Joseph D. Monticciolo

Honorary Alumni Award

Joseph D. Monticciolo graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor's degree in architecture, but he is much more involved with Hofstra University. His alma mater is "a thousand miles away," he points out, "so Hofstra became my adopted school."

Since 1990 Joe has headed The Monticciolo Company in Woodbury, New York, an architectural, housing and construction consultancy. Since 1992, he has also been president of the Public Housing Institute of America and a principal of Compliance Reports of America.

A lifetime fellow of the American Institute of Architects who received AIA's prestigious Edward C. Kemper Award in 1987, Joe is an expert in evaluations for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as an architectural and housing consultant to housing authorities, developers and not-for-profit agencies.

He joined the Hofstra Advisory Board approximately 30 years ago, at the urging of then Hofstra President James Shuart and other board members. At the time, Joe was with the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), as director of its New York area office. For nearly 10 years, Joe has served as chair of the Hofstra Advisory Board, and as such, he sits in on Board of Trustees meetings at Hofstra. "It's been a great opportunity to participate in the direction of the school. It's nice to have a say."

He adds, "I'm impressed by the caliber of the students we attract, by the prestige of the University, and by its blend of education and athletic activities. As an architect, I love the fact that Hofstra is an arboretum. It's just so beautiful. I love the ambience of the grounds."

Joe - who retired from HUD in 1988 as regional administrator/regional housing commissioner for its Region II, after having held various positions with the agency - is connected with Hofstra in yet another way, through the Joseph and Mary Ann Monticciolo Endowed Scholarship. Created in 1998, the scholarship is awarded on academic achievement and economic need, with preference given to a qualified student of Italian descent or to a physically challenged student.

At a luncheon last spring, Joe says, he found it especially gratifying to meet three recipients of his scholarship -a graduating senior who majored in engineering and two juniors, one of whom is majoring in chemistry. He has also received letters from others. Hearing firsthand about the impact the Monticciolo Endowed Scholarship has had on students' lives and education, he says "gives more impetus to contribute."

Joe also enjoys a more "personal" connection with Hofstra. "Two of our four children - the youngest and the oldest - went to Hofstra Law School," he says, "and one of them now works at Hofstra's University College for Continuing Education."