Alumni News: Konkol named Valparaiso University president

Amherst alumnus (Class of 1997) Rev. Brian E. Konkol, Ph.D., the son of George and Judy Konkol of Amherst Junction, assumed the role of Valparaiso University’s 20th president on January 1. An ordained minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), he brings more than two decades of leadership in higher education, global experience, and a deep commitment to mission-driven learning.

Before his appointment at Valparaiso, Konkol served as vice president, dean, and professor at Syracuse University and was a member of the Chancellor’s Executive Team. During his tenure, he led a transformational strategic plan and oversaw a massive increase in student participation at Hendricks Chapel, expanded programming to more than 2,000 annual events, and helped develop a nationally recognized model for spiritual, ethical, and interfaith engagement in higher education. He also played a key leadership role in Syracuse’s successful $1.5 billion comprehensive campaign, contributing to significant growth in annual giving and donor engagement.

As a professor in Syracuse’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Konkol taught courses on religion, conflict, and collaboration and served as a senior research associate in the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC). He also serves as an honorary professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and has helped launch initiatives focused on leadership development and character formation through sport and ministry partnerships.

Prior to Syracuse, he served in Lutheran-based institutions around the world, including as chaplain of Gustavus Adolphus College, co-pastor at Lake Edge Lutheran Church, and pastor and country coordinator for the ELCA in Guyana and South Africa.

“Valparaiso University is a blessing to our world,” he said. “I have long admired its roots and reach, and to be called to serve alongside such a dedicated campus community is a dream come true. I thank God for the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends who brought us all to this moment. I fully believe our next chapter of life and learning will be meaningful, and I embrace this opportunity with excitement for our shared future.”

Konkol holds a Masters of Divinity from Luther Seminary and both a Masters of Theology and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. He has published widely on Lutheran identity, global mission, ethics, and public life and has been invited to lecture and preach at institutions across the U.S. and around the world.

He is married to Associate Teaching Professor and Undergraduate Director of Exercise Science at Syracuse University Dr. Kristen Konkol. They are the parents of two children, Khaya and Tobi.