Vincentian Mission Institute Announces 2024-26 Niagara University Cohort

Niagara University's 2024-26 cohort of the Vincentian Mission Institute attended an opening retreat and conference Nov. 14-16 at De Paul University. Now in its 17^th year, the VMI facilitates relationship-building among peers at the three Vincentian universities in the United States-Niagara, DePaul, and St. John's-as they develop leadership capacity to advance the schools' Catholic and Vincentian missions.

This year's cohort includes Evan Clarke, senior associate dean of Ontario graduate programs; Dr. Chris Lee, associate professor of political science; Toni Knight, dean of academic success; Dr. Fernando Naranjo, assistant professor of management; Ellen Owens, director of the Castellani Art Museum; and Dr. Christine Verni, dean of the College of Nursing. The Rev. Gregory J. Semeniuk, C.M., S.Th.D., executive vice president for mission and ministry, will oversee the Niagara University cohort and serve as a resource throughout the 18-month program.

The VMI was initiated and facilitated by DePaul University in 2007, to bring together selected faculty and administrators from St. John's University, DePaul University, and Niagara University in order to educate and engage lay employees in the history and future of Vincentian and Catholic higher education. VMI accomplishes this goal through collaborative online coursework, academic analyses of Vincentian and Catholic identities at each home institution, and regularly scheduled video conferencing between all three universities.

Through engaging discussion and thoughtful reflection, VMI strives to answer the question: What does it mean to be a Catholic, Vincentian university in the 21st century? Who will be involved from Niagara University?