Iona University Honors Distinguished Alumni at Alumni Awards & Homecoming Dinner
Over 100 alumni gathered in Mulcahy Gymnasium to celebrate excellence, connection and community as Iona honored its 2025 Alumni Award recipients.
On Friday, October 17, over 100 alumni gathered in a beautifully transformed Mulcahy Gymnasium for Iona University’s Alumni Awards & Homecoming Dinner. The evening celebrated excellence, connection and community as the recipients of the 2025 Alumni Awards were recognized for their outstanding service, professional achievements and humanitarian contributions within the Iona community and beyond.
The program, emceed by Vin Parise ’00, vice president of the Iona University Alumni Board of Directors and alumni representative to the Board of Trustees, featured spirited performances by the Iona University Pipe Band, adding a memorable touch of tradition to the night’s festivities.
“What’s become more and more evident to me each day is that what truly works are the values that drive this school — compassion, presence and liberation — the core values embodied in the Edmund Rice approach to education,” said President Seamus Carey, Ph.D. “The reason we have been successful, and will continue to be successful, is because those values guide us every day.”
Following President Carey’s remarks, the program turned to recognizing this year’s distinguished honorees whose achievements exemplify Iona’s mission and values. The University gratefully acknowledges the Alumni Board of Directors’ Recognition Committee for their thoughtful contributions in shaping this year’s Alumni Awards and honoring the legacy of excellence among our graduates.
Congratulations to the 2025 Alumni Award Recipients
James P. Oates '95 | The Brother William B. Cornelia Founders Award for Outstanding Service to the University
This award was named for the founding president of Iona and inaugurated in 1961. Bestowal of this award is intended to show the Alumni Association’s appreciation for those who have generously given of their time, resources and energies for the betterment of the University. Oates is president of the Iona University Alumni Association’s Alumni Board, a member of the LaPenta School of Business Executive Advisory Council, the co-founder and president of the Gaels Nation NIL Collective and the Alumni Sponsor of the Gaels Go Further Mentoring Programs.
Brother Thomas R. Leto, CFC, Ed.D. '74 | The Brother Patrick B. Doyle Award for Distinguished Service to the Alumni Association
This award was instituted in 1968 in memory of one of the founding faculty members of Iona. Brother Doyle was revered as a classical scholar, a naturalist and a spiritual father to all Ionians of his era. Brother Leto has held numerous leadership roles, including his current position as president of Iona Preparatory School, a role he has held since 2010. His extensive professional experience includes serving as president of Bishop Hendricken High School and All Hallows High School, as well as principal of Essex Catholic High School.
Michaela E. Johnson '05 | The Brother John G. Driscoll Award for Humanitarian Service
Established in 1995, this award recognizes and honors Ionians who, by their activities and service to others, have reinforced Iona’s identity as a University founded in the tradition of the Congregation of Christian Brothers and American Catholic higher education. Johnson is a passionate humanitarian and nonprofit leader with over 15 years of experience in fundraising, advocacy and community engagement. As President of Team Boomer and Events, she managed over 18 annual fundraising events, partnered with patients and pharmaceutical companies and facilitated life-changing transplant and education grant programs.
Daniel M. Correia '15 | The Brother Robert A. Durning Rising Star Award
Established in 2016, this award is named for Iona’s beloved alumnus and faculty member, Brother Robert A. Durning ’69. It honors recent Iona graduates who have already brought acclaim to the University through achievements in their respective fields. Correia is a private wealth advisor at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, where he empowers individuals and families to make confident financial decisions, seamlessly navigate life transitions and preserve their legacies. As a proud alumnus, Correia is committed to advancing financial literacy and mentoring future generations of Iona students on their personal journeys.
Joseph Damiano '95 | The Brother Arthur A. Loftus Award for Outstanding Achievement
This award recognizes and honors Ionians who have brought acclaim to the University by brilliant accomplishments in their chosen careers. Damiano has served as CEO and managing partner of SAX since 2015, transforming the firm into one of the fastest-growing and most respected professional services firms in the country. Under his direction, SAX has become a Top 60 firm nationwide and a multi-year Inside Public Accounting “Best of the Best” honoree. Damiano himself has been recognized among Forbes Top 200 CPAs in the country, ranked as high as #4 on NJBIZ’s Accounting Power 50 and named a Managing Partner Elite by Accounting Today.
In his keynote address, Damiano shared personal reflections on how Iona’s values shaped his journey, highlighting the enduring influence of the University’s mission and the importance of leadership grounded in service and integrity. “To the students here tonight — lean into the opportunities the University provides. If you commit to hard work, integrity, and resilience, there is no limit to what you can achieve,” Damiano shared. “The world is changing faster than ever. Don’t fear change — embrace it. Every shift is an opportunity to learn, adapt and grow.”
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.