The United States ambassador to the Holy See is returning to the University of Dayton to teach as professor of faith and culture, the university announced Wednesday.

Miguel H. Díaz, ambassador since 2009 and the first Hispanic to represent the United States at the Vatican, will assume the endowed professorship Nov. 16, according to UD.

“As ambassador, I know first hand the role of American culture and leadership in international relations as well as the growing importance of religion on the world stage,” Díaz said in a phone interview from Rome. “I look forward to building bridges between faith and culture, and to facilitating inclusive, scholarly and constructive conversations that advance the common good.”

University President Daniel J. Curran said he is delighted Díaz has accepted the important and highly visible position. Díaz’s wife, Marian, also a theologian, has joined the university as a lecturer and is teaching courses in scripture, according to UD. They have four children.

Díaz taught at UD from 1996 to 1998 as an assistant professor of religious studies, according to UD.

“Miguel Díaz finds common ground in discourses that too often divide. He has been an influential Catholic leader in areas as far ranging as human trafficking to inter-religious dialogue,” Curran said in a news release. “He brings a wealth of experience and a thoughtful theological approach to issues of faith and culture.”

Fluent in Italian, Spanish and French, Díaz also reads Greek, Latin and German. He was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved as a child to the United States. He was the first in his family to go to college and earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Saint Thomas University in Miami and a master’s and doctor of philosophy in theology from the University of Notre Dame, according to UD.