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THOMAS S. MONAGHAN, FOUNDER AND CHANCELLOR
Tom Monaghan started Domino’s Pizza in 1960. By 1985, he was opening three new locations per day. In 1987, Tom Monaghan founded Legatus, an international organization of Catholic businessmen and businesswomen, which now has more than 5,000 members. Tom founded Ave Maria Institute in 1998 in Michigan and it became a college. By 2003, Ave Maria College moved to Florida and became a university at the heart of the new town of Ave Maria, also founded by Tom. Ave Maria University currently offers rigorous academics across 35 majors, 34 minors, and 5 graduate programs in education, business, and theology—educating more than 1,400 students.
MARK MIDDENDORF, PRESIDENT OF AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY
Mark founded Lighthouse Catholic Media (LCM), a lay apostolate that became the largest producer of Catholic audio talks before merging with Augustine Institute in 2015. He served as Executive Vice President for Mission Expansion at Augustine Institute before becoming Ave Maria University’s fourth President in February 2022.
DAN SCHRECK, DIRECTOR
Daniel Schreck, inaugural Director of The Institute and Chief Strategy Office of AMU, has two decades of experience spanning Wall Street, nonprofits, entertainment, and public service. A graduate of Columbia Business School, he was a partner at a hedge fund firm and was appointed by President Trump to the National Council on Disability. He sits on various nonprofit boards, including the Jerome Lejeune Foundation USA and previously the Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund and Avail NYC.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information:
Kevin Wandra, 404-788-1276 or
KWandra@CarmelCommunications.com
The Institute at Ave Maria University Aims to Change the Future of Catholic Education
New initiative designed to equip scholars for vocations in exceptional careers
AVE MARIA, Fla., Feb. 26, 2025 – Ave Maria University is taking the faith and professional formation of its students to the next level with the establishment of the Institute at Ave Maria University, a new initiative designed to not only recruit and form top students at the university but also to prepare them spiritually and professionally through individualized mentorship and fellowship to enter the workplace with honed skills, a deep knowledge of the Catholic faith and the desire to live that faith in their personal and professional lives.
Insert the Institute at Ave Maria University promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m498ft1aOOE.
The Institute matches the core liberal arts curriculum classes for eight semesters that directly enhance Scholars’ classroom experiences, merging academic and life/workplace skills seamlessly. Ave Maria University provides the foundation for Scholars — exceptional Ave Maria University students who fully commit to the Institute — as they work and learn within a cohesive and exclusive network of exceptional executives, leaders, businesses, faculty, partnering universities and educational providers.
The list of the Institute at Ave Maria University’s advisors is particularly impressive, headlined by Maria Christina Gomez, senior vice president of North America Danone Strategic Insights & Analytics and former senior vice president of Procter & Gamble; James Keyes, a business leader and philanthropist known for his leadership as CEO of Fortune 500 companies 7-Eleven, Inc. and Blockbuster, Inc.; and Matt Birk, CEO of Matthews Building Solutions and a former NFL player.
“The modern workplace is evolving rapidly, while trust in religious, financial, civil and educational institutions is diminishing,” said Dan Schreck, director of the Institute at Ave Maria University. “Moreover, higher education often takes an either-or-approach, emphasizing practical skills at the expense of human formation or honing intellectual and spiritual development to the neglect of marketable professional skills. Here at The Institute, we take a both-and approach in which Scholars learn practical aspects of leadership and professional skills alongside their liberal arts education in sacred doctrine, ethics and western civilization.”
The Institute at Ave Maria University, a natural extension of founder Thomas Monaghan’s Catholic-focused entrepreneurship, has as its bedrock these words written by Saint Pope John Paul II in Ex Corde Ecclesiae: “Students … should realize the responsibility of their professional life, the enthusiasm of being the trained ‘leaders’ of tomorrow, of being witnesses to Christ in whatever place they may exercise their profession.”
To learn more about The Institute, please visit the website.
For more information, or to schedule an interview with Dan Schreck, please contact Kevin Wandra (404-788-1276 or KWandra@CarmelCommunications.com) of Carmel Communications.
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About Ave Maria University
Ave Maria University is a Catholic institution of higher learning located in Ave Maria, Florida. Ave Maria University was established in 2003 as a Catholic university, according to the guidelines of the Code of Canon Law by the Most Rev. Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of the Diocese of Venice in Florida. The recognition of Ave Maria University as a Catholic University is granted upon the university’s commitment to continue to be guided by the teachings of the Catholic Church and faithfulness to the apostolic constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae. Ave Maria University is committed to helping its students develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life and grow in their appreciation of truth. The goal of AMU is simple: to build the foundation of a truly Catholic university that forms future generations of truly Catholic men and women faithful to the Magisterium of the Church. For more information about Ave Maria University, please visit www.avemaria.edu.