In Memoriam
(1936-2024)
Dr. Jay Sexter
Dr. Jay Sexter, seventh president of Mercy — a driven leader whose commitment to education left an indelible mark on our institution — passed away on May 21, 2024.
Dr. Sexter spent his professional career in various positions in education. Before joining Mercy, he served as a teacher, guidance counselor, principal, district school superintendent, university department chair, a dean at Fordham University and the provost and academic vice president of CUNY’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
During his nine-year tenure as president from 1990 to 1999, Mercy experienced significant growth with the student population nearly doubling to 9,400. Under his leadership, Mercy became known for its community-based outreach efforts, effective partnerships with New York City agencies including the Board of Education. Numerous graduate programs were introduced and expanded, including ones in health care, business and education. In addition, government and private grants increased by 30% and the endowment more than tripled.
After he left Mercy, Dr. Sexter continued his career in education at Touro University and worked to expand programs in California, Nevada and New York. He retired in 2015.
Tributes
W. Bruce Fulton (1951-2024)
W. Bruce Fulton, associate professor emeritus and long-time Library faculty member, passed away on April 6, 2024.
Over the course of 24 years at Mercy, Fulton took a keen interest in systems development and deployment, steering the library through an era of dramatic advances in library informatics, including several major system upgrades and a successful transition from primarily print to electronic resources.
He will be remembered for his gentle nature, highly developed curiosity, storytelling skills and love of people and conversation.
Dr. Evan Imber-Black (1944-2024)
Dr. Evan Imber-Black, professor and program director of the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) master’s program, passed away on May 29, 2024.
Throughout her internationally recognized career, Dr. Imber-Black made significant contributions to various models of MFT practice, particularly in the areas of family dynamics and larger systemic interactions, family rituals and the handling of family secrets. She is the author of over 75 original papers and several influential books, including “The Secret Life of Families” (Bantam, 1998), “Secrets in Families and Family Therapy” (WW Norton, 1993), “Rituals for Our Times,” co-authored with Janine Roberts (Jason Aronson, 1998), “Rituals in Families and Family Therapy,” co-edited with Janine Roberts and Richard Whiting (WW Norton, 1988; second edition, 2003) and “Families and Larger Systems” (Guilford Publications, 1988).
Martin C. Kelly (1942-2024)
Martin C. Kelly, retired lecturer who taught Sociology courses in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SSBS), passed away on May 29, 2024.
Professor Kelly had been an integral part of SSBS since 1994, bringing wisdom and enthusiasm to his teaching roles. Before joining Mercy, he served as the junior director at the Boys’ Club of New York. Kelly was a brilliant educator and exceptional storyteller who earned the admiration and appreciation of many colleagues and students alike. Even after retiring, he continued to be engaged in the Mercy community as the spouse of Dr. Mary Knopp Kelly, SSBS associate professor.
Dr. Christine Sullivan (1951-2024)
Dr. Christine Sullivan, former associate professor and director of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program (OTA), passed away on May 16, 2024.
Dr. Sullivan was a beloved member of the Mercy community, esteemed for her
impact on her program and unwavering commitment to students and colleagues. She led a successful career in occupational therapy before arriving at Mercy in 1997 when the OTA program started. She first served in a faculty role as associate director and clinical education coordinator of the OTA program, starting in 2002. Four years later, she was appointed as program director. In that role, she re-organized and revitalized the program, hiring new faculty and increasing enrollment. She retired in 2017.
Alumni & Friends
College of New Rochelle
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Mercy University
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