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The flagship building of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences will be named the Kelly Center for Health Services to honor benefactors and graduates, Alfred and Peggy Kelly, the university announced.
The Kellys made a $5 million gift to Iona and said they are happy to invest behind the vision of Iona president Seamus Carey for the university’s new campus in Bronxville.
“Giving today is increasingly about investing, and this felt like the right time, place and effort to invest behind,” the Kellys said in a statement. “It is an incredible feather in the cap of Iona University to be partnered with NewYork-Presbyterian and we believe it will lead to the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences being one of the top schools in these important fields of study.”
The Kellys met at Iona College and began their relationship in December 1977 when they attended an Iona basketball game. They completed their undergraduate and graduate studies at Iona, each earning a master’s degree in business administration.
Alfred Kelly, CEO for Visa USA, is known in the tri-state area for his roles as CEO of the 2014 NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee and chairman of Pope Francis’ 2015 visit to New York City.
“I am so grateful for Al and Peggy’s incredible generosity in naming the Kelly Center for Health Sciences,” Carey said. “The knowledge and training that will emanate from this building will be transformative, not only for our students and their families, but for the individuals and the communities they will go on to serve. The future is bright at Iona, and the Kelly Center for Health Sciences will be a beacon for all those who feel called to serve others through these fields.”
The Kelly Center for Health Services is a nearly 32,000-square-foot building scheduled to open next year on the former campus of Concordia College, which was acquired by Iona in 2021. The renovated, three-floor building will feature the most modern equipment, spaces and amenities. The top floor will be dedicated to recreate a hospital setting featuring simulation labs, exam rooms and training equipment.
The NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Services was established in 2021 and was supported by a $20 million gift from NewYork-Presbyterian. NewYork-Presbyterian, ranked consistently as one of the nation’s best hospitals, is a leader in medical education with two renowned medical schools: Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
“The collaboration between NewYork-Presbyterian and Iona University will help to ensure that the next generation of health care professionals is highly skilled, well trained and compassionate in their care of others,” said Dr. Steven Corwin, NewYork-Presbyterian president and CEO. “I am so pleased that the anchor of these efforts will be the Kelly Center for Health Sciences. Thank you to Al and Peggy Kelly for their remarkable generosity and support.”
Iona University is a Catholic, co-ed institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers with a 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus.
On July 1, Iona College became Iona University.
