Dr. Jason N. Adsit, Mount Saint Mary College’s seventh full-time president, began his tenure on June 1 – and he hit the ground running.
In his first weeks in office, Dr. Adsit kicked off the eighth annual Thomas Aquinas Philosophy Workshop, “Aquinas on Divine Attributes,” with a keynote speech, met with members of the Greater Newburgh Rotary Club, and participated in the college’s 40th Annual Invitational Golf and 7th Annual Invitational Tennis Tournament, which grossed $131,000 for the college and recognized community leaders William and Mary Murphy, and Manny and Rosemary Dizon.
Among many other initiatives, he also began to meet with members of the college’s faculty and staff and set in motion his plans for the college’s future.
“I see steady growth” for the Mount, explained Dr. Adsit. “I see a continued tradition of academic excellence. I see the highest levels of community engagement. Our institution is a coiled spring, and we’re poised for great growth and development. Our future is very bright and I’m very excited to be here.”
Following a national search and valuable input from the Mount community, the college’s Board of Trustees selected Dr. Adsit as the new president, succeeding interim president Dr. David A. Kennett.
Dr. Adsit joins the Mount family from D’Youville College in Buffalo, N.Y., where he served as Dean of the School of Arts, Sciences, and Education, as well as Director of the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program. As chief academic officer, Dr. Adsit oversaw all undergraduate and graduate programs in the School, including the departments of Biology and Mathematics, Business, Chemistry, Education, and Liberal Arts.
An accomplished author and speaker, Dr. Adsit earned a doctoral degree in Philosophy from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from American University in Washington, DC.
A great work ethic and a wonderful family life are close to Dr. Adsit’s heart. He and his wife, Heather, have five children – three boys and two girls – ranging in age from 4 to 10 years old. Dr. Adsit was grateful to have his family’s support throughout the Mount’s presidential search process, and when they received word that he had been selected for the position, they were “overjoyed,” he said.
“They saw how energized I was going through this process,” explained Dr. Adsit. “They saw how I started talking about the Mount with passion. They told me how excited they were to become part of this community, part of Newburgh, part of the Hudson Valley.”
Dr. Adsit and his family have already become a welcome addition to the Mount’s rich history. The college was founded in 1959 by the Dominican Sisters, using as a guideline the four pillars of Dominican life: study, prayer, service, and community. Currently, about 2,700 men and women are enrolled in more than 50 undergraduate programs and three graduate degree programs. Prized for its robust academic programs in Nursing, Education, Business, and more, the college is excited to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2019, explained Dr. Adsit.
For now, the Mount’s new president is looking forward to the start of the Fall 2018 semester. Dr. Adsit and his family will roll up their sleeves and help new and returning students to move into their dorms on Opening Day in August, embracing the Mount’s culture of service right from the start.
“The Mount educates the whole person,” he explained. “We hope to instill in our students and our alumni that there’s something bigger than yourself. What can you do with the talents you have to help others?”