Scott Appleby

Scott Appleby is the Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Global Affairs and Interim Director of the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion at the University of Notre Dame. He previously served as the founding dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs (2014–2024) and directed the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism.

As a historian and scholar of global religion, Appleby explores religion's role in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and human development. His seminal works include The Ambivalence of the Sacred and The Oxford Handbook of Religion, Conflict, and Peacebuilding. His research spans religious fundamentalism, Catholic intellectual history, and interfaith dialogue.

His recent publications focus on secularism, integral human development, and religious actors in global governance. He has received five honorary degrees and is a fellow of two prestigious academies. Appleby's leadership in establishing Notre Dame’s Keough School underscores his commitment to interdisciplinary global engagement.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Fellow, American Academy of Political and Social Sciences
• Five honorary degrees