Duquesne University Names Next President

Written by Amanda Buchman

In July 2026, Duquesne University will have a new president. David Dausey will assume the role after serving as executive vice president and provost at Duquesne. As the university’s 14th president, Dausey has big shoes to fill.

Current President Ken Gormley announced earlier this year that he would be stepping down at the end of his term. The former dean and professor of constitutional law has worked at Duquesne for 30 years, with the last 10 being as president. He led a historic $335 million fundraising campaign that has transformed the school’s landscape, from renovations at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse to the opening of the Nasuti College of Osteopathic Medicine.

At the request of the board, Gormley will be moving into the role of chancellor, focusing on special projects. He will continue to work closely with donors and stakeholders as well as Dausey as he begins his presidency.

Looking ahead, Dausey seeks to bring a new perspective to the role. "Many of you know me as provost, as an administrator, as a faculty member," he said. "But this moment, becoming president, never felt preordained. I grew up in a working-class Pittsburgh neighborhood. My father worked the unloader belt at the mill. My mother, who started our family young, was a homemaker. In a community where few saw potential in education, I struggled to see it as well. … My future felt fixed, destined for the mill."

Despite his challenged upbringing, Dausey made a commitment to his education, eventually earning advanced degrees. "Higher education didn't just change my life, it awakened it," Dausey said. "It opened doors I didn't even know existed. It taught me to think, how to listen, how to serve."

The new president will build on the positive momentum started by Gormley in 2016. Cooperation between the two will ensure a seamless transition as Duquesne enters its next chapter.