Saint Peter’s College promotes Cornacchia to chief academic officer position

SAINT PETER’S COLLEGE PROMOTES CORNACCHIA TO CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER POSITION 21-YEAR VETERAN NAMED ACADEMIC VICE PRESIDENT January 13, 2003– Jersey City, NJ– Dr. Eugene J. Cornacchia (Elmsford, NY), who has served Saint Peter’s College for 21 years in several different positions, was promoted today to Academic Vice President by College President, James N. Loughran, S.J. Cornacchia has served as Acting Academic Vice President since September after two years as the College’s Academic Dean guiding the school’s undergraduate programs. As Academic Vice President, Cornacchia is responsible for the management of the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business Administration, the School of Professional and Continuing Studies and all Graduate programs. He is also responsible for the College’s faculty, including its 115 full-time professors. “Gene has been a tremendous asset to the College since he arrived in 1981 as a faculty member in our Political Science department,” Father Loughran said. “He made an easy transition from the classroom to his administrative roles. He has spearheaded our efforts to maintain and improve our academic standards and works very well with our faculty on a daily basis. Gene is the right person to guide our academic mission of providing our students with a strong liberal arts education.” Prior to joining the College’s administration, Cornacchia was a highly respected member of the faculty. He joined the College as an adjunct lecturer and worked his way to full professor status in 1997. Prior to gaining the Academic Dean position, Cornacchia served 14 years as the Chair of the Political Science department and also served two terms as Faculty Senate President. He also spent five years heading the College’s Guarini Center for International and Public Affairs. Cornacchia received numerous honors during his teaching career, including a Fellowship on the Academic Profession in 1989 from the New Jersey Department of Higher Education. He also won several of Saint Peter’s top awards, including the 1999 Johnson Award for Teaching Excellence. Cornacchia authored articles and reviews including a 1992 article entitled “Historical Differences in the Political Experiences of American Blacks and White Ethnics” for the prestigious British journal Ethnic and Racial Studies. “I am very honored to have been selected by Father Loughran to lead Saint Peter’s College,” Cornacchia said. “The College is rich in human resources–an outstanding faculty and a dedicated and professional staff. It is also rich in traditions–academic excellence, personal care, and commitment to the development of the whole person. I look forward to working with the entire College community to strengthen our commitment to a quality Catholic education in the Jesuit tradition.” Along with his Saint Peter’s work, Cornacchia is active in education in Elmsford. He is in the midst of his fourth term as a member of the village’s Board of Education and served as the group’s President from 1996-2000. He is also involved with New York State School Board Association activities.