Rosalie M. Mirenda, Ph.D.

Before she dedicated her life to higher learning, she learned the value of a Catholic education.

When Dr. Rosalie Mirenda’s parents emigrated from Italy to the United States, they were “poor in the ways of the world, money, and assets, but rich in tradition, love, religion, and faith.” Not surprisingly, they sought out for their daughter an educational environment that emphasized these same values.

It was from those earliest days at St. Paul School in Philadelphia in the late 1940s that Dr. Mirenda began her lifelong appreciation for and commitment to Catholic education. By 1996, Dr. Mirenda was able to apply this commitment as the president of Neumann University.

In this role, Dr. Mirenda has forged a reputation as a tireless visionary and advocate for the Catholic identity and Franciscan mission of the university. Since she became president, enrollment at Neumann has more than tripled and capital giving has increased more than 30 percent.

“My own Catholic school education is the guiding force behind my commitment to preserve Catholic education in contemporary society,” Dr. Mirenda says. “While Catholic education at all levels may need to look different, be delivered differently, and be financed differently, it must not be left to chance.”