Dr. Cernera has been involved in higher education for over three decades. As the president of Sacred Heart University (1988-2010) he led the University from financial bankruptcy to being the second largest of the 25 Catholic universities in New England. He served as president of the International Federation of Catholic Universities (2006-2012), the largest and oldest association of Catholic universities in the world. He has edited 7 books and numerous articles and written extensively on higher education and interreligious understanding.