Molloy College bids farewell to Dr. Drew Bogner

Dr. Drew Bogner, the outgoing president of Molloy College in Rockville Centre, stood outside Kellenberg Hall decked out in a green suit coat and top hat on May 29. He wore this, he said, in reference to the wizard in the film “The Wizard of Oz.”

When Bogner became president 20 years ago, he moved from Kansas to Rockville Centre, and people always made the “Wizard of Oz” jokes. “When you’re from Kanssa, it’s the one cultural reference people know,” he said.

May 29 would have been the college’s end-of-year barbecue, which always has a theme. In past years, Bogner said, he always refused a “Wizard of Oz” theme, but acquiesced for his final year.

Although there was no barbecue this year due to Covid-19, he dressed up as the wizard and staff members created a hot air balloon decoration for the balcony window — all for a drive-by parade for the 20-year president. Bogner and his wife, Karen, went into the building and stood on the balcony to wave down to colleagues and students wishing him farewell.

Some were dressed as scarecrows, or Dorothy. Others held signs reading “Thank you Drew and Karen.”

“It was a really nice surprise to be able to see people’s faces in person, so it was really very special for that reason,” Bogner said. “I felt bad that we haven’t been able to do that.”

During Bogner’s time at Molloy, the college has grown from a predominantly undergraduate institution into a graduate-degree-granting school, increasing the number of academic programs from 62 to 150, including an additional 37 graduate programs and three doctoral programs. In that span, its enrollment has grown from 2,200 to about 4,900 students.

In fall of 2019, the college dedicated its third residence hall to Bogner and his wife, naming it the Drew and Karen Bogner Hall. Before Bogner’s presidency, Molloy was a commuter-only college. Part of Bogner’s vision for the school was to introduce dorms to campus. After years of planning, the idea came to fruition in 2011, when Fitzgerald Hall opened to 109 residents, and again in 2014, when Maria Regina Hall debuted, raising the student resident population to more than 200.

Bogner also celebrated his last commencement ceremony virtually on May 18. His address to graduating undergraduate and graduate students was pre-recorded and live-streamed.

“I’m going to miss the people,” Bogner told the Herald. “We have a lot of good friends at the college and in Rockville Centre, and I’ll miss the sense of community.”

The college has chosen Dr. James Lentini, provost of Oakland College in Rochester, M.I., to serve as the seventh president of Molloy College. His term was to begin in July, but stepped into the role earlier to assist with pandemic response and provide a seamless transition.

“I’ve had a chance to work with him,” Bogner said. “He’s very talented, experienced and fits Molloy. He’s a people person, cares about students and will be a wonderful addition to Rockville Centre community.”