Le Moyne College names new provost

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Le Moyne College has chosen a member of its board of trustees to serve as the school’s next provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Father Joseph Marina will begin his duties on Aug. 1.

Marina also previously served as associate provost and interim chair of the department of education at Le Moyne, the school said in a news release posted to its website on Wednesday.

Marina served in that role from 2007 to 2009, the school said in an email response to a BJNN inquiry.

His previous work with Le Moyne also included service on the school’s academic-affairs committee.

Marina replaces Thomas Brockelman, who has served as interim provost since 2014, according to Le Moyne.

“Dr. Marina brings to Le Moyne a strong and impressive array of academic experiences and credentials, and I’m particularly excited by his ability to convey the enduring importance of a liberal-arts education, highlighted in our college core curriculum, at a time when some have challenged its value and relevance,” Linda LeMura, president of Le Moyne College, said in the news release. “The breadth and depth of his background are extraordinary; he has spent time as an administrator, teacher, trustee and student at institutions that are among the strongest liberal arts traditions in this country, including Boston College, Providence College, Fordham University, St. John’s University and Le Moyne College. His versatility, Jesuit training, eloquence and knowledge of Le Moyne will benefit the college significantly, particularly in the areas of admissions and fundraising. Further, his tone and temperament will help advance collaborative governance at Le Moyne.”

Marina was sought by four other Jesuit universities and was “missioned” to Le Moyne after a “thorough discernment process with his superiors,” Le Mura added.

In addition to serving on Le Moyne’s board of trustees, Marina also serves in a similar capacity for Regis University, a Jesuit school in Denver. He previously served on the boards of trustees of both Canisius College in Buffalo and Xavier High School in New York City, according to Le Moyne.

Additional background
For the past three years, Marina has served as pastor at the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York City.

He entered the Society of Jesus in 2004 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2012, according to Le Moyne College.

The Society of Jesus is a Roman Catholic order of priests whose members are known as Jesuits, according to the Jesuits’ website.

Marina also earned his doctorate in administration and supervision from Fordham University. He also holds three master’s degrees.

Marina’s previous academic experience also includes serving as the dean of the School of Continuing Education at Providence College; assistant dean for the College of Science and Mathematics at Montclair State University, and assistant dean for Metropolitan College at St. John’s University, Le Moyne said.

Besides his administrative duties, Marina also taught as a special lecturer in religious studies at Providence and as a mathematics instructor of St. John’s.

“I am honored to have been selected as provost at Le Moyne College, an institution that I truly love,” Marina said in the Le Moyne news release. “I have devoted my professional life to the organizational improvement of schools, the advancement of teaching and learning, and the personal success of students, faculty, and staff. My experience, particularly by serving in various trusteeships, has helped me stay current with many of the opportunities, trends, and challenges in higher education today. In addition, my work as a Jesuit has added a profound dimension to my role as an educator.”

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com