Georgetown University inaugurated Eduardo Peñalver as its 49th president Friday, Oct. 9, at McDonough Arena, marking the school's first leadership change in 25 years.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was scheduled to attend the 3 p.m. ceremony, according to her public calendar. Peñalver is Georgetown's first Latino president and its second lay, or non-clergy, leader. His father immigrated to the United States from Cuba in 1962, and his mother is the daughter of Swiss immigrants.

The day began with an inauguration Mass at Gaston Hall at 10 a.m., presided over by Bishop Michael T.T. Castori, S.J., of Honolulu, described as a longtime friend of Peñalver. U.S. Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Ro Khanna attended the Mass, along with president emeritus John DeGioia, according to Georgetown Voice coverage. DeGioia's appearance was his first since a June 2024 stroke that forced him to resign from the presidency he held for 23 years.

The formal installation followed at McDonough Arena, which last hosted a presidential inauguration in 1969. An academic procession of 350 to 400 faculty members from Georgetown and other universities opened the ceremony, according to Georgetown Voice reporting on the event's planning.

A 16-piece orchestra performed. The Georgetown Inauguration Orchestra was conducted by Luke Frazier of the American Pops Orchestra, and a newly constructed video wall behind the stage displayed original footage of campus and students.

Peñalver took office July 1 after serving as president of Seattle University. He is a Rhodes Scholar who earned his bachelor's degree from Cornell and a law degree from Yale. He also served as dean of Cornell Law School.

He inherits pressing challenges. University officials reported in April that graduate enrollment confirmations for fall 2026 dropped 13% from the prior year, to 2,488 students, according to The Hoya. The Washington Post identified artificial intelligence, that enrollment decline and the university's financial condition as his top concerns.

Peñalver announced a five-year strategic plan on Sept. 24 to address those issues. The plan, developed with students, faculty and staff, will also tackle Georgetown's history of slavery and engagement with the Catholic intellectual tradition. It is due before the board of directors at its June 2027 meeting.

In an August interview with The Georgetowner, Peñalver described the mindset he brought to the job after completing an eight-day silent retreat rooted in Ignatian spirituality: "Georgetown is this precious thing, for the Jesuits, for the global Catholic community and for the country. It's doing something no one else is doing."

Listening sessions with the campus community are ongoing this semester as part of the strategic planning process.