Donald B. Taylor

Degrees

• Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Memphis
• B.S. in Education, University of Memphis

Biography

Donald B. Taylor, Ph.D., became the 26th president of University of Detroit Mercy on July 1, 2022.

Detroit Mercy is thriving under his leadership. In 2023, the University was ranked No. 52 in the nation on the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse list of best institutions of higher education in the country. That makes it Michigan’s second highest-ranking university and fourth among Catholic institutions nationally. In addition, a Georgetown University study put UDM in the top 10% nationally in terms of the return on investment in a college degree.

Taylor has been responsible for many forward-thinking efforts in his brief tenure. Partnerships with state and federal agencies are providing new opportunities for UDM students and the communities they serve. The U.S. Department of Defense is working with the University in establishing the Metro Detroit Regional Vehicle Cybersecurity Institute, and the U.S. Department of Energy invested nearly $4 million in a program that will have UDM students working with Detroit-area nonprofits to reduce their carbon output.

In addition, the University has expanded partnerships in healthcare education, opened the Detroit Mercy Eye Clinic, and made major investments in facility improvements and campus beautification efforts.

Students, too, are listening and the University is experiencing a record surge in enrollment. Donors are responding as well and their gifts to the University are also setting records, helping the University increase educational opportunities, facilities and scholarships.

Taylor earned a B.S. in education and a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Memphis. He spent 22 years with Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill., where he was ultimately provost and chief academic officer. He left Benedictine to serve as president of Cabrini University, a private Roman Catholic University near Philadelphia, where he stayed for eight years before coming to Detroit Mercy.

Taylor’s research interests have included the biochemical, cellular and molecular mechanisms of blood platelet aggregation, blood clot formation, and cell-cell interactions, and the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel pharmaceutical compounds for the use in the study of hemostasis and thrombosis. His research interests in higher education have included problem-based learning, effective partnerships in science education at the K-16 level, and educational technologies.

He has published more than 40 peer-reviewed abstracts, manuscripts, and reviews in scientific journals and has given and participated in more than 60 presentations on science and higher education. Taylor has received 20 awards for teaching, research, and service and secured millions of dollars in extramural funding, including large awards from the Department of Energy, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Science Foundation.

Taylor and his wife, Lechia, a nurse and certified case manager, have a son, Seth. They live in University Commons neighborhood in Detroit.