Assumption Honors First President with Rededication of the Fr. Gayraud Living Learning Center

What began in a small triple-decker house on Fales Street in Worcester has since evolved into one of the city’s premier higher education institutions. While Assumption, now a University, has continued to refound itself over its 118-year history, it has never wavered from the foundation laid by the institution’s founding fathers, including its first president, Fr. Isidore Gayraud, A.A., Ph.D.

On September 16, Assumption honored the life and work of Fr. Gayraud with the rededication of the Fr. Gayraud Living Learning Center. Fr. Gayraud embodied the spirit of the liberal arts, not only in his teaching but in practice, and left a lasting impact on Assumption’s formation, laying the foundation for the institution to become what it is today.

In 1902, Fr. Gayraud became one of the first Assumptionists to emigrate from Europe to establish a new school on American soil, seeking to provide an education for the French-speaking population of New England. First assigned to the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe in New York City, just two years later he was part of a team assigned to establish a secondary school in Worcester. With humble beginnings and a handful of students living and learning in a triple-decker in the Greendale section of Worcester, that new school would eventually evolve into Assumption University.

in an Interest Circle where a faculty member meets regularly with students to discuss a themed topic of interest. The building embodies the idea that learning at Assumption takes place both inside and outside of the classroom.

“We often share with students when they arrive here that they are embarking upon a journey of lifelong learning. Fr. Gayraud lived that ideal,” said Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D., president of Assumption University. “He traveled the world – France, Italy, the United States, and Latin America – searching for knowledge and in pursuit of a mission. He taught, built churches, founded schools, and served as a missionary. Not only did he have an insatiable appetite for learning; he also allowed his life and his work to be shaped by what he learned.”

“One could argue that the first living/ learning center at Assumption was that triple-decker on Fales Street,” added President Cesareo. “The Living Learning Center embodies the life’s work of Fr. Gayraud. It is a place where living and learning converge.”

Assumption’s Living Learning Center is a unique, apartment-style residence hall to which students must apply to live. Approximately 143 primarily second-year students apply as groups to live in this building and participate

Throughout his career, Fr. Gayraud held many titles: philosophy professor, teacher of Latin, school founder and administrator, parish priest, and even church builder. His zeal for lifelong learning and his capacity to integrate his love for philosophy, theology, history, language, and literature in his teaching – subjects that are also the basis of a Catholic liberal education – had a meaningful impact on all he encountered. It is only fitting that Assumption’s Living Learning Center, a building that represents the original commitment of Assumption to integrate academic and student life, would bear his name.

“Fr. Gayraud was a man known for his intellectual and administrative abilities, as well as for his rigor and personal integrity,” said Fr. Richard Lamoureux, A.A., Ph.D. ’64, vice president for mission. “During this pivotal time in Assumption’s history, as we embark on refounding ourselves as a University, it is important to remember and honor our founding inspiration and the courage and foresight of Assumption’s first leaders. Dedicating this building to Fr. Gayraud signals our admiration and gratitude for the role he played at the birth of the institution and our commitment to the visionary spirit that characterized his work at that critical moment in the institution’s history.”

In 1911, Fr. Gayraud left Worcester to begin a long and meaningful career in Latin America. Though only president for a short time, Fr. Gayraud’s influence has guided Assumption’s progress as a Catholic liberal arts institution from a preparatory school, a College, and now a University that educates the whole person and prepares its graduates to make an impact on the world in which they live.

Assumption Announces Newest Trustees

Assumption University announced that Edda Colon-Irizarry ’88, vice president of Human Resources Operations and head of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at Amgen, and Emmanuel Larbi ’14, CEO and co-founder of Accra Girls Inc. and ākra LLC, were recently elected to its Board of Trustees. The University expressed its appreciation to board members Carolyn M. Clancy ’82, Robert E. Gray, Jr. ’65, and Alison C. Kenary who completed their terms of service in May.

As members of the Board, Trustees contribute to the overall governance of the institution, including the fiduciary responsibility of upholding and advancing the mission of the University.

“The University’s Board of Trustees is pleased to welcome Edda and Emmanuel to this esteemed group of individuals who are passionate about Assumption and willingly lend their expertise in support of the mission,” said Board of Trustees Chairman Francis J. Bedard, Esq., CPA ’81. “Edda and Emmanuel have rich backgrounds and unique skills in the human resources and the restaurant industries, and we look forward to the insight they will share and contributions they will make to the Board, an eclectic group of individuals who collectively use their immeasurable experience and expertise to provide guidance to the University. We also thank Carolyn Clancy, Robert Gray, and Alison Kenary for their unparalleled service over the last several years. Their contributions to the University during their time on the Board positively impacted thousands of students, faculty, and staff.”

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COLON-IRIZARRY ’88

Colon-Irizarry is vice president of Human Resources Operations and head of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging for Amgen, a position she has held since 2015, in which she is responsible for organizational and leadership development, compliance with global employment laws, employee relations and employee communication, benefits, compensation, recruitment, and retention for more than 5,000 staff globally. Prior to this role, Colon-Irizarry served as executive director of human resources for Amgen (2006–15) in Puerto Rico where she led the HR function of a six-plant biotech manufacturing site with over 2,000 full-time staff and 1,000 contract staff.

She and her husband, Wilberto Rivera Perez ’86, reside in Agoura Hills, CA. They have two children, Cristian and Jaime. They also serve on the Advisory Council for the D’Amour College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

EMMANUEL LARBI ’14

Larbi is the CEO and co-founder of two restaurants, Accra Girls Inc. and ākra LLC, where he oversees the two businesses’ daily operations, finances, and strategic direction with growth aspirations to franchise and scale. One of his businesses, Akra Eatery & Juice Bar, is featured at Polar Park in Worcester.

Before starting his two businesses, Larbi traveled the country for two years conducting ophthalmology research and served as a cancer researcher at Tufts Medical Center. After leaving the medical field to focus on an entrepreneurial path, he shifted his focus to a business career and recently enrolled in the business analytics program at Harvard University.

Larbi engages with and supports the community in various ways. During the pandemic, he began an initiative through his restaurants to feed the frontline workers in both the Worcester and Boston communities. He also works within the community to create entrepreneurial opportunities for youth and people of color to foster change. In addition, Larbi is on the founding committee for EforAll Greater Worcester, an initiative that supports entrepreneurs in underserved communities. He enjoys speaking to students about entrepreneurship in hopes of igniting change, inspiring youth, and creating an impact in his community.