Iona’s Rob Kissner Discusses AI in Higher Education at BCW Panel

March 26, 2026

Rob Kissner of Iona University speaks at a microphone during the "AI Alliance 360° Impact Summit" panel, flanked by fellow panelists on a stage with a digital backdrop.

Rob Kissner shared insights on the intersection of AI and higher education.

Rob Kissner, Clinical Lecturer at the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Iona University, served as a featured panelist at The Business Council of Westchester’s AI Alliance 360° Impact Summit. The event was held on Monday, March 23, 2026, at the Louis V. Gerstner Center for Learning in Armonk, N.Y.

Kissner participated in the panel “Reshaping Communities, Civic Life and the Human Connection,” where leaders explored how artificial intelligence is shaping everything from education to the arts to daily life.

The event featured an introduction from Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins and was moderated by John Ravitz, COO of the BCW, Westchester County’s largest business organization representing more than 1,100 members. Panels and speakers included:

Redefining Markets, the Competitive Advantage and the Way We Work

Andy Bryant — Strategy & Solutions Leader, AI-First Transformation, IBM
Antony Haynes — Partner, Dorf Nelson & Zauderer
Steven Mines — President, The Mines Press
Moish Peltz — Co-Managing Partner, Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP
Oleg Tumanov — Founder and Executive Chairman, Selsa
Paul Tyler — Head of Enterprise Marketing and Innovation, Zinnia

Reshaping Communities, Civic Life and the Human Connection

David E. Gross, AIA — Executive Partner, GF55 Architects
Rey Hollingsworth Falu — President, HGAR
Rob Kissner — Clinical Lecturer, Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Iona University
Kathleen Reckling — Chief Executive Officer, ArtsWestchester
Chad Scholes — Chief Innovation and Logistics Officer, Metro-North Railroad

John Ravitz, COO of the Business Council of Westchester, stands at a black lectern speaking to an audience at the AI Alliance 360° Impact Summit.

John Ravitz, COO of the Business Council of Westchester (BCW), moderated the AI Alliance 360° Impact Summit.

A group of six panelists and moderators stand together for a photo in front of the "AI Alliance 360" digital backdrop at the Business Council of Westchester summit.

From left: David E. Gross, Kathleen Reckling, John Ravitz, Chad Scholes, Rob Kissner and Rey Hollingsworth Falu.

Five panelists sit on high stools in front of a digital stage backdrop while Iona University’s Rob Kissner speaks into a microphone.

Rob Kissner, center, shared insights on AI in higher education during the "Reshaping Communities, Civic Life and the Human Connection" panel at the BCW Impact Summit.

A group of thirteen speakers and organizers from the AI Alliance 360° Impact Summit pose for a photo, with Iona University’s Rob Kissner seated front and center.

Pictured front and center is Rob Kissner, joined by fellow industry experts and summit organizers.

A large audience of over 50 professionals sits in a brightly lit auditorium during a presentation at the AI Alliance 360° Impact Summit.

Attendees filled the hall for a keynote session at the BCW AI Alliance 360° Impact Summit.

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 over 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 Nursing & 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. 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.