Iona University Hosts Black History Month Alumni Panel
Left to Right: Natasha Austin ’14MBA, Gabrielle Gambrell ’07,’09MBA, Dr. Alison Munsch, Tiara Griffith ’20BBA, Nicole C. Boyce ’10MBA, Dr. Carol Matthews ’95MS
Left to Right: Natasha Austin ’14MBA, Gabrielle Gambrell ’07, ’09MBA, Dr. Alison Munsch, Tiara Griffith ’20BBA, Nicole C. Boyce ’10MBA and Dr. Carol Matthews ’95MS.
New Rochelle, N.Y. - In celebration of Black History Month, Iona University’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) hosted a panel discussion featuring distinguished alumnae who shared their career journeys and valuable advice to current students.
Dr. Alison Munsch, chief DEIB officer and Associate Professor in the LaPenta School of Business, moderated the panel with each alum recounting how they secured their current roles while underscoring the unique positioning for success an Iona education provided them.
In their reflections, they inspired hope and reminded students of their potential.
Thank you to the panelists:
- Dr. Carol Matthews ’95MS, retired associate director at NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation
- Nicole C. Boyce ’10MBA, executive director of third-party management at Morgan Stanley
- Gabrielle Gambrell ’07,’09MBA, head of communications, inclusive experiences & technology, employee experience at Amazon
- Natasha Austin ’14MBA, AVP of programmatic strategy & acquisitions at Synchrony
- Tiara Griffith ’20BBA, product manager at Meta
When Munsch posed the question: “What advice would you give to any Iona student?” Tiara Griffith ’20 advised attendees to, “Say yes to new opportunities. You may not land an offer for your dream job right away. But you may gain new, transferrable skills and valuable experiences for future roles, so you're not wasting time.”
“If you don't feel qualified, say yes anyways and you will rise to the occasion,” Griffith added. “It may feel uncomfortable, but that is required in order to grow. Lastly, take that first step; sometimes people are afraid to take the wrong step, but taking a step forward is better than simply staying where you are.”
This event served as an opportunity for current students to connect, network and learn from fellow Gaels as they embark on their own Iona journey.
To learn more about upcoming DEIB events, please visit the Diversity Events Calendar.
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.