The following is a release from Seton Hall University:
Seton Hall University President A. Gabriel Esteban
In celebration of Independence Day, Seton Hall University President A. Gabriel Esteban has been recognized as a “Great Immigrant” by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. President Esteban, the first Filipino president of a major American university, will be among the 38 “Great Immigrants” nationally honored this year.
The 2015 “Great Immigrants: The Pride of America” initiative includes individuals who have helped advance and enlighten our society, culture and economy.
“The promise inherent in the America Dream, which has attracted immigrants to the United States for centuries, has been fulfilled in my life many times over. For that, I will be forever grateful to my adopted homeland,” said President Esteban. “At Seton Hall, I work to ensure that today’s young Americans – many of whom come from immigrant families – receive an education that will allow them to realize their own hopes and aspirations.”
President Esteban joins the ranks of other prominent individuals being honored this year, including: Nobel laureates Arieh Warshel and Thomas C. Südhof; Pulitzer Prize-winners Geraldine Brooks and Anne Telnaes; U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara; Army Major General Antonio M. Taguba; Metropolitan Museum of Art Director Thomas Campbell; Atlanta Braves coach Eddie Pérez; Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin; actress Sofía Vergara; and television game show host Alex Trebek.
“Our founder, Andrew Carnegie, came to this country as the son of impoverished immigrants and grew up to become one of the greatest contributors to American industry and philanthropy,” said Vartan Gregorian, president of the Corporation. “His devotion to U.S. democracy stemmed from his conviction that the new infusion of talent that immigrants bring to our country keeps American society vibrant.”
“On behalf of all immigrants, it is an honor to receive this distinction, which has been bestowed on luminaries from many fields of endeavor. I thank the Carnegie Corporation for its thoughtfulness in counting me among such an esteemed group,” said President Esteban.
Under President Esteban’s leadership, Seton Hall University announced plans earlier this year to form the only private medical school in New Jersey in partnership with Hackensack University Health Network. In addition, the University established a new College of Communication and the Arts.
One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall offers students the opportunity to excel in a rigorous academic environment with close faculty mentorship in small classroom settings. During President Esteban’s tenure, Seton Hall enrolled the largest classes in the past 35 years with SAT averages increasing by 75 points in the last four years alone. Dozens of students have received prestigious academic awards, including: Boren, Udall, Pickering and Rhodes scholarships and more than a dozen Fulbright Scholars since 2009. In addition, the Gerald P. Buccino ’63 Center for Leadership Development in the Stillman School of Business was chosen number one in the county, receiving the 2015 Leadership 500 Excellence Award.
Most recently, President Esteban was named one of the 100 most powerful business leaders in New Jersey and one of the 50 most influential individuals in health care in New Jersey by NJBIZ. He was also knighted into the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
This Independence Day, Seton Hall University and the Carnegie Corporation of New York invite all Americas to join in celebrating naturalized U.S. citizens whose contributions are vital to the fabric of our nation and the strength of our democracy.
Share in the celebration of President Esteban’s honor and of all immigrants online at https://greatimmigrants.carnegie.org/ and continue the discussion on Facebook and on Twitter @SetonHall, @CarnegieCorp and #GreatImmigrants.
