Joseph A. Esposito, Director

Joseph A. Esposito is Director of The Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education, a division of The Cardinal Newman Society. He previously was director of research for The Cardinal Newman Society and is the editor of The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College: What to Look For and Where to Find It, published in November 2007.

Before joining The Cardinal Newman Society, he was Deputy Under Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education. In that capacity, he took a lead role in various bilateral and multilateral relationships on education issues. He also had a major interagency role in the United States’ return to UNESCO in 2003 and was actively engaged in the education sector of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

Among other responsibilities that he held in three presidential administrations was chairing a working group of the President’s Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, 2003-2004, and serving in various capacities at the U.S. Agency for International Development over an eleven-year period, including holding the position as the agency’s Narcotics Affairs Coordinator.

He has been the Washington bureau chief for the National Catholic Register and was a senior correspondent for Our Sunday Visitor, the nation’s two largest national Catholic newspapers. His articles have appeared in a number of other publications. Mr. Esposito also has been an adjunct professor of history, teaching U.S. history and Western Civilization courses. He holds five graduate degrees and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Evangeline C. Jones, Deputy Director

Evangeline C. Jones is Deputy Director of The Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education, a division of The Cardinal Newman Society. In her previous capacity as deputy director of research for The Cardinal Newman Society, she helped produce The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.

A former practicing attorney, Ms. Jones earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence at the University of Texas School of Law. She holds a Master of Arts from The University of Chicago Divinity School. Her undergraduate degree with a major in religion is from Duke University. Ms. Jones has taught theology and coached tennis at the secondary school level. She is the mother of three daughters and one son.