Saturday, May 12, 2012

SBS alumna, Dr. Horvath, named SUNY Fredonia President!


SAINT BENEDICT SCHOOL WELCOMES DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA
     Thursday, May 17, 2012
     Following 8:15am Ascension Thursday Mass
     St. Benedict Church 
     1317 Eggert Road (corner of Eggert Rd. and Main St., Amherst, NY)

St. Benedict School will welcome Dr. Virginia Schaefer Horvath, incoming President of SUNY Fredonia, as a distinguished alumna speaker in celebration of the school’s 90th anniversary.  From Buffalo to Ohio to Japan and to Fredonia, Dr. Horvath will share the highlights of the journey her life has taken since her 8th grade graduation from St. Benedict School in 1971.  Topics will include the career path that has led her to her prestigious appointment as President, her experiences as a student at St. Benedict School, the difference Catholic education made in her life, and the importance of education in general. 
Dr. Horvath will become SUNY Fredonia’s 13th President as of July 1, 2012.  A native of Western New York and a SUNY alumna, she has been Vice President for Academic Affairs at SUNY Fredonia since 2005 and holds faculty rank as a Professor of English.  As Vice President, she oversees a $26.9 million annual budget that includes all academic programs, Rockefeller Arts Center, Reed Library, information technology, graduate studies and research, Lifelong Learning, and a range of academic support services at SUNY Fredonia. She is also co-chair of the strategic planning committee that has developed the Power of Fredonia plan. Accomplishments in Academic Affairs under her leadership include the addition of numerous academic programs, the development of an annual electronic University Catalog, successful accreditation initiatives, significant growth in the international student population, more than 100 successful tenure-track faculty hires, updates to technology and classrooms, and the establishment of the Professional Development Center, the Fredonia Academic Community Engagement (FACE) Center, and the Office of Student Creative Activity and Research (OSCAR).  She has collaborated on various initiatives with the Student Affairs and Advancement divisions.  She has been a member of Fredonia’s Student Association Board of Directors since 2005. 

Dr. Horvath is the daughter of Paul Schaefer, who remains an active and well-respected member of St. Benedict Parish and Holy Name Society.  Dr. Horvath is one of seven Schaefer children who have all gone on to outstanding careers, and who are all St. Benedict School graduates.  We hope you will join us for the 8:15AM Mass on May 17 and help us welcome Dr. Horvath home!