Lenore Rust, MSW, LICSW, earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Sociology from Worcester State University and her Master of Social Work degree, with concentrations in clinical practice and administration, from Rhode Island College School of Social Work. She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Massachusetts. She teaches social work practice, field education, and clinical courses and currently serves as Department Chair of Social Work, MSW Program Director, and Professor of Practice at Assumption University.
Her professional interests center on social work education, children and families, field education, workforce development, and the integration of classroom learning with professional practice. She has extensive experience in social work program development, assessment, accreditation, and academic leadership.
Lenore brings more than 20 years of professional social work and nonprofit leadership experience to her teaching and academic leadership. Her practice experience includes work with children, adolescents, and families in intensive foster care, juvenile firesetters intervention, juvenile justice, crisis intervention, and community-based programs. She has also developed longstanding partnerships with child welfare agencies, courts, schools, and community organizations throughout Central Massachusetts.
From 2021 to 2025, Lenore served as co-director of a $1.92 million Health Resources and Services Administration Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training grant focused on strengthening the behavioral health workforce and supporting students completing clinical internships. In 2026, she led the transition of the BSW and MSW programs from the closing Anna Maria College to Assumption University, helping preserve access to undergraduate and graduate social work education in Central Massachusetts and provide continuity for students.