Cernera Joins CIU Executive Board

(L-R) Anthony Cernera, Ph.D, Rabbi Joseph Ehrankranz and, far right, Rabbi Jack Bemporad representing the Center for Christian Jewish Understanding at Archbishop William Keeler’s elevation to Cardinal, in Rome, 1994.

Rabbi Jack Bemporad, Director of the Center for Interreligious Understanding, has announced the appointment of Anthony J. Cernera, Ph.D. as President and CEO. Dr. Cernera has been involved involved in Catholic higher education for 32 years, most recently as president of Sacred Heart University for 22 years, where he also served as a tenured professor of religious studies.

Dr. Cernera’s relationship with interreligious activities and Rabbi Bemporad began in 1992 at Sacred Heart, when they, along with Rabbi Joseph Ehrankranz, established the first comprehensive Center for Christian Jewish Understanding at a Catholic university. Dr. Cernera has been actively involved in inter-faith activities ever since.

Anthony Cernera, Ph.D.

In addition to his inter-faith activities at Sacred Heart, Dr. Cernera led that institution from financial bankruptcy to being the second largest of the 25 Catholic universities in New England, with its endowment growing from virtually zero to $125,000,000. The student enrollment grew from 1350 to over 6000 during his tenure while at the same time, he established 15 academic programs, and developed its first on-line academic courses.

Earlier, he served as a vice president at Marist College from 1981 to 1988. Dr Cernera also served as vice president (2000-2006) and president (2006-2012) of the International Federation of Catholic Universities, the largest and oldest association of Catholic universities in the world. In its 89 year history, he was only the second American to hold the office of president.

He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Committee on Justice and Peace Education of Catholic Relief Services, from 1992 to 1998, and of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. In addition, he also chaired the board of directors of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, and the board of directors of Mount St. Michael Academy.

In other areas, Dr. Cernera is a founding director and member of the executive committee of the Global Virus Network (2010), an international network of 33 of the leading research centers on human viral diseases. Dr. Cernera led the formation of the GVN with Dr. Robert Gallo, the co-discoverer of the HIV virus, and three other people. He is also on the board of the Stem for Life Foundation, whose mission is to foster research and education on regenerative medicine and the adult stem cell therapies being developed to combat diabetes, cancer, MS and multiple other diseases. In April of this year he addressed an international conference of regenerative medicine co-sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture at the Vatican.

Dr. Cernera has edited seven books and numerous articles including “Examining Nostra Aetate After 40 Years” and written extensively on interreligious understanding, systematic theology, and higher education. During the last year he has lectured at 12 universities in 11 countries.

In 2012 he became the president of Smart Money Educators, which provides educational programs and services on financial behavior. He is currently working on an edited book to mark the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate.