Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | April 29, 2024 | Worcester Business Journal 9 Vincent Rougeau President College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester Employees: 1,749 Residence: Worcester Colleges: Brown University, Harvard Law School Rougeau was named the first lay and first Black president of Holy Cross in 2021, when the college was still recovering from the economic and educational impact of COVID-19. While setting the school back on track, Rougeau focused on increasing diversity and strengthening its cooperation with the city. With an annual operating budget of $245 million, the school serves about 3,200 students. e Jesuit university established in 1843 has long been an integral part of the community, working with business leaders to support economic development and enhance cultural institutions. Holy Cross pays $50+ million in salaries to Worcester County residents annually, and another $20+ million to area vendors. A strategic plan launched in February 2023 reinforces the school's commitment to education as well as community. Among other things, Holy Cross will strengthen recruitment efforts of students and employees from Worcester, which helps meet one of Rougeau's ideals – equity in higher education. e son of civil rights leader, Rougeau called for a renewed focus on diversity in higher education in a Boston Globe column in May as the U.S. Supreme Court, including Holy Cross alumnus Justice Clarence omas, prepared to strike down the use of affirmative action in college admissions. A milestone in a new era of community engagement under Rougeau was the opening of the Prior Performing Arts Center on campus in 2022. e $110-million center is a place for the community to find common ground. "e center affirms the college's investment in Worcester's recent citywide plan for arts, culture, and community and serves as a beacon of artistic excellence in the region," Rougeau said. - E.M. Please join us as we recognize and honor women in the community that advocate for and empower girls. With your help, we will elevate support for our critical girls programming, Girls Voice. Thursday, May 9 7:30am - 9:00am Boys & Girls Club of Worcester Ticket - $25 Table - $175 www.bgcworcester.org/BAV Graduate Programs clarku.edu/graduate The Clark MBA | Finance | Fintech Accounting | Analytics and Big Data Computer Science | Project Management Communications | Sustainable Development Public Administration Generous Scholarships for Central Massachusetts Students Local, Flexible, Career-Focused E D U C A T I O N P O W E R 1 0 0 Greg Weiner President Assumption University, in Worcester Employees: 518 Residence: Holden Colleges: University of Texas, Austin; Georgetown University When three leaders of the country's top universities were castigated for failing to call out antisemitism during a Congressional hearing, Weiner, the nation's first Jewish president of a Catholic college, felt compelled to comment. In a column in the e Wall Street Journal in December, Weiner suggested the administrators were less at fault than the institutions, many of which have abandoned their mission to educate students to think critically and engage thoughtfully. e nation's elite schools focus more on prestige, he said, than on dispassionate teaching. An alternative for American Jews might be found in Catholic universities, he wrote. For Weiner, Assumption provides the well-rounded liberal arts education cherished by Jews and Catholics. Founded in 1904, the school served the children of immigrants not welcome at other institutions and reflects the belief of the Assumptionists, whose founder, Father Emmanuel d'Alzon, thought ideas were what changed the world. Weiner, who holds a Ph.D. in government, joined Assumption in 2011 and was ap- pointed provost and vice president of academic affairs in 2019. He became Assump- tion's 17th president in 2022. In a short time, Weiner has worked on reforming the school's core curriculum, winning the support of the faculty to create a Foundations Program. He collaborated with faculty, staff, and students to create Assumption's first 10-year strategic plan. "A key theme of the plan is that everyone who seeks Catholic liberal education and is academically qualified to succeed deserves access to it," he said. While college enrollment has been declining nationally, Assumption has seen a rapid growth. e 2023 fall class was up 29% from the previous year, and applications for 2024 are up more than 20%. - N.C.

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