Rooney appointed chairman of Irish American University Executive Committee

Dr. Joseph Rooney, who, along with other members of the Rooney family, has been involved for many years with several Irish charitable organizations, has agreed to serve as chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of Irish American University.

He and his father, Patrick Rooney, have been associated with the university since its foundation in Dublin, Ireland, 20 years ago as American College Dublin by Lynn University of Boca Raton, Fla.

Today, it is an international institution with students from all over the world. It has two constituent colleges, American College Dublin in Ireland and American College Delaware in Lewes, which is presently receiving applications for its charter class, scheduled to commence in September 2014.

Prior to serving as a trustee of the university, Rooney served as the academic dean of American College Dublin in the 1990s, at a time when the institution was still a subsidiary of Lynn University. In the course of his interactions with the Irish-American communities in the United States and Ireland, he has developed strong relationships with Irish-American educators, as well as educational alliances with colleges and universities in other parts of the world. During his educational career, he also served as dean of the School of Hospitality Management at Lynn University. Rooney is the author of several books and publications.

After graduating from the Haverford School in Pennsylvania, Rooney attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he was awarded a bachelor of arts degree. He received a master of science degree at Florida International University and his doctorate at Nova Southeastern University.

Presently, Rooney is vice president of Boru Leisure Services LLC, a family business in West Palm Beach, Fla. He is the grandson of the late Art Rooney, the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his uncle, Dan Rooney, was the American ambassador to Ireland.

For information about Irish American University, visit www.amcd.ie.