Seton Hall University Receives $500,000 Gift

University president and first lady personally invested in students and faculty with a half-million-dollar donation

On Feb 16, 2022

Seton Hall University has received a $500,000 gift from its president, Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D., and his wife, Kelli Nyre, which will underwrite scholarships for students and innovative research and instructional activities of faculty.

“We are blessed to have a President and First Lady who are committed advocates for college affordability and faculty support,” said Kevin H. Marino, Esq., chair of the Seton Hall University Board of Regents. “The Nyres stand behind the very priorities they ask others to support. That is the essence and validation of leadership, and we are grateful to have them at the helm.”

President and Kelli Nyre meet regularly with Seton Hall donors across the country, so they are intimately familiar with the University’s priorities and the tremendous impact of philanthropic gifts on the University and its students and faculty.

“We are very fortunate to be part of the Seton Hall community and to see first-hand the transformation that takes place on our campuses,” said Kelli Nyre. “If we’re asking people to give to Seton Hall, we need to show that we believe in Seton Hall and its people, one hundred percent.”

The gift will be added to the university endowment. Although the Nyres will not have any personal control over how the funds will be allocated, they expressed their strong desire that the university use the money towards financial scholarships for students and funding for faculty research and instruction.

“When it comes to helping students with financial need, for us it’s personal,” said Kelli Nyre. “I remember our discussions when Joe was in graduate school about someday having the opportunity to help students struggling financially.” As a first-generation college student, President Nyre joined the Navy and benefited from the GI Bill, relied on family, worked full-time while in college and assumed student loans to pay for his education. Indeed, the President is known to frequently repeat his mantra: “We want students graduating focused on their future rather than how to pay for their past.”

“The Nyres’ generosity speaks to the heart of Seton Hall and its future,” said university Provost Katia Passerini, Ph.D. “The greatest investment you can make that will truly elevate the university and have a far-reaching impact is an investment in students and faculty. Our faculty is the core of the university, lifting up every student whose lives they touch. We are blessed with an extraordinary group of talented and inspirational educators, scholars and professionals. They join me in expressing heartfelt gratitude towards President and Mrs. Nyre for this extremely generous personal investment.”

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