SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 8, 2025— The former vice principal for mission and Catholic identity at San Jose-based Presentation High School, Melissa Broome Ursin, will become the executive director of SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½’s Graduate Program in Pastoral Ministries (GPPM) on Sept. 1. 

Before her role at Presentation, Ursin was director of worship at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph in the Diocese of San Jose, where she also taught at the Institute for Leadership in Ministry. 

As executive director of GPPM, Ursin will be responsible for curriculum; scheduling; hiring; enrollment management; student services and advising; and program marketing and outreach for the 42-year-old graduate program, which resides in the University’s College of Arts and Sciences. 

GPPM offers students online or in-person master’s curricula, as well as a certificate in restorative justice and chaplaincy. GPPM also serves nine local dioceses in areas  including formation for deacons, pastoral enrichment and a specialization in Latino/a/x ministry and theology. 

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Ursin to SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, where she brings tremendous experience in pastoral ministry and educational leadership,” said Daniel Press, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “She will be a great asset as we work to leverage all of SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½’s resources from GPPM, the Jesuit School of Theology, and the Department of Religious Studies for the benefit of students.”

Ursin holds a doctorate in Catholic educational leadership from the University of San Francisco, where her dissertation focused on the formation of the Sisters of the Presentation for their ministry as Catholic educators. She holds a masters in theological studies from the University of Notre Dame and a bachelors in theological studies and music from Loyola Marymount University.

"I am very pleased at this opportunity to journey with SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½’s pastoral ministry students at this exciting time for the Church,” said Ursin. “I look forward to working with them as they develop the skills to foster a culture of dialogue and encounter, especially with those who are suffering or on the margins." 

About SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½
Founded in 1851, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ sits in the heart of Silicon Valley—the world’s most innovative and entrepreneurial region. The University’s stunningly landscaped 106-acre campus is home to the historic Mission SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ de Asís. Ranked among the top 15 percent of national universities by U.S. News & World Report, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ has among the best four-year graduation rates in the nation and is rated by PayScale in the top 1 percent of universities with the highest-paid graduates. SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ has produced elite levels of Fulbright Scholars as well as four Rhodes Scholars. With undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, and graduate programs in six disciplines, the curriculum blends high-tech innovation with social consciousness grounded in the tradition of Jesuit, Catholic education.  For more information see . 

Media Contact
Deborah Lohse | Media Communications | dlohse@scu.edu | 408-554-5121