Detroit Mercy names Fr. Charles O. Oduke as vice president for Mission Integration

University of Detroit Mercy is pleased to announce it has named the Rev. Charles O. Oduke as its new vice president for Mission Integration. He will begin his tenure at the University Aug. 1.

“Fr. Oduke brings a great deal of experience with both the Mercy and Jesuit charisms, which makes him perfect for Detroit Mercy,” said University President Donald B. Taylor. “His experience and leadership will help raise the everyday profile of our mission that calls us to integrate the intellectual, spiritual, ethical and social development of our students.”

As a child in Kenya, Fr. Oduke’s earliest education was by the Sisters of Mercy. He is a Catholic priest who was a Jesuit for two decades. His career in Jesuit higher education dates from 1994, when he served as a missionary in war-torn Sudan. He was part of the team that co-founded Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), a public tier one research university in western Kenya, where he served in several leadership positions.

Fr. Oduke earned his doctoral degree in Philosophy at Boston College. He was also on the faculty there and taught social justice, philosophy and African Diaspora studies. He comes to Detroit Mercy from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., where he has served as director of the office of Inclusive Excellence Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; vice president for Mission Integration & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and most recently as vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.