Presidential Transition Committee Update

We are happy to welcome Dr. Kerry Walk as the eighth president of Marymount Manhattan College. The Presidential Transition Committee is pleased to provide an update on events and activities related to the presidential transition.

To the Marymount Manhattan College Community:

On behalf of the Presidential Transition Committee, I am pleased to provide this report on Dr. Kerry Walk’s first two months as the eighth president of Marymount Manhattan College, and to outline the major upcoming events and activities on her busy presidential transition schedule.

The summer was a very busy time for our new president!  Kerry’s energy and openness have been evident to all who have met her.  She in turn has been impressed with the warmth and dedication of the MMC community, and has been excited to learn more about MMC and begin to assimilate into the campus culture.

On Kerry’s first day in office, the MMC community came together for a welcome reception in her honor.  Since that first day, Kerry has enthusiastically pursued opportunities to meet with as many MMC students, faculty, and staff as possible, while getting to know New York City cultural and educational leaders.  Highlights of her summer include:

  • Gatherings to welcome new and continuing students, Peer Leaders, Resident Advisors, and parents and families.
  • Meetings with MMC trustees and also with dozens of faculty, friends, and supporters of the College, including past president Regina Peruggi.
  • Numerous informal “Conversations in the Café Room” with small groups of staff members from across the College. 
  •  “Walkabouts” on campus with several offices and departments.  She’s toured most spaces, from the cat walk above the Theresa Lang Theatre to the frigid server room in IT!
  • A tour of the residence halls at 55th Street and Cooper Square (which opened last week) with MMC trustees.
  • A trip to the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (RSHM) Convent in Tarrytown, New York.  The RSHM is the religious order that founded the global network of Marymount schools and colleges.
  • Meetings with the leaders of New York City institutions and organizations, such as the Guggenheim, the New-York Historical Society, the Frick, the New York City Ballet, and many others.

Notably, Kerry launched a confidential survey of faculty and staff within a few days of taking office as a way to collect advice as well as insights into MMC.  A survey of students and alumnae/i will be distributed soon.  Broad themes will be shared with the campus community in meetings this Fall. 

With the start of the academic year, Kerry has been very busy greeting students and faculty members.  The next several weeks will be filled with dozens of campus activities and events, and will culminate October 23 – 25 with the Inauguration Celebration and Family, Friends, and Alumnae/i Homecoming Weekend.  The celebration begins with the Inauguration Ceremony on Friday morning, October 23, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Information is available at http://www.mmm.edu/inauguration.

I continue to be grateful to the Presidential Transition Committee; the members’ names are listed below.  Please continue to be in touch with them about how to make Kerry’s introduction to our campus community as smooth and productive as possible.  Thank you to the entire MMC community for your warm welcome of our new president.

Best wishes,

Barbara Loughlin ’70
Trustee and Chairperson, Presidential Transition Committee


Presidential Transition Committee


Charge

The charge of the Transition Committee is to create a transition plan that will help the incoming president become familiar with important contacts and relationships, the College culture, and the greater community. The committee met several times this spring and will continue to meet throughout the next six months as we welcome our new president.

Membership

  • Barbara Loughlin ’70, Trustee and Chairperson of the Presidential Transition Committee
  • Hope Knight ’85, Trustee and Chairperson of the Board of Trustees
  • Judith Robinson ’90, Trustee
  • Ron Yoo, Trustee
  • Sr. Catherine Patten, Trustee
  • Brad Herling, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, and Chair of the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Jill Stevenson, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, and President of the Faculty Council
  • Paul Ciraulo, Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance, and Chief Financial Officer
  • Richard Sheldon, Assistant Dean for Academic Administration
  • Lindsay Green ’16, Student
  • Wendy Malina, Executive Assistant to the President, and Staff to the Committee 

Published: September 16, 2015