Dear members of the Adelphi community,
I am honored that Adelphi University’s Board of Trustees has called upon me to serve the institution as interim president. I accept this role with a deep sense of responsibility and commitment to our shared mission. Adelphi is a strong community, comprising thousands of current students, a dedicated and caring faculty and staff, and more than 120,000 alumni and benefactors—all of whom are deeply engaged with and invested in Adelphi’s success. I’m humbled to work alongside you to accomplish our ambitious goals.
I come to the position as someone who has enjoyed a full and rewarding professional career at Adelphi. Our University is a special place that regularly reminds me of its distinctive and inspiring character. As a faculty member, I developed a deep appreciation of our community as I learned the different motivations and stories of our incredible students—from the veteran returning to college to become a teacher, the future nurse striving for a rewarding career helping others, or the student pursuing a PhD as a result of an intellectual passion for quantum computing. As provost, I feel proud when I walk the paths of our Garden City campus and find faculty and staff working with diligence and great care to support the successes of our diverse student body. I have also raised my family at Adelphi, including my children, who attended the Alice Brown Early Learning Center. I call Adelphi “home” in more ways than one.
Adelphi’s community is our greatest asset, and I am committed to working with you to openly and directly tackle the challenges facing higher education today. I have complete confidence that together we will continue to deliver the high-quality academic experience that is the hallmark of an Adelphi education. Together, we will move Adelphi forward, invest in its future, and maintain a sound financial position, ensuring that Adelphi will provide an extraordinary experience for this generation of students and generations to come.
As immediate priorities, I will support the University in:
- striving to achieve strong enrollment outcomes;
- orchestrating our upcoming Middle States self-study process;
- launching a successful graduate and professional center on Fifth Avenue in New York City; and
- realizing the ambitious goals of The Momentum Campaign: Extraordinary Impact.
As a tuition-dependent institution, enrollment is critical both as a signal of demand for our programs and as a key factor in determining the resources we have to provide an Adelphi education. In the coming year, both the Middle States self-study process and a national presidential search will provide opportunities for institutional self-reflection and growth. Our efforts in Manhattan represent a meaningful way for a new group of students to experience Adelphi’s vibrancy and innovation. And our Momentum Campaign will not only secure the funds for bold initiatives but also reconnect us with our alumni community and highlight some of the powerful and transformative stories of what Adelphi offers—stories from donors like Diane Abbey ‘59, former Honors College Dean Richard Garner, and LeeAnn Black ‘83; and stories about the lives that our philanthropic community has impacted, such as Victoria Rodriguez, Joe Sawma, and MacKenzie Pena.
I am fortunate that I will not be undertaking this work alone. In addition to the support I know I can count on from each of you, I am joined in these efforts by the highly collaborative executive leadership team—Dr. Sentwali Bakari (Vice President for Student Affairs and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging), Carol Ann Boyle (Vice President for Facilities and Information Technology), Dr. Thomas Kline (Vice President of Advancement and External Relations) and Michael Rhattigan (Vice President of Finance). In addition, each of Adelphi’s dedicated deans brings years of experience and wisdom to the academic enterprise. I have also spoken with leadership in each of Adelphi’s five unions and our staff counsel, and I recognize their support and commitment to the University.
Our world-class faculty is the soul of the University, and we know their commitment to our students is deep. Finally, we are fortunate to have the unwavering support of our Board of Trustees, whose dedication ensures that Adelphi grows, innovates and succeeds.
Adelphi’s mission today is more important and vibrant than ever. The University has been an engine for social mobility for the past 128 years, helping students achieve extraordinary outcomes. Today, Adelphi is the top-ranked private institution on Long Island. We are also a Division II athletics powerhouse, most recently exemplified by the men’s lacrosse team’s back-to-back national championships and the women’s lacrosse team’s national championship appearances.
As we carry this legacy forward, we must be a positive voice for an education that is inclusive, accessible and advances people in their lives. We must ask the difficult questions and follow them where the facts take us. We must continue to enrich our society by conducting research and ensuring a balanced education that includes the arts, humanities and sciences for all students. We must also continue to be a place where our students feel a strong sense of belonging and have the space and support to learn and grow. Our institution plays a critical role in the wider community by preparing ethical leaders—in education, business, social work, healthcare and psychology—and annually contributes more than half a billion dollars to the regional economy. I know we are all committed to Adelphi’s mission and to moving the institution forward.
Whether you find me walking the campus or you drop by my office, I look forward to learning more about your experiences at Adelphi and discussing the opportunities of the day. You are also welcome to contact me via email at president@adelphi.edu.
Our future is bright, and we will realize it through concerted effort—onwards and upwards!
Sincerely,
Christopher Storm, PhD
Interim President
Office of the President