Year in Review: Top Stories of 2025
Memorable Moments
Our top stories of the year capture the spirit of The Catholic University of America as a community committed to faith, research, and serving the common good. This collection brings together some of the moments that mattered most.
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Catholic University Designated an R1 Research University
The R1 designation recognizes The Catholic University of America as among a select number of the highest performing research universities in the nation.
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Remembering Pope Francis
Pope Francis' 2015 visit to campus was a memorable moment of connection to the papacy.
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Students Celebrate Election of First U.S. Pope
The election of the first-ever American pope, Leo XIV, was a big moment for one of the most important places for the Catholic Church in the United States.
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Microsoft Leader Tapped to Direct New AI Institute
Taylor Black, director of AI & Venture Ecosystems in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft, is the founding director of the Leonum Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies.
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New Theology Faculty Focus on Human Dignity, Carmelite Spirituality
The School of Theology and Religious Studies welcomed three new faculty this fall semester: Angela Franks, MA 1998, associate professor in systematic theology; Charles Camosy, associate professor of moral theology/ethics; and Father Craig Morrison, O.Carm., MA 1989, the new chair of the Center for Carmelite Studies.
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Undergraduate Nursing Program Among Top 30 in the U.S.
The U.S. News & World Report ranked the BSN program #28 out of 686 nationwide.
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Justice Clarence Thomas Speaks at University’s Law School
The Center for the Constitution and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition (CIT) at the Columbus School of Law opened its academic year of programming by hosting a conversation with a Supreme Court justice.
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Sainthood Sought for Alumnus
Daniel Anderl, B.A. 2021 (in memoriam), was a rising junior when he was shot at his family's home by an assailant targeting his mother, a federal judge. Daniel is remembered for his commitment to his faith and campus community.
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Campus Lab Builds Critical Components of LHC Upgrade
University researchers are part of an international effort upgrading the pixel detector at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s largest particle accelerator, for the next generation of discoveries about the fundamental forces that shape our universe.
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Our Campus, Our Future
University President Peter Kilpatrick gave a State of the University address about the successes, challenges, and opportunities presented by a strategic renewal for the future of the institution.
Professor Helps Draft Global Declaration on AI and Nuclear Weapons
Associate Professor Maryann Cusimano Love, an expert in international relations at The Catholic University of America and chair of the Department of Politics, participated in a July 2026 global assembly on artificial intelligence (AI) and nuclear war.
New Dean, Vice Provost and Program Leadership Appointments
In a message to the University on July 7, Aaron Dominguez, executive vice president and provost for The Catholic University of America, announced new dean appointments, vice provost changes, and new directors for the University’s Cornerstone and Honors programs.
Can AI Ever Be Human?
A June 11 campus conversation sparked by a new Catholic University of America Press book, Can AI Ever be Human? Consciousness Explored, turned into something far bigger: a wide-ranging dialogue about artificial intelligence, human dignity, and the soul of a new papal encyclical.