Thayne McCulloh is in his 16^th year as president and 32^nd consecutive year at Gonzaga University.  The focus throughout his tenure has been to increase Gonzaga’s reputation of excellence based upon a high-quality and high-value educational experience for students and the professions they go on to serve.  Four years ago, Gonzaga was ranked for the first time among the nation’s top 100 universities while maintaining a strong reputation as an excellent value for students.  He is deeply committed to an undergraduate education rooted in the liberal arts, sciences and humanities; an educational experience that prepares students to be critical thinkers, outstanding professionals, and exceptional leaders.

Dr. McCulloh’s presidency has been informed by three priorities: (1) to make Gonzaga an exemplar of American Jesuit higher education; (2) to support excellence across the curriculum; and (3) a focused commitment on institutional viability and sustainability.  These priorities have strongly informed his tenure, from the development of strategies and programs to the priority on developing the facilities of our campus environment, to the continuous emphasis on student success.

Recently, Dr. McCulloh led the development of a consortium to seek designation of the Eastern Washington and North Idaho regional area as a “Tech Hub” by the US Department of Commerce, a designation which was awarded in August 2023. 

Dr. McCulloh serves or has served on numerous national, regional, and local non-profit boards and has been recognized for his contributions to the region and to higher education.  He served for nine years as commissioner and four years as Chair of the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); is immediate past chair of the West Coast Conference athletic league, board member and former vice-chair of the board for the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), board member for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and immediate past chair of the Independent Colleges of Washington (ICW).