Bentley Magazine
Editor
Julia Rappaport
Design Director
Kelly Milligan
Designers
Juliana Freire
Ashley Rhodes
Staff Writers
Molly Mastantuono
Kristen Walsh
Contributing Writers
Elizabeth Miranda
Dan O’Sullivan
Caroline Pelletier
Staff Photographer
Maddie Schroeder
Project Manager
Casey Brennan
Print and Production
Judy Metz
Associate Director for Advancement Communications
Molly McKinnon
Executive Director for Advancement Communications and Donor Relations
Jane Kim Donino
Assistant Vice President for Strategic Communications
John McElhenny, P ’28
Vice President for Marketing and Communications
Christopher J. Joyce
Vice President for University Advancement
Chris Grugan
President E. LaBrent Chrite, PhD
A Word from the Editor
Back when I was graduating college, I worried that my undergraduate degree in history would never apply to my work. Two decades later, I wish I could quiet my younger self’s concerns.
As an editor, history is embedded in my day-to-day, essential to crafting compelling stories, like the two features we have in this edition of the magazine: One looking at our workforce today, which is comprised of an unprecedented six generations (page 16), and the other celebrating 50 years of women’s varsity sports at Bentley (page 22).
To understand our workforce now, we have to understand how we got here. And for those representing younger generations, like Amanda McCormick ’17, MSMA ’18, looking back to the wisdom of older generations can inspire efforts to shape an even brighter future: “They have such a wealth of knowledge and experience,” McCormick told writer Dan O’Sullivan. And then there’s sports. You might think it’s just about teamwork or stats, but a read of our story illustrates that the history of women’s varsity sports at Bentley is bound up with the history of the U.S. and the world, including Title IX, world wars (Bentley first opened its doors to women during WWI), and fights for gender equality that were blazed in the past and persist today.
I hope you enjoy this issue and all the history that’s packed into these 44 pages, including the back cover, which looks at the very first Black United Body Fashion Show in 1985. Have thoughts? Email them to us at magazine@bentley.edu
Happy reading,
Julia Rappaport, editor
Readers Respond
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Re: Letter to the Editor
Re: The Falcon Files: The Blizzard of ’78
It was my senior year. We were stuck inside for two days because the snow was so deep and nothing was plowed. Snow drifts were 10 to 15 feet between buildings. We trudged around, jumping off walls into the drifts where we would disappear under the snow, not knowing we would need to be dug out. We were out of class for a solid week.
- Jim “Lenz” Barlow ’78
On behalf of the Bentley MSHFID and User Experience Center communities, I want to honor Tomer Sharon, MSHFID ’08 and member of the HFID advisory board. Tomer was a pioneer in every sense. He carved his own path with courage and intention. His greatest gift wasn’t his brilliance, but his heart. He made people feel seen, supported and inspired, and this legacy will continue to guide us.
- Bill Gribbons, professor of Experience Design and founder of Bentley’s MSHFID program and the User Experience Center
An Academic Center for the Innovation Age
Plans are underway to completely reimagine the Adamian Academic Center as a hub of technology, innovation and entrepreneurship at Bentley. Through improvements and updates to the building and how it’s used, the center will become a destination for knowledge and collaboration for faculty and students (see more at right).
LEARN MORE at bentley.edu/adamian
A Standout Season
This winter, Bentley students, faculty, staff and alumni cheered on the Falcons as the women’s basketball and men’s hockey teams soared to historic heights in their respective seasons. Women’s basketball, which ranked third in the Division II coaches poll, made it to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight with a number two seed. The men’s hockey team, meanwhile, won the first Atlantic Hockey championship in program history and made it to the first round of the NCAA Division I Regionals. They went 23-15-2, breaking the school record for wins.
Around Campus
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey visited Bentley for a National Retail Federation event. The next day, she appeared at the White House sporting a Bentley-Celtics T-shirt.
Bentley’s new Social Innovation Incubator welcomed its first Social Entrepreneur Student Fellows this spring. The incubator, launched in partnership with the city of Waltham, supports the creation of social enterprises. Students who complete the fellowship will earn a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship and will graduate into the Incubator Fellowship Alumni program, which provides access to the incubator’s network of entrepreneurs, industry experts and funders.
The former head of the European Blockchain Center at the IT University of Copenhagen, economist Roman Beck, has joined Bentley’s Computer Information Systems (CIS) Department.
PHOTOS BY MADDIE SCHROEDER (FANS) AND LIZ MILLER (HEALEY); COURTESY OF ROMAN BECK
BY
SPORTS CORNER
Following a national search, a former Falcon quarterback and member of the coaching staff has been tapped as Bentley’s eighth head football coach. For the past two seasons, CJ Scarpa ’17 has served as the Falcons’ associate head coach and offensive coordinator.
Aquatics Director and Head Men’s and Women’s Swim Coach Mary Kay Samko, P ’18/’20, will retire after 29 years at Bentley. Samko boasts a 506-148 record since taking over the Bentley program. Her teams have captured four NE10 men’s championships and 15 New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association titles.
Thirteen student-athletes earned NE10 Academic All-Conference recognition for the fall season, making Bentley the school with the second-most designations in the conference. This comes after Bentley posted a 98% graduation rate for student-athletes, the second-highest rate in Division II nationwide.
Director of Athletics Vaughn Williams has been selected as one of four Division II 2024-2025 Athletic Directors of the Year. The award highlights the efforts of athletic directors for their commitment and positive contributions to student-athletes, campuses and surrounding communities. “Athletic Director of the Year speaks to the commitment and hard work of the Bentley community to be the best version of ourselves in every way,” says Williams, now in his fifth year at Bentley.
The Big Number
#1
For the second year in a row, Bentley’s Pulsifer Career Development Center was ranked top in the nation by the Princeton Review. If you’re looking for a new job or career jump-start, remember that alumni can take full advantage of the career center.
LEARN MORE at bentley.edu/alumni/career
Scan here for 10 networking tips from the Pulsifer Career Center
Up Next: First Fair Trade-Certified Business University in U.S.
Bentley is on track to be the first business university in the country to become a certified Fair Trade University. Students from the ServiceLearning and Civic Engagement Center made a pitch for Bentley to pursue the certification by including the necessary ethical and sustainable practices in the university’s curriculum, procurement and research efforts. “In the U.S., Bentley stands to be the very first business school to earn this designation,” says Billy Linstead Goldsmith, senior director of Fair Trade Campaigns. “That’s particularly exciting for us as the fair trade model is one focused on demonstrating that business can and must be a force for good.”
PHOTO
JAMISON WEXLER
Forward Thinking
BY BRENT CHRITE
Bentley University is a community on the move. Whether on campus or among our talented, engaged alumni, there is a sense of perpetual, purposeful movement toward the future. It’s something that first attracted me to the university.
In the years since, we’ve continued that march forward, leading the way in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship and creating Falcons Forward 2030, our strategic plan that puts our future goals out in the open for all to see.
This year marks a proud new chapter in our path as we embark on the dramatic reimagining of the Adamian Academic Center. This transformation will form the foundation of the university’s Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship initiative. This project represents much more than the renovation of a building. It will serve as the vibrant epicenter of upper campus and will include an immersive technology lab, hands-on learning spaces, a Build Lab for 3D printing and active prototyping, and flexible gathering spaces to encourage collaboration among faculty and students across areas of study.
On top of that, in the U.S., we’ve entered an era where, for the first time in history, we have six generations in our workforce, and we need to be prepared for the changes that will bring. As a leading business university in this Innovation Age, Bentley must equip our students with more than knowledge — we must empower them with the futurefocused tools and outlook to shape tomorrow’s multigenerational business landscape. We’re not just adapting to change, we’re anticipating and helping to build it.
As this project moves ahead, we’ll be sure to keep you updated. I couldn’t be more excited about what this important addition to our campus will mean for our community and our university.
IS DOING GOOD REALLY GOOD BUSINESS?
INTERVIEW BY KRISTEN WALSH
Most Americans believe businesses are good for society, and today’s leaders are expected to focus on more than the bottom line to consider people and the planet, as well as profits. But is “doing good business” really good for stakeholders and stockholders? Ahead, Jonathan White, executive director of both the Bentley ServiceLearning and Civic Engagement Center as well as the Bentley Social Innovation Incubator, and Zhi Zhu ’05, global compliance monitoring and auditing manager at global health care company Haemonetics, offer different — but complementary — perspectives on how doing good business can positively impact employees, consumers and the world at large.
What does “good business” mean to you?
Zhi Zhu: There are various components to doing good in business, including corporate social responsibility (CSR); diversity, equity and inclusion; ethical practices; social impact and environmental responsibilities. It centers on the fair treatment of all stakeholders. It takes work for companies to “be good,” and that’s difficult. It’s easier to focus on near-term profits. The big question is how to move beyond that.
Jonathan White: Doing good means being ethical, intentional, reciprocal — and creating synergistic business models that equally value people, profit and planet. Being a force for good in business embraces a multi-stakeholder business model: Stockholders should be valued, but not more than other stakeholders, such as laborers, throughout the full supply chain, and not at a cost to the planet. CSR can be helpful, but if it comes only at the end of your business model and is not fully integrated, then it is falling short of what good business can and should be.
How are ethical business practices enforced?
JW: Businesses with third-party Fair Trade certifications — from reputable organizations such as Fair Trade Federation and Fair Trade
Honoring a Life by Lifting Up Future Generations of Falcons
The family of Nick Perugini ’99 has created a meaningful way to celebrate his life and lasting influence with a new scholarship fund aimed at students studying Computer Information Systems (CIS).
BY ELIZABETH MIRANDA
t was at Bentley University that Nick Perugini first laid the foundation for a successful career that would span over two decades and take him around the world. In his senior year, the CIS major landed an internship at GE, which led to a role in the company’s prestigious leadership program after graduation. Perugini quickly moved up the ranks, filling increasingly responsible, mission-critical roles, and at the time of his death in 2023, he was CIO of corporate functions and capital technology at company headquarters.
Knowing the impact his Bentley experience had on Perugini, his family partnered with the university to establish the Nick Perugini ’99 Memorial Scholarship Fund, which benefits high-performing students with a strong record of service who are planning to study in CIS. Perugini himself was a first-generation college student, and helping other young Falcons succeed in the ways he was able to at Bentley felt fitting.
“Giving back and mentoring others was such an important part of Nick’s life,” his mother, Linda Perugini, says. “There was such an outpouring of love and support when Nick died,” his father, Nick Perugini Sr., says. “We knew we needed to find a way to both honor his memory and celebrate his life.”
As an endowed fund, the scholarship will honor Perugini’s legacy in perpetuity and provide essential scholarship aid for Bentley students year after year. The scholarship’s first recipient is Stephanie Jarquin ’27, a CIS major with a deep track record of commitment to public service, including advocacy for the mental wellness of young people and honoring her heritage through her work with the campus organization La Cultura Latina. “I am very grateful to be receiving this scholarship,” says Jarquin, noting the impact it makes on her family’s financial obligations. “Nick Perugini also graduated with a CIS degree, and this scholarship has helped me get to know him as well. For that, I am thankful.”
Over the course of his career, Perugini helped navigate many challenges at GE, including managing the technological demands of the transition to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic and acting as a guide to the company as it transformed from a single company into GE HealthCare, GE Vernova and GE Aerospace. He is remembered not only for his effectiveness, but also for fostering a supportive environment grounded in trust. Whether in moments of growth or during difficult times, Perugini’s focus was always on the people he led and worked alongside.
“Nick was a mentor, a caring leader and an advocate for the value inherent in creating a diverse workplace,” says Brian Shield ’85, chief technology officer of the Boston Red Sox, who served with Perugini on the governing bodies of Boston CIO and Evanta. “He was especially focused on fostering the next generation of talent at GE.”
“He always prioritized others — family, friends and colleagues,” says Perugini’s husband, Jim Ryan. And with the Nick Perugini ’99 Memorial Scholarship Fund, this legacy continues as Perugini’s influence will lift up future generations of Falcons.
“Giving back and mentoring others was such an important part of Nick’s life.”
- Linda Perugini
A Snapshot: Financial Aid at Bentley
Scholarship aid remains an unwavering priority at Bentley as more students than ever depend on financial assistance to pursue their academic and professional aspirations. Here, a look at the numbers:
81
The percentage of Bentley students receiving scholarship aid in 2024–2025
$113M
Bentley’s total financial aid budget in 2024–2025 (including need, merit and athletics)
3.6
The percentage of scholarship aid currently covered by gifts to Bentley
86
The percentage of domestic student need met with financial aid (including loans)
Talking ’Bout the
GENER-
ATIONS
There are more generations currently working than at any other time in U.S. history. What does this mean for employers and employees?
By Dan O’Sullivan
External, Not Internal
Gary David, professor of Sociology and Experience Design, similarly contends that differences among generations are the result of outside forces as opposed to intrinsic characteristics of the members.
Take work-life balance. Compared to hard-charging Baby Boomers, the argument goes, Millennials and Gen Zers are less likely to let work take precedence over their personal lives. In fact, David observes, younger workers have good reason to put themselves — rather than their employers — first.
“The idea of staying with a company out of obligation ended when companies no longer felt obligated to their employees,” he says. “This also is leading to a reconsideration of a ‘work-life balance’ as something that should be expected instead of something that is unique or an outlier.”
But as younger workers have taken steps like advocating for remote work options and establishing firmer boundaries between their work and personal lives, they have gained a reputation in some quarters for not working hard.
“I’ve continually heard how lazy Gen Z is. It’s the same thing I used to hear about Millennials,” says Jeff LeBlanc, lecturer in Management, who wrote his dissertation on Gen Z’s leadership preferences and expectations. He has since published several other papers based on his research, which involved interviewing Gen Z employees and their elder supervisors. “I see how hard they’re working and trying to figure out life in a very challenging time. It’s just that they have a different approach to things than the older generations. People who have been in the workforce for a long time probably have no idea what it takes to land an internship or entry-level job in 2025.”
Giana Manganaro Cronin ’15, MBA ’21 is director of donor experience at Bottom Line, which advises first-generation and low-income students on their higher-education pursuits. Manganaro Cronin maintains that people naturally form negative presumptions about the generation that follows their own.
“Everybody thinks they had more drive, or more this or that than the younger generation,” Manganaro Cronin, a Millennial, says.
“My husband and I choose to live in Boston because being surrounded by people who are younger than you and learning is only positive. With most younger folks I’ve met, I’m only excited about what they’re going to do and not nervous at all about their ability to do it.”
“
With most younger folks I’ve met, I’m only excited about what they’re going to do and not nervous at all about their ability to do it.”
- Giana Manganaro Cronin ’15, MBA ’21, Director of Donor Experience, Bottom Line
Whether it’s age diversity, cultural diversity or gender diversity, look to leverage it. We should always seek out those people who have different experiences that we can learn from.”
- Veronica Barber, Lecturer in Management
How the Generations Got Their Names
SILENT GENERATION (born 1928–1945)
“The most startling fact about the younger generation is its silence,” reads a 1951 Time magazine essay. “It has been called the ‘Silent Generation.’” The name stuck.
BABY BOOMERS (born 1946–1964)
The return of soldiers from World War II sparked a “baby boom” that brought the U.S. population from about 140 million in 1945 to nearly 191 million by 1964.
GEN X (born 1965–1980)
Douglas Coupland popularized this moniker in a 1987 article and his 1991 novel, Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture. He may have been inspired by the punk band Generation X, which took its name from a 1964 book by Jane Deverson and Charles Hamblett.
MILLENNIALS (born 1981–1996)
Neil Howe and William Strauss coined the term “Millennials” in a 1991 book. Their reasoning: The oldest of this group would graduate high school at the turn of the millennium.
GEN Z (born 1997–2009)
Since they came two generations after Generation X, this cohort was (unimaginatively) labeled Generation Z.
GEN ALPHA (born 2010–present)
As the first generation to be born entirely in the 21st century, Generation Alpha represents a new beginning. Since “Z” marks the end of the Latin alphabet, social researcher Mark McCrindle proposed turning to the start of the Greek alphabet: “Alpha.”
YEARS OF WOMEN’S VARSITY SPORTS 50
From basketball to golf, a look back at the march toward equality on the court (field, turf or pool) and off.
BY CAROLINE PELLETIER
I COULD GET THE BENTLEY EDUCATION THAT I REALLY WANTED AND ALSO BE A STUDENT-ATHLETE AND REPRESENT THE SCHOOL THAT I LEARNED TO LOVE SO MUCH.
entley is no stranger to the strength and star power of female athletes.
Under the leadership of beloved coach Barbara Stevens (see sidebar at right), women’s basketball gained national attention with an undefeated season and NCAA Division II championship in 2014. The field hockey team won Bentley’s first-ever NCAA Division II national championship, and has played in seven additional national championship games. And just this fall, the women’s volleyball team advanced to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament — the first No. 8 seed to upset a No. 1 in the NCAA quarterfinals, and the first NE10 team to advance past the quarterfinals.
But, just as at other schools nationwide, women’s sports weren’t always in the spotlight.
Edie (Chadwick) Blackney ’74 was in her final year at Bentley when Title IX, the federal law prohibiting gender discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding, was rolled out: “During my senior year, 1973 to 1974, Title IX came into effect and opened the door for women’s sports at Bentley,” she says. “I joined the basketball team and the men’s team had to share space in the new gym with us.” Blackney, the only senior player, recalls days of no team budget and hand-me-down JV jerseys.
In the wake of Title IX, basketball wasn’t the only team established at Bentley — which previously had no varsity women’s sports teams. Softball and field hockey also came into existence in 1974, as did a basketball scholarship program for female students that was the first of its kind in New England. When varsity women’s golf joined Bentley’s team roster in 2024 — exactly 50 years following the establishment of the first women’s varsity teams at the university — the addition made the number of women’s varsity teams and the number of men’s equal at 12.
“This was truly a dream come true for me,” says Kaitlyn McCarthy ’25, who began advocating for the creation of a women’s golf team at Bentley as soon as she arrived on campus. McCarthy, who was recruited to play golf at other universities but chose Bentley for the strength of its education, went on to become cocaptain of the team. “I could get the Bentley education that I really wanted and also be a student-athlete and represent the school that I learned to love so much.”
“Women’s athletics was a great way to recruit some outstanding young women on this campus who became leaders in the classroom and in the community, and excelled in their athletic endeavors,” says retired Assistant Athletics Director and Senior Women’s Administrator Cindy Scott, who worked at Bentley from 1998 to 2020. Scott praises the dedicated efforts over the years to ensure that women’s athletics were
Kaitlyn McCarthy ’25
“I’m very encouraged by the slate of women’s teams we now have and their rising success,” says Director of Athletics Vaughn Williams, who came to Bentley in 2020. Included in the more recent accomplishments: Women’s lacrosse made it to the NCAA tournament for the first time four years ago, with softball doing the same two years ago, while women’s soccer made the tournament this fall for the second time in program history. “Our priority is to continue to build a space where female athletes can thrive,” Williams says.
Among the commitments the school has already made: Investing in strength and conditioning coaches with experience training for different sports and different bodies. Lucia RobinsonGriggs ’07, a former basketball player who now coaches at MIT, remembers weight training as one-size-fits-all during her time as a student. On a recent visit to campus, however, she was pleased to see the new weight room and the training female athletes received from the sports performance coaches. “There’s a real focus now on these details to make women better athletes through sport-specific functional training,” she says.
“Bentley’s female student-athletes come out with a strong sense of confidence in themselves,” says Scott, who returns to campus frequently and takes great pride in following Bentley athletics. “There’s a sense of loyalty and great strength in women supporting women because sometimes we don’t find a lot of support out in the world or in the workforce. And you find that in athletics.”
Courtney Finn ’13, MBA ’15, who played on the national championship-winning 2014 women’s basketball team and is currently Bentley’s associate athletics director and senior woman administrator, agrees. “I would not be the person I am today had I not been given the opportunity to come play basketball here at Bentley,” she says.
FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME
arbara Stevens, the 34-year former head coach of Bentley women’s basketball, was named National Division II Coach of the Year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association five times and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of a class that included Kobe Bryant, Tamika Catchings and Kevin Garnett. Here, in her own words, is her court experience.
“I have a very vivid memory of my first real team participation: I was in eighth grade at my small junior-senior Catholic school, and the high school basketball coach asked me to play. Back then the women’s game had six players per side: two defenders, two offensive players and two rovers. I didn’t even have sneakers that day. I played in the shoes I wore to school! Throughout high school, I played several sports, but basketball was my love. Title IX was enacted my senior year of high school. I attended Bridgewater State College to study health and physical education while the law was being implemented. There were definitely challenges in its enactment, but, thankfully, I had female coaches and instructors as role models to look up to.
When Bentley’s Athletics Director Al Shields hired me to be the women’s basketball coach in 1986, I knew very quickly that this was a great job. The Bentley administration fully supported our program, encouraging us to be the best. We were given the full complement of athletic scholarships for Division II women’s basketball, which was not always the case at other institutions in our conference.
When I was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020, it was an incredible honor. I was thrilled to represent Bentley and our entire women’s basketball program.
I feel so fortunate to have had the long career in coaching that I had. Everything we accomplished was due to our incredibly talented athletes and dedicated coaches who worked extremely hard to make our program one of the nation’s best. The continued support from our Bentley administration made it possible for us to achieve our goals.”
Have memories of cheering on or playing women’s sports at Bentley? Share them with us at magazine@bentley.edu
WOMEN’S SPORTS AT BENTLEY
1942
Bentley, which had initially admitted female students during WWI, becomes officially and permanently coed. Various intramural and club sports including the Bowling Club, Ski Club and intramural softball start welcoming female players.
1974
Women’s softball, field hockey and basketball teams achieve varsity status. Three years later, tennis follows.
1972
Title IX is enacted and begins to change the landscape for female student-athletes in the United States.
1979
Nancie Roundtree becomes Bentley’s first female athlete of color. She plays 47 games with the women’s basketball team between 1979 and 1981.
1963
Bentley’s cheerleading squad forms in the fall.
1977
The field hockey team becomes the first undefeated women’s sports team at Bentley (12-0-2), marking the first time since varsity athletics debuted in 1963 that any sports team at Bentley has gone undefeated.
1973
Bentley introduces women’s sports at the club level, starting with softball, field hockey and basketball. Daryl Leonard becomes the first female coach and first director of the women’s athletics program.
1981
Women’s volleyball becomes a varsity sport. The following year, Sandy Hoffman joins the team as head coach. Under her guidance, the team will go on to win 11 NE10 regular season titles.
1986
Barbara Stevens is hired as women’s basketball coach and goes on to become one of the winningest coaches in NCAA women’s basketball history, leading the team to over 30 appearances in the NCAA tournament
2001
The field hockey team becomes Bentley’s first team to win a NCAA Division II national championship.
1983
Women’s cross country team forms.
1984
Theresa Angell ’77, who played on three women’s varsity teams during her time at Bentley (basketball, softball and field hockey), becomes the first woman inducted into the Bentley Athletic Hall of Fame. The same year, the women’s track and field team forms.
1991
Women’s soccer team is formed.
1998
1994
Women’s swimming team is formed.
Golf is announced as Bentley’s 12th varsity sport for women. The same year, women’s volleyball reaches the NCAA
Women’s lacrosse team is formed.
2014
Women’s basketball wins the NCAA Division II national championship with an undefeated season (35-0), becoming only the second undefeated women’s basketball champion in
CLASS NOTES
Shayna Blackwell ’19 and Ryan Boudreau ’19
1985
John Colucci, Danvers, Mass., was elected to serve as managing director at McLane Middleton.
1986
Nancy (Guyott) Kannenberg , Suffield, Conn., started a new position as director of statutory accounting policy at Mutual of Omaha.
1989
Christine (Price) Roberts, Wayland, Mass., has been named the new chief operating officer of Needham Bank.
1997
David Collier, Peabody, Mass., has been promoted to executive vice president, head of consulting services at Amplify Resources Group, based in Braintree. In his new role, David will oversee the strategic growth and management of the consultancy’s practices, focusing on delivering premium, customized solutions to clients.
2005
Adam Barney, Boston, celebrated the publication of his first book, Make Your Own Glass Half Full: The Path to Empowered Optimism and Autonomy.
Bonny Leung-Lau , Newton, Mass., has worked at New Balance for over 12 years. In the summer of 2023, the project manager of North America Operations was ecstatic to have a Bentley student intern, Bryan Powers ’23, MBA ’24. “Being a proud alum, I couldn’t wait to meet him!” The fellow Falcon was a great fit for the team and, when the internship was over, he received a full-time offer at New Balance.
Doug Watson and Christine (Alvarez) Watson ’08, MSA ’09, Newburyport, Mass., welcomed Lachlan Lane, born on October 8, 2024. Lachlan joins big brother Rowan, 3.
2007
Jen Sorenson, Rye, N.H., has joined Infor as vice president of external communications, where she will lead the public relations and social media teams for the software company.
2008
Mike Caliva , Boston, has been promoted to vice president of development for Skanska USA Commercial Development Boston.
Christine (Alvarez) Watson, MSA ’09 (see Doug Watson ’05)
2009
Eric Morin, MBA ’15, and Alyssa Benesty ’12, MST ’13, Marlborough, Mass., are thrilled to introduce their son, Oscar Henry Morin, born on October 1, 2024.
2011
Tom McNeice, MSA ’12 , and Alysha Frank ’12, Charlestown, Mass., tied the knot on August 30, 2024, celebrating alongside close friends, family and Bentley alumni at Newport Vineyards in Rhode Island. The couple met through a mutual friend 10 years ago, following their respective graduations. They honeymooned on the Grecian islands.
Sucheta (Desai) Hattiangadi and husband Rohan Hattiangadi, Bothell, Wash., welcomed their second daughter, Saanvi, on June 30, 2024. She joins proud big sister Riya, 3.
Taylor Fisher, Merrimac, Mass., has been named the general manager of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A Affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Fisher spent the last eight years in Nashville with the Nashville Sounds, the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, the last three of which he served as vice president of ticket sales and service. Fisher also shares that he, his wife, Rebecca, and their 2-year-old daughter, Kennedy, also welcomed a second child, Theodore, on October 14, 2024 — just in time for their move back home to New England.
Jessica Perez-Rossello ’93, MBA ’94, P ’27 and Jimmy Pappas, MSA ’95, P ’27 hosted classmates in San Juan, Puerto Rico. “We had a blast remembering stories from our Bentley years,” Jessica said.
2012
Alyssa Benesty, MST ’13 (see Eric Morin ’09, MBA ’15)
Alysha Frank (see Tom McNeice ’11, MSA ’12) Katie (Donnellan) Harrington, MSA ’13, and Ethan Harrington ’13, MSA ’14, Billerica, Mass., welcomed son Brooks Alan on November 22, 2024. He joins big brother Weston, 2.
2013
Loryssa (Millman) Dello Stritto and Anthony Dello Stritto welcomed daughter Alessia Giovanna on July 30, 2024.
Ethan Harrington, MSA ’14 (see Katie (Donnellan) Harrington ’12, MSA ’13)
Amanda Ruzanski, MSMA ’17, and Matt Beaulieu, Boston, tied the knot on September 14, 2024, at Willowbend Country Club in Mashpee, Mass. Over a dozen Falcons joined the couple to celebrate. The newlyweds honeymooned in the Maldives and Phuket.
2016
FOLD
Nicholas Kothman and Jillian Raia, MSA ’17, Boston, exchanged vows on September 28, 2024, at the Bellevue Barn in Jefferson, N.H., surrounded by friends and family. Both Bentley undergrads, they didn’t meet until studying abroad in Australia. Many fellow Falcons from the Classes of 2015, 2016 and 2017 attended the wedding. The couple honeymooned on safari in South Africa and said it was the trip of a lifetime.
Kelley Wilcox and Patrick Mullins ’17 were married on December 8, 2023, in Hampstead, N.H., surrounded by family and friends. They spent the evening celebrating with fellow Falcons, creating more memories to carry with them into the future.
2017
FOLD
Chloe Andre and Colby Vickerson were married on August 31, 2023, in Lake George, N.Y., at the Inn at Erlowest. Many Falcons joined the couple. The newlyweds enjoyed a winter getaway in Switzerland for their honeymoon in January 2024. They currently live outside of Boston.
Jenny (Lewis) Coleman and Bob Coleman were married on June 8, 2024, at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md. Their ceremony was officiated by fellow Falcon Gerard Lacerte. The celebration counted many additional alumni in attendance, including former teammates from Jenny’s four years on the women’s soccer team and Bob’s time on the men’s lacrosse team. Falcons from soccer, football, lacrosse and hockey joined the festivities, along with friends and roommates from the Classes of 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Patrick Mullins (see Kelley Wilcox ’16)
Lindsey Viscomi and Colin McCarthy, MSF ’18, tied the knot on September 7, 2024, at the Candlewood Inn in Brookfield, Conn. Many fellow Falcons were in attendance, including family and friends from the Classes of 1977, 1979, 2009 and 2017. The couple traveled throughout Italy for their honeymoon. They currently reside in South Windsor.
Salvatore Fortunato ’20 and Michelle Miller ’20, Jersey City, N.J., are engaged.
Find more classmates and friends online.
A Three-Generation Falcon Family
A pioneering matriarch, a lawyer and two college kids walk into a university.
BY MOLLY MASTANTUONO
“Nothing makes me as happy as teaching,” says David Missirian, associate professor and chair of Bentley’s Law and Taxation Department. And while he recently marked his 40th consecutive year of teaching Bentley students, he says he might have missed his calling were it not for his mother’s encouragement.
The daughter of ethnic Armenian immigrants from Turkey, his mother, Agnes Missirian, joined Bentley’s faculty in 1980 as a professor of Management, later becoming the department’s first female chair. An unabashed feminist and fierce advocate for higher education, Agnes believed her only child — at the time, a successful lawyer and public defender with his own practice specializing in real estate and contract law — had all the hallmarks of an outstanding educator. She urged him to apply to teach at Bentley. He ended up teaching an evening course on introductory business law designed specifically for working professionals, which offered the best of both worlds: David could practice law by day and share practical, real-world insights with students by night.
David was surprised to uncover a passion for teaching. Much like arguing a case before a jury, his goal as an educator is to captivate his audience, fostering interest and excitement in his students at each lesson. “You need to grab their attention and never let it go by
translating complex material into stories and topics they can relate to and remember,” he says.
Though Agnes died in 1994, the Missirian family’s connection to Bentley was fortified via a third generation: David’s daughter Alexandra ’15, one of the university’s first Spanish majors, and son James ’21, MSF ’21, a Finance major. “Bentley was a part of my life for as long as I can remember, so enrolling felt like a natural next step,” says Alexandra, who today teaches Spanish language and Latin American literature at the college level. “I was particularly drawn by the strong liberal arts resources on campus.” James — who serves as operations manager for Fresh Trails Pet Services, a company founded by his mother, Patricia — says the emphasis on experiential learning and group projects “prepared me well for the people side of management, teaching me how to communicate and operate in a professional environment.”
For Alexandra, following in her family’s footsteps is something of an honor. “Although my medzie [grandmother] passed away when I was very young, my parents kept her memory alive by sharing how her resilience and ability to advocate for herself enabled her to open doors that otherwise would have been closed to her,” she says. “My father, likewise, has always displayed a love of education and a dedication to keeping students engaged in his classes — and I’m grateful to contribute to that legacy in my own way.”
2018
FOLD
Rogers Boylan married Jacqueline Goudreault on August 31, 2024, at Wychmere in Harwichport, Mass. Over a dozen Falcons celebrated with the couple.
Abigail Eisner married Dominic Pessolano at the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown, Conn., on May 24, 2024. Several Falcons from the Class of 2018 and more were in attendance. They spent their honeymoon on Nantucket. The couple lives in South Boston, Mass., and are expecting their first baby.
Seamus Higgins and Jen Nickson ’19 were married on June 1, 2024, in Beverly, Mass. They celebrated with nearly two dozen fellow Falcons.
Shannon Kelly and Michael Reitsch exchanged vows in Lincoln, Mass., on September 27, 2024, surrounded by fellow teammates from the Classes of 2016 to 2020 representing Bentley volleyball, football and men’s and women’s basketball.
Kendra Wozniak and Joseph Miller tied the knot on August 17, 2024, at Zorvino Vineyards in Sandown, N.H., surrounded by many fellow Falcons. The couple honeymooned in Greece after their big day and are enjoying being newly married in their new home in Woburn, Mass.
2019
FOLD
Shayna Blackwell and Ryan Boudreau tied the knot on the beach in Aruba on November 16, 2024, joined by five of their Falcon friends. The couple currently resides in Newton, Mass.
Amanda M. Condrin and Brian J. Daury were married on September 7, 2024, at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. The newlyweds were in good company, joined by alumni spanning seven different decades — from the 1960s to the 2020s!
Jen Nickson (See Seamus Higgins ’18)
Ryan McGeary, MBA ’20, proposed to Hannah Rauch, MBA ’22 , in August 2024 during a walk in Central Park. The couple is planning to tie the knot this September in Buffalo, N.Y.
SPOTLIGHT CLASS OF 2024
Something I’ve really learned at Bentley is the importance of two-way relationships and finding mentors.”
Three Rules for Starting a Career in Finance
Tyler Staggs-Burgess ’24 reflects on how his Bentley experience helped guide his emerging finance career.
BY KRISTEN WALSH
After learning about the stock market from a high school economics teacher, Tyler Staggs-Burgess ’24 headed to Bentley to blaze his career path. The recent graduate now works with JPMorganChase’s asset management team on the equities desk. Here he shares three strategies for landing that dream job after graduating.
1. Build a Plan
“I got to Bentley with a goal to become a portfolio manager, but I needed to set myself up with a career development plan to reach that end goal,” Staggs-Burgess says. For the Finance major, that plan involved building strong connections with the Pulsifer Career Development Center, securing an internship and joining the student-run Bentley Investment Group (BIG) to help manage a portion of the university’s endowment.
2. Be Persistent
Staggs-Burgess met with MaryEllen Ryan, senior associate director of undergraduate career services, to refine his resume and brainstorm about his internship search. “MaryEllen connected me with alumni and helped me set up interviews,” he says. He met with Bentley alumni for informational interviews, finessed his skills and applied to several firms before landing a role at JPMorganChase & Co. for their Advancing Black Pathways Fellowship Program in summer 2022.
3. Find a Mentor
“Something I’ve really learned at Bentley is the importance of two-way relationships and finding mentors,” Staggs-Burgess says, noting alumni like Joe Wickwire, MBA ’93, a portfolio manager at Fidelity, and Rich Thompson ’91, a former managing director at Fidelity Management and Research, who were guest speakers at BIG events and teach finance courses at Bentley. “A lot of my professors have worked in the finance industry, and it was so impactful to be able to talk to them about their professional experiences and ways that I could prepare for a career in finance and approach the markets in diverse ways.”
PHOTO BY MADDIE SCHROEDER
Graduate Students
“Tax Implications of Private Equity Deals in the Sports Industry” by John Taylor, MSA ’97, Beverly, Mass., about the Boston Celtics and New England Patriots, was published in the Financial Executives Journal. John was also profiled for his work in nonprofit tax law and finance in the Winter 2024 edition of News from the Road. He works full-time as a CFO and is an adjunct Finance and Accounting instructor at Endicott College.
Kristi (Hemmer) Yadav, MSBA ’16, and Ashish Yadav, MSBA ’16, welcomed second daughter Jiya in early December 2024. She joins big sister Kaya, 21/2. The girls are granddaughters of TinaMarie (DiFranco) Hemmer ’83.
Carmen Sutyak, MBA ’21, and John Sutyak, Brewer, Maine, welcomed Sydney Angelina Sutyak on November 3, 2024.
Awards and Recognitions
David McLaren ’92 , Shrewsbury, Mass., reports that McLaren & Associates, CPAs PC has been named The Best Forensic Accountant by Worcester Business Journal ’s Best of Business Awards for the seventh year in a row. “We couldn’t have done it without the unwavering support of our clients, partners and our phenomenal staff. This award belongs to all of us!”
Monique (Young) Jefferson ’96, Brooklyn, N.Y., has been named to Crain’s New York Notable Black Leaders 2024 list.
Jason Lipsett ’13, Sharon, Mass., was promoted to president of Charles River Apparel, marking a milestone for the family-owned business. Jason has been with the company for over a decade and, as president, will focus on increasing market share and brand awareness through innovation, sustainability and customer relationships.
How One Alumna Turned a Side Hustle into a Bustling Food Business
Entrepreneur Ruby Chan, MBA ’00, P ’24 infuses heritage, health and harmony into FreshZen Foods, which she launched after working for 20 years in corporate marketing. Ahead, Chan shares her story.
BY KRISTEN WALSH
“My parents immigrated to the U.S. from China and settled in New York’s Chinatown. When they opened their restaurant, my siblings and I worked there, and I got to see their work ethic.
Customers would often ask me if they could buy the ginger-scallion sauce we served with dumplings. I remember telling my father that we should shut down the restaurant and just sell the sauce, but he wasn’t interested. Later, as a busy mom of four, I struggled to find something healthy and fast for dinner, so I started making sauces like the ones he’d made to use on salmon or for a stir-fry when I came home from work. One day, when my daughter was about 10, she said, ‘Mom, I think you should quit your job and start a sauce company.’ I told her, ‘You’re absolutely right.’
Starting FreshZen involved several steps, including researching food incubators in the Boston area, which led me to CommonWealth Kitchen, a nonprofit business incubator that provided essential services and guidance. My Bentley MBA program emphasized critical thinking, problem-solving and the ability to pivot strategies based on market demands. These skills have been crucial in my entrepreneurial journey, especially in navigating the complexities of launching and growing FreshZen. Additionally, the network of peers and mentors I connected with during my MBA has been invaluable.”
Weddings
10. Kelley Wilcox ’16 and Patrick Mullins ’17
11. Luke Mason ’15, MBA ’23 and Chloë Brown
12. Chloe Andre ’17 and Colby Vickerson ’17
13. Marie Burke ’14 and Connor Brown
14. Jenny (Lewis) Coleman ’17 and Bob Coleman ’17
15. Kendra Wozniak ’18 and Joseph Miller ’18
Future Falcons
1. George, son of Ashleigh (White) MacKenzie ’14, MSA ’15 and Steve MacKenzie ’15
2. Brooks Alan, son of Katie (Donnellan) Harrington ’12, MSA ’13 and Ethan Harrington ’13, MSA ’14
3. Lachlan Lane, son of Christine (Alvarez) Watson ’08, MSA ’09 and Doug Watson ’05 with big brother Rowan
4. Alessia Giovanna, daughter of Loryssa (Millman) Dello Stritto ’13 and Anthony Dello Stritto ’13 with big brother Luca
5. Oscar, son of Eric Morin ’09, MBA ’15 and Alyssa Benesty ’12, MST ’13
6. Sydney, daughter of John Sutyak and Carmen Sutyak, MBA ’21
7. Saanvi, daughter of Sucheta Hattiangadi ’11 and Rohan Hattiangadi
8. Jack, son of Claire (Corbitt) Kelly ’15 and Garrett Kelly ’15
9. Jiya, daughter of Kristi (Hemmer) Yadav, MSBA ’16 and Ashish Yadav, MSBA ’16
1946
Arthur Gandelman
1950
Donald McCormack
1951
Frederick Whelden
1952
Richard Bachini
William Hoxie
John Murphy
1954
Wellman Bartlett
1955
Peter Golden, P ’90
Anthony Mucciaccio
Robert Santry
1956
Elwood Bent
Leon Wood
1957
Gary Murray
1959
Ronald Reynolds
William Scannell
1960
Joseph Sullivan
Willis Whitten
1961
George Adyns
Richard Thompson
John Tyler
In Memoriam
1962
Paul Cariani
Arnold Rosenthal
1963
Gerald Antippas
Philip LaMarca
1964
Bernard Fisken
William Fitzpatrick
Donna (Gillis) Sola, P ’93
1965
Jeanne (Bonin) Bradley
Philip Frank
Joseph McGrath
George Smith
1966
Norman Anderson
Mary (Hunt) Ginn
Barry Hartstone
Lloyd McManus, P ’87
1967
James Heselton
Ellen (Weinstein) McKeough
1968
Charles Dougherty
Barbara (Stevens) Robillard
James Woodside
1969
Frank Micciantuono, P ’94
1970
Ronald Bates, P ’90
James Laraia
Eugene Liscombe
Alfred Puccetti
Walter Williamson
1971
Michael Caron
Michael Casieri
Theodore Cichaski
William Pray, MSA ’77
1972
Jane Chen
John Laterz
1973
Maurice Castonguay, MST ’82
Russell Fredette
Robert Peiser
Robert Watt
1975
Joseph Bucci
Maurice Burns
1976
David Wagoner
1977
Nicholas Caramanica
Wayne DiMatteo
Robert Pineau, P ’11
Bradford Surner
1979
Barney Yetman
1980
Peter Aiello
Gary Boilard
Thomas Mazzarini, MSF ’88
James Seidman
1987
Susan (Sayce) Harrington
1991
John Cace
1992
George Fitzhenry
Amy (Pendleton) Foscale, MBA ’93
1993
Michael Cronin
1995
Karen Smith
1996
Stefan Knight
1998
Mikel Brown
Shannon (Nichols) Cravalho, MST ’03
2003
William Hettler
2004
Mike O’Connell
2026
Ryan Clark
now
The Taylor Swift Effect
One alumnus’s take on how dynamic pricing impacts what we pay to see our favorite musicians.
The practice of varying the price for a product or service to reflect changing market conditions, in particular the charging of a higher price at a time of greater demand.
Source: Oxford Languages
“Fans are outraged with dynamic pricing, but the truth is consumers created it ourselves. Artists, venues, Ticketmaster — none of them decide how much a ticket is worth. We as consumers set that price. And if we are willing to pay $10,000 to see Taylor Swift, then that is what the price will be. This problem is uniquely American. Taylor Swift tickets were not expensive in Europe, in part because European society has a mindset that an artist charging more than $200 is taking advantage of their fans. Until we as consumers refuse to pay such high prices for entertainment, dynamic pricing will continue.”
Joey Carregal ’09, MBA ’10, Accounting Manager, Big Night Entertainment Group
PHOTO BY JAMISON WEXLER
