Students experience Mercy Moments: A 75th Anniversary Exhibit.
As 91Ů’s 75th anniversary celebration continues, has arrived at the Westchester Campus. Located in the library, the traveling display highlights the milestones, achievements and defining moments that shaped our community and points us toward what’s ahead.
The exhibit opened on January 27 with a ceremony that brought together students, faculty, staff and alumni. The large-scale installation features several eight-foot-tall panels showcasing a timeline of Mercy’s history through photos, historic artifacts, news headlines and stories. QR codes throughout the exhibit unlock additional media, including videos from the past and AI-assisted animations that bring still photos from history to life. Visitors can also sign the larger-than-life Mercy Yearbook and share a wish for the next 75 years.
75 Years of Mission and Growth
Zodet Negrón, executive director of Public Relations, opened the ceremony by thanking everyone who contributed to the exhibit and attended the 75th anniversary events throughout the year. The exhibit represents months of collaboration between the Marketing and Communications Department, the 75th Anniversary Planning Committee and members of the Mercy community who shared artifacts and research.
“This exhibit is one of several signature moments in our 75th anniversary celebration, which we proudly kicked off this past September, and will continue throughout the academic year,” Negrón said. “Together, these events give us the opportunity to reflect on our history, to recognize those who have helped shape 91Ů and to celebrate the lasting impact this institution has had over the past 75 years.”
President Susan L. Parish addressed the gathering, encouraging everyone to explore the QR codes and discover the AI-assisted videos created by the team. She acknowledged the historians who helped shape the exhibit, including Dean Eric Martone and Professor Mike Perotta, authors of “Mercy College: Yesterday and Today.” Their research, combined with contributions from students, faculty, staff and alumni through the 75th Anniversary Research Project, brought depth and detail to the display.
The exhibit will travel to all three Mercy campuses, reflecting the university’s shared identity while honoring the role each location has played in the collective story. President Parish noted how campus identity has shifted over the decades. Students once identified strongly with their specific campus — Bronx or Dobbs Ferry — and competed in field days. Today, many students take classes across all three campuses, reflecting Mercy’s evolution.
“We’re so proud to be celebrating 75 years of 91Ů, 75 years of students discovering their potential, of faculty teaching and mentoring and inspiring and their staff supporting the daily work that makes education possible,” President Parish said.
She emphasized how Mercy’s core mission remains unchanged even as the university has grown. “As Mercy has evolved, we’ve expanded offerings, we’ve grown our campuses, and we’ve embraced new technologies. And while much has changed, our mission is the same as it was when the Sisters of Mercy started our institution: we are determined to support students, to give them access to excellence, to transform their lives through a college education. The Sisters’ vision and our vision today have not wavered, and it will stand us in good stead for the next 75 years.”
President Parish thanked the Marketing and Communications team, praising their creativity, collaboration and attention to detail. She officially opened the exhibit, inviting everyone to reflect on the past and look forward to the future.
Bringing History to Life
The exhibit represents months of painstaking work led by Kristen Sangregorio, executive creative director of Marketing, and her team. The process involved sifting through countless boxes of photos and documents, piecing together a story that honors where we’ve been while capturing 75 years of growth and change. The team also placed historic photos around campus at locations like the Rotunda, the Gym and Victory Hall, allowing visitors to see what these familiar spaces looked like in the 1950s and 60s.
Sangregorio reflected on the process, and the idea that the Sisters of Mercy could feel almost mythical when the team was thinking about all they had accomplished. But, she said, “Seeing all their photos and documents, you see that they were just a group of people figuring things out and coming together and doing something great.” She continued, “It made me feel good to know we’re all still doing that. We’re coming together, we’re figuring it out, we’re doing something great and really helping students.” Speaking about Mercy’s mission to increase access to an exceptional education, Sangregorio said, “It was nice to see how our mission originated. The Sisters started Mercy with the idea of bringing education to people who may not have otherwise had access to it. And we’re carrying that mission forward now.”
A Living Connection to Mercy’s Founding
Students, faculty and staff explored the exhibit together. President Susan Parish spoke with Louise Squitieri, a member of Mercy’s first graduating class, as they viewed the animated photos. They shared memories of campus life in the early days, including the dances the Sisters organized with cadets from West Point Military Academy. One of those dances is captured in the exhibit’s historic photos.
Walking through the display, President Parish shared what makes the exhibit meaningful. “We’re honoring Mercy’s history, which is so important. We’re still honoring the vision and the priorities of the founding Sisters who created Mercy. We’re still living up to their ideals, we’re still prioritizing access to excellence for our students, and to be able to commemorate the 75-year history, I just think is spectacular.”
For Squitieri, the exhibit holds deep personal significance. “I was in the first graduating non-religious class from Mercy, in 1965, so to see this exhibit is incredibly exciting,” she said. “I’m a little overwhelmed that there is so much that actually was saved from when I came to school here, so it’s very nice to see.” Squitieri earned her PhD from Mercy at a time when science and academia were not traditional paths for women.
Experience Mercy Moments
The exhibit offers a chance to discover parts of Mercy’s story you may not know — personal accounts, historic photographs and videos that bring 75 years of history to life.
“This Mercy Moments exhibit highlights the milestones, the achievements and defining moments that have shaped our community, and it points us to what lies ahead,” President Parish said. “Through this interactive display, discover parts of Mercy’s story that you didn’t know — see the history, see the photographs, see the movies — the personal stories that bring this to life. You will be amazed and awed just as I have been.”
Mercy Moments: A 75th Anniversary Exhibit will remain at Westchester Campus through February 18 before moving to the Bronx and Manhattan campuses, giving everyone across the university a chance to experience it. See the schedule