Former Dean Robert Vizza Honored at Manhattan College’s Fall Honors Convocation
The former dean of the School of Business receives an honorary doctorate degree.
Robert Vizza, Ph.D., dean of Manhattan College’s School of Business from 1967-85, will receive an honorary doctorate degree in science at the College’s annual Fall Honors Convocation on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. At the event, students from the College’s five undergraduate schools will be inducted into the Epsilon Sigma Pi honor society, the oldest College-wide honor society on campus.
Vizza has more than 40 years experience in the health-care and education sectors, including 18 years as dean of Manhattan College’s School of Business. Subsequently, Vizza took on president and CEO positions at three different health-care organizations.
In 1985, Vizza was named president and CEO of St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, N.Y. He is credited with transforming the community hospital into a major regional cardiac center with a nationally recognized reputation in cardiovascular care and surgery. In 1996, he assumed the same position of president and CEO at the newly merged St. Francis-Mercy Corporation.
In 1998, Vizza left the hospital to become the president and CEO of the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, a position he still holds today. The Foundation supports research to find a cure for pancreatic cancer, facilitates dialogue within the medical and scientific communities and educates the public about the disease. To date, the Foundation has provided more than $90 million to some 175 research projects at 50-plus medical and research centers worldwide. It is currently America’s largest private funder dedicated to pancreatic cancer research.
Vizza’s scholastic accomplishments include publishing eight books and 100-plus articles on management and marketing. He serves on the board of directors of six companies, spanning an array of industries. Vizza holds a B.S. and an MBA from the City University of New York and a Ph.D. from New York University.