WHEREAS, Stephen Freedman, a native of Montreal, earned his B.S. from Loyola College of Montreal, an M.S. from York University in Toronto, and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of California, Irvine;
AND WHEREAS, nearly his entire career was spent at Jesuit universities, including 24 years at Loyola University Chicago and five years at Gonzaga University before coming to Fordham University in 2007;
AND WHEREAS, as Fordham’s Provost and Chief Academic Officer and Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology for over a decade, Stephen was especially known for his commitment to local and global academic partnerships that enhanced Fordham’s reputation in New York City
and around the world;
AND WHEREAS, Stephen, a deeply spiritual man, will also be remembered for his dedication to Jesuit higher education, as well as for his devotion to and concern for individual faculty, students, and staff at Fordham, along with his deep commitment to his work at the University;
AND WHEREAS, his energy, optimism, sense of humor, graciousness, and genuine care for every single person he encountered were remarkable and well known to all;
AND WHEREAS, we share this great loss of our cherished colleague and dear friend with his wife, Eileen; his sons, Noah and Zac; his grandson, Aaron; his father, Sam; his sister, Susan; and the other members of the Freedman family;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that September 6, 2018, the day of the memorial service for Stephen Freedman, be declared an official day of mourning for Fordham University;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Fordham University Board of Trustees, with profound respect and deep affection, recognizes and records into the minutes the invaluable contributions of Provost Stephen Freedman, who died on July 2, 2018.
