Dr. Dominic A. Aquila and his wife Diane of 34 years are proud parents of eleven children, and grandparents of three.  

Dominic is Professor of History at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.  From 2008 to 2017 he served as the University’s Provost, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Dean of Graduate Studies.   During his 35-year career in higher education, he also served as a faculty member at a number of other colleges and universities across a range of disciplines, including art history, business ethics, great books, history, humanities, management, marketing, music, political science, and theater.  Dr. Aquila has published and given papers in the areas of liberal arts education, political theory, the arts, and American culture.   

Before his career in higher education, Dr. Aquila was a professional musician in New York City, and held administrative positions in the American Symphony Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic, and Garth Fagan’s Dance Theater.

Developing community-university partnerships is an important part of Dr. Aquila’s work in higher education.  He has initiated and continues to steward a number of key community partnerships with Catholic Health Initiatives, the Methodist Hospital Research Institute, the Texas Medical Center, and various Houston arts organizations.

Committed to service and engaged citizenship, Dr. Aquila has been an active in a number of community and professional organizations, among these are the American Academy of Liberal Education, the Association of Michigan Liberal Arts Deans, the Italian Cultural and Community Center, Crossroads Cultural Center, Children at Risk, the Greater Houston Partnership, Catholic Charities of Galveston-Houston, Youth Against Cancer, and the Center for Houston’s Future.

Dr. Aquila earned his doctorate from the University of South Africa in history with course work from the University of Rochester, and is working on a second doctorate in Higher Education Administration at Texas Tech University.  He also earned an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business, and a  Bachelors degree from The Juilliard School.