Seton Hall U. receives $500,000 gift university president and wife

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Seton Hall University has announced a $500,000 gift from its president, Joseph E. Nyre, and his wife, Kelli Nyre. The gift will underwrite scholarships for students, as well as 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,” SHU board of regents Chairperson Kevin H. Marino said. “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.”

The Nyres 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, according to a press release from the university.

“We are very fortunate to be part of the Seton Hall community and to see firsthand the transformation that takes place on our campuses,” Kelli Nyre said. “If we’re asking people to give to Seton Hall, we need to show that we believe in Seton Hall and its people, 100 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 toward 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,” Kelli Nyre said. “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, Joseph 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. The president is known to repeat his mantra: “We want students graduating focused on their future rather than how to pay for their past.”

The couple understands how a college education can open doors that have been closed to families for generations. With 35 percent of its incoming freshman class this year identifying as first-generation, Seton Hall University is actively engaged in opening these doors of opportunity for thousands of young people every year.

“For President and Mrs. Nyre to grant a generous donation to students in need like myself shows the commitment that our president has made to see us succeed at our full potential,” said Akaysha Palmer, a senior in Seton Hall’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations. “Contributions like these have allowed me to focus on my education as a first-generation American and college student, with the goal of pursuing a career within foreign service. The opportunity to receive a Catholic education is a privilege that students at Seton Hall are able to experience because of contributions like these and we will forever be grateful.”

The Nyres also expressed the importance of financially supporting faculty. 

“When Kelli and I sat down in December to discuss this gift with university officials, we talked about how the faculty we encountered throughout our college careers made learning exciting, challenged us and helped us navigate our paths,” Joseph Nyre said. “Faculty are vital to delivering the mission of Seton Hall, a premiere Catholic university, and we are pleased to support them through this gift and through the work we do each day.”

Kelli Nyre, a former elementary school teacher, recalled a professor she had at the University of Kansas, professor Flora Wyatt, who was not only an exemplary teacher, but also a mentor and friend who invited the Nyres to her home. Joseph Nyre recalled working at the University of Kansas with Michael Roberts, who founded the university’s Clinical Child Psychology Program. They conducted research and built innovative treatment programs together, with Roberts taking Joseph Nyre “under his wing.” The two still stay in touch to this day.

“The Nyres’ generosity speaks to the heart of Seton Hall and its future,” university provost Katia Passerini said. “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 are 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.”

  Seton Hall University