Dr. Hugh Spurgin Steps Down; Dr. Thomas Ward Appointed Sixth President of UTS

Dear Friends of UTS,

Unification Theological Seminary President Hugh D. Spurgin informed the UTS Board of Trustees in a letter on May 25, 2019 of his intention to step down as President once a suitable replacement was appointed.  

Dr. Spurgin (UTS’77), who has served on the UTS Board since the 1980s, and for eighteen years was President of the Bridgeport International Academy in Connecticut, assumed the presidency of UTS in January 2015. As UTS President, Dr. Spurgin played a critical role in securing the Seminary’s re-accreditation; solidifying its relationship with the Family Federation; overseeing relocation of the main campus to 4 West 43rd St.; and launching the Seminary’s first fully-online distance education courses.

The Board expressed its gratitude to Dr. Spurgin for taking the reins of UTS at a difficult time and repositioning UTS as an entrepreneurial, urban seminary with traditional and e-learning classes. 

The UTS Board, in consultation with the Family Federation, is gratified to announce the appointment of Dr. Thomas Ward as the sixth president of UTS, effective August 8, 2019. Dr. Ward is a 1981 graduate of UTS and has been a member of the UTS Board of Trustees since 2015. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Notre Dame, earned a Diplôme Supérieur (DS) in French Language and Civilization at the University of Paris-Sorbonne, a Master of Arts from California State University and did his doctoral studies at the Catholic Institute of Paris and at the De La Salle University in the Philippines where he earned a D.Ed. 

Dr. Ward comes to UTS from the University of Bridgeport where he was Dean of the College of Public and International Affairs from 2000-2018 and oversaw the growth of his College from less than 40 to 479 students during his tenure as dean. He has extensive experience in program development, recruitment, and in teaching. He has been the recipient of a Fulbright scholarship in France and a visiting scholar in both Mainland China and in Taiwan.

We are pleased that Dr. Ward has accepted the appointment and are confident that his skills and accomplishments are transferable to UTS. We ask all faculty, staff, students and stakeholders to support him as the Seminary begins a new chapter in her institutional life. 

Rev. Franco Famularo, 
Chair
UTS Board of Trustees