Special Assistant to the President

Message from the President

December 13, 2016

Dear LMU Community:

I am pleased to announce Professor John Parrish will become special assistant to the president, effective January 1, 2017. Professor Parrish has served LMU in a variety of roles, bringing to each position the keen and thoughtful approach that he exhibits in his teaching and scholarship. 

Professor Parrish joined LMU in 2006 as an assistant professor of political science and was promoted to associate professor in 2009 and professor in 2014. He has served as president of the Faculty Senate, director of the University Honors Program, Senior Vice President Fellow, co-chair of the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts Four-Unit Curriculum Task Force, chair of the BCLA College Council, and an Ignatian Colleagues Program Fellow. In 2015 he received the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts John R. Popiden Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to our community.

As part of his appointment, Professor Parrish will be stepping down as chair of the Political Science Department after serving in that role since 2014. He will continue his leadership role in our planning efforts for the Playa Vista Initiative on behalf of the executive vice president and provost.

Professor Parrish earned his doctorate and M.A. in political science from Harvard University and his M.Phil. from the University of Cambridge, England. He earned his bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from William Jewell College in Missouri. He is co-author of The Decline of Mercy in Public Life (2014) and author of Paradoxes of Political Ethics: From Dirty Hands to the Invisible Hand (2009), among his many other scholarly publications. Prior to LMU, John was an assistant professor at The Ohio State University and a fellow at the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University.

I offer heartfelt thanks to Professor Joseph LaBrie, our outgoing chief of staff. Professor LaBrie has been an integral part of the President’s Office and the senior leadership team, tirelessly serving two university presidents and providing critical leadership and support through the last presidential transition. As chief of staff, Professor LaBrie worked on a broad range of issues vital to the university, and we will miss his versatility, his presence, and his dedication. After a well-earned sabbatical, we look forward to his continued scholarship in the Psychology Department and with the Heads Up Program that he directs. One of the nation’s most prolific researchers, Professor LaBrie’s extraordinary work has been recognized nationally by his peers and grant-awarding agencies. I look forward to celebrating Joe’s leadership, accomplishments, and service to the university at this afternoon’s reception and open house in his honor.

Please join me in congratulating John on his new role as he continues to expand his service to LMU and our impact on the world.

With sincere thanks and appreciation,

Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D.
President