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The University mourns the passing of five members of the campus community.
Dr. Leslie Agard-Jones, former dean of the College of Education and a distinguished educator, scholar, administrator, and mentor whose decades of service profoundly shaped William Paterson University and advanced educational equity across New Jersey and beyond, died on December 31, 2025. He was 81. Over the course of his career at WP (1970-2008), he held numerous leadership and academic roles, including assistant vice president for minority education; assistant professor of African, African American, and Caribbean studies; chair of the Black Studies Department; interim dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences; and dean of the College of Education. Among his most significant contributions was his leadership in advancing what became African, African American, and Caribbean Studies from an emerging initiative into a formalized academic department with lasting significance. He also co-founded the University’s Race & Gender Project—now the Social Justice Project—with the late Paula Rothenberg, professor emerita of philosophy, expanding William Paterson’s leadership in critical scholarship and public engagement around social justice and equity. As dean of the College of Education, Dr. Agard-Jones spearheaded successful accreditation efforts, guided the relocation of the College to the 1600 Valley Road campus, and strengthened partnerships with schools, districts, and the State of New Jersey. He was instrumental in initiatives such as the Paterson Teachers for Tomorrow Project, including efforts supported by The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation. A graduate of St. John’s University with a bachelor of arts and master of arts in history, with a specialization in African affairs, he earned a doctor of education degree in educational leadership, management and policy from Seton Hall University. Before joining William Paterson, Dr. Agard-Jones served as director of Black Studies at St. John’s University. He also served in the New York City Chancellor’s Office directing the Office of Multicultural Affairs, held gubernatorial appointments in New Jersey, served on the Paterson School Board, and contributed to civic preservation through the Paterson Great Falls National Historic Site Committee. A national leader in multicultural education, he helped found the Northeast Consortium of Multicultural Education and served as vice president of the National Association for Multicultural Education. In 1985, he was named a Fulbright Fellow in West Africa. Following his retirement, Dr. Agard-Jones continued to serve the University by returning to teach Africana World Studies 2250: Race, Gender, and Social Justice and served as a consultant with The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation.
Maureen Conway ’66, retired member of the William Paterson University Board of Trustees, died December 10, 2025. She was 80. Conway was a trailblazer in the global use of technology, a fierce proponent of education, and a dedicated philanthropist in support of the next generation. She retired as a senior executive at Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) in 2005. During her tenure from 1989 to 2005, she held several executive roles and led HP’s Emerging Market Solutions Group, pioneering innovative ways to use technology and new business models to address social and economic needs in developing countries. Her impactful work earned recognition in India and the Republic of South Africa, and in 2005, it was highlighted in Thomas L. Friedman’s bestselling book, The World Is Flat. Earlier in her career, Conway served as HP’s vice president and chief information officer and was honored with the Solomon Smith Barney CIO of the Year Award in 2002. Before joining HP, she spent two decades in technical management at Bell Laboratories, Computer Corporation of America, and Apollo Computer. Conway began her professional journey as a high school mathematics teacher. A 1966 graduate of William Paterson with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, she earned a master of science degree in mathematics from Montclair State University and an MBA with a focus on management and organizational behavior from Temple University. She served on the William Paterson University Board of Trustees from 2011 to 2016, including a term as vice chair, and on the University’s Foundation Board from 2006 to 2011. Her legacy to her alma mater includes the Dr. Earl G. LeDet Endowed Scholarship, in memory of her husband, in support of a student in the College of Science and Health. She also named a room in the University Commons and was a generous benefactor of the Pioneer Leadership Institute, a program that helps first-year students develop critical leadership skills. She was honored by the University several times: in 2003, with the William Paterson Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award; in 2006, with the William Paterson University President’s Medal; and in 2017 with an honorary doctor or humane letters degree.
Dr. Louis J. Rivela, professor emeritus of chemistry, died on January 2, 2026. He was 83. Passionate about science, particularly chemistry, he pursued a degree in chemistry at Rutgers University. After graduating, Rivela continued his education at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he earned his doctorate in chemistry. Rivela joined William Paterson in 1969, where he taught chemistry for 39 years, including service as chair of the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Environmental Science. He was elected to serve as chair of the All-College Senate, now the Faculty Senate, from 1982 to 1984. He also served on numerous University-wide committees. He was a member of the American Chemical Society and the New England Association of Chemistry Teachers. Following his retirement, Rivela indulged in his love for traveling throughout the United States and Canada, visiting national parks along the way. An avid photographer, he captured the beauty of each park he explored, building an impressive collection of nature photographs. He also developed a deep interest in Chinese culture, studying Mandarin and embarking on a month-long trip to China with his wife Daria. His love of science, which defined his long career, extended naturally to science fiction. Most of all, he was devoted to Star Trek.
Dr. Robert L. Simpson, who served as dean of what is now the College of Science and Health from 1985 to 1991, died November 5, 2025. He was 83. During his tenure at the University, he was instrumental in supporting and promoting the establishment of bachelor of science and master of science degree programs in biotechnology at a time when virtually no other programs of the type existed. Also under his leadership, William Paterson established the Center for Research, which enabled these new programs to qualify for state grants to support cutting-edge biotechnology equipment and programming. An authority on the ecology of freshwater tidal wetlands, Simpson was an active researcher whose work was funded by such diverse groups as the National Geographic Society, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water Policy, and local townships. He contributed to the first ecological studies of the Abbott Marshlands, along the Delaware River, in Hamilton, N.J. Simpson, who held a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s degree in biology from Fresno State University, earned a doctorate in limnology from Cornell University. Prior to joining the University, he was chairman of the biology department at Rider University and was a visiting scientist at the Smithsonian Institution’s Chesapeake Bay Center for Environmental Studies in Maryland. Following his service at William Paterson, he served as provost and vice chancellor at the University of Michigan, Dearborn.
Emma “Peggy” Thompson, who for many years greeted visitors to the Office of Admissions and the President’s Office, warmly welcoming prospective students and visitors, passed away on December 17, 2025. She was 95. Thompson was a full-time member of the University community from 1968 to 2009 and worked part-time from 2010 to 2012. She began her career as a receptionist in the lobby of Morrison Hall, a welcoming presence to students who came to various offices in the building for assistance. In 1987, when the Office of Admissions moved to Hobart Manor, she became known as the unofficial “Lady of the Manor,” welcoming prospective students, parents, and members of the campus community from a desk in the lobby. She later served as the receptionist there for the Office of the President. Peggy’s friendly smile, enthusiastic greeting, and infectious sense of humor were her trademarks. An active supporter of Pioneer athletics, she could often be found in the stands cheering on WP student-athletes. In 1992, she was honored by the University with the Provost’s Unsung Heroes and Heroines Award, presented to staff who contributed daily to the quality of life at the institution. In addition, her photo was used and featured in the University's new student recruitment ads during its “Making a Difference” campaign in the late 1990s, showcasing one of its employees on campus who was making a difference. Thompson had a deep passion for William Paterson, and she was both a colleague and mentor to many employees and students throughout her years at the University. Thompson met her future husband, the late Edward Lewis Thompson, in 1944 when she was working as an American Red Cross volunteer at the Veterans Hospital in Philadelphia. Their two children both earned degrees at William Paterson: the late Cheryl Ann Thompson ’74 and the late Edward Thompson Jr. ’78. She honored both by establishing endowed scholarship funds in their memory.
