Georgetown University Names Eduardo M. Peñalver 49th President

First to openly claim Latino heritage.

Eduardo M. Peñalver has been unanimously voted the 49th president of Georgetown University by the board of directors, the university announced Wednesday. Peñalver will begin his role on July 1, 2026. Peñalver will succeed Interim President Robert M. Groves, who has served as university president since President emeritus John J. DeGioia (CAS ’79, GRAD ’95) stepped down from his 23-year term last November after suffering a stroke.

He will be the university’s first non-interim president to openly claim Latino heritage and the second layperson, or non-clergy, president.

Previously, Peñalver served as the 22nd president of Seattle University starting in July 2021 and was the dean of Cornell Law School from 2014 until 2021. He is a leading expert on property law.

He plans to bring his experiences leading the Jesuit Seattle University to Georgetown.

“At the center of our work, [Jesuit universities] share an interest in students as whole persons, focusing on their experiences both inside and outside the classroom,” he said. “We share an aspiration to do more than teach a skill or impart knowledge, but to get students to grapple with the deeper questions.”