10 November 2014 - The Investiture Ceremony for the first lay and Filipino President of St. John’s University in Queens, New York, Dr. Conrado Gempesaw, was officially held on October 24 at the Carnesecca Arena at the campus of St. John’s University. Attending officials included His Excellency, The Most Rev. Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations; Rev. Gregorio L. Bañaga, President of Adamson University; Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. and Consul General Mario L. De Leon, Jr.
In his Investiture Address, President Gempesaw conveyed his vision and mission to help further upgrade the academic programs and campus facilities of St. John’s University as it approaches its 150th year anniversary.
After the ceremony, Ambassador Cuisia and Consul General De Leon held a short meeting with the Filipino-American students of the University and discussed the various projects and initiatives which the students could engage in for the advancement of the Filipino community in New York and throughout the Northeast U.S. region. Ambassador Cuisia also briefed them on the good news about the economic progress of the Philippines.
Dr. Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw became the 17th President of the University on July 01. An accomplished scholar, teacher, and administrator, he has nearly three decades of academic and administrative experience. He previously served as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He earned his B.A. in Economics from Ateneo de Davao University in the Philippines, and holds an M.S. in Agricultural Economics from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from The Pennsylvania State University. He is married to Clavel Albay Gempesaw and they have two sons. END