SAINT BENEDICT SCHOOL WELCOMES DISTINGUISHED
ALUMNA
Thursday, May 17, 2012Following 8:15am Ascension Thursday Mass
St. Benedict Church
1317 Eggert Road (corner of Eggert Rd. and Main St., Amherst, NY)
St. Benedict School will welcome Dr. Virginia Schaefer
Horvath, incoming President of SUNY Fredonia, as a distinguished alumna speaker
in celebration of the school’s 90th anniversary. From Buffalo to Ohio to Japan and to
Fredonia, Dr. Horvath will share the highlights of the journey her life has
taken since her 8th grade graduation from St. Benedict School in
1971. Topics will include the career
path that has led her to her prestigious appointment as President, her
experiences as a student at St. Benedict School, the difference Catholic
education made in her life, and the importance of education in general.
Dr. Horvath will become SUNY Fredonia’s 13th
President as of July 1, 2012. A native
of Western New York and a SUNY alumna, she has been Vice President for Academic
Affairs at SUNY Fredonia since 2005 and holds faculty rank as a Professor of
English. As Vice President, she oversees
a $26.9 million annual budget that includes all academic programs, Rockefeller
Arts Center, Reed Library, information technology, graduate studies and research,
Lifelong Learning, and a range of academic support services at SUNY Fredonia.
She is also co-chair of the strategic planning committee that has developed the
Power of Fredonia plan. Accomplishments in Academic Affairs under her
leadership include the addition of numerous academic programs, the development
of an annual electronic University Catalog, successful accreditation
initiatives, significant growth in the international student population, more
than 100 successful tenure-track faculty hires, updates to technology and
classrooms, and the establishment of the Professional Development Center, the
Fredonia Academic Community Engagement (FACE) Center, and the Office of Student
Creative Activity and Research (OSCAR).
She has collaborated on various initiatives with the Student Affairs and
Advancement divisions. She has been a
member of Fredonia’s Student Association Board of Directors since 2005.
Dr. Horvath is the daughter of Paul Schaefer, who remains
an active and well-respected member of St. Benedict Parish and Holy Name
Society. Dr. Horvath is one of seven
Schaefer children who have all gone on to outstanding careers, and who are all
St. Benedict School graduates. We hope
you will join us for the 8:15AM Mass on May 17 and help us welcome Dr. Horvath
home!