The "It Factor" of Catholic Education

Plugged In - The Official Podcast for JSerra Catholic High School

According to Dr. Peter Kilpatrick, Catholic Education is distinct not only in that it offers classes in theology or “religion.” Integration of the curricular and co-curricular is the true hallmark of Catholicism. That means that in Catholic schools – and especially Catholic universities – the goal should be much more than skills building for a future profession and even more than character formation. The ultimate purpose of Catholic education is to guide students into a deeper recognition and understanding of God’s revelation of the true, good, and beautiful across all disciplines and in every arena of human life. Dr. Kilpatrick articulates this and discloses the unique way that the Catholic University of America executes on this noble educational venture.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr. Peter K. Kilpatrick was appointed president of The Catholic University of America in March 2022 and took office on July 1, 2022. His prior roles are numerous. He served as provost and senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Illinois Institute of Technology and previously as professor and McCloskey Dean of Engineering for ten years at the University of Notre Dame. He launched Notre Dame’s first joint Ph.D. program with the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, later expanding to programs with universities in Brazil and Hungary.

Dr. Kilpatrick also served on the faculty of North Carolina State University in chemical engineering for 24 years, from 1983 to 2007, the last eight-plus years as the department head. Dr. Kilpatrick also served as the founding director of the North Carolina Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center.

He is the author of more than 100 refereed journal articles in the areas of colloid and interfacial science, emulsion science, and molecular self assembly, particularly as they apply to energy and to bioseparations. His work has been cited more than 5,300 times and he holds or shares 12 patents.

He received his A.B. in chemistry from Occidental College (summa cum laude) in 1978 and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1983. He and his wife, Nancy, are the parents of four adult children.