April 3, 2019 — Regis College announced last week the appointment of Susan K. Wood, SCL, PhD as the College’s first female Academic Dean, effective August 1, 2019. “Susan Wood’s appointment brings a very valuable new addition to Regis”, said Regis College President, Thomas Worcester, SJ in a press release. “Her areas of research are critical to a full understanding of the role of the Church in today’s world, and her presence will do much to enhance our profile in many areas. We are eager for her arrival!”
Born in Washington, DC, and raised in the Kansas City area, Wood, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL), Kansas, earned a Master of Arts in French from Middlebury College, Vermont (1976), and completed her Religious Studies PhD in systematic theology at Marquette University in Milwaukee (1986).
Wood served as Professor of Theology and Associate Dean at the School of Theology, Saint John’s University, in Collegeville, Minnesota before returning in 2005 to Marquette, where she currently serves as Professor of Theology and Chair of the Department of Theology. An active ecumenist, Wood participates in both national and international official dialogues with Lutherans, Baptists, and Orthodox, and serves on the editorial board of the journal Ecclesiology.
Having spent the past 14 years at Marquette, eight of them as Department Chair, Wood brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Regis College, University of Toronto’s (UofT) Jesuit graduate school of theology and one of seven English-language Jesuit schools of theology in the world. With an academic expertise in ecumenism, ecclesiology, sacramental theology, and the work of Henri de Lubac, she is particularly drawn to the theological and pastoral outlook of Pope Francis with its strong focus on contemporary ecumenical conversation, church unity, and the church’s role in the world.
Woods sees UofT as an ideal setting to explore these areas. “(It) is a world-class research institution with a richness of resources, including a phenomenal library system and the faith-based curriculum of the Toronto School of Theology member schools within the university,”” Wood said. “I am excited to be a part of this environment, which so successfully combines academic rigour, pastoral values, and a strong ecumenical focus.”
Regis College is the Jesuit graduate school of theology in Canada, affiliated with the University of Toronto. Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2020, Regis is one of the seven founding institutions of the Toronto School of Theology.
