Francesco Cesareo, Ph.D. named new president of Assumption College
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Coverage from Worcester Telegram & Gazette >>
Worcester, MA—The Assumption College Board of Trustees has elected Francesco Cesareo, Ph.D. as the 16th president of Assumption College. Dr. Cesareo is a distinguished academic and Catholic education leader, most recently serving as dean of the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. He will assume his duties this summer.
Dr. Cesareo was among 55 applicants for the presidency. The presidential search process began last September when Dr. Thomas Plough, the College’s 15th president, announced that he would retire at the end of the academic year after nine years in the position. The 11-person search committee was composed of three faculty, an alumnus, a student and six trustees, and chaired by Frederick Bayon, D.M.D. ’65, chairman of Assumption’s Board of Trustees.
“Francesco Cesareo’s extensive and successful background makes him the ideal person to lead Assumption,” said Dr. Bayon. “He recognizes that the liberal arts and the Catholic intellectual tradition are two inter-related pillars that the next president of Assumption must not only preserve, but strengthen and enhance. He also understands that it is imperative for the president to encourage an ecumenical atmosphere that invites all to engage in and contribute to the intellectual life of the College. The president of Duquesne University described Dr. Cesareo’s leadership style as collegial, open and transparent. Those are important qualities for a college president.”
As Assumption’s 16th president, Dr. Cesareo will lead a college that has achieved remarkable growth over the past decade. Since 1998, more than $70 million has been invested in construction projects, including: four suite-style residence halls, an Information Technology Center, renovated dining space, new classrooms and art studios, a Multi-Sport Stadium, two new amphitheatres, and the College’s $18 million flagship building, the Richard and Janet Testa Science Center. The undergraduate student body has grown from 1,800 to more than 2,100 and the endowment has nearly doubled from $32 million to $61 million. Assumption recently concluded a very successful $33 million Centennial Campaign.
Dr. Bayon expressed his deep appreciation and respect for the accomplishments President Plough has achieved during his tenure. “Tom came to Assumption with a vision to foster a campus culture of civility, collaboration and colleagueship consistent with its mission and Catholic, liberal arts tradition,” he said. “When Tom became president, the College was at a crossroads relative to the size of the student body and its attendant needs. Under his leadership, the campus has been transformed, the curriculum enhanced, and last Fall, the school admitted its largest freshman class ever. The College has seen explosive growth in so many areas during his tenure. The exciting conclusion of the successful Centennial Campaign is his crowning achievement. ”
Dr. Cesareo, a historian who specializes in the Renaissance and Reformation periods, has published widely on the Catholic Reformation, the history of 15th and 16th century Rome and on the Renaissance papacy. His work has also focused on Renaissance education, Church history and Catholic higher education. He has also been a frequent commentator for local and national media on issues regarding Catholic higher education and the Catholic Church in general.
Prior to his 2004 appointment at Duquesne University, Dr. Cesareo was a member of the history department at John Carroll University from 1989–2004. In 1997 he was appointed the founding director of the Institute of Catholic Studies, a position he held until 2004. He also was the holder of the John J. and Mary Jane Breen Chair in Catholic Studies. As director of the Institute he successfully raised an endowment of $4.8 million for the work of the Institute.
In addition to being a dedicated teacher, nominated three times for the Distinguished Faculty Award at John Carroll University, and an accomplished scholar of the Catholic intellectual tradition, Dr. Cesareo has served on many boards and received numerous fellowships. He is the author of two books, including his most recent book, A Shepherd in Their Midst: The Episcopacy of Girolamo Seripando: 1554–1563, and of numerous articles and book reviews. He has also served as a Fulbright Scholar at both the University of Rome and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Italy, and completed a year-long Faculty Fellowship for Academic Leadership supported by the Mandel Foundation.
Additionally, Dr. Cesareo has served as the managing editor of Archivum Historicum Societatis Iesu, an international scholarly journal published semi-annually by the Jesuit Historical Institute in Rome and the Institute of Catholic Studies at John Carroll University and completed administrative development programs at Harvard University and Boston College.
Dr. Cesareo graduated summa cum laude from Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston, NY, and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Late Medieval/Early Modern European history from Fordham University. He and his wife, Filomena, are the parents of three young children.
About Assumption College
Founded by the Augustinians of the Assumption in 1904, Assumption College is a liberal arts and professional studies college rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition and strives to form graduates known for critical intelligence, thoughtful citizenship and compassionate service. Assumption has been named a “Best Value” in the 2006 edition of Barron’s Best Buys in College Education. For the last several years, Assumption has been included in the U.S. News & World Report “America’s Best Colleges” guide as well as the Princeton Review’s Best Northeastern Colleges as one of the best colleges in the northeastern United States.
Today, Assumption serves more than 2,100 students in the undergraduate program, and an additional 700 in its graduate and continuing education programs.
