Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Michael Zeleny joined The Catholic University of America in September 2025, bringing more than 25 years of senior leadership experience in higher education research, finance, and administration.
Before moving to Washington, D.C., he served as Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, a Big Ten, Carnegie R1 institution with a $1.6 billion annual budget. In this role, he served as CFO/COO, providing executive leadership for finance, human resources, facilities, public safety, and administrative operations.
Earlier, as Chief of Staff and Associate to the Chancellor, Michael guided institutional strategy and major campus initiatives. He played a central role in shaping the university’s long-term vision through the N150 and N2025 strategic plans, led the university’s COVID-19 response, and contributed to two successful capital campaigns that each exceeded $1 billion.
Zeleny also spent more than 15 years advancing the university’s research enterprise as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, where sponsored research expenditures grew from $102 million to $308 million, and technology commercialization activity more than doubled. He was instrumental in securing major research funding and private philanthropic support for high-impact projects.
Motivated by Catholic University’s mission, Mr. Zeleny is committed to aligning his professional expertise with his faith. A practicing Catholic actively engaged in his parish, he views his work as a vocation of service to the Catholic University community.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance, both from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.