BY KURT MARTONE, NEW EDITOR
“I think my parents are watching out there from Iowa on the live stream right now, and still trying to figure out how all this happened.”
Those are the words of Jeff Gingerich, St. Bonaventure University’s President-elect, after being asked what in his career led him to become president-elect of a higher education institution.
The farm-boy from Iowa originally went to junior college. Gingerich had no plans of higher-education leadership.
“What really inspired it was the faculty [at my school]. I had some amazing experiences in the classroom… and outside the classroom as well,” said Gingerich.
Gingerich has been described as a community oriented man through his actions. One example of Gingerich’s character was particularly striking to a board of trustees member.
“As we went through the process of talking with references for Jeff, one of the references that we received described a story for us,” said John Sheehan, chair of the Board of Trustees. “This winter on a particularly cold day… Jeff stood outside on the sidewalk and handed out 25 dozen donuts to students as they walked by, to be able to get to know them.”
Gingerich jeered back:
“I do have to give the student government leaders a lot of credit because it was cold… I don’t know if it was Olean cold, but it was cold.”
After graduating with a degree in social work, Gingerich went into voluntary service in New Orleans. What originally was scheduled to be a two-year stint turned into six.
“I worked mostly with conflict resolution, mediation and diversity programs,” said Gingerich. “It was an eye-opening experience for me. It was a transformational experience for me.”
Gingerich’s work in and around New Orleans led him to attend graduate school.
“I tell people that there were some who were a little worried about me… going to the ivory tower of the Ivy League after doing community work for a number of years,” Gingerich said.
Gingerich earned his doctorate in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. He then joined Bluffton University as an assistant sociology professor. Gingerich moved to Cabrini College as a faculty member, slowly rising to an administrative position as he oversaw the institution’s change to university accreditation. His last stop was at the University of Scranton as the Provost and Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs.
Although he hails from a Jesuit college, Gingerich believes he shares some core values with Franciscans.
“I grew up on a farm in Iowa and I was taught a lot of these values such as hard work, community, compassion and making sure that we’re all working together with a sense of humility. As I would read the writings of St. Francis or any of the Franciscans writing right now, those are the same values that I grew up with,” said Gingerich.
Gingerich was raised Mennonite, but says he finds deep meaning by attending Catholic Mass.
“I particularly found a relationship with the friars here. Somehow, along the way I found a deep home in Catholic higher education.”
Martonekd18@bonaventure.edu
