ST. JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK PRESIDENT BOOMGAARDEN TO CONTINUE IN ROLE UNTIL JULY 2030

January 28, 2025 BK LI

BROOKLYN and PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – January 28, 2025 – St. Joseph’s University, New York (SJNY) is pleased to announce that its Board of Trustees has extended the appointment of Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., as president of SJNY until July 2030. 

The new contract extension, which was formally announced this month, spans an additional five years. This is the second contract extension for Dr. Boomgaarden, who began his tenure at the institution in 2017. Shared with the SJNY community by the chairman of its board, the announcement cited Dr. Boomgaarden’s significant impact, calling him an exceptional leader of great depth and abilities with a deep devotion to the mission of the University. 

“During his time with us, Dr. Boomgaarden has been instrumental in creating many positive changes at SJNY, helping to transform the institution in incredible ways over the years,” said Christopher R. Carroll ’88, Esq., chair of SJNY’s Board of Trustees.

This most recent extension to Dr. Boomgaarden’s contract ensures continuity and stability for SJNY. Moving forward, he will oversee the University’s upcoming Middle States accreditation review, complete the current strategic plan and support the implementation of SJNY’s newly launched Comprehensive Campaign, Dare to Be.

“I would like to thank the Board of Trustees and the St. Joseph’s community for their faith in my leadership and for this opportunity to continue leading this remarkable university,” said SJNY President Boomgaarden. “I am especially thankful to the Sisters of St. Joseph, and our many alumni, for their continued support of me, and of our unique institution. The vision provided to us by the sisters is so important to us all, and will continue to sustain, empower and energize us as we move forward. Furthermore, the faculty and staff of St Joseph’s are second to none, and I am very grateful to be a part of an institution which does not seem to be, but is one of the finest in the world.”

Dr. Boomgaarden is the eighth president of the University. Since his arrival in July 2017, he has made significant improvements to St. Joseph’s, including increasing the endowment, successfully guiding the institution during the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing milestone capital improvements on both campuses, adding in-demand academic programs and leading the historic designation change from St. Joseph’s College to St. Joseph’s University, New York in April 2022. 

More Highlights of Dr. Boomgaarden’s Presidency:

• Campus Improvements: State-of-the-art nursing labs in Brooklyn and Long Island (2017); new indoor athletic facility inside St. Angela Hall on the Brooklyn Campus (2018); opening of the $17 million Student Center in Patchogue (2023); renovation of the Kennedy Chapel in Brooklyn (2023); a $754,000 grant to establish a cybersecurity lab in Brooklyn (2023) that places SJNY on the cutting edge of the field.
• Scholarships: $2 million gift to establish the Frieda Englberger Endowed Scholarship for students with physical disabilities (2021); $1 million gift to establish the Somers ACES Endowed Scholarship on the Brooklyn Campus and Somers Endowed Nursing Scholarship on both campuses (2024); five-year grant from the National Science Foundation to improve first-to-second-year STEM retention rates and more (2024).
• Academic Expansion: Accreditation of the Long Island Master of Social Work (2024) program; Master-level and advanced certificate Family Nurse Practitioner programs (2023); five-year B.A. in Child Study/M.A. in Literacy and Cognition (2022); Master-level and advanced certificate TESOL programs (2022); M.B.A. in Marketing (2021); strengthening its articulation agreement with Suffolk County Community College (2024).

In addition, Dr. Boomgaarden has assisted in raising the reputation of SJNY regionally and nationally, and has been lauded for his contributions to higher education, earning recognition among his peers numerous times, including being named a Trailblazer In Education by City & State New York, and a Power Player in Education by PoliticsNY and amNY Metro in 2024.

For more information about SJNY, visit sjny.edu. 

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK
St. Joseph’s University, New York has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the University provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility and service. Through its Brooklyn, Long Island and Online campuses, the University offers degrees in more than 100 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs.