ST. JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK PRESIDENT NAMED INFLUENTIAL LONG ISLANDER

October 30, 2026

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – October 30, 2026 – St. Joseph’s University, New York (SJNY) is pleased to announce that SJNY President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., has been named one of Long Island Business News’ Top 100 Most Influential Long Islanders.

Recognized alongside some of the region’s most prominent business and community leaders, Dr. Boomgaarden’s inclusion reflects his leadership and contributions not only to the St. Joseph’s University, New York community, but also to the broader Long Island and New York metropolitan regions.

“I am honored to be recognized by Long Island Business News alongside so many distinguished leaders who are making a meaningful impact on our region,” said President Boomgaarden. “Long Island’s future depends on strong partnerships among higher education, business and the broader community. At St. Joseph’s University, New York, we are committed to developing the talent, knowledge and leadership our region needs to thrive. I look forward to continuing to work alongside our fellow honorees and community partners to advance opportunities, strengthen our regional economy and shape a promising future for Long Island and beyond.”

The eighth president of St. Joseph's University, New York, Dr. Boomgaarden began his tenure at SJNY in July 2017. Under his leadership, the University has routinely expanded its academic offerings to meet workforce needs, invested in capital improvements to its physical campuses in both Brooklyn and Patchogue, grown the endowment and led the institution through an historic designation change from college to university. 

Dr. Boomgaarden serves on the board of trustees for the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU); is a member of the Association of Colleges of Sisters of St. Joseph (ACSSJ); a steering committee member of the Long Island Regional Advisory Council on Higher Education (LIRACHE), where he was also chair of the Superintendents and College President’s Partnership; and is a member of the Lower Hudson Valley Consortium of Catholic Colleges and Universities; and member of the Board of Trustees for Long Island Arts Alliance (LIAA) and Long Island Association (LIA).

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Dr. Boomgaarden also studied at the University of Vienna, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. He graduated from Harvard University’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education, and has held teaching positions at the Eastman School of Music, Ithaca College Conservatory of Music, St. Mary’s College in Maryland, the Institut für Musikwissenschaft at the University of Salzburg, Loyola University Maryland and Loyola University New Orleans.

For more information, visit sjny.edu.

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK
St. Joseph’s University, New York has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan region with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the University provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual rigor, spiritual depth, social responsibility and service. With campuses in Brooklyn and on Long Island, and many online programs, the University offers more than 100 majors and minors, special course offerings and certificates, accelerated dual degrees and affiliated and pre-professional programs.