David J. Dausey

Dr. David J. Dausey was installed as the 14th President of Duquesne University in July 2026, bringing to the role a deep commitment to the University’s Catholic and Spiritan mission and a clear vision for expanding its impact in the years ahead. 

Dr. Dausey is a Pittsburgh native and a first-generation college student who began his own journey in higher education at a community college. That experience has never left him. It shapes the way he leads, the way he thinks about students, and the deep commitment he brings to making a Duquesne education accessible to those who need it most. 

Dr. Dausey was named Duquesne’s president after a highly successful tenure as provost, during which he helped steer the University through a period of transformative change. Across his eight years as provost, Dr. Dausey founded and advanced new schools, departments, institutes and programs, and was instrumental in fundraising for new facilities and initiatives across the university. Notably, he played a pivotal role in creating Duquesne University’s Nasuti College of Osteopathic Medicine, the institution’s boldest initiative to date, and the launch of a new suite of engineering programs. He also oversaw the development of a new university curriculum, the Bridges Common Learning Experience, with full faculty participation and support. 
 
Dr. Dausey is a tenured professor with faculty appointments at Duquesne’s John G. Rangos Sr. School of Health Sciences and Nasuti College of Osteopathic Medicine. He holds an honorary faculty appointment as a Distinguished Service Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, where he formerly served as a faculty member and the senior director of health programs and initiatives. Dr. Dausey has earned several awards for his teaching and mentoring efforts, including the Martcia Wade Teaching Award, the Alpha Theta Mentorship Award and the Panhellenic Interfraternity Council Role Model Award. 
 
An internationally recognized epidemiologist, Dr. Dausey is an elected fellow of the American College of Epidemiology. He has worked closely with senior health officials in over twenty countries and experts from international organizations and foundations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations, the Global Health and Security Initiative and the Rockefeller Foundation. He has led health projects worldwide and directed millions of dollars in extramural research funding. His extensive academic contributions include numerous books, research articles and reports, many of which have gained national media attention. 
 
As a national advocate for education, healthcare and public health, Dr. Dausey has conducted hundreds of media interviews and written commentaries for various news outlets. He has also served on the board of directors of numerous community organizations focused on philanthropy, academia, healthcare, economic development, and arts and culture. 
 
Before Duquesne, Dr. Dausey served as the executive vice president and provost of Mercyhurst University. He also worked as a full-time researcher with the RAND Corporation and as an analyst at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 
 
Dr. Dausey holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mercyhurst University, master’s and doctoral degrees in epidemiology from Yale University and a second doctoral degree in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania. He also completed advanced training in higher education leadership at Harvard University.