Assumption Magazine Fall/Winter 2025

ASSUMPTION THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY FALL / WINTER 2025

OUR BOLD STRATEGIC PLAN

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PATRIOTS COACH ASHTON GRANT ’19

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GREYHOUNDS GO DANCING

IN THIS

ISSUE

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Assumption is proud to introduce our bold new strategic plan, Thrive, for 2034.

Assumption has seen significant new student enrollment growth since 2020, bucking the current trend in higher education.

Thrive: Our Ambitious 10-Year Roadmap

Enrollment is on the Rise

The Greyhounds defeated the Saint Anselm College Hawks 30–8 in their first home game of the season on September 19 at Brian Kelly ’83 Stadium.

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Greyhounds Go Dancing It’s been an exciting year for the Greyhounds, with the men’s basketball team heading to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time in 50 years.

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From Greyhound to Patriot Ashton Grant ’19 plays an integral role in the success of Patriots superstar quarterback Drake Maye.

D E PA R T M E N T S 2 FROM THE PRESIDENT 12 CAMPUS NEWS 42 CLASS NOTES

FROM THE

president

Through Thrive, Assumption will become a premier institution with national reach: not merely a Catholic university but a particular type of Catholic university — one in diminishing supply but persistent demand because it speaks to enduring human needs.

While this kind of education does not speak to everyone, Assumption is committed to providing access for those it does.

Our growth, and our excellence, will be fueled by a mission to provide a humanizing education to all who seek it and are academically qualified to succeed here.

Each day, Assumption is rising, further and faster, thanks to the support and dedication of our entire community.

Meeting that demand has seen Assumption flourish. Over the last three years, our new student enrollment has grown by 42 percent.

We recently welcomed the Class of 2029, which is the largest since the Class of 2020. Our on-campus residency rate is increasing, and new programs like the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies are thriving.

Climbing with Confidence

The heart of our mission remains the transformational education delivered every day on Salisbury Street. Our students desire a profound sense of connection, and we provide it through small, personal classrooms, dedicated staff, and committed coaches.

shows that something quite different is happening at 500 Salisbury Street: Assumption University is rising.

This work creates a powerful and lasting legacy. I have never met a graduate who cannot name one individual here — a professor, staffer, or coach — who played a transformational role in their life.

I know as you read this, you are likely thinking of one now.

The pages that follow reflect the University’s undeniable momentum, made possible by a strong sense of mission, purpose, and identity. In the next decade, institutions that react to market pressures by chasing trends and becoming more alike are destined to fail. Ones like ours will succeed by embracing that which makes us distinctive.

The headwinds in higher education are real, but our distinctive approach, rooted in the pursuit of truth in the company of friends, is an enduring solution. Each day, Assumption is rising, further and faster, thanks to the support and dedication of our entire community, including you, our loyal alumni and friends.

Thank you for your continued faith and partnership in our work.

RECENT NEWS REPORTS HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH CHALLENGES

IN HIGHER EDUCATION. THIS ISSUE OF ASSUMPTION MAGAZINE

That is precisely why we have established a roadmap for the University’s sustained success in our 10-year strategic plan, Thrive.

We deliberately set a longer vision in place to break from a habit of short-term thinking that persists in higher education. Thrive unequivocably voices our confidence in each other, and in Assumption itself.

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ASSUMPTION Magazine

Greg Weiner, Ph.D. PRESIDENT

THIS IS US U Educated for Impact. Inspired by Mission.

An Assumption education delivers lasting value – grounded in rigorous academics and a holistic experience that builds knowledge, skill, and character. Our graduates are sought after by leading employers and prestigious graduate programs because they combine professional skill with integrity, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to serve the common good.

$122K TOP 3 INDUSTRIES MEDIAN SALARY FOR WORKERS WITH 10 OR MORE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

FOR THE CLASS OF 2024 1. HEALTHCARE 2. EDUCATION 3. BUSINESS

GRADUATES IN THE CLASS OF 2024 REPORTED ATTENDING

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Payscale

TOP 50 BEST UNIVERSITIES (NORTH REGION)

U.S. News & World Report, 2025 List

TOPFOR ROI4%

GRADUATES IN THE CLASS OF 2024 WERE HIRED BY OVER

190 EMPLOYERS INCLUDING:

Amazon Deloitte Fidelity Investments Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Bristol Myers Squibb Perkins School for the Blind Kraft Sports Group

DIFFERENT GRADUATE PROGRAMS & UNIVERSITIES INCLUDING: Duke University Georgetown University Boston College University of Notre Dame Boston University Tufts University

Georgetown University, McCourt School of Public Policy

Magazine Team FALL / WINTER 2025 VOL. 22 NO. 1 / ISSN 1089-1296

Contributing Writers Olivia Boudreau Fr. Dennis Gallagher, A.A. ’69 Michael Land, Ph.D.

Printing Cummings Printing Hooksett, NH

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Marisa Gregg, M.B.A.

Art Direction/Design Keating Associates Worcester, MA

We encourage your feedback.

Please address your letters, class notes, and story ideas to:

Photography Robert Davis ’23, Julia Jacobsen ’22, G’23, Katie Morrison-O’Day, David Pepin ’21, G’25

marketing@assumption.edu www.assumption.edu/magazine

Co-editor Matthew McDermott Project Manager Wandzia Prytko ’23

Assumption Magazine 500 Salisbury Street Worcester, MA 01609-1296

STAY CONNECTED Assumption Alumni Magazine is published by the Office of Integrated Marketing and distributed free of charge to For web-exclusive content alumni and friends of the and links to our X (previously University. Printed copies of known as Twitter), Instagram, the magazine will be made Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok available by request by emailing accounts, visit assumption.edu. marketing@assumption.edu.

Its purpose is to share stories and conversations that help alumni and friends stay meaningfully connected to theassumption.edu University. | FALL/WINTER 2025

Thrive STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2034

Charting a Course for Excellence

Through the goals of Thrive, an ambitious 10-year strategic plan, Assumption University outlines an inspiring road map anchored in our steadfast commitment to providing a distinctively Assumptionist Catholic liberal education to all those who seek it. Embracing a dynamic and forward-thinking approach, Thrive charts a course for excellence. Working groups of faculty, staff, and students across the University are already actively engaged in making these visions a reality and have been since the launch of Thrive one year ago.

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Thrive Vision I

Infuse

We will instill a unified understanding of Assumption’s distinctive Catholic liberal arts education across academics, student life, and operations.

Vision I of Thrive seeks to integrate Assumption’s mission into every aspect of campus life. That begins with the Foundations Program — a shared experience for every undergraduate student. More than a common core curriculum or a simple series of classes, Foundations sets us apart by offering a distinct vision of Catholic liberal education.

In Year 1, Foundations Learning Communities were introduced that encourage students to find connections between traditionally separate fields such as science and theology. Through shared Learning Circles, students reflect upon how their experiences shape them academically, personally, and spiritually. As Assumption’s signature academic experience, the Foundations Program also launched a public lecture series this fall, sharing faculty expertise across disciplines with students, alumni, and members of the wider Worcester community.

The first lecture, by chemistry, art history, and political science professors, examined a painting from the Enlightenment era.

The University’s distinctive emphasis on thoughtful citizenship and a culture of inquiry rooted in intellectual courage and humility has drawn both local and national acclaim. The Center for Civic Friendship, founded in 2024, represents a major Vision I goal of positioning Assumption as a leading resource in bridging contemporary divisiveness by cultivating friendship between citizens that is not just polite, but also productive.

Under the leadership of the center’s director, Dr. Mary Jane Rein, and with significant faculty engagement, an innovative tiered scholarship program for the Class of 2029 yielded nearly a hundred students eager to engage with this work. Among them are 10 Civic Friendship Scholars who hail from across the nation and world — including from Uganda, the Dominican Republic, and the Czech Republic — with each student receiving a renewable $10,000 scholarship. Most of these scholarships are funded by first-time donors from a variety of backgrounds who were inspired by the center's potential.

Because Vision I aims to infuse Assumption’s mission across the entire institution, special emphasis has been placed on graduate programs — not only to improve the experience of students in current programs, but also to develop new graduate and professional programs for which there is market demand that Assumption can distinctly meet. One of those is the recently launched Certificate in Healthcare Leadership program, designed to equip professionals with the skills to navigate healthcare business practices and policies ethically. Assumption’s graduate programs continue to innovate by designing stackable credentials and certificates that can be applied toward full master’s degrees as working professionals advance through their careers.

Building on the University’s excellence in helping profession programs such as clinical counseling psychology and rehabilitation counseling — as well as the successful STRATEGIC PLAN new physician assistant and acceleVISION I : GOAL 5 rated Bachelor of Science in nursing programs — new graduate programs including master’s degrees in nursing, genetic counseling, and social work have been identified as areas of possible expansion.

Prepare our students for lives of meaning.

An Assumption education dictates that career planning and preparation should not come at the expense of liberal education, but instead be thoughtfully enriched by it.

Vision I will ensure that all students have opportunities for professional experiences and credentials that prepare them for successful careers and meaningful lives, regardless of what they choose to study.

assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2023 2025

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Thrive Vision II

Focus We will make all decisions based on what is ultimately best for the student, rather than what is easiest for the institution.

While Assumption has always been a studentcentered institution, Vision II aims to formalize that culture through strategic decision-making that orients every University action toward helping students thrive. That doesn’t mean simply asking students what they want and delivering it.

Instead, Assumption is committed to engaging students as partners and including their voices in the most important decisions to ascertain what will truly foster growth and cultivate joy.

Seek and cultivate the qualities of grit & determination in our prospective and enrolled students.

STRATEGIC PLAN VISION II : GOAL 5

Through Thrive,, every experience — from how students are welcomed to campus to how they pay their bills and how classes are scheduled — is being wholistically examined.

Year 1 saw improvements to the campus experience, including streamlining financial aid, student accounts, and the cashier’s office into the Office of Student Financial Services. Similar modernization has taken place in the Department of Buildings and Grounds, which has become the Office of Facilities Operations, creating greater efficiency in how community members request maintenance and facility services.

In addition to improving students’ experience navigating campus departments, the University has strategically invested in the physical campus.

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In response to student feedback, Taylor Dining Hall recently underwent a major, $1 million renovation through Assumption’s new partnership with Aramark Collegiate Hospitality. Charlie’s Café in the Hagan Campus Center also received a significant update that brought fresh new menu options to students. Other recent improvements include an overhauled varsity weight room, proposed by Michael DiFelice ’27 as part of Professor Shahara Drew’s class, Writing in the University, which encourages students to consider how they can make a positive impact on the campus experience.

Assumption’s campus master planning process will inform these kinds of strategic investments to best serve the needs of students.

One of Vision II’s most important goals is creating an environment that supports student wellness, safety, and success. That includes expanded faculty and staff professional development training on Title IX and ADA compliance. But it also reflects a larger, campus-wide commitment to cohesively care for students’ mental health and well-being. Last year, the University launched its own Red Folder initiative — part of a nationally recognized program designed to help higher education staff and students recognize and respond to signs of students in distress or crisis.

Assumption’s Red Folder is available both digitally and in print and is designed to make cross-functional resources easily available to those who need extra support.

Thrive Vision III

Grow We will increase access by growing enrollments, philanthropic support, and revenue streams to establish sustainable excellence.

In a higher education environment that has responded to uncertainty with increasingly short-term planning, Thrive sets an ambitious decade-long road map. The reason is as clear as it is bold: While some liberal arts colleges are faced with closure or contraction, Assumption is growing. Thrive reaffirms our confidence in each other, and in the kind of education Assumption provides. It sets the foundation for the University to not just sustain itself through 2034, but to thrive.

Vision III focuses on growing the number of students enrolled at Assumption. This is not simply expansion for its own sake, but strategic growth that meets a persistent need for Catholic liberal arts education. Specifically, the University aims to increase enrollment to at least 3,000 students, with 2,400 undergraduate and 800 graduate students enrolled by fall 2034. To do this, both the Enrollment and Integrated Marketing teams are working to grow the Assumption brand, increase market share beyond New England, and build awareness and understanding of our distinctiveness.

The University is well on its way to achieving this goal. Assumption has seen 42% new student enrollment growth, and the Class of 2029 is the largest in nearly a decade. Assumption’s growth has recently been highlighted as a success story in liberal arts education by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and several other Massachusetts newspapers. It is clear that the school is bucking a national trend that has seen countless institutions fail to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

That growth is as mission-aligned as it is strategic.

Vision III is deeply inspired by the school’s founding mission to provide access to a Catholic liberal education for everyone who desires it and is equipped to succeed in it. Through initiatives like the Assumption Access Promise, which offers Pell Grant-eligible residential first-year students from Massachusetts free tuition and the Rise Scholarship, which recognizes determination and potential in promising students, Assumption is working to accomplish this goal.

Vision III also aims to strengthen opportunities for alumni to engage with the University. Under the direction of Vice President for University Advancement Jeff rey Gillooly, the Advancement team is expanding alumni-focused events, relaunching the Alumni Association and Board of Directors, and will plan a comprehensive campaign.

Grow and expand total enrollment to at least 3,000 students.

STRATEGIC PLAN VISION III : GOAL 1

FIND OUT MORE Scan the QR code to visit the Thrive webpage and read more about our bold strategic plan.

assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025

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New Student Enrollment Grows 42% in the Last Three Years

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n 2020, higher education institutions across the country faced a decline in student enrollment, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic — one from which many have been unable to recover.

Assumption, however, is on the rise, with total new student enrollment growing 42% in the last three years. The Class of 2029 totals 524 students and, including transfers, 572 students joined the Assumption community for the fall 2025 semester.

The Class of 2029 is Assumption’s largest class since 2020.

Vice President for Enrollment Management Bill Boffi says that helping Assumption thrive has been a true team effort, from the inauguration of a new president in 2023 to the collaborative work that faculty and staff are doing across divisions to focus on what is best for both currently enrolled students and prospective students.

“It takes a lot of those things working together to strengthen our numbers,” Boffi says. “We have a whole-community approach to recruiting students. It’s not just enrollment — it’s the work marketing has been doing, and athletics, and financial aid.

“It’s no accident that this growth coincides with President Weiner’s tenure,” Boffi continues. “Our work is aligned very closely with his vision and the strategic plan, and there’s a real community effort. We are committed to doing what is in the best interest of students.”

Assumption’s strategic plan, Thrive, includes bold enrollment goals. By 2028, the University aims to have 2,135 undergraduate and 500 graduate students — thresholds Boffi says the school is on track to achieve.

In addition to the collaborative work teams are doing across campus, Assumption has made a significant commitment to increasing access to higher education. Through initiatives like the Fast Track Early Aid Offer — which allowed students to fill out an early financial aid form during a 2023–24 FAFSA cycle beset with technical issues on the federal level — and the Assumption Access Promise, which offers Pell Grant-eligible residential first-year

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“We’re growing without compromising standards.” students from Massachusetts free tuition, Assumption is working to provide a Catholic liberal education to all who want it.

The Access Promise has also helped to increase the number of students enrolled from Massachusetts, achieving Assumption’s goal to make education more accessible for students in the state.

“President Weiner’s message, Assumption’s message, is consistent: We are here for you, whatever you need,” Boffi says.

“This past cycle was less about proactively mitigating FAFSA issues [and more about] maintaining our commitment to make this kind of education available to anyone it speaks to — we’re going to make it work for families.”

The education Assumption provides is resonating with prospective students, too. The Foundations Program, for example, ensures that students are prepared academically, but also emotionally and spiritually.

“A big part of what makes us attractive to students is the way the Foundations Program combines practical, technical skills that are relevant today with enduring ideas that we are committed to teaching,” says Boffi.

The overall high school GPA for students in the Class of 2029 was around 3.5, with 114 members of the class holding over a 4.0 — proving that students are attracted to the high academic quality of an Assumption education as well.

“We’re growing without compromising standards,” says Boffi.

“We’re enrolling excellent, top-end students, from a range of backgrounds.”

Growth is also strong beyond undergraduate enrollment.

Assumption’s accelerated Bachelor of Science in nursing program saw a full cohort of 25 enrolled, and Assumption’s physician assistant program began with a full cohort of 40 students.

In addition, Assumption has seen physical improvements, including a more than $1 million renovation to Taylor Dining Hall as a part of a new partnership with Aramark Collegiate Hospitality and new additions to the Hagan Campus Center — Pierre’s Pub and the reimagined Charlie’s Cafe.

“I think the spirit of the campus has improved,” Boffi says.

“Students are happy, and when word of mouth is strong, more students are interested in coming here. There is a lot of progress being made, and I think that students sense that momentum.”

The largest class in Assumption’s history was the Class of 2010, which saw an incoming enrollment of 675 students. With Assumption on the rise and thriving, Boffi is confident that this number will be beaten sometime soon.

“We’re getting there,” Boffi says. “Check back with me this time next year.”

Bill Boffi, Vice President for Enrollment Management

assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025

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LIVING THE MISSION FR. DENNIS GALLAGHER, A.A. ’69 VICE PRESIDENT FOR MISSION

Enduring Values, New Opportunities Campus Ministry has seen some bittersweet changes recently, as longtime director Deacon Paul Covino has decided to retire and begin a new mission, and as we have welcomed new director Luis Melgar to our community.

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We are sad to see Paul go after 11 years of dedicated service to Assumption, but we are excited for the future that Luis will help usher in.

Paul’s service to the worshiping communities in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, already strengthened by his academic background in liturgy, was further enhanced by his ordination as a deacon not long after his arrival. His wide-ranging efforts, always in view of the deepest well-being of our students, included program and staff development, faith formation, and outreach to those of other religious traditions.

Paul was especially keen on providing opportunities to serve those who are marginalized, including through several recent SEND programs connected to the migrant ministry in El Paso, Texas.

from far left: Luis Melgar, Director of

Campus Ministry, with Charlotte Viñas ’29, Valerie Jimenez ’29, Julia Canty ’28, Savina Villani ’27, Rob Mullins '26, Binh Nguyen ’27, Liam Waldron ’28, Christopher Whittemore ’29, John Harrahy ’27, Luke Sandini ’29, Dr. Jonathan Bezdegian, Campus Minister for Music Ministry, and Michael Mai ’27 on the Emmaus Hiking Retreat.

In Paul’s new mission, he and his wife Anne will continue the service Paul did on those SEND trips. Paul and Anne have traveled together to Chaparral, New Mexico to assist with the Religious of the Assumption’s ministry to recent immigrants.

Our SEND trips to El Paso and Chaparral will continue, with the next one scheduled for May 2026. For those who may not be aware, these trips now include both faculty and students, giving even more members of the community the opportunity to truly live the mission.

than on doing service for them, helping to develop a greater understanding of the realities of these communities through visits and dialogue. We are excited for this new, immersive experience, and for the new ideas that our campus ministry team, headed by Luis, will bring to our entire campus. Luis has come to Assumption with an uncommon understanding of and appreciation for the contemporary challenges faced by young people. Moved by a clear desire to bring students closer to God, Luis’ genuine and joyful presence will surely be a gift to our community.

Additionally, in partnership with Rostro de Cristo, a new SEND trip to the Dominican Republic will be held during spring break, focusing on participants being immersed in and alongside the local community rather

Luis himself is also no stranger to Catholic liberal arts education, with 15 years of experience in Jesuit Catholic education, first at the University of Scranton for his undergraduate degree and then at Boston

College for his graduate degree in divinity.

He comes to us from Boston College High School, where he was most recently a theology teacher.

Luis already has big plans for campus ministry at Assumption, including new experiences to help students deepen and engage with their spirituality. One such example, the Emmaus Hiking Retreat, invited students to disconnect from daily life and hike together while sharing reflections on life and faith.

We are excited about the future of Assumption’s campus ministry. We extend a warm welcome to Luis and bless the work he will do with and for us.

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CAMPUS NEWS

#50 #26

BEST UNIVERSITY

BEST VALUE

Assumption Climbs U.S. News & World Report Rankings Assumption has once again been named to both the Best Universities and Best Value lists for regional universities in the north by U.S. News & World Report.

The publication – which has notably ranked higher education institutions in several categories for 40 years – uses more than a dozen measures of academic quality to determine its list.

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This year, Assumption climbed seven spots from #57 to #50 in Best Universities and nine spots from #35 to #26 in Best Value. Assumption’s ranking in Best Value places it among the top 15% of all schools named to that category.

The University’s rising placement on these rankings showcases its momentum and strong outcomes for graduates. It

follows Assumption’s strong performance in other outlets, including Forbes’ highly selective List of America’s Top Colleges and Money’s 2025 list of Best Colleges in America, on which it was one of just 23 institutions in Massachusetts to receive four or more stars.

CAMPUS NEWS

First Physician Assistants Welcomed With White Coat Ceremony Assumption officially welcomed its first cohort of physician assistant (PA) students on Friday, January 3, 2025 with a White Coat Ceremony. The first cohort consists of 40 students who are set to graduate in May 2027.

The students in the program were then presented with their short white coats by members of the PA studies faculty, including Wendy Buja, PA-C, Jeffery Giarnese, PA-C, and Rebecca Hassel, PA-C, along with Dr. Robert Kevin Ferguson.

Christopher Ferreira, PA-C, director of the PA studies program, opened the ceremony with an explanation of the importance of the white coat in the career of physician assistants.

After receiving the coats, each member of the class of 2027 took the PA Professional Oath, administered by Buja. The oath includes a pledge to perform the duties of a physician assistant with honesty, dedication, sincerity, and honor.

“The white coat has a lot of history and has had many evolutionary changes over the decades,” said Ferreira. “It served as the preeminent symbol of physicians for over a hundred years. In the 20th century, the white coat continued as the symbol of medical authority and respect, as advance upon advance firmly established the patient-doctor relationship as a beneficial encounter.

“The white coat continues to symbolize professionalism, caring, and trust, which we must earn from patients. Many patients now view the white coat as a cloak of compassion and a symbol of the caring and hope they expect to receive from their PA, physician, or nurse practitioner. You are all receiving your short white coat tonight as you begin your training. This conveys the weight of every responsibility you will have as a student and a future PA in practice.”

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The white coat continues to symbolize professionalism, caring, and trust, which we must earn from patients.”

Christopher Ferreira, Director of the PA Studies Program

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CAMPUS NEWS

1904 Day Draws Entire Community Together in Service On April 7, Assumption University hosted its 1904 Day of Service, with over 1,200 students, alongside more than 100 faculty and staff, devoting a day to give back at 39 different sites in the surrounding Worcester area.

The day was a way for members of the Assumption community to truly live out the University’s Assumptionist-inspired mission, demonstrating commitment to the common good in the city we are proud to call home.

“I have been asked about why we did this a few times,” said President Greg Weiner. “In our mission statement, which talks about our devotion to the common good, there’s a very important connection to understand. When we consider a good that is common, what we did today was not just to do nice things for other people. We did good things to build a community of which we are a part.”

Some of the service locations members of the Assumption community visited included the Worcester Housing Authority, NEADS World Class Service Dogs, Habitat for Humanity, and the EcoTarium.

Community members met the individual needs of the many different sites through service that included weeding, painting, fixing and building fences, spreading mulch, planting trees, and much more.

“This day presents so many opportunities,” said Sydney Kahan, former assistant coach of the women’s soccer team, who spent the day with the team at Mesa Farm in Rutland. “I know our girls are so excited for the opportunity to work here.”

“

By providing students an opportunity to leave the comfort of campus and focus on serving others, they see how a small sacrifice of time, combined with others’ time, can make a real impact on the community.”

Una Murphy, Campus Minister

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CAMPUS NEWS

Students, faculty, and staff joined together on April 7 to take part in Assumption’s 1904 Day of Service, serving together for a day across the city of Worcester.

Dale Perkins, owner of Mesa Farm along with his wife, Ann Tripp, noted the importance of having Assumption community members help during this day of service, saying that the students’ work helped prepare for summer.

“We partner with a nonprofit called City to Saddle, and we bring about 100 kids here for a week every summer. It’s mostly a riding program, but we try to incorporate the entire farm,” said Perkins.

“Having Assumption students here is an awesome way to get everything started for that program.”

Alyssa Johnson, a member of the class of 2025, was excited that the service she did at Overlook Farm, also in Rutland, allowed her to use her creative skills in a helpful way.

“My favorite part of the day was when we were assigned to build a fence in front of the farm,” she said. “We could design it however we wanted, and it was a cool chance to have fun with decorative elements and be creative.”

Students also helped to clear flowerbeds at the Worcester Housing Authority, where CEO Alex Corrales said that the assistance that

groups like the Assumption students, faculty, and staff provide is critical to helping them meet their needs with limited resources.

“Without this help, we would certainly feel the difference,” he said.

“We hope that we can continue this relationship with Assumption every year.”

Una Murphy, a campus minister, spent her day of service at the Urban Missionaries of Our Lady of Hope Center in Worcester, which helps to provide programs to low-income members of the Worcester community. Alongside members of the men’s lacrosse and soccer teams, faculty, and coaches, Murphy helped to clean, rake leaves, power-wash the building, and disassemble unusable furniture.

“The 1904 Day of Service was a wonderful way to live out the mission of Assumption in an embodied way,” said Murphy.

“As a campus minister, I feel passionate about the way serving others can transform how we feel about ourselves, about others, and about our agency to make change in the world. By providing students an opportunity to leave the comfort of campus and focus on serving others, they see how a small sacrifice of time, combined with others’ time, can make a real impact on the community.”

After devoting the morning to service, a celebration was held in the Plourde Recreation Center and the Laska Gymnasium for all students, faculty, and staff.

“The impact you made on our community, for our mission, for the kind of education we seek to provide – it was profound,” said Weiner at the celebration. “Thank you so much for what you’ve done for our community and for the common good in the truest and the deepest sense. When I’m talking about Assumption students, I always say that what distinguishes you most is the unique nature of your education and your unique character. That character was on display for the entire community, the entire world to see. So, thank you.”

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CAMPUS NEWS

Party of 8… your table is ready Every so often, guests will come to stay on Assumption’s campus to indulge in a full buffet. In this case, it was a herd of goats from Mapledell Farm in Townsend, Massachusetts! Assumption was looking for an eco-friendly way to address the undergrowth and undesirable vegetation, such as poison ivy, in rocky, tree-dense areas on campus – and the goats were a perfect way to do that.

Bon appetit!

assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2023 2025 17

CAMPUS NEWS Bouley, Class of 2012, teaches in the biological and physical sciences department, Crockett-Girard, Class of 2019, teaches in the English department, and Davis, Class of 2016, teaches in the history department.

Beyond their connection as alumni, they also all served as tutors in the Academic Support Center (ASC) during their time as students – an experience that shaped not only their individual journeys, but their academic and professional journeys as well.

“In my first year at Assumption, as a commuter, I struggled to find community and to find my place,” says Crockett-Girard.

“But as soon as I found the Academic Support Center, I felt like I had my comfortable place, my safe place – a place where I could talk to other tutors who were interested in studying fascinating things. I had a place to go every day where I knew I could talk to people, and they would know my name. I was drawn in by that feeling of community and belonging on campus.”

Stephanie Bouley ’12, Lauren Crockett-Girard ’19, and Samantha Davis ’16 at the Academic Support Center, where they were all tutors.

“My Dream Was Always to Come Back Here and Teach”: Former Tutors Reflect on Their Return as Faculty The first semester of college is an exciting and challenging transition – but for Stephanie Bouley, Lauren Crockett-Girard, and Samantha Davis, it’s a little more like coming home. These three new visiting assistant professors are no strangers to Salisbury Street.

In fact, all graduated from the University in recent years.

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None of the three were certain that their careers would lead them back to teaching, but each credits Allen Bruehl, the former director of academic support, and Amy Hurley, the current director, for lighting the spark that brought them to where they are now.

“Allen and Amy helped jumpstart us all down the path of academia,” says Davis, noting that Bruehl and Hurley encouraged her to pursue her doctorate. “I had these acceptances to master’s programs in museum education, and after a conversation with a history professor and the support of Allen and Amy, I decided instead to do a Ph.D. in Latin American history.”

“Because I’m a first-generation college student, when I came to Assumption, I didn’t fully know what I was going to do,” says Bouley. “I wanted to conduct research, but I also thought I wanted to work with students. Tutoring gave me the opportunity to see if I enjoyed that experience – and of course, I did. Allen was also actually the one who helped me decide to do my Fulbright and go to Germany before graduate school.”

CAMPUS NEWS And while each took their own journey – Davis earning that Ph.D. in Latin American history from Pennsylvania State University, Crockett-Girard earning her Ph.D. in English from Boston College, and Bouley earning her Ph.D. in experimental and molecular medicine at Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine before teaching and working in the lab at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University – each path led back to Assumption.

“When I went off to grad school, I always joked with my friends and family about how great it would be to come back and teach here,” says Crockett-Girard. “I got to teach at BC through my Ph.D. program, which was amazing, but I always had in the back of my head the thought of coming back [to Assumption] for at least a semester. I wanted to have that experience with faculty that I worked with as a student and be on the other side of the classroom.”

“Two-thirds of my colleagues now [once] taught me, which is a very surreal feeling, but it’s also a really comforting feeling. They know me; it’s very familiar,” says Bouley.

“This was my dream from the moment I decided that I wanted to go the Ph.D. route.

It was always to come back here and teach.”

Reflecting on their experience with the ASC, Bouley, Crockett-Girard, and Davis all encourage current Assumption students to reach out proactively for academic support or to consider exploring their own passion for teaching and mentorship by becoming tutors themselves.

“I told my students on the first day of class that I had been a tutor and that I had been tutored,” says Bouley. “I encouraged them to go and just make one appointment and see how it is. If you feel like you don’t need it, that’s great. If you feel like it’s helping you, then that’s great too. Even if there’s something that you feel like, ‘maybe I understand it,’ just getting someone else’s take on the material can make a world of difference. The hardest part is getting in the door.”

“Tutors also get tutoring from other tutors,” says Crockett-Girard. “I sought help for my graduate school application essays with another tutor. There’s no reason to feel like seeking help makes you a bad student or that you’re not prepared or equipped for college; it’s an opportunity to see another perspective and maybe get some advice and tips from somebody who has gone through the process with you.”

“It’s a judgment-free zone where your peers are also working through their own questions,” says Davis. “Everyone’s here to learn from each other. Your tutors are not necessarily experts, but they are able to help you, and maybe you can teach each other something. I remember there were students I learned a lot from as a tutor, rather than students just learning from me.

It’s a peer tutoring center with the emphasis on peer; it really is a center of friends.”

Hurley, who helped spark the passion for teaching in each of these new faculty members, continues the good work of the ASC, which is staffed by about 40 tutors and accommodates around 5,000 total visits a year. The tutors go through a rigorous process, undergoing at least 16 hours of training each, leading to national certification by the College Reading and Learning Association. Assumption is one of the leading tutoring centers in the area, and one of a select few to offer three tutor certification levels to students.

“This was my dream from the moment I decided that I wanted to go the Ph.D. route.

It was always to come back here and teach.”

Dr. Stephanie Bouley ’12

“As soon as I found the Academic Support Center, I felt like I had my comfortable place, my safe place.”

Dr. Lauren Crockett-Girard ’19

“As a collaborative learning center, even when you’re not tutoring, you’re still a part of the work of learning and growing from and with each other,” says Hurley. “That’s always been our mission here and it always will be.”

“It’s a peer tutoring center with the emphasis on peer; it really is a center of friends.”

Dr. Samantha Davis ’16

assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025 19

CAMPUS NEWS

Clinical Counseling Psychology Program Receives National Distinction Assumption University’s clinical counseling psychology program received the Award for Outstanding Training Program from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy (ABCT), a leading professional organization for practitioners of cognitive behavioral therapy.

ABCT presents this award to programs that have made significant contributions to training behavioral therapists or to promoting behavioral therapy. Historically, it has been given to doctoral programs in clinical counseling psychology; this is the first time it has been awarded to a master’s program.

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS TOBY NORRIS Professor of Art History “Making American Architecture Great Again?

Executive Order 13967” (in Interrogating the Visual Culture of Trumpism) Routledge, 2024

JOHANNA D. SAGARIN Professor of Practice of Psychology Working with Parents in Child Psychotherapy (with Elisa Bronfman) Guilford Press, 2024

CHRISTOPHER J. GILBERT Associate Professor of English When Comedy Goes Wrong Indiana University Press, 2025

BERNARD J. DOBSKI Professor of Political Science Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc: Political Wisdom, Divine Justice, and the Origins of Modernity Palgrave Macmillan, 2024

20 ASSUMPTION Magazine

CAMPUS NEWS “We are honored to be the only master’s level program to ever receive this award,” said Kim Schandel, acting provost and dean of the School of Graduate Studies.

“This recognition is indicative of the strength and success of this program, and of graduate education at Assumption as a whole. We are committed to preparing highly competent, compassionate professionals who positively impact the individuals they serve while advancing their professional fields of study.”

to become successful licensed mental health counselors.

“This award recognizes the excellent work of the faculty in training our students to provide skilled, evidence-based psychotherapy,” said Leonard Doerfler, professor emeritus of psychology. “Our program has trained many students who have gone on to help improve the lives of countless individuals and families in our community.”

The clinical counseling psychology program at Assumption was established over 50 years ago and has graduated more than 700 well-trained practitioners. The program differentiates itself from others in the country through unique courses, curriculum-wide integration of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and an emphasis on helping students build the knowledge and expertise needed

In conferring the Outstanding Training Program award, the ABCT Awards Committee cited David Barlow, professor of psychiatry and psychology emeritus at Boston University, who noted that the program’s “cutting edge and hands-on clinical training” results in “Assumption graduates who blew everyone away, particularly in contrast to their peers.”

Barlow went on to say that more

“This award recognizes the excellent work of the faculty in training our students to provide skilled, evidence-based psychotherapy.”

programs like Assumption’s are “badly need[ed] to train many more of the practitioners who actually staff our very diverse public behavioral health system.”

During their studies, Assumption’s clinical counseling psychology students complete internships at a variety of mental health clinics and agencies in Worcester and surrounding communities, including Open Sky Community Services, Spectrum Health Systems, and Community HealthLink. Many go on to work full-time at these clinics, proving the importance of the type of education Assumption students receive and the care they then provide in their professional lives.

“This award is a testament to what we have accomplished as a program,” said Regina Kuersten-Hogan, director of the clinical counseling psychology program and Assumption’s Aaron T. Beck Institute for Cognitive Studies. “Our clinical counseling psychology graduates leave Assumption well prepared for their professional careers as clinicians, and this award reflects our great pride in our graduates and in this program.”

Dr. Leonard Doerfler, Professor Emeritus of Psychology

KRISTEN CARELLA Professor of English The Ideological Foundations of Early Irish Law and Their Reception in Anglo-Saxon England, c.600-c.900 Brepols Publishers, 2025

KAREN LIONELLO-DENOLF Associate Professor and Director of Applied Behavior Analysis “Improvement of procedural fidelity in discrete-trial programs using computer-based instruction to teach skilled observation” Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2025

JULIA PATRICK Assistant Professor of Practice of Nursing “Non-COVID-19 hospitalizations: patients’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic” Patient Experience Journal, 2022

ZACHARY DANIELS Associate Professor of Practice of Marketing Transforming the Experiential Classroom: Innovative Teaching for Engaged Learning Palgrave Macmillan, 2025

assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025 21

CAMPUS NEWS

Musical Theater Returns to Assumption University On April 25, with stage lights illuminating Curtis Performance Hall, musical theater returned to Salisbury Street for the first time in five years – since before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In its return, 15 performers from Greyhound Theater, a club founded and directed by Westin Michaud ’28, staged two productions of the musical “Something Rotten!” before excited audiences.

Michaud, a first-year student who has been involved in theater since the sixth grade, was motivated to bring the art form back to campus. With the help of John Roper ’25 and Professor of Practice in Music Peter Clemente, he did just that.

After getting the green light from Clemente to begin the program, Michaud began to scout interested students. Within weeks, he received 55 responses to a sign-up form – a stirring indication of the strong interest in reviving the tradition.

From there, an executive team was formed, with Michaud as president, Roper as vice president, Trish Tricoche ’28 as secretary, and Nick Dulling ’25 as treasurer, along

22 ASSUMPTION Magazine

with Lucas Audette ’26, and Clemente as the official faculty advisor. Reese MacDonald ’27 and her father designed and built the set, and Michaud stepped into the role of costumer.

Created by John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick, “Something Rotten!” features two fictional brothers’ attempts to create the world’s first musical while competing with their more successful contemporary, William Shakespeare. The fact that Greyhound Theater staged their campus revival just two days after the Bard of Avon’s birthday on April 23 wasn’t deliberate – but to Michaud, it felt like kismet.

“It was a coincidence, but I think it was fate,” Michaud said. “It turned out to be a perfect fit, because it’s a musical about starting a musical … when we were starting a musical theater program. It was a perfect show on top of the fact that we had a really fitting cast for it.”

The group has no plans to slow down. “Our plan is

to have a musical every spring and a play, or sometimes multiple plays, in the fall,” said Michaud. “This club will give everyone who is interested in theater at Assumption an opportunity to engage in their creativity. It will also hopefully bring more people interested in theater and, by extension, music, to the University.”

Nick Dulling ’25 and the cast of “Something Rotten!” performing in Curtis Performance Hall in April with the newly formed Greyhound Theater club.

CAMPUS NEWS

Inaugural Foundations Lecture Event Examines the Enlightenment Across Disciplines

Joseph Wright ‘of Derby’: An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump, 1768

Assumption University hosted the first Foundations Lecture Series event before a packed Curtis Performance Hall on September 10, featuring panelists Toby Norris, professor of art history; Ben Knurr, associate professor of chemistry; Jeremy Geddert, associate professor of political science; and Rachel Ramsey, associate professor of English as moderator.

Each lecturer first examined Joseph Wright of Derby’s 1768 painting, “An Experiment

on a Bird in the Air Pump,” through their own discipline – exploring the artist’s life and other work, the scientific principles displayed in it, and the sociopolitical period in which it was created – before jointly analyzing how those factors come together in one coherent piece of art.

Norris began with a biographic overview of Wright, including the significance of his epithet “of Derby,” which reflected his unusual choice to live and work in Derby, England, instead of London like other notable painters of the time. Wright further differentiated himself by capturing subjects that few of his contemporaries deigned to paint – factories.

Knurr then spoke about the scientific experiment depicted in the painting, a dramatization of Robert Boyle’s original 1659 experiment

that probed the effects of vacuum and established what would later come to be known as Boyle’s law.

Geddert emphasized the importance of Wright depicting ordinary citizens observing the experiment, because science was not as accessible to the public in 1768 as it is today. He also suggested that the painting references parallels between modern science and modern capitalism, which was being established in Britain during the Industrial Revolution, through the giving of power to ordinary people.

Ramsey, noting the importance of light in the painting, pointed out that the full moon can be seen to the side and that Wright was a part of a group of men who would travel by moonlight to gather and speak about scientific advancements.

The Foundations Lecture Series is a forum for professors across disciplines at the University to come together and show the fruits of a Catholic liberal arts education.

The next Foundations Lecture Series event will be held in the spring semester.

The place to say “I do” and more Located on 185 picturesque acres just minutes from downtown Worcester, Assumption University offers several comfortable facilities for your wedding,* social event, conference, meeting, or summer camp.

A beautifully landscaped piazza and fountain are located adjacent to a state-of-the-art building featuring a 300-seat ballroom, separate performance hall, and an assortment of classrooms and conference rooms, all equipped with advanced technology.

Host your next event at Assumption and celebrate with us.

For more information, email Tracey Simmons, events and conference coordinator, at t.simmons@assumption.edu.

AssumptionEventPlanning.com *Please note that weddings are only available if the chapel is used for your ceremony. assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025 23

CAMPUS NEWS

from left to rIGHt: Fr. Michael Hoye ’16, President Greg Weiner, Dr. Matthew Tapie, Bishop Robert McManus, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, and Dr. Mary Jane Rein at the Rabbi Klein Lecture in September.

Rabbi Klein Lecture Draws National Experts to Speak on Catholic–Jewish Friendship On September 30, Assumption University hosted the annual Rabbi Joseph Klein Lecture, sponsored by Assumption’s Center for Civic Friendship and the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts. This year’s lecture saw Rabbi Meir Soloveichik and Dr. Matthew Tapie reflect on “Nostra Aetate,” the Vatican II document that redefined the Catholic Church’s approach to interfaith dialogue.

Soloveichik is the senior rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in Manhattan – the oldest Jewish congregation in the

24 ASSUMPTION Magazine

United States – and director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University. Tapie is an associate professor of theology and director of the Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies at Saint Leo University in Florida.

President Greg Weiner opened the lecture by contextualizing the Rabbi Klein Lecture’s institutional significance and history as reflected in the examination of “Nostra Aetate.” “When we think of interfaith dialogue, we often think of overlooking differences – but only those who take their religious commitments seriously can

converse productively with people who are serious about their differing commitments in turn.”

In her opening remarks, Mary Jane Rein, director of the Center for Civic Friendship, continued that theme. “Over the past 60 years, ‘Nostra Aetate’ has transformed Catholic-Jewish relations, and its success represents one of the most remarkable examples of reconciliation in modern history. Tonight’s conversation embodies the mission of our center, exploring how genuine relationships across differences can strengthen both our particular

CAMPUS NEWS

“

The Jewish people should be viewed as dialogue partners – that is, if our neighbors are open to such conversations – and we must certainly respect them and give them space if they prefer not to be.

As Pope Francis said, dialogue with the Jewish people is part of the life of Jesus’ disciples.

Dr. Matthew Tapie, Associate Professor of Theology, Saint Leo University

communities and our shared civic life. This is precisely the kind of productive dialogue our democracy needs – one that seeks common ground for the common good.

“Assumption University, under the leadership of President Greg Weiner, is uniquely positioned to host this vital conversation, and we do so in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts. I’m grateful to its director, Steven Schimmel, and President Joel Baker for their presence here, along with many others from the Jewish community.

And shout out to all of you from Beth Israel and from Temple Emmanuel Sinai – thanks again for being here right on this very critical moment in the Jewish calendar. Some no doubt remember Rabbi Joseph Klein, the namesake of this annual lecture series and the longest serving rabbi of Temple Emmanuel, now Emmanuel Sinai, in Worcester. I also want to recognize Bishop McManus and my many Catholic friends who’ve joined us to reflect on how different faith traditions can not only coexist, but can enrich one another through authentic engagements and mutual respect.”

Tapie first addressed the audience regarding three key teachings in “Nostra Aetate”: First, the Church’s firm opposition to any form of anti-Semitic collective guilt charge resulting in God’s rejection of the Jewish people; second, that the Jewish

”

people remain God’s chosen; third, that Catholics are called to a virtuous dialogue with Jews and Judaism with the aim of building mutual understanding.

He encouraged Catholics in the audience to study Judaism and the Holocaust and to approach the Israeli-Palestinian conflict sensitively.

“Let us follow Christ on this path of dialogue today,” he said. “The Jewish people should be viewed as dialogue partners – that is, if our neighbors are open to such conversations – and we must certainly respect them and give them space if they prefer not to be.

As Pope Francis said, dialogue with the Jewish people is part of the life of Jesus’ disciples.”

Soloveichik then spoke about the 1965 essay “The Lonely Man of Faith,” written by his great uncle Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik. In the essay, Soloveitchik argued that if people of faith are lonely, it is because they are part of two distinct cultural communities – one technocratic, and one covenantal – something to which both Catholics and Jewish people could relate.

“My great uncle’s thesis remains that even when society rejects us, we cannot give up on society. We cannot amputate our religious identity from our very selves,” said Soloveichik. “It was important for

him that Jews and Christians engage each other about the challenges that face them as communities of faith in the larger, ever more secular world – and that’s especially important today. The challenge of modern technology should be one of the most enriching and important aspects of the Jewish-Christian engagement. And if our two communities can work together to address it, this will be an endeavor worthy of being remembered.”

Father Michael Hoye ’16 delivered the alumni response to the lecture, reflecting on his time in Rome studying theology and how his connections to Salisbury Street spread halfway across the world.

“One day, a visiting professor recognized some commonality between us. She asked where I was from, and with my thickest accent, I said, ‘I’m from Worcester.’

She said she was from New Bedford.

We had to travel all the way to Rome to encounter each other. Later, she asked the class, ‘Who here has read “Nostra Aetate”?’ I think I was the only one to raise my hand. And I thank Assumption, specifically Professor Marc LePain, for having me read that when I was an undergraduate here.”

Invited by Fr. Hoye, Rabbi Soloveichik ended the lecture by praying, “Almighty G-d, your servant David sang in his song: Hinei mah tov u’mah na’im shevet achim gam yachad / Behold how goodly and pleasant it is when brethren dwell together in unity. We thank you G-d for the gift of this evening that allows all of us, brothers and sisters in faith, gathered together to celebrate what we have in common without denying our differences.

Help us to further foster connections between us and between all Americans of faith so that we can work for the country’s future, so that what was said by David in the conclusion of his song can be said of us as well: Ki sham tzivah Adonai et-hab’rachah chayim ad-ha’olam / For there G-d has placed His blessing, a source of life everlasting.”

assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025 25

CAMPUS NEWS Assumption’s graduate business programs, particularly the parttime flexible Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, are distinguished by small learning cohorts and accessibility for working professionals from all backgrounds – not just those in business.

The University’s streamlined MBA 599 Business Foundations course takes the place of cumbersome prerequisites for students who did not major in an undergraduate business field and equips them with the foundational knowledge to succeed in graduate-level management studies. Through an engaging simulation, students navigate complex business dilemmas and gain an understanding of the interconnectedness of those decisions.

Laura Nicole Miller Appointed Director of Graduate Business Programs At the beginning of the 2025 academic year, Laura Nicole Miller, assistant professor of organizational communication, was appointed director of the Grenon School of Business’ graduate programs.

Miller, who holds a doctorate in educational technology from Central Michigan University, will shape and develop the Grenon School’s graduate programs to meet the changing needs of today’s business students.

“We believe Assumption is charting a course in graduate business education made distinctive by its emphasis on mission-driven, relationship-centered excellence,” said Patrick Cullen, dean of the Grenon School. “We’re excited for the creative and collaborative approach Dr. Miller will take in bringing that vision to fruition.”

One of the key strengths Miller has identified in the University’s graduate business programs is the opportunity for students to work with faculty who are scholar-practitioners.

“These are people who have been out there – who are out there now, in the world of business,” said Miller, who has more than a decade of industry practice and strategic leadership experience at edtech startups.

“I think our programs can offer students something really different in the space, which is meaningful interaction with their faculty, and with each other,” said Miller. “What we’ve learned coming out of the pandemic is that professionals want and need flexibility in their graduate studies, but they desire authentic community too. They want opportunities to come to campus and network and be part of something. We can offer that.”

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“Whether in our certificate or degree-granting programs, graduate business study at Assumption forms thoughtful leaders who know how to balance ethical and competitive pressure,” said Miller.

“These are market-ready skills that empower leaders in any field, from healthcare to education, government, nonprofits, and of course, business.”

“

I think our programs can offer students something really different in the space, which is meaningful interaction with their faculty, and with each other.”

Dr. Laura Nicole Miller, Assistant Professor of Organizational Communication

As she refines programs, Miller’s focus will be expanding the student-centered experience. She aims to enrich students’ online learning experience and offer more moments of person-to-person mentorship, career coaching, collaboration, and networking.

Looking toward the future, Miller is eager to ensure that the Grenon School’s graduate programs prepare leaders not only for today’s marketplace, but tomorrow’s as well. She points toward an upcoming undergraduate business class, Silicon Valley Mindset, as the kind of new programming that she hopes to expand upon as the program takes a new direction.

Even in the constantly changing world of business, Miller believes the key value of graduate business education remains the same.

“If you don’t know history, you’ll repeat it. And if you don’t know theory, you’ll learn it in practice, and it will be expensive. Graduate business study is intended to give working professionals a running start on translating theory to practice. And at Grenon particularly, we want to create stackable pathways – certificates, micro-credentials, and degrees – so students can scale their learning with us as their careers evolve.”

Larry “The Librarian” Spongberg HA’99 When Larry arrived on Salisbury Street in 1979 as the evening reference librarian at d’Alzon Library, few could have imagined the home Assumption would become for him, or the indelible mark he would leave on it. In the decades that followed, he became a beloved fixture on campus, both within and beyond his eponymous library at athletic events, student performances, and traditions like Duck Day. Larry embodies Assumption’s mission to seek truth in the company of friends. For many years he served that role on campus literally — as a smiling face behind a reference desk and a gentle spirit ready to guide nervous students in their research work.

More importantly, he has helped a full 50 classes of Assumption students access something that they can’t find in any text on a shelf: the power of infectious optimism.

“This is such a special place,” Larry says. “I call it a ‘how do you do’ campus. People actually stop and talk to each other. They care.”

Larry included Assumption in his estate planning to ensure that this university will always be a welcoming place for students to seek knowledge where they are supported by faculty and staff who truly care — a lasting legacy for an extraordin-Larry librarian.

For more information on how you can support Assumption with a legacy gift, contact Bruce Paolozzi, in the Office of University Advancement at b.paolozzi@assumption.edu or visit plannedgiving.assumption.edu.

assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025 27

FA C U LT Y

prOFiLe

Heather Briere, Ph.D., FNP-BC, CCM, CNE, CNEcl ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE, NURSING AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAMS

Education

What inspired you to become a nurse?

Ph.D., UMass Chan Medical School, 2023

When I was very little, I was in the hospital quite a bit. My mom was a nurse, and there was a nurse that my mom was friends with – Mrs. H. I’m the oldest of four children, and my parents couldn’t always be with me in the hospital, but as long as Mrs. H was there, I knew I was going to be safe and everything was going to be okay. I knew that when I grew up, I wanted to be somebody else’s Mrs. H.

M.S., UMass Chan Medical School, 2009 B.S.N., Fitchburg State University, 1995

Certifications/Credentials Clinical FNP-BC, Family Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified CCM, Certified Case Manager CNE, Certified Nurse Educator CNEcl, Certified Nurse Educator

Classes Taught at Assumption Pathopharmacological Processes Clinical Medicine I Pathopharmacological Therapeutics Physiology and Pathophysiology Fundamentals of Professional Nursing Developing Clinical Judgment I & II Complexities of Professional Nursing

What attracted you to teaching?

I’ve loved teaching since I was a kid, but I’ve always known I wanted to be a nurse. When I was in high school, I thought, do I want to be a nurse, or do I want to be a teacher? I decided that as a teacher I could never be a nurse, but as a nurse I could also be a teacher, and here I am today.

What do you like to read?

My blood type is the same as my motto, which is B positive.

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I read everything from business to deep philosophy to nursing. I’m very interested in computers, so I do a lot of computer science books, all the way through vampires and werewolves – except shiny vampires, like “Twilight.” My very favorite book in the world is “The Phantom Tollbooth” by Norton Juster.

I read that about once a year, and every time I read it, I pick up something new.

You gave out potato awards to each of the nurses in the class of 2025. Why potatoes?

Potatoes are ridiculous – they’re something that symbolizes the basics, what’s needed.

Potatoes are taken for granted, like I think a lot of nurses are taken for granted. Potatoes don’t get given the credit that they should be given. I also love to throw a party, and it makes me happy to find ridiculous ways to celebrate things, people.

What is the best part of your job?

I actually really love teaching Fundamentals of Professional Nursing Clinical, because I get to take people into the clinical setting for the very first time, and I love watching them turn from these neophytes into competent, confident nurses that I know are awesome. As a staff nurse, I felt like I could care for my one person, my one patient. Then I became a nurse practitioner, and I felt like I was caring for my one person, plus their family. And now as faculty, I truly do feel like I am caring for the future, because I am not only touching the lives of my students, but every single one of their patients as well.

What is a motto you endeavor to live by?

My blood type is the same as my motto, which is B positive.

Class of 2025 Nurses Honored at Pinning On May 16, 2025, Assumption’s nursing graduates were presented pins signifying the completion of their education and the beginning of their professional journeys.

Nurses were honored with multiple awards at the ceremony – including with potatoes from Briere. She gave personalized “potato awards” to each student, recognizing their remarkable experiences in and contributions to the program.

Right: Chris Froelich ’77, benefactor of the School of Nursing, presents his family award to Juliana Troland ’25.

Below: Dr. Courtney OrelupFitzgerald awards Kerry Hirsch '25 the Daisy Award, with nominator Kenyatta David, B.S.N., R.N. (right).

assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025 29

ATHLETICS Njavan Stewart ’24 (#23), Tayeshawn Cunningham-Pemberton ’27 (#5), and Zee McCown ’28 (#13) were key members of the regional championship-winning men’s basketball team.

GREYHOUNDS

GO DANCING 30 ASSUMPTION Magazine

ATHLETICS

For the first time in 50 years, during their 2024–25 season, the men’s basketball team won the NCAA Division II East Regional Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight in Evansville, Indiana.

The Greyhounds’ historic run in 2025’s March Madness began with a matchup against Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), who had just won the Northeast 10 Basketball Championship. The Hounds sailed past SNHU, winning 92-66, advancing them to the second round of the Division II tournament against Dominican University.

In that game, the Greyhounds defeated the Chargers 81-75, with the team hitting 26 of 38 (68.4%) free throws and Tayeshawn Cunningham-Pemberton ’27 leading the team in scoring with 19 points. With that win, the Greyhounds advanced to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2008.

“We have a group that always believes in what we have as a team, and from the beginning of the year, we thought we had something special,” Coach Scott Faucher told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in March. “It’s a group that’s really connected, and this year we started to develop a sense of toughness and raised the bar as a program.”

The Assumption men’s basketball team started their 2024-25 season ranked 10th in the Northeast 10 (NE10) Conference preseason coaches’ poll. They finished their season, in a different top 10, however – the Elite Eight, to be exact – with the top teams in all of Division II basketball.

The Sweet 16 saw the Greyhounds capture a 97-90 win against the St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartans. Assumption claimed the Division II East Regional Championship trophy for the first time in 50 years and was the lowest seeded team to win the trophy since 2005.

In addition to the men’s success, the women’s basketball team also made an appearance in their NCAA Division II Tournament for the third consecutive year. This was the first time in history they have made three straight NCAA appearances, and their 10th program appearance overall.

The Greyhounds’ most recent season was truly one for the history books, as they became only the sixth team in program history to win the NCAA Division II East Regional Championship, and the first since 1975.

The Greyhounds’ historic run came to an end in the Elite Eight, when the team fell to top-seeded Nova Southeastern, 102–93, after a hard-fought game at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. Zee McCown ’28 led the team in scoring for that game with

The 2025-26 basketball season kicked off for the men’s team on November 14 against Chestnut Hill College, and the women’s team on November 15 against D’Youville University.

21 points, while also adding three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

The team’s final record for the season was 22-9 (14-6 against NE10 opponents) – the most wins since the 2008-09 season, when the Hounds won 23 games.

assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025 31

ATHLETICS

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2025 HALL OF FAME CLASS INDUCTED DURING HOMECOMING WEEKEND

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This year’s inductees represent the best of Assumption Athletics across generations and sports, including baseball, football, ice hockey, soccer, cross country, and track & field, as well as a beloved member of the Assumptionist community.

Jennifer Lowrey ’12, one of the most dominant pitchers in Assumption softball history, was honored in person after her induction in 2023.

Rita Castagna, assistant director of athletics and head coach for women’s basketball and softball at Assumption from 1974-85, was also recognized for her induction into the NE10 Hall of Fame in June 2024.

“It is our honor to celebrate these newest members of the Assumption University Athletics Hall of Fame,” said Eric Gobiel, director of athletics.

“During their playing careers, they achieved at the highest level, had a profound impact on the University, and epitomized what it means to be a Greyhound.”

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above from left: Ray Fagnant ’87, Herb Woodard ’11, Jennifer Lowrey ’12

(2023 HOF inductee), Fr. Dennis Gallagher, A.A., ’69, Antonia Pagliuca ’18, and Keith Hughes ’94 at the 2025 Hall of Fame Induction in October.

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1 / RAY FAGNANT ’87

Fagnant, a standout catcher for the baseball team, posted a career batting average near .320 and a .995 fielding percentage during his senior season.

Known for his leadership and gamecalling ability, he was named to the All-NE10 First Team in 1986 and 1987, after earning All-NE10 Second Team honors in 1985. Fagnant transitioned into a successful post-college career as a longtime Major League Baseball scout.

For over 25 years, he has been instrumental in evaluating and signing numerous MLB prospects within the Boston Red Sox organization, serving as a trusted voice in player development.

2 / FR. DENNIS GALLAGHER, A.A. ’69

Fr. Gallagher has spent decades as a spiritual mentor and unwavering supporter of Greyhound student-athletes. He has served as the University’s vice president for mission for many years and has also held the role of Provincial Superior of the Assumptionist North American Province.

Fr. Gallagher has attended countless games and served as a constant source of encouragement, guidance, and inspiration to generations of students, coaches, and staff. His presence in the athletic community has exemplified Assumption’s mission of faith and service.

“It is our honor to celebrate these newest members of the Assumption University Athletics Hall of Fame.”

Eric Gobiel, Director of Athletics

3 / KEVIN GLANZMAN ’12 †

Glanzman was a defensive cornerstone for the men’s ice hockey team from 2008 to 2012. In 97 career games, he recorded 18 goals and 56 assists, totaling 74 points.

Glanzman’s 2010-11 campaign was particularly notable, as he recorded a conference-high 9 power-play goals, while adding 2 even-strength goals, a careerhigh 19 assists, and the second-most points from a defenseman in league history. Glanzman was named to the NE10 First Team three years in a row, while being one of five players in NE10 history to be named Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back years. His strong leadership and consistent two-way play elevated the performance and profile of the Greyhounds’ defensive unit.

After graduating, Glanzman went on to play one year in Australia’s top division, the Australian Ice Hockey League, where he played for the Melbourne Mustangs, appearing in 23 games, scoring 2 goals, and adding 20 assists.

4 / KEITH HUGHES ’94

Hughes was a dynamic force for the Greyhounds from 1990 to 1994. He finished his collegiate career with 121 points, ranking 17th all-time in program history, and was one of only 10 players ever to record a 50-point season, scoring 24 goals and adding 27 assists in his standout 1993-94 campaign. That year, the team posted a 19-8 record and captured the ECAC North title with a dominant 12-2 conference mark. Hughes’ leadership and offensive prowess helped assemble the program’s best four-year stretch ever, highlighted by three consecutive seasons with 19 or more wins, with Hughes at the center of the action.

From 1998 to 2005, Hughes served as head coach of the men’s ice hockey team, leading the Greyhounds to 60 victories over seven seasons. He revitalized the program, led multiple winning seasons, and was named the NE10 Conference Coach of the Year in 2004.

5 / ANDREA MARCOCCIO ’06

Marcoccio made her mark as a dynamic midfielder for the women’s soccer program between 2002 and 2005.

A two-time First Team All-NE10 honoree, Marcoccio tallied 40 goals and 26 assists for 106 points – all ranking third in program history – in more than 80 matches.

During her sophomore campaign, Marcoccio set a program record for assists in a season, recording 12. She led the team in total points during her junior and senior years. Marcoccio was widely recognized for her composure, passing ability, and intelligent play, all of which helped shape one of the program’s most competitive eras.

6 / ANTONIA PAGLIUCA ’18

Pagliuca stands among the most accomplished runners in Assumption history. She earned NE10 Rookie of the Year honors in 2014 and went on to become a multiple All-Conference performer and NCAA Championship qualifier in cross country. Pagliuca holds program records in the 3,000m (10:09.28), 5,000m (16:44.43), and 10,000m (35:08.49) events. She captured conference titles in both the 5,000m and 10,000m in 2018.

She was named a Division II First-Team All-American in the 10,000m, helping to usher in a new era of national competitiveness for Greyhound distance running.

7 / HERB WOODARD ’11

Woodard was a dominant force on the football field from 2007 to 2011. As a running back and return specialist, he rushed for a school-record 3,695 yards on 780 carries and scored 38 total touchdowns. Woodard also contributed 77 receptions for 517 yards, 24 punt returns for 280 yards, and compiled more than 4,400 all-purpose yards. A two-time First Team All-Conference selection and the 2007 NE10 Rookie of the Year, Woodard was a dependable and explosive playmaker who helped establish a physical identity for the Greyhounds.

†Awarded Posthumously assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025 33

34 ASSUMPTION Magazine

FROM GREYHOUND TO PATRIOT Ashton Grant ’19’s path from Assumption standout to the New England Patriots’ quarterbacks coach is a story of drive, discipline, and destiny.

IN 2024, GRANT FOUND HIMSELF IN THE LAST ROW ON A PLANE TO WEST VIRGINIA NEXT TO

former New England Patriot Mike Vrabel. It wasn’t just a coincidence. The flight was chartered by the Cleveland Browns and was on its way to The Greenbrier — a secluded retreat in Appalachia where professional football teams spend time training.

Grant, one of the greatest football players in Assumption history, had coached with the Browns since 2020. His seatmate Vrabel, a three-time Super Bowl champion, former All-Pro linebacker, and NFL Coach of the Year, had just joined the Browns’ staff as a consultant after completing a successful six-year tenure with the Tennessee Titans.

“Ash, life comes at you fast,” Vrabel said to Grant wryly. “Three months ago, I was in seat 1A; now I’m in 34B by the bathroom with you.”

Despite this temporary pause in his coaching career, Vrabel was soon to be one of the NFL’s most desirable head coaching candidates. He would have his pick of compelling opportunities throughout the league, but it seemed destined that he would return to the New England Patriots — the franchise where he had found so much success as a player — and perhaps it was kismet that Grant got the chance to work alongside him during his brief time with the Browns.

“I remember when the news broke,” Grant says about Vrabel’s acceptance of the Patriots head coaching role. “I decided to text him something like, ‘congratulations on making it back to seat 1A.’”

assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025 35

Grant, who hails from Manchester, Connecticut, didn’t grow up as a Patriots fan. He rooted for his stepfather’s favorite, the Philadelphia Eagles.

But his journey onto the coaching staff of one of the region’s highest profile institutions is a quintessentially New England one.

Bob Chesney, Assumption’s head football coach from 2013–17, first scouted Grant at a game between Bridgton Academy and East Coast Prep, where Grant played amid the Berkshires’ densely wooded hills.

It was clear even then that the 6’2” wide receiver would be electrifying. Grant had all the physical traits — strength, size, and speed — but from the beginning, his character and intellect stood out most — traits that continue to inform his coaching practice today.

At Assumption, Grant led the Greyhounds in winning multiple Northeast-10 (NE10) Conference championships. He earned first-team all-conference honors twice and was named 2016 NE10 Offensive Player of the Year in the same season he set the school’s receiving touchdowns record with 13. He also holds career receiving yards records at 3,204 and total receiving touchdowns at 36.

OPPORTUNITY RINGS In addition to being a standout student-athlete, Grant was thoroughly involved in the life of the University, serving as an orientation leader and admissions ambassador. He says that these opportunities helped him get out of his comfort zone and have helped with his confidence in coaching.

“Coaching wasn’t something I was thinking about back then, but those experiences helped a lot,” he says. “I was able to connect with people who come from different backgrounds than I do and work on public speaking — talking to an audience and controlling a room. I think all of those opportunities helped lead me to where I am now.”

As one of the most dynamic athletes ever to don the Blue and White, Grant drew plenty of interest from NFL scouts — even while he was still involved on campus.

“I think I was giving a tour when I got a call from a scout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” says Grant.

“I remember calling my mom after that and saying, ‘Wow, the Bucs called me.’ That was pretty neat.”

“There’s a ton of Assumption alumni that are coaching, and because it’s such a small campus, everyone talks to everyone, and we can stay in contact with each other … you create bonds.”

Ashton Grant ‘19

36 ASSUMPTION Magazine

PHOTOGRAPH SUPPLIED COURTESY OF THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS / ERIC J. ADLER

Grant is seen with superstar quarterback Drake Maye, who he coaches, and tight end Hunter Henry, at a Patriots practice.

After his time at Assumption, Grant would go on to participate in training camps with the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs before briefly playing in the Alliance of American Football. But it wasn’t long before he turned his attention to coaching. When he returned to Assumption to finish his degree in criminology, he reconnected with his old coach, Chesney. Chesney had moved across the city to the College of the Holy Cross and quickly added his former star player to his coaching staff.

“He’s one of those players who transformed a whole culture and our team,” Chesney told ESPN in February. “So, if he wanted to be on our staff, I wanted him on our staff, wherever it was going to be.”

The work ethic and extreme drive Grant showcased as a player translated to his start in coaching with the Holy Cross Crusaders.

It also drew the attention of Cleveland Browns’ head coach Kevin Stefanski, who recruited Grant for the Bill Willis Coaching Fellowship.

Over five seasons in Cleveland, Grant ascended quickly, first serving as offensive quality control coach, working with running

38 ASSUMPTION Magazine

backs, tight ends, and receivers; then as offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach. He helped lead a dynamic Cleveland offense to multiple milestones, including Comeback Player of the Year for Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Flacco and AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for Heisman Trophy-winner Jameis Winston.

During their time together with the Browns, Grant’s acumen caught the attention of Vrabel, whose consulting responsibilities included developing younger coaches.

“I would have to go into a room and do a job interview,” Grant says. “[Vrabel] would tell me, ‘Ashton, I need you to teach me four concepts on Friday,’ and I would have to get up and teach plays, teach drills. Then they would hammer you with their feedback, telling me to think about different things while teaching, make sure to ask questions, make sure the audience understands what it is you’re saying. That kind of started our relationship — then, halfway through the season, Coach Vrabel and I had a more hands-on role during game day — so we were able to work hand in hand.”

“My job at the end of the day is to help him be the best quarterback he can be ... it’s all encompassing.”

Ashton Grant ‘19

FROM SALISBURY STREET TO PATRIOT PLACE

James Madison University, and Charles Williams ’17 is the defensive recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach at Central Connecticut State University.

In his role as the Patriots’ quarterbacks coach, Grant is now tasked with developing one of the most promising players in the NFL today, Drake Maye. Grant is expected to act as a mentor for Maye, working on improving his technique, timing, and decisionmaking, as well as teaching him the play-calling system and ensuring his development on and off the field.

“There’s a ton of Assumption alumni that are coaching, and because it’s such a small campus, everyone talks to everyone, and we can stay in contact with each other,” Grant says. “You start to create relationships that forge themselves. You create bonds."

“My job at the end of the day is to help him be the best quarterback he can be,” Grant says. “Whether that’s giving him tools to connect, preparing him for a game, helping him with his study habits ... it’s all encompassing.”

Grant comes from a distinctly different background than Maye — Division II Assumption versus Division I University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This difference has helped Grant help Maye, giving him the perspective of someone coming from a small, liberal arts college instead of a bigger program.

“Drake Maye has been a big fish in a small pond for a lot of his life, so it’s neat to be able to show him the other side of the coin,” Grant says. “Understanding what somebody else might have gone through can help him connect with some of his teammates.”

Grant isn’t the only coach from Assumption who can offer that perspective to players. Brian Kelly ’83 was the head football coach at Louisiana State University after previously coaching at the University of Notre Dame, Kyle Barnes ’18 is the nickels coach at

These bonds, Grant says, help to keep him — and, in turn, Maye — sharp on game days.

“Coaching is about how much information you can gather and then give to your players. If I can stay in contact with as many coaches as possible, hear their different experiences — we can all give each other information,” Grant says. “The more information you get, the more you can relate to your players, and I think that, in turn, ends up helping your players out.”

What Grant says is most rewarding for him about being a coach is the moment when all that information begins to click in the players — the epiphany, when players apply the advice he’s given them, and everything starts to make sense.

“At this level, we’re called coaches, but it’s kind of like we’re guidance counselors. We’re trying to herd them in the right direction and give them advice,” he says. “Coaches and professional athletes are more like peers working together. We’re on the same level. I just try to relate and help these guys out.”

assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025 39

ALUMNI NEWS Dear Alumni, I am thrilled to have joined Assumption as your new vice president for advancement at this moment in the University’s history. From the minute I stepped foot on campus in March, I was amazed at the warm welcome that the entire community has given me. It immediately became apparent that Assumption is a very special and very unique place. I have already had the pleasure of meeting so many alumni across generations, and the common thread has clearly been a true love for your alma mater. And because of this deep attachment, I truly believe the future is bright.

As the good news about that future grows – with several examples in this very magazine – we plan to bring Assumption directly to where you are.

You will see more Assumption events in cities throughout New England, as well as in other areas along the East Coast and Florida. We are also planning to grow other alumni engagement opportunities that harness your power and your passion toward strengthening Assumption’s mission to provide the best Catholic liberal education to as many students as possible. Stay tuned, as there is much more to come on that front.

Thank you for the support and leadership so many of you already give to Assumption. I know that with your continued support, along with our growing alumni engagement, we will accomplish amazing things for Assumption together.

Go Hounds!

Jeffrey Gillooly Vice President, University Advancement

2025 Alumni Awards

This past June, during Reunion 2025, three distinguished Assumption community members were honored with Alumni Awards. This year’s honorees included a pioneering educator and coach, a nationally recognized campus minister, and an award-winning archival producer whose work has brought historic moments to life for audiences around the world.

Congratulations to Charles “Charlie” Aleksiewicz ’65, who received the Jack L. Bresciani ’72 Outstanding Alumni Award; Helen R. Russell ’85, who received the Fr. Louis Dion, A.A. ’35 Outstanding Achievement Award, and former Director of Campus Ministry Deacon Paul Covino, who received the Honorary Alumni Award.

TOP L-R: President Greg Weiner,

Charles “Charlie” Aleksiewicz ’65, and Fred Bayon, D.M.D. ’65 MIDDLE: Deacon Paul Covino BOTTOM: Helen R. Russell ’85

David J. Kennedy also received his Fr. Dion award in person at this ceremony, as he had been unable to travel to receive it during the pandemic.

40 ASSUMPTION Magazine

ALUMNI NEWS

WBJ Power 100

Diane Power ’84 was named to the Worcester Business Journal’s 2025 Power 100 for her influential leadership as chief operating officer at Mirick, the region’s largest full-service law firm.

ASPIRE

ASPIRE (Alumni-Student Partnerships in Reflective Engagement) engages interested alumni and motivated junior and senior students with questions of vocation related to identity, career, community, commitments, and life beyond college through meaningful conversations and mentoring opportunities.

On the Road

Assumption Alumni Engagement went on the road this fall to Hamden, Connecticut for our alumni reception on September 18 at Haven Beer Company. We also visited Union Station Brewery in Providence, Rhode Island for an event with President Weiner and alumni, hosted by Assumption University Trustee Stephen Skoly, D.M.D. ’78

“Participating in ASPIRE has allowed me to connect with a new generation of Greyhounds and feel anchored to what's most important about Assumption – the students.

In every small group meeting, I can’t help but think, ‘I wish I had something like this.’”

ANTHONY MANZI ’17

GET ENGAGED

Interested in supporting Assumption students and staying engaged with the campus community?

Scan here to fill out our interest form!

Kenneth Savage ’70 retired in June after an extraordinary 55-year career teaching science at Westbrook High School in Connecticut.

His dedication earned him a nomination for the Guinness World Record as the longestserving science teacher. He now looks forward to enjoying retirement with his family and cheering on his granddaughters as they pursue careers in education and STEM.

WTNH

Lifetime Legacy

assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025 41

CLASS NOTES

Submit your news online at assumption.edu/classnotes.

Weʼd love to hear from you!

1967

Maureen and Pete Marcotte and Steve and Irene Nolan recently met in Merrimack, New Hampshire to catch up while Steve and Irene were back in New England for a brief visit with family and friends.

42 ASSUMPTION Magazine

1969

John (Jack) Dubois was recognized in March 2025 with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Jersey Directors of Athletics Association, celebrating his 52 years of dedication to high school athletics in New Jersey.

1971 55TH REUNION

Several members of the Class of 1971 from Connecticut have been gathering for lunch every two months since reconnecting at their 50th Reunion in 2021.

PICTURED ABOVE L-R:

Bill Esposito, Wayne Shepperd, Ray Valade, Melanie Demarais, Bill Kelley, Dan Micari P’97, Rich Giannino, and Mike Wilbur P’15.

Bill Rigali published his memoir, “Get on the Purple Line,” reflecting on his decadeslong career in coaching and teaching in Holyoke. Now retired, he lives on Martha’s Vineyard with his wife, Sandra.

1976 50TH REUNION

Paul Phillips and Mike “Gramps” Burlas P’07 have been spotted bringing laughter and spirit to local golf tournaments – dressed in costume to entertain fellow golfers and spectators alike.

ASSUMPTION CLASS NOTES

1974

1977/1979

Chris Froelich ’77 recently attended a talk by fellow Assumption alum Stephen Knott, Ph.D. ’79 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Knott spoke about the presidency of John F. Kennedy, offering insights from his extensive research as a presidential historian.

1984

Jay Marciano is serving a second term as president of the Association for Machine Translation in the Americas and consults on machine translation and AI technologies.

Celeste Gauthier Johnson G’84 recently published her book, “An Odyssey of Becoming: That Summer of ’72.”

1987

Dennis Barquinero has been named general manager of the Burke Mountain Hotel. He previously held leadership roles with Vail Resorts and began his hospitality career managing several Massachusetts inns.

TOP: A group of alumni from the 1990s gathered for a mini-reunion in Arlington. Pictured are: L-R, BACK ROW: Dave Sullivan ’96, Brian King ’96, Todd Sloper ’96, Jay Smith ’97,

Ryan Farias ’98, Dan Sullivan ’94, Jon O’Toole ’96, Matt Kojalo ’95

L-R, FRONT ROW: Mary-Elizabeth (Swartz) Aylouche ’95, Mike King ’96, Nicci (Hill) King ’96,

Amy (Maurice) Mahoney ’96, Heather (Lavey) Sullivan ’94

MIDDLE LEFT: Paul Phillips ’76 and Mike “Gramps” Burlas ’76, P’07 BOTTOM LEFT: A group of friends from a variety of Assumption class years gathered recently. Pictured are: L-R, FRONT ROW: Ron Lombard, Jack Foley ’77, Dave Benoit ’76 L-R, BACK ROW: Brian Tower ’78,

Rob Blanchflower ’77, Chris Froelich ’77, Joe Inauen, Mark Curtis ’77, Don Morrison ’77

RIGHT: Chris Froelich ’77 and Stephen Knott, Ph.D. ’79

assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025 43

ASSUMPTION CLASS NOTES

1994

After 25 years in the insurance industry, Paul Gencarella Jr. has transitioned into the self-improvement field, where he now focuses on bringing out the best in others through speaking, coaching, and mentoring.

2004

Dr. Jeremy Carr recently served on the American Chemical Society’s inaugural Blue Ribbon Panel, helping to develop a recognition program for excellence in chemistry instruction at two-year institutions.

2007

Allison Depasse Silver has written and illustrated a new children’s book, “The Roll of Sam’s Dreams,” inspired by her son Sam, who lives with osteogenesis imperfecta, a rare genetic condition also known as “brittle bone” disease.

2010 Katie (Jankowski) Malz ’14 married Nick Malz in May 2024, surrounded by Assumption University classmates.

1988

Mark Brown started a new job in December 2022 as administrative coordinator for the Physical Therapy Department at Saint Joseph’s University.

Since moving to the Philly area two years ago, he enjoys singing with the choir and keeping in touch with the Religious of the Assumption Sisters at St. Francis de Sales Parish in West Philadelphia, singing with the Archdiocesan Choir, and exploring the city, especially through the Walk Around Philadelphia project.

Colleen Carroll was nominated in December by Governor Maura Healey to serve as associate justice of the Massachusetts Probate & Family Court.

She will be sitting in Bristol County at the Fall River Probate & Family Court.

44 ASSUMPTION Magazine

1990

Joe Tonelli Jr., the all-time wins leader in baseball at the University of Bridgeport, will be inducted into the Southern Connecticut Diamond Club Hall of Fame.

He also founded the baseball program at Albertus Magnus College and is a member of its Athletics Hall of Fame.

Earlier this year, Marcia Batal-Rogers launched her own talent development and learning consulting company, Consulting for Excellence (C4E), after a 30-year career leading talent initiatives at global organizations.

1991

Gina (Dialessi) Biskupic, a speech pathologist and author, published her debut novel, “No Fault of His Own,” in June 2025. Inspired by true events, the book explores the impact of fronto-temporal degeneration (FTD) on families and caregivers.

Lauren (Kelly) Chartier and her husband, Christof Chartier CE’11, are thrilled to announce the birth of their son, Isidore Philippe, on February 12. Isidore joins his proud older siblings Joseph, Charlie, Saul, Mary-Margaret, and Daniel.

2011 The third annual Sidey Fund Golf Tournament took place on Friday, June 13, at Crosswinds Golf Club in Plymouth. The Sidey Fund was established in memory of Matt Sidebottom following his sudden passing in 2021. Created by family and close friends, the nonprofit honors Matt’s passion for helping underprivileged athletes by providing scholarships and job opportunities for recent graduates and raising awareness about the challenges athletes face after their playing careers.

Ashley Pare and Kyle Pare ’12 welcomed a baby girl, Liliana, in January. She joins big brothers Gabriel and Elliot.

2012

Robert DiGiammarino, PsyD, was recently appointed director of behavioral health at Mass General Brigham Salem Hospital.

ASSUMPTION CLASS NOTES

2013

Charlsey Lynn Penney G’13 was honored with the Leadership Award from the Massachusetts School Counselors Association (MASCA). A licensed school counselor at Challenge & Reach Academy and a member of the Central Mass Association of School Counselors, Charlsey was nominated by four colleagues for her outstanding leadership in the field at both the local and state levels.

2014

Katie (Jankowski) Malz married her husband, Nick Malz, in May 2024, celebrating with friends, family, and her fellow Greyhound classmates.

2015

Bianca Monaco married Michael Capozzi ’19 on December 20, 2024, in Connecticut, surrounded by fellow alumni including Kaleigh and Jack Murphy, Kayla Hogan, Katelyn Corriveau, Mary Kate Peterson, Gabriela Rosa, Michelle Galanos, Lauren Bauer, TJ McNicholas, Kaitlin Bouthilette, Lynn Philbin, and Kimberly Frank.

2016/2017

Ralph Cola ’16 and Jacqueline Raftery ’17 were married on June 9, 2024, at St. AnneSt. Patrick Parish & Shrine in Sturbridge.

They chose the location for its special connection to the Assumptionists and were honored to have Fr. John Franck, A.A., Fr. Ronald Sibugan, A.A., and Fr. Alex Castro, A.A. preside over the Mass. The celebration was made even more special with many fellow Greyhounds in attendance.

2018

Brian Farrell and Kolby Burger ’19 were married in August. Kolby played field hockey and Brian played hockey during their time at Assumption.

2019

Mark Blatchford moved to Chicago and started a new role as financial controller at the Chicago Jesuit Academy.

TOP: Ralph Cola ’16 and Jacqueline Raftery ’17 were married on June 9, 2024.

BELOW: Brian Farrell ’18 and Kolby Burger ’19 were married in August 2025, surrounded by friends from Assumption University.

CLASS NOTES SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Assumption Magazine publishes Class Notes in each issue.

Submissions can be made at alumni@assumption.edu or by mailing us your information. The Magazineʼs editorial staff makes every effort to print announcements accurately, but cannot always verify the accuracy of information submitted for publication.

2024

Kayla Baron started a new role as a special education teacher at New Britain High School in Connecticut. assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025 45

IN MEMORIAM

April 15, 2025 – September 15, 2025 † Charles “Chuck” A. Johnson ’08

† James “Jim” P. Breeney ’81

† Thomas W. Neary ’79

† John “Jack” J. Casey ’11

† Roland H. Lapointe, Jr. ’68

† Robert “Bob” R. Bourgeois AP’51

† James M. Bujnowski ’77

† Gerald “Gerry” C. Ryan AP’68

† Brendan J. O’Shea ’88

† John M. Sabatini ’86

† Robert E. Morgan ’86

† Steven “Steve” E. Bylund

April 17, 2025 April 18, 2025 April 21, 2025 April 24, 2025 April 29, 2025 May 2, 2025

† David S. Ashe ’78 May 11, 2025

† Robert “Bob” G. Fratto ’82 May 11, 2025

† Lisa K. (Kowal) Aijala ’87 May 14, 2025

† William L. Carrigan AP’64 May 16, 2025

† Elizabeth “Liz” K. (O’Donnell) Jonsson ’74

May 23, 2025

† Jacqueline A. Heaton CE’90 May 27, 2025

† Christina L. Poulin ’80 May 31, 2025

† James “Jim” M. Rutledge ’74 June 1, 2025

† William “Bill” C. Madaus G’63 June 13, 2025

† Eugene Dursin AP’54 June 22, 2025

46 ASSUMPTION Magazine

June 23, 2025 June 26, 2025 July 1, 2025 July 3, 2025 July 6, 2025

’80, P’11

July 10, 2025

† Virginia L. (Warren)

Colosi-Geisler CE’89

July 11, 2025

† Paul E. Perry ’78 July 26, 2025

† Ryan Santimaw ’00 July 31, 2025

† Nancy J. (Enman) Scott CE’96, P’89 August 1, 2025

† Todd O. Henzel ’90 August 9, 2025

† Mary R. (Horgan) O’Loughlin G’78 August 9, 2025

† Sandra G. (Andronic) Mazanitis ’75 August 21, 2025

† Rev. Richard A. Fortin AP’52, ’57 August 22, 2025

† Thomas “Tom” P. McCarthy P’06 September 9, 2025

Your community. your next chapter.

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Step forward. Stay connected.

Laura E. Hunter, MSOL Associate Director for Graduate Enrollment lehunter@assumption.edu (508) 767-7458

Scan here to schedule a conversation with admissions assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025 47

LAST WORDS

A Vocation That Doesn’t Retire MICHAEL LAND, PH.D., IS A RETIRED ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH AT ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY. HE ALSO SERVED AS DIRECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICE-LEARNING PROGRAM.

FOR MOST OF MY 25 YEARS OF TEACHING AT ASSUMPTION,

I have attended the Faculty Dinner, which celebrates the end of another academic year and the careers of retiring colleagues.

Being an English professor, I always took note of the strategies and anecdotes colleagues used when it was their time to reflect before a full room. But last May, when it was my own turn at the podium, I resorted to a tactic that none of my predecessors had ever stooped to use: a prop.

I held up a gift that had been on display in my office for 14 years, ever since a Campus Ministry SEND trip had journeyed to my hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama in the wake of a devastating tornado that killed 64 people. There, students met my folks, built a Habitat for Humanity home, visited Civil Rights Movement historical sites, and on the last night, presented me with a signed poster that acronymized TUSCALOOSA as “Together, Using Service, Care, and Love Offering Our Support to Alabama.” I’m proud to say that, yes, the student leader, Marisa Reis, was an English major.

That SEND visit to Alabama, the fulfillment of a longtime dream of mine, would end up being the first of eight years’ worth of visits – merging my Alabama past and my Massachusetts present in a profound fashion, allowing me to bring all my lives to bear on the work of teaching our students. On campus, SEND students would frequently ask how “Mama Land” was doing; back in my hometown, folks would praise our students.

When I later showed a video of my speech to two professor friends visiting from out of town, they noted how I talked far more about my students than individual accomplishments.

That’s because for me – as for so many other people at Assumption – the students are the work.

48 ASSUMPTION Magazine

I don’t mean work as a We feed off our chore, even if there are students’ ener�y, plenty of those along the way. I mean work as which then recharges something that is deeply us for the work of rewarding and purposeenriching their minds, ful, joyful, and, at times, hilarious. We feed off our their skill sets, and students’ energy, which their visions. then recharges us for the work of enriching their minds, their skill sets, and their visions. Decades after they graduate, we still follow their journeys and talk in the halls about their latest achievements and adventures.

That’s appropriate. After all, I spent my time at Assumption preparing students to graduate to a world out “out there” — one in which they would engage and help people from a wide range of backgrounds. And now I realize that even as I was focusing on their rite of graduation, all along I was also preparing myself for my own kind of graduation: Retirement.

Like many of us, I’ve always dreaded the retired life, fearing the lack of companionship and purpose that might come with it. But instead, I find myself, like my former students, helping people – in my case, working with one of Assumption’s most loyal partners, African Community Education. As I tutor young people from faraway places, I share the space with college volunteers. They may not be from my classroom, but they bring back fond memories of Assumption students I worked alongside, whether in Worcester, or on an Indian reservation in South Dakota – or, well, sitting in Mom’s house, celebrating a successful week of rebuilding my hometown.

Assumption is on the rise. New student enrollment has grown by over 40% in the past three years. Yet many of our students rely on financial aid to make their dreams of an Assumption education a reality.

in the company of friends THE ASSUMPTION FUND

The future of Assumption depends on you. Your support of The Assumption Fund makes a Catholic, liberal arts education possible for our deserving students, providing them with the personal formation and professional preparation for which Assumption graduates are known.

To make a contribution, visit assumption.edu/rise or scan the QR code to your right. Thank you for supporting our students! assumption.edu | FALL/WINTER 2025

500 Salisbury Street Worcester, MA 01609-1296

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st Salisbury Join us for reunion weekend on june 5-7, 2026

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