Father McShane served as the 32nd president of Fordham from 2003 to 2022. At the awards banquet, he was given the 2024 Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, CSC, Award, named in honor of an American priest and civil rights advocate who earned the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom.

In a tribute video played at the ceremony, Father McShane thanked his colleagues for their service and dedication to their collective work.

“I want to shine the spotlight on you: the scores of women and men religious and the hundreds of talented devoted laywomen and laymen who have led and continue to lead our member institutions with discerning wisdom, deep love, and great effectiveness,” he said. “You keep our sacred and noble mission alive.”

What was the first day on the job like? “It was really intense, and it was very, very, intimidating. Everything was my responsibility,” she said. “There was only one judge as well.”

During this and other moments in her multifaceted career, she said, she was well served by what she had learned at Fordham—not just writing and debating skills honed in her political science classes but also the habit of seeing things through a compassionate lens. “Cura personalis is not just a phrase,” she said, referring to the Jesuit ideal of caring for the whole person. “It is throughout everything at Fordham, and it shapes you.”

A philanthropic leader once described as a “rainmaker” by The Boston Globe, Luccio Jordan has given back to Fordham for 17 years as a trustee and one of the University’s most generous benefactors. A recipient of the 2012 Fordham Founder’s Award, she has been a leader in Fordham campaigns that raised funds for endowed chairs, scholarships and financial aid, and other critical needs.

Advancing Fordham Athletics

Today, she is playing a leadership role in another fundraising priority: athletics. That and scholarship giving are her focus areas as a co-chair of Cura Personalis | For Every Fordham Student, a $350 million fundraising campaign designed to enhance the entire Fordham student experience.

This is the first Fordham campaign to have athletics as a pillar. A key priority is the New Era Fund to support the basketball program, to which Luccio Jordan recently made a major gift. Last season, supported by this fund, the men’s team improved its record to 16-16 under a new head coach, Kyle Neptune, who left in April to become head men’s basketball coach at Villanova and handed off the reins to the new head coach, Keith Urgo. Next year, given the strength of the team and its staff, “there’s no reason why basketball should not put Fordham back in the spotlight, where we belong,” she said. “Some of the greatest names in sports history have been a part of Fordham’s history, and we are reclaiming our place in the sports conversation.”

Why is athletics being elevated in the University’s fundraising now, at this moment?
Athletics has long been a part of our strategic plan. Under the leadership of Father McShane [Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the University], Fordham has experienced tremendous growth, where we completed a comprehensive campaign that resulted in the transformation of Hughes Hall into a home for the Gabelli School of Business and new residence halls being built on the Rose Hill campus. We also completed construction of the new Fordham Law School and residence hall building at the Lincoln Center campus. We raised $175 million for student financial aid and, as you know, we have embarked on a new campaign and have recently dedicated the new McShane Campus Center. We are focusing on athletics now because we can. Since Fordham University is in a very strong place, this is the natural next step.

I think Fordham, as a community, has realized what other schools have done by embracing the additive nature of athletics and that it really is integral to the student experience. It’s complementary to the academic mission and the overall development of our students as future leaders. There’s a long list of schools—Villanova, Boston College, Georgetown, Duke—that have embraced athletics, and doing so has raised the profile of those universities. It shines a light on the institution. I just am so excited for Fordham that we are finally doing the same.

You said athletics is integral to the student experience. Can you elaborate?
In addition to the almost one-third of our student body who participate in varsity sports, club sports, and intramural teams, you have the rest of the students who benefit and participate: they work in the athletic department, they are trainers or managers for teams, they work on WFUV broadcasting the games, they are fans. It enriches not just the student-athlete; it enriches the entire community. There’s a phrase we use in athletics and in fundraising, and in particular for basketball—it’s like the front porch of the institution. You need something for people to gather around, because there is this need for people to find commonality in something that’s exciting and positive.

Can you describe the New Era Fund’s uses and the response to it?
I think people have been waiting for the men’s team to excel, and we have been able to raise money for the New Era Fund in a very short period of time. These resources are used to increase financial support for the entire basketball staff. It is really a holistic fund for the athletic department and the basketball program to use—we need more trainers, we need nutritionists, we need meals, we need foreign tour trips for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as tutors and charter flights so that less class time is missed. We have to remember they’re still students. We are asking them to represent Fordham at a level that we aspire to be at, so we need to support them. They’re learning leadership skills, they’re learning discipline, focus, physical and mental stamina, that ability to work together as a team, and there’s a lot that goes into that.

I think this past season was almost like a test case for us, because it showed what you can achieve if you’re focused, if you bring the right people together. If you support the program the way it should be supported, you can get results. It raises the excitement level, having various Fordham student-athletes highlighted as Atlantic 10 Player of the Week. Fordham started to be back in that conversation again, in a New York way.

We will also look to expand our media partnerships and footprint locally and nationally. The other important area will be to upgrade the locker rooms, office space, and training facilities to stay on par with the A-10. The improvements to the Rose Hill Gym will continue to cement its place as Fordham’s “6th man.”

How does athletics fundraising benefit the rest of the University?
My involvement with my husband’s alma mater, Harvard, and sitting on financial aid committees and campaign committees with him, taught me the importance of an integrated approach to fundraising. I wanted to replicate some of the things that happened there. Jerry would say that some of the biggest donors to Harvard were people who played a sport. They might have been swimmers, they might have been baseball players, football players, but they made gifts because of their feeling of belonging, because they were part of a team and what that felt like and how that shaped them. However, they didn’t just give to athletics—they might give to refurbish a field or build a weight center or offices or a new auditorium or gym, but they were also building science labs and endowing scholarships and professorships. More broadly, athletics benefits fundraising across the University as the success of our teams inspires and excites our Fordham communities who represent the past, the present, and, with victories on the field, a robust future “Ramily.”

Looking back on your career, do you have any advice for students?
Every task you take on, do it as well as you can, because you might use that skill again. When I was a newly installed prosecutor, after working for not even six weeks in the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office, I was told they were moving me to one of our satellite courts, which covered five different towns. They said, “You’re going to run the court.” And I said, “I don’t even know if I passed the bar yet.” My supervisor said, “Don’t worry, you’re certified. We need you out there because it’s a short-staffed courthouse.”

So, I didn’t have a full-time secretary. I didn’t have a dedicated victim witness advocate for the victims and witnesses in my cases. It was just me. When I asked, “Why me?” they said, “Well, you’re the only one who knows how to do everything.” Because as an intern, I had worked the switchboard for the office, I had worked as a victim witness advocate, as an investigator for the various attorneys, and as a secretary. I had helped write briefs. I actually didn’t realize how prepared I was walking into the courthouse. You never know whether the job you’re currently doing is going to be necessary for the job you will be doing. I think that was a good lesson for me.

Also, being in a courthouse and being a prosecutor is a huge responsibility. I think it also taught me to treat people equitably, and with compassion, because you never know what someone’s going through.

Is there a book that had a lasting influence on you?
Yes, it’s a book called There Are No Children Here, and it describes the experience of a family, and particularly focuses on two of the brothers, who grew up in Chicago’s housing projects. It made such an impression on me, reading it when I was in the legal profession. In law school, when I worked for a domestic violence clinical lab, I accompanied women to court and helped them to obtain restraining orders, and domestic violence is a theme in the book. However, the bigger theme is what is happening in society, particularly to children in areas like this housing project, which was notorious for gangs and drugs and violence.

I think the most important part of the book is the idea that children, if given a chance, want to succeed and can succeed. And so for me, that lasting impression is the power of education. Keeping the playing field as level and as open as we can has been critically important to me and to my family. My husband went to Harvard on scholarship, and he says that if somebody did not pay for him to go to school, he wouldn’t be who he is. We’ve endowed scholarships at Harvard and at Fordham, because to us, keeping access is critical. Fordham is one of the most inclusive communities, and we need to ensure that everyone who wants a Fordham education can get one!

What are you optimistic about?
The direction of Fordham! I’ve been involved for 17 years, and over that time I’ve seen Fordham continue to excel and keep the focus on the student and the student experience. Fordham has risen in the rankings while staying true to the mission and cura personalis. So, Fordham’s direction gives me hope based upon everything else that’s going on in the world.

To inquire about giving in support of Fordham athletics or another area of the University, please contact Michael Boyd, senior associate vice president for development and university relations, at 212-636-6525 or [email protected]. Learn more about Cura Personalis | For Every Fordham Student, our campaign to reinvest in every aspect of the Fordham student experience.

The casual event—an end-of-the-year BBQ for Fordham employees under the Jubilee tent at Rose Hill campus—was different this year in two significant ways: It was the last one for Joseph M. McShane, S.J., outgoing president of Fordham, who received a standing ovation for his 25 years of service to the University. And it served as the setting of a new tradition: a recognition of Aramark and Allied Security Services employees who have served the Fordham community for more than 20 years. 

His First Day on Campus: ‘It Was A Magical Thing’

After most guests finished their meals, Father McShane delivered an uncharacteristically emotional speech. In one of his final reflections on his time at the University, he reminisced about the first day he stepped onto campus as a 4-year-old boy. 

Many years ago, his father—a double Ram from Fordham College at Rose Hill and Fordham Law School—brought his three sons to campus for the first time so they could see what Fordham was like. The senior McShane told his sons that the University was a place where boys became men. But throughout the course of the day, Father McShane said he saw his father return to his former youth. 

“My father came over as a man, with three sons in tow—a very serious guy—and as the day went on, he got younger and younger. It was a bit of a mystery to us. But it was a magical thing,” said Father McShane, who would go on to spend six years as dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill and 19 years as president of the University. 

‘You’re My People’

Father McShane said that when he began working at Fordham as a dean in 1992, he was guided by his colleagues and the work of his predecessors, in particular James Finlay, S.J., the 30th president of Fordham, and Joseph O’Hare, S.J., the 31st president of Fordham. Father Finlay expanded the University’s residential capacity and strengthened its commitment to the Bronx, while Father O’Hare ensured that both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses thrived, he said.  

“These two were extraordinary Jesuits, great men … I was able to build on what they had done … People have said to me, over and over, ‘Thank you, congratulations, great job’—all of that in the course of the past year since I announced my decision to move onto my next Jesuit work. My story from the beginning is that I have a great team. I still do … I know that the greatness of the University rests on your shoulders. You’re my people. So this 19 years—it’s yours,” said Father McShane, visibly choking up. “If you’re going to cheer, cheer Fordham.” 

He asked Fordham’s faculty and staff to promise him three things: 1. Embrace President-Elect Tania Tetlow and show her the beauty of the Bronx and the city. 2. Do not build anything on Edwards Parade. 3. Say hello to everyone on campus. 

“If you see a kid who looks lost, reach out to her. If you see a kid who looks petrified, reach out to him,” he said. “That’s the beauty of this place—students know they are loved.” 

A Belated Thank You to Longtime Staff

Finally, Father McShane explained the origin behind the new honorary ceremony at Dagger John Day. A few months ago, a longtime Aramark employee at Lincoln Center, Charles Copeland, had approached Father McShane with a request. 

“He said, ‘You know, Father, every year we have these Bene Merenti and Archbishop Hughes ceremonies, and we’re delighted to be there … But there are those of us who are not really University employees, but we’re members of the family … Can we figure out a way to recognize them?’ And I said, ‘Charles, give me the names, and we’ll make it happen,’” Father McShane said. He faced Copeland, who stood a few feet away at a nearby table. “So today, Charles, you gave me the names and we made it happen, and I want to thank you for that because you reminded all of us that the family of Fordham is rich, diverse, wide, and sometimes, sadly, overlooked. I apologize for not having the idea myself. So when I say the achievement is ours, it’s yours. This will become a permanent part of Dagger John Day.” 

Father McShane presented each Aramark and Allied Security Services employee with a certificate of appreciation. At the end of his speech, he delivered one final message to Fordham’s faculty and staff. 

“I love you all dearly,” he said, starting to choke up again. “It’s an honor to know you and it’s a joy and grace to call you—I was going to say McShanes, but that doesn’t really do it,” he said, to laughter from the audience. “I’m really honored to know you all: my family, my friends.” 

Below is a full list of this year’s awardees from Aramark and Allied Security Services. Not everyone was in attendance. 

Aramark at Rose Hill 

• Chris Alexander
• Jose Bernardez
• Alejandro Blanco
• Michael Demarco
• Christopher Etheridge
• Patrick Gooden
• Tyrone Grant
• Julian Horry
• Curtis Jenkins
• Tracy Johnson
• Gloria Mejia
• Wendy Rojas
• Tawana Shaird
• Rimona Smith
• Errol Stennett
• Robert Washington
• Soraya Wilkerson

Aramark at Lincoln Center 

• Ian Bartholomew
• Charles Copeland
• Wanda Cunningham
• Margaret Gittens
• Joel Greenidge
• Jerry Lashley

Allied Security Services at Rose Hill 

• Ed Bolden
• Thomas Cayemitte
• James Daniels
• Rodrick Henry
• Gerardo Ricardo
• Nicole Smith
• Nowoh Toure
• Elwood Tuck

Allied Security Services at Lincoln Center 

• Jaffar Ally
• Surendra Jaraj
• Derrick McFarline
• Maritza Perez
• Brian Thawley

“For Fordham, this past year, difficult as it was, was marked by heroism, creativity, determination, flexibility, and devotion,” he said. “I find myself filled with deep gratitude to all of you for all that you did to enable our beloved community to emerge from the many challenges it faced with such strength, such conviction, and such discerning love.”

New Talent On Board

Father McShane began his speech by welcoming several new leaders at the University, including Jose Luis Alvarado, Ph.D., the new dean of the Graduate School of Education, John Cecero, S.J., vice president for mission integration and ministry, and Anand Padmanabhan, vice president for information technology.

 Admission Amidst Change

In an analysis of the past year’s student admissions, Father McShane said more than 46,000 applications were processed by the University for its three undergraduate colleges. Just over 53% of those who applied were admitted, which yielded a total of 2,848 students who enrolled—an increase of almost 800 from last year. The quality of the class is very strong, he said. The average SAT for the entering class is 1392, up 56 points from last year’s average, and the average GPA is 3.67. The increase in test scores could be partly be attributed to the test-optional policy instituted this year, he said.

As for the demographic breakdown, he noted that the following are our top three feeder states: New York, home to 36% of new students; New Jersey, at 13%; and California, at 7%.

“California sent 193 [students]—20 years ago it was just 20 students,” he said.

Massachusetts came in at 6%, Connecticut at 5%, Pennsylvania at 3%, Maryland at 2%, Illinois at 2%, Texas at 3%, and Florida at 2%. He noted that the Texas and Florida numbers are significant, as the University needs to draw more students from those regions, as well as the Carolinas, since attracting students beyond the Northeast is key to growth, he said. In addition, the University welcomed 172 international students in the new class, up from 111 last year.

Diversity in the New Class

Perhaps most importantly, he said, 44% of new students are from traditionally underrepresented groups, up from 39% last year. The number of Black students increased from 76 in last year’s incoming class to 189 this year, while the number of Hispanic students increased from 328 to 515.

“This is an inflection point in our history. This is a very important moment for us and we want to make sure we continue to engage, enroll, and retain larger numbers of Black and Hispanic students,” he said, before tipping his hat to teams from Office of Admissions, the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, and the HEOP and CSTEP programs.

Best Fundraising Year Ever

On the fundraising front, Father McShane noted the University recovered from last year when the pandemic had a negative impact on fundraising.

“We rebounded magnificently and were able to raise $83,727,733, making the 2020-21 year the University’s best fundraising year ever. Moreover, the amount that we raised last year brought our fundraising total over the past 18 years to more than a billion dollars.”

As mentioned in his past two convocation addresses, he noted that the University is still in the quiet phase of a new comprehensive campaign, Cura Personalis | For Every Fordham Student.

“As its name suggests, this new campaign is aimed at helping us enrich the student experience in all of our schools,” he said.

He said the campaign has four central pillars: access and affordability, for which the University seeks to raise $100 million; academic excellence, for which $150 million is being sought; student wellness and success, with a goal of $70 million; and athletics, at $30 million. Efforts to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion, for which the University is seeking $120 million, run through all the pillars, he said.

During the quiet phase the University has raised slightly over $155 million. He noted the public phase of the campaign will begin at this year’s Founder’s Dinner, which will be held at a new venue, the Glasshouse in Manhattan, on Nov. 8.

Father McShane noted that he and the Alumni Relations team have hit the road again after spending a year socializing on Zoom.

“You can’t shake hands remotely,” he said dryly.

He noted that alumni events are back in full swing, but he called out the “fusion” events in particular, where prospective students meet alumni.

“These are magic! Our alumni sell the place from heart, with great gusto, with stories, and with conviction. Therefore, the yield at these events is about three times higher than our overall yield rate,” he said.

Reviewing the Rankings

Father McShane noted that the University has seen its rankings in U.S. News & World Report rise and fall over the years. After a climb from No. 74 to No. 66 in last year’s rankings, this year the University fell two places to No. 68. However, the peer assessment score, which climbed from 3.1 to 3.3 last year, remained constant; the indicator gauges how other university presidents, provosts, and admissions leaders think about the institution.

“This a great achievement; it’s the most difficult thing to move the needle on,” he said.

He mentioned several “points of pride” that members of the University can tout.

“We are still No. 41 among all private research universities in the country—that’s pretty damn good, pretty darn good, sorry,” he said, to chuckles from the audience. “We’re No. 7 among the research universities in New York state; No. 6 among Catholic research universities; and No. 4 among Jesuit research schools—not bad.”

He highlighted the social mobility section of the ratings as an indicator that aligns with the University’s mission. The national ranking places the university at No. 179, up from No. 203 last year, landing Fordham as 18th among the overall top 70 schools—many of which did not receive a positive ranking in this area.

“That means we do a far better job than most other private intuitions in the country in making sure that our students achieve to such a degree that they are upwardly mobile socially,” he said, noting that this is particularly important to students from modest means.

Praise for Publishing and Pushing Forward

Father McShane said that despite the challenges of the past year, students and faculty continued to conduct research, receive awards, and publish in books and in journals.

“In the past year, our faculty published 195 books and book chapters and 525 articles,” he said. “In addition, our faculty have won grants in the amount of $17.46 million.”

Students also shined, he said.

On the prestigious scholarship and fellowship front, they won 72 awards, including three Fulbrights (and three alternates), and one Marshall scholarship.

In seeking acceptance to doctoral-level health professional schools, 80 students and alumni from Fordham College at Rose Hill and Fordham College at Lincoln Center applied for admission to doctoral-level health professions programs last year and 73% were admitted to at least one program. Two-hundred twenty-four students and alumni from Fordham College at Rose Hill, Fordham College at Lincoln Center, and the Gabelli School of Business applied for admission to law school, and 83% were admitted to at least one program.

Firm Footing for Finances

Father McShane said that frugality, caution, and a surprisingly bullish stock market pushed the endowment past the $1 billion mark, up substantially from the $830 million. The current total stands at approximately $1,028,000,000.

He said that with freezes on both salaries and in hiring, curtailed operating budgets, and infusions of cash from both the federal government and donors, the University was able to present balanced budgets during the pandemic’s nearly two-year run.

“As a result of these same factors, we were able to get through the pandemic without any firings or furloughs,” he said. “Out of an abundance of caution, the present year’s budget is a conservative one, but one that will still allow us to begin to increase our hiring across the University.”

Returning to Normal with Caution and Hope

Father McShane noted that the advent of the vaccines has made it possible for the University to resume many of its activities as in years past.

“But we are still not out of the woods,” he said. “Therefore, we have to remain vigilant as the coming months, and perhaps years, unfold.”

He noted that 99% of the faculty, staff, and student body are now vaccinated, and everyone entering our campuses must provide proof of vaccination.

Confronting Racism

“As all of us know all too well, COVID-19 is not the only pandemic that we are wrestling with,” he concluded. “We are also wrestling with racism, a pandemic that sadly will take longer to address and overcome than COVID-19.  After all, racism has been a feature of American life for 402 years, and a wound that we have not been able to heal in those 402 years.”

He said that the mission calls for every member of the Fordham community to treat every human being with respect, affirmation, reverence, and affection.

“That same mission calls upon us to confront racism and to educate for justice,” he said.

The University has adopted a plan on addressing racism and educating for justice.

“We must give ourselves to that work with focus, conviction, creativity, and love in the coming months and years,” he said. “If we do so, we will be able to say that we have done our part in working to create a country and a culture in which all of our citizens are truly equal, a nation in which each citizen is treated with dignity, respect, reverence, and supportive affection.”

A full transcript of Father McShane’s address can be found here.

Several thousand Fordham alumni, family members, students, and friends took part in the festivities, which included special receptions for the classes of 1970 and 1971, a 5K Ram Run, the launch of the first-ever Alumni Book Club, a jaunt to the New York Botanical Garden, and the traditional Homecoming tents on Edwards Parade, where attendees of all ages mixed and mingled for the first time since November 2019. (Last year’s Homecoming was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

“This is Fordham—active, students running around, Edwards Parade full of people,” said Mary Boland, a 1979 graduate of Fordham College at Rose Hill.

For Joe McAteer, a 1999 graduate of the Gabelli School of Business and a former Fordham football player, the day was a chance to resume a family tradition. He and his wife, Anne, took their daughters, Brigid and Melaney, to the family tent, where an artist drew caricatures of the girls and made balloon figures for them.

“I haven’t been on campus since the pandemic,” McAteer said. “And my daughters would come up here for years and loved, loved coming up here—it’s the family atmosphere. Being back on campus with my kids, it’s great. It’s just that ambience, that feel that you get walking back on campus.”

The celebrations commenced on Thursday evening, Oct. 7, when Fordham athletics inducted 13 alumni into its Hall of Fame during a ceremony under the Homecoming tent on Edwards Parade. Among this year’s honorees were record-breaking quarterback Mike Nebrich, FCRH ’15; former Red Bulls goalkeeper Ryan Meara, GABELLI ’13; former women’s basketball star Abigail Corning, GABELLI ’14; and Joe Moglia, FCRH ’71, a former CEO of TD Ameritrade and former head football coach at Coastal Carolina University.

Celebrating the Golden Rams

Moglia, who will be honored at the Fordham Founder’s Dinner on Nov. 8, was among the members of the classes of 1970 and 1971 who were invited to a special reception on Friday evening to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their graduation from Fordham. While the Golden Rams are traditionally honored during Jubilee weekend in June, the celebrations for both class years were delayed until Homecoming this year, when the alumni could be feted in person.

Prior to the reception, they visited Butler Commons in Duane Library, home to a quarter-scale replica of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco—a gift from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to Fordham in 2018. Art history professor Maria Ruvoldt, Ph.D., gave alumni and their guests a sweeping history of the storied fresco, gesturing above their heads to indicate specific areas of Michelangelo’s masterwork.

For Timothy Buckley, FCRH ’71, LAW ’74, and Eileen McDonough Buckley, TMC ’71, the space was a far cry from the Duane Library they knew 50 years ago, when the two met on campus as undergraduates. After the lecture, as they headed to University Church for a Mass honoring the Golden Rams, they recalled their wedding at the church in 1975, the year after Buckley graduated from Fordham Law School, as well as the charm of the old library.

“Walsh Library was long overdue,” Buckley said, referring to the William D. Walsh Family Library, which opened in 1997, “but when you came from where I came from, [the Finger Lakes region of New York], Duane was a big deal.”

“I loved those spiral staircases” in the old library, McDonough added.

Likewise, Peter Dolan, GABELLI ’71, ’75, and his wife, Mary Marcia Dolan, arrived on campus Friday afternoon with 50-year-old memories of a place that has changed dramatically in the intervening decades. Dolan took only a few classes at Rose Hill, but he recalled a scrappy population of students who, like him, often worked to pay for tuition while pursuing their studies. Mary Marcia attended Manhattanville College, a Fordham football rival at the time, but the couple had little time for Homecoming games until this year. Dolan said that by the time he was in graduate business school at Fordham, they already had two children. For him, college rivalries played out in job interviews.

“I’m grateful to Fordham for my career. I went on so many interviews going up against Princeton and the like and they’d say, ‘Finally, somebody from Fordham is here,’” he said on the steps of Keating Hall, standing next to his wife and grandson Patrick, a first-year student at Rose Hill, before heading into the tent on Edwards Parade for the Golden Rams reception.

Dolan said he had tried to convince his children to go to Fordham, but they all went to other Jesuit colleges, making his grandson’s presence at Rose Hill all the more special.

“To have my grandson come here is a thrill of a lifetime,” he said.

Dancing the Night Away, Amid Views of Keating Hall and the Manhattan Skyline

On Friday evening, approximately 1,000 young alumni from the classes of 2011 to 2021 began their Homecoming weekend on a yacht cruise around lower Manhattan. For members of the classes of 2020 and 2021—who made up the majority of the sold-out crowd—it was one of their first opportunities to reconnect with classmates and friends since graduation. Many also saw it as an event that made up for a tradition they missed as undergrads: Senior Week programming.

“I don’t think any of us have been in that kind of crazy-busy celebratory environment since before 2020,” Finley Peay, FCLC ’20, said after the event.

Meanwhile, at Rose Hill, current undergraduates resumed another tradition: the annual President’s Ball. The dance had a new location this year—the Homecoming Tent on Edwards Parade, following the Golden Rams reception—and it drew more than 3,400 students, one of biggest turnouts in the history of the ball.

A Flying Start

On Saturday morning, about 50 students, alumni, staff, and other members of the extended Fordham family took part in the 5K Ram Run, which started and ended in front of the historic Rose Hill Gym. Their path, three loops around campus, took them past the new campus center, which is undergoing an extensive renovation and expansion that will enhance services, programming, and resources for Fordham students.

For Fordham College at Rose Hill senior Kyle McAuley, who placed first, the race was a chance to enjoy an early-morning run and be part of the larger Fordham community.

“I’m a distance runner—I recently finished the Bronx 10-mile and I just really enjoy running in the Bronx. I think we need more races here, so to have one on Fordham’s campus was pretty cool,” he said. “It’s a good time to be a part of the community—I’m graduating this year, so it felt nice to be able to do this, especially after not having really any type of Homecoming last year.”

Sophomore Michael Parrinello, who finished second, brought a family feel to the event, running with his sister, Lauren.

“It was exciting to welcome family onto campus after all this time,” he said. “There’s just a lot of energy, which has kind of been missing the last 18 months.”

Catching Up on Campus

Homecoming attendees also had the opportunity to learn about some of the work that’s been taking place on and off campus in the past couple of years.

The deans of Fordham College at Rose Hill and Fordham College at Lincoln Center shared how the Cultural Engagement Internships program, which they launched in 2020 with support from Fordham alumni, has grown from two partners to more than 20 for the current semester. The program provides students with paid internships at local nonprofits and cultural institutions such as the Bronx Book Festival, the New York Hall of Science, and the Brooklyn Museum.

“Many of these organizations were introduced to us by alumni or by faculty or by other members of the community,” said Laura Auricchio, Ph.D., dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center.

One of Fordham’s partners is the Elmhurst/Corona Recovery Collaborative, which unites the efforts of 24 nonprofits in Queens. Fordham College at Lincoln Center sophomore Arika Ahamad supported the collaborative’s communications efforts this past year, working on a newsletter and other publications to help connect residents to community resources such as vaccination locations and help with government forms. “What they were all doing was working together to help the area recover from COVID-19,” she said.

Alumni also had the chance to welcome Sally Benner, FCRH ’84, who will become the chair of the Fordham University Alumni Association (FUAA) advisory board in January.

“I come here today, and I think of when I was a [student] trying to study on Homecoming Saturday,” she said, while speaking in the McGinley Center’s North Dining Hall. “I was wondering what was all that fuss? Who are these old people in that tent? And now, I am that person, and I want a bigger fuss—more noise!”

Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, led a champagne toast at the FUAA reception, after which he called for attendees to join him in singing “The Ram,” Fordham’s fight song.

“I want to thank you for everything you do for Fordham,” he said. “I want you to be proud of Fordham—be as proud of Fordham as Fordham is of you. Pray for Fordham that we might always be true to the vision and the mission that John Hughes had,” he said, referring to the University’s founder.

Benner will succeed John Pettenati, FCRH ’81, the FUAA’s founding advisory board chair, who congratulated her on her new role. He said although he didn’t know her when they were students, he knew she was a member of Mimes and Mummers, the theater group at Rose Hill, “and I know how passionate she was about that organization: She’s going to bring that passion to the FUAA.”

Benner’s fellow Mimes and Mummers alumni also reunited on Saturday morning, enjoying coffee and catching up outside Hughes Hall before visiting Collins Auditorium, where they reminisced about their old college shows and marveled at the building’s new elevator and display of show posters framed by light bulbs.

Under the Tent

The Homecoming tent, however, was the main attraction. Alumni, students, families, and friends gathered there for pre-boxed lunches and drinks, played Jenga and other games, enjoyed each other’s company, and shared their favorite Fordham memories with friends and loved ones. (After the day was over, the alumni relations office donated 500 meals to Bessie Green Community Inc., a nonprofit organization that has been serving the underprivileged in Newark, New Jersey, since 1978.)

For Ruddy Castillo, a 1998 Fordham College at Rose Hill graduate, and his wife, Gloria, Homecoming was the first time they had the chance to share the campus experience with their daughters, Emma and Victoria.

“I’ve never done it before—there’s so much change, and it’s great to actually see all the changes and to see people again,” Castillo said. “It’s even better [with my daughters], to share in the memories and show them around the campus that I came to school at, and get them exposed to this type of event.”

Several attendees took the opportunity to meet Mary Bly, Ph.D., chair of Fordham’s English Department, who signed copies of her novel Lizzie & Dante (Random House, 2021), which was recently selected as the inaugural selection of the Fordham Alumni Book Club.

It’s the first novel she’s published under her real name, but she’s well-known in the romance genre for the more than 7 million books she’s sold under her pseudonym, Eloisa James.

The book club will meet via Zoom for two, one-hour sessions on Wednesday, October 20, and Wednesday, November 10. The first session will be moderated by Fordham English Professor Stuart Sherman, Ph.D., and the second session will be moderated by Phillip Cicione, Ed.D., FCRH ’87, one of the alumni who stopped by the tent to pick up a copy of Lizzie & Dante.

Cicione, an English teacher in New York’s Commack school district, met Bly through a former student who recently graduated from Fordham. “[Mary and I] had lunch right before [the COVID-19] shutdown, and she was asking me for ideas of how to get English alumni more involved with Fordham and, specifically, the English department,” Cicione said.

They stayed in touch, and eventually he was asked to serve as a moderator for the Fordham Alumni Book Club. “It’s a perfect fit, as an educator, to be moderating,” he said. “Every day in my classroom is a book club.”

Game Time—or a Walk in the Botanical Garden

As the 1 p.m. kickoff approached, the Fordham cheerleaders and dance team helped get the crowd hyped up before the big game, while the Fordham band played the University’s fight song. But not everyone made their way to Coffey Field.

Several attendees decided to tour the New York Botanical Garden at a discounted Fordham rate, a new option offered at Homecoming this year. The Ciciones each chose their favorite, with Phillip heading to the game and Jackie opting for the garden.

She cited her love of the botanical garden and the ease of touring it solo as reasons why she trekked across the street instead of going into the stands.

Fran Phair, PCS ’05, said that while she’s attended the Homecoming game in the past, this year she felt the garden would be more fun than football. “There’s a great exhibit going on right now. That’s why we made this decision.”

But for Fordham football and their fans, the scene at Jack Coffey Field was fun too.

Senior quarterback Tim DeMorat put on a show for the Ram faithful, throwing for four touchdowns and 339 yards in the first half, as he led the Fordham to a 56–7 victory over Wagner in front of an excited home crowd.

At the end of the first quarter, the 1971 crew team was honored on the 50th anniversary of an exceptional season. Despite the challenges of losing varsity status and having to find a new coach that year, the team won first place in the Deering Cup, beat eight of nine competitors in the Grimaldi Cup, and won first place in the Hudson River Presidents Cup.

The team’s coach, Ed Witman, GSAS ’77, was pursuing a doctorate at Fordham when he found a torn piece of loose-leaf on the windshield of his Volkswagen prior to the 1971 season. “Interested in coaching crew?” it asked.

It was a difficult time for the team, whose members had embraced the “cultural revolution,” Witman said, with their long hair and beards. They didn’t have a lot of support.

“And then we lost the boat,” he said. “So we had to row in borrowed shells. If these guys had not persevered and hung in there, though, I think the crew at Fordham would have vanished.”

Team member John J. Fischer Jr., FCRH ’72, said the team has remained close. “We’ve been good friends and we get together every year, almost, to celebrate our team and go out on a row—we used to go out on rows. We’re now in our 70s.”

The Rams put on most of their show in the first half, going up 42–7, thanks to DeMorat; senior wide receiver Fotis Kokosioulis, who had 101 yards and two scores; and first-year linebacker James Conway, who held Wagner’s offense in check by completing a game-high 12 tackles and forcing a fumble.

The weekend concluded with a Homecoming Mass in the University Church.

Chris Walchuk, FCRH ’84, GSE ’87, who attended Homecoming in 2019, said that she loved getting to share the experience of the day with her daughter Katarina, a first-year student at Fordham College at Lincoln Center.

“It’s the people,” she said. “It’s so nice. I was thinking about that as we were sitting inside the tent. This is just like the previous one, [in 2019]. It’s so nice to be back.”

—Taylor Ha, Nicole LaRosa, Sierra McCleary-Harris, and Tom Stoelker contributed reporting to this story.

On Tuesday, Oct. 5, members of the Fordham community, the Trust for Public Land, the Department of Environmental Protection, elected officials, and staff and students from two Bronx public schools came together to celebrate the groundbreaking of the brand new $2.2 million schoolyard. The Center for Educational Partnerships at Fordham’s Graduate School of Education has for the past six years provided administrative help to MS 331, one of the schools on the site.

“Our schoolyard is used by the whole community, and we wanted to have something here that people could use that is a state-of-the-art facility. Right now, we have a lot missing here, including any sort of green space for kids to sit outside,” said Serapha Cruz, GSE ’05, the principal of MS 331.

The staff at the Center for Educational Partnerships, which began working with the school in 2015, played an invaluable role in the project, she said.

“One of the things Fordham did was keep the momentum going, pushing for us to get the design process done and getting the council members involved who funded the project,” she said.

“It’s a lot of stuff that I don’t have the time to do because I’m busy running the day-to-day school operations and the instructional agenda of the school. They are always super helpful with helping us reach out for outside partnerships.”

New Courts and an Outdoor Classroom

The ceremony took place in the 46,342-square-foot play area of MS 331/PS 306X in the Morris Heights neighborhood. As elevated 4 trains rumbled by alongside the school, attendees viewed renderings of the space, which will be transformed from a cracked and crumbling parking lot into an environmentally friendly play destination.

When it opens in the fall of 2024, the space will feature a basketball court, a volleyball court, a turf field for soccer and football, game tables, play equipment, an outdoor classroom, and a gazebo. The Department of Environmental Protection will also help address drainage issues that have caused flooding in the area.

The ceremony included Cruz; Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.; a representative of New York City Council member Fernando Cabrera, whose offices secured the funding; and Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham.

A Proud Partner in Serving Bronx Children

Father McShane said that playgrounds are “magical places,” because they are where we make friends, and because they are where the music of the Bronx—the joyful shouts of children—can be heard.

“We are happily, proudly a Bronx institution, and from the very beginning, we felt we had a special mission to and for the people of the Bronx. All of us at Fordham want to be of service and in partnership with everyone in the Bronx, so this is a great day,” he said.

“Today, I tip my hat to you. Thank you for dreaming of this; now make sure this is filled with fun, friendship, and the music of the next generation of New Yorkers.”

Cruz, who has been at the school for 17 years, said she was thrilled to see so many disparate participants of the project, which began three years ago, together in one place.

Students worked with staff from the Trust for Public Land to design the play area, which will serve a little over 1,000 students, and then staff, students and parents choose from two designs their favorite.

Like Father McShane, Diaz Jr. pegged playgrounds as more than just a place to exercise.

“When we were students, how many of you can recall a memory if not more, of the playground? For me, at PS 5, I remember playing kickball, then at PS 31, I remember playing punchball. I remember starting what I thought in my mind was going to be my basketball career there,” he said.

“It breaks my heart to see the current state of this playground, but I know that good days are ahead.”

Anita Vazquez Batisti, Ph.D., associate dean, and director of the Center for Educational Partnerships, said the project exemplified the center’s focus on providing services and support to all members of the school community.

“Jesuit education is steeped in the notion of cura personalis, or care for the entire person as an individual endowed with particular gifts and insights. So too is our work,” she said.

“The new student-designed schoolyard, where students will exercise their bodies, stimulate their minds, and rejuvenate their spirits, is a perfect embodiment of that ethos.”

“[A]fter a great deal of prayer, reflection, and consultation, I have decided that this will be my last year as President of our beloved University,” Father McShane wrote yesterday in a message to the Fordham family.

“It has been a blessing to work with so many talented and devoted faculty and staff, and with more than a hundred thousand gifted and community-minded students,” he added. “Likewise, I have had the great fortune of working with and on behalf of our many generous and involved alumni and donors, and with the members of our Board of Trustees, especially the Board Chairs with whom I have worked: Paul Guenther, John Tognino and Bob Daleo. Together they have been the engines of Fordham’s success, over which it has been my great joy to preside.”

Father McShane succeeded Joseph A. O’Hare, S.J., on July 1, 2003, to become the 32nd president of Fordham. By next June, he will have served 19 years in the position, matching his predecessor’s record as the University’s longest-serving president.

Under Father McShane, Fordham completed a decades-long transformation from well-regarded regional institution to prestigious national university—growing larger, academically and fiscally stronger, and more diverse than ever.

Since 2003, Father McShane has raised $1 billion for the University, overseen the quadrupling of its endowment to more than $1 billion, and invested $1 billion in new construction and infrastructure improvements.

His tenure has also been marked by record-breaking advances in enrollment; campus expansions in New York and London; innovative new academic programs and partnerships; increased support for student-faculty collaboration and research; a renewed commitment to community engagement; and a burgeoning global alumni network—all of which have helped lift Fordham to new levels of national and international distinction and influence.

“The Board of Trustees and the Fordham community have watched with admiration Father McShane’s unbridled energy, pastoral care, long devotion, and deep wisdom,” Robert D. Daleo, GABELLI ’72, chair of the Fordham University Board of Trustees, wrote today in a letter to the Fordham community. “We are deeply grateful for all he has done for the University and its students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents.”

Daleo said the University will work with global executive search firm WittKieffer and establish a search committee composed of trustees, faculty, staff, and students to identify the next president of Fordham. WittKieffer will hold a series of virtual town halls this fall to solicit input from the Fordham community, he said. And he expects the board to announce the new president next spring. (More information about the transition is posted at fordham.edu/presidentialsearch.)

In the meantime, the University will have the opportunity to “celebrate Father McShane and his many accomplishments throughout the year,” Daleo wrote.

“His leadership has set the stage for the next president to continue Fordham’s growth and prominence.”

A Leader of Character

Throughout his tenure as president, Father McShane has described a Fordham education as “ever ancient, ever new,” borrowing a phrase from St. Augustine.

“We are ever searching for greater opportunities for service that the signs of the times reveal to us and demand of us,” he said during his inaugural address in the Rose Hill Gymnasium on October 24, 2003. And yet a Fordham education is timeless, he said, and fundamentally about character development—supporting, challenging, and empowering students to become global citizens whose lives are marked by “competence, conscience, compassion, and commitment to the cause of the human family.”

When historians of Fordham look back on the McShane era, they will undoubtedly note a host of key indicators of growth and success at the University (see the list below), but just as impressive, trustees and others in higher education say, is Father McShane’s influence as a leader of character—someone who is quick-witted, morally focused, and personally humble but bold and full of ambition for Fordham.

“Father McShane has been an incredible leader, and Fordham has become a new and better institution under his leadership,” said Fordham Trustee Valerie Rainford, FCRH ’86. “He leaves a legacy of excellence, integrity, and perseverance not just with the Fordham family but with the broader community, all guided by his faith and an unwavering commitment to helping his fellow man and woman achieve their God-given gifts. He is a giant in academia who leaves behind big shoes to fill.”

In his message to the Fordham family, Father McShane deflected any praise for what the University has achieved.

“I have utterly no illusions about how all of this was accomplished and what my role has been. I believe (actually I know) that all that has been accomplished at Fordham in the course of the past eighteen years is not the result of my work,” he wrote. “Rather, it has been the result of uncommon teamwork, a shared dream and a deep devotion to the values that Fordham has always stood for and from which it has derived its strength.”

Beyond Fordham, Father McShane is widely regarded as an eloquent, tireless advocate for Jesuit education and for improving college access overall. He has served on the boards of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), several Jesuit institutions, and the American Council on Education.

“For more than his 25 years at Fordham, Father McShane has been an important voice for Catholic higher education, for Jesuit universities, and, indeed, for the importance of public and private support for education of all citizens, especially the marginalized and those who have been deprived of this critical opportunity,” said AJCU President Michael J. Garanzini, S.J. “His energy and enthusiasm have inspired many of us to advocate for the promotion of access and inclusion in private and public education alike.”

By the Numbers: A Legacy of Transformation

Here are 10 key indicators of growth and success at Fordham under Father McShane’s leadership.

• Enrollment and Diversity: Applications for undergraduate admission have more than tripled, from 12,801 in 2003 to 46,171 this year. And the percentage of undergraduate students from underrepresented groups has increased from 23% in 2003 to 33% this year. The undergraduate Class of 2025, drawn from 45 U.S. states and 51 countries, is the most diverse in Fordham’s history, with 44.5% domestic students of color and 6.5% international students.

  

• Social Mobility: The Chronicle of Higher Education placed Fordham at No. 15 on its list of “Colleges with the Highest Student-Mobility Rates,” a ranking that measures whether recent graduates’ income surpasses that of their parents. First-generation college students make up 23% of the undergraduate Class of 2025.
• Fundraising: Fordham has raised more than $1 billion since 2003. That’s more than the University had raised in its entire 162-year history prior to Father McShane’s tenure as president.
• Endowment: The University’s endowment has more than quadrupled, from $241.2 million in 2003 to more than $1 billion today.
• Scholarships and Financial Aid: With support from donors, the University created more than 400 new scholarship funds for students, including 197 as part of Faith & Hope | The Campaign for Financial Aid, which raised more than $175 million for students between 2014 and 2019.

  

• Access and Affordability: The University increased spending on financial aid from $48 million in 2003 to more than $300 million this year. Today, 90% of first-year undergraduates receive some form of financial aid from Fordham.
• Endowed Chairs and External Grants: To help attract and retain more of the world’s leading scholars and educators, Fordham dramatically increased its number of endowed faculty chairs—from 23 to 71. The University also bolstered its Office of Research, increasing funding from external sources by 85%, from $13 million in 2003 to $24 million in 2021.
• Academic Achievement: Fordham students have earned 2,121 prestigious fellowships and scholarships, including 158 Fulbright awards, since 2003, placing the University among the nation’s top producers of Fulbright scholars.
• Academic and Residential Facilities: Since 2003, Fordham has invested more than $1 billion in major capital projects, including a current $205 million renovation and expansion of the campus center at Rose Hill.

  

• National Rankings: Fordham has leaped 18 places in U.S. News & World Report’s national college rankings, from No. 84 in 2003 to No. 66. Several of Fordham’s graduate and professional schools also advanced in the rankings: Fordham Law is No. 27; the Graduate School of Social Service is No. 25; the Graduate School of Education is No. 39; and the graduate division of the Gabelli School of Business is No. 58, with three program areas—finance (15), international business (15), and marketing (14)—among the top 20 in the nation.

A ‘Mystical Regard’ for Fordham

In late 2002, when Father McShane was appointed to lead Fordham, he was in his fifth year as president of the University of Scranton, a post he held until June 2003. But he was no stranger to the Fordham community.

A New York City native, he taught theology and served as the dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill from 1992 to 1998. Prior to that, he was a member of the University’s Board of Trustees. And though he completed his studies elsewhere—earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Boston College, M.Div. and S.T.M. degrees from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in the history of Christianity from the University of Chicago—Fordham was in his DNA.

As a boy, he attended basketball games and alumni reunions at Rose Hill with his father, Owen P. McShane, a graduate of Fordham College and Fordham Law School who instilled in his four sons a “mystical regard” for Fordham.

“It was my first experience of a college campus, and it was a place that was larger than life,” Father McShane said during a September 2003 media roundtable with alumni and student journalists. “But as time went on, it occurred to me that Fordham was a mystical place for my father because he was the first person in his family to go to college. It was the institution that made his life, changed his life.”

That deep sense of Fordham as a place of personal and communal transformation, particularly for first-generation college students, has been a keynote of Father McShane’s administration.

In his message to the Fordham family announcing his decision to step down as president, he noted that in addition to his father, each of his three brothers earned a degree from Fordham.

“Fordham breathed life into their dreams and formed their lives in powerful ways,” he wrote. “Through their stories and the example of their lives, I came to understand the transformative power of the Jesuit education they received here.”

‘Ever Upward’: An Ambitious Agenda for Fordham

Soon after his inauguration, Father McShane led the University community through a yearlong strategic planning process. The goal was to draw on Fordham’s historic strengths, recent accomplishments, and untapped potential—particularly at the Lincoln Center campus—to lift the University to a position of greater prominence.

In March 2009, he announced that through Excelsior | Ever Upward | The Campaign for Fordham, the University would seek to raise $500 million to renew itself physically, spiritually, and academically.

By 2014, more than 60,000 alumni and friends had contributed $540 million, propelling the University well beyond its fundraising goal. Together they helped the University create more than 220 scholarships, build residence halls for a total of 800-plus students at Rose Hill and Lincoln Center, and bolster the faculty with the creation of nearly 50 endowed chairs in business, law, Catholic theology, Judaic studies, STEM, and other fields.

A Historic Investment in Business Education

The single largest contribution during the campaign came in 2010 from the Gabelli Foundation, a gift that has strengthened Fordham’s ability to provide a purpose-driven business education in the financial capital of the world.

Mario J. Gabelli, a 1965 Fordham graduate, and his wife, Regina Pitaro, a 1976 graduate of Fordham College at Rose Hill, announced their historic $25 million gift to Fordham on September 25, 2010, before the start of the annual Homecoming football game. At the time, it was the largest single gift in Fordham’s history—superseded 10 years later, in December 2020, when Gabelli and Pitaro made a $35 million gift to the University.

Gabelli and Pitaro’s support has allowed the business school to strengthen and expand its faculty, create a Ph.D. program, launch a bachelor’s degree program in global business at the Lincoln Center campus, and fund scholarships and research, among other initiatives. In gratitude, the University renamed its undergraduate business college the Gabelli School of Business—and in 2015, Fordham unified its undergraduate, graduate, and executive business programs under the Gabelli name.

Alumni support also helped the University complete a two-year renovation of Hughes Hall, which reopened in 2012 as the permanent Rose Hill home of the Gabelli School.

Lincoln Center Rising

One of the most visible, dramatic legacies of Father McShane’s tenure as president is the transformation of the Lincoln Center campus.

When the campus was built during the 1960s, it was designed to accommodate 3,500 students. By the early 21st century, it was bursting at the seams, with 8,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Fordham Law, long regarded as one of the best law schools in the country, was serving 1,500 students in a building designed for 650.

Under Father McShane’s leadership, the University developed and eventually earned New York City approval to enact a master plan for expanding the campus—the first stage of which was the construction of a new law school and undergraduate residence hall.

The new Fordham Law School opened in fall 2014. Designed by world-renowned architectural firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, the 22-story building has not only reshaped the campus but also added a touch of elegance to the Manhattan skyline. The law school occupies the first nine floors, and McKeon Hall, a residence for more than 400 undergraduates, rises above it.

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor was among the dignitaries at the dedication ceremony for the new building. She spoke warmly of Father McShane’s leadership. “You have given a special spirit to this University, and I’m so pleased to be here,” she said. “Fordham never ceases to amaze me.”

Two years later, Fordham completed a gut renovation of 140 West 62nd Street, former home of the law school, transforming it into a campus center with a three-story library, a student lounge and café, health and counseling centers, career services offices, and abundant space for classrooms and student activities. The renovated building also serves as a home for the Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center.

An Increasingly Global University

Fordham also extended its influence beyond New York City in dramatic fashion during Father McShane’s tenure.

In 2008, Fordham opened its Westchester campus in West Harrison, New York—a home away from home for the School of Professional and Continuing Studies as well as the graduate schools of Business, Education, Religion and Religious Education, and Social Service.

A decade later, Fordham established a home of its own in the United Kingdom’s most cosmopolitan city. Fordham London, a six-story building in the city’s Clerkenwell neighborhood, opened in fall 2018 to more than 300 undergraduates from Fordham and other U.S. universities.

At the London campus, students take courses in business and the liberal arts while interning in marketing, banking, media, health science, and other fields. “A big part of Fordham’s educational approach is applied learning, using the city as our campus, and London provides a whole new way to do that,” Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of the Gabelli School of Business, said at the time.

The University also bolstered its longstanding partnership with Peking University in Beijing and established a partnership with the University of Pretoria in South Africa, where students pursue research in emerging markets, among other subjects, and take part in the Ubuntu Service Learning program.

During Father McShane’s tenure, Fordham increased its study abroad options to 110 programs in 52 countries. Prior to the pandemic, the University ranked No. 31 in the country for the number of students it sends abroad each year, according to the Institute of International Education.

Academic Growth and Partnerships

During his six years as dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill during the 1990s, Father McShane prioritized faculty development and student scholarship.

Soon after returning to Fordham as president, he picked up where he left off, establishing the Office of Prestigious Fellowships to help students compete for and win prestigious postgraduate scholarships to further their intellectual and personal growth. The results have been impressive: Since 2003, Fordham students have earned 2,121 prestigious fellowships and scholarships, including 158 Fulbright awards, placing the University among the nation’s top producers of Fulbright scholars.

Father McShane also encouraged faculty and administrators to renew and develop innovative academic programs to meet students’ needs. Since 2003, the University has not only launched a host of new degree programs—in public media, health administration, and international humanitarian action, to name a few—but also established academic centers, including the Center on National Security and the Center on Race, Law and Justice, where faculty and students advance research and public discourse to address some of the most urgent challenges of the 21st century.

Fordham has also emerged as a global leader in cybersecurity education in the past decade, thanks in part to a partnership with the FBI.

Since 2009, the University has worked with the FBI to organize and host the International Conference on Cyber Security, or ICCS. Typically held every 18 months, the conference attracts top security and law enforcement officials, university researchers, and executives from companies such as IBM, Microsoft, and Google.

Fordham also established a master’s degree program in cybersecurity, which has tripled in enrollment since 2016. The National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security have designated Fordham a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, and last year, the NSA awarded the University a $3 million grant to lead an effort to help historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions develop their own cybersecurity programs.

New York City: Partner in Education

While Fordham has become an increasingly prominent national and global university in the past two decades, it continues reaching out to its local communities through service, academic partnerships, and various other initiatives such as the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) and the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) for students from underrepresented groups.

In his inaugural address in 2003, Father McShane described the University’s longstanding ties to New York City, and he challenged the Fordham community to find new ways to learn from its neighbors and contribute to their well-being.

“The city that we are proud to call our home is not merely our address,” he said. “It is and has been our partner in education, our laboratory, and our classroom from the moment that Archbishop Hughes first stepped foot on Rose Hill Manor to launch the great enterprise of Catholic higher education in the Northeast in 1841.”

More than ever before, New York is on the syllabus for Fordham students. During Father McShane’s tenure, Fordham established and reinforced partnerships with some of the city’s top civic and educational institutions.

In 2012, for example, Fordham joined four other renowned Bronx institutions—the New York Botanical Garden, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Society, and Montefiore Medical Center—to create the Bronx Science Consortium. The partnership has increased collaborative research and educational opportunities for students and scientists, and helped elevate the borough’s status as a critical contributor to New York’s “Eds and Meds” sector—the academic, research, and medical institutions that drive innovation and help fuel the city’s economy.

Fordham has also strengthened its internships program, which has grown to include more than 3,500 partner organizations, and given students many more ways to get involved in community-based work.

The Center for Community Engaged Learning, established in 2018, oversees both Urban Plunge, the pre-orientation program that introduces first-year students to New York City through service, and Global Outreach, which connects students with community-based organizations in the U.S. and abroad to help them better understand social justice issues at the ground level.

The center also helps faculty develop courses that connect students with local organizations working to understand societal problems and promote the common good. The number of community engaged learning courses has increased from seven to 52 in just the past few years.

During Father McShane’s tenure, Fordham also established the Social Innovation Collaboratory, a network of students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and community members working together to promote social innovation for the achievement of social justice, social entrepreneurship, and environmental sustainability.

In 2014, Fordham became one of 45 colleges and universities to be designated a “Changemaker Campus” by Ashoka, a global organization that honors universities for innovative efforts to foster social good and strengthen society.

Community and Civic Leadership

Through his own civic engagement, Father McShane has set the tone for the University’s deepening involvement with the life of the city.

He has served on the board of the Museum of Civil Rights in Harlem, for example; on mayoral task forces on the future of higher education, the future of media, and workforce development; on an advisory board for the Metropolitan Transit Authority; and on the New York City Charter Revision Commission, appointed by then mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2010. In 2017, he was honored by the 100 Year Association for Fordham’s commitment to community service and its contributions to New York City.

On the state level, Father McShane served two terms as chair of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU), an Albany-based nonprofit organization that represents the chief executives of New York’s colleges and universities on issues of public policy.

“Father McShane is an indefatigable voice for higher education and its ability to transform lives,” said former CICU president Mary Beth Labate. “As a twice-elected chair of the commission, Father was extraordinarily generous with his time and talents in the quest to insure that students, no matter their socioeconomic background, had access to a high quality education.

“When I accompanied him in the halls of the state capitol, he was greeted like the rock star that he is. The size of his contributions was only outmatched by the size of his heart. Colleges and students across the state owe him a debt of gratitude.”

Most recently, Father McShane served on the New York Forward Advisory Board to help shape the state’s plan for reopening after the pandemic, drawing on his experiences leading the Fordham community through some of the most challenging years in its history.

Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic

In early March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread throughout the U.S., Father McShane, like many other university presidents and chief executives, faced a crisis for which there was no playbook.

He made what he called the “difficult but necessary decision” to suspend face-to-face classes on March 9 and transition to remote learning for the rest of the semester. Then he established the Fordham Forward Task Force, which worked to prepare the University for reopening safely on the ground for the 2020–2021 academic year and again this year.

Finally, he identified three priorities that continue to guide the University’s decision-making throughout the crisis: protect the University’s people; preserve the University’s ability to provide students with a world-class Jesuit education; and “emerge from the pandemic with the strength needed to fulfill our mission and to confront the challenges of the future with renewed hope and vigor.”

Father McShane worked closely with the task force, the Board of Trustees, the Faculty Senate, and the finance office to balance the 2020 and 2021 budgets, which had $38 million and $105 million gaps, respectively, as a result of the fallout from the pandemic.

“Leadership is a risky business, even in the best of circumstances, because it is asking people to change, often to sacrifice,” said Donna M. Carroll, president emerita of Dominican University and a trustee fellow of Fordham University. “Father McShane has been focused and persistent in his service to Fordham, navigating difficult conversations with patience, candor, and encouragement. Fordham’s strength in the aftermath of the pandemic is a tribute to his sustained leadership, though he would be the first to highlight the contributions of others.”

By the conclusion of the 2020–2021 academic year, as pandemic-related restrictions began to ease temporarily across the country, Fordham hosted a series of diploma ceremonies on Edwards Parade. Father McShane saluted the Class of 2021 for its perseverance: “You never surrendered. Rather, you rose to every challenge that the world threw at you,” he said.

He also noted that graduates completed their studies in a year marked not only by a global pandemic but also by an economic downturn, a reckoning with racism, and an assault on the U.S. Capitol and the democratic principles upon which our nation has been built and sustained.

“The toll these cascading plagues has taken on all of us, and on you in a special way, has been enormous,” he said. “With ease and grace, you became one another’s keepers, and in the process, you became ministers of cura personalis to one another,” he said, referring to the Jesuit principle of “care of the whole person” that is at the heart of a Fordham education.

Fighting Racism, Educating for Justice

Father McShane has made a renewed commitment to anti-racism a top priority of his final years in office. In a State of the University address delivered virtually on September 12, 2020, he noted that the preceding academic year had marked not only the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic but also the “blossoming of a new civil rights movement aimed at addressing racism in our country.”

In June 2020, after the May 25 killing of George Floyd galvanized global protests against racial injustice—and amid cries from the heart of the Fordham community—Father McShane put forth a plan to address systemic racism and do more to build a diverse, inclusive, and affirming community at Fordham.

“The heartfelt testimony given by members of our community in the course of the summer has made it searingly clear that racism is also present here at Fordham,” Father McShane said, referring to stories of discrimination students and alumni of color shared, largely on social media.

“As painful as that admission may be, we must face up to it. Therefore, let me be clear: anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion are institutional and mission priorities at Fordham, priorities that grow out of our identity as an American, Catholic, and Jesuit institution located in the City of New York.”

He added: “With regard to confronting racism, let us be honest. This is and will be an ongoing challenge, for we will be called upon to confront both the kind of blatant, brutal racism that was behind the deaths of George Floyd and so many others of our sisters and brothers, and the racism of indifference that gives blatant racism its real power: the racism of the blind eye, the racism of silence, and the racism of self-absolution.”

The Board of Trustees approved the plan, which Father McShane crafted in concert with the offices of the provost and the chief diversity officer. The board also charged the newly renamed Mission and Social Justice Committee to oversee the University’s anti-racism strategy, and the trustees mandated annual anti-racism training for all faculty, students, staff, and administrators—including the president’s cabinet and the board itself.

Continuing the Mission: ‘Bothered Excellence’

Throughout his tenure, Father McShane has made an eloquent case for what he calls “the urgent purpose” behind Jesuit education. It’s a purpose that is at the heart of the University’s anti-racism efforts and its latest strategic plan, Educating for Justice.

“We want nothing less than to leave you bothered for the rest of your lives,” he told admitted students in an April 2020 video, “bothered by the realization that you don’t know everything and that there are discoveries and adventures waiting for you just over the horizon, and by the realization that there is injustice in the world, injustice that cries out for a caring response.”

By any measure, Father McShane’s presidency has been transformative. There are the new buildings, new programs, and record-breaking advances in enrollment and fundraising. But beyond the data and tangible evidence of growth, he has embodied the values of the University, trustees say, and placed Fordham in a position to strengthen its mission.

“I cannot imagine a finer leader during his tenure—the personification of the ideal Jesuit, a superb scholar, and a true New Yorker,” said Edward M. Stroz, GABELLI ’79, a Fordham trustee. “Whether measured by student applications and graduations, growth of the endowment, or the cultivation of Fordham’s presence in New York, what Father McShane has done is extraordinary and a source of pride for us all. He will leave Fordham in a very strong position for continuing its mission for our students in the future.”

Another Fordham trustee, Anthony Carter, FCRH ’76, a co-chair of the board’s Mission and Social Justice Committee, spoke about the pastoral quality of Father McShane’s leadership.

“In addition to being a generous servant of God with abundant love for Fordham, he has served us all with a kind heart, purity of spirit, faith-driven humility, and passion for diversity and inclusiveness,” Carter said. “In order to burnish Father McShane’s impressive legacy into the history books and our hearts, we should all strive to imitate his gentle soul and love for humankind.”

For Nora Ahern Grose, GABELLI ’84, who has been a member of the Board of Trustees for 10 years, the year ahead will be an emotional one.

“[Father McShane] has challenged us, in his self-effacing and kind manner, to advance the mission, quality, and portrait of Fordham to distinct and exceptional heights,” she said. “We look forward to another year of his leadership, a year when every laugh and tear, every celebration of accomplishment, every quiet moment of prayer and reflection with our dear Father McShane will have even greater significance than previously.

“We will say thank you many times, and he will always reply that he was the grateful one.”

Tributes to Father McShane

As Father McShane announced his plan to step down in June 2022, current and former Fordham trustees and other leaders in higher education expressed their appreciation and deep gratitude for his service on behalf of the University and its people.

You have been an amazing leader, Joe—for Fordham and for the rest of us in higher education. You’ve also been a friend and I value that a great deal.

—Stephen Ainlay, Former President, Union College

When I learned that this is your last year leading Fordham University, I wanted to thank you on behalf of CICU for your tremendous contributions over the years. Your service on the CICU board has left a lasting impact, as has your leadership in New York state and in our sector. While I and CICU staff are sorry to lose you as an advocate, we look forward to working with you during the remainder of your tenure. Congratulations on your impending retirement. I wish you many healthy, happy, and fulfilling years.

—Lola W. Brabham, President, Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU)

As chairman of the search committee 18 years ago, it was my privilege to put forward the recommendation of Joseph McShane, S.J., as president of Fordham University. It was a great day for Fordham, as have been the subsequent soon to be 19 years that have followed. The University has flourished under his leadership and caring nature for every individual. It has been a wonderful personal and professional pleasure knowing him, and I wish him continued success as he completes this farewell year as Fordham’s president.

—Robert E. Campbell, GABELLI ’55, Trustee Emeritus and Former Chair, Fordham University Board of Trustees; Retired Vice Chairman, Johnson & Johnson

Joseph McShane, S.J., is recognized among Catholic university leaders and within his New York colleague group as a stunningly successful, mission-driven president. Intense, passionate, and charismatically articulate, he has transformed Fordham University from a strong regional institution to a national leader—increasing quality, enrollment, and reputation, and resulting in skyrocketing alumni support.

Leadership is a risky business, even in the best of circumstances, because it is asking people to change, often to sacrifice. Father McShane has been focused and persistent in his service to Fordham, navigating difficult conversations with patience, candor, and encouragement. Fordham’s strength in the aftermath of the pandemic is a tribute to his sustained leadership, though he would be the first to highlight the contributions of others.

I have known Joe McShane since we worked together at Fordham in the early ’90s, then as a trustee and through two high-impact presidencies. He is one of the most intelligent, quick witted, generous people that I know. The presidency can wear you down, but Joe is always upbeat, forward-looking, and engaged. He has been a lasting gift to Fordham.

—Donna M. Carroll, President Emerita, Dominican University; Trustee Fellow, Fordham University

As a proud Fordham University trustee, I have been blessed to have worked with Father Joseph McShane, Reverend President as I affectionately call him. I’ve watched with admiration, appreciation, and at times awe as he has fulfilled so many of his dreams, goals, and objectives for our beloved Fordham University. The state of the University is in an enviable position because of his leadership.

There are so many memories about our Reverend President I will cherish forever. In addition to being a generous servant of God with abundant love for Fordham, he has served us all with a kind heart, purity of spirit, faith-driven humility, and passion for diversity and inclusiveness.

In order to burnish Father McShane’s impressive legacy into the history books and our hearts, we should all strive to imitate his gentle soul and love for humankind.

—Anthony Carter, FCRH ’76, Fordham University Trustee; Former Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Johnson & Johnson

Father McShane has been a Casey family friend since his days as president of the University of Scranton. His commitment to the education of our next generation of leaders and Fordham’s academic excellence is unparalleled. Throughout his career, he was driven by the Jesuit mission to prepare graduates whose lives are marked by character, conscience, competence, compassion, and commitment to cause of the human family. The University of Scranton and Fordham are better institutions because of his faith, vision, and leadership. I wish him well in this next chapter of his life.

—U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, PAR ’19

AMDG. It’s hard to imagine Fordham University without Father Joseph M. McShane, S.J., as its chief visionary, leader, promoter, and president. He is a profound and constant example to the Fordham community and the world of how one person can make such a magnificent difference in people’s lives. His record of achievement over his long, successful tenure certainly can be measured by the beautiful enhancements to Fordham’s capital plant, endowment growth, and funds raised, each of which exceeds or will soon exceed $1 billion. Of even greater and inestimable value are Father McShane’s positive impact on students, Fordham’s standing in the world, and his constant adherence to Ignatian principles. His legacy will secure Fordham’s foundations for generations to come, and we are grateful for his leadership, devotion, and service that made it all possible.

—Gerald C. Crotty, FCRH ’73, Trustee Fellow, Fordham University; President, Weichert Enterprise, LLC

We have had the privilege of knowing and working with Father McShane for more than two decades in his roles as president of Fordham and dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill. In that time he has transformed Fordham through his wise leadership and prodigious fundraising, raising the University to national prominence. He has also been the soul of the University—its pastor in chief. In times of crisis and grief he has consoled the on-campus community, and thousands of alumni spread across the globe, including us. We will greatly miss his intelligence, deep wisdom, and compassion.

—Maurice J. (Mo) Cunniffe, FCRH ’54, and Carolyn Dursi Cunniffe, Ph.D., GSAS ’71

Take it from me: leadership and administration today is not a blissful task. Father McShane did it with gusto, effectiveness, cheer, and wisdom for 19 years. Thanks, Joe! We’ll miss you!

—Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York

My family and I have been beneficiaries of Father McShane’s counsel, his guidance on matters of faith, and his friendship for the 20 or so years we have known him, from his days as dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill to his current position as president of the finest Catholic University in the nation. He has often described himself as the Flaherty family priest, an honor greatly appreciated by the 18 of us. He has, after all, baptized one grandson, blessed the wedding of our son Kevin, and buried my wife, mother of four and Nana of 10, all in the last 6 years. A brief disclosure: Kevin was Jane’s favorite child; we all knew that. I hate to break the news to Father McShane, but Father O’Hare was Jane’s favorite Jesuit.

I shall be sorry when he leaves for my selfish reasons, but also because I believe the University will be poorer for his absence in many respects. Firstly, he has been the best fundraiser we’ve had here. I’ve been told that anyone can raise funds; I hope trustees are correct. Secondly, he believes he is a priest first and president second; I think he has his priorities right. And lastly, of course, his Irishness permeates his smile, his interaction with students, and even his relationship with trustees and faculty; no easy task that.

He will be missed by me and I suspect by the University over the coming years.

—James P. Flaherty, FCRH ’69, Fordham University Trustee; Founder and Chairman, International Health Investor

During Father McShane’s presidency, Fordham has undergone a renaissance. The University today boasts strong admission numbers, a record endowment, and many successful capital improvements. In perhaps the greatest tests of his steadfast leadership, he has expertly navigated the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 and currently the COVID-19 pandemic.

As his 19-year mark and retirement approach, we extend our deepest gratitude for his exemplary service, along with all good wishes for the future.

—Mario Gabelli, B.S. ’65, Alumnus, Namesake, and Benefactor of the Gabelli School of Business; and Regina Pitaro, FCRH ’76

For more than his 25 years at Fordham, Father McShane has been an important voice for Catholic higher education, for Jesuit universities, and, indeed, for the importance of public and private support for education of all citizens, especially the marginalized and those who have been deprived of this critical opportunity. His energy and enthusiasm have inspired many of us to advocate for the promotion of access and inclusion in private and public education alike. I suspect that, while he may be stepping down from the presidency at Fordham, he will find a way to continue his service and advocacy. He is still very much needed and appreciated.

—Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., President, Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities

There may be a more riveting speaker, a greater inspirer of youth, a better leader or a sharper wit than Father McShane, but having all of these qualities in his abundance is truly exceptional. He has challenged us, in his self-effacing and kind manner, to advance the mission, quality, and portrait of Fordham to distinct and exceptional heights. We look forward to another year of his leadership, a year when every laugh and tear, every celebration of accomplishment, every quiet moment of prayer and reflection with our dear Father McShane will have even greater significance than previously.

We will say thank you many times, and he will always reply that he was the grateful one.

—Nora Ahern Grose, GABELLI ’84, Fordham University Trustee

Father McShane has led Fordham through a period of continued national uncertainty. During his presidency, Fordham has gained academic strength, broadened our national student population, and led fundraising which resulted in an endowment topping $1 billion. He will be missed, but his legacy foretells a bright future for our University.

—Paul Guenther, FCRH ’62, Trustee Emeritus and Former Chair, Fordham University Board of Trustees; Retired President, PaineWebber

Father McShane has been an absolutely remarkable leader for Fordham University and, indeed, for all of higher education in the United States during his career. On every significant national issue involving the Catholic Church, the Society of Jesus, or the role of independent colleges and universities over the past 25 years, Father McShane has been a wise, insightful, and vocal leader who has shaped the discussion and pointed the way forward. Along the way, he has become a trusted friend and adviser to so many of us. To say that his considerable contributions in so many circles will be missed is a vast understatement.

—John J. Hurley, President, Canisius College

Father McShane has been an incredible steward of our beloved Fordham over these many years, and his bold vision has propelled us to places we had only once dreamed about. His fearlessness has empowered and positively impacted Fordham in too many ways to capture in a few sentences. However, the place where I believe he has made an indelible mark is in the area of fundraising, when he insisted that Fordham start to dream bolder dreams and fundraise in a way to ensure we attain those dreams.

Because of Father, a new culture of giving at Fordham blossomed and continues to grow and strengthen.

I have been proud to witness firsthand the love, commitment, vision, and passion Father McShane has for the University. By continuing to push and by always keeping his eyes on the horizon, Father McShane has not only secured Fordham’s place but has set the University on the path to greatness. I do not think it is an overstatement to say that other than John Hughes, the founder of Fordham, no other single individual has had such an immense, lasting, and powerful impact on the University.

What Father has done will impact every person who steps foot on the campuses of Fordham University for generations. However, he also has had positive impacts on so many people on very personal levels. He has enriched my life and has been a wonderful friend who provided strength and love when most needed. I know that there are so many in the Fordham community who have had the same experience.

Honestly, all I can say to Father is thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all you have done for every member of the Fordham family.

—Darlene Luccio Jordan, FCRH ’89, Fordham University Trustee; Co-Chair, Excelsior | Ever Upward | The Campaign for Fordham and Faith & Hope | The Campaign for Financial Aid; Executive Director, The Gerald R. Jordan Foundation

Father, your announcement surprised me, as I instinctively think of you and Fordham as synonymous and everlasting. No person certainly is ever indispensable, but you come as close as anyone in my lifetime because every aspect of Fordham under your leadership has fundamentally improved. Most importantly, the quality of our values-based education in strengthening the moral and spiritual underpinning of our students’
character development. I have had so much feedback from our students through the years during your leadership as they openly expressed their devotion and gratitude to Fordham for changing their lives. Feel good about the tens of thousands of our graduates who are leading productive and quality life experiences propelled and advanced by their transformational Fordham experience.

You touched every aspect of Fordham in improving student selection, staff/faculty hiring, the everyday functioning of the University, the athletic programs, facilities management, and, of course, your extraordinarily successful fundraising campaigns. Father, you established a strong financial foundation securing Fordham’s future. You were also Fordham’s greatest champion and you made us all proud of our Fordham experience enlisting so many of us in your journey to make Fordham even better.

I wish you all the very best that life has to offer as you transition to a new role, but please know how grateful we are for your leadership and your friendship. I truly value how you were there for me during my most difficult life challenge, the loss of Terry after 55 years. Providing comfort to me and my family and offering her funeral Mass and service at Arlington will always be close to our hearts. May God’s blessing be upon you, dear friend. Much love and respect.

—Jack Keane, GABELLI ’66, Trustee Fellow, Fordham University; Former Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; Chairman, Institute for the Study of War

Father McShane is an indefatigable voice for higher education and its ability to transform lives. As a twice-elected chair of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU), Father was extraordinarily generous with his time and talents in the quest to ensure that students, no matter their socioeconomic background, had access to a high-quality education. When I accompanied him in the halls of the state capitol, he was greeted like the rock star that he is. The size of his contributions were only outmatched by the size of his heart. Colleges and students across the state owe him a debt of gratitude.

—Mary Beth Labate, Former President, Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities

Father McShane is a much respected and appreciated leader, clearly committed to higher education and the intellectual apostolate. He and I have been friends for more than 40 years, and I have always found him to be compassionate, insightful, and dedicated. On many occasions, I and others have enjoyed his gift for enlivening meetings with telling observations and wit, and I know that people greatly enjoy his company.

Thanks to Father McShane’s effort, Fordham is a better, stronger academic institution, more able to meet challenges and opportunities. His impact has been immense, evident to anyone walking on the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. While I regret that he will be stepping down as Fordham’s president in summer 2022, I know that he will continue making significant contributions as a faithful Jesuit priest and educator wherever he is in the future.

—William P. Leahy, S.J., President, Boston College

Father Joe McShane has led Fordham University with energy, purpose, and grace for nearly two decades. Thanks to his leadership, Fordham is an academically stronger, more vibrant, and more influential university than ever before. At the same time, he has been an important and highly respected voice in discussions nationally about the role and place of colleges and universities in the 21st century. Across the diverse landscape of American higher education, all of us who were lucky to work with him and benefit from his wise counsel are grateful and will miss his insightful and thoughtful help. Thanks, Joe.

—Ted Mitchell, President, American Council on Education

Under Father McShane’s outstanding leadership, Fordham has transformed itself from a well-regarded regional institution into a distinguished, nationally and internationally recognized university.

—Armando Nuñez Jr., GABELLI ’82, Vice Chair, Fordham University Board of Trustees; Advisor and Former CEO, Global Distribution Group, Viacom CBS

As Father McShane approaches retirement from his current position, I am honored to express the admiration and gratitude of his brother Jesuits. I can testify to the deep love for and commitment to Fordham that have marked Father McShane’s 25 years of service to the University, six as dean of Fordham College and 19 as president. In the future, as a loyal son of Saint Ignatius Loyola, he will bring his depth of experience and dedication to new ministerial assignments after a well-deserved break.

—Joseph M. O’Keefe, S.J., GSAS ’81, Provincial, USA East Province of the Society of Jesus

I vividly recall driving out to Scranton with fellow board member and Presidential Search Committee member Pat Nazemetz to interview Father McShane. He gave us a tour of the Scranton University campus. Everyone we passed greeted him with a broad smile. It was clear he was deeply admired and that he felt very comfortable chatting with the students.

We had a very pleasant lunch at a local golf club. Father McShane’s deep love and knowledge of Fordham was palpable. Pat and I had a sense that he was clearly the person who could enthusiastically build on what Father Joe O’Hare had accomplished and take Fordham to new heights. When Pat and I reported to the search committee, they were thrilled to hear how enthusiastic Father McShane was about the possibility of being Father O’Hare’s successor. He did not disappoint us.

Father McShane’s many bold initiatives over his long tenure have made Fordham a first-class world university. He leaves behind a legacy that will ensure Fordham will continue to be a world-class Jesuit university.

Thank you, Father McShane.

—Joseph P. Parkes, S.J., JES ’68, Provincial Assistant for Secondary and Pre-Secondary Education, USA East Province of the Society of Jesus; Former Fordham University Trustee; and Former President, Cristo Rey New York High School

When the history of Fordham University in our time is written, the tenure of Father McShane will stand out for its excellence. Fordham’s unprecedented growth as one of the premier universities not just in our region, not just in our nation, but in the entire world was meteoric and no accident, the result of meticulous planning and cultivation. The Fordham community has become a beacon almost unmatched in scholarship, teaching, and culture under Father McShane’s steady hand. So while I am sad to lose Father McShane’s leadership of our Fordham, I am excited for the future of our great institution. That future was paved by the guidance of Father Joseph M. McShane.

—U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., FCRH ’59, GSAS ’61

You have done an amazing job advancing the University and are an enthusiastic and eloquent advocate for all that Fordham does and all for which it stands. It is hard to think of either you or Fordham without the other.

While your list of accomplishments at Fordham is long and worthy of great praise, so too are the many things you have done outside of Fordham itself. In the organizations in which we have overlapped (AJCU, CICU, and A-10, among them), all have benefited from the substantial impact you have on decisions and direction. You always provide wise, values-based insights and compelling arguments, grounded in a passion to make things better. And Jesuit higher education overall has benefited enormously from your advocacy.

Further, I have always admired your ability to connect with so many and do so with such genuine concern and sincerity. You are generous with your time and supportive of fellow travelers.

I can sense your modesty deflecting this and much of the other well-deserved accolades you are receiving. You have made a difference, Joe, a big difference, and done so across many realms. You have done the Lord’s work well and I pray that you have many more years to continue to do so.

—Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D., President, Saint Louis University

Father McShane has been an incredible leader and Fordham has become a new and better institution under his leadership. He leaves a legacy of excellence, integrity, and perseverance not just with the Fordham family but with the broader community, all guided by his faith and an unwavering commitment to helping his fellow man and woman achieve their God-given gifts. He is a giant in academia who leaves behind big shoes to fill.

—Valerie Rainford, FCRH ’86, Fordham University Trustee; CEO, Elloree Talent Strategies

As a loyal member of the Fordham family for over 60 years (four degrees), I have had the privilege of observing closely our university’s arc of development. There is no doubt that the McShane years have been transformative, establishing the Jesuit university of New York City as a magnet for talent from around our country and the world, thereby creating a contemporary manifestation of the core values of Jesuit education. And even as Father Joe led our University to this new version of itself, he became a champion of those values to all in higher education and a universally admired role model for those of us who devote our lives to improving education generally. I (we all) will miss his voice in our daily conversations; but, believe me, we will turn to him regularly for advice.

—John Sexton, FCRH ’63, GSAS ’65, ’78, President Emeritus, New York University

Fordham is synonymous with Father Joe, and so is higher education in New York more broadly. You have been such an important presence and voice in this work, and such an inviting and generous colleague to me as I have come into this sector and this state. I am sad for all of us that you are moving on to your next chapter but, of course, happy for you as you embark on whatever it is that is next for you.

—Laura Sparks, President, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Father McShane has an incredible legacy of accomplishments during his years as president at Fordham University. I cannot imagine a finer leader during his tenure—the personification of the ideal Jesuit, a superb scholar, and a true New Yorker. Whether measured by student applications and graduations, growth of the endowment, or the cultivation of Fordham’s presence in New York, what Father McShane has done is extraordinary and a source of pride for us all. He will leave Fordham in a very strong position for continuing its mission for our students in the future.

—Edward M. Stroz, GABELLI ’79, Fordham University Trustee; Co-Founder and Retired Executive Chairman, Stroz Friedberg LLC

“I love Father Joseph McShane. While I am so happy that he will be moving on to this next, happy phase in his life, I know Fordham is losing an exemplary leader who has led us to new heights. Father O’Hare was a hard act to follow, but Father McShane has exceeded our expectations. We thank him for dedicating his life to God and all of us. On behalf of my family, myself, and the wider community, we have all benefited from his wisdom, his humor, his intellect, his work, his love, and his guidance. I wish my friend the very best. Let us all try and emulate our leader Father Joseph McShane, and to truly thank him, let us recommit ourselves Ad majorem Dei gloriam!”

—U.S. Rep. Thomas Suozzi, LAW ’89, PAR ’17

It is difficult to sum up the profound impact that Father McShane’s leadership and character have had on Fordham over the years. Suffice it to say that he has worked tirelessly and effectively to drive Fordham’s rise to ever-greater prominence, and ensure that it remains a special, welcoming place: elite without being elitist, and faithful to its mission of educating students of distinction who will make a difference in the world.

—John N. Tognino, PCS ’75, Former Chair, Fordham University Board of Trustees; Chairman and CEO, Pepper Financial Group

As Father McShane moves on from his longtime post as president of Fordham University, we can reflect on the tremendous contribution he made for students and alumni like myself. He had an innate ability to inspire students, staff, and faculty toward Jesuit principles—to better ourselves, and at the same time, be men and women for others, especially the poor. For this and his unwavering commitment to the Fordham community, we thank him for his work and service. His influence will continue to be felt beyond the university, and wherever God sends him next.

—U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas, GSAS ’87

In early September of 2002, Father O’Hare called me to tell me that he had made the decision to step down from the Presidency of the University at the end of the 2002- 2003 academic year. When I asked him why he wanted to leave after nineteen years rather than waiting another year so that he could complete a nice round twenty years of service, he said simply, “It’s time. It’s just time.” He then asked me if I would consider allowing my name to be placed on the list of possible candidates to succeed him. As you might imagine, I was stunned, both by his decision and his invitation. Three months later, when the Board of Trustees asked me to become Fordham’s thirty-second President, he took me aside and said, “I was the same age you will be when you take the job. I hope you will match my run.” I looked at him and said, “Joe, I very much doubt that I will be able to do that.” He just chuckled and shook my hand.

On this early-September morning nineteen years later, I am writing to inform you that, after a great deal of prayer, reflection and consultation, I have decided that this will be my last year as President of our beloved University. (Unlike my most remarkable predecessor, mentor and role model, however, I will be completing a “rounder” record of service to Fordham this year—if only in terms of years: twenty-five years to his nineteen: six as a Dean and nineteen as President.) If you press me on the timing of my decision and departure, I would merely say as Father O’Hare said so succinctly nineteen years ago: “It’s time. It’s just time.” It’s time to step aside and allow someone else to have the great joy of leading Fordham into the future.

While I am convinced that I have made the right decision, I would be less than honest if I did not admit that it was a hard decision to make for a host of reasons, including a deep love of the University, a strong belief in its mission, and the intensely personal reason behind my decision to accept the Board’s invitation to serve as its President in 2002. Even though I did not have the benefit of a Fordham education, the University has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember because I was raised in a Fordham household. (My father and all of my brothers graduated from Fordham. Fordham breathed life into their dreams and formed their lives in powerful ways. Through their stories and the example of their lives, I came to understand the transformative power of the Jesuit education they received here.) Therefore, as I said, the decision to step down was a hard one to make. (In fact, it was probably the hardest decision that I have had to make since I left my family’s home in 1967 to enter the Society of Jesus.)

As you might imagine, the very reasons that made my decision to step down so difficult were the same reasons that it was an honor beyond measure to serve as Fordham’s President. If, however, it was an honor, it was an honor that I accepted with some (perhaps great) trepidation. I now know that there was no reason to be fearful.

In the course of the past eighteen years, the University has accomplished much on just about every front and in every area of endeavor. It has been a blessing to work with so many talented and devoted faculty and staff, and with more than a hundred thousand gifted and community-minded students. Likewise, I have had the great fortune of working with and on behalf of our many generous and involved alumni and donors, and the members of our Board of Trustees, especially the Board Chairs with whom I have worked: Paul Guenther, John Tognino and Bob Daleo. Together they have been the engines of Fordham’s success, over which it has been my great joy to preside. In all that we have accomplished together, we have never lost sight of the Jesuit mission and vision that have driven the University for its entire history: that of preparing graduates whose lives are marked by character, conscience, competence, compassion and commitment to the service of the human family.

I have utterly no illusions about how all of this was accomplished and what my role has been. I believe (actually I know) that all that has been accomplished at Fordham in the course of the past eighteen years is not the result of my work. Rather, it has been the result of uncommon teamwork, a shared dream and a deep devotion to the values that Fordham has always stood for and from which it has derived its strength. It has been my good fortune and deep honor to be a small part of this latest chapter in Fordham’s storied (and dare I say, “inspiring” history).

I am and will be forever grateful for the opportunity that was given to me to serve the University. My own future is hidden from my eyes at this point, but I trust that the Lord who has led me all my life will open another door (or succession of doors) for me after I turn off the lights in my office, leave the keys on the desk and close the door on 30 June 2022. In my mind and heart, Fordham’s future is far clearer: it will be a future filled with hope, a future marked by ever greater accomplishments, a future made possible and enriched by the efforts of all the members of what we lovingly (and accurately) call not merely “the Fordham community” but “the Fordham family.”

Fordham welcomed more than 2,800 students to its incoming class on Opening Day, making it the largest class in the University’s history. The Class of 2025 is also the most diverse class Fordham has ever had, with more than 44% domestic students of color and 6.5% international students.

The new Rams hailed from 45 states, 51 countries, and all five boroughs of New York City. More than 600 students in the incoming class are from New York City, including more than 160 from the Bronx—up significantly from last year. The average high school GPA for the class was 3.67.

In his welcoming remarks to families, Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, urged attendees to soak up the momentous nature of the occasion.

“For the students here, today marks the end of adolescence. You’re no longer kids. You’re young adults,” he said, adding that they have the opportunity to outshine their high school selves.

To the parents, he said, Fordham is honored to have been invited to be a part of their students’ lives.

“We will spend ourselves surrounding them with care,” he said during the Aug. 29 festivities.

“You must not get the impression that we’re going to be easy on them though. This is a Jesuit school. We believe that we have to mix rigor and love. We will cherish them and challenge them in equal measure and we will never insult them with low expectations.”

He also strenuously advised students to embrace the town that the University calls home.

“New York is in our DNA. When you come to Fordham, you’re taking on the city as well. The city is our classroom, our laboratory. Whatever you major in, minor in New York,” he said.

At Home in New York City

Many first-year students were already taking that advice, highlighting New York as one of the main reasons they chose Fordham.

First-year Gabelli School student Ryan Howard said that Fordham offered both the perfect location and academic programs.

“Fordham was the closest proximity to home, closest proximity to other things—you have [Manhattan], the Bronx, Arthur Avenue,” said Howard, who is from Long Island and will be studying at the Rose Hill campus. “The other schools [I applied to]—you walk 10 minutes away, you’re in the middle of nowhere. That’s one of the things that made Fordham appealing.”

John Perla, an incoming Fordham College at Lincoln Center student from Princeton Junction, New Jersey, was taking in the sights from his room on the north side of McKeon Hall. When he gets free time, one of his first treks will be to Citi Field in Queens to catch a Mets game. Manhattan, though, is what drew him to Fordham.

“The Upper West Side is one of the best neighborhoods in the city. When we came here, I just fell in love with it. Honestly, I’m just looking forward to getting back up here tonight and enjoying the view at night,” said Perla, who plans to pursue political science.

Natalie Foo, a first-year Fordham College at Lincoln Center student from California. grew up visiting New York every year, so going to college here was “sort of like a homecoming,” said her dad, Kent Foo. But that wasn’t her only reason for choosing Fordham.

“New York has a lot of possibilities, and that’s why I wanted to come here,” said Foo, who is interested in studying architecture and possibly art history.

“And what better place than New York?” she said, gesturing behind her to the gleaming glass-and-metal skyscraper she will now call home.

Marcelo Pachicano, a first-year Fordham College at Rose Hill student studying biological sciences, said that after growing up in Chicago, he chose Fordham partly because he wanted both a city and a vibrant campus.

“I wanted to stay where things were happening, but I also wanted the campus community,” said Pachiano.

His mother, Maria Pachicano, said that she was glad her son was getting to experience another city.

“And we’re Catholic so I like the fact that he went to a Jesuit school—that didn’t hurt.”

Pursuing Passions

Anton Karabushin, a first-year student at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, said that he plans to study political science on a pre-law track. But he also wants to make sure he has time for his other loves.

“I’ll also be doing a lot of music and theater while here because that’s my other passion,” he said.

Karabushin was selected for the “Tony Awards for high school musicals” in Colorado, his home state, for his performance as Frederick in Pirates of Penzance. He has a long list of credits so far, including Rooster in Annie and Shylock in Merchant of Venice. “I’ve been pretty much singing and acting all my life,” he said.

Elise Downing, a first-year student at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, said that she plans to study political science with a fashion minor. She’s looking forward to the fashion opportunities her new city has to offer, such as Fashion Week.

“I’ve always loved New York and I’ve always wanted to move here,” she said. “Fordham is one of the best schools in the area, so I’ve been drawn here from the start.”

Finding a New Home

First-year Gabelli School at Rose Hill students Snehsrishti and Gurbax Assie—twins from Mumbai, India, have a few things to get adjusted to, including living in the U.S. and attending school in person again.

“We haven’t been to school since 2019. So it’s our first time again, in an exciting environment,” Snehsrishti said.

Following in the footsteps of their parents, the twins are planning to study entrepreneurship, with Snehsrishti also looking to explore alternative investments and Gurbax hoping to study finance.

“We had a session with [Al Bartosic, head of the Fordham Foundry] … the Foundry really stood out to us,” Snehsrishti said. Both siblings were also impressed with Hughes Hall, the Gabelli School’s home at Rose Hill.

“As soon as I walked into the Gabelli building, the first thing I noticed was the Bloomberg terminals,” Gurbax added. “I’m really excited to go into the investment club, where they give us very big funds to manage.”

Both Snehsrishti and Gurbax have already gotten involved in the Fordham community, thanks to the Global Transitions Program, which serves as an orientation for international students. Both said that they were grateful for the welcoming reception they’ve received from the Fordham community—including those they spoke to before arriving on campus.

“I think what really got me to commit is the upperclassmen—everyone I spoke to was just so nice,” she said.

Being Back Together

Even though the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt across the country, one of the things many students said they were looking forward to was being around people again, whether in classes, clubs, or activities, even if precautions have to be in place.

Shehan Hussain, a commuter student from Midwood, Brooklyn, who enrolled in the Gabelli School of Business’ Global Finance and Business Economics program, said that after a year of taking classes remotely, the Opening Day festivities added to his excitement of being able to take classes in person.

“College itself would be a new experience regardless of whether there was a pandemic or not,” he said. “It definitely amplifies the experience that this is the first time I’ll be in school in front of a bunch of people after a long time,” he said.

Angel Ducret, a first-year commuter student at Fordham College at Rose Hill from Manhattan’s Cristo Rey High School, said that he was looking forward to being back in person, even if it meant some adjustments.

“[Being virtual] was very tough, emotionally, mentally, and physically on me. So I feel like coming back in person, it’s going to take a few weeks this semester to kind of get back to it,” he said. “But I think after at least the fall, it’ll just feel like school again.”

Kathleen Hollinger, a first-year Gabelli School student who plans to study finance and computer science, said that she was excited for “just getting a chance to go to school in person again and being with other people in a classroom (and) the social aspects.”

Traveling from Near and Far

Hollinger and her parents Danae and Mike Hollinger were some of the first to arrive on the Rose Hill campus on Sunday, traveling all the way from Seattle.

“I really liked that it was a Jesuit school—both my parents went to Jesuit schools—and they had a really good business school program,” she said.

She was excited for the opportunity to live on and explore the East Coast.

“We’ve had a lot of people say, ‘oh the East Coast? Why aren’t you staying on the West Coast?’ I think it’s exciting actually to check out other parts of the world,” her mom Danae said.

Sandy Wong traveled all the way from California to move her only child, Nicole David, a first-year Gabelli School student, onto the Rose Hill campus.

“She’s growing up, she’s on her own—I’m just happy for her,” she said. “As long as you give them a good foundation, I think by the time they’re 18, I just feel comfortable—my kid is growing up, she knows what’s right and what’s wrong.”

Nicole Bennett, a native of Mystic, Connecticut, who enrolled in the Gabelli School Global Finance and Business Economics program, was one of the first to move into Lincoln Center’s McKeon Hall.

Her father grew emotional when he reflected on the day, as Nicole is the oldest of three, and therefore is the first to “fly the nest.”

“She’s my baby. I know she’s going to be OK, so I’ve got to let her go.”

—Reporting from Nicole LaRosa and Patrick Verel
—Video by Taylor Ha
—Photos by Chris Taggart, Bruce Gilbert, Kelly Kultys, Taylor Ha, Mike Trerotola, and Nicole LaRosa