(born 1965)[1] is an American Catholic priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross currently serving as president of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Dowd grew up in Michigan City, Indiana, and attended Marquette Catholic High School.

[3] Dowd's 2015 book titled Christianity, Islam, and Liberal Democracy was praised by many and called "groundbreaking" by reviewer Muhammed Haron.

[4] In it, he makes the case that religious tolerance in Nigeria and other African countries happens because of a variety of religions, rather than in spite of it.

[5] On December 4, 2023, it was announced that Dowd would succeed John I. Jenkins as the 18th university president, and began his term in that role on June 1, 2024.