Charles O. Oduke

Degrees

• Doctor of Philosophy, Boston College

Biography

The Rev. Charles O. Oduke has been named as University of Detroit Mercy's new vice president for Mission Integration. He will begin his tenure at the University Aug. 1.

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.