Georgetown University President John DeGioia announced Thursday that he's stepping down amid health concerns.
DeGioia, who suffered a stroke in June, was the longest-serving president of the school, at 23 years.
He spent much of his life at Georgetown, from undergrad to a PHD, eventually rising through the administrative ranks to become president. He made it a point to shake every student’s hand at graduation.
Many students who spoke with News4 tell us he’ll be missed.
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"He definitely showed a lot of commitment to Georgetown, which is pretty inspirational as a current Hoya," student MJ Morales said. "But yeah, I’m sad, it’s definitely sad."
"He really emphasized charitable works and the notion of being a good person," student Will Cihra said. "Georgetown really emphasizes the whole person."
DeGioia put out a statement Thursday, saying: "Serving as the president of Georgetown has been the privilege of my lifetime. I look forward to continuing to advance and support Georgetown’s mission and the university community that means so much to all of us. I remain deeply proud of the work we have done together to strengthen the Georgetown community, our nation and our world."
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"I think everyone at Georgetown really loves DeGioia, so very sad news," student Amelia Lightfoot said. "Everyone’s just wishing him a good recovery."
"Georgetown was the first institution to open an LGBTQ resource center, the first Catholic institution in the country to do so, and that was under DeGoia’s purview. I think DeGoia has been an institution of Georgetown," student Ulises Olea Tapia said.
DeGioia says he will stay on as a member of the faculty at Georgetown.
The school says provost Robert Groves will serve as interim president while the board of directors conducts a search for the next leader.
