Dr. Robert Gervasi has been named the eighth President of Mount Saint Mary College and will begin his new role on Monday, June 17.
In a unanimous vote of the Mount Saint Mary College Board of Trustees, Dr. Robert Gervasi has been named the eighth President of the college, effective Monday, June 17, 2024.
Dr. Gervasi was chosen to lead the college after an extensive national search, multiple rounds of interviews, on-site visits with input from representatives across campus, and an extensive due diligence review.
“His commitment to the Dominican pillars – Study, Spirituality, Service, and Community – combined with his experience and strategic vision, make Dr. Gervasi an excellent fit for the Mount,” said Michael Horodyski, Chair of the Mount’s Board of Trustees.
Fr. Gregoire Fluet, Interim President of the Mount, added, “I am delighted to welcome Dr. Gervasi, who comes to us with incredible experience and a commitment to Catholic higher education. I know that all of us will be dedicated to working with him to assure a smooth transition and a dynamic future for Mount Saint Mary College.”
Dr. Gervasi has more than three decades of experience in higher education administration, including 14 years as a college president. He also has extensive teaching experience, having taught courses in Greek and Roman civilization, religion, historiography, business, philosophy, ethics, and more. Prior to his career in higher education, he worked in marketing and communications serving major firms including Bristol-Myers and Procter & Gamble.
He earned an Honors AB in Classics from Xavier University, an MA and PhD in Classics from The Ohio State University, and an MBA in Marketing from the Wharton School. A former Fullbright Scholar, he now serves as Board Chair of the Fulbright Association.
Dr. Gervasi reads or speaks Spanish, Italian, Greek (ancient and modern), Latin, French, and German, and is an avid swimmer and runner, having completed more than a dozen marathons. He and his wife Jen, a former executive in the arts and home fashion industries, have four adult children, and they recently welcomed their fifth grandchild.
“I have deep respect for the Dominican liberal arts tradition and the Dominican Sisters of Hope, and I am humbled and thrilled to be joining the Mount Saint Mary community to advance the College's mission,” said Dr. Gervasi. “Jen and I are also eager to engage with the larger community of Newburgh and the Hudson Valley.”
“We are grateful for the strong foundation laid by the Presidential Search Committee, AGB Search, and the Mount community, which led to the successful outcome of this presidential search,” said Horodyski. “Together, we look forward to carrying on the Mount’s educational mission that came from the visionary Dominican Sisters who founded the college more than six decades ago.”