Dear Iona Community,

Amid a busy start to the academic year, I invite you to pause and reflect on our shared sense of purpose. In particular, the enduring legacy of Blessed Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers reminds us of our core mission at Iona: liberation through education.

At Iona, education is more than just career preparation, though we certainly take that very seriously. An Iona education builds a foundation upon which students can build a life of meaning and purpose. Success in this pursuit requires continual growth motivated by curiosity, guided by inquiry, and forged through sacrifice and service. These qualities coalesce into glimpses of wisdom, which we all need to make good decisions.  

Just as we all aspire to grow as individuals, Iona continues to evolve as an institution. This year, we are advancing several key initiatives to move us forward. At the heart of these initiatives is a simple, but ambitious goal: to become the best teaching university in the nation. We will accomplish this goal by supporting our gifted and dedicated faculty as we seize the transformative opportunity presented by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Iona is uniquely positioned to embrace this moment because we are grounded in a wisdom tradition that has been forged over the past 2,000 years.

We understand that AI presents as many challenges as it does opportunities and we know that the education of the whole student will always outweigh the mastery of a learning tool. AI gives us the opportunity and the obligation to reexamine and recommit to the fundamental goals of a college education. While we apply the tools of AI to spreadsheets and problems to be solved, we will also use it to engage with the perennial questions of human life – questions about the good life, mortality, friendship, care, citizenship.

To accomplish this work, we will leverage the newly established Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning (GCTL). Notably, we will launch a new Presidential Speaker Series focused on AI. This year’s speakers will be traveling from across the globe (as well as New Jersey). Details are included below and I invite you to explore the Presidential Speaker Series website as we announce additional events in the year ahead.

The GCTL will also support faculty development and innovation through Presidential and Provost Fellowships. These fellowships will provide faculty with the resources they need to be recognized as the best teaching faculty in the country. Below, I am proud to announce the inaugural fellows.

Across the University, our efforts continue to be recognized at the national level. Recent accolades from The Wall Street Journal, The Princeton Review and Forbes celebrate Iona as one of the best universities in the United States. There is a palpable sense that we are part of something extraordinary. I am grateful for the contributions of each member of our community—students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni alike.

In the year ahead, we will continue to build on this momentum. Together, we will uphold the values that make Iona a unique and transformative place.

Sincerely, 

Seamus Carey, Ph.D. 

President, Iona University

Announcing the inaugural Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning fellows:

Presidential Fellows: 

Provost Fellows: 

In addition, another 24 Iona faculty members have been selected to participate in first-level AI professional development. Congratulations to all of our esteemed faculty.

The Presidential Speaker Series is designed to foster conversation at Iona and in the wider community on the nature and value of teaching, learning and knowledge. These talks are a forum for discussion, inquiry, and experimentation, and audience participation is a key factor in bringing out the insights that will move us forward. This year’s series uses the AI moment to concentrate our attention not just on the technology, but on the broader human values and interests it can and must serve. Please join us and learn more about the speakers.

To learn more about these speakers, please visit the
Presidential Speaker Series website. Additional events are still to come.