Bentley University Magazine - Spring 2016

SPRING 2016

THEN & NOW

Students do their presidents proud, presenting the falcon statue as a class gift and earning first-in-the-region honors in the Fed Challenge.

1971

TOP PHOTO FROM BENTLEY ACHIVES/BOTTOM PHOTO BY CHRIS CONTI

175 Forest Street Waltham, MA 02452 USA

ABOVE ALL, BENTLEY

2014

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SUB HEAD GOES HERE Remembering Gregory H. Adamian Chancellor Screen time at Alumni stars in the Planning for the and TD Garden | 10 big data universe | 15 President Bentley Centennial Emeritus | 8

Taking analytics to the movies | 20

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1917

THE

LEGACY SOCIETY

What will your legacy be?

Bentley has truly changed my life.

BETWEEN THE LINES History loves a ceremony:

Putney answered

ribbons are cut, hands

questions and sent

My professors have put my future

shaken, cornerstones

notes from interviews

first; I’m joining [accounting

laid, oversized checks

with Greg for his

services firm] BDO in May and I’ll

presented. There were

upcoming history of

many such occasions in

receive my CPA certification soon.

the school. Director

Greg Adamian’s 60-year

of Foundation Rela-

association with Bentley.

tions Paul Carberry,

But the official record only

who served as sec-

goes so far in recalling

retary of the college

exactly how I’ve felt for the past

a person, a place or a

corporation for many

four years. My Bentley experience

point in time. The fuller account is in the stories.

Personal reflections are front

and center in our tribute to the late Bentley chancellor and president emeritus (page 11). Asked about Greg, his former students, colleagues and friends held forth with enthusiasm, affection, humor and a deep respect that, at times, approached awe. We are especially grateful to Debbie Adamian. A deft storyteller in her own right, she shared a handful of memorable Bentley moments from their 37 years together.

The story owes much to

When my dad and I skydive to celebrate my graduation, I’ll literally be on top of the world —

years and worked closely with

wouldn’t have been possible

Greg (and his successors),

without Beryl Bunker’s generosity.

was unfailingly generous with insights and information.

ALLISON CONCRA ’16

Corporate Finance and Accounting major Gamma Phi Beta, Epsilon Phi chapter, Philanthropy chair Beryl H. and John W. Bunker Scholarship recipient

History gets personal else-

where inside. Scores of alumni, parents, faculty, students and friends have stepped up to “share your Bentley story” in advance of the centennial celebration. Their contributions capture a range of years, subjects and experiences —

As a senior vice president in financial services, Beryl Bunker ’58 always looked ahead. Her legacy lives on in Allison and the generations of Bentley students who will benefit from her permanent scholarship fund.

all underwritten by heartfelt pride.

After you check out their accounts on pages 24 and 25, head to bentley.edu/100 and add your

people you won’t see quoted. Over

story to the historical record.

many hours in the Bentley Library,

I know for a fact that future editors

designer Carol Dirga made a fast

of Bentley Magazine will thank you.

friend in project archivist Jaimie

Your legacy. Bentley’s gratitude.

Stay well and stay in touch.

and other markers of the Adamian years. Professor of History Cliff

Susan Simpson Editor

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PHOTO BY CHRIS CONTI

graphs, annual reports, yearbooks

ABOVE PHOTO BY CHRIS CONTI

Fritz. She led the way to photo-

If you have included Bentley in your future plans, let us thank you with membership in The 1917 Legacy Society. Contact us today for more information.

Office of Gift Planning Liz Siladi (781.891.2475) or Kris Otto (781.891.2586) giftplanning@bentley.edu bentley.edu/giftplanning

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Contents SPRING 2016 2 | Here Say 3 | ON CAMPUS > MLK Breakfast turns 30 > Catching up with the Honors Program > A forum for scholars of sustainability

COLUMNS 5 | Inside Job: Deanna Rose Ahigian ’10 of Indigo Elixirs 7 | Five Things: Pack local flavor into travel abroad 8 | Take Two: Breakout lessons in teamwork 29 | Next Stop: Surprises in Greece 31 | Family Matters: Father and son share a commencement

FEATURES 11 | A Storied Life Remembering Gregory H. Adamian 16 | Primed to Thrive Alumni score high in Gallup survey 20 | The Vindication of Neil Chelo ’93, MSF ’00

The alumnus who helped bring Bernie Madoff to justice 22 | Family Business

Genealogy gets personal for two alumnae 24 | My Bentley Story Community members share 100 years history

TOMASZ ROMSKI/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

26 | C LASS NOTES

COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF BENTLEY UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

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HERE SAY

MAGAZINE Editor Susan Simpson Publisher Tiffany Smith Writers Deblina Chakraborty Amy Crawford Allyson Manchester Jen A. Miller Mary K. Pratt Jennifer Skuce-Spira Kristen Walsh Jennifer Wright ’16 Creative Director Claire S. Anderson Art Direction & Design Carol Dirga Sara Jane Kaminski Kelly Milligan Director of Photography Chris Conti Assistant Director Print & Production Judy Metz Project Manager Content & Communications Diane C. Kehoe

TAKING THE MEASURE OF BIG DATA What a great issue of the Bentley Magazine! Such a timely and relevant discussion on big data. I loved the “Tips for Skill Building” section, and the very specific and organized articles. This issue read like an issue of HBR! The organization of the articles around a single topic, while pulling in how Bentley is at the forefront (professor comments; alumni stories; Bentley program highlights and excerpts) worked incredibly well.

Thanks for being informative!

Ashley Wertman ’11 Thanks so much for your efforts with the big data edition of the magazine!

It really came out great, and I am very honored to be a part of it.

Ken Viciana ’99, Operations Leader—Business Analytics, Equifax The alumnus joined guests including President Gloria Cordes Larson on a big data-focused broadcast of The Bloomberg Advantage. Listen at bentley.edu/ bloomberg.

We welcome your feedback.

Send your compliments and critiques on the stories inside — or suggest one for the future.

MAGAZINE@BENTLEY.EDU || @BENTLEYU || 781.891.2775 175 FOREST STREET, WALTHAM, MA 02452

PLANNING FOR THE BENTLEY CENTENNIAL PAGE 8 Happy birthday! Thanks for changing my life! I recommend the MSHFID [Master’s in Human Factors in Information Design] program to all UXers. Great profs — Chauncy Wilson, Bill Gribbons and Roland Hubscher are amazing!

Courtney Jordan, MSHFID ’06 PROFILE OF ROBERT G. RIPLEY JR. ’80 PAGE 37 Bentley instilled in me always to give back.

Anne (Henry) Giddings ’79

CONTRIBUTORS

Executive Director Advancement Relations Leigh K. Gaspar Director Advancement Communications Michael S. Lynch

President Gloria Cordes Larson Vice President for University Advancement William Torrey Chief Marketing Officer Valerie Fox

KRISTEN WALSH

KEVIN CRUFF

KRISTIN LIVINGSTON

PLYMOUTH, MASS.

SEATTLE, WASH.

WAKEFIELD, MASS.

One of my favorite parts of writing is getting to know people and digging deeper into their stories.

Interviewing Trapology co-founders Nicole Chan ’08 and Jason Loeb ’08 had humorous moments, as both have colorful imaginations (a good thing when your company is based on locking people in a room and having them unravel clues to escape).

Page 8

I love photography.

Vocation is avocation. For our assignment with Neil Chelo we spent a sunny afternoon hiking through beautiful Discovery Park in Seattle.

Is it work or play?

Page 20

Sometimes the hardest part of storytelling is story saving: What you won’t read about Allison Concra ’16 is that she’s a twin (her sister is a hairdresser in N.C.) who loves working with kids, and her smile won’t quit. ​The joy of writing is to meet a subject in technicolor — ​making it tough to cut the bright hues for a word count!

Inside Back Cover

Bentley Magazine is published by Bentley University, Waltham, Massachusetts, and distributed without charge to alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and friends of the university. BENTLEY UNIVERSITY is one of the nation’s leading business schools, dedicated to preparing a new kind of business leader — one with the deep technical skills, broad global perspective, and high ethical standards required to make a difference in an ever-changing world.

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PHOTO BY DAVE HAHN

Senior Assistant Directors Advancement Communications Caroline Cruise Kristin Livingston

ON CAMPUS PEOPLE >> PROGRAMS >> EVENTS >> IDEAS

PHOTO BY DAVE HAHN

Bentley skated to a 6-2 win over Army at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Nov. 1, two weeks after sweeping Northeastern. The Falcons won their first-round Atlantic Hockey playoff series over Sacred Heart, before falling to top-seed Robert Morris in three tough games in the quarterfinals.

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ON CAMPUS >>

Be the Change The Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast has become an important part of the fabric of this institution …

For 30 years it has allowed us to gather and celebrate our student leaders and to highlight the good work that is being done by so many in this community to create a more inclusive campus environment.

— Earl Avery

Special Assistant to the President and University Ombudsman

BY KRISTEN WALSH Bentley’s 30th annual breakfast honoring Martin Luther King Jr. featured an ample helping of empowerment. Keynote speaker Cornell William Brooks (above), president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), urged students, faculty, alumni and others to serve as heroes — no matter their profession.

“I see people writing history, as we are living history,” he told a packed house at the January 16 event. “There is someone here who’s going to be the next Rosa Parks, the next Martin Luther King Jr. You can be a prophet and a college president, a prophet and an accountant. Today is filled with unspeakable possibilities.”

Student leaders such as Lorena Mejia ’16 shared their own words of inspiration.

“This event reaffirmed my belief that everyone can make an impact. Even the smallest steps make a difference. It is our responsibility to educate those around us who have the potential to be the change agents the world needs.”

Fortune

Say Farewell to Your 9-To-5.

Here’s Why We’ll All Work Flex Schedules Soon

You Can Thank Millennials for this Important Change to the Workplace

December 15, 2015

December 17, 2015

Research from Bentley’s PreparedU Project is highlighted in reporting that 77 percent of millennials say flexible work hours would make them more productive.

President Gloria Cordes Larson shares the top leadership lesson she learned in 2015.

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New York Times The Importance of Being Prepared for a Natural Disaster January 8, 2016

Associate Professor of Natural and Applied Sciences Gregory Hall discusses overcoming the traumas of natural disasters.

NPR

The Rise of the Do-It-All ‘Hybrid’ Job February 4, 2016

MarketPlace cites the latest phase of Bentley’s PreparedU Project, showing a trend toward positions that require highly diverse skills.

Glamour

The Skills You Need if You're Job Hunting in 2016 February 23, 2016

President Gloria Cordes Larson highlights recent data analysis from Bentley’s PreparedU Project, urging job seekers to keep their skill set relevant with a constant focus on learning.

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PHOTOS BY AMBER ECKLEY

Mashable

KRECU NATALIYA/SHUTTERSTOCK; ABOVE PHOTOS BY CHRIS CONTI

IN THE NEWS >> Read more at bentley.edu/newsroom/media-coverage

<< INSIDE JOB

Mother of Invention My Liberal Studies concentration — Health and Industry — helped pique my interest in the field. While studying in England for a semester and then backpacking around Europe, I started wishing for products that were really versatile, because I have thick Armenian hair and dry skin. Back home, I experimented with ingredients from our kitchen and garden to create things like body butter and scrubs. One day my mom asked, “Why is there so much oatmeal in the shower?”

Like-Minded Partners My core values are centered on creating healthy and sustainable products, and I like to work with businesses that have those same priorities. Many of my wholesale clients in Hawaii are health food stores and boutiques that feature local products. One is called Down to Earth, where I also teach public workshops on working with healing plants and making medicines at home. I’m working on getting my products into local arboretums and co-ops, as well as more boutiques.

Head Meets Heart Location is a crucial aspect of business we discussed at Bentley. Finding an area of the world not yet saturated by my type of business has led to such an increased opportunity — especially after I rethought the recipes to emphasize local ingredients. I remember talking a lot about the “target market” at Bentley, and I’ve tried to create some elixirs that appeal to both men and women, young and old.

Holistic Study I’ve learned a lot and I’m still learning.

I’ve taken a full year of pre-med chemistry and biology at Harvard Extension School, plus courses at the University of Hawaii in organic chemistry, ethnobotany and La’au Lapa’au, which is traditional Hawaiian medicine. I’m working on a master’s degree in traditional Chinese medicine, which I’ll finish in 2017. Then I’ll also be a licensed acupuncturist.

Packaging Paradise

Growing Ambition I hope to open an herbal apothecary.

The ideal is a brick-and-mortar store to showcase my complete line, a full bulk-herb and custom-elixir bar, a small café featuring medicinal teas and healthy eats, and a place where fellow practitioners and I can practice various modalities of the healing arts such as acupuncture and massage. As much as I love to craft botanical makeup and perfumes, the medicine is my most important work.

Prescribing herbs for people is really just an extension of Indigo Elixirs, and allows me to work with clients on a deeper level to bring their bodies into balance.

Deanna Rose Ahigian ’10 puts Hawaii in a bottle. The Massachusetts native began Indigo Elixirs while attending Bentley, inspired by her own quest for better hair and body products. Today, the Oahu-based company’s handcrafted and locally sourced balms, salves and other items package a little bit of paradise for the rest of us. Here’s how.

PHOTOS BY AMBER ECKLEY

KRECU NATALIYA/SHUTTERSTOCK; ABOVE PHOTOS BY CHRIS CONTI

As told to Jen A. Miller

If a trip to Hawaii isn’t your immediate future, look for the alumna’s products at indigoelixirs.com.

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ON CAMPUS >>

STELLAR STATS

Honors Program Highs

BY JENNIFER WRIGHT ’16 Sixteen years look good on the Bentley Honors Program. Most recently, honors students gained a full floor of dedicated living space on campus, while the program’s newsletter earned a first-place ranking among similar publications nationwide.

Invitations to the Honors Program go out to the top 8 to 10 percent of each year’s freshman class. Participants complete at least eight honors-level courses as well as a substantial capstone project, guided by a faculty adviser. Students are drawn to the program for many reasons, including small classes taught in a seminar format, access to research funding and fellowships, and avenues for career networking and internships.

Support by United Technologies Corp. has been a key factor in the program’s growth. Awarded in 2013, the UTC grant of $250,000 funds student research and two signature gatherings: the welcome dinner held each fall and the annual spring conference where students present their capstone projects. Those events build a valuable sense of community among honors students, says Professor of Economics Aaron Jackson, who has directed the program since 2012.

“The company’s support is even more crucial in helping us strengthen research opportunities,” he says, noting significant increases in the quality of and interest in research by students since the partnership began. “UTC has been integral in helping us challenge honors students to the highest degree, while providing unique and rewarding learning opportunities.”

Incoming freshmen now have an additional way to bond: living on a designated floor of Slade Hall. After a successful trial in 2014-2015, the specialty living community has doubled in size and added a study room.

The Honors Program gained national attention in 2015 for its biannual newsletter, Columnas.

The four-year-old publication won first place in a competition sponsored by the National Collegiate Honors Council Publications Board. Columnas is written and edited primarily by honors students.

Current enrollment: 198 men, 163 women

Top five majors represented n Economics-Finance n Finance n Corporate Finance and Accounting n Accountancy n Actuarial Sciences Number of students who live on the Honors Floor in Slade Hall Average number of faculty per semester who teach honors courses, advise on capstone projects or both: Class size of most honors courses Minimum grade point average to stay in the program:

The writer is an Honors Program student and social media specialist in Bentley’s Marketing and Communication Department.

A sampling of research underway by honors students; look for more at bentley.edu/magazine. Faculty member Jeff Gulati coordinates the projects in his role as associate director of the Honors Program.

Kerriann Fitzgerald ’16

Maria Clarice Chua ’16

Stephanie Keller ’16

Patient-Physician Nutrition Counseling and Satisfaction

An Exploration of Filipino American Identity

Detecting Telltale Human Behaviors of Deception Using Digital Techniques

f acult y advis er : Danielle Hartigan, Natural and Applied Sciences

f acult y advis er : Valerie C. Wang, English and Media Studies

An exercise enthusiast, Kerriann Fitzgerald is tapping that interest in fitness for her capstone project. Her research explores whether doctors talk with patients about nutrition, whether those discussions affect a patient’s satisfaction with the doctor, and whether the conversations on nutrition influence the patient’s daily choices. Fitzgerald is one of two honors students to receive a fellowship funded by United Technologies Corp.

The $1,000 grant is enabling her to survey 500 patients and create a poster to accompany her findings. “This really strengthens the statistical, analytical and math skills I developed here, and helps me apply them in a real-life setting.”

While pursuing a major in Actuarial Studies, Maria Clarice Chua has not abandoned a long-time passion for writing. Her capstone is a memoir about what it means to be an American woman of Filipino descent.

Literature courses at Bentley, notably the Asian-American Immigrant Experience, suggested her project choice. “Identity is not just something set in stone,” Chua says. “There’s something fluid in it, something that’s partially constructed by yourself and partially by people around you. I was inspired by that concept.”

f acult y advis er : Jeffrey Proudfoot, Information and Process Management

Human behavior studies have found that deception is a natural part of the human experience. “I thought it would be interesting to learn if technology can detect, in real time, whether someone is being deceitful,” explains Stephanie Keller, who received a United Technologies Corp. fellowship for the research. She’s now digging through data and studies that use computers, to find non-verbal cues. “I think it’s possible that optical sensors, high-speed cameras and computer algorithms could be used, in a quick screening process, to identify individuals that should be questioned further.”

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PHOTO BY CALEB COCHRAN; ICONS: CKYBE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

CAPSTONE CLOSEUP

BY MARY PRATT

<< FIVE THINGS

Five Ways TO MAKE TRAVEL A CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

NATALIE SCHLEGEL, MBA ’08 Director of International Education, Bentley University

PHOTO BY CALEB COCHRAN; ICONS: CKYBE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

International travel comes with the job for alumna and staff member Natalie Schlegel. Some 7,100 Bentley students have studied abroad under her 12-year watch. Her own lifetime totals include 30 countries visited, 225 journal pages filled, 3 passport renewals, and (a remarkable) 0 suitcases lost.

Follow her lead to turn any trip abroad — whether for business or pleasure — into a cultural experience.

UNPACK YOUR ITINERARY Less is more: This golden rule of packing also applies to travel plans.

Moving from country to country — and even city to city — takes up time and requires energy and planning.

During a weeklong work stint in Helsinki, I was tempted to visit Russia.

Instead, I accompanied a colleague to meetings outside the Finnish capital, where the pace was slower and opportunities to talk with locals, more plentiful.

REFLECT Keeping a daily journal is well worth the effort.

It has been said that we don’t learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience. The more detail you record about sights and feelings, the more your memories will have the capacity to transport you and remain a treasure for years to come. Put pen to paper or try out a journaling app like Day One.

MAKE LOCAL CONNECTIONS Stay in B&Bs for a more authentic experience with local residents who can share insider knowledge of what to see and do.

Taxi drivers can be great resources, too. Be sure to tap your own network.

Before a trip to the University of Cape Town, I contacted an uncle who was born and raised in the city and he connected me to family there. Sitting around the dinner table, I got a priceless glimpse of everyday life — not to mention a memorable meal with extended family.

Pictured in Pamplona, Spain, at the Bastion of El Redin fort.

CULTIVATE NEW TASTES Avoid restaurants with menus in English; locals don’t go to those places.

If you seek out food you typically eat at home, it probably won’t be prepared as you expect.

Open yourself to trying new cuisines and resist judgment. Local markets are great places to experience the local flavor and strike up conversations about favorite eateries. (I love being in the Netherlands when herring is in season.) You’ll save money, too.

GET YOUR BEARINGS One tourist staple I recommend, especially for visits to very large cities: Take a city tour early in your stay. Notice popular attractions and less touristy spots like bookstores and cafés.

A tour orients you to the area and provides ideas for places to explore on your own.

It even works at home.

I’ve joined visiting friends on guided tours of Boston — and was surprised by how much I learned.

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TAKE TWO >>

FPO Hi res requested 3/6

You’re locked in a room for 60 minutes with one mission: Escape!

(No phones, by the way. And you may be handcuffed.) A unique storyline unfolds — say, attending a Red Sox game and landing in jail — as you and fellow participants search for clues and work to solve mind-bending riddles and brainteasers. Welcome to “live escape” game Trapology Boston, whose founders join a Bentley faculty member to reflect on teamwork, relationships and puzzle solving.

BY KRISTEN WALSH

PHOTO BY CHRIS CONTI

Breakout Lessons in Teamwork

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<< TAKE TWO

<J ason Loeb ’08 and Nicole Chan ’08: Masterminds and co-founders of Trapology Boston live escape game.

The former Finance and Accountancy majors, respectively, ditched corporate jobs for puzzles, adventure and entrepreneurship. <D onna Maria Blancero: The associate professor of management and assistant dean of business programs has expertise in organizational behavior, interpersonal relationships and diversity.

How did you come up with the idea for Trapology?

Nicole Chan: Jason and I met in Bentley’s theater

group. We both have colorful imaginations, entrepreneurial spirits and a love of board games, brainteasers, video games and puzzles. We played a live escape game for a friend’s birthday and it was the best time we ever had. On a long plane ride back from a trip to Tanzania, we hashed out a business plan.

Jason Loeb: We liked the idea of having one hour

where people can drop all technology and focus on a common goal that is completely unrelated to anything realistic in your life. The game can be played with friends, co-workers or total strangers. In 60 minutes of a fairly high-pressure scenario, people discover a lot about themselves and others, and what they’re capable of. It’s an escape from reality, like starring in a Hollywood movie.

What do people gain from the experience?

NC: Society often teaches us to color inside the lines

and conform. Escape game experiences allow people to express creativity, encourage communication and support out-of-the-box thinking. It’s something different from the daily routine.

Donna Maria Blancero: If done with colleagues, an escape game is a “neutral” place to problem solve together. Sometimes in working with fellow teammates we can feel territorial about topics or locations; this is a chance for everyone to have the same information.

Plus, it’s always a good idea to get to know the people you work with and this seems like a very fun way to do that.

JL: We get a lot of co-workers who show up not knowing each other outside of a professional office environment. When you’re “in prison,” suddenly there’s no hierarchy. Your boss isn’t your boss; she’s your cellmate trying to help you break out. Leveling the playing field creates a space of discovery as you start to realize someone’s skills and strengths … there’s more to this person than monthly budget spreadsheets. It’s about crushing preconceived notions and hitting the reset button.

an a bizarre scenario such as a jailbreak C really translate into everyday relationships?

forced to introduce yourself, then listen to and respect others. It’s a foray into new adventures and with new people that pushes boundaries.

DB: In my Human Behavior and Organizations course,

students work on a mystery game (similar to Clue).

They quickly learn that they need to listen to each other to get all the facts. While I always hope that students will work hard to get the answer, at Trapology I imagine everyone absolutely wants to get the correct answer — so they are really working at it and using everything available to them. This includes talking with and planning with someone who is very different from them. I suspect that folks leave with a new appreciation for differences like age, race and gender.

Do certain kinds of teams tend to perform better?

JL: Definitely. The dynamic of the team comes

down to people. Strangers tend to work well together because people don’t have preconceived notions about each other. They’re forced to listen to other people’s opinions because they don’t know them yet.

NC: The most successful teams are groups of strangers

with differences in age, educational background and career, because they typically have different trains of thought. When we hosted a group with PhDs in the same discipline, their mindset was so similar they got nowhere in solving puzzles. Nobody stepped back to look at the bigger picture.

DB: I can imagine two types of successful teams.

One is a work team that already collaborates very well.

While sometimes that can lead to groupthink — where everyone agrees and doesn’t challenge others — a wellfunctioning, cohesive team would have individuals who are comfortable enough to play devil’s advocate. The other type of team I’d see working well is people who are very different, yet competitive. Those folks would likely ignore stereotypes and just care about getting the right answer.

Has any Bentley experience informed you along the way?

JL: The course GB 301 and the exercise of taking a company, breaking down their financials and marketing, and finding areas to target in regard to demographics and sales. That was huge in giving me the confidence to launch a business and determine that, yes, there is a market and we can be profitable. It’s daunting to take your own money and throw it into something.

PHOTO BY CHRIS CONTI

NC: People who come in and think they can do it

by themselves ultimately fail. Clear communication is crucial, and listening to everyone’s opinion. Sometimes, once the game is over and we walk through puzzles, someone will say, “I said that! Why didn’t anybody listen?” It’s a miniature wakeup call to learn you could have escaped if you had listened to teammates.

JL: When you’re thrown in with a group of people you don’t know, potentially handcuffed to them, you’re

What are some unexpected things you’ve seen?

NC: Couples break up, couples propose, employees

yell at their bosses. In one session, a 14-year-old told all the adults in the room that they were over-thinking a puzzle — and then solved it, leaving them all speechless.

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A Window on ‘Sustainable Worlds’ COLLOQUIUM UNITES PERSPECTIVES ACROSS BUSINESS, SCIENCE, SOCIETY

BY ALLYSON MANCHESTER

For successful businesses, sustainability is no longer an afterthought. Across departments and management levels, corporations are constantly thinking about how sustainable practices can better serve the community and planet as well as drive profitability.

Held on Oct. 30, the 2015 Bentley Research Colloquium engaged academic, government and business leaders around the relevant issues.

“Sustainability is not a topic that merely a few science faculty study,” says colloquium chair Alina Chircu, whose own field is information and process management. “It is ingrained across teaching, research and organizational operations at Bentley.”

Collected 65 Wisdom scholars

4

THEMES

14 ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES 3.5 hours of presentations

28

sessions

PHOTO BY CHRIS CONTI

OPPORTUNITY FOR ACTION The university’s third annual colloquium — Sustainable Worlds: Individual, Business, Colloquium principals (from left) Mike Page, provost MISSING METRIC Societal and Scientific Perspectives — featured and VP for academic affairs; keynote speaker Jonas presentations and poster sessions by more Haertle, U.N. Global Compact Office; Professor Addressing the colloquium theme than two dozen scholars and other experts. Marcia Cornett, chair, Bentley Research Council; “Environmental Systems and Global Health,” The keynote speaker was Jonas Haertle, head Professor Anthony Buono; and Professor Alina Professor of Applied and Natural Sciences of Principles for Responsible Management Chircu, chair, 2015 Research Colloquium Fred Ledley spoke to “a missing metric” Education (PRME) at the U.N. Global among established standards for corporate Compact Office. He called for building on momentum created when world social responsibility. “Our analysis shows that these standards largely leaders adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a U.N. fail to address salient public health issues such as quality of life, maternal and child health, nutrition, sanitation and disease prevention.”

Summit in September 2015.

“Adopting the SDGs is a huge milestone, but it’s just the beginning of The final sessions focused on “CSR, Reporting, Certification, Regulatory the hard work ahead. Implementation is crucial. With trillions of dollars in and Legislative Practices.” Mystica Alexander and William Wiggins, both public and private investments expected to redirect toward achieving professors of law, taxation and financial planning at Bentley, addressed the SDGs, there is an enormous opportunity in the coming years for the role of the federal government in sustainability initiatives. Their responsible companies, as well as the community of responsible manageresearch presented a comparative overview of state and local efforts ment educators and researchers.” designed to promote sustainable activities and argued for a “clear, cohesive federal policy” to unite the work and “ensure the nation becomes a MODEL PRACTICES leader in global stewardship.”

The colloquium was organized around four themes. The first, “Sustainable In the spirit of sustainability, the 2015 Research Colloquium was a zeroIndustries: Translating Models of Sustainability from Local to Global,” waste event. Organizers limited brochure printing, provided recycling and comprised seven sessions. Presenters highlighted both the diversity of compost bins, and served all meals on reusable china and glass. Campus sustainable practices in various industries and the common features of food service provider Sodexo created breakfast and lunch menus with sustainable business models. local ingredients.

For example, Professor of Marketing Susan Dobscha shared research on “green” burial practices. “Traditional burial practices pose a serious The next colloquium, chaired by Professor Fred Ledley, takes place on Nov. 4, 2016; threat to the environment. Green burials provide a sustainable alterna- its focus is the business of health care. tive for consumers. But the industry faces an interesting marketing conundrum in attempting to persuade consumers who believe that burial LEARN MORE | bentley.edu/research practices are dictated by religious edicts.”

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The second colloquium theme, “Sustainability Education,” shifted focus to the next generation of business leaders.

Presenters such as David Szymanski, professor of natural and applied sciences at Bentley, shared sustainability projects and other methods for educating students.

He noted the need to prepare students to address problems such as water scarcity, energy demand and global climate change.

“Understanding how the complex problem of sustainability impacts industry is going to be a competitive advantage in any field.”

GREGORY H. ADAMIAN

PHOTO COURTESY OF BENTLEY UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES; ORNAMENT GRAPHIC: CUTE LITTLE THINGS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

PHOTO BY CHRIS CONTI

1926 to 2015

A Storied Life This consummate storyteller figures into many tales himself. Friends, colleagues and loved ones describe a man of fierce intellect and high principles, who gave no quarter to adversity (the loss of his first wife at the hands of a drunk driver, a heart attack and several bouts of cancer). They invoke his passions, prime among these being family, the Armenian community, the practice and teaching of law, and any day on the golf course. And this: an unshakable belief in the institution he served as professor, president and chancellor.

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FEATURES >>

Greg Adamian knew the power of a good story.

An account rich in detail, wit and humor — delivered with impeccable timing — could instruct and inspire, disarm and unite, move and persuade.

Over the course of six decades, his stories did all that and more on behalf of this commuter school turned regional college turned global university. “Bentley was in his blood, from the time he started teaching in 1955,” says Deborah M. Adamian, Greg’s wife of 37 years and a former vice president at international consulting firm Arthur D. Little Inc. (ADL). “He made sacrifices to make sure that Bentley always got the best.”

Chapter Two: Of Heart and Home

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t would be 1982 before the Adamians moved to Waltham. A home for the president, while part of the original campus plan, had not been built. Debbie asked why. “Greg said, ‘I could never use student tuition to build a house for the president.’”

On this occasion, like many before and after, the Armenian community rallied around one of its favorite sons. At Greg’s urging, the philanthropy-minded founder of Masco Corporation — Alex Manoogian — donated funds for building the President’s House.

“Greg really believed in Bentley … you can only do a great job fundraising for something you believe in,” says Debbie. “We tried to think carefully about making the house work for all kinds of presidents, all kinds of families, all kinds of needs.”

Chapter Three: The Retirement that Wasn’t

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he length and strength of Greg’s association with the school made for some anxious moments in 1991, when he raised the prospect of retirement.

“What if he doesn’t have enough to do?” Debbie recalls thinking. She was 41 at the time and still working at ADL. One night she brought home five poster-sized boards and put them up on the dining room wall. “We spent 45 minutes writing down all the things Greg wanted to do. ‘OK,’ I said. ‘Now I’m convinced you can retire.’”

She pauses, adding with a laugh: “I don’t think he did a single thing on that list. He didn’t have any free time.”

The chancellor and president emeritus kept an office on campus (in the Adamian Academic Center, of course) and launched full-bore into ambassadorial duties. Those included leading roles in two fundraising campaigns that raised more then $100 million for the school.

He attended every commencement until 2015 and for many years presented the Gregory H. Adamian Award for Excellence in Teaching to its faculty recipient. But his greatest joy was in the smaller moments: talking with alumni, students, faculty and others who held Bentley dear.

Alumni at these gatherings often started the conversation with one question for their former professor, remembers Debbie. “They’d come over to us and ask, ‘How’s Wimpy?’ And I’m wondering, Who is Wimpy?

Well, he turns out to be this fictitious person that Greg used in class to demonstrate points of law.”

It comes as no surprise that the colorful tales would stick. “Greg just had a gift.”

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arrying into that kind of passion is not for everyone.

And the Adamians’ first test as first couple came within weeks of exchanging vows on January 1, 1978.

“We’re living in Belmont and Greg is absolutely apoplectic about his campus, which he can’t go to see because you can’t get on the roads,” Debbie says of the legendary blizzard that, in early February, dumped 27.1 inches of snow in Boston and restricted travel for a week. When Campus Security arrived at their door, she didn’t hesitate to join Greg for the return trip to Bentley.

Staff ranks were thin, she remembers. “The students had done an amazing job, cooking and running the food service. They had also gotten together and made wonderful snow sculptures, which they asked us to judge. Greg had the chance to look around and see the school was in good shape … nothing bad had happened.”

In fact, so began a campus event — Winter Carnival — that continued for many years.

Living at the heart of the school that had his heart agreed with President Adamian. He walked around campus on a regular basis, striking up conversations with whoever crossed his path.

“Greg appreciated everyone,” says Debbie. “In his mind, everyone at Bentley had an important role.”

PHOTO BY WEBB CHAPPELL

Chapter One: In Storms and in Sunshine

<< FEATURES

PROFESSOR 1955 to 1970

Greg Adamian taught business law at Bentley while maintaining his own busy practice in Harvard Square.

“We used to tell students: After we teach you everything about money, we teach you money isn’t everything.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BENTLEY UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

PHOTO BY WEBB CHAPPELL

In Business Law, if you raised your hand, you’d better know the whole answer. Greg had the ability to listen to what you had to say, but if you weren’t on point, he would tear you up one side and down the other … in a constructive way.

He loved teaching, just loved it. We all had the same stories.

You’d raise your hand once and from then on you’d wait for him to call on you.

I don’t know if Greg had total recall, but he had close to it.

He could bring back a story — whether about a board meeting or a discussion with Harry Bentley — and you’d think it took place the day before. He was a walking encyclopedia of the institution.

John T. Collins ’69 Trustee Emeritus, Former Chairman of the Board and Chairman, The Collins Group

I make a point of telling current students about Greg.

Often it’s in discussing dram shop laws. It was his case — Adamian v. Three Sons Inc. — that changed the law in Massachusetts, so bars can be held liable for serving alcohol to customers who are already intoxicated. It’s important for students to know that Adamian is not just a name on a building.

He’s a major reason that Bentley is here today.

Stephen Lichtenstein Professor of Law, Taxation and Financial Planning There were agreements and disagreements that permeated the institution during its fastest growing years of the 1970s and 1980s. We all had strong feelings about the direction and future of Bentley. There were many battles and Greg participated in them all. I guess we all wanted to make Bentley the “Harvard Business School of Waltham.”

Alexander Zampieron Professor Emeritus of Law

In the Beginning . . . Bentley at 921 Boylston Street in the early 1960s; the ever-dapper professor of law as pictured in the 1962 yearbook and teaching a class in 1964.

Professor Adamian often referenced a perpetual sad-sack character in law examples. I would repeat the stories to my small “crew” at the time …I found [them] so clever/funny. You don’t typically get that with Biz Law. Great guy; pencil-thin mustache. — ANDREW B. HILL ’72, MSCIS ’90

IN TRIBUTE TO BENTLEY’S ‘SECOND FOUNDER’ Members of the Bentley community from near and far will gather on campus this spring to remember the man and honor his legacy.

Memorial Service for Dr. Gregory H. Adamian Friday, June 3, 2016, at 3:30 p.m.

Wilder Pavilion, Adamian Academic Center Details to follow.

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PRESIDENT 1970 to 1991

He accepted the appointment as president “with humility, with zeal, with determination and dedication to achieve for Bentley College as glorious a future as it had a past.”

— LORI WHITE MCKENNA ’88

The president-elect on inauguration day, December 13, 1970, with his mother, Sandy, and sons, Douglas, 11, and Daniel, 9; President Adamian (center) receives the first of several state charters that authorized Bentley to expand degree offerings.

An athletics center was an early project on Bentley’s fledgling campus. Here, President Adamian reviews Dana Center plans with finance VP Robert Weafer, P ’68, ’81 (center) and Director of Development Walter Hall (right). While cheering on Falcon players across the board, he had special regard for women’s basketball. Whenever the team advanced to the NCAA tournaments, coach Barbara Stevens knew to expect a phone call. “Greg would congratulate me on the team’s accomplishments and wish us the best of luck. He was very proud of his women’s basketball teams.”

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He would always walk around campus and talk to students.

When I was 13 years old, I caddied for Greg at Oakley Country Club. On the 11th tee, he hit the ball badly out of bounds and broke a garage door window.

I cracked up laughing and he threw me off the course.

Years later, on my first day at Bentley, I was in the LaCava building and the guy I’m working with says, “Oh, there he is … get working.” I turn and see Greg walking by. He looks at me, takes a couple more steps, then stops and turns around.

“Come here,” he says. “I know you. Do you know who I am?”

“I do now.”

“You work here.”

“Yeah, this is my first day.”

“You work here, at Bentley.”

“Yes sir.”

“Well, you’ve got to be a better worker than you were a caddy.”

“Yeah, I think I will be. And by the way you owe me for two caddy cards.”

He cracked up. “I’ll owe you the 12 bucks.”

Our relationship started from there. And I just grew to love the man.

Rich McHugh Retired Manager, Building Services

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BENTLEY UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

I had been on the board for 10 years when Greg and [board chairman] Dick Gnospelius ’59 asked me to join the Investment Committee.

There had never been a female member and they were installing me as chair. In 1988 that was a big step, a huge step, to put a woman in charge of one of the finance-related committees.

What’s more, I was from New York … west of 495!

Greg understood all aspects of the college administration, and that included the financial picture and management of the funds we were stewarding.

He always supported me in directing the discussion — and knowledgeably so.

We had board members with a high appetite for risk and others, very conservative. Greg understood the need to strike a balance and wasn’t swayed by arguments of either side.

Janet Hunt Trustee Emerita and Former Senior Vice President, Irving Trust

<< FEATURES

CHANCELLOR 1991 to 2015

“Bentley’s community spirit is its greatest strength, its guiding force,” he reflected after becoming chancellor and president emeritus. “No one is taken for granted.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BENTLEY UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BENTLEY UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

The cornerstone ceremony for Bentley’s graduate school, which opened in 1983. In September 1991, the building was named for the newly appointed Chancellor Adamian … “a truly overwhelming tribute.”

It has always been my dream to attend Bentley just like my dad [Richard A. McDonough Jr. ’81]. When he passed away in 2005 from a brain tumor, I knew I had to follow in his footsteps. Receiving the Adamian Scholarship is what helped make it happen.

My mother is a single parent with two kids in college, which makes money tight. She works so hard to make it possible for me to come here, and having this scholarship took a lot of stress off of her shoulders.

I am truly honored to be the first recipient of the scholarship, and I am forever grateful that I can follow my passion and attend my dream school.

Kelly McDonough ’19 Marketing major and first recipient of the Gregory H. and Deborah M. Adamian Scholarship

On the links, Greg Adamian “combined a strong competitive spirit with an ever-present banter and joviality,” says faculty member Alex Zampieron, noting an annual tournament the president hosted at Oakley Country Club, to raise scholarship funds for Bentley. “I would not have missed that event for the world.”

It’s difficult to overstate Greg’s place in the history and development of Bentley, and more personally, his place in helping me become an effective, accessible and ultimately successful college president. Greg was a mainstay of this university for 60 years, more than half its history. From the day we met nine years ago, he became my go-to adviser and wise counsel on all Bentley matters.

He was always generous with his time and genuine in his friendship. I think we shared a special kinship as lawyersturned-presidents, and I will always be grateful to him. I have had the chance to speak at alumni events on many occasions, here in New England and in Florida, with Greg and Debbie in the audience. Each and every time, I witnessed the admiration and love in the room for Greg, who more than any single person helped to shape the university we are today.

Gloria Cordes Larson President, Bentley University

Bentley University wouldn’t be what it is today without Greg. He was definitely a true gentleman; with his winning smile and big personality he was larger than life! Greg was a close friend of the Margossian family and he will be greatly missed.

— ANN MARGOSSIAN, P ’04

He was a compassionate leader who had a true vision for Bentley. I had the privilege to call him a friend.

— MARK PALLA ’86

An abiding presence at Bentley commencements, the chancellor is pictured in 2013 with President Larson and speakers John and Bert Jacobs of Life is Good; in 2009, he presented the Gregory H. Adamian Award for Excellence in Teaching to George Fishman, senior lecturer in natural and applied sciences; the Adamians charmed guests at many gatherings of alumni, parents and friends.

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PRIMED TO THRIVE

Bentley grads score high in Gallup “Great Jobs, Great Lives” study

BY KRISTEN WALSH Illustrations by Sara Jane Kaminski

How do you define success? Salary and job title may lead the list: They do for rankings organizations that aim to measure return on investment in a college education. But how many of us are fully invested at work, while also attaining high levels of motivation, community involvement, financial security, physical health, and support by family and friends? A recent partnership between analytics and consulting giant Gallup Inc. and a handful of schools, including Bentley, argues for this more faceted, long-term view of success.

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hilotimo. The ancient word is well-known to those of Greek heritage, including Leonard A. Christo ’02.

It roughly translates into living by a set of positive values and mindfulness toward others to do what’s right.

“You always treat people respectfully and try to better others,” he says.

“Your actions are a reflection of not only you, but your family and ancestors as well.”

These principles are evident in Christo’s choices. He joined ROTC to help pay for college. His service commitments at Bentley included the youth development program City Year and helping Greek immigrants translate citizenship packets (he is fluent in the language).

Getting fellow students involved in campus life was a priority in his role as a resident assistant. The avid runner — and now Ironman triathlete — didn’t hesitate

SOURCE PHOTO BY BRIAN GROVES

Liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve goals

NATIONAL AVERAGE

PURPOSE WELL-BEING

BENTLEY

52% 51%

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<< FEATURES

EXPERIENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE The new proxies for success are workplace engagement and well-being.

Gallup defines the former as “feeling intellectually and emotionally connected to work,” noting that “engaged workers are the lifeblood of their organizations.” Well-being in the Gallup study has five facets: purpose, financial, social, community and physical.

continued on next page

SOURCE PHOTO BY FRED FIELD

SOURCE PHOTO BY BRIAN GROVES

Workplace Engagement: Bentley alumni scored 48% vs. national average of 39%

to help a student with dreams to run a marathon.

“We trained and I ran with her for encouragement and to boost her confidence,” says the former Finance major.

Sometimes, philotimo requires personal sacrifice.

After graduating from Bentley, Christo put a finance career on hold to serve his country.

“The 9/11 attacks solidified that we were a country at war, and as a

cadet I was part of that,” he says of being selected for the U.S. Air Force intelligence officer course and completing 10 years of active duty. In addition to intelligence work, Christo aided humanitarian projects to build up Afghanistan’s infrastructure and schoolbased literacy programs.

Today, at Howard College in Texas, he is an assistant professor of business and activity director for e-START,

a project to increase students’ pursuit of careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“Find opportunities to take what you learn and apply it to different areas of your life,” he advises.

“Then you can make a difference in a way that not only helps you, but the people around you.”

48% NATIONAL AVERAGE

Bentley graduates are thriving across the board, according to survey responses from 3,593 alumni who earned a bachelor’s degree since 1970.

Alumni beat the national average on all five measures of well-being.

Data from the Gallup survey are informing work across the institution.

Top of mind for Andrew Shepardson, dean of students and vice president for student affairs, is exploring the impact of co-curricular experiences for students and the alumni they will become.

“The Gallup results show that participating in co-curricular activities correlates with long-term well-being and workplace engagement. This includes involvement in student organizations, community outreach through the Bentley Service-Learning Center, and leadership roles like resident assistant,” he says. The same correlation holds true for semester-long class projects, internships, and even attending campus events such as basketball game.

The research does point to some areas for growth. For example, Bentley alumni were below the national average in agreeing they had a mentor who encouraged pursuing their goals and

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he university’s work with Gallup includes a survey of about 3,600 graduates, conducted in 2014. It showed Bentley alumni are more likely to be engaged by their work as compared with graduates of other schools. They also report impressive levels of well-being in other areas of life — higher than both the national average and those of peers in relevant comparison groups.

“We already know that about 98 percent of our graduates are employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of earning their Bentley degree,” says President Gloria Cordes Larson. “Gallup is helping us define alumni success in a different, equally important way.”

55%

SOCIAL WELL-BEING Having supportive relationships and love in your life

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here diversity and inclusion are concerned, Marcus Stewart ’92, MBA ’95 has come full circle. As an undergraduate, he questioned race relations on campus. Today, as a Bentley professor, he researches and teaches leadership, teams, cross-cultural skill development and social justice. “I was very blunt in leading political discourse on campus,” Stewart says of his undergraduate days.

“Bentley turned around and provided the opportunity to return and pursue my MBA. The support I received was incredible.”

The associate professor of management gives particular credit to Earl Avery, special assistant to the president and university ombudsman. Avery helped coordinate jobs for Stewart in the offices of Student Affairs and Undergraduate Admission, so he could complete graduate study.

Their relationship had started years earlier, as Avery led diversity-related initiatives on campus and co-taught a diversity course that Stewart took in his senior year.

Publishing several op-ed pieces in the Vanguard student newspaper established him as a thought leader on the issues, and he was invited to join a panel discussion to provide a minority perspective on the classroom experience and student life.

Stewart’s support system took root in athletics.

Jay Lawson and Barbara Stevens, respective coaches of men’s and women’s basketball, as well as Director of Athletics Robert DeFelice, were go-to resources for the former Falcon shooting guard. Another stalwart is Duncan Spellman, who spoke in support of those op-ed pieces so many years ago and now chairs the Management Department.

“These are friends and mentors that I’ve had for the majority of my life,” says Stewart, who juggles academic responsibilities with marriage and fatherhood. “They’re a sounding board for making better, more thoughtful decisions.”

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FEATURES >> continued from previous page dreams. Survey respondents who graduated from Bentley in the 1980s were least likely to cite mentoring relationships during college. Starting in the 1990s, more alumni reported receiving support from staff in Student Affairs and other campus departments.

Support is a critical element of outside-the-classroom experiences, says Shepardson, noting that all new graduate and undergraduate students participate in Gallup’s StrengthsFinder program.

“Faculty and staff can now sit down with students and help them understand their strengths … and how an experience such as an internship was successful or not,” he explains.

“The guidance is essential for building the resiliency that will see them through life.”

FULLY ENGAGED Gallup found that Bentley alumni are employed full time at a higher rate (84 percent) than the national average (59 percent). Moreover, these

professionals are highly engaged by he work they do.

As Shepardson puts it: “Our students are prepared to know what they want to do, and have the tools to match their skills with who they want to be.” The preparation he cites takes place over four years. Through Bentley’s Office of Career Services, students take a deep dive into understanding their skills, interests and abilities.

“We believe that competence, confidence and community lead to meaningful careers and lives,” says Susan Brennan, associate vice president for university career services. “Work is where you will spend a majority of your time, so you want a job where you’re bringing your whole self and making a difference.”

Brennan sees more companies moving to boost employee satisfaction with a focus on personal strengths.

“Having engaged workers makes good business sense,” she says. “Then

employees will be committed to doing their best work, which ultimately leads to greater attention and more productivity.”

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT The work with Gallup identifies some areas where the undergraduate experience can be refined to enhance students’ post-Bentley prospects for success, in life and career. Toward that end, a concurrent survey polled current students on the relevant issues and experiences.

The effort continues in a pilot program for the classes of 2018 and 2019. Incoming freshmen have used Gallup’s StrengthsFinder tool to home in on their skills and develop strategies for applying them to best effect.

“It’s our job to help students figure out what they do best, instead of telling them to follow a career path because they’ll make lots of money,” says Shepardson. “It’s about where they can contribute and be happy.”

COMMUNITY WELL-BEING

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52%

NATIONAL AVERAGE

BENTLEY

45%

rowing up, Brenda Tillman ’84 found Sundays empowering: going to church and gathering at her grandmother’s house for family dinners. Today, the accomplished author and speaker inspires others to embrace the power of their presence to create supportive communities.

“If each of us can find the light within, we can do great things,” she says.

“We are all connected and the choices we make have universal impact.”

Tillman first found her voice around the dinner table with family members.

At Bentley, the former Business Administration major became a matriarch of sorts in taking on various leadership roles. As president of the Black United Body, for example,

she had a knack for engaging members, particularly through committee work.

“It’s important to have a group that you feel associated with and responsible to, so you know you’re not an island,” says Tillman, whose work as a resident assistant encouraged fellow students toward values such as mutual respect. “We were each other’s keepers. It was our job to make sure no one was falling by the wayside in any aspect of living in this community.”

The alumna applies the same philosophy in her career, which ranges across government, business and academic organizations. For example, she has worked with STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)

scholars in the National Science Foundation’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation to “encourage students to reach beyond perceived limitations, as presenters of their groundbreaking research projects.”

The self-described “inspirationalist” shares words to live by in several books (bmichellepoet. bigcartel.com). They include Shades of Mandingo (poetry), Listen!

Your Positive Inner Voice (affirmations) and Happy!

Happy! Happy! (for children).

“When you recognize God’s power within you, nothing else matters,” reads one of Tillman’s poems. “Your walk is different; your talk is different.”

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Liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community

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FINANCIAL WELL-BEING Managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security

49%

NATIONAL AVERAGE

BENTLEY

41%

inancial independence isn’t about having a fat bank account. It comes from an ability to make educated decisions on money matters over a lifetime.

The distinction is lost on many people, according to Michael Liebman ’18.

“It’s much better to make decisions out of education than fear,” he says. “Being financially literate adds a level of reasoning behind savings and investment choices.”

Enter LearnLux.com, which Liebman and his sister founded to help people — especially millennials — navigate the often-overwhelming world of personal finance.

“My generation needs to understand that time is one of our biggest assets,” says the Finance major.

“Investing when you’re young can make a huge difference given the power of compounding.”

The company is a “lifelong financial planning tool” that includes easy-to-understand online financial lessons, goal setting, action plans, and even direct connections to financial partners.

“Our job is to educate, build confidence, and ultimately restore trust,” says Liebman, noting a disconnect between young people and big financial institutions.

His own passion for finance started early, with birthday wish lists that included coin counters and cash registers. At 15, he was a student teller for a community bank housed in his high school and, two

years later, co-wrote a blog on topics such as 529 and IRA plans.

Today, his finance education continues through two student-run ventures, the Bentley Investment Group and the Microfinance Group. The latter, for example, improved his ability to read and connect with different types of people.

Another lesson he applies when negotiating contracts between LearnLux and financial partners (some of them big names): “When someone pauses during a meeting, it doesn’t mean you have to jump in. They could just be thinking.”

And thinking is what Liebman wants LearnLux clients to do. “The metric we like most is whether someone made a decision out of education. Then we know people are improving their way of life.”

Download the full Gallup report and learn more at bentley.edu/thrive.

PHYSICAL WELL-BEING Having good health and enough energy to get things done daily

SOURCE PHOTOS: LIEBMAN BY LEARNLUX; O’CONNOR BY NATE MAXFIELD

to running my facility,” she says of the business background she gained at Bentley. “I don’t need to outsource functions like accounting and marketing.”

What drives her through 12-hour days as business owner, fitness instructor, wife and mom?

“I’m motivating people and making a difference in their lives,” says O’Connor, whose husband is fellow alumnus George ’96.

The life-changing stories she describes are compelling: someone who no longer needs blood pressure medicine; another person who lost 100 pounds in one year. “That means more to me than anything.”

40% 34% NATIONAL AVERAGE

space (800 square feet lovingly called her “closet”) and purchased 20 spinning bikes.

“At the time, there were mostly big box gyms,” she recalls. “I always liked the concept of being able to take a class, because it challenges you more than just being on a treadmill or elliptical.”

The business model has pay-by-class or monthly membership options. Her supporters include Bentley friends, five of whom settled in the same town of North Reading, Mass. After six months, the gym expanded to a 4,000-square-foot space.

“A lot of gyms fail, but I know the numbers in regard

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umbers are familiar territory for Michelle (Moran) O’Connor ’96, MST ’03.

She began her career in public accounting and later opened a tax practice.

Today, the figures she tracks include body mass index and heart rate.

The alumna’s own love of working out inspired her to open Fit Revolution fitness studio (fit-rev.com) in 2012. “I just woke up one day and said, ‘I want to try that.’”

So began the sweat and hard work. O’Connor earned certifications in spinning, muscle conditioning and as a personal trainer, working in various gyms. She rented a small

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THE VINDICATION OF NEIL CHELO

BY MARY K. PRATT

a tenacious effort to prove the case with federal officials. The initial response to their evidence provided a title for the book that he and Markopolos would later write: No One Would Listen.

“It was amazing,” observes Chelo. “The SEC just blew us off.”

Amid shock, frustration and disbelief, the pair persevered in bringing the truth to light.

Their vindication came with Madoff’s arrest, in December 2008.

“I feel very proud of what we did,” says Chelo, now director of research at Benchmark Plus Management in Tacoma, Wash. “We not only highlighted a bad person who eventually got caught, but there were real changes in the law that are beneficial for everybody.”

He points specifically to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s whistleblower program. Created in 2010 as part of the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, it establishes a formal process

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PHOTO CREDIT FOR BOOK: WILEY

“I did an interview with one of the Madoff guys and summarized the phone call that way,” says Chelo, a finance professional who spoke with numerous Madoff colleagues and investors while collecting evidence of the fraud.

He and Harry Markopolos discovered the scam when they were colleagues at Bostonbased Rampart Investment Management.

When their own analysis showed that no one could honestly deliver the financial returns that Madoff was producing, the two began

PHOTO BY KEVIN CRUFF

“I am convinced more than ever that these guys are a fraud.”

Neil Chelo ’93, MSF ’00 made that assessment after years of research — but well before Bernie Madoff’s arrest and conviction for running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme.

<< FEATURES

PHOTO CREDIT FOR BOOK: WILEY

PHOTO BY KEVIN CRUFF

for people to report tips and submit evidence of wrongdoing; moreover, the SEC can provide financial reward to those who step forward.

As the need for this legislation suggests, the whistleblower role can be fraught with danger. Bringing individuals to justice may come at a huge personal and professional cost.

Not so for the 44-year-old Chelo.

“For me, [the role] was really good, reputation wise,” he says. “People remember that I said Madoff was a fraud long before his arrest.

When the scandal broke, I got a bunch of phone calls and emails saying, ‘I remember you telling me this story over dinner years ago.’”

BUILDING A FINANCIAL CAREER Chelo never sought the “whistleblower” mantel, nor does he tout the role in his LinkedIn profile or online corporate bio. His reflections on the experience suggest that identifying fraud comes with the territory of a career in finance — an ambition he developed as a teenager.

Chelo grew up in Barrington, R.I., where his father and three uncles owned restaurants.

The family business heightened his interest in investments and financial markets, which he followed to Bentley in 1989. Heading into his senior year, the Finance major pursued an internship at Rampart Investment Management. His supervisor, Markopolos, assigned lots of reading as Chelo helped prepare statements, confirm trades and handle other back-office tasks.

The intense learning experience “solidified my wanting to be in this business,” reports the alumnus, who joined The Boston Company as a trust supervisor upon earning his degree.

He returned to Rampart Investment Management in 1995 as a portfolio manager and found himself again working with Markopolos. The pair co-managed billions in equity derivatives and quantitative equity strategies.

That impressive figure notwithstanding, Chelo and Markopolos felt pressure to deliver more. In 1999, Frank Casey, Rampart’s senior vice president of marketing, approached the pair asking about Madoff. Chelo remembers Casey citing Madoff’s consistently impressive returns, ending with a question: Why can’t you guys do this?

Chelo and Markopolos ran all sorts of models, but could not replicate the results that Madoff produced. Initially, Chelo thought that Madoff was genuinely making money, just not in the way he claimed. Markopolos, on the other hand, quickly suspected fraud.

“He was quicker to the punch than I was,” says Chelo, who came to the same conclusion before long. “I really have to tip my hat to Harry.

He was the one who said, ‘I’m going to take

Neil Chelo helped write the book about bringing Madoff to justice and appears on camera in the documentary.

this to the SEC and do something about it.’”

With Markopolos leading the charge, Chelo chased evidence that detailed Madoff’s $50 billion Ponzi scheme. So did Casey and, later, industry reporter Michael Ocrant. For the next six years, they talked with industry colleagues and investors. Even after heading west to join Benchmark in 2003, Chelo continued to follow leads and gather facts, relaying the information back to Markopolos.

Looking back, Chelo acknowledges the threats that existed as they tried to bring the truth to light.

“I was very naïve to the potential danger.

Harry was the polar opposite of me, maybe because he was an Army guy,” he says, noting that Markopolos talked openly about carrying a gun to protect himself and his family. “Now that I’m older and wiser, if this occurred again, I would probably be cautious like Harry.”

Why did their mounting evidence fail to spur SEC action?

Chelo speculates that investors’ awe of Madoff — the man’s one-time sterling reputation on Wall Street — undermined the kind of due diligence that would have turned up problems in Madoff’s operation. Or maybe his investors, seeing good returns on their statements, didn’t want to rock the boat by questioning too much.

Concerning the government, Chelo is not so generous. As he once charged: “Someone at the SEC was likely paid to look the other way.”

THE AFTERMATH March 2009 saw Madoff in court, pleading guilty to nearly a dozen federal charges.

Markopolos gave blistering testimony against the SEC before a House Financial Services subcommittee and wrote the book No One Would Listen, published in 2010. The documentary Chasing Madoff, based on the book, appeared the same year. This past February, television took up the story with a miniseries on ABC. Although Chelo kept a lower profile as Markopolos led the investigation, he garnered

a fair share of attention after Madoff’s arrest and the uproar about the SEC’s failure to act sooner. Chelo appears on camera, as himself, in the documentary. The movie credit earned him an entry in the online entertainment database IMDb. Today, he continues his work in money management. According to Bloomberg, Benchmark’s flagship equity fund has beaten the S&P in 17 of the past 18 years. His sharp eye is mostly trained on money managers with whom to invest — and his reputation for thorough vetting inspires some trepidation.

“Some people may see my background and say, ‘This is going to be a nosebleed in the due-diligence process to deal with this guy,’” he says with a smile, calling such expectation “a small price to pay.”

“I’ll still take action when I see the opportunity to put bad guys behind bars,” he adds.

“At the end of the day, my parents raised me right. It was just about right and wrong.”

DULY DILIGENT Help scam-proof your investments with this advice from Neil Chelo.

FOR ANY INVESTOR nG o with the known. Stick with well-recognized, brand-name investment management companies. The average investor generally doesn’t have the clout, experience or expertise to access and review the information needed for a thorough vetting. nL ook at losses. Review the investment’s history to see when it lost value and how the loss correlates to the general market.

It’s a red flag if the product is out of step with overall market trends. nH eed history. Embrace the adage “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Madoff promised steady 12 to 16 percent returns — nothing crazy, but still unrealistically positive.

FOR INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS nV erify. Ask if the adviser is registered with the SEC — and verify the answer with the SEC itself. The SEC can alert you to any formal issues against the individual and provide the adviser’s Form ADV for your review. nR ead. Request SEC deficiency letters. These can reveal small, routine issues (a common occurrence) or identify major problems. n I nvestigate. Review audits for limited partnerships. Ask to see an adviser’s tax returns, which can help corroborate the money manager’s claims. Use LinkedIn to find colleagues who can give unbiased references about your prospective money manager.

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FEATURES >>

FAMILY BUSINESS

Top five most-desired ancestors in the U.S. 1. Royalty 2. Adventurer/Explorer 3. Doctor/Medic 4. Aristocrat/Noble 5. Revolutionary/ Freedom Fighter

BY AMY CRAWFORD

IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION Along a parallel track, corporations have sprung up to serve the burgeoning ranks of do-it-yourselfers. Ancestry.com was founded as a print publishing business in 1983 and went online in 1996. In the past few years it has more than doubled in size, reporting $620 million in revenue in 2014, up from $225 million in 2009. Much of the increase traces to the latest trend in genealogy: genetic testing.

“The genetic component is busting things open,” observes Handalian. The company’s AncestryDNA service matches your DNA results with those of others who have taken the test. “Ancestry technology ties you with the people in their tree whom you might not have known about. Lots of people build out whole sides of their family that way … very exciting and gratifying.”

That makes genealogy more compelling for the millennial generation, Handalian says.

Younger people are drawn to the idea that a saliva sample can shed light on ethnic backgrounds, turn up long-lost relatives, and even

$

Ancestry.com had total revenues of $683.1 million in 2015.

warn about hereditary health concerns. In fact, Handalian served on the development team for AncestryHealth, which provides the platform for users to compile medical information from the family tree they create through Ancestry.com.

Smartphones with cameras and GPS capability have made genealogy portable, Handalian adds.

“People take a picture of gravestones — which are incredible sources of information — and then upload it on the spot and attach it to a person in the database.”

TELLING TALES Whatever the impact of technology, Fortier and Handalian cite a basic element at the heart of any quest for one’s roots.

“Storytelling,” says Handalian. “Since people were painting on cave walls, storytelling is one of the things that gives us our humanity.”

It was “uncovering stories and following them back” that drew Fortier to genealogy. Plot twists are common. “Sometimes you have to do a lot of analysis to get an answer.

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TREE: CHORNIY10 CROWN: KANATE COMPUTER: RUNGROTE DNA: MONKIK HEADS: MARISH / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

CALL IN THE PROS Fortier, who lives in Medford, Mass., earned a certificate in genealogical research at Boston University in 2012 and since then has been working as a full-time freelance genealogist.

Some clients are adoptees, some merely curious, and others have their own particular

reasons for hiring a professional genealogist.

“Most are in their 30s and 40s,” notes Fortier, who had expected to serve mostly retirees. “One was an author writing a book about a famous psychic, and he was trying to see if she was related to another famous family of the same name.”

Another client needed documentation of Italian ancestry to apply for dual citizenship. His great-grandfather had married three times, and the Italian consulate requires records of all the marriages. “They don’t care that you’re only descended from one,” she says. “For this client I’ve pulled records from Montreal, Nevada, Wisconsin, New York, California . . . just everywhere!”

There is an increasing call for the skills that Fortier and fellow members of the Association of Professional Genealogists provide. The trade organization has grown from 19 to 2,800 members since its founding in 1979.

FORTIER PHOTO BY ROXANA PERDUE

B

efore genealogy became a billion-dollar industry, before family tree websites counted membership in the tens of millions, and before Time magazine cheekily dubbed the hobby — on the Internet, at least — “almost as popular as porn,” Margaret Fortier, MSHFID ’02 was researching family ancestors and, in the process, charting a new career.

“I really liked that it was so multidisciplinary,” she says of her first project: following her husband’s FrenchMargaret Fortier Canadian side back to France. “With genealogy, you really have to understand history, anthropology, culture, linguistics — a lot of different things that come together to make a story.”

Lisa Renery Handalian, MSHFID ’04 feels a similar kinship with the field.

The San Francisco-based alumna has traced her own roots back to England and Italy, while applying her professional skills on behalf of Ancestry.com, the world’s largest genealogy website.

“I became very personally involved with the product, which was part of my job,” says Handalian, who has since left the Lisa Handalian post of senior user researcher. “I’ve unlocked a bunch of secrets, or mysteries, about my family. Over the past couple of years it has led to me getting absolutely hooked.”

<< FEATURES AncestryDNA has samples from more than 1 million people.

?

Half of Americans know the name of only one or none of their great-grandparents.

83% of 18- to 34-years-olds are interested in learning their family history.

Ancestry.com adds an average of 2 million records to its website each day.

All facts from Ancestry.com

Interested in tracing your roots?

TREE: CHORNIY10 CROWN: KANATE COMPUTER: RUNGROTE DNA: MONKIK HEADS: MARISH / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

FORTIER PHOTO BY ROXANA PERDUE

FORTIER AND HANDALIAN OFFER A FEW TIPS. Looking for someone’s parents or whether someone served in a war, there’s often no one piece of paper that says, ‘This is it.’ It can be very indirect and you have to put it all together.”

The lesson hit home for Handalian in locating her paternal grandfather, Luigi, an Italian immigrant to England who died when Handalian’s own father was a boy.

“My dad didn’t have any pictures. I went digging for information, and it was a series of clues, one step after the other, that led me to bigger and bigger discoveries and contexts.

I was able to get a picture of Luigi, and I saw the joy in my dad’s face — he just couldn’t believe there was a picture of his dad!”

When Handalian’s father died in 2015, she left Ancestry and made a pilgrimage to his native England and her grandparents’ Italy. “I had already planned a trip to Italy to do some genealogy research,” she says.

“When my dad died, it made it really poignant for me to go … to figure out the story.”

n Start with a free database. Fortier recommends FamilySearch.org, a website sponsored by the Mormon Church (but which offers secular information). “In addition to many, many records, it has excellent how-to articles,” she says. “It’s a great place to get the lay of the land and figure out what’s where.” There is also a library edition of Ancestry.com, available for free at most libraries. n Mine what you already know. “For me, that’s number one,” Handalian says. Family stories, letters or a suitcase full of documents from a deceased relative can be a good foundation for genealogical research. n Keep materials in order. A family tree expands geometrically — four grandparents lead to eight great-grandparents and 16 greatgreat-grandparents. Things can quickly get out hand, says Handalian.

“Naming conventions are really important for your electronic records.

I’d suggest ‘last name/first name/birth date’ for file names. This is the best way to inventory and track your documents on your own computer. Even if you’re using an online database, it is critical to have a local backup at all times.” n Don’t believe everything you read. “Just because it’s written in an official document does not mean it is true,” Fortier says. Aside from typographical errors, people have been known to lie about their age on marriage licenses, change their name upon emigrating, and misrepresent their country of origin to avoid persecution. Inconsistent spelling is another problem. “I have cases where, in the same record, a father spells his name one way and his son spells it another,” Fortier says.

“If you’re focused on ‘This is the name, and it can’t be anything else,’ you will miss a lot.”

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BE A PART OF THE ACTION

Meredith Gorski ’16 — Portsmouth, R.I. Since my sophomore year at Bentley, two of my best girlfriends and I would get lunch together every Wednesday in LaCava after class and work.

It started as a fun midweek catch up in which we coined the term “lady lunch.” ...

Steven Elliott, MST ’92, — Katy, Texas Though I wasn’t able to attain my dream of attending Bentley as an undergraduate like my father and uncle, I was thrilled to attend the MST program where I graduated in 1992! I later became an adjunct professor!!

George Fantini ’64 — Boston, Mass.

It was in June 1960 ­— over 50 years ago — when my Bentley journey began.

That was when I passed the admission exam to gain entrance into what was known then as the Bentley School of Accounting and Finance, a two-year business school. ...

Evan Horn ’05 — Lowell, Mass.

“Education is a gift that cannot be taken away.”

I don’t know who said this, but the adage rings very true for me. Born in a Thai refugee camp, the result of war from the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, I am among the lucky ones. Approximately 2.2 million people died as the result of starvation, famine or disease. My family immigrated to the United States and calls Lowell, Mass., our new home. ...

Marcelo Claure ’93 — Kansas City, Kansas The education I received at Bentley was not only pivotal to my career [currently the president and CEO of Sprint Corporation] but has made me who I am today. The lessons I learned, the relationships I formed and still foster, and the overall human experience was simply unsurpassed. I have had the privilege of serving on the University’s Board of Trustees and the honor of ...

Gustavo Yepez ’10 — São Paulo, Brazil My best Bentley story began on the day I arrived at Bentley in 2007. Such is the story of Richard Adjei, Jose Francisco, Patrick Hegerich, Sahardeed Isa, Peter Jurik, Xin Ouyang, Angad Sawhney and myself.

Most of us lived at the Global Living Center in Slade Hall for our first year, and there our friendship was forged. ...

Scores of alumni, faculty, staff, students and parents have sent us reflections like these in recent months. Each a personal window on the Bentley experience, they tell a far larger story about a school that has shaped and changed lives for 100 years.

Visit bentley.edu/100 to read more stories and add your own.

HOW DO YOU CAPTURE 100 YEARS OF HISTORY? LISTEN TO THOSE WHO LIVED IT.

SHARE YOUR BENTLEY STORY

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Mark Semanie ’85 — Bel Air, Md. In the fall of 1980 I was a 17-year-old high school senior in Enfield, Conn., and I was facing the big decision of where to go to college and what to do with my life. ...

CELEBRATE LIKE NEVER BEFORE

Gloria Cordes Larson, Bentley University President — Waltham, Mass.

I’m not anyone’s version of a traditional college president.

But in 2007, I jumped at the incredible opportunity to become Bentley University’s 7th president, and the first woman to lead the institution. ...

Devin Balkaran ’15 — New York, N.Y. I graduated from Bentley last May and I’m still amazed at how prepared I was to come into the work world and immediately start making an impact. I had several job offers before the first semester had even ended and was able to accept a position as a consultant at Hitachi Consulting before Thanksgiving.

The classes, professors and overall curriculum at Bentley give you all the tools you need to be competitive in today’s work world and I’m proud to say I’m a Bentley alumnus.

Alex Grieve ’15 — Calgary, Alberta, Canada I have so many fond memories during my four years at Bentley that it is almost impossible to choose just one. Luckily enough I was able to attend the school through the Division 1 hockey program. The sport opened up so many doors for me and it was pretty amazing to already have 25 friends waiting for me as soon as ...

Abigail Eisner ’18 — Middlefield, Conn.

Even though I’m only in my 4th semester here at Bentley, I have created friendships that I know will last a lifetime. I am very involved on campus, and Bentley has really become a second home for me. ...

Bentley marks its first 100 years with events and gatherings from SEPTEMBER 2016 to JUNE 2017. Explore the university’s rich history and stay current with centennial celebration plans: bentley.edu/100

Aaron Nurick, Faculty member — Boston, Mass.

Bentley College was totally unknown to me during my job search in 1979. I had graduated with a PhD in Organizational Psychology from the University of Tennessee and taught there for one year as a visiting professor. I want to highlight the very special person, Arthur Walker, ...

Claire S. Anderson, P ’14, ’18; Staff member — Bedford, Mass.

My grandfather, Adelbert J. “Al” Tuleja, graduated from the Bentley School of Accounting and Finance in 1924. ... I have also been very fortunate to have both of my children, Callie ’14 and Daniel ’18 attend Bentley. My mother always says how proud my grandfather would have been to see how Bentley has grown to the prestigious university it is today and that two of his great-grandchildren attended his alma mater. ...

Onic Palandjian ’93 — Athens, Greece I came to Bentley in 1989.

The cool thing about this is that I had not traveled to the United States before my visit to Waltham. In fact I had never been to an English-speaking country before ...

new home. ...

Michael Krenesky ’81, P ’00, ’01 — Beacon Falls, Conn.

When my wife and I were married in 1975, I started my search for a college. In 1977, after attending another local university in Boston in their evening division, I decided that going back to school full-time days was the correct choice. I applied to Bentley College and to my dismay I was not accepted. ...

Doris Kelly ’85, MST ’92, P ’14, ’16; Faculty member — Sudbury, Mass.

It’s a family affair! My husband graduated in 1983 and I graduated in 1985. Our son graduated in 2014 and our daughter will graduate in 2016.

Also, I returned to Bentley in 2011 as faculty and I now teach accounting in the same classrooms that I sat in as a student ...

video that captures the excitement and energy of this historic celebration na n interactive timeline na calendar of upcoming events no pportunities to share your Bentley story and read those from others

na

LOOK FOR

Tim Pauling ’83 — Walnut Creek, Calif.

My Bentley story is that of an uninspired high school student that became a partner at PwC. I grew up in upstate New York and became interested in Bentley because of its business program as well as its quaint campus setting. ...

Kathy Flaherty, MBA ’98 — Bridgewater, Mass.

I had a terrific experience while attending Bentley for my MBA. I met and worked with some fabulous faculty, staff and students who truly cared about each and every student and their success. Happy Birthday Bentley!

GET SOCIAL #bentley100

.

CLASS NOTES

PHOTO BY ALEX GARLAND PHOTOGRAPHY FORTIER PHOTO BY ROXANA PERDUE

CLASS NOTES >>

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1979

1987

Bernard “Buzz” Travers III, P ’12, Longmeadow, Mass., has become managing director of Aaron Smith PC.

Steward Health Care System has appointed Deborah Bitsoli, Framingham, Mass., as the new president of Morton Hospital in Taunton.

1980 Stella Citrano, Falmouth, Mass., is pleased to announce the relocation of Affordable Tax Service’s Cape office to 13 Falmouth Heights Road in her hometown.

1981

35th Reunion: June 3 to 5, 2016 Michael Krenesky, P ’00, ’01, Beacon Falls, Conn., won his campaign for town selectman there, after completing two terms as town treasurer of Beacon Falls; this will be his third term as a selectman.

1982 Thomas Vitro, Westfield, Mass., has been appointed vice president, chief financial officer and chief accounting officer for STR Holdings Inc. Jeffrey Wheeler, Bow, N.H., was named director of audit for Baker Newman Noyes.

1983 Baker Newman Noys has tapped Carl Chatto, Portland, Maine, to serve as managing principal.

James Fuller, MST, Atlanta, Ga., has joined the Municipal Electric Power Authority of Georgia as president and CEO.

1986 PHOTO BY ALEX GARLAND PHOTOGRAPHY FORTIER PHOTO BY ROXANA PERDUE

S

<< CLASS NOTES

30th Reunion: June 3 to 5, 2016 Deborah Ricci, Vienna, Va., has been named chief financial officer of Centerra Group.

1988 Robert Driscoll Jr., MST successfully ran for town council president of his hometown, Winthrop, Mass.

1989 William Checkosky, Manchester, Conn., has signed on with Chelsea Groton Bank as vice president, commercial lending, and Greater Hartford market manager.

Cherry Bekaert LLP has welcomed Brian Dill, MSA, Atlanta, Ga., as a tax principal and the leader of the firm’s international tax practice.

Antoinette (Leonardi) Follett, Fayetteville, N.Y., is the new director of marketing and communications for Liberty Resources.

Thomaston Savings Bank has appointed Robert Nocera, Middlebury, Conn., as a corporator.

1990 Stephanie L. Burke, MST, P ’10 has been elected mayor in her hometown of Medford, Mass.

A top home-industry awards program gave International Retailer of the Year honors to Aaron Stewart Home, co-founded by Fernando Rodriguez ’88, San Juan, P.R.

1991

25th Reunion: June 3 to 5, 2016 Clarus Ventures LLC named Robert DeBenedetto, MST, P ’10, Pleasanton, Calif., a venture partner.

Reynolds & Rowella has hired Linda Malarkey, MST, New Milford, Conn., as a senior associate.

Ellen A. Moloney, MBA, Beverly, Mass., has been named interim president of Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

1992 Alison Perrella, MST, Bedford, N.H., has been named a managing partner at Howe, Riley & Howe in Manchester.

1993 Kristen Galfetti, MBA, Belmont, Mass., has joined Cynapsus Therapeutics Inc. as vice president for investor relations and corporate communications.

Astrid (Simon) Zajdband, MSF, Frankfurt, Germany, is now an assistant professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

1994 Heather (Sturtevant) Clark, Gorham, Maine, received her Certified Financial Marketing

An exhibit at the Wenham (Mass.)

Museum featured photos of the Cog Railway by Donna Atkins ’87, Intervale, N.H.

Professional certificate from the American Bankers Association.

1995 The IRS named Brenda (Johnson) Bianculli, MST, Charlton, Mass., to its Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council.

1996

20th Reunion: June 3 to 5, 2016 The Araca Group has tapped Michael Barra, New York, N.Y., to lead the new branch of the entertainment media company.

Simon Yu, Andover, Mass., has opened Nine Bar Espresso in Somerville.

1997 Mark T. Batiste, Somers, Conn., has joined Access To Media in new business development.

1998 Kearny Financial Corp. has appointed Raymond E. Chandonnet, MSF, Summit, N.J., to director of the company and the bank.

1999 Fabio Di Giammarco, MBA, Key Biscayne, Fla., was named global vice president for Bacardi rum.

2000 Jennifer (Bunce) Hogencamp, Mansfield, Mass., has been made partner at BlumShapiro in Providence, R.I. Walmart has picked up Casa Mia bedding collection, created by Orguyo Inc., a company founded by Santiago Lopez, MBA, Wellesley, Mass.

Nancy McKenna, West Newton, Mass., has joined the Siegfried Group LLP as an associate director.

2001

15th Reunion: June 3 to 5, 2016 Jeffrey Hudson, MBA ’10; Kristy (Petron) ’03, MBA ’10; and son, Jack, of Sterling, Mass., welcomed Cadence Adrienne on March 2, 2015.

2002 William Crooker, Framingham, Mass., has been promoted to chief financial officer, executive vice president and treasurer of STAG Industrial Inc. BDO Puerto Rico announces the appointment of Denisse Flores, MST, Gauynabo, P.R., as a shareholder of the tax division.

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CLASS NOTES >>

Kristy (Petron) Hudson, MBA ’10; Jeffrey ’01, MBA ’10; and son, Jack, of Sterling, Mass., welcomed Cadence Adrienne on March 2, 2015.

2004 Maureen Fedorchuk married Jason Cuddy on June 27, 2015, at Highfield Hall in Falmouth, Mass. The couple lives in Foxboro.

Matthew Gorham, South Easton, Mass., and wife Deann welcomed their second child, Trent Sebastian, on July 23, 2015. He joins sister Vida Mirabelle.

MST ’06 were in the bridal party. Other Falcons attending: Brett Bell, Holly (Auclair) Fagan, Brett Fagan and Mollie (O’Keefe) Newton.

2006

10th Reunion: June 3 to 5, 2016 Christian Haitian Entrepreneurial Society, a nonprofit founded by Rebecca Roseme Obounou, Chelsea, Mass., hosted a three-day workshop in Haiti for local entrepreneurs. The alumna is program manager at MIT Sloan Executive Education.

friends joining the occasion were Jason Danheiser, Graham Gottlieb ’08, Richard Heller, and Mark ’85 and Vicki (Vassalotti) ’86 Semanie.

Adam Evans, MBA ’09 and Samantha Robbins ’08, both of Somerville, Mass., were married on November 7, 2015, at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation in Waltham. Chris Leonard ’06 was the officiant, Jason Evans ’05 stood as the best man and Meaghan (Munroe) Gravina ’08 was a bridesmaid.

Blake Reynolds, Marlborough, Mass., has been promoted to real estate and facilities manager for The Brattle Group in Cambridge.

2008 Brian Ballute, MSA ’09, Saco, Maine, was promoted to vice president of Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution.

Katie Casey, MSA ’09 and Sal Falzone, MSA ’09 were married on June 6, 2015, in Groton, Mass.

Alexis Elaine Cohen, daughter of Daniel ’05 and Kristyn (Marasca) ’05 Howard Jean-Denis, MBA ’08, Stratford, Conn., writes of “experiencing great success as the first black male studying business strategy in my PhD program at UConn in strategy/entrepreneurship!”

He hopes to encourage other aspiring professors and has traveled to Chile and Israel to speak about his research.

“I am proud to have begun my education at Bentley.

All the best.”

2005 Kristyn (Marasca) and Daniel Cohen, Wilmington, Mass., welcomed Alexis Elaine on December 11, 2015.

Erika Goldstein and Allan Smith were married at Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth, Mass., on September 12, 2015. Amy Crotty, Erin Jordan, Jenn Kelly and Danielle Parsons,

Chandra Pixley and Ted Kanluen were married on October 3, 2015, at the Mid-America Club in Chicago, Ill. Alissa Rogers moved to London in July 2015 to manage hiring for YouTube across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In December, her role expanded to include hiring for Asia Pacific.

Samantha Robbins and Adam Evans ’07, MBA ’09, both of Somerville, Mass., were married on November 7, 2015, at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation in Waltham. Chris Leonard ’06 was the officiant, Jason Evans ’05 stood as the best man and Meaghan (Munroe) Gravina was a bridesmaid.

Tomer Sharon, MSHFID, Cresskill, N.J., head of user experience at WeWork in New York City, was named

2007 Manuel Carneiro, MST ’08, Abilene, Texas, and wife Barbara are in the process of adopting two sets of twin boys, whom they have fostered since November 2014. The family also includes big sister Maeleigh Cate.

David Castine, MSA ’09 married Raquela Susman on October 24, 2015, in Baltimore, Md. Falcons and

Latonia (Burke) Francois ’05, Brockton, Mass., has launched Let’s Write Life, a venture that encourages people to cope with feelings through journaling.

by Usability Tools blog as a “UX Director That Will Make You A Better Designer.”

Ryan Teekasingh, Ozone Park, N.Y., of the nonprofit Working in Support of Education (W!SE), has volunteered to offer an eight-week seminar titled “Careers in Business and the Finance Field.”

2009 Robert O. Eggleston, MSF, Pelham, N.H., and wife Heather are proud to announce the adoption of a daughter, Vivienne Alison Byeol Eggleston; she arrived from South Korea in October 2015.

Andrea Haskell and Christopher Liptrot were married on December 27, 2014, in Newport, R.I.

2010 Courtney Charest, MST ’13 and Zach Ripps tied the knot on August 15, 2015, in Amherst, N.H., surrounded

by Bentley friends.

Bill Connolly, Brooklyn, N.Y., has published his second book: The Success Disconnect: Why the Smartest People Choose Meaning Over Money.

Shahzad Malik, MBA ’11, Lahore, Pakistan, was interviewed by Pakistan Today about the challenges of being one of the youngest CEOs in the country; Malik heads Master Group of Industries.

Tyler McNamara and Analida Cuevas ’11 were married on September 12,

2015, in Panama. Analida writes, “More than 50 alumni celebrated with us, including international students and Bentley football alumni!”

Frank Reiman, MBA ’11, Boston, Mass., has joined the Siegfried Group’s Boston Market as an associate manager.

2011

5th Reunion: June 3 to 5, 2016 Analida Cuevas and Tyler McNamara ’10 were married on September 12, 2015, in Panama. She writes, “More than 50 alumni celebrated with us, including international students and Bentley football alumni!”

Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center has named George Lewis IV, MBA ’12, Chestnut Hill, Mass., to its Board of Trustees. Lewis’s family has been involved with the island since the 1880s.

Kevin G. McConnell, MST, Leominster, Mass., has been named tax manager of Robert C. Alario CPA PC.

2013 Paul Sleiman, Jacksonville, Fla., is co-owner of two acres at Butler Boulevard and Interstate 95 in Florida. The site will be home to his first retail center, the Galleria Marketplace, expected to open by early fall.

2014 Now living in San Francisco, Calif., Erica Normandeau has joined ride-sharing company Lyft as a recruiting coordinator.

2015 Cresa Boston has welcomed Raymond Hayes, Waltham, Mass., to the post of assistant project manager.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF PURDUE UNIVERSITY

2003

NEXT STOP:

Greece Learn more about the country that 76 Bentley alumni call home.

According to the World Bank, Greece is the world’s 37th richest country on the basis of GDP per capita (2014 data). It puts things into perspective for people whose information on Greece comes mainly from the media. Dimitris Kyriazakos ’03 The Greek flag includes five blue and four white horizontal stripes, which stand for the nine syllables of the Greek motto Eleftheria i Thanatos (“Freedom or Death”). Blue represents Greece’s sea and sky, while white stands for the purity of the struggle for freedom.

In the upper left-hand corner is the traditional Greek Orthodox cross. [The motto] arose during the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s, as a war cry for the Greeks who rebelled successfully against Ottoman rule.

Gregory Canonis ’00

SPOTLIGHT: THOMAS KEON ’71

Greece is not only a tourist destination for summer months. It has 20 ski resorts located all around the mainland. Go online and check out the Warren Miller Entertainment crew playing around with the Olympic gods at Mount Olympus. Onic Palandjian ’93

BY DEBLINA CHAKRABORTY

PHOTO COURTESY OF PURDUE UNIVERSITY

One plus one equals two in most cases, but the math that Thomas Keon ’71 has underway is a little trickier.

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According to recent research by Stanford University: “Greeks may be only 0.2 percent of the world population, but 3 percent of top international scientists are of Greek nationality.” However, due to the current financial problems, the majority of scientists live abroad.

Fortunately there is a strong remaining pool of talented and educated Greeks, including the members of Bentley’s Greece alumni chapter. Marina Vasilara, MBA ’01 Nearly 80 percent of the olive oil produced in Greece is “extra” virgin, meaning it contains no more than 0.8 percent acidity. This is the largest percentage of extra virgin olive oil production per country in the world. Nestor Papakonstantinou ’87 You can powder ski at the mountain, then on the same day go for a swim in the sea. Nondas Virvidakis, MBA ’13 GREECE PHOTO BY CHRIS CONTI

As chancellor-designate of Purdue University Northwest — which officially comes into being on July 1 — he is leading efforts to turn two existing schools into one new institution.

Consider a task such as bringing admission standards into sync. Since these standards require faculty approval, Keon had to work with the faculty senates at both universities, Purdue Calumet and Purdue North Central, so each could review and vote on the general standards of the other.

“The biggest challenges always come with individuals and personalities … making sure that people are participating and engaged with the process,” says Keon, chancellor at Purdue Calumet since 2011. His reputation for inclusiveness prompted a recent award by INSIGHT into Diversity magazine, for creating programs that support students of all economic and ethnic backgrounds.

The creation of Purdue University Northwest began two years ago, at the behest of Purdue’s president and Board of Trustees. Keon and Purdue North Central Chancellor James Dworkin devised an initial plan, then engaged staff at both schools to put the pieces into place. The work has included everything from combining the campuses’ Finance and Administration departments to equalizing tuition to establishing new email addresses and a website. Purdue Northwest will be Indiana’s fifth-largest university.

Keon cites the importance of allocating resources to provide the “strongest possible degree and opportunity for our graduates. We want to be a model for how two universities can combine and truly make the whole better than the sum of its parts.”

Greece is diverse! Stay right at the heart [of Athens] and enjoy a Turkish bath. Go south for a refreshing dip at California-looking Vouliagmeni in less than a 35-minute drive. Travel north and chances are you will snap one of your most “liked” Instagram photos of a charming deer at Mount Parnitha. Head east and taste ancient wine varieties at The Wine Museum. In case you head west, call me and I will pick you up! Natalia Abravanel ’09

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CLASS NOTES >>

In Memoriam 1939

Raymond Huck

1940

Myer A. Shockett Harold J. Wusterbarth

1942

Constantine R. Egounis Carlton L. Turner

1943

Paul Horansky

Brooks Herrick, MST ’79

1966

Raymond Leonard Goodwin

1969

James R. “Goose” Gilligan

1971

Frank R. DiPietro Philip Levine

1972

James K. Mitchell Jr.

1973

1944

Mary Jean Wheeler

David H. Barbour Carol G. Caron David J. Norton

1947

1975

Frank H. Dinneen Arthur George Eckart

1948

Dorothy Latsey Gerald T. Reilly

1950

Early Austin Jr. Leslie J. Hann Sr.

1951

Robert J. Carolan, P ’97

1976

Anthony J. Debenedetto Bruce Finan

1977

George F. Riley, MST

1978

Bruce L. Myers

William J. Collins William B. Lynch Joseph P. Martin Sr. John G. McGuire

1979

1952

Daniel J. Looney Jr., MST

Maynard L. Farren Joseph P. Greene

1953

Charles R. Barton Robert L. Bernstein

1954

Marcel R. Bergeron, MST Donald P. Chisholm

Nicholas D. Mercadante, M

ST Jeffrey A. Smith

1983

1955

1987

1958

2001

1959

2013

1961

Friends of Bentley Amir D. Aczel Former Professor of Mathematical Sciences

William Gibbons William G. Kinahan William H. Parsons Jr. Barbara A. Snow Roger J. Bullock Paul E. Johnson Sr.

1963

Peter A. Stilphen Thomas P. Sullivan Jr.

As CFO of Boston MedFlight, a nonprofit critical care transport service, she runs administrative operations with an eye toward tomorrow’s emergencies.

This forward thinking brought Boston MedFlight to its 30-year anniversary in 2015. In a given year, the organization cares for about 3,500 of the region’s most critically ill and injured patients, transporting them by plane, helicopter or critical care ground ambulance to facilities that offer a higher level of care.

“We’ve just transported our 60,000th patient ... a big milestone for us,” says Hughes, who studied finance at Bentley and has been in her role for 18 years.

One of her biggest challenges: finding strategies so Boston MedFlight continues providing quality care in an environment where health care reimbursement is level or going down. For example, ensuring they provide services that best serve a patient’s needs.

“Does this patient need the speed of a helicopter or is a critical care ground ambulance more appropriate? Matching patient needs with the appropriate vehicle allows us to be efficient with our system,” says Hughes, noting that the organization’s budget is $26 million, with one-third of revenue coming through charitable donations and subsidies from consortium hospitals.

“I’m not flying the helicopter or holding the patient’s hand,” she adds.

“But what I do and what all the staff here does ... it really makes a difference in people’s lives.”

1982

Monica A. (Streitenberger)

Dannenfelser, MST

James N. Connolly Jr.

In a business where each moment is a matter of life or death, Maura (McDonald) Hughes, MBA ’92 takes the long view.

1981

William C. O’Brien Frederic L. LeBlond Marilyn (Beatty) Thornton

BY DEBLINA CHAKRABORTY

Brian J. Maloney John L. Powers Jill Connolly, MBA Amy Siracusa

Donald R. Neal Former Staff Member Marc L. Resnick Professor of Human Factors in Information Design

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PHOTO BY JENNIFER WRIGHT

Laurence K. Gustafson Ernest R. Taft

1965

PHOTO BY BILL DOYLE

1938

SPOTLIGHT: MAURA HUGHES, MBA ’92

<< FAMILY MATTERS

Fraternity of Two Russ Robbins and his son, Cameron, are archetypal in many ways. They root for

PHOTO BY JENNIFER WRIGHT

PHOTO BY BILL DOYLE

their home team Red Sox, laugh together at the kitchen table and enjoy exploring New England. This past May, their conventional bond struck an exceptional note when they became fellow alumni of Bentley University.

For Russ ’15, earning an associate’s degree in business involved many years of part-time study, often one course per semester.

“Slow and steady,” declares the elder Robbins, who attended Bentley while working on staff as a fire alarm technician for 10 years. “I always talked to my kids about the value of an education, and I needed to walk the walk.”

Though on different tracks — Cameron ’15 earned a Bachelor of Science in Management — the two had plenty of shared insights about college life.

“I once took two tough classes in a row — GB 212 and 213 — and it wore me out. I started to question if I should continue,” recalls Russ.

“Cameron pulled me aside and said those were the toughest courses for him, too. Here I am, the dad, and my son is giving me advice.”

The pair became something of their own fraternity.

“It was great to sit down with my dad and talk about school with him like a friend, and how to get through it,” says Cameron, who is now an operations management trainee with Sheehan Family Companies, a craft beer distributor.

Their experiences weren’t all mutual, though.

“I was consistently the oldest person in the classroom,” Russ says with a rueful laugh. “For quite a while, I was the only one who didn’t have a

laptop. And I was also the only one not on Facebook.”

Both agree that working long hours — Russ at Bentley, Cameron at an internship and a local restaurant — made their course load more challenging. Russ recalls laughing with one young classmate. “She was staying up till four a.m. to do her work, while I was getting up at four a.m. on the weekends to do mine.”

Looking back, Cameron has just one regret.

“My dad tried to give me space and stay away from the classes I took, but I would’ve liked to take one together,” he says. “I think it would have been cool.”

What was cool: sporting mortar boards side by side.

“It felt good graduating with my son,” says Russ. “It was a true sense of satisfaction.”

Adds Cameron: “My dad is one of the nicest people that you’ll meet.

He’s kind and considerate, friendly to a stranger or a best friend, and treats everyone the same. It was a big accomplishment to stand next to him on graduation day.”

As told to Jennifer Skuce-Spira. Above, Cameron ’15 (left) and Russ ’15 Robbins BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 31

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Weddings 2.

1.

3.

4.

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<< CLASS NOTES

5.

8.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

6.

Andrea Haskell ’09 and Christopher Liptrot ’09 Analida Cuevas ’11 and Tyler McNamara ’10 Maureen Fedorchuk ’04 and Jason Cuddy Courtney Charest ’10, MST ’13 and Zach Ripps ’10 Katie Casey ’08, MSA ’09 and Sal Falzone ’08, MSA ’09 Erika Goldstein ’05 and Allan Smith Samantha Robbins ’08 and Adam Evans ’07, MBA ’09 Lashika Laboriel ’09 and Christian Holland ’10, whose August 2015 wedding was noted in the Winter 2016 issue 9. Chandra Pixley ’06 and Ted Kanluen 10. David Castine ’07, MSA ’09 and Raquela Susman

9.

7.

10.

BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 33

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Gatherings

Hartford, Conn.

FEELING GREAT ALL OVER This January, 13 regional alumni chapters brought fellow Falcons together. From Baltimore to SoCal to Hong Kong, alumni, students and parents caught up, networked and shared Bentley cheer and memories in this annual tradition. Check out the photos at bentley.edu/january-events.

Boston, Mass.

Manchester, N.H.

Laguna Beach, Calif.

Chicago, Ill.

Menlo Park, Calif.

Albany, N.Y.

34 | SPRING 2016

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<< CLASS NOTES

Chicago, Ill.

Hartford, Conn.

Denver, Colo.

Miami, Fla.

New York, N.Y.

Baltimore, Md.

Hong Kong

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Menlo Park, Calif.

Laguna Beach, Calif.

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CLASS NOTES >>

Register today for Reunion Weekend JUNE 3 to 5, 2016

ABOVE PHOTO BY CHRIS CONTI

bentley.edu/reunionweekend

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1917

THE

LEGACY SOCIETY

What will your legacy be?

Bentley has truly changed my life.

BETWEEN THE LINES History loves a ceremony:

Putney answered

ribbons are cut, hands

questions and sent

My professors have put my future

shaken, cornerstones

notes from interviews

first; I’m joining [accounting

laid, oversized checks

with Greg for his

services firm] BDO in May and I’ll

presented. There were

upcoming history of

many such occasions in

receive my CPA certification soon.

the school. Director

Greg Adamian’s 60-year

of Foundation Rela-

association with Bentley.

tions Paul Carberry,

But the official record only

who served as sec-

goes so far in recalling

retary of the college

exactly how I’ve felt for the past

a person, a place or a

corporation for many

four years. My Bentley experience

point in time. The fuller account is in the stories.

Personal reflections are front

and center in our tribute to the late Bentley chancellor and president emeritus (page 11). Asked about Greg, his former students, colleagues and friends held forth with enthusiasm, affection, humor and a deep respect that, at times, approached awe. We are especially grateful to Debbie Adamian. A deft storyteller in her own right, she shared a handful of memorable Bentley moments from their 37 years together.

The story owes much to

When my dad and I skydive to celebrate my graduation, I’ll literally be on top of the world —

years and worked closely with

wouldn’t have been possible

Greg (and his successors),

without Beryl Bunker’s generosity.

was unfailingly generous with insights and information.

ALLISON CONCRA ’16

Corporate Finance and Accounting major Gamma Phi Beta, Epsilon Phi chapter, Philanthropy chair Beryl H. and John W. Bunker Scholarship recipient

History gets personal else-

where inside. Scores of alumni, parents, faculty, students and friends have stepped up to “share your Bentley story” in advance of the centennial celebration. Their contributions capture a range of years, subjects and experiences —

As a senior vice president in financial services, Beryl Bunker ’58 always looked ahead. Her legacy lives on in Allison and the generations of Bentley students who will benefit from her permanent scholarship fund.

all underwritten by heartfelt pride.

After you check out their accounts on pages 24 and 25, head to bentley.edu/100 and add your

people you won’t see quoted. Over

story to the historical record.

many hours in the Bentley Library,

I know for a fact that future editors

designer Carol Dirga made a fast

of Bentley Magazine will thank you.

friend in project archivist Jaimie

Your legacy. Bentley’s gratitude.

Stay well and stay in touch.

and other markers of the Adamian years. Professor of History Cliff

Susan Simpson Editor

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PHOTO BY CHRIS CONTI

graphs, annual reports, yearbooks

ABOVE PHOTO BY CHRIS CONTI

Fritz. She led the way to photo-

If you have included Bentley in your future plans, let us thank you with membership in The 1917 Legacy Society. Contact us today for more information.

Office of Gift Planning Liz Siladi (781.891.2475) or Kris Otto (781.891.2586) giftplanning@bentley.edu bentley.edu/giftplanning

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SPRING 2016

THEN & NOW

Students do their presidents proud, presenting the falcon statue as a class gift and earning first-in-the-region honors in the Fed Challenge.

1971

TOP PHOTO FROM BENTLEY ACHIVES/BOTTOM PHOTO BY CHRIS CONTI

175 Forest Street Waltham, MA 02452 USA

ABOVE ALL, BENTLEY

2014

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SUB HEAD GOES HERE Remembering Gregory H. Adamian Chancellor Screen time at Alumni stars in the Planning for the and TD Garden | 10 big data universe | 15 President Bentley Centennial Emeritus | 8

Taking analytics to the movies | 20

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