Jersey City – Saint Peter’s College has appointed Michael L. Braden, S.J. to the position of Vice President for Mission and Ministry, effective August 4, 2008. Braden comes to Saint Peter’s with extensive teaching and campus ministry experience at Jesuit institutions of higher education, as well as with an academic background in communication and intercultural issues.
Most recently, Braden served on the faculty at Loyola College in Maryland, teaching courses such as media studies, digital media, broadcast production and international media issues. He was active in campus spiritual life, regularly presiding over campus ministry liturgical events, and serving as the staff director for the annual Ignatian Retreat program. Braden also served as the general manager for WLOY-TV, Loyola College’s television studio, and oversaw the design and construction of Loyola’s radio and television studios.
Prior to his employment at Loyola College, Braden spent almost 10 years at Loyola University in New Orleans, where he was a director and producer of documentary films. In addition, he worked with the alumni chaplain to establish Christian Living Communities among the students.
Braden was the assistant producer and program advisor of “Provoke Radio” for The Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus in Baltimore. This national radio show is dedicated to engaging the audience to reflect on contemporary social issues from a Catholic faith perspective.
Braden’s international experience includes providing consultation at the Tien Educational Center, Kuangch’i Program Service and Taipei Language Institute in Taipei, Taiwan. In Cagli, Italy, he was an instructor for Loyola College’s Summer Experiential Learning Project in Journalism.
Braden earned a Ph.D. in International Mass Communications from the Institute of Communication Research at the University of Illinois; an S.T.M. in Ethics and Society, as well as an M.Div. from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, CA; and a B.A. in Communication Arts from Loyola Marymount University.
Saint Peter’s College is the Jesuit College of New Jersey. Founded in 1872, Saint Peter’s has an enrollment of approximately 3,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The main campus is located in Jersey City with a branch campus in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, with courses at various corporate sites at the Jersey City waterfront and in South Amboy, NJ.