The mission of the Marianist Lecture is to
foster dialogue on Catholic thought and Catholic responsibility.
Why Hope: Claiming the Promise and the Responsibility
with Dr. Carolyn Y. Woo
Sunday, February 22, 2026 | 4 PM
Mystical Rose Oratory, Chaminade University
Livestream: Mystical Rose Oratory Facebook page
Registration Encouraged, Not Required
About the Speaker
Carolyn Woo, PhD, is the former president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), which is the official humanitarian agency of the United States Catholic community. Formed in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to support World War II survivors in Europe, by 2024, the organization had grown to serve more than 200 million people across 100 countries on five continents. She served as CEO from 20212-2016.
Prior to joining CRS, Dr. Woo was a distinguished academic and higher education administrator. She served from 1997 to 2011 as dean of the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and, during her tenure, Mendoza College was ranked as the nation’s top undergraduate business program and consistently recognized for its excellence in ethics education and research.
Before Notre Dame, Dr. Woo was associate executive vice president for academic affairs and a professor at her alma mater, Purdue University, where she earned three degrees, including a doctorate in strategic management. She was educated by the Maryknoll Sisters and immigrated from her native Hong Kong at the age of 18 with funding for one year of college tuition.
Dr. Woo also holds honorary degrees from over thirty universities, including the University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, and Wake Forest University.
In 2013, Foreign Policy named Dr. Woo as one of the 500 Most Powerful people on the planet for her work and one of only 33 in the category of “a force for good.” In 2015, she was one of five presenters in Rome at the release of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ encyclical on the environment, and she co-coordinated the Energy Transition dialogues held at the Vatican in 2018 and 2019.
Additional accolades and recognitions include serving as the first female dean to chair the accreditation body for business schools (AACSB), helping launch the Principles for Responsible Management Education for the United Nations Global Compact, best paper awards by the Academy of Management, selection as one of 40 Young Leaders of American Academe by Change Magazine, recognized as Indiana Living Legend by the Indiana Historical Society, and earning first place in the 2013 Catholic Press Association Awards for her monthly column published by the Catholic News Service.
Dr. Woo has served on both corporate and nonprofit boards including Aon PLC, NiSource, Circuit City, Catholic University of America; University of Portland, University of Notre Dame Australia, Ascension Health System, National Catholic Education Association, Archdiocese of Baltimore Independent Child Abuse Review Board; Migration & Refugee Services, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. She is a frequent contributor of GIVE US THIS DAY, and author of two books, Working for a Better World and Rising: Learning from Women’s Leadership in Catholic Ministries.
About the Lecture Series
The Marianist Lecture is sponsored by the Marianist Center of Hawaii, Chaminade University, and St. Louis School.
The lecture fosters inclusive dialogue on Catholic Thought and Catholic Responsibility, gathering at the Kalaepohaku campus in a spirit of community and with a sense of place.
The Mackey Award for Catholic Thought is given to each presenter in honor of Fr. Robert Mackey, SM, the first President of Chaminade University. Fr. Mackey was a prominent figure in the civic and religious communities of Honolulu. This lecture series seeks to continue his commitment to Catholic Thought and Catholic Responsibility in the world.
The Mackey Award for Catholic Thought honors scholarly, community and faith leaders whose body of work advances the spirit, charism and educational mission of the Society of Mary and the Marianist Family.
This event is sponsored by:
