Megan Trotter | news editor

After a decade-long term, Duquesne University President Ken Gormley announced that will step down as president next year, but will remain an active member of the Bluff’s community by fulfilling a new role as chancellor.

The announcement came on Saturday evening after a discussion between Gormley and his wife, Laura. Gormley celebrated his 70th birthday on Wednesday and will officially leave his presidential position behind on July 1, 2026.

“Get out while they still love you,” Gormley said to The Duke. “It is the best thing for this university that we love. And so having a plan so that it takes place with this seamless hand off to someone with plenty of time for a search, no surprises, no abrupt changes … that was going to be the absolute best thing for the university.”

Gormley joined Duquesne’s faculty in 1994, after teaching at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He earned his B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1977 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1980. While there, he served as a teaching assistant to professor and former Solicitor General Archibald Cox in Constitutional Law. In 2016 he became the 13th president of Duquesne, following the retirement of former President Charles J. Dougherty who had held the position since 2001.

Much of Gormley’s presidential legacy consists of navigating COVID, launching Duquesne’s School of Science and Engineering as well as the College of Osteopathic Medicine-in addition to spearheading a $45 million renovation to the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse and the Thomas R. Kline School of Law after receiving a $50 million commitment.

“His leadership during COVID was, to me, defining of his character. I was in the room (or on the Zoom) and saw firsthand his commitment to students and ensuring they could be safe and continue their progress toward their education,” said university Spokesman Gabriel Welsch, who has worked closely with Gormley for over six years.

Executive board members of the Student Government Association (SGA) Faith Cook, president, and Braden Niles, vice president of academic affairs, said Gormley has been supportive and actively involved with the SGA.

“Everyone kind of knows President Gormley. You see him walking around campus, taking photos with students, remaining someone that students feel like they know and they see as part of the community. I think it’s really important,” Niles said.

Gormley said some of his favorite memories as president are the annual Pancakes with the President event, which takes place before finals, and when the men’s basketball team won the Atlantic 10 Conference and competed in the NCAA Tournament last year.

“The first NCAA Tournament game, I actually ran out on the court with the players with six seconds left, and then everyone’s waving me back, ‘get off of there. We’re going to get a technical foul, and we may lose the game.’ But I was as excited as they were,” Gormley said.

Emeritus member of the board, John “Jack” McGinley said he has known Gormley since he became a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association. McGinley, who was selected as chair of the Board of Directors around the beginning of Gormley’s time as president, said the board picked him because they thought he could ramp up community engagement — a task that McGinley believes Gormley successfully achieved.

“We knew that Duquesne, as almost every college in the country, was going to be facing demographic challenges and other challenges, and so we asked [Gormley’s team] to come up with a program, and the program that they came up with ultimately led to the Osteopathic Medical School,” McGinley said.

McGinley conceded his position as chair to Diane Hupp in fall of last semester. On Wednesday, Hupp announced the official appointments to the Presidential Selection Committee in an email to students and faculty.

Hupp’s email stated that the committee has the intention of starting the search for Duquesne’s next president while this current academic year is still underway. The committee hopes to have a selection by early November.

“It is of critical importance that we find our next president who can build on Duquesne’s great momentum and the innovative programs and advancements Ken and the campus community have achieved, while keeping true to our Spiritan mission and values of serving God by serving students,” Hupp said to The Duke.

While Gormley finishes out the remainder of his presidential term he said he plans to continue full steam ahead over the next year. To stay organized during his last year Gormley said he has combined 12 yellow notebooks full of goals into a solid list of “top priorities.”

His daughter and Duquesne’s current Enrollment Coordinator, Madeleine Gormley, is one of three of Gormley’s four children who attended Duquesne for either undergraduate or graduate school.

“Duquesne has been a huge part of our family. It’s more than just a campus at this point. It’s a legacy, a commitment, and a … deep rooted part of who we as the Gormley family are,” she said. “He has been getting a little bit older, and he has this very demanding but rewarding job. I’m not shocked, and I think ultimately I’m excited for him, because he’ll still be in a leadership position at Duquesne.”

As chancellor, Gormley plans to help map out plans for the 150th anniversary of the university in 2028 and hopes to keep teaching his class ‘Presidents in the Constitution’ in the law school. Gormley said he plans to work on a sixth book project as well as spending time with his five grandchildren — with another due in May.

“This has been truly my home, and I hope that during the chancellor years, not only can I be helping in a host of ways with the new president, but this can continue to be the home for my family,” Gormley said.

Naomi Girson contributed to this report.