The forthcoming Bronx Green Jobs Center, Rose Hill’s future STEM facility, and the chapel coming to the Louis Calder Center may seem like very different projects, but they all share one common throughline: Fordham’s Design and Construction team. Led by AVP Marcella Sino, the 11-member team is responsible for turning strategic visions into reality, overseeing all new construction projects as well as renovations to the roughly 170 existing buildings across the University’s New York campuses.
“Today we take on projects that are very complex,” said Peter Girvan, director of business operations for the team. The Fordham Prep grad and lifelong Bronx resident joined the University in 1988, when Fordham was building residence halls for its growing residential student body. Alumni Court South and Loschert Hall (formerly Alumni Court North) had just opened, with O’Hare Hall on the way. “Back then, our work was more responsive—we were more in a reactive mode.”
With so many ambitious new construction projects on the horizon—as well as ongoing upgrades such as the restoration of University Church—Fordham hired Zia Dawood in February to serve as director of the Design and Construction group. The Queens architect, who is originally from Pakistan, spent 13 years managing capital projects at Queens Public Library and worked in similar roles at Brooklyn Public Library and St. John’s University.
Dawood works closely with the Planning and Programming team, led by Steven Stainbrook, which initiates all projects and assesses needs from a variety of stakeholders. The Design and Construction group, meanwhile, is responsible for project execution, sometimes with the help of an outside architectural or engineering firm.
“I love being creative, but then being grounded in the technical nature of a project as well,” said Dawood. “Because whatever our imagination leads us to has to be viable. I love making it real.”
Below are five projects that the Design and Construction team is bringing to life.
Bronx Green Jobs Center
This LEED-certified, sustainable industry learning center at 585 East Fordham Road is set to open in late 2026. It will offer the Bronx community training and workshops geared toward jobs in clean energy and other sustainable sectors, and feature a greenhouse, cafe, and event space. “Working outside campus on Fordham Road—that’s very new for all of us,” said Girvan.
Chapel at Louis Calder Center
A new chapel for Campus Ministry retreats is coming to the Louis Calder Center, Fordham’s 113-acre biological field station in Armonk, New York. The property’s existing graduate housing will also grow from 12 rooms to 14, and its kitchen will be expanded. Construction on the Calder retreat project could begin as early as next year.
University Church Restoration
To address heavy water damage in Fordham’s 180-year-old church, Dawood’s team restored its interior finishes and abated old, hazardous materials this year in time for September’s Mass of the Holy Spirit. They are currently working on the exterior restoration—patching and replacing cracked stone—which should be complete before Christmas. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to contribute to that iconic facility,” said Dawood.
Energy Upgrades
The University is replacing its outdated steam heating system with more energy-efficient decentralized boilers. “Some of the projects we do year-round are the ones behind the scenes,” said Girvan. “We do a lot of mechanical projects like these as the University and the city head toward a greener tomorrow.”
The Integrated Science Center
A record-breaking $100 million gift catalyzed plans for Fordham’s future STEM facility. “This is one of those projects that I’m going to work on heavily with the planning team to identify the needs and the wants of every academic and administrative department,” said Dawood.
