News

News 12: Conquer the Trail at 91��Ƭ

znegron@mercy.edu — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:29:21 +0000

News 12: Conquer the Trail at 91��Ƭ znegron@mercy.edu Fri, 04/17/2026 - 15:29 School of Health and Natural Sciences Mercy in the News

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News 12 Westchester featured 91��Ƭ's Conquer the Trail 7.5K Race in their newscast. Presented by Conquer The World Endurance and 91��Ƭ’s Exercise Science Program, the 11th and final edition of the Conquer the Trail Race took place on Saturday, April 18, 2026, marking both the conclusion of a beloved tradition and a tribute to Mercy's 75 years of transforming lives through education. All proceeds from the race will benefit Mercy's Mav Market, a judgment-free, inclusive and confidential resource that provides nutritious food and personal care items at no cost to anyone in the Mercy community experiencing food insecurity.

Watch the news clip here

Yonkers Times: 91��Ƭ Celebrates 75th Anniversary With Conquer the Trail 7.5K Race

znegron@mercy.edu — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:10:24 +0000

Yonkers Times: 91��Ƭ Celebrates 75th Anniversary With Conquer the Trail 7.5K Race znegron@mercy.edu Thu, 04/16/2026 - 16:10 School of Health and Natural Sciences Mercy in the News

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Yonkers Times covered 91��Ƭ's announcement of the Conquer the Trail 7.5K as part of its 75th anniversary year of celebration.

Read the story here

AdAge: How higher education marketers can win students with new creative approaches and media strategies

znegron@mercy.edu — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:23:24 +0000

AdAge: How higher education marketers can win students with new creative approaches and media strategies znegron@mercy.edu Tue, 04/07/2026 - 17:23 Mercy in the News

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91��Ƭ's Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications Chris Connelly was interviewed and featured by AdAge in an article about creative approaches and strategies for higher education marketing.

Read the article here and below

How higher education marketers can win students with new creative approaches and media strategies

By Lindsay Rittenhouse

April 07, 2026

The University of North Carolina late last year unveiled a campaign touting its aim to be first across everything, including academics and athletics, and outlining how it benefits the state overall. This pivot from the typical higher education ads showing students strolling perfectly landscaped campuses isn’t an anomaly. It’s part of a trend as colleges and universities rethink how they’re advertising to donors, alumni and especially prospective students.

This fresh approach is carrying through to website overhauls, media choices and branding messages that speak to more than just academics. The shift comes as soon-to-be high school graduates question the value of a higher education degree and the industry faces a “demographic cliff” that projects a steady decline in college-aged students due to Americans having fewer babies since the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Some schools also face unwanted attention due to political scrutiny of policies perceived as progressive by the Trump administration.

“The cost of higher education has soared. It’s getting harder and harder for people to justify the cost and so you’ve got this value skepticism. There are a lot of people founding tech companies right out of high school. People are going to trade schools,” said Ken Pasternak, chief strategy officer and executive VP of TwoxFour, the ad agency that created the UNC campaign.

“The stakes are getting really, really high,” he said, especially considering the cost.

Most higher education marketers are trying to convince students to spend four years of their lives and $38,270 a year on average to attend their universities, said Jessica Vincent, president of independent agency Cornett, which has a long partnership with the University of Kentucky.

It’s not an easy task, as higher ed marketers are working with tighter budgets and complex, risk-averse organizations steeped in layers of bureaucracy. Some universities are finding ways to break through creatively. The guide below explains how to do that, based on interviews with 17 experts.

Lead with culture and identity, not rankings

91��Ƭ is relying on creativity to carve out a distinct identity in what Chris Connelly, its associate VP of marketing and analytics, calls “a sea of sameness.” The New York-based school undertook a major marketing overhaul in 2023, when it rebranded from Mercy College.

“There’s a very high likelihood of seeing something indistinct in this industry that you could slap any logo on,” said Connelly, who joined from Benjamin Moore & Co.’s marketing team in 2018. “We need to make sure that when somebody sees 91��Ƭ, they know it’s 91��Ƭ.”

Mercy’s rebrand kicked off with an ad that played up its Mavericks mascot. In the spot, created by Familiar Creatures, a college-aged girl finds a wild horse on a side street in Brooklyn. She proceeds to tame and ride the horse, with a voiceover asking: “What makes a Maverick? The world isn’t made for mavericks, but 91��Ƭ is.”

That ad, which was shot in Brooklyn with a horse and trainer from “Game of Thrones,” was directed by Cuba Scott, granddaughter of Ridley Scott, recalled Justin Bajan, co-founder of Familiar Creatures. 91��Ƭ followed that feat with several out-of-the-box campaigns. Its “Every Moment Matters” brand platform focuses on the student’s full journey, including navigating relationships with professors and roommates, Connelly said.

Mighty Union recently rebuilt Massachusetts Bay Community College’s website to cater to the student experience, according to Angela Herbst, the agency’s chief client officer. Herbst said she’s seeing more colleges seeking this type of work. “They really need help tailoring the digital experience to what their unique student audience and target population needs to experience and see from them.”

MassBay’s messaging points out that 94% of its graduates find jobs after graduation. These types of stats are important in higher education recruitment campaigns, as people question the value of college and are fearful that when they graduate, they won’t be able to find a job due to AI, several people interviewed said.

Some online universities are tackling the cost factor in their creative. The American College of Education, for example, promotes “the pure math” of not coming out with a ton of debt, said David Schiff, partner and chief strategy officer of Standard Practice, the agency behind the college’s campaign.

An ad for the school features two characters named Ed with the same types of degrees. One of them, who calls himself Smarter Ed, went to the American College of Education and doesn’t have any student loan debt.

“We’re not saying that normal Ed is dumb Ed,” said Myles Rigg, founding partner, creative at Standard Practice. “It’s just, he went in a different direction without knowing there was this whole other way to get the same quality education.”

Getting around TikTok restrictions

Many colleges are working with creators, which often includes having students show “what life is really like on campus and [get] people excited about it before they join,” said Jessica Romaniuk, president of TwoxFour, where a recently established higher education practice counts Caltech, DePaul, Duke, Harvard, Yale and other universities as clients.

The average higher education marketing budget ranges between $200,000 and $3 million, according to Romaniuk. Plus, several experts said many higher education marketers operate under shrinking budgets.

Organic social on TikTok can be really effective for colleges, Romaniuk said. Ohio’s Bowling Green State has been leaning into a “really amazing” organic social partnership with “Pudge The Cat,” for example, that has gone viral, she said. TwoxFour handles paid social for the college but organic social work is done in-house.

For most marketers, TikTok is a necessity to reach younger consumers. However, the popular social media app is banned on some campuses, sometimes because of state restrictions, mainly due to perceived security concerns over its ownership by a Chinese company—all public universities in states including Florida, Georgia and Texas have active bans. That means college employees can’t manage accounts while on school property. Some restrictions remain in place despite TikTok landing a $14 billion deal in January to establish a U.S. subsidiary.

In states with such bans, public colleges can’t funnel state funds to market on TikTok, according to 11 people interviewed who dealt with these challenges firsthand. There are workarounds. Some colleges with campus bans give full control of their TikTok account to their agency partner, because technically, that is not a college employee having an account, several people said.

David Hunter, co-founder of Hunterblu Media, which works with colleges such as the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, said he once had a higher education client who went to offsite locations including coffee shops to manage an account. He said he’s witnessed several public universities in states with TikTok bans set aside some of the private funding they receive for TikTok marketing.

“It proves to be really tricky,” said Chris Witherspoon, co-founder of DNA&Stone, an agency that works with the University of Washington. “Universities tend to be risk-averse. The last thing you want to do is be in a position where you’re being called out or, worse, having a lawsuit against you. Therefore, doing the work that might stand out a little bit more, you have stricter guardrails.”

Hunter said many colleges are demanding to see exactly which channels are driving actual enrollments, which is very difficult when you’re running awareness campaigns on social media apps. Being able to target specific groups is also tough on TikTok. “The targeting parameters are much more general, so you can’t get as niche with it,” Romaniuk said.

Where to put your budget for real enrollment ROI

YouTube and Snapchat have yielded some of the best returns for colleges, several experts said.

RP3, an independent creative agency that works with several universities, including the University of Maryland, has turned to Snapchat when university clients denied its requests to activate on TikTok, said Beth Johnson, founder and CEO.

And for the past decade, every college that Jaime Hunt has worked at or with has viewed YouTube as “one of the most important channels,” she said, noting “video has just grown in leaps and bounds.” Hunt is the founder and president of Solve Higher Ed Marketing, a consulting firm for colleges and universities, and a fractional marketing and communications lead for Agnes Scott College. She previously led marketing for schools such as Old Dominion University and Miami University.

Hunt, who said she worked with one college with a $300,000 marketing budget, advises schools operating with small budgets to be “a lot more specific with segmentation; really narrow in who is your audience so you can laser target them. We did a lot of research into where they were physically, what channels they use and directed our resources to them.”

Along with prospective students, schools are also trying to reach their parents. Meta and LinkedIn have become good channels to engage with that target, Solve Higher Ed Marketing’s Hunt added.

91��Ƭ Receives Approval for New Campus Field House

znegron@mercy.edu — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:15:27 +0000

91��Ƭ Receives Approval for New Campus Field House znegron@mercy.edu Thu, 02/26/2026 - 11:15 91��Ƭ News Mercy in the News

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Rendering of the future field house

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91��Ƭ has received approval from the Irvington Planning Board to build a 26,140-square-foot field house featuring indoor sports courts, a walking track and a community quad. The field house will feature views of the Hudson River and integrate with existing campus green spaces.

The facility will serve primarily as a hub for Mercy students, faculty and staff for athletics, intramurals and campus events, but will also be available to the community for rentals, open sessions and regional activities.

Site work is expected to begin in phases this spring, with construction projected to take 14 to 18 months.

Read more about it in the Rivertowns Dispatch here and below.

Rivertowns Dispatch: Mercy gets go-ahead to build campus field house

Julian Caldwell

February 13, 2026

IRVINGTON — 91��Ƭ’s proposed 19,000-square-foot field house, situated on the Irvington section of the campus, is a go. The planning board approved the project, first introduced last April, during a public meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 4. Of the campus’ 66 total acres, 31.5 acres are in Irvington, while the rest are in Dobbs Ferry.

The 46-foot-tall field house, located west of Verrazzano Hall, will include two indoor tennis courts and a basketball court, with the potential to turn one of the tennis courts into three pickleball courts. The field house will be built on what is now a parking lot, east of a slope leading down to the Hudson River.

Plans for the facility also include a mezzanine walking track above the courts, as well as restrooms, changing areas, an office, and a meeting room. There will be no fixed seating in the building.

According to 91��Ƭ Vice President of Operations and Facilities Thomas Simmonds, the field house will be primarily for Mercy students, faculty, and staff. On occasion it will be open to the public for specific events, and will also be available for rentals.

"This project is about more than just a building, it’s about creating a vibrant hub for connection,” Simmonds wrote to the Dispatch. “For Mercy, these improvements are central to building a strong sense of belonging that helps us attract and retain students. For our neighbors in Dobbs Ferry and Irvington, it strengthens our partnership by creating a welcoming environment that serves as a true community resource."

Since construction of the field house will result in the loss of 120 parking spaces, a new parking lot east of Verrazzano Hall — where the field house was initially proposed to be built — is part of the project. Mercy changed the location of the field house in July, in response to concerns about tree removal and blocking views of the Hudson River from the Old Croton Aqueduct Trailway.

“The dialogue with the planning board and Irvington residents was invaluable — it didn't just move the process forward, it enhanced the project,” Simmonds wrote. “Their input helped us refine the project so that it not only meets Mercy’s goals, but fits seamlessly into the fabric of the wider community."

The project will also replace the three existing tennis courts east of Verrazzano Hall, which are in need of repair, with a new outdoor tennis court and a new outdoor basketball court. The university also plans to build a grass-and-stone quad area in front of the field house. The design for the field house includes windows along much of the west side of the building, overlooking the river, as well as the east side of the building, facing the quad, and on a portion of the south side.

Site work for the project is expected to begin this spring, with construction expected to take 14-18 months. The planning board’s resolution requires that 91��Ƭ not propose or construct any additional parking or buildings in the green space north or east of the existing tennis courts for the next five years.

Westfair Business Journal: Mount Vernon Financial Empowerment Center Marks First Year

znegron@mercy.edu — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 19:14:38 +0000

Westfair Business Journal: Mount Vernon Financial Empowerment Center Marks First Year znegron@mercy.edu Mon, 02/09/2026 - 14:14 School of Business Mercy in the News

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The Westfair Business Journal covered the 1-year anniversary celebration of the Mount Vernon Financial Empowerment Center (FEC), a partnership between 91��Ƭ, the City of Mount Vernon and Westchester County.

Read the article here

Hudson Valley News: Financial Empowerment Center Marks First Year of Impact with Community Celebration

znegron@mercy.edu — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 19:50:01 +0000

Hudson Valley News: Financial Empowerment Center Marks First Year of Impact with Community Celebration znegron@mercy.edu Tue, 02/03/2026 - 14:50 School of Business Mercy in the News

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The Hudson Valley News covered the 1-year anniversary celebration of the Mount Vernon Financial Empowerment Center (FEC), partnership between 91��Ƭ, the City of Mount Vernon and Westchester County.

Read the article here

Yonkers Times: 91��Ƭ Receives Historic $9 Million Gift to Launch Suzanne McGraw Scholars Program

znegron@mercy.edu — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 20:00:37 +0000

Yonkers Times: 91��Ƭ Receives Historic $9 Million Gift to Launch Suzanne McGraw Scholars Program znegron@mercy.edu Tue, 12/23/2025 - 15:00 School of Education Mercy in the News

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The Yonkers Times covered the launch of 91��Ƭ's Suzanne McGraw Scholars Program, made possible by a transformative philanthropic gift of more than $9 million from the Suzanne McGraw Foundation. The gift represents the largest in 91��Ƭ’s history and will support a groundbreaking initiative to prepare highly skilled early childhood educators while addressing the urgent need for qualified early childhood educators in the region.

Read the article here

I Live Here Westchester: Ashley Britton on Legacy Planning and Financial Empowerment in Westchester

znegron@mercy.edu — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 21:25:35 +0000

I Live Here Westchester: Ashley Britton on Legacy Planning and Financial Empowerment in Westchester znegron@mercy.edu Fri, 11/21/2025 - 16:25 Mercy in the News

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Ashley Britton, program manager of the Mount Vernon Financial Empowerment Center shares how the Legacy Planning Program is giving families the same tools and clarity once reserved for the wealthy — from creating wills and designating beneficiaries to tackling debt and building confidence. She discusses breaking generational barriers, bridging the wealth gap, and turning fear into financial freedom.

91��Ƭ partnered with the City of Mount Vernon, Westchester County and the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund to launch the Mount Vernon Financial Empowerment Center (FEC), Mercy serves as the nonprofit provider managing the day-to-day operations for the FEC.

Listen to the podcast

The Impact: Mercy Alumna Wins NY Emmy For Heartfelt Story on Chilean Artist

znegron@mercy.edu — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 20:21:32 +0000

The Impact: Mercy Alumna Wins NY Emmy For Heartfelt Story on Chilean Artist znegron@mercy.edu Fri, 10/24/2025 - 16:21 Mercy in the News Alumni

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The Impact, 91��Ƭ's school newspaper written and edited by students, recently featured an article on Mercy alumna Nicole Alarcon, a Media Studies graduate who was part of a News 12 team that won an Emmy on Oct. 11, 2025.

Alarcon, who was associate editor of the Impact in 2022, is deeply grateful for the unwavering support and guidance she received throughout her journalism studies at Mercy.

Read the article here

914 Inc: Work-Based Learning at 91��Ƭ Offers Real-World Experience

znegron@mercy.edu — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 20:11:05 +0000

914 Inc: Work-Based Learning at 91��Ƭ Offers Real-World Experience znegron@mercy.edu Fri, 10/24/2025 - 16:11 Mercy in the News

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Westchester Magazine's 914 Inc, the business magazine, recently featured an article on 91��Ƭ's work-based learning program, which gives students opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. Through internships, co-ops, clinical rotations, service learning, volunteer work, and student teaching, Mercy ensures every student can gain hands-on experience in the field.

Read the article here

Westfair Business Journal-91��Ƭ Remains Steadfastly Committed to Education for All

znegron@mercy.edu — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 21:05:16 +0000

Westfair Business Journal-91��Ƭ Remains Steadfastly Committed to Education for All znegron@mercy.edu Wed, 10/08/2025 - 17:05 Mercy in the News

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The Westfair Business Journal published an article about 91��Ƭ in their October 6 edition, featuring a Q&A with President Susan Parish highlighting Mercy's 75th anniversary and its impact as an institution of educational access and opportunity for all.

Read the article here

Hudson Independent: 91��Ƭ Recognized for Social Mobility

znegron@mercy.edu — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 21:30:47 +0000

Hudson Independent: 91��Ƭ Recognized for Social Mobility znegron@mercy.edu Tue, 09/30/2025 - 17:30 Mercy in the News

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The Hudson Independent covered 91��Ƭ's announcement that it has been named by U.S. News & World Report as a top performer on Social Mobility in the publication’s 2026 Best Colleges rankings.

Read the article here

Rivertowns Dispatch Podcast-91��Ƭ President Susan Parish

znegron@mercy.edu — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:23:59 +0000

Rivertowns Dispatch Podcast-91��Ƭ President Susan Parish znegron@mercy.edu Thu, 09/25/2025 - 12:23 Mercy in the News

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The Rivertowns Dispatch Podcast host Timothy Reuter recently sat down with 91��Ƭ President Susan L. Parish to discuss the role the university plays in the Rivertowns community, how AI is impacting education and political polarization at universities, among other topics.

Listen to the podcast here

News 12: 91��Ƭ Celebrates its 75th Anniversary

znegron@mercy.edu — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 14:03:08 +0000

News 12: 91��Ƭ Celebrates its 75th Anniversary znegron@mercy.edu Mon, 09/08/2025 - 10:03 Mercy in the News

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News 12 Westchester coverage of 91��Ƭ's September 5th announcement about its 75th anniversary celebration kicking off with Founders' Festival on September 20th.

NPR: Mercy Instructor and CNR Alumnus Joseph Lee Discusses his Debut Novel

znegron@mercy.edu — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 15:58:17 +0000

NPR: Mercy Instructor and CNR Alumnus Joseph Lee Discusses his Debut Novel znegron@mercy.edu Fri, 08/01/2025 - 11:58 School of Liberal Arts Mercy in the News

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91��Ƭ instructor and CNR alumnus Joseph Lee recently sat down with NPR's Fresh Air podcast to discuss his debut novel, Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity. The half Wampanoag author talks about navigating identity as a Native on Martha's Vineyard and what it means to belong to a land that is both a sacred home and a major tourist attraction.

Listen to the podcast and learn more here

Yonkers Times: Mercy Student Athlete Lindsey Shimborske Named Division II Scholar-Athlete of the Year

znegron@mercy.edu — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 22:41:56 +0000

Yonkers Times: Mercy Student Athlete Lindsey Shimborske Named Division II Scholar-Athlete of the Year znegron@mercy.edu Thu, 07/31/2025 - 18:41 Mercy in the News

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Mercy's University's announcement on women’s lacrosse player Lindsey Shimborske being named the 2025 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II Scholar-Athlete of the Year was covered by the Yonkers Times.

Read the article here

River Journal: Regional Leaders Chart Digital Future at CONVERGE ’25

znegron@mercy.edu — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 22:52:33 +0000

River Journal: Regional Leaders Chart Digital Future at CONVERGE ’25 znegron@mercy.edu Wed, 07/30/2025 - 18:52 Mercy in the News

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The River Journal online covered the second annual CONVERGE: Hudson Valley Digital Innovation Conference hosted by the Westchester County Association (WCA), Westchester County, and The STEM Alliance in partnership with 91��Ƭ. The event,held at Mercy's Westchester Campus in Dobbs Ferry, brought together business, government, nonprofit, and education leaders to explore how artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and digital inclusion can power the region’s economy and create a more equitable, resilient future.

Read the article here

Yonkers Times: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Advanced Certificate Program

znegron@mercy.edu — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 20:53:06 +0000

Yonkers Times: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Advanced Certificate Program znegron@mercy.edu Wed, 06/04/2025 - 16:53 School of Nursing Mercy in the News

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Mercy's University's announcement of the launch of its new Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Advanced Certificate Program was covered by the Yonkers Times.

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The Hudson Independent: 91��Ƭ Awarded $140,000 Grant From Phelps Healthcare Foundation

znegron@mercy.edu — Thu, 29 May 2025 21:11:51 +0000

The Hudson Independent: 91��Ƭ Awarded $140,000 Grant From Phelps Healthcare Foundation znegron@mercy.edu Thu, 05/29/2025 - 17:11 School of Nursing Mercy in the News

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Mercy's University's announcement of its $140,000 grant from the Phelps Healthcare Foundation to launch a new community mobile health screening initiative that strengthens access to care throughout Westchester County was covered by The Hudson Independent.

Read the article here

News 12: Mercy's Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice Endorsed by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences

znegron@mercy.edu — Tue, 06 May 2025 22:55:50 +0000

News 12: Mercy's Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice Endorsed by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences znegron@mercy.edu Tue, 05/06/2025 - 18:55 Mercy in the News

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News 12 Weschester coverage of 91��Ƭ's May 5, 2025 announcement that its Bachelor’s degree program in Criminal Justice has been officially endorsed by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) for academic quality, a significant recognition that highlights the program’s academic excellence and commitment to student success.