 Good afternoon. Most reverend Bishop Cajano, Assistant Provincial, members of the Board of Trustees, Congressman Himes, State Senator Wong, State Representative Stratsprum, first selectman Tetro, members of the faculty, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the celebration for Dr. Mark Richard Nemek. Who with this ceremony will be invested as the ninth president of Fairfield University. Please rise for the invocation offered by Bishop Cajano and continue standing for the National Anthem and Fairfield University Alma Mater performed by the Fairfield University Glee Club under the direction of Carol Ann Maxwell. Let us pray. Lord God, you make all things new and never tire of offering us your mercy. We give you thanks on this day of great joy as we seek your abundant blessings upon Dr. Mark Nemek who will be installed as the ninth president of Fairfield University. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, this university community shares in the mission of your son to open young minds to the truths of our world, to fully develop the gifts and talents of those entrusted to its care, to teach and preach the gospel, and to reveal your loving presence in the world. Father, help everyone who forms part of this community to bear witness to our faith with integrity and courage. We especially ask your blessings upon Dr. Nemek as he formally assumes the mantle of leadership. Grant him your heavenly gifts and inspire him to lead with justice, prudence, humility, and wisdom. Help him to challenge the young people of this community to treat every person with dignity and respect and to hear the cries of the poor and vulnerable in our midst. As he assumes this office, guide him and all who will collaborate with him to conduct the affairs of this university in the ways of righteousness and faith. But loving God, we also ask that you bless Dr. Nemek's family, especially his wife, Suzanne, his children, Alex, Teddy, Philip, and Kit. Keep them in your love and protect them with your grace. Bless also the administrators, faculty, and staff in their daily work of education and formation. And may the students of this great Jesuit university be blessed with every good gift under heaven. Finally, Lord, by your grace and protection, may Dr. Nemek's work be fruitful, his days blessed, and his heart joyful. For we ask this with humility and confidence through Christ our Lord, amen. Amen. Together on this wonderful occasion and this shining day, an event as significant as the inauguration of a president occurs infrequently in the life of the university. And we have been celebrating its importance the past few days with a variety of academic, artistic, and social events, and we'll continue our inaugural events throughout alumni and parents' weekend, which begins this evening. Today, this beautiful location is the setting for the signature event of the inauguration celebration, the formal missioning and investiture of Dr. Mark Richard Nemek as the ninth president of Fairfield University. As a Catholic Jesuit university, an essential aspect of this ceremony will be the missioning of our president to carry out the transformative, educational work of Fairfield University within the Jesuit tradition. Because our university is a rich collection of diverse constituencies working toward a common goal, our ceremony includes greetings from representatives of the various groups who make up that community. And because artistic accomplishments have always played a major role in Jesuit education over the centuries, music and poetry have interwoven into the ceremony. This ceremony will most especially feature an address from our new president on this most august and celebrated day of his inaugural. I am already certain that our community will be both enhanced and enlightened by his vision and look forward to how this ceremony will make present to him the support of the deeply committed university community he finds at Fairfield. I now invite to the podium the Reverend James Maraki of the Society of Jesus, provincial assistant for higher education for the Northeast province. Father Maraki as the representative of Father Provincial Cicero will mission Mark Richard Nemek as the director of the work that is Fairfield University. Father Maraki. Bishop Casiano, members of the board of trustees, Dr. Nemek, faculty, staff and students of Fairfield University, family and friends. As provincial assistant for higher education of the Northeast province of the Society of Jesus and representative of our provincial, the very Reverend John Cicero. I am pleased to be here with you today and on behalf of all of my Jesuit brothers to offer our warm greetings and support on this momentous occasion. In my official capacity, I am also here to entrust to Dr. Nemek the leadership of a mission that the Society of Jesus has carried on at Fairfield University since 1942 when the school opened its doors to undergraduate men on this beautiful campus. In the official language of the Society of Jesus we speak of Fairfield as a Jesuit work, one that is inspired by the Ignatian Charism of seeking God in all things, of promoting a faith that does justice, of inter-religious dialogue and creative engagement with culture. And we speak of the president as the director of the work who has the responsibility of directing the apostolic work according to its proper Ignatian character. But what is the proper Ignatian character of Fairfield? Fairfield University is a modern Catholic Jesuit university rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds and faith traditions to share ideas and engage in open conversations. As a community of scholar-servant leaders, Fairfield joins in the broader task of expanding human knowledge, deepening human understanding, exploring human faiths, and serving those in great need. To this end, Fairfield encourages and supports the research and artistic expression of its faculty and students and is committed to excellence in all that it pursues. We are sure that Fairfield University under your stewardship, Dr. Nemek, will carry this vision forward through the accomplishments of its faculty, staff, and students and will continually strive for the modus in all its programs and initiatives. The Society of Jesus entrusts you today with a serious and important mission, one for which you are well prepared. Of course, you do not bear this responsibility alone. The 35th and 36th General Congregations of the Society of Jesus speak of collaboration among all our colleagues, Jesuit and lay, as being at the heart of our mission. This past year, in a formal memorandum of understanding, the northeast province of the Jesuits, the Fairfield University Jesuit community, and the University Board of Trustees pledged their shared responsibility and commitment to the Catholic and Jesuit mission of this university. In fact, the entire Fairfield University family shares this privilege and responsibility to preserve and enhance this mission. Dr. Nemek, you assume this responsibility at a challenging time in the history of our church, of our country, and of the Jesuits' mission of higher education. Pope Francis has called on Jesuit institutions to enter into true dialogue and discernment and to be engaged at the frontiers of the gospel and culture, of faith and reason, showing special concern for those on the margins of society. In a similar fashion, Father Adolfo Nicolás, the former Superior General of the Society of Jesus, encouraged leaders of Jesuit higher education around the world to guide their institutions to a greater depth of thought and imagination, to a more universal vision of their educational mission and to learned ministry in the service of faith and the promotion of justice. In the name of Father Provincial Cicero, I mission you as president of this Jesuit work, and I am grateful for your willingness to assume this sacred trust. We Jesuits look forward to working with you and seeing you further develop the Catholic Jesuit mission as an essential part of your vision for Fairfield University. May God bless you abundantly in your new mission. Thank you, Father Maraki. I now invite the Reverend Michael Sheeran of the Society of Jesus, president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities to welcome Mark Richard Nemek to the company of presidents of the Jesuit Colleges and Universities in the United States and to present a medal specially blessed by His Holiness Pope Francis, Father Sheeran. Dr. Nemek, on behalf of the students, the faculty, and staff of the 27 other American Jesuit Colleges and Universities, I am privileged to offer you welcome and congratulations. Under your guidance, May Fairfield University continue to flourish in its critical mission of shaping its faculty, staff, and students into men and women for others, men and women who serve Christ in their neighbor and in the building up of their community. In token of this, your public commitment to Jesuit education, I am proud to present this medallion of the founder of the Society of Jesus, Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The medallion was blessed in Rome by our Holy Father, Pope Francis. Thank you, Father Sheeran. Rabbi James Prosnit of the congregation, Benay Israel, will now offer a blessing. Rabbi Prosnit is well known for his rabbinical work in Fairfield County and has been serving Fairfield University for over 25 years as an adjunct professor of religious studies. He's an active presence in our Bennett Center for Judaic Studies. Rabbi Prosnit. In the book of Psalms, we read, ze ha'yom asa arnai nagila venis mechavo. This is the day that God has made. Let us exalt and rejoice in it. It is a distinct honor and privilege for me to represent my faith tradition and bring greetings and blessing to this inauguration of Dr. Mark Arnemek as the ninth president of Fairfield University. As a beacon of academic excellence, Fairfield has reached beyond the confines of this beautiful campus to enrich the lives of its neighbors. Many cherish the learning and intellectual curiosity encouraged and modeled in this place. It is in this spirit, I pray that under the leadership of Dr. Arnemek, Fairfield may continue to be a place that according to its mission statement, celebrates the God-given dignity of every person, a place where those of all beliefs and traditions may pursue scholarship, justice and truth, a place that values diversity, expands human knowledge and understanding. Eternal God, let your blessing rest upon a gifted and caring faculty, administration and staff so that they may continue to create a community of vision, honesty and respect and bless this new president and his family with civic courage, a confident and discerning mind and the humility to do your will. In Jewish tradition, a blessing is typically recited at moments of new beginnings and joyous celebrations. Baruch Ata Arnai, Eloheinu Melech Ha'ulam, Shehachianu, Vikiamanu, Vihigianu lazman hazeh, we praise you sovereign God for keeping us alive, for sustaining us and for allowing us to reach this day. Amen. Thank you Rabbi Prosnit. I now call to the podium the Reverend Thomas J. Fitzpatrick of the Society of Jesus, Spiritual Director at Fairfield University to recite his prayer poem. Though the poem entitled The Presence was originally written on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Fairfield University, which we celebrated on March 17th of this year, we thought this ceremony to be an appropriate occasion for reprising it. Dr. Fitzpatrick. The presence in our beginning, the black robes fresh from other dreams encountered the land grass that shimmies a stuttering stream, a flickering pond, trees in leafy murmurations. The presence came with them. The boys followed. Embryonic encounters sprouted, spread and deepened. The stones, dirt, fields, flung forth Berkman's, Xavier, Gonzaga, Canisius. In classrooms, corridors, residences and dining halls, echoing questions old and new shaped and reshaped the encounters. Are the five proofs of God certain or enough? Does a straight line equal the curve of a circle of infinite radius? To be or not to be relative or quantum mechanical? Shall we wrap the alleluia chorus? The presence thickened. The girls came. The vision, care and heart of women rebirthed the encounters. The earth sprung out more edifices. Dolan, Barone, Meditz, Rafferty, Egan, Lesson, de Menendicellius, quick. Encounters pulled and pushed out further life and love. Friendships blossomed into marriages. The presence continued piercing through as an arrow. Out of the reverberating form shifting encounters, a bursting personality stretched the presence out beyond itself. Encounter, embrace, love. Yes, yes, you, you, you. The presence was. The presence is. There shall be the presence. Thank you, Father Fitzpatrick. I now invite the Fairfield University Glee Club to perform. We will sing A Song of a Dream by Kevin Memley. A song commissioned in honor of the Glee Club's 70th anniversary season in 2017. The Glee Club performs under the direction of Dr. Carol Ann Maxwell, accompanied by Beth Palmer. We will sing A Song of a Dream. It benefits greatly from its location in the town of Fairfield. We take our responsibility to the town seriously and we appreciate all that the town of Fairfield has to offer our students, faculty, staff, and administrators. We are pleased that first selectman, Michael Tetro, joins us today to welcome President Nemek. First selectman, Tetro. Good afternoon. How does one offer a fitting welcome to a new president of an August University in our midst? Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines welcome as a cordial greeting of a desirable gift. Dr. Nemek, you are certainly a most desirable gift and our greetings are heartfelt and most warm. Welcome to our beautiful, special town of Fairfield. Dr. Nemek, we know you represent the finest qualities found in the Jesuit tradition of higher education. Your contributions to the Fairfield community may be just starting, but your service and dedication to this university and our community will most surely be outstanding. Fairfield University plays a pivotal role in our town as a cultural center, educational institution, and spiritual community. The breadth and influence of Fairfield University extends in every direction. We trust your leadership will continue the traditions of excellence and will strengthen the fabric of our community. Therefore, it is my sincere pleasure on behalf of 59,000 citizens of Fairfield to congratulate you on your installation as the ninth president of Fairfield University and to wish you a most blissful, successful stewardship of this wonderful institution. Welcome to Fairfield, Dr. Nemek. We are here to help you in every way. Congratulations. Thank you, Mr. Tetrow. At Fairfield University, we pride ourselves on being part of the vibrant collection of colleges and universities in the state of Connecticut. The oldest and most distinguished of which is Yale University. We are pleased to have with us today Yale University Delegate Secretary Goff Cruz. Ms. Goff Cruz is Secretary and Vice President for Student Life at Yale University. She will be representing institutions of higher learning and will now offer greetings. Ms. Goff Cruz. Good afternoon. It is my pleasure to welcome Dr. Mark Nemek on behalf of Connecticut's higher education community. Each year, American institutions of higher education, particularly those in Connecticut, graduate thousands of students in multiple disciplines and professions, support faculty who generate impactful ideas and research, and provide necessary services and programs for the benefit of our cities, the nation, and the world. We work in a noble profession, you and I, and often do so in challenging times. We depend on excellent leaders who are willing to serve and who understand the complexity of leading an institution that must focus on the past, the present, and the future. President John Quincy Adams once said, if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader. I believe that Dr. Nemek will be this kind of education leader for Fairfield and for Connecticut. As you may know, Dr. Nemek received his bachelor's degree in English cum laude from Yale in 1991. And while at Yale, you may not know that he was also an all Ivy League rugby player. We like to think that his early academic success and his athletic prowess set the stage for his successful career in both business and then in academia, where he has already approved and experienced leader. He brings with him to Fairfield, not only wisdom, good sense, and good humor, but also important leadership experiences that will serve him and Connecticut well. And what better time to lead? Higher education traditionally faces a wide range of challenges, political, financial, social, pedagogical. But today, one of the most significant challenges is being that bridge between the past and present in service of the future. How can institutions of higher education fulfill their mission of helping their students understand the cutting edge of contemporary thought while learning from and respecting the past and looking toward the future? Catholic colleges and universities like Fairfield occupy an important place in the landscape of American higher education. They are rooted in a long, unbroken intellectual tradition that embraces both the past and the present with confidence. I trust Dr. Nimmick's stewardship of Fairfield University will exhibit that forward-looking confidence while reminding students of their indebtedness to the intellectual and moral accomplishments of past generations. Today, so much of the national discourse is about the role of higher education in society. Many polls show that Americans do not value higher educational institutions in the same way that they once did. I hope that Dr. Nimmick will also participate in the public discussion of the goals and purposes of higher education. It is inevitable that those who lead institutions of higher learning find themselves spending significant times discussing budgets, institutional advancement, athletics, and financial aid. But by training, temperament, and scholarly research, Mark Nimmick brings to Fairfield, to the state of Connecticut, and to higher education in general, the capacity to connect the necessary practical concerns of institutional life with a larger picture of the moral and civic goals of colleges and universities. It is essential that universities not only prosper and sustain themselves, yes, but it is also important to create an environment in which democratic debate, free expression, self-criticism, and social justice are embraced. I hope that he lives the great end, as the bishop said this morning, and he gets to sing like the choir said just now. But I am delighted that he will now be in a position to do that. So, Dr. Nimmick, I'm not only honored to welcome you back to Connecticut, dear friend, but also grateful that you have actually chosen to answer the call to lead. I know that you will inspire Fairfield students, and you will support faculty, staff, and alumni in the Jesuit tradition, to dream more, to learn more, do more, and become more. Welcome home, Dr. Nimmick. We are enormously fortunate, and we are grateful that you are here. Thank you, Secretary Gough Cruise. I am happy to welcome to the podium the director of the Fairfield Jesuit community, the Reverend Michael Tunney of the Society of Jesus. Father Tunney also serves as an adjunct professor in the department of studio art and the department of religious studies. Father Tunney. Now formally missioned by the Society of Jesus and the person of the Reverend James Murracky, provincial assistant for higher education Northeast Province Society of Jesus, Dr. Mark Richard Nimmick assumes the mantle of dignity and responsibility as Fairfield's president. As rector of the Fairfield Jesuit community, I welcome you warmly to our community and along with my brother Jesuits, look forward to working alongside you to advance the mission of Fairfield University, the modern Catholic Jesuit University. Our Catholic Jesuit ethos and educational philosophy help transform our students into the men and women for others that our world so sorely needs. We as members of the Society of Jesus bring our training, the gifts of the spiritual exercises and our commitment to the intellectual apostolate. Together these animate the spirit and hope that is at the heart of Fairfield University. We Jesuits serve as priests, brothers, scholars, teachers, ministers and colleagues to the Fairfield University community. You, Dr. Nimmick, as leader of this community can be assured that we Jesuits will walk with you as our collaborators, companions and guides. Thus, as rector of this community, I pledge the support of my brother Jesuits within our community to you and your family as you shepherd this institution. Today we offer our prayers, our blessing and our heartfelt welcome on this occasion of your investiture as president of Fairfield University. Thank you, Father Tunney. I'm happy to invite the Reverend Thomas Samiski of the Society of Jesus, president of the Fairfield Preparatory School to extend greetings. Fairfield Prep is a vital and lively component of our campus community. Father Samiski. It is my privilege as president of Fairfield College Preparatory School to extend our greeting to you, President Nimmick. As a scholar of political science, faculty member and former dean, you now assume the mantle of dignity and responsibility as the ninth president of this great university. Deeply appreciative of the special relationship in interwoven Jesuit mission of Fairfield Prep and Fairfield University, we at Prep wish you every success. As one unified work of the Society of Jesus, together we strive to be leaders in Jesuit education. No other school in the world is a member of both the association of Jesuit colleges and universities and the Jesuit schools network. Our ability to connect and share resources positions us well for future opportunities. While Prep and the university serve students of different ages and backgrounds, we are firmly committed to our common tradition focused on academic excellence, caring for the whole person and finding God in all things. Today, Fairfield Prep and Fairfield University join in common prayer that God may continue to bless Dr. Nemek and his family with wisdom, courage and a sense of humor and that God may guide us along his path and strengthen us for this journey and faith. Thank you. Critical to the continuing success of and also dear to all of us at the university are its alumni. Mr. John Pagano, president of the Fairfield University Alumni Association will speak on behalf of alumni everywhere who support the university in large and small ways every day. President Nemek, as president of the Fairfield University Alumni Association, it is my honor and privilege to welcome you as our ninth university president. For our over 42,000 graduates, the extraordinary history, growth and accomplishments of our alma mater and the education we received during our days here make us proud to call ourselves alumni. As ambassadors for Fairfield, we are honored to give back to a university that gave us so much. Our Jesuit education taught us to be men and women who possess sound ethical worldview and who understand the responsibility to concern ourselves with the less fortunate. We know that under your leadership, Fairfield University will continue to graduate students who will carry on this tradition of service to others. We look forward to seeing you at alumni events across the country and working with you to spread stag pride worldwide. Congratulations. Thank you, Mr. Pagano. Essential to the life of the university and central to our mission of Jesuit education are the faculty who educate our students in part by practicing with them the habits of mind crucial to creating their world-class creative activity and scholarship. The secretary of the general faculty, Susan Rakowitz, assistant professor of psychology, on behalf of the entire faculty will extend to President Nemek his formal membership into the general faculty and the department of politics. Dr. Nemek, it is my privilege as secretary of the general faculty to welcome you as president and as a professor in the department of politics, both as president and professor of politics, you are a member of the general faculty here at Fairfield University. The faculty of Fairfield University will work with you in a collegial manner to enhance and advance the quality of the educational experience and the intellectual environment for the entire community. Our university mission celebrates our liberal arts core, our strong professional schools and most importantly, our call to provide our students and the wider community an intellectual and social experience grounded in the Jesuit ideals of higher education. We as faculty strive to bring this mission alive in all our endeavors. As faculty, we bring a variety of talents and a deep commitment to the life and mission of the university. As teachers and scholars, we pride ourselves on placing great emphasis on student learning and student engagement with research. Our dedication to teaching, to research and to social outreach projects as well as professional involvement in our various disciplines bodes well for the future of Fairfield University. Thank you, Dr. Rakowitz. I now invite to the podium Mr. Lauren Testani, manager of employment, to offer greetings on behalf of the staff of Fairfield University. Mr. Testani serves this year as president of the Fairfield University Staff Association. Among many other valuable services, the staff association provides opportunities for staff to gather for cross-divisional activities and supports a generous scholarship for an undergraduate student. Mr. Testani. As president of the staff association, it is my privilege on behalf of the university staff to welcome you, Dr. Nemek, as our new president. The staff comprises over 500 dedicated employees across 13 divisions. Our work covers the entire spectrum of the university operations. We serve students, faculty, administrators in the greater university community in so many ways. People are drawn to work at Fairfield because of our mission to provide a transformative experience for everyone engaged with Fairfield. Our individual responsibilities in large and small ways help constitute the spirit that is Fairfield University. We look forward to supporting you as you lead our university. Thank you, Mr. Testani. Fairfield University, a master's comprehensive university, offers graduate degrees in 42 distinct academic programs. Ms. Breanna Tancredi, a graduate student from the Dolan School of Business, will speak on behalf of our 1,080 graduate students. Welcome, Dr. Nemek. It is my privilege on this occasion to represent the graduate students of the various schools and colleges of Fairfield University. We welcome you as our ninth president and support you and your efforts to further the intellectual, spiritual, and social outreach goals of Fairfield University. Graduate education has been a part of the university since its earliest years when the first master's degrees were awarded in 1951 by Fairfield's oldest school of education and allied professions. Other graduate programs followed in the Dolan School of Business, the School of Nursing, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Engineering, with a total of 30 graduate degree programs offered today. The women and men who attend these professional programs come to Fairfield University to participate in an educational experience that has an outstanding reputation for academic rigor and relevance. When I complete my graduate degree, I, like many others, will come away with the necessary insights, expertise, and credentials to develop and advance both intellectually and professionally. We will all come away with a fuller appreciation of the ethical underpinnings of all the educational offerings for which Fairfield University is known. Graduate students, most of us part-time, bring to Fairfield a rich array of our own work and life experiences to the classroom, where we are met with an exceptional degree of warmth and respect among faculty and students. This graduate experience will enrich our lives, both personally and professionally, when we leave Fairfield as well-trained and compassionate individuals. We look forward to working with you, Dr. Nemek, and together fulfilling the Fairfield University goal of learning and integrity while developing men and women for others. We welcome you and wish you much success and satisfaction in your presidency at Fairfield University. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Tancredi. The undergraduate students at Fairfield University, number 3,800, and at this ceremony are represented by Ms. Kara Gibbons, President of the Fairfield University Student Association. Ms. Gibbons will now offer a welcome from the undergraduate. Welcome, President Nemek. It is my privilege on this occasion as the President of the Fairfield University Student Association to represent the undergraduate students. We welcome you as our ninth president and support you and your efforts to further the intellectual, spiritual, and social goals of the Fairfield University community. Undergraduate education at Fairfield University has always centered around the ideal of men and women for others and the care of the whole person. Our undergraduate education across all of the schools is seen in a sound liberal arts core curriculum combined with superb education in our chosen profession of field. The vibrancy of the undergraduate experience at Fairfield University rest in our academic achievements as well as our social engagements with each other and with the world around us. We as undergraduates excel in service to the community. Our mission volunteer trips make a difference for us and others around the world. We have consistently been recognized for our efforts in hunger cleanup. As an undergraduate group, we also hold a very strong record intellectually in earning Fulbright awards and other prestigious academic awards. Our life at Fairfield is a balance of intellectual and social activity. We pride ourselves on our strong athletic and intramural activities as well as our extensive student performing art groups. We look forward to working with you to enhance the undergraduate experience for all of our students. As undergraduates, we chose Fairfield University for its Jesuit tradition for its opportunities to interact with faculty and for the opportunity to grow with an extraordinary group of young people. I speak for all the students when I say that the seniors in their last year as well as the freshmen looking forward to four years at Fairfield University are all pleased to welcome you and we pledge to work with you to enhance the educational and social experiences at Fairfield University for all of us. We wish you well and we assure you support. Thank you. Thank you Ms. Gibbons. This afternoon, we are fortunate to have as members of the platform party two prior presidents of Fairfield University. The Reverend Jeffrey P. Von Arks of the Society of Jesus and Dr. Lynn Babington, now president of Chaminade University. Father Von Arks served Fairfield from 2004 to 2016 and President Babington graciously led the university in 2017 until the arrival of Dr. Mark Nemek. Father Von Arks will first present the university MACE to President Nemek. Following the presentation of the MACE, Father Von Arks will be joined by President Babington to bestow on Dr. Nemek the chain of office. Dr. Nemek, the MACE symbolizes the president's authority and responsibility to support and encourage the seeking of knowledge by students and faculty. As is appropriate for Fairfield University, it contains the seals of the Society of Jesus, of the university and of the state of Connecticut. On its sphere is a silver cross indicating the illuminating power of the church and the world. We present this MACE to you this day to emphasize the higher calling as the Jesuit motto inscribed here states. The university exists and the president leads a Majorum Day Glorium for the greater glory of God. The office, the noble symbol of the office of the president is a cast medallion of the university seal. Fairfield seal combines elements of the badge of the Society of Jesus, the coat of arms of the diocese of Hartford and clusters of grapes taken from the town of Fairfield seal denoting the verdant fields of this town and county. Dr. Mark Richard Nemek, we are happy to place on you the chain of office worn by the president of Fairfield University. The leadership and future of this very special university now rests with you. May you enjoy your tenure as president and may God continue to bless you in Fairfield University. Thank you, Father Von Arks and President Babington. I am now honored to invite Mr. Frank J. Carroll III, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, to formally invest Dr. Mark Richard Nemek as the ninth president of Fairfield University. As chairman of the Board of Trustees, it is my happy privilege to invest you with the powers of the president of Fairfield University. I invest you with the power to confer degrees, to grant promotion and tenure, to represent Fairfield University in all matters related to the mission of the university. I and my fellow board members are confident that our university will flourish under your guidance. As a symbol of your office, I entrust you with the charter of Fairfield University. May God bless you in your endeavors and may Fairfield University continue to prosper. Thank you, Mr. Carroll. Assistant Provincial, members of the Board of Trustees, elected officials, honored guests, faculty, students, staff, and administrators. I now present to you Dr. Mark Richard Nemek, the ninth president of Fairfield University to give his inaugural address. Members of the Board of Trustees, presidents Von Arks and Babington, Bishop Cagiano, Assistant Provincial Maracchi and other religious and community leaders, Congressman Himes and other elected officials, fellow presidents and their delegates, members of the Fairfield Jesuit community, faculty and staff of Fairfield University, students of Fairfield University, alumni, friends, and family. It is a great and humbling honor to welcome you all to our campus and our community. As I now have the chance to reciprocate the amazingly warm and supportive reception, Susie, our four children, Alex, Teddy, Philip, and Kit, and I have received from this wonderful place. In addition to welcoming you, I would like to begin by offering a reflection on Fairfield's past as a springboard for a broader conversation about our future. As a university's ninth Ignatian but first lay leader, I am called to serve as steward of this institution with a sense of awesome responsibility. Awesome in the sense of being in awe, but also as someone who grew up in Southern California in the early 80s, awesome in the sense of being utmost excited at the prospect. A tangible sense of awe and excitement might be true for any new president, but to be asked to lead this institution at this time is truly a privilege. 2017 marks the 75th anniversary of Fairfield's founding. While any diamond jubilee is an occasion to celebrate, I would politely suggest ours is particularly unique. For when we pause a moment to reflect on Fairfield's founding date of 1942, we are struck by the audacity of our founders. Think about it. To establish an institution of learning in the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor when both college-aged students and building materials would be in short supply speaks to a deep and unceasing faith in the dignifying power of education. This faith was soon rewarded as the passage of the GI Bill greatly expanded access to higher education and allowed the fledgling Fairfield University to grow rapidly in response to many first-generation students from the region. Starting with our first college graduates in the class of 1951, we quickly expanded and developed in keeping with our founding vision as a comprehensive institution serving undergraduate and graduate populations. Recognizing the need to evolve 20 years after that first graduating class, Fairfield accepted our first class of women in 1971. Building upon this legacy and buoyed by a remarkable and dedicated community, the last 40 years have seen Fairfield on an exceptional trajectory of continued growth and enhanced impact as we seek to further serve the Northeast United States and beyond. As someone who has been described in one publication as an historically-minded political scientist, I offer this context not simply as an exercise in nostalgia, but rather as a frame for thinking about our future. I also offer it with a civilian recognition of the power and significance of civic institutions to the American experiment and to a belief that our universities have been an essential, if not arguably, the essential civic institution to the relative success of that experiment. However, currently, we are at an inflection point, a point at which the long-term prospects for the American democratic experiment are by no means guaranteed and the role of higher education as the formational, intellectual, social, and cultural institution for its citizenry is under scrutiny as not only our relevance, but the fundamental good of our work is being questioned. Though daunting, our prospects are not bleak. In fact, I would suggest that just as the pains of the Civil War and reconstruction in the upheaval, the late 1800s forged the 20th century university, a model which has served us for the last 125 years or so, our current environment presents us with a chance to define the next 125 years of higher education. What will the next 75, 100, 125 years look like? I won't pretend to offer an answer, let alone hazard a guess. I do, however, wish to use this occasion as a platform to begin this conversation. The world needs the work we do, but we must also, as my predecessor has stated, meet the world as it is. We must be committed to remain relevant. For Fairfield, this is a unique opportunity, an opportunity to be a model for 21st century higher education, an opportunity to be the modern Jesuit Catholic university. Thankfully, our legacy, the amazing work and dedication of previous generations of students, faculty, staff, and Jesuits, means we are poised for this moment. For while I do not know what the next 75 years holds, I do know that values-based, student-centric, outcomes-focused education, the kind of education that Fairfield offers is what will define the modern university. Before I share some thoughts on the characteristics and parameters of the modern Jesuit Catholic university, let me stress, this is not a call for radical change. But rather a call for deliberate evolution. And like any organic and organizational evolution, it is about taking aspects of our being and adapting them to a changing environment. Our mission remains clear. The formation of men and women for others with the desire they pursue social justice and productive citizenship. To ensure we are most effective in this purpose, I would ask we be more deliberate about three particular characteristics of our efforts and cognizant of three parameters of our work. Our efforts to be the modern Jesuit Catholic university will be defined by three characteristics. A commitment to lifelong learning. A commitment to holistic formation and a commitment to extensive and expansive partnership. Allow me a few moments to further illuminate each and to begin by emphasizing we will embrace all three with mages, a dedication to excellence in all things. First, we must continue to recognize that we are not simply training men and women for their first job or next stage of education. Rather, we are forming them for a lifetime of learning. The world is at a remarkable moment. Advances in wellness and healthcare mean for the first time in human history, the number of people over the age of 65 is greater than the number of people under the age of five. We also know that many of the bodies of knowledge and disciplines, let alone careers, which will shape the next century, have yet to be developed. Practically, for Fairfield, these phenomenon mean we need to ensure all our students are not simply taught skills, but rather are instilled with a capacity that serves them for their lifetime. Additionally, it means we need to be continually growing and developing graduate and professional programs which serve students over the course of their lives. Fairfield's founding purpose as a comprehensive institution means we have always recognized this characteristic. We must now deliberately bring it to the forefront. Second, the modern Jesuit Catholic University must be committed to forming well-rounded men and women, educating them through a commitment to core personalities. Caring for the mind, caring for the body, and caring for the spirit. Some might rightfully ask how modern such a concept really is, as it stems from an almost 500-year tradition of Ignatian spirituality. However, cura personalis has a uniquely modern resonance as scholars of neuroscience have begun to appreciate how the body knows its mind. In other words, learning is enhanced, education is more impactful when we recognize the connection between physicality and cognition. In recent years, we have affirmed Fairfield's commitment not just to the mind, but also the body and the spirit of our students and must continue to do so in the years ahead. Third, to be a model for 21st century higher education, we must be expansive in efforts and extensive in outreach. Looking beyond our disciplines and our schools, we must continue to foster a multidisciplinarity which is more than simple collaborations across faculty, but rather a mindset which encourages faculty and students to pursue knowledge through a systematic inquiry which perfectly reaches for frameworks of analysis outside of one's home, discipline, and field. Again, I share these characteristics not as a suggestion to pivot from our past, but rather as a call to be deliberate about our future. In being deliberate, I ask we focus not just on the characteristics of our work, but on its parameters. For if we are to be modern, if we are to be the modern Jesuit Catholic University, we must also be national in scope, global in outlook, and unbounded in approach. Fairfield's location as a gateway to both New England and the Tri-State region and our origins as an institution serving local students are two attributes of which we're justifiably proud. At the same time, however, shifting demographics that declined in the Northeast college age population suggest we will not be able to maintain the quality of student or scale of enrollment we desire by simply focusing where we always have. I've been asked if I'm worried that being national in scope will mean we lose something unique about Fairfield. I would propose the opposite. I fear that if we stay regionally focused, we will have to compromise on our values and on our quality. Being national in approach is essential if we are to maintain and enhance inclusive excellence. Regardless of from where our students, faculty, and staff join to be a modern Jesuit Catholic University, we must ensure we are forming men and women with the broadest possible outlook. For while we recognize that we are an institution molded by the great advance of American higher education over these last 125 years, we are also part of a Jesuit tradition that from its very outset look beyond home nation and are part of the 21st century where excellence demands a global habit of mind. Having sat almost exactly two years ago to this day interviewing prospective graduate students in the beautiful Indo-Gothic courtyard of the Jesuit Saint Xavier's College Autonomous of the University of Mumbai, I can attest to how a setting might be foreign, but our values can be so shared and so familiar. It is owing to these same values that we must also be unbounded in approach. As a Jesuit Catholic University, we are called to educate ever broader populations in ever more innovative ways. As a modern institution, we recognize that formation is not limited to the classroom. Co and extracurricular experiences are as fundamental to our overall work as seminars and lectures. Additionally, as a 21st century educational enterprise, we are blessed with tools of the digital age which offer unfathomable opportunities for impact and inclusion, but which simultaneously can literally be weapons of societal decay. However, the dark side of the internet should never turn us away from its potential. Our mission demands we are continually seeking to expand our impact. We must use every resource at our disposal. Or to put it simply, I have hypothesized that none of the Jesuit community here at Fairfield have disagreed. If the internet were available in Saint Ignatius Loyola's day, you know he would have used it. You may have noticed the three characteristics and three parameters I described are not mutually exclusive. In fact, I believe they are inextricably linked. Dare I say unified. And it is with this thought that I wanna close by reflecting on what it means for Fairfield to be a modern university, in opposition to the post-modern multiversity. To be a university, we must always celebrate and embrace the truth. Fundamental to this pursuit of truth is civil discourse and disagreement. As Robert George and Cornell West have jointly written, quote, the pursuit of knowledge and the maintenance of a free and democratic society require the cultivation and practice of the virtues of intellectual humility, openness of mind, and above all, love of truth. These virtues will manifest themselves and be strengthened by one's willingness to listen attentively and respectively to intelligent people who challenge one's belief and who represent causes one disagrees with and points of view one does not share. None of us is infallible. All of us should be willing, even eager, to engage with anyone who is prepared to do business in the currency of truth-seeking discourse by offering reasons, marshaling evidence, and making arguments. The more important the subject under discussion, the more willing we should be to listen and engage, especially if the person with whom we are in conversation will challenge or deeply held, even our most cherished and identity-forming beliefs, end quote. While a statement for the modern context, George and West are also reflecting two fundamental Ignatian values, contemplation and discernment, and ability to pause, and ability to listen, and ability to think. As steward of this great university, this is my one ask, my one prayer for us all, that we as an institution, we as a community, we as a family continue to uphold our core values and commitments while embracing the challenge of being a model for the 21st century. So we may make the most of our blessings, so we may continue our rise, and so we may do so all for the greater glory of God. Thank you very much. Thank you, Dr. Nemeck. To bring the investor to a close, the Reverend Mark Scalise of the Society of Jesus, Director of Campus Ministry will offer the benediction. Reverend Scalise. Let us pray. Good and gracious God. Source of life and wisdom. We conclude this happy occasion by giving you thanks and asking your blessings. We thank you for the gifts you have conferred upon Fairfield University. Our students whose idealism and open spirits fill us with hope. Our staff whose care and dedication to our students inspire us. Our faculty whose scholarship helps us to understand our world and enlarges our intellectual horizons. Our administrators whose management of the university and vision for its future lead us forward. We thank you for the trustees who make certain that Fairfield continues to thrive and remains financially secure. And for the many benefactors and friends whose generosity make it all possible. Loving God. At this unique moment in Fairfield's history, we ask you to bless Dr. Mark Nemek now as he formally assumes his duties as its ninth president. Be with him, guide him and sustain him. May the ideals with which he begins his service remain with him always, and may his leadership both inspire and draw upon the collective talents that surround him. Bless to Dr. Nemek's wife and children whose own lives are impacted by his new role. May they grow and thrive here, and may Fairfield become for them a place of real community, deep friendship and true home. Finally, Lord, on this special occasion, continue to bless Fairfield University. May this school always educate women and men who uphold the highest ideals of the Jesuit and Catholic education that they have received, and in doing so, give ever greater glory to you. We ask this knowing that you are our loving God for ever and ever. Amen. On behalf of all present, may I say congratulations, President Nemek, ninth president of Fairfield University. Thank you.