The Loyola Institute for Ministry celebrates the legacy of outgoing LIM Director Dr. Tom Ryan and welcomes Dr. Tracey Lamont as the new director.
Dr. Tracey Lamont will become LIM Director as current Director Dr. Tom Ryan becomes Loyola’s Interim Vice President for Mission and Identity. Both transitions take effect at Loyola’s 2022 Commencement. Interim President Select Justin Daffron, S.J., noted the importance and impact of this leadership transition in his university-wide announcement.
During Tom’s 15 years as Director, he has drawn on the wisdom of his predecessors and their commitment to practical theology, adult ways of learning, and the implications of baptism for all the faithful. He has done so while developing new ways of delivering LIM’s curriculum to new audiences. He will remain a tenured professor in LIM and will continue to devote a portion of his time to LIM.
Tracey is completing her sixth year as a professor in LIM. She has a national reputation as a leader in the field of religious education and in youth and young adult ministry. Her success is illustrated by the recent grant she wrote that was awarded to LIM in support of young adult ministry nationwide. Inspired by LIM’s accomplishments, she is excited to embark on her new endeavors as she seeks to extend LIM’s impact in new ways.
Tom and Tracey are excited about LIM's future as LIM conducts searches for two new faculty members and start new programs. They are also grateful to our students, graduates, faculty, staff, liaisons, facilitators, and friends extended over time and space who have learned with, supported, and inspired us in so many ways. Your expertise, enthusiasm, and commitment to ministry, religious education, and your faith keep LIM moving forward into the future.
Trusting in the Spirit who leads us all, Tom and Tracey look forward to continuing and deepening their relationships and partnerships as they work to advance the mission of LIM and the university.
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Dear Loyola community, As I prepare to step into my new role next month as Interim President, I am eager to share with you two new leadership changes that will help move Loyola and the Jesuit mission forward. Dr. Tom Ryan will serve as our new Interim Vice President for Mission and Identity, and Dr. Tracey Lamont will lead the Loyola Institute for Ministry (LIM) as its new interim director. For those of you who have not yet met these two dynamic leaders, let me share a bit about Tom and Tracey, two of the most engaging and joyful people I know, particularly on issues on mission and identity. Dr. Tom Ryan grew up on New Orleans’ West Bank and lived for two years in the New York Catholic Worker Community before pursuing his advanced degrees and long career in higher education. He joined Loyola in 2007 as professor and director of the Loyola Institute for Ministry (LIM), which for over fifty years has empowered people around the globe to respond effectively to the pressing needs of the Church and world today. Under Tom’s leadership over the last 15 years, the LIM team has developed fully online graduate and undergraduate degrees, a program in Ignatian spiritual formation, certificate in Spanish, and several large grants. As associate dean, Tom has also played a key role in transforming our College of Nursing and Health, where every faculty member and program is working to carry out goals of “Health in Mind, Body, and Spirit.” Tom loves the rich religious, cultural, and environmental heritage of south Louisiana and has great vision for moving our Jesuit identity forward, in large and small ways. He’s been tied to Loyola since his days at Jesuit High School New Orleans pursuing a course via dual enrollment. Leading Loyola forward on issues of mission and identity is a job tailor-made for him. Dr. Tracey Lamont is a national expert on what Gen-Zers are seeking from their churches as they transition from youth to young adulthood. She is a well sought-after national figure, speaking about what the Catholic Church must do to engage and be more welcoming to young people. We are fortunate to have her here at Loyola at this pivotal moment. Recent discussions with Tracey have spotlighted how much LIM — a pioneer in online learning with more than five decades experience of graduate education in a variety of formats — has to share as we consider challenges facing young people and brand-new opportunities to deliver adult education post-COVID. Churches, universities, and educators around the globe are striving to understand how to retain Catholic young adults and more deeply engage communities, all while addressing new and emerging needs of families, individuals, and marginalized groups. Tracey is poised to help the LIM team grow and thrive. Two years ago, Loyola conducted the Mission Examen, an exhaustive self-study of our Jesuit, Catholic identity that helped to reveal how we want to grow. As educators, Tom and Tracey understand closely how to move mission-critical projects and curriculum forward on campus. I am grateful to both of them and to Michelle Collins, dean of the College of Nursing and Health, for helping me to work through a plan that supports the needs of the Office of Mission and Identity, College of Nursing and Health, and LIM. Please join me in welcoming Tom and Tracey to their new roles. Father Justin Daffron, S.J.
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