Rev. Daniel G. Groody, C.S.C., Ph.D., is a Holy Cross priest, vice president and associate provost for undergraduate education, a Fellow and Trustee, and a professor of theology and global affairs at the University of Notre Dame. His primary responsibilities include advancing undergraduate teaching, research, and outreach. Fr. Groody oversees initiatives related to the curriculum, academic integrity, advising, academic support, scholarly engagement, and scholars’ programs. He also provides leadership for the Advisory Committee on the Academic Code and Policy, and the Valedictorian and Salutatorian Selection Committee.
Fr. Groody is an award-winning author, teacher, and film producer. He has written four books, edited or coedited five books, and written numerous articles that have been translated into nine languages. His scholarship delves into the intersection of theology and migration, offering insights into the human experience of displacement and the role of faith in addressing social and global challenges. His latest book, A Theology of Migration: The Bodies of Refugees and the Body of Christ, won first-place honors from the Catholic Press Association.
Internationally recognized as an expert on migration and refugee issues, and drawing on research and speaking engagements in more than 50 countries, Father Groody has collaborated with institutions such as the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the World Council of Churches, the Vatican, and the United Nations. He has also produced several internationally acclaimed films and documentaries, including Dying to Live: A Migrant’s Journey.
He is the recipient of a Centennial Medal from Catholic Charities and a winner of an award for sustained excellence in undergraduate teaching. He currently teaches a course titled “The Heart’s Desire and Social Change,” which enables students to discover the connection between the deepest desires of their hearts and the needs and challenges of the world.
Fr. Groody earned his bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame, a master of divinity degree and a licentiate in sacred theology from the Jesuit School of Theology, and a doctorate in theology from the Graduate Theological Union. He also completed postdoctoral work at Oxford University’s Refugee Studies Centre.
His engagement with policymakers, scholars and religious leaders underscores the integral relationship among Christian faith, global justice, the dignity of the human person, and theological reflection. In addition to his research, scholarship, and teaching, Fr. Groody is a former downhill ski racer, loves woodworking, and once rode a bicycle from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon.