Albertus Magnus College Receives its Largest Ever Gift Commitment for Athletic Programming
$400,000 Investment from Parents of Albertus Alumnus Will Support Men’s Ice Hockey Team
New Haven, Conn., November 13, 2023 – Albertus Magnus College is pleased to announce that it has received a $400,000 gift commitment to support its NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey program. The gift, the largest individual contribution for athletic programming in the almost 100-year College’s history, comes from Francene and Joseph Forgione of New Vernon, New Jersey, parents of Albertus Men’s Ice Hockey alumnus Michael Forgione ’23.
“I am extremely grateful for the generous support of the Forgione family, which is a testament to their belief in the College’s men’s ice hockey program and their son Michael’s experience at Albertus,” said Albertus President Marc M. Camille, Ed.D. “Michael was one of the founding players for Head Coach Kyle Wallack’s program, and in addition to quickly becoming a very competitive program, what gives me equal pride is the team’s outstanding academic performance and service initiatives. The Forgiones’ investment in the program will help position men’s ice hockey at Albertus for even greater success moving forward.”
"I'm humbled and grateful for this gift from Francene and Joe Forgione. The support they have given to our program during Michael’s years and now for the future is second to none. Michael was one of our first recruits and a contributing member of our inaugural men’s hockey class, and he graduated on time, cum laude with a BS in Entrepreneurship. The Forgione family treats our men’s hockey program as part of their own family, and this gift will have great positive impact,” said Coach Wallack, who was named DIII Men’s Ice Hockey Independent Schools Coach of the Year last season and was a finalist for the American Hockey Coaches Association National Coach of the Year the last two seasons.
Francene Forgione commented, “Our son Michael had an outstanding experience playing for Coach Wallack as a founding member of the men’s hockey program, and now he’s graduated, ready to put his Albertus degree to work. We’re happy to continue our support of Coach Wallack’s program and excited about its continued upward trajectory.”
The Forgione Family’s generous donation is just the latest development in a string of significant ice hockey news at Albertus Magnus College. Now in its fourth season, Albertus’ Men’s Hockey Program appeared for the first time in the Top 15 national NCAA DIII rankings, and earlier this month, the College’s new NCAA DIII Women’s Ice Hockey team was launched, making it the College’s 17th intercollegiate sport. Last December it was announced that both the Men’s and Women’s Falcons Ice Hockey programs will be joining the prestigious New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) effective with their 2024-2025 seasons.
About Albertus Magnus College
Albertus Magnus College, founded in 1925, is a coeducational Catholic College in the Dominican tradition. As New England's most diverse Catholic College, Albertus' values and liberal arts-based education is recognized by external rankings such as US News & World Report, Money Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, and has been named a Top 10 Military Friendly School. For seven consecutive years, graduating classes at Albertus have achieved post-graduate employment and graduate school success at a rate of at least 95%. The College has an enrollment of approximately 1,300 students across its traditional undergraduate, accelerated adult undergraduate, and 11 graduate programs. Proud to enroll a student body where more than half of its students come from minority backgrounds with nearly the same percentage of undergraduates receiving Federal Pell Grants and being first generation college goers, Albertus is known for its innovative curricular offerings, recently launching new Bachelor’s degree programs in Game and Computer Arts, General Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies, Project Management, Public Health, Social Media, and Supply Chain Management; among its graduate programs is the State of Connecticut's only Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling program. Just two years from its historic 100th Anniversary Year, the College is implementing its Albertus 2025: Lighting the Way to a Second Century strategic plan, which articulates an inspiring, bold vision to "be a destination liberal arts-based college, distinguished in its interdisciplinary and experiential approach to education, rooted in Dominican values, that prepares students for lifelong civic engagement and success." To learn more, please visit albertus.edu.