Father Ronald Nuzzi was ordained a priest of the Youngstown Diocese on June 1, 1984, by Bishop James Malone in St. Columba Cathedral. Father Nuzzi has spent a great deal of his priesthood involved in Catholic education—much of it in service outside the diocese.Â
A Niles native, he attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel School and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1976, spending his senior year as a Rotary exchange student in Mexico. In 1976, he began priestly studies at St. Gregory Seminary in Cincinnati—graduating in 1979 with a bachelor’s in philosophy. He transferred to Duquesne University in Pittsburgh in 1979 for graduate work in philosophy.
He continued his priestly studies at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Cincinnati, receiving a master’s in 1984. During his seminary years, he taught at Ursuline High School in Youngstown from 1982 to 1983 and served as a summer intern at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Canton from 1981 to 1982. He returned to St. Michael as a deacon intern from 1983 to 1984.
Father Nuzzi’s first assignment after ordination was as associate pastor of St. Mary (now Divine Mercy Parish) in Massillon, where he served from 1984 to 1987. In 1987, he was transferred to St. John High School in Ashtabula, where he served as associate principal. During those years, he pursued graduate studies at Ursuline College near Cleveland—earning a master’s degree in educational administration. In 1991, he was appointed catechist at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown.
From 1992 to 1995, he earned a doctorate in education administration at the University of Dayton while working as a graduate teaching assistant and researcher there, as a weekend assistant in his residence at Kettering Ascension Parish, and as a teacher at Mount St. Mary Seminary. Father Nuzzi served on the Dayton faculty from 1995 to 2000. He taught at St. Louis University from 2000 to 2002 before joining the faculty of the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, serving in its Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE). Retiring from Notre Dame in 2017, he continues to serve in an emeritus capacity. Since 2017, he has worked as executive director of equitable access and excellence at Catapult Learning, the nation’s largest provider of educational intervention, where he continues to advocate for Catholic education.
Over the years, he has developed leadership programs for aspiring Catholic school principals at Dayton, St. Louis and Notre Dame. Since coming to Notre Dame, he has engaged in numerous research projects, including the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education, the National Catholic Education Association and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). His research interests and publications address the emerging needs of Catholic educators. He serves as an educational consultant and researcher for multiple dioceses and religious congregations.
