Iona College Announces Appointment of Joseph E. Nyre as its New President

Feb. 15, 2011 - PRLog -- Iona College announced today the appointment of Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D. as the College’s eighth President. Dr. Nyre, who will become Iona’s first lay president, succeeds Brother James A. Liguori, CFC, Ed.D., who is completing his 17th and final year as President on May 31.  

Dr. Nyre is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of The Hope Institute for Children and Families, a statewide university affiliated organization headquartered in Springfield, Illinois. The Hope Institute advances public policy, conducts research, links institutions of higher education, provides training to pre-service and practicing professionals, and offers healthcare and educational services. Dr. Nyre is also a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Illinois College of Medicine, at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“We are very excited to be able to welcome Dr. Nyre as the eighth president of Iona College. Dr. Nyre brings a unique background and special skill set to the position of president that we believe can take Iona to national prominence. He is a man of deep faith dedicated to a life of family and service,” said James P. Hynes, Chairman of the Board of Legal Trustees of Iona College. Chairman Hynes noted that Dr. Nyre was selected from over 60 candidates, including sitting Presidents, Provosts and Deans.  

“We are very gratified by the tremendous response to our presidential search. It’s a reflection on how Iona has become a nationally recognized institution of higher learning. The quality of the candidates and the breadth of their experience were extremely impressive. I am confident that Iona will be in very good hands under Dr. Nyre’s leadership and will continue to make strides in academic excellence,” said Brother Liguori.

Dr. Nyre said he is “honored to have been selected to lead Iona and to have the opportunity to build upon the success the college has enjoyed during Brother Liguori’s leadership. I look forward to working with the entire Iona community in continuing to expand Iona’s reputation, to further enhance its academic standing, and to embrace its Christian Brothers’ tradition.”  

Dr. Nyre is highly regarded in the academic community. According to Dr. Bennett Leventhal, Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University, “I have worked with Dr. Nyre for many years; he is an ethical and accomplished academic who possesses a strong business and fundraising acumen ideally suited to lead institutions of higher education.”

Richard D. Ringeisen, Chancellor Emeritus, University of Illinois Springfield said: "There is no doubt that Dr. Nyre will lead Iona College to even greater heights. I worked with Dr. Nyre for seven years in two capacities as a member of the Board for The Hope Institute and as a fellow education leader. He is an innovative, bright, strong, positive and confident leader of the highest level.” Chancellor Ringeisen continued:  “In short, Iona is bringing on a leader who will excel. Colleges and universities in this era need strong leaders, capable of securing financial support, bringing forward a vision and never, ever allowing slippage from that goal. Iona has hired the best, and I don't say that lightly.”

As President and CEO, Dr. Nyre transformed The Hope Institute for Children and Families into a nationally recognized institute serving 29,000 people annually and training more than 30,000 clinicians, physicians and teachers since 2003. Under his leadership over the past eight years, the Institute reversed years of annual losses, reorganized and launched centers of excellence, increased corporate partnerships, and raised significant private and grant funds. Dr. Nyre has also been instrumental in influencing the passage of state and federal legislation which significantly impacted the system of care and higher education.  

After graduating high school in Beloit, Wisconsin, Dr. Nyre joined the U.S. Navy in order to attend college. He served in the Navy and Navy Reserves for six years and graduated from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse in 1991 with a BA in psychology. He went on to obtain a Masters degree in Educational and Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri, and an Ed.S. and Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Kansas. He has also completed pre and postdoctoral fellowships in Clinical Child Psychology at both Harvard Medical School/Children’s Hospital and the University of Kansas.

Throughout his career, Dr. Nyre has practiced as a psychologist in academic, clinical, and private practice settings. In addition, he has served in a faculty capacity at the University of Kansas, Baylor University, Harvard Medical School, the University of Chicago and Simmons College. He is widely published in his area of expertise and has current international research and training program initiatives.

He and his wife, Kelli, have three young children - Hadley 9, Henry 6, and
Charlie 2.

Founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Edmund Rice Christian Brothers, Iona College is a private, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of American Catholic higher education.  Iona - currently listed in the top tier of US News and World Report's annual "America's Best Colleges 2011”; The Princeton Review's Best Northeastern Colleges 2011 edition and Business Week's Top 25 Undergraduate Business Schools in the Northeast - offers 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 post-graduate certificate programs.