WCU to inaugurate its 15th president

WEST CHESTER >> Christopher M. Fiorentino will be inaugurated as West Chester University’s 15th president during a formal investiture ceremony on Friday, April 21, at 10 a.m. in Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall, 700 South High Street, West Chester. Wearing full academic regalia, representatives from Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and universities from throughout Pennsylvania will process into Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall. More than 1,000 faculty, students, staff, trustees, alumni, and friends are estimated to attend. A reception will immediately follow on the University’s Academic Quad. Fiorentino is the first president in the university’s history to incorporate hunger-relief as part of the inaugural celebration.

In keeping with the university’s commitment to make a difference in the lives of students and surrounding citizens, a preinaugural volunteer service effort kicked off on March 28, with a threeweek canned food drive to benefit the university’s new Resource Pantry for students in need and the Chester County Food Bank. Sixteen bins will be stationed across campus through Monday, April 17, for daily drop-offs and scheduled collections by student teams. The WCU Presidential Inauguration Campus Food Drive is being cochaired by West Chester University alumna Diana Fiorentino, retail dietitian at ShopRite of Washington Township and daughter of President and Mrs. Fiorentino. The effort is timely as the university enrolls nearly 30 students who are homeless and 10 percent of Chester County residents wrestle with food insecurity. The amount of food collected will be announced during the president’s inaugural address on Friday, April 21, which will focus on student success in the context of a supportive, inclusive community committed to providing each student with the necessary intellectual and practical skills needed to thrive in a global world.

Christopher Fiorentino, who has been a faculty member and administrator at West Chester University for more than 30 years, was named president of the university on Jan. 5 by the State System’s Board of Governors. Prior to being named president, Fiorentino held the position of interim president at the university since April of 2016, following the retirement of former President Greg R. Weisenstein. Before assuming the role of interim president, Fiorentino served as vice president for external operations since 2013. He previously spent nearly 20 years as dean of WCU’s College of Business and Public Affairs, having arrived at the university in 1983 as an assistant professor of economics. His tenure within the Department of Economics included four years as chair. Fiorentino earned his baccalaureate, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in economics from Temple University.

West Chester University President Christopher Fiorentino