Dr. Joseph E. Nyre Begins His First Day as the Eighth President of Iona College

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., July 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Joseph E. Nyre Ph.D. began his first day on campus as the eighth president of Iona College.  Dr. Nyre, who succeeds Brother James Liguori, is the first Iona College President not to be a member of the Christian Brothers.

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President Nyre, his wife, Kelli and three children - - Hadley, 10, Henry, 7, and Charlie, 3 -- moved into their new home on the New Rochelle campus last week.

President Nyre said: "This is a very exciting day for my family and for me. We are thrilled to be at Iona and to live in New Rochelle. Over the past three months, we've been fortunate to meet and receive a warm welcome from students, Christian Brothers, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, and community members. Although we have much to learn, Iona College and New Rochelle have already begun to feel like home. We look forward to continuing and expanding upon the legacy of excellence founded by the Christian Brothers and most recently led by Brother Liguori."  

James P. Hynes, Chairman of Iona's Board of Legal Trustees, said: "Dr. Nyre is a U.S. Naval veteran who has held academic and administrative positions at the University of Kansas, Harvard Medical School, Baylor University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and The Hope Institute.  Dr. Nyre brings a leadership acumen and skill set to the position of president that we believe will take Iona to national prominence. He is a man of deep faith dedicated to a life of family and service."

Dr. Nyre takes the reins at Iona as the college is enjoying a strong enrollment and its academic standing continues to rise. In recent years the college has attracted increasing numbers of students from across the United State as well as overseas. As President, Dr. Nyre will expand upon the school's academic success while at the same time embracing the college's Christian Brother heritage, and meeting the needs and aspirations of today's college students.

Founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Edmund Rice Christian Brothers, Iona College is a private, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of American Catholic higher education.  Iona - currently listed in the top tier of US News and World Report's annual "America's Best Colleges 2011;" The Princeton Review's Best Northeastern Colleges 2011 edition and Business Week's Top 25 Undergraduate Business Schools in the Northeast - offers undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science, and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and master of business administration degrees and numerous post-graduate certificate programs.

SOURCE Iona College