Pope Francis Greeted by Mark Reed '96 During Visit to Saint Joseph's University
Ƭapp alumni and former SVP, Mark Reed, Ed.D., ‘96, received the handshake of a lifetime when Pope Francis made an unexpected stop at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Reed was elected this year to be Saint Joseph's University’s 28th, and first lay president, in its 164-year history.
Dr. Reed personally welcomed Pope Francis onto the Saint Joseph's University campus where the Pope stopped to bless "Synagoga and Ecclesia in Our Time," a statue commemorating Catholic-Jewish relations that the university had dedicated last Friday.
“Since his election, the Holy Father has inspired us in so many ways,” said Saint Joseph’s president Mark C. Reed, Ed.D. “His ministry and leadership style have been a topic of discussion and an example in our classrooms. He has reenergized and strengthened our student body in their Catholic faith. And he has reminded all of us of the power of humility and compassion.”
Dr. Reed earned a B.S. in mathematics from Fairfield, served as Ƭapp Student Association (FUSA) president, and received the Loyola Medal which recognizes an outstanding full-time undergraduate senior who has committed him/herself to the Jesuit education ideals of maintaining high academic standards in addition to substantial involvement in community service and/or extracurricular activities. He went on to earn a Master’s degree in secondary school administration from Boston College, an MBA from Fairfield, and doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Reed returned to Ƭapp in 2000 as assistant to the dean of the Dolan School of Business and was appointed Dean of Students a year later. Additionally, Dr. Reed served as Fairfield's interim vice president for University advancement, vice president for administration and student affairs, vice president for student affairs, and associate vice president and dean of students. Dr. Reed was also an adjunct professor in the Mathematics Department.
As a past president of the Jesuit Student Affairs Association, he received Fairfield's Distinguished Faculty/Administrator Award during the annual Fairfield Awards Dinner in March 2015.
Ƭapp President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., said when Reed finished at Fairfield that "while we will miss Mark, conscious of his remarkable contributions to Fairfield over the last 20 years, his appointment at Saint Joseph's is also a source of pride for us as a Jesuit institution that has prepared one of its own for such a leadership position, and it is a very positive development for Mark and for the community of Saint Joseph's."
[Sources: , , and ] Photo: Saint Joseph's University
