GLBPA Gala -- A Celebration of the River Region

Niagara University honored with 2004 Morgan Lewis Partnership Award

by Sandy Hays-Mies, Executive Director, GLBPA
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, May 15, 2004

Niagara University, recipient of the GLPBA's Morgan Lewis Partnership Award, is being recognized for its many contributions to the Lewiston community.

As part of its recognition of area business and community members for this year's Celebration of Greater Lewiston Gala, Sunday June 6 at the Niagara Falls Country Club, the GLBPA continues its profiles on the 2004 honorees.

In today's Sentinel, coinciding with its commencement exercises this weekend, we'll take a look at Niagara University, recipient of the 2004 Morgan Lewis Partnership Award.

Niagara University

Founded by the Vincentian community in 1856, Niagara University is a private liberal arts university with a strong, values-based Catholic tradition. Niagara University is being honored this year with the 2004 Morgan Lewis Partnership Award, named after the founder of Lewiston.

As the university has matured, it has experienced tremendous growth. In 1856, six students were enrolled. By its 25th anniversary, it had graduated 300 priests, 25 doctors, 47 lawyers, 40 professors, 15 newspaper editors, 25 brokers, 245 merchants, many members of the legislature and those in hundreds in other walks of life. Today, approximately 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students attend NU.

The physical campus has evolved from a two-story tavern and a barn with a loft that provided dormitory facilities, to the stately campus that we see today that hosts more than two dozen buildings. In 2001, the university completed an $11 million renovation of one of its more historic buildings, St. Vincent's Hall. In the fall of 2002, an $11 million apartment-style housing complex opened on campus.

Over the years, Niagara has evolved into a comprehensive university offering more than 50 professional and career-oriented programs. All four of Niagara's colleges hold major national accreditations. Niagara competes in 15 Division I NCAA sports as a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Its men's and women's hockey teams play in the College Hockey America Conference.

Community Partner

Lewiston is certainly proud to host the campus, but equally proud of the university for so generously extending its hand as a valuable community partner. True to the spirit of St. Vincent De Paul, founder of the Vincentian community and universal patron of charitable works, Niagara maintains a comprehensive community-service program. Nearly 2,000 students are involved in the Learn and Serve Niagara Program, which supports and advocates social change while teaching the value of service to others.

Niagara University president, the Rev. Joseph Levesque, C.M., promotes a philosophy of community partnering. He encourages Niagara's staff and faculty to be involved in the our community and we have indeed been benefactors of his leadership. Niagara maintains an obvious presence in the town of Lewiston, and also in the village of Lewiston, which hosts Niagara University Theatre-at-the-Church.

In addition the university has extended its hand to develop a preferred-merchants program that encourages students, faculty members and families to support our businesses. Niagara offers generous financial support to many of our events, including the Greater Lewiston Gala and our Christmas Walk. NU's Assistant Vice President for Marketing, Fred Heuer, is currently the chairperson of SOLE, a committee of all service organizations in Lewiston. He is also a member of our Marketing Initiative Committee.

More NU Connections

The GLBPA has partnered with Niagara's College of Hospitality and Tourism Management by supporting our staff with interns and assisting in the development of customer-service seminars for the front-line staff that greets visitors and guests. Human Resource Director, Jeannine Brown Miller, is a member of the board of trustees at St. Mary's Hospital and Health Center, and Linus Ormsby, director of NU's office of Communications and Public Relations, has been a member of the hospital's board of associates for 17 years.

There are many, many other Niagara University connections to our community. We have just highlighted a few that validate why the university is so deserving of this recognition.

We thank the Niagara University community for its service and wish the university every success as it moves towards celebrating 150 years as our neighbor.