The Marquette board of trustees recently selected a new member to join their ranks: the Rev. Michael A. Zampelli, a Jesuit and professor of theater at Santa Clara University in California. Zampelli, who joined the board Dec. 7, is also the rector and religious superior for the Jesuits living and working at Santa Clara.

“Father Zampelli was nominated based on his wide range of experience in higher education and the wisdom that he will bring to the deliberations of the board,” said Steve Frieder, assistant to the president and corporate secretary to the board of trustees.

Frieder said all Marquette trustees are elected to serve three-year terms and can serve no more than four consecutive terms. He said the executive committee of the board nominates candidates for election who are then voted on by the full board.

Trustees are not compensated by the university, but Frieder said they are expected to contribute financially and consider Marquette one of their top priorities in charity.

The board’s bylaws state that it must be comprised of between 25 and 40 members, five to eight of whom must be Jesuits. Marquette currently has 31 trustees.

“Marquette looks for board members with wide experience, good sense, humaneness of personality and a willingness to learn about and understand the particular culture of higher education and the specific mission of Marquette University,” Frieder said.

A university press release said Zampelli teaches courses in theater history, performance and culture, gender and sexuality in performance and literature. His work has also appeared in scholarly journals such as Theatre Survey, Text and Presentation, and Religion and Theatre.

University President the Rev. Scott Pilarz previously invited Zampelli to lead the panel “Depth of Thought, Depth of Imagination: Challenging Superficiality,” an academic discussion which tackled challenges in Jesuit higher education last November.

“Father Zampelli is as passionate about Catholic, Jesuit higher education as he is knowledgeable and experienced. He’s one of those gifted educators who leaves students spellbound in lecture halls. As a Santa Clara faculty member with a keen understanding of academia, he will bring a valuable perspective to Marquette’s board of trustees,” Pilarz said in a press release issued by the university.