Media Contact: Teddy DeRosa, tderosa@fairfield.edu , 203-254-4000, ext. 2118

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (October 25, 2016) — Fairfield University Board of Trustees today announced the appointment of Andrew J. McMahon ’89, P’13 ’19, founder of Vitae Advisors, LLC and University Trustee, as Chair of the University’s presidential search committee, formed to identify candidates to serve as the ninth president of Fairfield University.

“I am delighted that Andrew has accepted the role of Chair for this critically important committee that will aim to attract talented Jesuit and lay leaders to Fairfield who are able to help us fulfill our mission,” said Frank Carroll, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Fairfield University. “Andrew’s extensive professional experience and his deep knowledge of the Jesuit and Catholic mission of Fairfield make him a perfect fit for this role.”

Along with Mr. McMahon’s appointment, Fairfield University also announced today a small group of Fairfield University community members to serve on the search committee. Selected by the Board of Trustees, these members will provide invaluable input in identifying extraordinary candidates qualified to serve as Fairfield’s next president.

The Board of Trustees is in the process of identifying and retaining a national search firm to assist the search committee throughout the process. The new president is expected to begin his or her term by July 2017.

Earlier this year, the University announced that Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., President of Fairfield University — having served as President with distinction since 2004 — had been appointed as the Superior of the LaFarge House Jesuit Community in Cambridge, Mass. by Rev. John Cecero, S.J., the Provincial of the USA Northeast Province of the Society of Jesus. LaFarge House, named after civil rights pioneer, writer and editor John LaFarge, S.J. was established at Harvard University in 1964 as a residence and center of Jesuit activity at Harvard.

Mr. Carroll stated, “The University has never been in a stronger position, and much of this is due to the leadership of our current president, Fr. Jeffrey von Arx, S.J., who has been instrumental in guiding the University into the 21 ^st century. We could not be more pleased with where the University is today, and its future outlook. As we approach our 75 ^th anniversary, this is a wonderful time for Fairfield University.”

Fairfield University has recently completed a new strategic plan to guide the institution into the coming years. The largest capital campaign in its history, Fairfield Rising, is approaching its conclusion and is expected to meet its $160 million target. The first phase of a new University master plan is well underway, and includes new facilities for nursing, health sciences and STEM programs, classroom and technological upgrades, state-of-the-art sports and recreational facilities, a new residence hall and an expanded student center. Fairfield has seen an increase in applicants in recent years and welcomed its largest incoming class in school history this fall.

Fairfield will ensure that its Jesuit and Catholic identity will remain at the core of its mission and vision for the future as it undergoes this important presidential transition process. For more information on Fairfield University or the presidential search process, please visit fairfield.edu/presidential-search .

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Posted On: 10-26-2016 03:10 PM

Volume: 49 Number: 56

Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University’s five schools.  In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The University is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.