SJNY PRESIDENT NAMED TOP LONG ISLANDER AND POWER PLAYER IN EDUCATION

November 07, 2025

BROOKLYN and PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – November 7, 2025 – St. Joseph’s University, New York (SJNY) is pleased to announce that President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., was recently named a Power Player in Education by Politics NY and a Top 100 Long Islander by Long Island Business News.

Compiled by PoliticsNY and amNY, the 2025 Power Players in Education list honors leaders from across New York’s vast education system who are shaping New York’s educational landscape and guiding the next generation. Long Island Business News’ Top 100 Long Islanders list honors individuals who strive to make Long Island the best place to live, work and socialize, while maintaining a deep-rooted commitment to civic engagement. 

“I am extremely grateful for this honor and for the opportunity to represent St. Joseph’s University, New York,” said SJNY President Boomgaarden. “At St. Joseph’s, we are committed to ensuring that our students graduate with the tools they need to achieve successful outcomes. We are proud of the work we do at SJNY, and proud to be named on these lists among peers who are also preparing the next generation of leaders.”

During his time as president of SJNY, Dr. Boomgaarden has made substantial improvements to the University, including the development of a multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art Student Center on the Long Island Campus, adding in-demand academic programs to the curriculum and orchestrating an historic designation change from College to University – a status granted by the New York State Department of Education and New York State Board of Regents in April 2022.

Dr. Boomgaarden has also had an abundance of accomplishments before and during his time as president of SJNY. Prior to coming to St. Joseph’s, Dr. Boomgaarden served as the provost and the senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. He was also named a David P. Swanzy Distinguished Professor of Music at Loyola University New Orleans, where he was the dean of the College of Music and Fine Arts. He began his tenure at SJNY in 2017, and in January 2025, the Board of Trustees announced his extended appointment through July 2030.

Dr. Boomgaarden has become a well-respected leader in the higher education landscape and has received significant accolades for his contributions to the industry, earning recognition among his peers with City & State New York, PoliticsNY, amNY Metro, Long Island Press and Schneps Media’s Education and Power Lists.

For more information about St. Joseph’s University, New York, 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.