Investor Mario J. Gabelli Joins Iona Community to Install Inaugural Endowed Professor in LaPenta School of Business
Dr. Muhammad Qayyum, center, was installed as the inaugural Mario J. Gabelli endowed professor in finance during a ceremony on Nov. 7, 2023. Pictured left to right, Iona Provost Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D.; Mario J. Gabelli, chairman and CEO of GAMCO Investors; Dr. Qayyum; Iona President Seamus Carey, Ph.D.; and Iona Board of Trustees member Robert V. LaPenta ’67, ’00H.
New Rochelle, N.Y. – Building on the academic excellence and distinction of an Iona University education, investor Mario J. Gabelli joined the Iona community yesterday to celebrate the installation of Dr. Muhammad Qayyum as the inaugural faculty member for the Mario J. Gabelli Endowed Professorship in Finance.
A Bronx native and the first in his family to attend college, Gabelli emphasized the important role that education played in shaping his own life, hence his philanthropic commitment to strengthening high-quality education. He currently serves as chairman and CEO of GAMCO Investors, headquartered in Greenwich, Conn.
Over 50 members of the Iona community joined Gabelli and Qayyum in the LaPenta School of Business atrium to mark the occasion, with remarks also given by Iona President Seamus Carey, Ph.D.; Iona Board of Trustees member Robert V. LaPenta ’67, ’00H; and Iona Provost Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D.
“Both Mario Gabelli and Bob LaPenta embody what we mean at Iona when we talk about the transformative power of education,” Carey said. “In reviewing candidates for this prestigious new position, what distinguished Dr. Qayyum was not only his extensive academic research, but also his deep connection and involvement with our students. We are confident he will continue to elevate and expand opportunities for them to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom.”
Qayyum, a native of Pakistan, is an expert on portfolio management, financial education, real estate, global risk and corporate social responsibility. He has served as an associate professor of finance for the past five years, including as faculty mentor for Iona’s CFA Institute Research Challenge team.
His recent work has been published in Journal of Financial Research, Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management, Social Responsibility Journal, Journal of Education for Business, Midwestern Business and Economics Review, Financial Decisions and Journal of Economics and Economic Education Research. Read more about Qayyum’s appointment.
The news builds upon Iona’s upward trajectory as the University continues to add new academic programs, expand its extracurricular offerings and develop its two campuses in New Rochelle and Bronxville, N.Y., both just 20 miles from midtown Manhattan.
Most recently, The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked Iona as the #66 best college in the nation and #8 among Catholic schools nationwide. The WSJ’s “2024 Best Colleges in America” survey also recognized Iona as one of the top five most highly recommended colleges by students in the Northeast, tied with Yale and named alongside impressive institutions including MIT, Williams and Princeton. Iona was also recently named to The Princeton Review’s 2024 national list of “The Best 389 Colleges.”
Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is accredited by AACSB International, a prestigious recognition awarded to just five percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review has recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility.
Learn more about the LaPenta School of Business today!
Mario J. Gabelli, left, chairman and CEO of GAMCO Investors, and Dr. Muhammad Qayyum, inaugural Mario J. Gabelli endowed professor in finance.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 5 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2024.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.