About NaropaLeadershipPast PresidentsWilliam McKeever

William McKeever

Executive Director 1977–1978

About

William McKeever has been a student of Shambhala and Buddhism since 1972 when he met Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche while getting his degree in Buddhist Studies at Yale. Immediately following graduation he moved to Tail of the Tiger, now Karmê Chöling, to begin his dharma study, practice and teaching. McKeever has served as director of Karmê Chöling; vice president of Naropa University, where he coordinated the university’s successful accreditation effort; faculty member of Naropa’s graduate department of contemplative psychotherapy; founding director of the Ryuko Kyudojo; assistant director of education for Nalanda Foundation; as well as a member of the Shambhala Board of Directors under Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. He has been a member of the Shambhala Trust since its inception until 2002 and served as its chairman. He has taught at many Shambhala programs from 1975–2005.

From 1992–2001, he served as director of Asian activities of the prestigious New York based Asia Society, which educates Americans about Asian cultures and contemporary affairs. While at Asia Society he opened regional offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Manila, Melbourne, San Francisco and Seattle. He also led tours to Mongolia, Burma (Myanmar), Bhutan, India, China, and Central Asia. Most recently he became a senior program advisor to the Garrison Institute, a new ecumenical retreat and conference center on the Hudson River north of New York City.

He has four adult sons, Noah Davis, Jonathan, Edward and Montford.

YOU ARE READY.

This is where experiential learning meets academic rigor. Where you challenge your intellect and uncover your potential. Where you discover the work you’re moved to do—then use it to transform our world.

“*” indicates required fields

Search Naropa University

Search

About Naropa

Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion. 

Academics

Contemplative education brings together the best of Western scholarship and Eastern world wisdom traditions. Therefore, your pursuit of wisdom at Naropa means learning both about academic subjects and about your own place in the world. This innovative approach places Naropa on the cutting edge of the newest and most effective methods of teaching and learning.  

Admissions & Aid

If you’re seeking an education that resonates with both personal fulfillment and global impact, Naropa could be your top choice. At Naropa, you will experience a comprehensive curriculum that integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational approaches. Explore how Naropa can fuel your journey of intellectual and spiritual development.

Life at Naropa

Through its incredibly vibrant and welcoming community,  “Naropa offers a home for those who aren’t willing to conform to convention—the mystic, the healer, the prophet, the rebel, the artist, the revolutionary, the oddball—those who are incredible contributors to the evolution of society and of our planet.”—Core Associate Professor Zvi Ish-Shalom

The Naropa Difference

How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person. 

Support Naropa

At a time when the value of higher education is being questioned, Naropa University stands firmly rooted in its mission to create a more just and regenerative world by nurturing insight, awareness, courage, and compassion in its students. By making a gift to Naropa, you play a pivotal role in helping to create the authentic, effective & mindful leaders that the world desperately needs.

Naropa Logo

Naropa University campuses are closed on 12/17/2025. 

Due to adverse weather conditions of high winds and planned power outages, all Naropa campuses will be closed today.