A Transformative Year of Impact through the Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning
As artificial intelligence continues to transform how we live, work and even think, Iona University has established itself at the forefront of teaching and learning in this new era.
Rooted in the legacy of Blessed Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers, Iona embraces AI not as a threat to be tamed or a tool to be blindly adopted, but as an opportunity to enrich the learning process and reawaken our understanding of what it means to be human.
Over the past year, a series of dynamic initiatives launched through the Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning have become cornerstones of innovation, ethical inquiry and academic excellence. More than just a physical space, the Gabelli Center is the intellectual heart of a bold new vision—one that empowers faculty and prepares students not only to succeed, but to pursue wisdom in a world increasingly dominated by distractions.
Among its dynamic initiatives are scholarships for future Catholic school teachers; a robust speaker series bringing leading voices to campus; faculty fellowships that advance pedagogical innovation; and AI training for K-12 Catholic and public school educators.
“We need to be cognizant that our students are already in a world in which the influence of AI is everywhere, whether they know it or not. And, as so many of our alumni are telling us, these tools are becoming more and more prominent in the workplace in every industry,” said President Seamus Carey, Ph.D. “So, it is incumbent upon us to help students understand both the possibilities and the limits of AI, including the ethical dimensions and the deeper values that support human flourishing over a lifetime.”
Shaped by the vision of Marc Gabelli, the work being done exemplifies his longstanding commitment to Catholic education. The Gabelli Center is generously supported by Mr. Gabelli; his mother, Elaine Madonna Gabelli, a longtime Catholic elementary school teacher; and the EMG Madonna Foundation, which is committed to strengthening the future of Catholic schools.
“This is not about a building,” said Mr. Gabelli. “Teaching is at the core of my family. And we’re now at a time where the offering of teaching—driven partly by AI, but certainly by technology—is going to be turned on its head. So, when we started talking about how we can strengthen teaching in our Catholic schools, it also became quite apparent that what we needed was a more integrated, faith-based approach—and a Center, in effect. And Seamus was generous to say, I have just the spot for that.”
From Left: Dr. Tom Chatfield, author of “Wise Animals: How Technology Has Made Us What We Are,” and Jim Mustich, senior advisor to the president. Dr. Shannon Vallor, author of “The A.I. Mirror: How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking.”
From Left: Dr. Christine Hardigree, right, engages educators at Cardinal Hayes High School as part of the AI@Iona teacher training initiative. Princeton University’s Dr. D. Graham Burnett discusses “Exploring Attention: Human Fracking, AI & the Future of Care” in Bronxville.
From left: June Gondi, of The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Penn., poses a question at the Gabelli Center’s fall conference, “The Future of Teaching: Writing, Reading & Thinking in the AI Age.” Educators from the Bronxville school district completed the AI@Iona micro-credential training program.
From Left: Iona Provost Dr. Tricia Mulligan kicking off “The Future of Teaching” conference. Jeffrey Saviano ’89 discusses AI governance and ethics as part of the Presidential Speaker Series. Among other appointments, he notably serves on the Vatican’s AI Council of the Pontifical Academy for Life’s RenAIssance Foundation.
Located adjacent to Ryan Library on the New Rochelle campus, the newly renovated 1,400-square-foot space serves as both a physical and intellectual catalyst for creativity, collaboration and pedagogical innovation. In September, Iona hosted the official ribbon cutting and blessing ceremony for the new space.
The dedication was held in tandem with the Gabelli Center’s fall conference, titled “The Future of Teaching: Writing, Reading and Thinking in the AI Age.” A capacity crowd of nearly 300 K-12, higher ed and Catholic school educators attended the full-day conference, showcasing Iona’s growing leadership in AI-aware pedagogy.
“Iona University is ahead of many other universities, and so I am super encouraged,” said John Warner, acclaimed author and the conference’s keynote speaker. “The University takes its mission seriously—to develop human beings. I think that’s important, so that the use of AI, or integration of AI, is going to come in a way that supports human flourishing, as opposed to a substitute for human output or labor.”
Meeting the AI Moment
AI@IONA OUTREACH
Through a five-module training program, the AI@Iona micro-credential program equips K-12 educators with the tools and resources to navigate AI’s growing influence. Partners have included Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, as well as the districts of Yonkers, Bronxville and Rye, with additional schools signing on.
GABELLI CERTA SCHOLARS
The Gabelli Certa Scholars Program provides Catholic schools in the tri-state area with a pipeline of well-prepared, passionate educators committed to teaching in K-12 Catholic schools. As Iona students work toward their master’s degrees in education, they receive free graduate tuition and an immersive experience of teaching and learning with Catholic schools in the region.
PRESIDENTIAL SPEAKER SERIES
The Presidential Speaker Series has been a dynamic forum designed to spark dialogue within Iona and the community at large. Iona has hosted renowned experts to explore the profound implications of artificial intelligence in diverse professional fields.
PRESIDENTIAL & PROVOST FELLOWSHIPS
Faculty Fellows are leading strategic, cross-disciplinary efforts to address the role of AI in education by fostering collaboration, shaping practical guidelines and advancing shared learning across campus and beyond.
“The Gabelli Center is not only a physical space—it is a promise; a promise that Iona University will remain at the forefront of innovation while staying deeply rooted in the fundamentals of teaching and learning,” said Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D., provost & senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “It has enabled us to accomplish meaningful work over the past year and has fostered an environment where faculty can engage deeply with ideas, with one another and with the resources they need to lead and serve as exceptional educators.”
Marc Gabelli speaks at the dedication of the Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning.
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