Investiture of new President of SJU

Representatives from 40 academic institutions joined the St. John’s community at the Queens, NY, campus on October 24 for the investiture of Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw, Ph.D., as the University’s 17th president.

• View images from the Mass
• View images from the Investiture Ceremony
• Watch the Investiture Ceremony

More than 1,000 guests attended the Investiture Ceremony at 3:30 p.m. in Carnesecca Arena. Earlier in the day, nearly 800 people gathered in Taffner Field House for an Investiture Mass celebrated by Most Rev. Nicholas DiMarzio, bishop of Brooklyn.

“Today I stand as your 17th president, very much aware that my investiture is a truly historic moment for this University,” Dr. Gempesaw said during his address. “I follow in the footsteps of the 16 presidents who led this University since it was founded in 1870, all of whom were Vincentian priests.”

“As a teacher and scholar, I have always considered it a privilege to be in the position of transforming the lives of students through the education they receive,” Dr. Gempesaw stressed. “Today, as president of St. John’s, that privilege is magnified 20,000 fold as I reflect on the responsibility of leading this great University.”

– See more at: http://www.stjohns.edu/about/news/2014-10-24/conrado-bobby-gempesaw-phd-installed-17th-president-st-johns-university