Loyola Names New Executive Director for Institute of Pastoral Studies

Father Dempsey Rosales Acosta will join Loyola University Chicago as Executive Director of the Institute of Pastoral Studies (IPS) effective July 1, 2026.

Fr. Rosales Acosta is a Catholic priest, biblical scholar, and higher-education leader with nearly two decades of experience in academic administration, higher education, pastoral formation, and mission-driven innovation. He currently serves as a tenured Professor of Theology and Director of the Center Semillero for Hispanic/Latino Theology at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, where he has been a full-time faculty member since 2010. Most recently, he served as Interim President of St. Thomas, where he led institutional advancement, a decennial SACSCOC accreditation process, and strategic governance, experience that positions him exceptionally well for the opportunities ahead at IPS.

A prolific scholar and pastoral leader, Fr. Rosales Acosta has authored peer-reviewed books and articles in biblical studies and theology, consulted for the USCCB on biblical translation, and developed graduate programs in English and Spanish for institutions including Notre Dame, Loyola Marymount, and St. Meinrad Seminary. His fluency in multiple modern and biblical languages reflects a global perspective on faith, justice, and human dignity that aligns deeply with Loyola’s Jesuit mission.

In his email to the community, Provost Douglas W. Woods shared, “Fr. Rosales Acosta will guide IPS into its next chapter—advancing its mission of forming leaders grounded in faith, justice, and service for the Church and the world.”

Fr. Rosales Acosta succeeds Interim Dean Peter Jones, who has served in the role since 2019.

“Dr. Jones has provided sustained, mission-driven leadership and positioned the Institute as a leading hub for preparing leaders in ministry and faith-based service,” said Provost Woods. “He expanded international outreach and interdisciplinary impact. Under his leadership, IPS was a foundational partner in the establishment of Loyola’s ongoing Building Bridges Initiative, which organized and facilitated several student encounters and dialogues with Pope Francis, supporting his call to the whole Church to be and proceed as a synodal, inclusive, and dialogical community.”

Jones is also a Principal Investigator on a recent $10 million grant from the Lilly Endowment that establishes CENTERS at IPS, the “Catholic Education Network to Enact and Resource Synodality.” Jones will continue to serve on the IPS faculty, which he joined in 2013.