The longest-serving president of Saint Peter’s University, Eugene Cornacchia, will retire from his position at the Jersey City school next year.

New Jersey’s only Jesuit college/university announced Aug. 23 that Cornacchia has decided to retire at the end of his current contract on June 30, 2024.

The first lay president to lead the school, Cornacchia began his term as the 22nd president of Saint Peter’s in 2007. According to the school, his tenure has been characterized by “transformative leadership, unwavering dedication and a fierce commitment to academic excellence and the Jesuit mission.”

Cornacchia taught at Saint Peter’s for 20 years before serving as academic dean, then provost and vice president for academic affairs, and ultimately president.

“As a new faculty member in 1981, I never could have imagined having the opportunity to lead this great institution as president,” Cornacchia said in a statement. “Together, we have accomplished many of the goals I set out to achieve for the University and I could not be more proud or more grateful for this incredible community. My love for Saint Peter’s will never waver.”

Saint Peter’s shared a number of accomplishments from Cornacchia’s time at the helm, including:

• Expanding academic programs, leading to a 50% increase in graduate students.
• Achieving university status.
• Initiation of the school’s first doctoral programs as well as establishing three of the four schools at the university: the Frank J. Guarini School of Business, a School of Nursing and the Caulfield School of Education.
• National recognition by U.S. News & World Report, the American Council on Education, Money magazine, Princeton Review Green Colleges, Carnegie Community Engagement Classification and Excelencia in Education, among others.
• Partnering with the Archdiocese of Newark to assume responsibility for St. Aedan’s Church. Now a university church, St. Aedan’s: The Saint Peter’s University Church enables the school to provide appropriate worship and programmatic space to the Saint Peter’s family and its surrounding community.
• Establishing the University’s Campus Kitchen, which has recovered 151,093 pounds of food and delivered 131,458 meals throughout Hudson County since its inception in 2014; and the Ignite Institute for entrepreneurial empowerment to advance equity and social justice.

Cornacchia has also overseen a physical transformation of Saint Peter’s, including with the construction of the Mac Mahon Student Center; Panepinto Hall, a new six-story residence hall; the creation of the Run Baby Run Arena; the addition of the Digital Research Commons in the Theresa and Edward O’Toole Library; and the creation of the STEM Empowerment Center; among other projects.

His leadership helped the school to successfully navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, and Cornacchia emerged as a “brand champion” during the Saint Peter’s Peacocks’ men’s basketball team’s historic run in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

On the rise

According to Saint Peter’s, one of Cornacchia’s key priorities during his last year leading the school is to raise funding to help its position in the future. In 2014, he set fundraising records by securing $64.7 million for Students at the Center: The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University. This past December, the school launched the public portion of its Peacocks Rise: The Campaign for Saint Peter’s University, which raised $70 million during its private phase alone, according to the school.

In addition to raising funds, the university secured $25 million in federal grants during Cornacchia’s lead.

“Dr. Cornacchia has been a visionary leader who has made an indelible mark on the institution. His collaborative leadership has brought Saint Peter’s to new heights and his accomplishments have been immeasurable,” said Kenneth Moore, CFA ’91, chair of the Saint Peter’s University board of trustees. “The Board of Trustees is deeply grateful for President Cornacchia’s dedication and service and we are fortunate to have his leadership for another academic year.”

Cornacchia has been recognized for his leadership externally, as well, including on NJBIZ’s Education Power 50 list for the past three years; the 2023 version will publish Sept. 18.

According to Saint Peter’s, a search for the university’s 23rd president is underway.