This summer, Assumption will say goodbye to two longtime administrators, Provost and Academic Vice President Louise Carroll Keeley, Ph.D., and Vice President for Student Affairs Catherine WoodBrooks, Ph.D., who will retire at the end of the academic year.
Provost Keeley has served at Assumption for more than 35 years. She began her career in 1983 as an assistant professor of philosophy, achieving the rank of full professor, and has since served in a number of capacities, including chair of the philosophy department and, in 2008, associate provost. In 2014, she was appointed interim provost before her appointment as provost and vice president of academic affairs in 2015. Under her leadership, Assumption introduced new academic programs such as actuarial science, criminology, cybersecurity, data analytics, health sciences, neuroscience, nursing, and more.
“The Assumption community and I are grateful to Provost Keeley for her dedicated service and the countless hours she has committed to enhancing the academic profile of the College,” said President Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph.D. “I have especially appreciated her counsel and advice over the years, as well as her honesty and integrity. She has contributed to what I believe will be a positive transformation of Assumption that rests on its strength as a liberal arts institution and the integration of the liberal arts into the new professional programs about to be launched. People will look back at her years as provost and laud her leadership and her courage. As Provost Keeley transitions to retirement, we are confident that her work on behalf of the faculty and students will endure.”
During her 17 years of service to the students and faculty of Assumption, Dr. WoodBrooks introduced a variety of programs and initiatives to enhance the quality of life for Assumption students on campus, including the development of the Quality of Life Survey and the Five Principles of Student Engagement: Community, Contemplation, Longing for God, Vocation, and Mission to Serve. Dr. WoodBrooks has often collaborated with other campus divisions, including Campus Ministry, in the establishment of the Peer Ministry program and with faculty in her redesign of the Living Learning Program and in the yearlong assessment of the SOPHIA program, which was awarded the Trailblazer Award from Campus Labs.
“Dr. WoodBrooks has been a valued collaborator who brought passion to everything she did,” said President Cesareo. “Her dedication to the students and her efforts to integrate the student experience across all areas of Assumption have contributed to a vibrant, student-centered environment on campus. Dr. WoodBrooks has always shown a genuine concern for the well-being of our students, especially ensuring an inclusive and welcoming community for underrepresented students. I particularly have appreciated that she is a woman of deep faith, which has been at the heart of her vocation as an administrator. She will be missed by the entire Assumption community.”
A national search is being held to find a replacement for Dr. WoodBrooks. In fall 2018, Assumption announced that Political Science Professor Greg Weiner, Ph.D., would succeed Provost Keeley as the next provost.
