November 2021

Dear Swearer Center Community, 

It has been a few months since I assumed my new role as Executive Director of the Swearer Center in May 2021. In my time here so far, I am so impressed with this community of students, faculty, staff, and community partners. 

I am grateful for the ways you have welcomed me, shared your perspectives and wisdom about this incredible community, and offered your ideas for ways that we at the Swearer Center can most effectively contribute. I am also deeply inspired by your commitment and hard work amidst continuing public health challenges, persistent racial and social injustice, increased polarization, and the growing precarity of our planet.   

I’m committed to collaborating with the incredible team here at Swearer Center, and with our amazing students, faculty and staff colleagues, and partners to continue to foster responsible and sustainable civic engagement across and beyond campus. By continuing to cultivate and deepen community partnerships, engaged research, powerful storytelling, advocacy and activism, voting, and many other practices, we can strengthen habits of democracy and commitment to a shared future.  

To guide us into the future, this year we are embarking on a process to set our strategy for 2022 and beyond. This planning process will enable us to honor and build on the Swearer Center’s past success while adapting and responding to our future context, needs, and opportunities.

I invite you to join us in this process to shape our collective vision and action by sharing your ideas, goals, and aspirations for our work. We will extend opportunities for feedback via surveys, listening sessions, interviews, and more. I also welcome your direct input and feedback and can be reached via email at [email protected]. 

In partnership,  

Mary Jo Callan, Ed.D.
Stark Family Executive Director, Swearer Center
Associate Dean of the College for Engaged Scholarship