Iona University Appoints Dr. Muhammad Qayyum to Mario J. Gabelli Endowed Professorship
Muhammad Qayyum, Ph.D.
New Rochelle, N.Y. – Iona University is pleased to announce it has appointed Dr. Muhammad Qayyum as the inaugural faculty member for the new Mario J. Gabelli Endowed Professorship in Finance in the LaPenta School of Business.
Qayyum, a prolific academic researcher, is an expert on portfolio management, financial education, real estate, global risk and corporate social responsibility.
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.
“This endowment facilitates research activity, which is very important for Iona University,” said Qayyum, who has served as an associate professor of finance at Iona for the past five years. “Every paper we publish raises Iona University’s profile in the world of financial scholarship.”
Awarding Qayyum the Gabelli Professorship will allow him to continue to work closely with students as he pursues his research. He also intends to include students in his research as they put into practice what they learn in the classroom.
Among his leadership activities around campus and beyond, Qayyum serves as the faculty mentor for Iona’s student CFA Institute Research Challenge team, an annual global competition that provides Iona students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics. The competition provides Iona students with an opportunity to compete against other top universities in the New York-metropolitan region while gaining guidance and feedback from professionals.
Dr. Qayyum intends to include students in his research as they put into practice what they learn in the classroom.
“It’s a tremendously valuable experience for Iona students,” he said. “They’re presenting in front of professionals who have been in the field for a long time.”
Qayyum is also the founding faculty advisor for Iona’s academic-focused Real Estate Club, as well as the inaugural faculty advisor to the South Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures (SAME) Club. Qayyum has additionally served as an Honors Thesis advisor and advisor to the Finance Club.
During his time at Iona, Qayyum has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses, including Principles of Finance, Financial Markets and Institutions, Fixed Income Securities, Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation, Real Estate Entrepreneurial Strategies, Corporate Financial Strategy and Portfolio Management.
The Gabelli professorship was endowed by Mario J. Gabelli, chairman and CEO of GAMCO Investors headquartered in Greenwich, Conn.
A SCHOOL ON THE RISE
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. In May 2024, Iona will also launch its new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, further expanding student opportunities around the globe.
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” also ranked Iona as #1 in New York for student experience and the #1 Catholic school nationwide for student experience.
Iona was also recently named to The Princeton Review’s 2024 national list of “The Best 389 Colleges,” reflecting the positive student experience on campus and beyond.
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 Iona University and the LaPenta School of Business today!
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 is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2025 national list of “The Best 390 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review 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. 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 NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. 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.