Patricia Weitzel-O’Neill took over as the executive director of the Center for Catholic Education at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education.

An experienced educator and Catholic schools administrator, Weitzel-O’Neill assumed her role in July, where she will lead a center dedicated to preparing leaders for all levels of Catholic education and to researching and developing solutions to the critical challenges facing Catholic schools, colleges and universities.

Prior to Boston College, Weitzel-O’Neill was the superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. As superintendent of schools in the Archdiocese of Washington, Weitzel-O’Neill was responsible for 29,000 students in 96 early learning, elementary and secondary schools.

During her eight-year tenure, she was credited with strengthening the schools’ academic programs, introducing a standards-based curriculum and enhancing professional development standards. In addition, she was instrumental in efforts to secure the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, a federal initiative that enabled thousands of very low-income children to attend parochial schools.

Prior to serving as superintendent, Weitzel-O’Neill worked at Trinity Washington University as vice president of academic affairs, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and associate professor of sociology.

She is a graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University, and holds a master’s and doctorate in sociology from St. Louis University.

The Center for Catholic Education produces the influential journal, Catholic Education: A Journal of Theory and Practice, and directs the Urban Catholic Teachers Corps, St. Columbkille Partnership School, and ongoing national research on staffing, student demographics and the structure of Catholic elementary schools. The Center also provides support for Boston College graduate and undergraduate students who plan to teach and administer in Catholic schools and universities.

She was given the Distinguished Alumni Award by Wheeling Jesuit University for her contributions to the field of education in 2005