Iona University Remembers 9/11, Honors Lives Lost
New Rochelle, N.Y. – The Iona University community gathered today to remember the 15 Iona alumni who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, as well as four others who died subsequently due to related illnesses.
Following an opening performance by the Iona Pipers, Iona students, faculty, staff and guests joined in interfaith prayers for peace. The ceremony in Iona’s Memorial Park, located in the courtyard outside of Ryan Library, also included a laying of the wreath.
“Today in 2024, we have reached a point in time when most of our Iona students, if not all of them, were not yet born when the events of September 11th took place. Yet as each year passes, the importance of sharing the stories of 9/11 with the next generation – and remembering and honoring all those who perished and served in various capacities – grows only more important,” said Sean D’Alfonso, Ed.D., director of the Office of Mission & Ministry. “As we come together today as a community of many faiths, we also take time to pray as a community for a more peaceful world and an end to violence in all forms.”
HONORING IONA ALUMNI
Student Government Association President Olivia Murillo ’25 led the reading of names honoring the lives of the Iona alumni lost on 9/11. Remembered were Thomas W. Hohlweck, Jr. ’74 MBA; Joseph P. Kellett ’96; Michael A. Lepore ’84; Laura M. Longing, ’94 MBA; Michael F. Lynch ’94; Francis N. McGuinn ’83 MBA; Dennis P. McHugh ’90; Michael E. McHugh, Jr. ’95; Robert McPadden ’99 MS; Diana J. O’Connor ’86 ’89 MBA; Joseph R. Riverso ’91; Edward Ryan ’81; Joseph Spor ’88; Sean P. Tallon ’96 and Joanna Vidal ’96.
Iona also remembered first responders who heroically served on September 11 and have since passed away, especially members of the alumni community Daniel R. Foley ’95; Lieutenant Richard A. Nappi ’86; Lieutenant Christopher M. Pupo ’95 and James Ryan ’84.
NEVER FORGET
Leading the community in reflection was Br. Kevin Griffith ’83, CFC, community partnership coordinator for service-learning. He reminded those in attendance of the importance of commemorating 9/11 with the solemn dignity and reverence it deserves.
Br. Kevin Griffith ’83, CFC
“In everyone’s lifetime, there are seminal events that transcend the generations. In the Hebrew tradition, the story of Passover is passed down from generation to generation. In the Christian tradition, the story of Jesus’ passion, death and Resurrection is retold every Holy Week. In the 20th Century, we remember the Great Depression, the Holocaust, Pearl Harbor, and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Br. Kevin said. “9/11 is a seminal moment of the 21st Century – and like other seminal moments, we must never forget it.”
As the ceremony concluded, the Iona community also viewed an exhibit of 9/11 photographs taken by John Botte, a former NYPD detective, who is widely known for his work documenting the aftermath of 9/11 at the World Trade Center.
The ceremony in Iona’s Memorial Park included interfaith prayers for peace and a laying of the wreath.
Sean D’Alfonso, Ed.D.
Rachana Rao Umashankar, Ph.D.
Sharon Kimberly Williams, D.Litt.
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.