Daniel J. Curran is president of the University of Dayton, recognized as a top-tier national university and one of the 10 best Catholic universities in the country. The Philadelphia native became the University of Dayton's 18th president and first lay leader on July 1, 2002.

Dr. Curran is guiding the University of Dayton through transformational times. A new master plan will shape development on a campus that now spans to the Great Miami River. A new strategic plan will focus on strengthening the school's distinctive Catholic and Marianist identity, diversifying the student body, internationalizing the curriculum, hiring nationally prominent faculty and building upon a learning-living environment that supports academic excellence.

A sociologist by training, President Curran spent 23 years in various administrative and faculty positions at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, most recently as executive vice president and vice president for academic affairs. He's a noted scholar in criminology, juvenile justice and social problems, with a deep interest in international issues.