BCW Congratulates Seamus Carey, Named Iona College’s Ninth President Effective July 1

Seamus Carey, Ph.D., a national leader in higher education, who has been vocal on the relevance and importance of a liberal arts education, will become Iona College’s ninth president, beginning July 1, 2019, announced James P. Hynes, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Iona College. Carey will succeed Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D., Iona’s first lay president, who has led the College since 2011, during a time of unprecedented growth.

“On behalf of the Business Council of Westchester, I would like to congratulate Dr. Carey on his new appointment,” said John Ravitz, executive vice president of the BCW. “We look forward to continuing to work with Iona College in support of building our highly educated and talented workforce here in Westchester and beyond. Iona College has been a pillar of higher education since its founding in New Rochelle in 1940, and we are so fortunate for the growth and development of this fine institution over the years. Dr. Carey’s leadership surely will continue to move us in the right direction.”

Hynes said that Carey was selected from a large field of outstanding candidates on the strength of his tenure as president of Transylvania University, a highly regarded liberal arts college in Lexington, Ky., where, since 2014, he transformed the campus, successfully led the school’s commitment to diversity and inclusion efforts, and forged strong ties to the city’s civic and business communities.

Carey also was an effective leader at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., where he served as dean of Arts and Sciences for four years. Prior to Sacred Heart, he was chairman of the philosophy department at Manhattan College where he taught for nine years. With each role, Carey has focused on ensuring students’ experiences incorporate studies of the liberal arts and make them career ready.

“Dr. Carey is the right person for the right time at Iona College,” Hynes said. “A highly regarded leader, philosopher, and academic, he has all the necessary skills and vision to build on Iona’s successes, and ensure its legacy among Catholic colleges.”

A Bronx native and first-generation college student, Carey earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Master of Arts from Fordham University, and a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College. He attended Harvard’s Management Development Program and the Executive Leadership Academy sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges. He published three books, which have focused on the intersection of philosophy, parenting, and family life; and is a contributor to Huffington Post.

“I am truly honored to join a community that understands the power of education and its ability to develop character, broaden horizons, and transform lives,” said Carey. “I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity and look forward to being a proud Gael.”

In recent years, Iona College has undergone a great many changes, including the launch of the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the development of a new core curriculum, the expansion of the campus footprint, including the addition of two new residence halls, record levels of fundraising, and an investment in health sciences programs such as Occupational Therapy and Communications Science Disorders. Currently, the College has two major construction projects in progress with renovations and modernizations of the LaPenta School of Business and Spellman Hall, and, this month, Iona announced the Hynes Athletics Center will also commence a transformational renovation over the summer.

Read more here.