Always Growing
1/16/2025
Announcing the UMSV School of Business
This story originally appeared in the 2024 Annual Report.
With the early 2024 announcement that the New York State Board of Regents had officially designated the Mount as one of New York State’s newest universities, Mount community members could almost feel a tangible swirl of excitement in the air. The campus was bustling with plans and excitement as the transition to university status would enable us to further initiatives already in the works with a goal of moving the University forward.
New name and new paths, but same forward commitment to thoughtful and strategic growth of our programs. Working as an entity under the larger university umbrella, the establishment of the University’s School of Business will usher in a new era of business education. To lead the School toward its bright future, the Mount recently appointed Raymond Pullaro, a multi-faceted technology executive, educator, and former dean at Long Island University, as the University’s first Dean of the School of Business.
Dean Pullaro brings decades of experience in business and education, which include leading corporate teams in multiple areas such as investments, risk management, emerging markets, and more. In his prior role as dean at Long Island University, Dean Pullaro launched degree programs, expanded undergraduate enrollment, and established a student-managed investment fund. In addition to holding a US patent, he has published articles and book chapters and is an invited speaker at conferences across the US, Europe, and China.
Business remains one of the most popular majors among students choosing to attend four-year institutions. Dean Pullaro described four critical success factors that will inform future pathways for the School of Business: incorporating essential skills such as teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving; emphasizing business ethics throughout the curriculum, not just in single-course offerings; maintaining focus on the education of the whole person with regard to internships, mentorship, and extracurricular activities; and, finally, drawing inspiration from the Mount’s commitment to a deserving student population and using every resource available to support their success.
“The Mount boasts a robust constellation of business departments—finance, accounting, economics and so on,” said Dean Pullaro. “We are positioned to differentiate the Mount from other schools whose focus on these foundational principles may not be as intentional as ours.”
To the existing array of undergraduate courses in business-related areas, the University will introduce new baccalaureate- and masters-level programing in marketing and public relations. Eventually, the School of Business will launch the first doctoral program at the University in business administration. Other goals include a speaker series in partnership with the Center for Leadership and the revival of the School of Business Advisory Council.
In a campus-wide effort to maximize the opportunities presented by the new School, Dean Pullaro is just one of President Burns’ dedicated leaders who have been guiding the University to this point and beyond—the Board of Trustees, the faculty and administration, and innumerable ardent and generous supporters. Among these is Trustee Peter D. DeNunzio, who recently made a foundational leadership gift in support of the emerging School of Business.
Peter’s gift to the School of Business was inspired by both his support for its mission and by his mother’s own experience as an economics major at the Mount. Growing up in Yonkers and the first in her family to attend college, Jean Ames DeNunzio ’55/’80 enrolled as a day student at Mount Saint Vincent in 1951 and selected economics as her field of study. After her sophomore year, however, like many women of that era, Jean opted to set aside her studies to marry and start a family.
In 1978, with her children grown and still interested in economics, Jean returned to the Mount to complete her degree, graduating with the class of 1980 at the age of 50.
“My mother was very proud of her degree and used what she had learned to broaden her understanding of the business world and global economic policies,” Peter shared. “She truly loved her ‘second term’ at the Mount, especially her interaction with both students and faculty. She never gave up her goal to complete her education and obtain her diploma. And she wanted to do it at Mount Saint Vincent. That’s the kind of person she was.”
Peter then added:
“She was even proud that she had two class affiliations on her Mount diploma: 1955 and 1980!”
Throughout his own long career in business, Peter has headed several marketing, advertising, and digital communications organizations. He is a passionate supporter of education, serving on the University’s Board of Trustees as well as those of other educational institutions. He has played an important role in establishing the foundation for the School of Business, with a particular emphasis on marketing, digital communications, and public relations.
“This generation of future business leaders is fortunate to have been born into a digital world,” added Peter. “They are supremely comfortable with technology, social media, and tools for research and learning that simply weren’t available to an earlier generation. We want to ensure the School of Business attracts motivated students seeking practical skills as well as the values the Mount has always stood for—the education of the whole individual through humanity, humility, and obligation to others. I truly hope and believe that my gift will serve as a catalyst for additional support from alumnae/i and the broader Mount community.”
Pointing to the critical need for more leadership gifts like Peter DeNunzio’s generous donation, Dean Pullaro added:
“A business education comprises many elements beyond technical skills or prestigious internships, and the goal of launching the School of Business must be a community-wide effort. Creating the School of Business, and integrating existing curriculum with exciting new courses to match our students’ interests, requires substantial resources. We will continue to reach out to alumnae/i, family, and friends who share our belief that there has never been a better time for Mount Saint Vincent to plant a flag in the fertile space of business education.”
Dean Pullaro concluded by highlighting his goal to identify an additional donor wishing to leave a lasting legacy by naming the new School of Business during this momentous time, pushing the School of Business forward and into a successful and stable future.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers a nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the University equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment, and leadership in the 21st century.