The people behind
the index.

Dan Myers is the 15th President of Misericordia University in Pennsylvania. Prior to his appointment at Misericordia, he served as the Chief Academic Officer (Provost) at American University in Washington, DC and at Marquette University in Wisconsin. In both of those positions, he oversaw the student persistence operation and has taken a keen interest in it as a university president as well.

Prior to his provost roles, he spent 17 years at the University of Notre Dame, where he was Professor of Sociology and Vice President for Faculty Affairs. Dr. Myers was also the director of Faculty Development and Research in the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, and he founded and directed Notre Dame’s Center for the Study of Social Movements.

Dr. Myers earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs from Ohio State University before completing a master’s and doctorate in sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His primary expertise is in the study of protest, activism, collective behavior, and social movements.

He has published eight books and over 60 articles primarily focused on protest and unrest, mathematical models of the diffusion of social phenomena, social psychology, game theory, and urban politics. He is an award-winning teacher and researcher, and was honored with Notre Dame’s highest teaching award in 2007. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the Lilly Foundation. He has served on a variety of non-profit boards of arts, health, and educational organizations.