St. Joseph’s University, New York President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., has once again been named to the 2024 City & State New York Brooklyn Power 100 and Trailblazers in Higher Education lists, highlighting New York’s most influential people in academia, including presidents, professors, provosts, lobbyists, lawyers, nonprofit entrepreneurs and advocates.
“I am honored to join my peers on this year’s Brooklyn Power 100 and Trailblazers in Higher Education lists,” said President Boomgaarden. “I am proud to serve as the leader of St. Joseph’s University, New York and see these recognitions as a testament to the important work being done to help students reach their goals in higher education. I congratulate everyone on being recognized this year and thank City & State for this honor.”
The eighth president of SJNY, Dr. Boomgaarden began his tenure at the University in July 2017. Under his leadership, the University routinely adds new academic programs, makes improvements to its physical campuses and recently unveiled a state-of-the-art multi-million dollar Student Center on its Long Island Campus.
Dr. Boomgaarden’s commitment to the University’s mission is evident in the meaningful initiatives he continues to move forward. He hosts the series “Living our Mission” on Catholic Faith Network, where he interviews members of the St. Joseph’s University community on a variety of topics, including mission, service and social responsibility, to name a few recurring themes. He also makes frequent media appearances as an industry leader in higher education.
Dr. Boomgaarden serves on the board of trustees for the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU); is Board Chair of the Association of Colleges of Sisters of St. Joseph (ACSSJ), a national organization of colleges and universities across the nation; is a steering committee member of the Long Island Regional Advisory Council on Higher Education (LIRACHE), where he was also chair of the Superintendents and College President’s Partnership; is a member and former chair of the Lower Hudson Valley Consortium of Catholic Colleges and Universities; and is a member of the Board of Trustees for Long Island Arts Alliance (LIAA) and Long Island Association (LIA).
A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Dr. Boomgaarden also studied at the University of Vienna, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. He graduated from Harvard University’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education, and has held teaching positions at the Eastman School of Music, Ithaca College Conservatory of Music, St. Mary’s College in Maryland, the Institut für Musikwissenschaft at the University of Salzburg, Loyola University Maryland and Loyola University New Orleans.
