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Since its inception in 2003, the National Institute for Newman Studies has become the foremost center in North America for the study of the works, life, and influence of John Henry Cardinal Newman.

Staff Directory

Fr. Drew Morgan, C.O., Ph.D., Director

Fr. Drew Morgan has been a member of the Pittsburgh Oratory for the last thirty years. He was ordained in 1984 and was elected Provost in 2006. For many years, Fr. Drew served on the campus ministry staff for the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Chatham College. He received his doctorate in Roman Catholic Systematic Theology from Duquesne University in 1997. His dissertation was on Newman’s understanding of conscience. Fr. Drew has given many lectures and presentations on Newman, both locally and nationally. Several of his articles have been published in the Newman Studies Journal and other publications. He was an adjunct professor of theology at St. Vincent’s Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, offering courses on Newman and the Doctors of the Church. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Newman Association of America and has filled the roles of treasurer and program director for that organization. In recent years, he has developed an interest in fly-fishing.

Mrs. Catharine M. Ryan, Assistant Director

Catharine Murray Ryan was born in Bronxville, New York. A graduate of The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, she attended Newton College of the Sacred Heart and earned the Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in Economics in 1968. In 1993, she earned a Master's degree in Pastoral Ministry from Duquesne University. Catharine and her husband John have called Pittsburgh their home since 1969.  John is Chairman and retired CEO of Mine Safety Appliances Company (MSA), the world’s leading manufacturer of worker safety and protective equipment. While raising their two daughters (Mary Catharine and Maureen) and one son (John), Catharine was active in various community and church organizations, in particular, the Pittsburgh Council for International Visitors and the Sacred Heart Church Parish Council. Catharine was a chaplain for seven years at Magee-Womens Hospital and Forbes Regional Hospital. She served on the Board of Trustees of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for 13 years and on the Board of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation for seven years, the last three as Chair. She is also Chair of the Advisory Council to the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America and a Board member of The Pittsburgh Oratory, where she helped to establish the Newman Lecture Series. In 2002, she co-founded the National Institute for Newman Studies and launched the Newman Studies Journal. Catharine spends summers on Cape Cod with her family, including her four grandsons, where she enjoys gardening, sailing, and reading.

Mr. Damon G. McGraw, M.A.R.

Damon McGraw was born and raised in northern Virginia outside of Washington, D.C. He has a B.A. cum laude in Philosophy from Cedarville University and an M.A.R cum laude concentrating in the History of Christianity from Yale University Divinity School. He did his doctoral work in Theology at the University of Notre Dame, and he is now completing his dissertation on Newman’s critical reception and mature appropriation of the Christian apocalyptic tradition. Damon taught Theology courses at the University of Notre Dame, and he has given lectures and presentations on Newman in a variety of academic settings, such as the Catholic Theological Society of America, the American Academy of Religion, and the American Catholic Philosophical Association. He has recently been named a member of the Board of Directors of the Newman Association of America. Damon enjoys exercising, dining, traveling, and watching film with his wife, Angela Miller McGraw, during his free time.

Ms. Jan Grice, M.A.

Jan Grice is a Pittsburgh native who earned her B.A. in Drama from Chatham College (now Chatham University) and her M.A. in Theatre from the University of Pittsburgh. She served in the United States Army Reserve as a guidance counselor for the Pittsburgh District Recruiting Command and earned the rank of Staff Sergeant. She and her husband, Donald Marinelli, have one daughter, Olivia. Jan served in many volunteer capacities at Sacred Heart Elementary School and Oakland Catholic High School. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Western Pennsylvania Lupus Foundation and the Eastern Pittsburgh Youth Orchestra. She is a feature writer for the “Life with Lupus” series in the Pennsylvania Lupus Foundation newsletter. Jan is a lector for The Pittsburgh Oratory and for many years coordinated the annual fundraising dinner for the Oratory’s Rednal Retreat House. She fulfills a dual role at the Gailliot Center for Newman Studies: in addition to her administrative work for the National Institute for Newman Studies, she manages the temporal affairs of the Newman Association of America, which includes membership, finances, and organizing the annual National Newman Conference. In her free time, Jan enjoys playing the piano, gardening, and cooking.