Iona College”™s eighth president, Joseph E. Nyre, had no sooner relocated from Illinois to Iona territory before he had sit-downs scheduled with his predecessor Brother James Liguori, Rear Admiral John Christenson and The Westchester County Business Journal.
“Clearly, I”™m not a cleric and I”™m not a Christian brother, but I bring a deep commitment to faith, a relentless focus on excellence, an acumen ”¦ that we as institutes of higher education continue to embrace change for the future,” Nyre said.
Change comes in the form of persona and vision ”“ with a promise to remain true to a 1940-founded Catholic heritage.
The Beloit, Wis., native and father of three was chosen from 60-plus presidential candidates that ranged from sitting presidents to provosts.
During an eight-year tenure as president and CEO of Hope Institute for Children and Families in Springfield, Ill., Nyre brought an institution once on the brink of bankruptcy to significant gains in corporate partnerships and private grants, according to James Hynes, chairman of the board of legal trustees at Iona.
Nyre has served in a diverse range of roles, spanning petty officer in the U.S. Navy, school psychologist and post-doctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School”™s Children”™s Hospital.
“I”™ve gone to school across the country, taught at school across the country, worked across the country and I can tell you that the people of Iona live their mission every day,” Nyre said.
Conversation turns to public-private partnerships and the role of academia as economic vessel.
“I think it”™s increasing awareness of that,” he said. “For a long time, nonprofits and institutes of higher education have been economic engines, but they”™ve been focused on the output. They”™ve been focused on ”˜the mission,”™ which is where we should be focused. But we”™ve recently begun to recognize it”™s also important to be able to talk about ”¦ economic impact.”
Iona College”™s collective impact on New Rochelle is great; there is also a Pearl River campus.
The school consistently earns top-tier placement in The Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Report”™s lists of America”™s Best Colleges. About 8,000 applications were received for the fall 2010 semester; 60 percent were accepted.
A recent, $2 million Library Challenge modernized The Ryan Library in conjunction with the $14.7 million Visions of Excellence campaign, creating technologically advanced classrooms and meeting space in the library.
“Our benefactors, over the last 10 years in terms of capital support across four campaigns, have risen to about $120 million in philanthropic support, which had really been unprecedented in Iona”™s history,” said Marilyn Wilkie, acting vice president of advancement and external affairs.
Nyre estimated two-thirds of the incoming freshman class have designated some interest in a residential campus experience, signaling imminent growth.
At a news conference last week, the college along with New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson announced a joint planning process to address student housing needs and community development plans.
Iona will withdraw its application for a new, 10-story residential hall on Mayflower Avenue until the conclusion of the strategic planning process; the city has revised the occupancy limit for Iona”™s existing residence halls for the next two years.
“We”™re very interested in sharing that our plans are informed by the broader community across the board and not just in residence halls, but in the programs we develop,” Nyre said. “We”™re one of the largest employers in New Rochelle. When we raise $120 million and renovate the campus like we”™ve done, we”™re using predominantly local vendors, partners and contractors. ”¦ those are funds that are distributed into the community and clearly serve to benefit the Westchester County business environment.”
Also new on campus”¦
Judith Huntington became 13th president of The College of New Rochelle July 1 after serving for a year as president-elect. Of her new post, she says, “The College of New Rochelle is well-positioned, particularly with the addition of the new Wellness Center, to expand both our academic and co-curricular programs in wellness and education, which will further the investments we have made in such important curriculum as nursing, healthcare, wellness and education. These programs, I know, have great opportunity for growth. The liberal arts will continue to be the cornerstone of our educational foundation and will provide the essential critical thinking and analytic skills for many careers”¦ If I had to sum up my hopes for the college, it is to see CNR grow and prosper, to remain as financially healthy as it is today, and for us to continue on the mission of being student-centered in all of our schools and on all of our campuses.”
Jon Calvert Strauss became interim president of Manhattanville College in Purchase July 18 after the announced resignation of Molly Easo Smith. In a statement, Strauss said, “My wife, Jean, and I are looking forward to joining the Manhattanville College and Westchester County communities and we are committed to further strengthening the many ties for the mutual benefit of both. We have lived and worked all over this great nation and nowhere have we seen greater excitement and future potential. We are anxious to become active participants in these dynamic environments.”
