2026 Benigna Education Award

Michael A. Rossi Jr., Ph.D.  ’88, P’17, P’21, P’25

The Benigna Education Award recognizes an alum for their outstanding contributions to the field of education. Administrators, college professors, elementary and secondary teachers, and all those in the teaching profession are eligible. The recipient has made significant innovations in the teaching profession, or otherwise substantially impacted the education process, and has demonstrated dedication to the community at large.

From classrooms to boardrooms, Michael A. Rossi Jr., Ph.D. ’88, P’17, P’21, P’25 has spent his career shaping education and the people who lead it. A teacher, coach, student advisor, principal, and superintendent, he has influenced generations of students and educators, and he shows no sign of slowing down.

But his path wasn’t always clear. Michael recalls arriving at Moravian as a firstyear student without much direction or strategy.

“It was the teachers, coaches, and advisors who never gave up on me who made my future accomplishments possible,” Michael says.

Two long-time political science professors, Dr. Gary Olson and Dr. John Reynolds P’03, P’11, taught him to challenge the status quo through scholarship and a commitment to meaningful change. Legendary basketball coach Jim Walker P’07 showed him how to follow his passions both on and off the court.

“I left Moravian an adult with a blueprint for long-term academic and personal prosperity,” says Michael, who graduated with a political science degree.

After graduation, Michael headed to Tufts University, where he served as a graduate assistant basketball coach and residence hall supervisor while earning his master of arts in teaching. His graduate thesis, Crisis in the Classroom, examined overcrowding in Boston public schools and became  the first of nearly two dozen academic publications he has authored.

Michael began teaching social studies at the middle- and high-school levels while continuing his own education with a master’s degree in social science. During this time, his passion for mentoring aspiring educators took root. As an education professor, he oversaw student teachers and organized workshops and colloquiums designed to prepare them for leadership in the classroom.

His academic writing also reflected that focus—he wrote papers on improving teacher evaluations, creating skills-based curricula, and implementing  web-based curriculum models.

Motivated by the impact he was making, Michael completed his doctorate  in philosophy and began seeking a role where he could influence  educational policy and practice more broadly. He found that opportunity as a district superintendent.

Since 2005, he has led five districts recognized for innovative and inclusive approaches to education. Under his leadership, schools implemented universal classroom smartboards and handheld learning devices—an initiative that helped one district earn an “excellence in education” award from the New Jersey School Boards Convention. Another school received a $100,000 award from the New Jersey Department of Education for excellence in special education. He also expanded opportunities for students by establishing an artist-in-residence program and creating a television studio and dedicated STEM facility.

Michael’s leadership has also been recognized beyond the districts he served. He was named a fellow by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation for his research on educational interventions related to diversity and achievement. He also served on the Executive Committee of the New Jersey Association of  School Administrators and was active with the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Throughout his career, Michael has remained committed to mentoring the next generation of teachers, principals, and superintendents through workshops, speaking engagements, and leadership academies—helping aspiring educators secure leadership roles and shape the future of education.

Looking back, Michael says it all traces back to Moravian.

“It is incalculable to gauge the total impact that my time as a Greyhound has had on my career and life,” he says.

Likewise, it is difficult to measure the incredible impact he has made on the future of education.