The new president of Creighton University says the school’s commitment to the humanities can meet the needs of a changing world.
Father Daniel Hendrickson was installed Friday as Creighton’s 25th president. Hendrickson is a Fremont native and was a student in the school’s Jesuit Humanities Program in 1996-1997.
Father Hendrickson says the humanities are at the core of Creighton’s mission.
“Philosophy, theology, history, language and literature, take us in to ourselves in special ways, and they tell us about the lives of those around us. They are the instruments of self-awareness, and they catalyze understanding, empathy, and compassion for others.”
Hendrickson unveiled two new initiatives. One is the Creighton Global Initiative. It’ll have five areas of interest, including impact on Omaha, and innovation and global issues. $3.6 million has been raised for the Global Initiative so far.
The other is a Catholic Social Teaching Fund. Hendrickson says it’ll bring attention to issues of social injustice, the poor, and marginalized.
Hendrickson is Creighton’s 25th president. He previously was an executive vice president at Marquette University.