Manhattanville College To Inaugurate Its 13th President on Sunday

HARRISON, NY — Michael E. Geisler, Ph.D. will be formally installed as Manhattanville College’s 13th president at 11:30 a.m. Sunday during a ceremony that is open to the public and will be held in O’Bryne Chapel on the college campus.

Several days of celebration from Oct. 21-23 are planned for the inauguration. On Friday, there is a showcase of collaborative research, arts, and service projects by faculty, staff, students and alumni. On Saturday, there will be a mid-day barbeque, a men’s and a women’s soccer game, a field hockey game, and music, dance and theater performances. To cap off the day there will be a wine and cheese reception on the library patio.

Dr. Geisler, prior to his inaugural address on Sunday, will be introduced by Driss Ouaouicha, Ph.D., president of Al Akhawayn University, Morocco. The investiture will be presided over by Marcia Pearce DeWitt ’69, chair of the Board of Trustees.

Always a historic and colorful rite during campus inaugurations, the academic procession will include faculty, delegates, senior administration, the inauguration committee, former and current trustees, former presidents, a religious officiant and salutatory speakers.

The Honorable Nita Lowey, U.S. House of Representatives for New York’s 17th District will offer salutations, as will: Judith Johnson, New York State Board of Regents; Marsha Gordon, D.P.S., President/CEO of the Westchester Business Council; Rosemary Feal, Executive Director of the Modern Language Association; and Lisa Dolling, ’84, Ph.D., Provost. Laurel Peterson, MFA ‘14, Norwalk, Connecticut’s first poet laureate, will read from the works of W.H. Auden.

Dr. Geisler’s most recent academic position was at Middlebury College as Vice President for Risk and Compliance, Professor of German. Prior to that he was VP for the Language Schools and Schools Abroad at Middlebury.

PHOTO/ contributed