Dr. Patrick Masterson (born 1936, Dublin) is a former president of University College Dublin[1] and the European University Institute.[2]
He received a First class degree from University College and then took a Ph.D. at Leuven in 1962.
He was a member of the staff of University College Dublin prior to being appointed Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology in 1980, Registrar in 1983 and President in 1986.
He became Principal of the European University Institute, Florence, 1994 and 2002. Has held numerous appointments in academia. He authored several books and publications on philosophy and religion. He is currently (as of 2008) Professor Emeritus at University College Dublin. His latest work is The Sense of Creation - Experience and the God Beyond (Ashgate 2008, ISBN 978-0-7546-6426-0).[3]