Iona University Cuts the Ribbon on the Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning, Celebrating the Future of Catholic Education
New Rochelle, N.Y. – Iona University proudly hosted a ribbon cutting and blessing ceremony for the Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning on Friday, September 26. On a picturesque autumn day, more than 50 invited guests and campus partners gathered outside the newly dedicated space to celebrate the transformative impact of Catholic education and the important work underway through the Gabelli Center.
The Gabelli Center is shaped by the vision of Marc Gabelli, exemplifying his longstanding commitment to Catholic education. Its work is made possible through the generosity of Mr. Gabelli; his mother, Elaine Madonna Gabelli, a longtime Catholic elementary school teacher; and the EMG Madonna Foundation, which is committed to supporting and strengthening the future of Catholic schools.
In his remarks, Mr. Gabelli recalled how he first approached Iona University President Seamus Carey, Ph.D., with the idea of strengthening local Catholic schools, wanting to help them be more competitive in a difficult funding environment. As those conversations evolved, Iona simultaneously renovated a space adjacent to Ryan Library to house the Gabelli Center. Yet its impact reaches far beyond any physical structure.
“This is not about a building,” said Mr. Gabelli. “Teaching is at the core of my family. And as Seamus said, we’re now at a time where the offering of teaching – driven partly by AI, but certainly by technology – is going to be turned on its head… So, when we started talking about how we can strengthen teaching in our Catholic schools, it also became quite apparent that what we needed was a more integrated, faith-based approach – and a Center, in effect. And Seamus was generous to say, I have just the spot for that.”
Established in April 2024, the Gabelli Center has quickly become a vibrant hub of innovation and leadership in Catholic education. Rooted in the legacy of Blessed Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers, Iona has embraced AI not as a threat to be tamed or a tool to be blindly adopted, but as an opportunity to enrich the learning process.
The ribbon cutting ceremony included blessings by Rev. Anthony Sorgie, pastor of Immaculate Conception & Assumption of Our Lady, and Rev. Christopher J. Devron, SJ, president of Regis High School. Opening remarks were also provided by Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, who is leading Iona’s faculty efforts both on campus and with community partners.
Addressing the crowd, President Carey emphasized the Gabelli Center’s role in advancing innovative pedagogy grounded in Catholic values.
Among its initiatives are scholarships for future Catholic school teachers; AI training for K-12 Catholic and public school educators; and a robust speaker series that brings leading voices in AI, education and ethics to campus.
Far from seeing AI as a threat to learning, Iona is using it as a lens through which to reinforce the enduring principles of Catholic education, emphasizing character, conscience and the interior work of understanding.
“We recognize that AI is a tool. It accelerates the acquisition of knowledge. It accelerates problem solving. But none of that touches the core function of education, which is the internalization of learning and understanding,” Carey said. “So, it’s amazing to me, it’s so fortuitous, that Marc came along when he did, because we wouldn’t be at the forefront of AI pedagogy in the way that we are without the Gabelli Center. And because our approach to AI is focused on the development and the character and the virtues of our students, we are amplifying Catholic education in a way that most other schools are not. Thank you, Elaine, and thank you, Marc, we couldn’t be more grateful to you for this work.”
The ribbon cutting took place as Iona welcomed over 225 K-12, higher ed and Catholic school educators from across the tri-state region for its fall Gabelli Center conference, “The Future of Teaching: Writing, Reading and Thinking in the AI Age.” Featuring a keynote from renowned author John Warner, the event also included presentations from Iona faculty leading the way in innovative AI pedagogy. Learn more about the work of the Gabelli Center.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of 55,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 6 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review once again named Iona to its “Best Business Schools for 2025,” recognizing both its on-campus and online MBA programs. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.