University President Tania Tetlow said Fordham is well poised to nurture the next generation of leaders in STEM. 

“For centuries, the Jesuits have been world-class scientists and mathematicians, always connecting those fields to what it means to be fully human. Fordham will stand out for integrating science and technology with ethics, humanities, and our other strengths in the professions,” Tetlow said.

The envisioned building is a 200,000+ gross-square-foot facility that will bring together a range of STEM disciplines, and will feature wet and dry teaching labs, research space, classrooms, and student lounges, with a large, open green space in front. It will be located along Southern Blvd. on the Rose Hill campus’ eastern edge across from the New York Botanical Garden, replacing existing surface parking to create a vibrant gateway at the intersection of Xavier Way and Matteo Ricci Circle.

Fordham’s broader STEM vision also includes expanding computer science programs at Lincoln Center, strategically repurposing book storage space (Quinn X), and increasing enrollment capacity for both graduate and undergraduate students. In addition, Fordham plans to launch a new full-time M.S. program in physician associate studies at the Westchester campus. 

“Mo and Carolyn’s extraordinary gift is a testament to the transformative power of investing in Fordham’s vision for STEM education and research that also lifts the rest of the University,” said Roger A. Milici Jr., vice president for development and university relations. “This is philanthropy at its best.”

Laying the Groundwork for Progress

Mo and Carolyn Cunniffe have been longtime supporters of the University. The couple made a $20 million gift in 2016 to establish the Maurice and Carolyn Cunniffe Presidential Scholars Program, which was the second-largest gift in Fordham’s history at the time. Their generosity has been recognized with the naming of Cunniffe House and the Carolyn Dursi Cunniffe Fountain on the Rose Hill campus.

Mo Cunniffe’s parents were Irish immigrants. He graduated from Fordham Prep and Fordham College with a degree in physics, followed by graduate studies in economics and finance at NYU. Mo had successful careers as a scientist, a consultant with McKinsey, an investment banker, and an entrepreneur. He served on Fordham’s Board of Trustees from 1995 to 2004, and then from 2005 to 2014. He is now a trustee emeritus. 

He expects the gift will help Fordham remain a “world-class university” by attracting talented students and teachers capable of solving the most pressing problems of our time. 

“The future seems to be in the AI arena … and the computer science arena,” Mo said. “Aren’t those the people most likely to change the world so that your great-great-grandchildren will live a better life than you did?”

Carolyn Dursi Cunniffe also served on Fordham’s Board and is a trustee emerita. She grew up in a family of eight with two brothers who graduated from Fordham. She studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and the University of Perugia and earned her masters and Ph.D. at Fordham in French literature. Carolyn had a successful career for many years as a vice president at Revlon then Chanel, and as a senior vice president at Cablevision. 

Carolyn said she believes it is vital for the school to offer a strong STEM curriculum and that investing in STEM education will offer students the opportunity for a well-rounded educational experience.

A World-Class Science Program for a World-Class University 

Expanding the sciences is a key priority for Fordham. Nearly half of college-bound high school students say they want to major in STEM fields, and STEM-related jobs are projected to grow significantly faster than non-STEM positions over the next decade. This gift will allow Fordham to invest in meeting the demand for STEM education, and to provide state-of-the-art facilities for teaching as well as research. Of the $30 billion the government dispersed for research and development in fiscal year 2023, approximately 95% went to STEM disciplines including the health sciences. 

“This gift opens up extraordinary possibilities for students and faculty, and allows us to scale our programs and move into areas in the sciences that haven’t even been developed yet, fields that may appear 10 years from now that we can’t even anticipate,” said University Provost Dennis Jacobs. “We’re all so grateful to Mo and Carolyn for their extraordinary generosity and their belief that Fordham can be one of the nation’s greatest institutions of higher learning.” 

Two prescient voices for the future of STEM at Fordham have been trustee Kim Bepler and her late husband, Steve Bepler, FCRH ’64, dedicated supporters of the University’s science programs for years, who established four science chairs and a super chair through major gifts. 

The Beplers funded the preliminary study to explore what was possible for the STEM expansion—a study that helped to inspire the Cunniffe’s giving. Now, seeing Steve’s vision for the sciences at Fordham come to life, Kim is thrilled. “My late husband believed a world-class university deserves a world-class science program,” she said. “I only wish he were here to see this. But he is in my heart, and I hope he’s proud.”

“Faith & Hope has created opportunities for students of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to come to Fordham, earn a world-class education, and seek employment,” said Susan Conley Salice, FCRH ’82, one of three campaign co-chairs and a first-generation college graduate herself. “These scholarships open doors to students who may not otherwise be able to attend, and give them the opportunity to transform their lives.”

The campaign raised $175,311,288 from April 2014 to June 2019, surpassing its original goal of $175 million. Donations funded existing scholarship funds and 197 new scholarship funds for students—including Fulbright scholars, community leaders, and first-generation college students.

“Scholarships are at the heart of Fordham’s mission, and are central to the Jesuit notion of service to the human family,” said Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham. “Scholarships transform individual lives, of course, but in democratizing education and knowledge, they also help create a more just world and a more equitable society. I am deeply heartened that so many of our generous alumni and friends agree, and I am forever grateful for their openhearted and openhanded support.”

Breaking Records Across the University

The Faith & Hope campaign achieved historic results for Fordham. The 2017 fiscal year was the most successful single year of fundraising in the University’s history, at $75.8 million. This year, the University’s Development and University Relations (DAUR) division was recognized with a 2019 Educational Fundraising Award for sustained excellence in fundraising programs over the past three years, putting Fordham’s advancement effort among the top 90 colleges and universities in the nation.

At the 2019 Fordham Founder’s Dinner, nearly $2.6 million was raised for Faith & Hope—specifically the Founder’s Undergraduate Scholarship Fund. It was the second-highest amount in the event’s 18-year history, with 100% participation from the Board of Trustees and the President’s Council. During the years of the campaign, the annual event raised nearly $12 million to support Founder’s scholars.

Nearly a million dollars was raised on Fordham’s third annual Giving Day last March—the most successful Giving Day to date. More than 3,000 participants—alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends of Fordham—raised $933,689 in 1,841 minutes. Most of the donations, which ranged from $1 to $100,000, came from the U.S., but some came from as far as Australia and the Philippines.

One of the campaign’s biggest accomplishments was the creation of the Maurice and Carolyn Cunniffe Presidential Scholars Program—one of the most selective merit scholarships available to Fordham students. Three years ago, the scholarship program was established through a $20 million gift from Maurice J. (Mo) Cunniffe, FCRH ’54, and Carolyn Dursi Cunniffe, Ph.D., UGE ’62, GSAS ’65, ’71. Over the next decade, it will fund a Fordham education—tuition, living expenses, internship, research, and study abroad opportunities—for dozens of talented students.

“Each year, Mo and I spend time with these students who are young stars with bright futures,” said Carolyn Cunniffe, a Faith & Hope co-chair. “We hope that they will contribute back to society far more than Mo and I can.”

Campaign co-chair Darlene Luccio Jordan, FCRH ’89, said Faith & Hope supported Fordham’s core values and identity.

“This campaign really went to the central mission of Fordham, which is our commitment to higher education and educating first-generation students, and keeping Fordham accessible, regardless of a student’s ability to pay,” she said.

Student Impact 

At the heart of the campaign were Fordham students and the donors who helped fuel their future.

In interviews and speeches spanning the past several years, students have described how a Fordham scholarship has changed their lives.

They talked about how a Fordham education helped shape their career paths. For some students, the University’s Jesuit values strengthened their Catholic faith, while others from different faiths said they felt welcome in the University community. Students also praised Fordham’s core curriculum, which encouraged them to connect with their neighbors in the Bronx. And they spoke about how Fordham helped them understand who they are and what legacy they want to leave behind.

Caroline Koenig, the daughter of seventh-generation French bakers, knew that attending Fordham would be a challenge. In high school, she experienced an injury that dashed her hopes of winning a college track scholarship. Fordham initially gave her a generous financial aid package, but it wasn’t enough. She was taking extra classes to graduate early and considering a commute from Connecticut to save money—that is, until she was awarded the Peter and Carol Howe Endowed Scholarship. It helped her land a summer internship at KPMG and identify her passion for forensic accounting.

“My parents taught me the value of hard work and holding onto your dreams. Because of them and because of Fordham, now I can follow my own,” Koenig said.

The campaign also made a college education possible for Fordham students who, in the face of overwhelming student debt, found it difficult to continue their education.

One of them is Muhammad El Shatanofy, the son of immigrant parents who dreamed of becoming a doctor. Throughout his time in Fordham’s neuroscience program, he wondered how he could pay for his undergraduate education without incurring debt. After all, he’d soon be paying for four years’ worth of medical school.

When he found out he was awarded the Founder’s Scholarship, which would pay for almost all his outstanding tuition costs, he was thrilled.

“It really has given me that extra motivation, so that now I just want to accomplish so much,” said El Shatanofy, who went on to mentor 12 high school students from disadvantaged high schools and volunteer at Mt. Sinai Hospital. “I have this drive to make other people happy that they invested in my education and my future.”

For many students, scholarships have left an emotional impact on their lives.

“There’s just no words I can give to express how thankful my family and I are. It takes a big load off our shoulders, and … I’m just so thankful because I wouldn’t be able to go to Fordham without you and apply to grad school,” Jeannie-Fay Veloso, GABELLI ’17, tells her scholarship donor, Robert D. Daleo, GABELLI ’72, in a campaign video. Seconds later, the two alumni embrace in tears.

What It Means to Give 

Faith & Hope’s scholarships were made possible through donations both big and small.

Among the campaign’s biggest donors, in addition to the co-chairs and their spouses, were Brian W. and Kathleen H. MacLean, both FCRH ’75; Susheel Kirpalani, LAW ’94; William J. Loschert, GABELLI ’61; Alice Lehman Murphy, the McKeon Family Foundation; Grace A. Dorney-Koppel, UGE ’60, and Ted Koppel; and Alex and Jean Trebek.

Many of them said they give back because they want to support the next generation of leaders and help families break out of the cycle of poverty through education. Some donors once stood in the same shoes as the students they now support.

“I came from a family where my father was a factory worker and my mother worked as a seamstress. I had two other brothers. So if I was going to do it, I was going to do it on my own—and my brother, too,” said Daleo, honorary campaign chair and chair of the Fordham Board of Trustees, who established a scholarship in his brother’s name. “We both went to Fordham. We both had scholarships, worked and paid our way. That scholarship helped me [and]  made the difference.”

Rosemary Santana Cooney, Ph.D., established a scholarship with her husband Patrick in recognition of her 42 years as a professor and associate dean at Fordham, her belief in generating a diverse student body, and her Puerto Rican heritage. Her scholarship will support minority students across Fordham.

“I was always aware that I was different—an outsider—because I tend to be dark, like my father. And I always worked extra hard because I figured as a woman and a minority, you had to work extra hard … I know, sympathetically, how hard these kids who try to make the transition are having to work. And I wanted to make sure that some of them were getting some help,” said Cooney.

For many donors, their Fordham experience gave them not only academic, social, and life skills—it showed them what they’re capable of.

“It’s taught me things about myself that I didn’t even know before,” said Sophie Scott, FCLC ’18, who studied journalism and now works as a production assistant at CNN. “Fordham literally showed me the world in a way I didn’t know possible, and a way I could fit into the world.”

Scott, echoing a sentiment shared by many donors, said she hopes to give that same experience to someone else.

“It literally brings me no greater joy than to think that someone else could be having that same experience—someone who, from a financial perspective, may not be able to,” said Scott, who serves as chair of the Young Alumni Philanthropy Committee at Fordham.

Faith & Hope marks the third of Fordham’s biggest campaigns since the early 1990s—a growing list of campaigns that are already transforming the world.

“It really is a win-win for both the donors and the students,” said Salice. “And ultimately, the world at large.”

Now that the University has successfully closed Faith & Hope, administrators and volunteers are planning for the launch of a new fundraising campaign that will be focused on enhancing the student experience and will include the construction of a new campus center at Rose Hill.

To read more success stories, visit the Faith & Hope campaign site.

Held for the first time at Cipriani Wall Street, Fordham’s biggest fundraising event of the year honored two of the University’s great champions and 30 Founder’s Scholars—recipients of the Fordham Founder’s Undergraduate Scholarship.

A 19-Letter Word

As Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, welcomed the evening’s 1,100 guests, he directed their attention to a video message recorded by Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, a Fordham parent and benefactor. Trebek offered this “Final Jeopardy!” clue in the category 19-Letter Words: “Fordham University is celebrating 175 years, a period of time known as this.” The correct response? “What is a dodransbicentennial?”

Father McShane thanked guests for their “astounding generosity” at Fordham’s Dodransbicentennial Founder’s dinner, telling them that their support of scholarships and financial aid “opens up a world of near-infinite possibility for these exceptional young women and men.”

Scholars and Honorees

Speaking on behalf of his fellow Founder’s Scholars, Sal Cocchiaro, a December 2016 graduate of the Gabelli School of Business, praised Fordham for encouraging students to examine their conscience—a conscience, he said, that “pains us when we see injustice, discrimination, hatred, and hopelessness. A conscience that reminds us that we are at our best when we foster equality, inclusion, and love for one another.” (Watch Cocchiaro’s full speech below.)

Cocchiaro told guests that by supporting Founder’s scholarships, they have “relieved a great burden, and have allowed us to focus our time and energy on making this world a greater place.” And he announced his own aspirations: “It is my dream to one day serve as the mayor of this great city of New York,” he said to loud applause, “and I am just truly blessed to be here tonight and have this opportunity to share that dream with all of you.”

Founder’s Award honoree Carolyn Dursi Cunniffe, GSAS ’71, reminisced fondly about being set up with her husband, Maurice “Mo” Cunniffe, FCRH ’54, by another Fordham couple, Nancy Phelan and her late husband, Jake. (Watch her full speech here.)

“What a wonderful introduction that turned out to be,” she said, noting that she and her husband have much in common, including the fact that they are both Fordham alumni who were scholarship recipients.

“This community of Fordham is very special. It has the power to instantly transform us from strangers to friends—whether we meet one another by sheer chance, at a Founder’s dinner, an alumni gathering, or simply a blind date,” said Cunniffe, a Fordham trustee and co-chair of the Faith & Hope campaign. She earned three degrees at Fordham, including a doctorate in French literature, and went on to become a successful executive in the cosmetics industry and in executive search.

“Mo and I are both very proud of our Jesuit education and what it has enabled us each to do in our lives. And most importantly, we are grateful for how it guides us to contribute to others,” she said.

Carolyn and Mo, a 2010 Founder’s Award recipient, have been generous benefactors of Fordham. In 2016, the couple made a $20 million gift to the University—the second largest in its history—to establish the Maurice and Carolyn Cunniffe Presidential Scholars Program.

Also receiving the Founder’s Award was Stephen J. McGuinness, GABELLI ’82,’91, a former vice president at Citicorp, vice president of global operations at Twitter, and partner at Goldman Sachs, where he championed diversity through his involvement with a college preparatory program. Before he held any of those roles, he was a kid from the Bronx.

“Mom and Dad came over from Ireland in the mid-1950s, got married, settled in the Fordham section of the Bronx, and raised five children,” he said. “We were a very close family, and not just because the seven of us shared a two-bedroom basement apartment.” McGuinness said visits to Fordham’s campus offered a way for his mom to “get the kids off the block.” Years later, McGuinness, now a Fordham trustee, worked in the registrar’s office as a undergraduate business student. He named several Fordham staff members who were “very, very kind to me and had an influence on me for a lot of things that I ended up doing in my life.” (Watch the full speech by Stephen McGuinness here.)

$100 Million Raised for Faith & Hope | The Campaign for Financial Aid

Founder’s Scholars Genie Hughes and Christopher Wilson took the stage to announce the Faith & Hope campaign, noting that as they spoke, the lights on the Empire State Building were shining maroon in celebration of Fordham’s Dodransbicentennial.

“In honor of our 175th anniversary,” Hughes said, “this campaign is committed to raising $175 million to make a Fordham education more affordable to the best and brightest students.”

Wilson added, “Your generosity will help Fordham advance its noble mission and ensure that the long maroon line will continue to include the sons and daughters of every class, race, and creed.”

Returning to the stage to reflect on Fordham’s past, present, and future, Father McShane noted that from its humble beginnings as St. John’s College, founded in 1841, the University has seen more than its share of challenges. “Through it all, we have prevailed,” he said.

“We are no longer a school of six students on a rural campus of beautiful Westchester. We are now an institution with nine schools, over 15,000 students, three  campuses in the metropolitan area, and international outposts in London, Beijing, and Pretoria.”

Father McShane thanked guests for what they have contributed to Faith & Hope | The Campaign for Financial Aid to date. “I’m very happy, proud, and deeply grateful to announce that … you have already given $100 million toward the $175 million goal,” he said, as the number flashed on the big screen behind him. He asked that all in attendance continue to support Fordham and “become part of what is a story of true greatness.”

Photos by Chris Taggart, Jerry Millevoi, and Bryan Smith

Watch the video for Faith & Hope | The Campaign for Financial Aid.

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• 10. The Social Worker Who Became An Accidental Icon (Dec. 21, 2015)

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• 4. Alumnus Vin Scully Awarded Medal of Freedom by President Obama (Nov. 22, 2016)

A legendary sports broadcaster and voice of the Dodgers for nearly seven decades, Scully, FCRH ’49, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Nov. 22 from President Barack Obama, who gave him a tribute that was by turns stirring and whimsical.

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Outperforming other posts on both social media and our news site was Joseph M. McShane, S.J.’s statement that he’d joined with presidents at Jesuit, Catholic, and other universities to express support for undocumented students, calling them “valued and loved members of our community.” It was the most viewed story of 2016.

(Stay up-to-date on campus happenings. Sign up for our e-weekly Fordham News.)