On Oct. 3, 2014, Saint Louis University will host an event not seen on campus in almost 30 years: the inauguration of a new president. At 9:00 a.m., Fred Pestello, Ph.D., will be officially inaugurated at Chaifetz Arena as the University’s 33rd president. Pestello is SLU’s first permanent lay president; he follows interim layman Bill Kaufman, J.D., and the Jesuit priests before him.

In addition to the inauguration itself, there are several other events planned. On Thursday, Oct. 2, an all-university Mass will be held at Saint Francis Xavier College Church with a reception after in the church’s ballroom. There will also be a reception on the lawn outside of Chaifetz Arena following the inauguration ceremony.

Since Pestello was officially installed at SLU on July 1, 2014, he has been active in the push to bring the University strongly into its bicentennial year, 2018. Over the summer and into the first few weeks of school, Pestello has been busy not only getting to know both the University and St. Louis but starting the University’s newest strategic plan, which is slated to be completed by May. The plan, the administration hopes, will provide SLU with a blueprint to further its mission in innovative and effective ways in the future.

An RSVP is required for all inauguration events; this can be done on SLU’s website. In addition, presidential well-wishers can post their congratulations to Pestello on the inauguration page of SLU’s website.