The Inauguration of Nazareth's 9th President, Daan Braveman

With the inauguration of Daan Braveman as its ninth president on October 1, 2005, Nazareth College honored a rich tradition of strong leadership, outstanding community service and excellence in academics, as well as the new vision Daan Braveman holds for the future of the college.

To learn more about the events that took place over Inauguration weekend, please click here.

“Making a Difference”

For his inauguration, President Daan Braveman chose a theme which represents the spirit of Nazareth College: “Making a Difference.”

“When (my wife) Lorraine and I first visited Nazareth, we saw the genuine commitment of faculty and staff to the students, the sincere warmth and kindness of those we met, and the College’s many contributions to the local community through off-campus learning and public service,” Braveman says. “It was clear to me that Nazareth College is making a difference in the lives of its students and in the lives of people throughout the area. I knew Nazareth was the right place for me.

“Institutions of higher education have many opportunities to make a difference—in the lives of its students, faculty, staff, alums and in the lives of those around us. As Ernest Boyer, one of the great educators of the past decades, wrote: 'What is needed for higher education is not just programs, but a larger purpose, a larger sense of mission, a larger clarity of direction in the nation’s life.' I believe Boyer was correct when he observed that we achieve the larger sense of purpose and mission through the creation of a community. That community should be committed to excellence in learning, to inclusion of people and ideas, to engagement with the larger, surrounding communities, and to celebration of its many achievements. When a College has that that mix of excellent learning, inclusion, engagement and compassion, it can make a real difference.”

Visit Nazareth's Making a Difference website to learn more about President Braveman's theme.