Announcing Our New Director for the Center for Civic Friendship

An email message sent to the campus community on April 14, 2024:

Thrive, Assumption’s new 10-year strategic plan, calls for the establishment of a Center for Civic Friendship that embodies our Augustinian-inspired belief in the importance of friendship among citizens. Providing a national voice that explores how a sense of common purpose can help make disagreement productive rather than polarizing, the Center will be located in the Office of Academic Affairs and engage the entire campus community and beyond. 

Today, I am delighted to announce the appointment of its first Director: Dr. Mary Jane Rein. Dr. Rein has most recently served as the Executive Director of the Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark University, a role she occupied from 2008 until her appointment at Assumption, which begins this week. Prior to that, she served as director of grants at Assumption. She holds a Ph.D. in. Classical Art and Archaeology from Harvard University. 

You can read more about the Center’s hopes and purpose on its page on our website.  

Dr. Rein is an immensely talented and successful center director. Please join me in welcoming her to Assumption. In the fullest spirit of civic friendship, I look forward to our campus community’s work together on this important initiative. 

Sincerely,

Greg Weiner, Ph.D.
President