Buffalo, NY - Canisius University announced today that it has received a $2 million gift from alumna Fidelma Fitzpatrick '91 and the Fitzpatrick Family to establish the Contemplatives in Action Living Learning Community. The new academic and residential program will bring together an interdisciplinary cohort of students who will live together on campus and learn in community through an engaging, mission-centered academic experience. The Fitzpatrick gift is the largest gift devoted to student formation in the university’s history.
“The Fitzpatrick family’s generosity expands the ways we support student success at Canisius University, and reinforces our commitment to being the preeminent student success university in the region” said President Steve Stoute. “This new living learning community will give students a transformative academic experience - one that deepens their understanding of the world, challenges them to think critically, and prepares them to act with purpose. We are profoundly grateful for this investment in our students and in the future of our beloved university.”
"Canisius is where I truly found my footing, both as a student and as a person," said Fidelma Fitzpatrick. "The Jesuit education I received here didn't just prepare me for a successful career; it taught me how to listen deeply, think critically, and act with empathy. My family and I wanted to create a space where today's students can experience that same kind of personal transformation - learning not just from textbooks but from living and working together to solve real-world problems. We are so proud to support the next generation of leaders who will leave Canisius ready to make a meaningful difference in our world."
A Transformative Learning Experience
Students will engage in a structured sequence of learning that includes academic study, guided reflection, and collaborative problem-solving consistent with the Jesuit value of being contemplatives in action - individuals who connect reflection and discernment with meaningful engagement in the world. Through this experience, students will examine a selected societal challenge from multiple perspectives, develop potential solutions, and endeavor to implement a solution with one or more partner organizations.
The experience will be led by the Fitzpatrick Family Professor, an endowed faculty position that will rotate among Canisius faculty based on the selected theme for each cohort.
Maura Snyder, PhD, assistant professor of communications, has been appointed the inaugural Fitzpatrick Family Professor. She will direct the first cohort of students in the living learning community, which begins in fall 2027 with a focus on media literacy: examining how information is produced, consumed and manipulated in contemporary society.
Strengthening Mission-Centered Academic Communities
The Fitzpatrick Family gift expands a growing ecosystem of mission-centered learning communities at Canisius. The university already offers the Urban Leadership Learning Community (ULLC), a four-year program that prepares students from historically underrepresented backgrounds to become leaders in Buffalo and Western New York. Canisius also offers the nationally recognized All-College Honors Program, which provides academically gifted students with an accelerated curriculum, seminar-style coursework, and immersive learning experiences.
The new Contemplatives in Action LLC adds a thematic, action-oriented program that engages students directly in mission-based academic experiences.
Advancing Student Success Across Campus
The Fitzpatrick Family gift comes at a time when Canisius University is making substantial, strategic investments in student success. Recent initiatives include:
The Golisano Center for Student Success, a 30,000‑square‑foot hub for holistic student support, including academic, career, and wellness resources
Canisius Computes, a one‑to‑one computing initiative that provides every first‑year student with a MacBook Air to support tech-enabled learning
The modernization of Old Main, the university’s primary academic building, with new hyflex classrooms to encourage innovative pedagogical practices
New academic pathways and partnerships in high-demand fields, strengthened by new collaborations with Syracuse University, Boston College, St. Bonaventure University and Western Atlantic University School of Medicine, among others.
“Canisius University is committed to creating learning environments where students discover their purpose, develop their gifts, and use their education to make a meaningful difference in their communities and our world,” added President Stoute. “The Fitzpatrick Family’s investment strengthens that commitment and helps build a university where student success is rooted in mission, community, and a deep engagement with society’s most pressing challenges.”
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
