The following questions are taken directly from the half hour Torch interview with Dr. Gempesaw.

What do you like about St. John’s the most?

“The passion and the commitment of the faculty and staff. In the first couple of weeks, I’ve invited several of our employees to the house just to get to know them better, [including] administrators, our staff from public safety, our staff from facilities.  We also had students from the President’s society. I can see in each one their dedication to the institution.”

What are some of the challenges St. John’s faces going forward?

“Us and any other university here, particularly in the Northeast, we face enrollment challenges. That is an issue that I have immediately started to look at very, very closely and work collaboratively with our enrollment management staff, involv[ing] the provost and the deans, so we can plan appropriately on what our enrollment strategies should be.  Especially now, that’s partly caused by the demographic trends in the region.  I am, however, confident that we will be able to find a niche for St. John’s.”