FDU Athletics has embarked upon a campaign to rename the Knights' Student-Athlete Academic Services Center to the Richard Panicucci Center for Student-Athlete Success. A longtime faculty member on the University's Metropolitan Campus, Panicucci also served as the Department's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) making this honor fitting for the former business professor and campus administrator.

"When I arrived at FDU, the first person who greeted me on campus was Richard Panicucci," remarked Director of Athletics Bradford Hurlbut. "Rich epitomized FDU Athletics. He truly cared about everyone, and what meant the most to him was ensuring that success of our student-athletes upon graduation. To that end, there isn't a better way to honor Rich's legacy than to name our student-athlete support center after him."

"You can walk on a campus and you can read the books, but it is all about the people that make up the University."

Rich Panicucci

Located on the second floor of the Frank Giovatto Library on the Metropolitan Campus, the Knights' academic services center features study spaces for FDU's student-athletes to complete assignments and exams, spaces for socialization as well as office space for the Assistant Athletic Director for Academics and Student-Athlete Support Services and his staff. Opened in January of 2022, the space has become a favorite among student-athletes, providing the more than 300 Knights with a place of their own to complete study hall hours, seek academic advising, participate in Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC) activities and observe presentations thanks to the state-of-the-art audio/visual system.
 

Known for his advocacy for students on the Hackensack, Panicucci created and directed the first formal academic advisement center in 1968 which was quickly duplicated University-wide. He was then asked to chair the newly formed Department of Decision Sciences in 1982. From 1986-95, Panicucci served as Associate Dean for Student Services for the Silberman College of Business Administration and Interim Dean in 1996.

In 1990, then-University president Robert H. Donaldson tabbed Panicucci to serve as the Faculty Athletics Representative, a role he held until his retirement in 2011. Together with then Associate Athletic Director Ann Gulino, he designed and implemented an Academic Monitoring Program that was used to track the academic progress of student-athletes and provide support and feedback concerning student-athletes more efficiently. The program received acclaim from the NCAA as one of the best student-athlete support programs in the country. Along with his duties as FAR, he would also serve as the Assistant Provost for Campus Life.

A 2012 FDU Knights Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, Panicucci also received the Athletic Department Award in 2000 for his service to student-athletes. In 2004, Panicucci received the H. Rogers Muse Award for his special contributions and dedication to the Department and, in the same year, he received the University's most prestigious award, the Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching. In 2010, the Student-Athlete Service Award was permanently renamed the Richard Panicucci Student-Athlete Service Award.

Panicucci passed away unexpectedly at the age of 78 in November 2021.