Fordham President Tania Tetlow has formally extended her tenure as president to June 2030.
The extension enables Tetlow to continue building on her “transformative accomplishments” as the first layperson and first woman to lead the Jesuit University of New York, said Armando Nuñez, chair of Fordham’s Board of Trustees.
“Securing President Tetlow’s continued leadership is a momentous occasion,” Nuñez said in a letter to the Fordham community. “She has led the University through challenging times in higher education and developed a clear and inspiring strategic vision to make Fordham the top choice for students who want to matter to the world.”
Tetlow became president of Fordham in July 2022. Since taking office, she has been an outspoken champion of education and the critical importance of the humanities in today’s world of AI. In 2024, she oversaw the completion of Fordham’s Cura Personalis Campaign, which raised more than $370 million to enhance all aspects of the student experience. In 2025, she was instrumental in securing a $100 million gift from Maurice “Mo” Cunniffe and Carolyn Dursi Cunniffe—the largest in Fordham’s history—which will be used to break ground on a cutting-edge science facility on the Rose Hill campus and expand interdisciplinary STEM degree programs that will build on Fordham’s strengths in the humanities, social sciences, and the professions. Applications to Fordham continue to rise under her leadership; this year’s early-round applications rose 39% over last year.
Tetlow said she is “profoundly honored and energized” by the opportunity to continue leading Fordham.
“Fordham embodies the power of Jesuit education in a city that offers access to every imaginable opportunity, and it has been my life’s great privilege to serve as its president,” she said. “I am honored and grateful for the trust placed in me by the board and this community, and I will work hard to continue to earn that trust every day.”
Beyond Fordham’s campuses, Tetlow has strengthened the University’s ties to New York City and elevated its global profile. She invested in strategic community programs, helping to launch the Bronx Green Jobs Center, which connects local talent to New York’s rapidly growing green economy. Most recently, she championed a bold evolution of Fordham’s brand—advancing the University’s reputation as a prestigious academic institution and helping it stand out in an increasingly competitive market.
A legal scholar and former federal prosecutor, Tetlow came to Fordham after serving for four years as president of Loyola University New Orleans. For her leadership in Catholic higher education, she received Commonweal Magazine’s inaugural Centennial Award in 2024. She serves as board chair of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and vice chair of the board of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
Nuñez said Tetlow’s successful leadership draws on the very values Fordham instills in its students.
“President Tetlow’s staunch belief in the power of discernment and of Jesuit education has underpinned every decision she has made, and it has fostered a culture of increased transparency, belonging, and service,” he said.
