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President Sanford came to the university as dean of Constantin College in 2015 and
was elevated to provost in 2018. As provost, Sanford oversees all academic deans of
the university’s four schools, the dean of the library, the dean of students, the
dean of the Rome campus, Athletics, and Campus Ministry. He also oversees special
outreach projects such as UD’s Studies on Catholic Faith and Culture, as well as the
Office of Personal and Career Development.
At Hibbs’ invitation, Sanford managed the development of the university’s new strategic
plan, and Board Chair Richard Husseini noted, “He is ideally suited to ensure the
implementation of the strategic plan as president. Both as dean and as provost, he
has excelled in strengthening the faculty and encouraging our students to excel in
their studies and in their post-graduate appointments; developed a greater focus on
grants and awards; built new philanthropic opportunities; strengthened UD’s Catholic
identity; overseen the development of new programs and initiatives; and elevated the
university’s reputation.”
Sanford, who holds the rank of professor and is tenured in the Philosophy Department,
graduated summa cum laude from Xavier University in classical languages and philosophy
in 1997, received his doctorate from the University of Buffalo, State University of
New York in 2001, and received a postdoctoral fellowship from Fordham University in
2001-02. Sanford served at Franciscan University of Steubenville for 13 years before
joining the University of Dallas in 2015. In his administrative work at Franciscan
University, he held the positions of associate vice president for academic affairs
and chair of philosophy, and also served in the role of the principal elected faculty
representative.
Sanford has published widely on philosophical figures and topics and has made significant
contributions especially in foundational questions in moral philosophy, as evidenced
in Before Virtue: Assessing Contemporary Virtue Ethics (The Catholic University of America Press, 2015 (paperback, 2019)). Sanford is currently
writing a book on virtue and education. He lectures widely to both scholarly and popular
audiences on a variety of topics. For the past three years, on the third Monday of
each month, he has hosted the “Good News at UD” portion of the Good News Show on KATH 910. Sanford is a trustee of the Hildebrand
Project, a member of the executive committee and the executive council of the American
Catholic Philosophical Association, a member of the Dallas board of Legatus, a fellow
of the Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture, and a board member of the Fellowship
of Catholic Scholars, and is active in several other professional and academic organizations.
His wife, Rebecca, is a registered nurse and founding board member of Mighty Is Her
Call, a Catholic mothers’ ministry recognized by the Diocese of Dallas. The Sanfords
have nine children and one granddaughter and live with their younger children in Irving,
Texas.
