Iona University President Seamus Carey Named a 2024 Power Player in Education by PoliticsNY & amNY Metro
New Rochelle and Bronxville, N.Y. – Iona University President Seamus Carey, Ph.D., has been recognized in the 2024 PoliticsNY & amNY Metro Power Players in Education. Released today, the list celebrates leaders who are “at the forefront of shaping New York’s education landscape and guiding students towards a bright future.”
The publication notes that since becoming the ninth president of Iona University on July 1, 2019, Carey has been a driving force in higher education. Known for his visionary leadership, Carey has propelled institutional growth and expanded opportunities for students.
Highlights include acquiring a 28-acre campus in Bronxville, N.Y., launching the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, and enhancing programs in athletics, performing arts and study abroad. Carey’s leadership is also firmly rooted in Iona’s mission of faith and service.
Asked how policymakers can support New York’s students and educators, Carey answered: “It is important for policymakers to recognize that the role of higher education extends far beyond job preparation, particularly as artificial intelligence reshapes the value and nature not just of work, but of knowledge itself.”
“Supporting New York’s students and educators means recognizing and valuing the transformative power of education, not just as a pathway to employment, but as a holistic process that cultivates informed citizens prepared for civic and social leadership.”
Reflecting on a favorite experience from his own education, Carey said it was his Vassar College professor, Dr. Michael McCarthy, who inspired him to pursue philosophy and thereby changed his life.
“As a first-generation college student, seeing him live the values he discussed and taught was transformative,” Carey said. “It also introduced me to the thinkers who asked the essential questions required for living a meaningful life, giving me the confidence to pursue lines of thinking that would become instrumental in shaping my path ahead.”
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.