| Fred P. Pestello | |
|---|---|
| 13th President of Le Moyne College | |
| Term | July 1, 2008 – Present |
| Predecessor | Dr. John Smarrelli Jr. (interim) |
| Born | 1952 |
| Alma mater | John Carroll University University of Akron |
| Profession | academic |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D. (born 1952) is the 13th President of Le Moyne College, a post he has held since July 1, 2008. He is the first permanent lay leader of Le Moyne, a Jesuit institution of higher education and the only comprehensive Catholic college in Central New York. Pestello was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and received his bachelor's degree in sociology at John Carroll University in 1974, his master's degree in sociology from the University of Akron in 1981, and his doctoral degree from the University of Akron-Kent State University joint Ph.D. program in sociology in 1985.
Prior to accepting his position at Le Moyne College, Pestello served at the University of Dayton for 24 years. He began his academic career as professor of sociology at UD, and later became chair of the department of sociology, anthropology, and social work. He advanced to positions as the associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, then provost and senior vice president for educational affairs from 2001 to 2008. In May 2008, Pestello was formally heralded by the University of Dayton's Board of Trustees for his leadership in fostering academic excellence among students and faculty, and singled out in particular for his emphasis on faculty development. Pestello also served the Ohio Partnership for Continued Learning, the Dayton Regional Network, United Way of Greater Dayton, and St. Joseph Children's Treatment Center. From 2003 to 2005, he served on the National Advisory Council Fostering Student Development through Faculty Development, a project funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. and the John Templeton Foundation.
As President, Pestello strengthened operations in enrollment management, institutional advancement, and board relations. His actions helped to generate the highest undergraduate enrollment in the College's history for Fall 2009, and another record-breaking year in 2010. In September 2008, Pestello initiated a campus-wide, year-long strategic visioning process entitled "OneLeMoyne," shaped by the Jesuit values of discernment and Cura Personalis. A major imperative for Pestello is to revitalize the Catholic, Jesuit mission at Le Moyne, and his June 2009 meeting in Rome, Italy with the Superior General of the Society of Jesus was one important step in this regard. The OneLeMoyne process resulted in a vision statement which will guide policies and practices at the College in the future and which will be implemented through the collaborative leadership of David McCallum, S.J.[1]
Book Sentiments and Acts. (Aldine de Gruyter, 1993). Co-authored with Irwin Deutscher and H. Frances G. Pestello. Book received a Special Recognition Award from the Charles Horton Cooley Committee of the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction, 1994.
Articles
Dr. Pestello has published articles on topics ranging from hospices and public policy to faculty hiring practices in Catholic colleges, including, among others:
"Faculty Attitudes and Hiring Practices at Selected Catholic Colleges and Universities." Current Issues in Catholic Higher Education (2001) with James L. Heft and Ronald M. Katsuyama.
"Discounting." Journal of Contemporary Ethnography (1991)
"The Social Construction of Grades." Teaching Sociologyt (1987)
"White Opposition: To Busing or to Desegregation?" Social Science Quarterly (1982)
(1) Le Moyne College. "The President's Page." http://test.portals.lemoyne.edu/LEADERSHIP/PRESIDENT/tabid/792/Default.aspx.
(2) "Le Moyne College Names Dr. Fred P. Pestello 13th President." Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, News and Events. March 31, 2008. http://www.ajcu.net.edu/Le-Moyne-College-Names-Dr.-Fred-P.-Pestello-As-Its-13th-President.
(3) "First Day for Le Moyne College president." Renee K. Gadoua. Syracuse Post-Standard July 1, 2008. http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2008/07/first_day_for_le_moyne_college.html.
(4) "UD's Provost takes new job; Fred P. Pestello has been named president of Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY." Dayton Daily News April 1, 2008.