Iona to Host Renowned Princeton University Scholar to Explore the Topic of Attention
Dr. Burnett to deliver talk as part of the Presidential Speaker Series
New Rochelle, N.Y. & Bronxville, N.Y. – In a digital age dominated by constant notifications and distractions, understanding the power of focused attention has never been more critical. Iona University is proud to host D. Graham Burnett, Ph.D., a distinguished scholar and leading thinker on the human dimensions of attention and its current crisis, to explore these important themes.
His talk, part of Iona’s Presidential Speaker Series, will be presented as follows:
- Bronxville: February 26, 6:30 p.m., Sommer Center on Iona’s Bronxville campus
- New Rochelle: February 27, noon, Romita Auditorium, Ryan Library on Iona’s New Rochelle campus
Dr. Burnett holds a Ph.D. from Cambridge University and is the Henry Charles Lea Professor of History at Princeton University. Throughout his career, he has held numerous fellowships from various institutions including the Guggenheim Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, Columbia University, and more. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how attention can transform daily life and foster personal and intellectual growth.
Sponsored by the newly established Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning, the Presidential Speaker Series was conceived by President Seamus Carey, Ph.D., to foster community-wide conversation with world-renowned thinkers.
Past speakers included Jeffrey Saviano ’89, a partner at EY Consulting, and Dr. Tom Chatfield, a British author, tech philosopher, and educator.
For the culminating Driscoll Lecture on April 22, Iona will host Shannon Vallor, acclaimed author of “Technology and the Virtues” and “The A.I. Mirror: How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking.”
Walk-ins are welcome for these talks, but registration is recommended. To learn more or RSVP, please visit the Presidential Speaker Series website.
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.