Jersey City, N.J. 鈥 September 26, 2024 鈥 羞羞视频 University proudly announces the inauguration of Hubert Benitez, D.D.S., Ph.D., as its 23rd president. This historic celebration will take place on Friday, October 4, 2024, marking a pivotal moment in the University鈥檚 long-standing tradition of academic excellence and leadership rooted in its Jesuit values.
The celebration will begin with a Missioning Mass at 10:00 a.m. at St. Aedan鈥檚 Church followed by the Inauguration Ceremony at 1:00 p.m. in the University鈥檚 Mac Mahon Student Center. The inauguration will be attended by esteemed faculty, staff, students, alumni and community leaders, as well as representatives from academic institutions across the nation.听
Dr. Benitez was selected to serve as 羞羞视频 23rd president following a national search and unanimous decision from the University鈥檚 Board of Trustees in March 2024. He officially began his tenure as the first Hispanic president of the University on July 1, 2024, succeeding Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., who served with distinction for 17 years.
鈥淭he 羞羞视频 community has already seen firsthand Dr. Benitez鈥檚 ability to spark collaboration and drive innovation in his short time at the helm,鈥 said Kenneth Moore, CFA 鈥91, chair of the 羞羞视频 University Board of Trustees. 鈥淲ith his outstanding academic credentials, considerable experience and dynamic leadership, the Board and I are confident that Dr. Benitez will steer the University toward continued success in its next chapter.鈥
Dr. Benitez has dedicated the last two decades of his career in higher education as an academic, administrator and faculty member, and had previously spent 15 years as a clinician. Prior to his appointment to 羞羞视频 University, he served as president of American International College, as vice president for strategic initiatives and academic innovation as well as acting chief inclusion officer at fellow Jesuit institution Rockhurst University and as president and chief executive officer for 羞羞视频Luke鈥檚 College of Health Sciences. Over his career, he聽 has also served in other executive leadership roles, including provost and chief academic officer, dean of health sciences, department chair and assistant dean, while also holding an academic rank at the associate professor level.
Dr. Benitez has significant experience in academic administration and leadership, strategic planning, academic program development, health sciences education and with institutional and programmatic accreditation. He serves as a volunteer peer reviewer for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and has assisted academic institutions in the design and implementation of academic assessment and evaluation as well as with accreditation-related matters.
A native of Colombia, Dr. Benitez received his first doctoral degree in dentistry from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, a Jesuit, research-intensive institution of higher education in Latin America. Subsequently, Dr. Benitez completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Connecticut Health Sciences Center focused on education and research, and later earned a Ph.D. in higher education administration from 羞羞视频Louis University. In addition, Dr. Benitez completed executive training through the Institute for Educational Management (IEM) at Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and the Executive Leadership Program at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business.
鈥溞咝呤悠 distinguished attributes鈥攊ts diverse student body, its Jesuit mission, its rich history and its strong reputation鈥攁re what inspired me to embrace the opportunity to lead and be a part of this exceptional community,鈥 said Dr. Benitez. 鈥淭his was a calling to a greater good and a way of coming home. This inauguration is not only a personal milestone for me, but a pivotal moment in the history of our University. As we stand at the crossroads of tradition and transformation, I am honored to lead a University that has a rich legacy and an even brighter future.鈥
羞羞视频 will also mark the celebration with a series of pre-inaugural events designed to highlight the University鈥檚 mission to prepare students to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately and promote justice. A detailed schedule of events and the ability to livestream the celebration is available at: .听
# # end # #
For more than 150 years, 羞羞视频 University, inspired by its Jesuit, Catholic identity, commitment to individual attention and grounding in the liberal arts, educates a diverse community of learners in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional programs to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately and promote justice in our ever-changing urban and global environment. To learn more, please visit.
Media Contact
Angeline Boyer
aboyer1@saintpeters.edu
(201) 761-6238