Iona University President Seamus Carey, Ph.D., Jumps 15 Spots On City & State's 2022 Westchester Power 100 List
Carey leads Iona to University status, campus expansion and growth
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Iona University President Seamus Carey, Ph.D., has been named for the fourth consecutive year to City & State’s Westchester Power 100, a list of the most influential people in the county and beyond.
Among his many accomplishments, Carey most recently led the change to become Iona University, reflecting both the strength and diversity of its academic programs. The move, which was widely celebrated, was effective as of July 1, 2022.
Carey has propelled the University on a path of innovation both inside and outside of the classroom since beginning his presidency in July 2019. Under his leadership, Iona has emerged as an anomaly in higher education, growing freshman enrollment more than 30 percent over the past three years despite the headwinds of the pandemic.
Carey’s vision notably led Iona to nearly double its footprint by acquiring a new 28-acre campus in nearby Bronxville, N.Y., formerly home to Concordia College. Soon thereafter, Iona also announced the launch of a premier new school of health sciences to develop the next generation of health care professionals in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Supported by a $20 million gift, the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences will open its new state-of-the-art facilities in Bronxville this January.
Outside of the classroom, Carey has also made bold moves to elevate the Iona experience. He hired Hall of Fame men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino, introduced a robust new mentoring program, transformed the center of campus into a vibrant new green space, and continues to expand athletics, club sports, performing arts, service opportunities and much more in pursuit of student success.
“Iona is a school on the rise, and the momentum continues to build especially as we look forward to opening the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Heath Sciences in Bronxville early next year,” Carey said. “I am honored to be named to City & State’s Westchester Power 100, and am grateful to all who work so hard across campus on behalf of our students and the institution.”
City & State noted these moves, saying: “Seamus Carey helped steer the New Rochelle-based school through its most dramatic transformation in 80 years to become a full-fledged university. The move, which Carey announced in July, wasn’t just a name change. Iona is expanding its academic programs, adding club sports and teams like men’s lacrosse, and building a new school of health sciences on the former Concordia College campus.”
City & State’s Westchester Power 100 spotlights business executives, labor leaders, academics, activists, advocates and others who are shaping the future. Carey rose to #61 on the 2022 list. View the complete list here.
Under Preisdent Carey's leadership, Iona has emerged as an anomaly in higher education, growing freshman enrollment more than 30 percent over the past three years despite the headwinds of the pandemic.
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.