Fairfield University has announced the appointment of Dr. Nancy Dallavalle, associate professor of religious studies, as director of the school”™s Center for Catholic Studies.
Dallavalle, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame, has published in academic and mainstream media and serves on the board of directors for the Catholic Theological Society of America. She succeeds Dr. Paul Lakeland, the center”™s founding director, who stepped down after 19 years of leadership.
In a press statement, Dallavalle said she plans a focus for the center that “unpacks how Catholicism in the U.S. is lived today. Religious practice is changing rapidly, as are many social patterns and norms.”
Dallavalle added, “The Catholic Church in the United States continues to be a place where the gospel speaks; a place of dialogue about the dignity of the human person, a place of sustained care for immigrants, the imprisoned and the poor; and a place where the sacraments are celebrated in parish communities across the U.S.”
