LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Sister Denise A. Roche upon the occa-
sion of her retirement after 36 years of distinguished service to
D'Youville College, in Buffalo, New York

WHEREAS, New York State's commitment to education is unparalleled; its
history and stature are secured by the superlative caliber of its educa-
tional professionals and the students they inspire; and
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to acknowledge the
significant milestones in the distinguished careers of those outstanding
educational leaders, whose dedication and achievements have been instru-
mental in developing character and academic excellence in the young
people of New York State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Sister Denise A. Roche upon the occasion of her retirement after 36
years of distinguished service to D'Youville College, in Buffalo, New
York; and
WHEREAS, Educators like Sister Denise A. Roche have provided a tremen-
dous service to the future of our State and Nation, inspiring gener-
ations of young people in their educational journeys and ensuring their
success in their future years; and
WHEREAS, A Buffalo, New York, native, Denise A. Roche entered the Grey
Nuns of the Sacred Heart in 1961; she earned her bachelor's degree in
Sociology and Social Work at D'Youville College, and received her
master's degree in Sociology at Boston University; she furthered her
education by obtaining her doctorate at the University of Massachusetts;
and
WHEREAS, Sister Denise A. Roche began her illustrious career at her
alma mater, D'Youville College, holding numerous positions including
instructor, teaching assistant, assistant professor, Chair of the soci-
ology department, associate dean, and assistant to the Dean of Academic
Services, as well as assistant to the Dean of Faculty; and
WHEREAS, At the young age of 37, Sister Denise A. Roche was named the
14th President of the College in October of 1979, a position from which
she will officially retire on July 1, 2016; and
WHEREAS, Under her luminous leadership, enrollment grew from 1,153
students in 1980, to approximately 3,000 students today; the college
endowment was $1.2 million then and is now more than $38 million, and
the annual budget now stands at nearly $60 million; and
WHEREAS, Sister Denise A. Roche was instrumental in the addition and
development of a significant number of new academic programs at both the
undergraduate and graduate level at the private college including occu-
pational and physical therapy, physician assistant, dietetics, community
health nursing, nurse practitioner, health care management, health poli-
cy and education, educational leadership, chiropractic, pharmacy and
most recently, health analytics; in addition, several cooperative
programs with the Buffalo Public Schools were also implemented; and
WHEREAS, Moreover, Sister Denise A. Roche implemented an international
student recruiting program; at one time D'Youville College enrolled the
most Canadian students of any college or university in the United
States; and
WHEREAS, In 2006, Sister Denise A. Roche created a nationally recog-
nized veterans program, enrolling more than 500 veterans and their
dependents; and
WHEREAS, Under her leadership, more than $100 million was invested
into the physical expansion of the West Side campus; projects included
were the new Montante Family Library in the former Holy Angels School, a

new gymnasium, student apartments, a new academic center, a Niagara
Street office building, and major building renovations as well as a new
athletic field at the foot of Porter Avenue; a new Arts and Science
Building on Niagara Street is scheduled for completion this fall; and
WHEREAS, In addition to her exceptional and inspiring work at
D'Youville College, Sister Denise Roche has served on the boards of
numerous community institutions ranging from the United Way, American
Red Cross, AIDS Family Services and the Association of Colleges and
Universities; and
WHEREAS, For her many accomplishments and steadfast commitment to the
College, Sister Denise Roche has been the recipient of numerous awards
and accolades including the Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal from the
State University of New York at Buffalo, honorary degrees from Canisius
College and Niagara University, being named 1994 Citizen of the Year by
THE BUFFALO NEWS, and inducted into the Women's Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Sister Denise Roche's quest for excellence is well-known; she
attributes much of her success to the dedicated ethical team of educa-
tors, supportive friends, caring and involved parents, and wonderful,
enthusiastic young adults; and
WHEREAS, Sister Denise Roche has clearly had an enduring impact on the
students of D'Youville College, as well as on the community-at-large,
and accordingly merits recognition and applause for her impressive dedi-
cation to others; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to commend the
efforts of those individuals who work to support our proud tradition of
institutions of higher education by providing their skills and talents
to our colleges; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Sister Denise A. Roche upon the occasion of her retirement after
36 years of distinguished service to D'Youville College, and to wish her
continued success in all of her future endeavors; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Sister Denise A. Roche.