitment to diversity and to assuring that every student has the best opportunity to develop the fullness of his or her potential. I look forward to learning together and to deepening the vitality of Catholic education both locally and nationally.”

Prior to joining the Foundation, Sr. Rosemarie served as senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education where she was responsible for achieving President Obama’s 2020 College Completion goal. She has served as president of two universities, Notre Dame of Maryland in Baltimore and Holy Names University in Oakland. She was also president of the Fund for Educational Excellence that developed a whole school reform model, which was instrumental in improving student achievement in Baltimore City Public Schools. She has had professional experiences in Japan, Honduras, China, Rome, Korea, London, Italy and Israel as well as in six countries in Africa.

Sr. Rosemarie earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the Catholic University of America. She has authored publications, made national and international presentations, and received numerous fellowships and awards, including named President Emerita of Holy Names University.

“Sr. Rosemarie is an experienced Catholic educational leader, creating dynamic impact in Catholic education both locally and internationally,” said Mary K. McCullough, Interim Dean of the School of Education. “We are honored to welcome her to the School of Education.”

Over the past 70 years, the LMU School of Education has expanded educator preparation to include Catholic, public, and charter schools, as well as community partners. The LMU Center for Catholic Education, established in 2010, has become a powerful force in furthering the mission of Catholic schools in Southern California and across the country. 

The Center strengthens Catholic education through leadership development, teacher preparation, research, professional development and outreach through action-oriented programs that draw from the centuries-old tradition of Jesuit and Marymount education. Since 2000, more than 1,500 Catholic school teachers from LMU serve dioceses across California and the U.S.