Dr. Joseph E. Nyre to Be Inaugurated As Iona College's Eighth President

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., Oct. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Dressed in their respective academic regalia, delegates from over 45 higher education institutions will add historic pageantry and color to the inauguration of Joseph E. Nyre, PhD, Iona College's eighth president. The ceremony will be held at 1 PM, Friday, October 28 at Iona's Hynes Athletics Center, 715 North Avenue, New Rochelle.

(Photo:   http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111020/NY90619 )

The delegates will march in an inaugural processional that will also include members of Iona's faculty, administration and representatives from the community as well as officials, faculty and alumni of the invited institutions.

Dr. Nyre is the first non Christian Brother to lead the college since its founding over 70 years ago.  

Among the delegates will be the Presidents of nine colleges including Dr. Charles Flynn, Jr., College of Mount Saint Vincent; Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, C.M, DePaul University; Sister Mary Eileen O'Brien, OP, Dominican College; Dr. Alice Hoersch, La Salle University; Dr. Brennan O'Donnell, Manhattan College; Dr. Judson Shaver, Marymount Manhattan College; Dr. Kimberly Cline, Mercy College; Elizabeth Hill, JD, St. Joseph's College and Ms. Judith Huntington, The College of New Rochelle. In addition, there will be representatives from major universities including Harvard, Princeton, Yale, University of Pennsylvania, Washington and Lee University, Fordham, New York University, University of Notre Dame, Seton Hall and others.

"The inauguration of Dr. Nyre," says James P. Hynes, chairman of Iona's board of Legal Trustees, "will afford the opportunity for Iona to reflect on its remarkable accomplishments and tradition of excellence, and to envision a brighter future as Iona begins a new chapter under his leadership."  

Dr. Nyre earned an Ed.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Kansas and completed post-doctoral fellowships at Harvard Medical School and the University of Kansas. He earned an M.A. from the University of Missouri and a B.A. in psychology from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. Prior to attending college, he served in the U.S. Navy.

"It is an enormous honor," says President Nyre, "to be leading a Catholic institution of higher education that has always been devoted to educating the whole person by focusing on the mind, body and spirit. From the first time I set foot on campus, I felt a shared commitment to that mission by dedicated faculty, staff and the board of trustees."

Dr. Nyre is the College's first non-Christian Brother to serve as president. He and his wife, Kelli, have three children.

The inauguration is the highlight of a number of inaugural-related events that will begin on Saturday, Oct 22. In recognition of Dr. Nyre's service in the U.S. Navy, students created the "Cram the Van" Kick-off, a fundraising drive to support American military personnel serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Members of the Iona community will be encouraged to purchase and donate a variety of items including food, clothing and greeting cards in a military hummer located at the LaPenta Student Union. The items will then be shipped for arrival before the holidays. The shipping costs will be paid for through monetary donations.

Other scheduled events are:

Monday, October 24
The 38th Annual Board of Trustees Golf Invitational to be held Monday, October 24th at Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York. It will be an all-day event.

Thursday, October 27
Noon: Gael Inauguration Fest: Spirit and Service at the Mulcahy Gymnasium, Hynes Athletics Center, Presented by the Students.

4:00 PM: Inaugural Mass with the Most Reverend Gerald T. Walsh, D.D., Presider, Holy Family Catholic Church, New Rochelle, New York.

5:30 PM: Inaugural Mass Reception at the Ferdinand E. Arrigoni Center.

6:45 PM: Ribbon-Cutting ceremony for the Hagan School of Business Trading Floor, Hagan Hall.

7:30 PM: Inaugural Dinner, hosted by the Board of Trustees, Thomas J. Burke Lounge, Spellman Hall (By invitation only).

Friday, October 28
10:00 AM: Rudin Driscoll Lecture Series, Learning During Unsettled Times: Embracing the Challenge presented by Richard Arum, Ph.D., co-author, Academically Adrift (University of Chicago Press, 2011); Professor, Departments of Sociology and Education, New York University and Program Director, Social Science Research Council.

11:15 AM: Luncheon for the Delegates and Invited Guests, Thomas J. Burke Lounge, Spellman Hall.

2:30 PM: Inaugural Reception (immediately following Inauguration Ceremony at 1 PM), Mulcahy Gymnasium, Hynes Athletics Center.

8:00 PM. Performance of Thornton Wilder's "The Matchmaker," presented by the Iona players in Doorley Auditorium, Doorley Hall.

For more info, visit www.iona.edu.

About Iona:
Founded in 1940, Iona College is a four-year private, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers and American Catholic higher education. It is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona 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 advanced certificate programs.

SOURCE Iona College