Iona College Trustees Scholarship Award Gala Raises $1 Million

50 Years of Women Celebration Concludes with Generous Contributions to Help Empower the Next Generation

Programs and flowers on the table at the 2021 Gala.

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Iona College hosted its annual Trustees Scholarship Award Gala on June 4, 2021, raising $1 million to support student scholarships and help establish the new Women’s Legacy Fund, providing financial assistance to deserving female students who exhibit the spirit of Iona through their academic excellence, commitment to the community and demonstrated leadership. Gathered both in person and virtually, the gala served as the culminating event of the “50 Years of Women at Iona” celebration, which had been interrupted due to COVID-19.

This year’s gala honored the outstanding accomplishments of distinguished Iona alumnae through the Women of Achievement Awards. Recipients were recognized for their exceptional endeavors in their chosen careers as well as their significant contributions to their communities.

“These alumnae and their extraordinary legacies serve as inspirational examples to the many students, both male and female, who have come to follow in their footsteps,” said Seamus Carey, Ph.D., president of Iona. “Their dedication to the mission and vision of Iona will continue to empower the next generation of students. This night has raised $1 million for Iona College. Those gifts don’t just change students’ lives; they change families’ lives for generations.”

The honorees at the 2021 Gala hold their awards.

Back row, left to right: Cathy L. Cogan-Kelly ’81; Anna Filipkowski Houlihan, MD, ’77; Theresa A. Gottlieb, Esq., ’78; Linda M. Bruno ’76, ’79MSEd; Rita C. Mabli ’74, ’76MBA; and Catherine R. McCabe ’85. Front row, left to right: Flory Netsch Hiatrides ’83, ’86MBA; Catherine A. Vitali Mayus, Esq., P.C., ’72; Caress A. Penelton ’87; Ingrid N. Thompson-Sellers, Ph.D., ’95MS; Margaret C. Timoney ’89, ’92MBA; and Amy Torigian Parise ’03MST.

The Legacy Award, bestowed upon unique individuals in recognition of their lifetime accomplishments, was posthumously presented to JoAnn M. Murphy ’98H for her unwavering dedication to the arts, her community and the students of Iona. Her husband, Joseph M. Murphy, ’59, ’83H, accepted the award on her behalf in front of family and friends.

“She really worked on Iona. JoAnn was here, at the College, as a trustee and a member of many committees, on many occasions and days,” Mr. Murphy said. “JoAnn could almost direct traffic in any environment that she was in.”

In being a Legacy Award recipient, Mrs. Murphy joins a notable group of past honorees, including Francis Cardinal Spellman, New York Governor Malcolm Wilson, U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, The Congregation of Christian Brothers and the 15 Iona alumni lost in the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center.

Distinguished alumnae who received the Women of Achievement Award include:

Patricia Murphy MacGillivray ’85, Joseph M. Murphy ’59, ’83H and Carolyn T. Murphy ’98MBA.

Left to right: Patricia Murphy MacGillivray ’85, Joseph M. Murphy ’59, ’83H and Carolyn T. Murphy ’98MBA.

Margaret C. Timoney ’89, ’92MBA, CEO, Heineken USA and Iona University President Seamus Carey, Ph.D.

Left to right: Margaret C. Timoney ’89, ’92MBA, CEO, Heineken USA and Iona University President Seamus Carey, Ph.D.

Iona University President Seamus Carey, Ph.D. and his wife, Noreen Carey, with Joseph Houlihan ’76 and Anna Filipkowski Houlihan, MD, ’77, pediatrician, Morris Heights Health Center.

Left to right: Iona University President Seamus Carey, Ph.D. and his wife, Noreen Carey, with Joseph Houlihan ’76 and Anna Filipkowski Houlihan, MD, ’77, pediatrician, Morris Heights Health Center.

Anne Marie Hynes and James Hynes ’69, ’01H, Iona Board of Trustees.

Anne Marie Hynes and James Hynes ’69, ’01H, Iona Board of Trustees.

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.