Antoine M. Garibaldi, president emeritus and distinguished university professor, was recently honored with the 2026 Distinguished Warriors award from the Urban League of Detroit & Southeastern Michigan.
During his leadership at Detroit Mercy, the University saw increases in enrollment, retention and graduation rates, along with a stronger financial position. Its national and regional academic profile concurrently soared in U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Colleges” and was among the top 20% of the country’s 5,000 colleges and universities selected for ranking in the new Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education.
Garibaldi was UDM’s 25th and third longest-serving president from June 2011 through June 2022. In addition, he was the University’s first layperson and first African American president since 1877.