Chairs

Members

Visiting Peer Team

The visiting peer team is made up of colleagues from other higher education institutions who have a deep understanding of the Jesuit, Catholic mission of Jesuit higher education and are committed to sharing that expertise with others. The team will be on SCU's campus January 11 - 14, 2026, meeting with a variety of constituents, learning about the work of the Steering Committee and the University more broadly, and sharing their thoughts, feedback, and suggestions in a report shared with the Steering Committee. This is an invaluable part of the MPE process and helps to enhance the depth of reflection and ensure that the process can propel SCU forward in its mission. 

Our MPE visiting team is comprised of colleagues active in various dimensions of the mission at other Jesuit institutions:

Vincent D. Rougeau (Team Chair) is the 33rd president of the College of the Holy Cross and is a passionate advocate for an inclusive, mission-driven education. Under his leadership, Holy Cross has advanced Aspire, its strategic vision for the future, with an early focus on investing in student, faculty and staff experience, strengthening shared governance with faculty, administration and the Board of Trustees, and deepening partnerships across the City of Worcester. He previously served as dean of the Boston College Law School and the inaugural director of the Forum on Racial Justice in America. A graduate of Brown University and Harvard Law School, Rougeau has written extensively on law and religions, and is a nationally respected expert in legal education and Catholic social thought.

Rev. John J. Cecero, S.J., currently serves as Vice President for Mission Integration and Ministry at Fordham University, where he oversees mission-related offices including Campus Ministry and the Center for Religion and Culture. A clinical psychologist and tenured professor in Fordham's psychology department, he previously served as Provincial of the USA Northeast Province of the Society of Jesus. An ordained priest since 1989, Fr. Cecero holds degrees in French, philosophy, divinity, theology, and clinical psychology, including a Ph.D. from George Washington University. He has published widely on psychology and spirituality, maintained a psychotherapy practice, and regularly presents on topics at the intersection of spirituality and wellbeing.

Dr. Daniel L. Smith is an Associate Professor of New Testament at Saint Louis University, where he specializes in Christian origins, Second Temple Judaism, ancient rhetoric, and the genres of antiquity. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in theology from the University of Notre Dame and has authored multiple scholarly books and peer-reviewed articles on Luke-Acts, memory, and rhetorical strategies in early Jewish and Christian texts. A former Humboldt Research Fellow, Dr. Smith is active in several professional organizations including the Society of Biblical Literature and the Catholic Biblical Association, and he contributes to community initiatives such as the SLU Prison Education Program and youth education in his local parish.

Dr. Jennifer J. Griffin is the Raymond C. Baumhart, S.J. Endowed Chair in Business Ethics at Loyola University Chicago's Quinlan School of Business. A nationally and internationally recognized scholar, she examines how organizations intentionally embed ethical practices and corporate social responsibility for win-win-win impacts. Award-winning author of Managing Corporate Impacts: Co-Creating Value, she has published extensively in top academic journals. Dr. Griffin has held numerous academic leadership roles, received several teaching awards, and earned research honors including recognition from the Academy of Management, the International Association of Business & Society, the Australian Centre for Corporate Public Affairs, and the Aspen Institute. A former engineer, community volunteer, and certified firefighter, she brings a deeply engaged and interdisciplinary approach to her work and service.