Freedom of Expression
Viewpoint Diversity
Intellectual Humility
Critical Thinking
Our Team
Andrus G. Ashoo
Interim Executive Director
Andrus G. Ashoo has been on staff at the University of Virginia since 2014, and he currently serves as the Director of the Office of Citizen Scholar Development, which is home to fellowships & undergraduate research. Fueled by a desire to keep Think Again serving the university community following the departure of founder, Mary Kate Cary, Andrus has provided executive leadership since May of 2026.
Sarah Hart
Assistant Director
Sarah Hart graduated from Wheaton College with a degree in English Literature. She moved to Charlottesville to participate in the Trinity Fellows program and has been at Think Again since August 2024.
Sarah wears many hats at Think Again, including overseeing the Think Again Student Fellows, planning events that promote dialogue across differences, managing the website and social media, and supporting the national outreach efforts. Contact her at sarah@thinkagainuva.com with any questions, comments, or event ideas.
Mary Kate Cary
Founder & Board Chair
Mary Kate Cary now serves as the Executive Director of the Miller National Academy for Free Expression and Pluralism at the University of Denver. Previously she served as the Assistant Vice President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Strategic Initiatives in the office of the Interim President of UVA and as an Adjunct Professor in the Politics Department at UVA teaching “Political Speechwriting,” and “Democracy Out Loud,” which was focused on the greatest speeches in American political history. Mary Kate also co-taught “Election 2024” to 500 undergraduates — leading one of the only political science classes in America taught from both sides of the aisle. In 2021, Mary Kate served on UVA’s Committee on Free Expression and Free Inquiry, which produced the University’s policy on free speech. Most recently, Mary Kate was the recipient of the 2024 Heterodox Academy Open Inquiry Leadership Award. Mary Kate was a White House speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush, served as spokesman for then-Attorney General Bill Barr during the Bush Administration, and as Deputy Director of Communications at the Republican National Committee under Haley Barbour. She currently serves as the chair of the advisory council for the George and Barbara Bush Foundation, and was the executive producer of 41ON41, an award-winning documentary film about President George H.W. Bush. For the last three decades, she has written speeches for a variety of business, political, and non-profit leaders. She is a proud alumna of UVA, is married to a UVA alum, and is the proud mother of two UVA alumni. You can learn more about Professor Cary on her personal website or find out what motivates her in this candid interview from the Authentic: Conversations with Stock & Hicksy podcast.