Bentley University Magazine - Winter 2018

WINTER 2018

COVER AND CONTENTS PAGE PHOTOS BY JOEL BENJAMIN

Contents WINTER 2018 3 |

ON CAMPUS COLUMNS

4 | From the President 9 | Five Things: Lessons in Hiring from the Life Sciences 26 | Inside Job: Adrian Wong ’08 of Beta Burger

FEATURES 10 | A Century of Growth, A Future of Leadership 16 | Take Two: Positive Leadership 18 | Seeking Refuge 22 |

CLASS NOTES

BETWEEN THE LINES

MAGAZINE

Editor Susan Simpson Director of Communications John McElhenny Writers Michael Blanding Jaimie Fritz Mary K. Pratt Kristen Walsh Creative Director Greg Gonyea Senior Associate Director Creative Services Claire S. Anderson Art Direction & Design Juliana Freire Photography & Illustration Chris Schluntz Associate Director Print & Production Judy Metz Project Manager Kristine Mickelson Executive Director Advancement Communications Terry Cronin

It’s rare to see best practices play out in real time.

But that was the case during a recent workshop for Bentley faculty and staff. We came together as part of the university’s strategic planning initiative, which President Alison Davis-Blake describes on page 4.

Our table of seven had professors and administrators; women and men; experts in accounting, IT, academic programming and marketing; employees of more than 25 years and barely two weeks. This diversity boosted the quality and quantity of ideas for Bentley’s future that we brought back to the larger group. It was a push-past-your-comfort-zone exercise, but ultimately energizing to see the university through a different lens. In other words: outcomes to gladden the heart of any business thought leader.

This issue’s cover story captures some of the energy and momentum coursing through campus this fall. The inauguration of our eighth president engaged faculty, students, staff and alumni in celebrating Bentley’s history and future. Look for highlights on pages 10 to 15 and find the full report at bentley.edu/inaugurationhighlights.

A second feature widens the lens from Waltham, focusing on two alumni with ties to South Sudan and the wider refugee crisis.

These are stories of loss and hope, setback and triumph, affectingly told by writer Kristin Livingston. We are grateful to Manyang Kot Mangar ’10 and Carlos Carrazana ’85 for sharing their experiences. And, as always, we thank you for reading.

Susan Simpson Editor

We welcome your feedback.

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

MAGAZINE@BENTLEY.EDU || @BENTLEYU || @BENTLEYALUMNI || 781.891.2076 175 FOREST STREET, WALTHAM, MA 02452

Associate Director Advancement Communications Caroline Cruise

CONTRIBUTORS

Associate Director Content Development Kristin Livingston Communications Specialist Molly McKinnon President Alison Davis-Blake Vice President for University Advancement Maureen Flores Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Valerie Fox Interim Director Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Christopher Joyce

SHARON CHO ’20

ALONSO NICHOLS

KRISTINE MICKELSON ’10

HONG KONG

MEDFORD, MASS.

BELMONT, MASS.

“When you explore a familiar place with the mindset of an outside observer, you discover so much more,” says Sharon, who photographs Bentley scenes for the university website, magazine and social media accounts. With languages and cultures as other passions, she is studying abroad this spring in Seoul, South Korea, where “I can’t wait to tell my own stories on Instagram.”

The photographer praises the “genuine humility and warmth” of Manyang Kot Mangar ’10 (page 19). “I had to keep reminding myself that he has experienced violence and suffering I can only imagine.

This is the promise and power of higher education in America — to transform lives. Watching him smile at the photos of his wife and child, I thought, ‘This is all any of us wants.’”

Kristine brings extra passion to the role of project manager for Bentley Magazine, as an alumna, graduate student in Human Factors in Information Design and assistant coach of the women’s volleyball team. Producing the publication is a true team effort, she says. “And the end product highlights successes of alumni across the globe. There is so much you can do with a business degree — and each magazine is proof of that.”

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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CHEERS! Students, faculty and staff gathered for a tree planting and reception during Inauguration Week.

Page 10

PHOTO BY SHARON CHO ’20

BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 3

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FROM THE

PRESIDENT

The energy and optimism that Inauguration Week inspired have only grown stronger in the weeks since. It was a remarkable time for the institution, for our many supporters, and for me personally.

Pride ran high among students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees and others at the

installation ceremony. It was wonderful to will be opportunities for alumni to engage in share the occasion with so many former this process that we’ll share in the near colleagues at the University of Michigan, my future. We are committed to gathering the friends and mentors Mary Sue Coleman and full range of perspectives within the Bentley Jeffrey Pfeffer, and of course my ever-sup- community, here on campus and beyond. portive family. I was touched by the kind Our intent is to have a clear, overarching words of those who represented all facets of direction; a set of focused, strategic goals; our community, including Vicki Semanie, and related operational tactics in place Class of 1986 and chair of the Global Alumni

by May 2019. The goals and timetable are Board. ambitious. But as we know, Bentley has a Inauguration speakers — myself included strong appetite for challenge, whether it’s — forecast a bright future for this university.

Indeed, work is already underway to move moving a campus, remaking a curriculum or Bentley to the next level of excellence and rec- building facilities with the cutting-edge ognition in business education. This fall we technology of the day.

Please take time to review the planning launched a strategic planning process designed to be inclusive, collaborative and reports and latest updates at bentley.edu/ strategicplan. I urge you to share your own transparent.

Over two days in late feedback and aspirations September, more than for the university at Work is already 400 faculty and staff strategicplanning@bentmembers joined in underway to move ley.edu. workshops to share I thank you for the Bentley to the next level ideas. Participants comwarm welcome to Bentley of excellence and posed a headline about that was Inauguration Bentley they would recognition in business Week. Its many activities want to see on the front education. and events confirmed a page of, say, The New fundamental truth: This York Times. Colleagues community is committed to our collective discussed their aspirations for the university, future and has great ideas and enthusiasm then moved on to identify critical factors for for getting there. achieving those aims. Outcomes from this exercise, including all the raw data and analysis, are now on our dedicated website. There

Maureen Forrester Named to Top Finance Post Maureen Forrester has joined Bentley as vice president and chief financial officer/treasurer. Her deep experience in financial leadership crosses higher education and the corporate sector.

Most recently, she spent nine years as university controller at Harvard. That followed 11 years at Staples, holding senior management roles that included vice president of finance for the U.S. retail business unit. Forrester began her career at professional services firm EY, where she rose to senior auditor; she also spent several years as a commercial bank lender.

At Bentley, she will oversee all aspects of university finances, which encompass strategic budgeting and financial planning, risk management, financial accounting and reporting, student financial services, treasury and debt management, and investment oversight.

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She has responsibility for university purchasing, the Conference Center, facilities management and campus sustainability efforts.

Last year, Moody’s Investors Service upgraded Bentley’s bond rating from A3 to A2 — a sign of excellent finances even as the service downgraded its general outlook for higher education.

“Bentley’s strength as a nonprofit university rests on sound fiscal stewardship and a highquality business education that is more relevant than ever for graduates in today’s professional climate,” says Forrester, who holds a BS in Accounting and Management from Babson University. “I’m excited to work with President Alison Davis-Blake to continue the financial oversight that has led to such a solid fiscal position.”

PHOTOS BY JOEL BENJAMIN AND DAMIAN STROHMEYER

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Peer-to-Peer Learning Takes a Global Twist

BY KRISTEN WALSH There is more to cultural understanding than appreciating another country’s cuisine or clothing. Meaningful connections are more likely forged through personal stories about daily life and experiences in other countries.

That is the inspiration for a program offered through the Center for International Students and Scholars (CISS).

“The WorldView program aims to promote global awareness, intercultural sensitivity and unity within the campus community,” says CISS Assistant Director Nia DeYounge, who manages the program with help from graduate intern Stephen Perkins.

The initiative sends international student “ambassadors” into Bentley classrooms for a panel discussion or presentation related to course topics.

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES When Professor of History Cyrus Veeser was teaching a course in Caribbean history with travel to the Dominican Republic, he envisioned a presentation on the country’s culture, daily life, music and dance — including basic lessons in bachata, merengue and salsa. Dominican-born Jessica Ortega Weber, MSF ’18 stepped in.

“Jessica talked about Dominican culture, particularly social interactions, hospitality and the importance of sharing experiences,” explains the professor, noting that his students put the dance steps to good use, in working alongside teachers at a public school in La Romana and a school for the deaf.

“Students were thrilled that the Bentley volunteers were willing to dance with them,” says Veeser. “It is very bad form to refuse to dance in the Dominican Republic, and Jessica’s lessons definitely gave my group some added confidence.”

Associate Professor of Management Iris Berdrow has invited ambassadors to speak in three courses: Human Behavior in Organizations, International Management Behavior and Global Leadership. She encourages presenters to describe how the Bentley experience compares with that of their home country; their reflections speak to course topics such as national culture, diversity, privilege/marginalization,

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perception and communication.

Says Berdrow: “It’s one thing to discuss how cultural upbringing and conditions shape our understanding of the world. But these points come to life when students hear their international peers talk about personal experiences and perspectives.”

UNDERGRADUATE

ENGAGING CONVERSATION With roots in India and Singapore, Deepa Chandrachud ’19 routinely offers her perspective in conversations with her American peers. She calls the more formal platform of the WorldView program “an opportunity I couldn’t miss.”

One memorable engagement: a panel discussion for a management course about diversity in the workplace.

“The work culture in Singapore is very different becauseGRADUATE there is hardly any time spent onUNDERGRADUATE training,” explains Chandrachud, who did an internship there in her sophomore year. “We also don’t do a lot of networking.”

The learning was mutual, she adds. “It turned into an engaging conversation among all the students. Taking part in classroom discussions about globalization affecting the business environment has been invaluable.

It taught me the importance of providing a different perspective when facing an issue.”

In an especially valuable panel, for the University Police department, international GRADUATE students talked about media portrayal of the police and protocols in their respective countries. For example, a driver pulled over in Russia and China is encouraged to leave the car and approach the officer; doing so in the U.S. is unacceptable, if not dangerous.

The learning prompted University Police to develop a web page explaining simple police protocols in the United States.

“WorldView lets us talk about culture in terms of day-to-day life,” says DeYounge.

“Something like being pulled over by the police is part of American culture that people may not think about as international students adjust to a new country.

Conversations like these are prompting deeper understanding and changing that.”

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UNDERGRADUATE

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GRADUATE

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Figures for 2017-2018

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Grant Boosts Thought Leadership in Health Care

BY KRISTIN LIVINGSTON The Health Thought Leadership Network (TLN) at Bentley has already engaged more than 50 faculty and staff from 22 departments and centers in applying multidisciplinary perspectives to relevant issues in health care. A new relationship with Alkermes, a global leader in developing medicines for people with serious diseases, is boosting the Health TLN and its reach within the university.

A grant of $200,000 from Alkermes will support faculty and student research, provide more opportunities for guest lecturers on campus, and create the course Multidisciplinary Studies in Healthcare Delivery.

With a curriculum focused on the complex organization, function and delivery of health care, Multidisciplinary Studies brings wide-ranging topics to the classroom, for example, the patient experience and challenges to innovation. Students gain an additional dose of insight from leading thinkers — the first being Alan Sager, professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University School of Public Health.

“Without anything close to a competitive free market or competent government action, chaos explains United States health care,” he told students and others in a packed classroom this fall.

Sager’s talk upended traditional ideas of health care, which was exactly the point,

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according to Danielle Hartigan and Christopher Skipwith, both assistant professors of natural and applied sciences.

They coordinated the course around issues of high interest at Bentley.

“Many of our faculty are doing cuttingedge research in health care,” explains Hartigan. “And our students are preparing to lead organizations in the health care industry or assume decision-making roles about employee health and wellness.”

Adds Nikki Levy, vice president of patient engagement at Alkermes: “Health care is changing and the ecosystem needs people with a new set of complex skills to ensure that patients and families get high-quality, innovative care. We’re proud to support Bentley’s efforts to educate a new generation of leaders.”

LEARN MORE | bentley.edu/healthtln-about

With support by Alkermes, students study topics such as the patient experience and hear from leading thinkers.

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Women’s Leadership Program Builds Skills, Confidence

BY KRISTEN WALSH

B

entley sophomore Kayla Bellody was 12 years old when she rallied friends to weave and sell bracelets, raising money for iPads that would help children with autism better communicate and learn. She was an officer in four different high school clubs. She represented her school at the Massachusetts Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Conference.

Despite the strong track record, Bellody knows she has more to learn about leadership. And a program at the Gloria Cordes Larson Center for Women and Business (CWB) might be her ticket to the C-suite.

“I’ve never been one to doubt my abilities because of my gender or think that I am placed at a disadvantage,” says Bellody, who was selected to participate in the Women’s Leadership Program as a first-year student.

“But in just a year, this program has made me stronger and more confident in my skills to accomplish what I want in life.

I’m also surrounded by supportive, like-minded women.”

PHOTOS BY ANNA BABBI KLEIN AND SHARON CHO ’20

The group includes 42 sophomores and 72 first-year students in the program, which launched in fall 2017 through a $1 million grant from Liberty Mutual. Over four years, participants focus on understanding potential barriers for women in the workplace and strategies for self-advocacy and inclusion, strengthening their leadership and communication skills, and building meaningful relationships with mentors.

FACTS OF LIFE The weight of research points to gender inequities as a fact of life in the modern workplace. From the start of their careers, women face challenges that limit opportunities for advancement.

Contributing factors include unconscious bias and a lack of sponsors who will go to bat for their female colleagues, according to a report by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org.

CWB initiatives such as the Women’s Leadership Program look to change the dynamic.

“Students come into this program with confidence, but I’ve already seen them become more self-assured in their interactions with peers and alumni who come to campus,” says CWB Program Director Anna Babbi Klein. “From the start, we work on skills and knowledge that empower young women.”

STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY Companies like Liberty Mutual recognize that diversity in leadership and on teams presents a competitive advantage.

“Without the insight that employees bring from a wide range of backgrounds, we will be limited in our ability to successfully innovate and compete in the global marketplace,” says Liberty’s Dawn Frazier-Bonhert, senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer.

The push for inclusion has an advocate in Kristen Novit ’22.

“I’m a strong believer in social justice and equal opportunities for everyone,” says Novit, whose high school résumé includes National Spanish Honor Society president and American Sign Language Club officer. “The CWB Women’s Leadership Program gives me an opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations and think critically, so I can better articulate my ideas and use my voice to advocate for equality.

“I’ve already met so many incredible women; I’m inspired by their passions and stories.”

LEARN MORE | bentley.edu/ cwbleaders Program participants Kayla Bellody ’21 (left) and Kristen Novit ’22.

BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 7

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THE FALCON

FILES

BY JAIMIE FRITZ, UNIVERSITY ARCHIVIST

Dining Through the Decades Most of Bentley’s first students were commuters and would bring or purchase their own meals. Others rented rooms at local boarding houses, where “matrons” typically served a hot breakfast and dinner each day. (1) A guidebook by Harry Bentley in 1940 recommended many restaurants. He always noted whether the establishment offered liquor, dancing or both — and (naturally!) where to rent a tux. (2)

1.

Students on the Boston campus ate up and down Boylston Street. Some favorites were the Honey Donut Shop and Hayes-Bickford Restaurant. In the late 1950s, a cheeseburger at the latter would set you back 35 cents.

Archival photos document a banana-eating contest that dates to the early 1970s and may have been sponsored by Kappa Pi Alpha. It drew a big crowd and was even filmed. Details welcome! (5) If you ever microwaved popcorn in your dorm room in the 1990s and 2000s, you can thank Darren Gaudreault ’91. He was a catalyst for a Massachusetts law allowing microwaves in lodging houses and dormitories.

The cult of gourmet coffee that ruled the 1990s inspired students to open Café Connections in the Adamian Center and Java X-Treme in Orchard North.

Dining options multiplied with Bentley’s move to Waltham. Especially popular: on-campus bars and cafés run by students.

One venue — the Falcon’s Nest — offered a “famous” date-nut loaf with a side of live folk music. The Rathskeller served pub grub from the basement of the Tree Dorms in the early 1970s; later, as the Backstage Lounge, it featured live entertainment, disc jockeys and all-night movies. (3) Apparently, there is such a thing as too much pasta. In 1971, students protested “repetitive, carb-heavy” dining menus by eating a giant bowl of spaghetti in the main cafeteria, now the LaCava Executive Dining Room. (4)

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF BENTLEY ARCHIVES

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Lessons in Hiring From the Life Sciences Ten years and a billion dollars. That’s what it takes, on average, to bring a new drug or medical device to the marketplace. What are the qualities people need to persevere through those metrics?

Bentley’s Helen Meldrum put the question to 45 top executives in the life sciences. What she learned is good advice for hiring in any industry.

HELEN MELDRUM

Associate Professor, Natural and Applied Sciences

SENSE OF PURPOSE A deep emotional commitment to a mission such as providing life-altering options for patients is essential for staying the course through a long process like FDA review. Even in industries with very good salaries, executives want to hire the person who, as needed, will work superhuman hours out of a sense of passion, not because of a paycheck.

EXPERIENCE WITH FAILURE C-suite executives are looking for people who see setbacks not as obstacles, but rather as challenging problems to be solved. At the same time, it’s important they are realistic about the high chance of failure, and able to bounce back accordingly. Instead of “What’s your greatest accomplishment?” ask the candidate about a time when something didn’t work.

DIVERSITY OF THINKING Diversity goes beyond hiring more women and minorities. Executives are also looking for people diverse in experience and temperament. This avoids groupthink, corrects for systemic biases, spurs creativity and more. When a group of people fastens on a product or service as the next big thing, they tend to report only good news. But to make the best decisions, executives need information from diverse points of view to be accurate.

TEAM MENTALITY An ideal candidate has self-awareness and insight, and takes ownership for their role. If a life sciences job candidate describes receiving a rejection from the FDA, and says their team members were terrible, that is a big red flag. A hiring manager should feel confident that an employee won’t be a barrier in what needs to be effective teamwork.

KEEPING STARS Executives should also turn the mirror on themselves: Are they doing a good job retaining star employees? In competitive, growing industries where people have a lot of options for work, organization leaders must set a tone and create a culture that keep employees engaged — or risk losing them to the company around the block.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PROFESSOR; ILLUSTRATION BY ENISKASOY/ISTOCK

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A Century of Growth A Future of Leadership The inauguration of Bentley’s eighth president featured a week of activities for the campus community.

Staff members discussed skills for building positive organizations, and students explored strategies for finding importance and meaning in work.

A symposium engaged faculty from Bentley, Harvard, MIT and Stanford to share research and insights on the future of work.

The final flourish was the installation ceremony, held in the Bentley Arena. Here are highlights from this special week in our history.

PHOTO BY JOEL BENJAMIN

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A

lison Davis-Blake was formally installed as the eighth president of Bentley University on October 19, 2018, at a ceremony that brought together faculty, students, staff and alumni. The crowd also included delegates from more than 50 other academic institutions nationwide.

“Yours will be the great privilege and responsibility of leading this school in its work to educate creative, ethical and socially responsible organizational leaders,” said Trustee Chair Robert Badavas ’74, who presented Davis-Blake with the university charter and presidential medallion. Both symbolize the authority and responsibility vested in the president as the school’s leader.

The keynote speaker for the occasion was Mary Sue Coleman, president of the Association of American Universities and a national leader in higher education.

“This is a marvelous day for Bentley and for higher education,” said Coleman, who, as president of the University of Michigan, helped recruit Davis-Blake as the school’s first female dean of business.

Coleman praised her former colleague as “a new leader perfect for the opportunities that await Bentley.”

“To be an effective university president, you must look beyond the borders of the campus,” she continued. “Alison believes in building bridges. This is so important, both for students and the communities and companies they will join after graduating. Universities that connect with their communities are more effective, more respected and better positioned to make a genuine difference in people’s lives.”

Other speakers brought greetings and good wishes from different corners of the Bentley community. Charles Hadlock, Trustee Professor for Technology, Policy and Decision-Making, represented faculty members.

“When you were announced as our new president, one of your first acts was to come to our general faculty meeting — and to introduce yourself as a person whose career is deeply rooted in being a faculty member,” he said. “You embrace as your own our common calling to develop and share knowledge with others, whether students, colleagues, the scholarly world or general society. We welcome you warmly as you help us to do our very best in this special profession at this special institution.”

Dan Sheehan, director of client services, spoke not only for fellow staff members but also as the parent of a Bentley sophomore.

“I sat in the audience and listened to your first Convocation address.

It was memorable,” he said. “You encouraged the students to challenge themselves, to not fear failure. This challenge aptly applies to us as well.”

Representing alumni, Vicki Vassalotti Semanie ’86 highlighted the diversity of the school’s 60,000 graduates.

“As the quality of our diplomas has been recognized, alumni stand proud of our school,” said Semanie, who chairs the Global Alumni Board.

“The alumni community is at your service to help and support you in the commitment to make Bentley a world-class business university.”

Speaking on behalf of current students were Hannah McDonnell ’19 and Hsin-Wei Lu, MBA ’22, respective presidents of the Undergraduate and Graduate Student associations. McDonnell recalled an observation by Davis-Blake at a meeting with student leaders.

“She said, if a door opens and you feel like you can make a contribution, you need to take the opportunity.” McDonnell then turned toward the president. “We are so excited that Bentley was an open door for you.”

Lu praised Davis-Blake’s “passion and extensive experience leading a business school. I am confident that Bentley will keep strengthening its ties to the community, to business and to the world.”

The newly installed president characterized this as a transformative time for colleges and universities.

“Higher education has never been more important,” said DavisBlake. “Here at Bentley, right here and right now, we have the exciting chance to imagine what the future of leadership in business and in society can be, and to create business-focused education for the next generation of leaders.”

She urged students, faculty and others to foster a positive environment that thrives on diversity, focuses on the university’s strengths, and operates with integrity — and to carry that over to their careers.

“We have choices about how we structure our organizations, how we motivate and sustain employees, how we inspire students to make a difference in their companies and their communities, and how we support businesses so they can do well and also serve the greater good.

“The world is not getting any simpler,” she concluded. “But that’s just fine. Bentley is up to it. We are up to it, as we work together to define the future of business leadership in this country and for the world.”

“To be an effective university president, you must look beyond the borders of the campus.

Alison believes in building bridges.”

MARY SUE COLEMAN

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PHOTOS BY JOEL BENJAMIN AND BRIAN SMITH

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“The world is not getting any simpler. But that’s just fine.

Bentley is up to it. We are up to it.”

PRESIDENT DAVIS-BLAKE

Facing page: The president and her husband, Michael Blake. Top (left): Trustee Chair Robert P. Badavas ’74 bestows the presidential medallion; (right): The president and chair with fellow trustees, from left J. Paul Condrin III ’83; Francis Kingsley ’61, P ’02 ’07; Robert Alan ’91; Joyce Elam; Susan O’Connell ’90; Melanie Otero ’91, MBA ’92; Thomas P. Alber ’82 and J. Terence Carleton ’77.

Directly above: Inaugural dinner attendees, from far left, John Ioakimidis ’98 and wife Althea, with his fellow Global Alumni Board member Grace Doherty, MBA ’01; Bentley trustees Susan O’Connell ’90 and Francis Kingsley ’61, P ’92 ’07.

Look for stories, videos, the inaugural address, photo galleries and more at bentley.edu/inaugurationhighlights.

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Symposium Charts the Future of Work

BY MARY K. PRATT

A

utomation, artificial intelligence and other technologies are transforming the workplace and, by implication, relationships between organizations and their employees. The trend and its impact took center stage at an academic symposium that was part of Inauguration Week activities.

The Future of Work symposium engaged scholars from Bentley, the Harvard Business School, MIT and Stanford University. It opened with a keynote address by Jeffrey Pfeffer, Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

[See related story at right.] Two panel discussions followed, moderated by Associate Provost Patrick Scholten and Dean of Arts and Sciences Rick Oches.

TRUST AS AN ASSET In the first panel, Human Sustainability and the Future of Work, Bentley’s Rani Hoitash focused on trust in the workplace. Trust supports creativity, collaboration, communication, innovation and other functions essential for organizations to compete and succeed.

“Trust means that employees will be willing to take risks and be vulnerable,” explains Hoitash, the John E. Rhodes Professor of Accountancy. “This is the way trust can influence corporate outcomes, so it becomes an asset within companies.”

Panelist Sandeep Purao focused on the gig economy, where an estimated one-third of U.S. workers already toil. The Trustee

Professor of Information and Process Management notes that regular hours, longterm employment and company-funded benefits have in many cases fallen by the wayside.

“There is an existential threat to the traditional employment contract; it might simply disappear for a large segment of the population,” says Purao, whose research and teaching highlight how enlightened companies are bridging the gap between the gig economy and traditional employment.

Associate Professor of Management Effie Stavrulaki examined whether operational efficiencies can co-exist with employee well-being.

“The traditional view is that it’s very difficult — even impossible — especially for low-margin companies like retail,” she says.

“We often hear, ‘We can’t afford to pay our employees well or give them benefits.’ But there are ways to combine smart operations and investments in employees and be very successful.”

IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY The symposium’s second panel — How Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Technology are Changing the Future of Work — included Jason Jackson of MIT. The assistant professor of political economy and urban planning discussed how technology has changed the power relationships between managers and employees.

It was the relationship between humans and computers that engaged panelist Tamara

Babaian, an associate professor in Bentley’s Computer Information Systems department.

“There are many physical tasks that can be done by robots or software agents. But a lot more tasks, especially those that involve decision-making, require high-level cognitive skills,” she says. “Organizations will be challenged to create systems where people and computers work seamlessly in a way that complements each other’s strengths.”

Research by Prithwiraj Choudhury of the Harvard Business School shed light on machine learning and AI. Will these technologies displace humans or complement their skills to improve people’s productivity? He says that the former is certainly possible for routine tasks where all required information is available. But for the many other tasks that cannot be routinized or lack complete information, computers can play an assisting role.

“All these fears about machine learning and AI replacing jobs is at best overblown,” he says. “You will need humans for deep domain expertise in the future.”

Symposium attendees included David Szymanski, associate professor of natural and applied sciences.

“An academic event like this, focused on technology and how that’s changing what ‘work’ means, sets the perfect tone for our students and the university. Our new president is involved in the conversation, and our faculty members do cutting-edge work on the topic. That is the right message for the next generation of business leaders.”

Symposium keynote speaker Jeffrey Pfeffer of Stanford (far left) and Bentley panelists (from left) Rani Hoitash, Sandeep Purao and Effie Stavrulaki. Facing page: President Davis-Blake with Student Government Association leaders (from left) Patricia Magistrado ’19, Hannah McDonnell ’19 and Matt Stead ’19.

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PHOTOS BY BRIAN SMITH

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Students and Staff Learn the Power of Positivity

BY KRISTEN WALSH

veryone has the power to energize others and create a more positive workplace. So say organizational experts Shawn Quinn of the University of Michigan and Ryan Quinn of the University of Louisville, who led sessions for staff members and students during Inauguration Week.

Workshops for staff focused on why building a positive organization matters and how such environments increase employees’ productivity and satisfaction in the workplace.

During breakout sessions, colleagues asked guided questions to learn more about each other on a personal and professional level; they also identified specific ways that 1) their work benefits others and 2) they benefit from others’ work. The energy in the room ramped up almost immediately as staff members connected.

“I know that people can bring down colleagues with a negative attitude, but this made me think about the converse: If you’re energizing others, it lifts up everyone,” observed David Hatch, a senior business partner in the Human Resources department.

“I’m going to be thinking about how I can do that in my work.”

In a separate program, students learned how to make a positive impact on those around them, including their peers and future colleagues. In addition to Shawn and Ryan Quinn, the symposium tapped President

Alison Davis-Blake as a speaker and Vice President and Dean of Students J. Andrew Shepardson to moderate the discussion. He encouraged students to recognize the value they can bring to the workplace by energizing themselves, promoting a sense of belonging among co-workers and practicing gratitude in ways that can be as simple as saying “thank you.”

“All of you hold more power than you may believe, in the way you impact people’s lives around you,” said Shawn Quinn, whose message resonated among the students who packed Bentley’s Wilder Auditorium.

Krysten Arnold ’20 called the symposium eye-opening.

“In the business world, it sometimes seems like money is central,” she said. “While that’s important, Shawn and Ryan Quinn and President Davis-Blake reminded us of the power of positivity and wanting to make a difference in the world. Do what you love, energize people and make a positive impact on others’ lives — and the money will follow.”

After the symposium, students gathered with faculty, staff and other members of the campus community to plant a tree, symbolizing the “Century of Growth, Future of Leadership” theme of Inauguration Week.

Build a Workplace Where People Thrive “We ought to be concerned about human sustainability, not just environmental sustainability,” urged symposium speaker Jeffrey Pfeffer. His research identifies factors to pay attention to.

JOB DESIGN. Beware of positions with high demands but low control over work. The lower an employee’s rank, the higher the risk for cardiovascular disease.

WORK-FAMILY BALANCE. Support strategies that minimize conflict between job and family. The fallout of conflict can be absence from work, mood and anxiety disorders, poor health and substance abuse.

WORK HOURS. Resist thinking that a long workday confers status.

The number of hours worked correlates with higher blood pressure and lower productivity.

PERCEIVED FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE. Create a culture that rejects discrimination in all its forms. Unfair treatment based on race, age or gender creates stress that undermines physical and mental health.

SOCIAL SUPPORT. Develop practices that contribute to employees’ emotional and financial well-being, e.g., avenues for teamwork to build cohesiveness and reduce isolation.

Compiled by Kristen Walsh

PHOTO BY SHARON CHO ’20

BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 15

TAKE TWO >>

POSITIVE

Leadership

Interview by Lisa M. Rudgers Photography by Joel Benjamin

A conversation with one-time colleagues and all-time advocates for the value of higher education.

16 | WINTER 2018

How did you two meet?

Mary Sue Coleman, President, American Association of Universities: I first heard about Alison during the search for the dean of the University of Michigan’s Ross Business School. The search committee was very enthusiastic about her experience and track record at both the University of Texas — Austin and the University of Minnesota.

I met Alison as part of the interview process, and she was very impressive in person.

She was passionate about business school

education, and really had done great work as dean at Minnesota. I remember thinking that our next dean would have challenges, but Alison was more than ready for them.

Alison Davis-Blake, President, Bentley University: Yes, I certainly remember meeting Mary Sue that day. Of course, I had already heard so much about her! I knew she had an impressive higher ed leadership background, and her work at Michigan was quite well known around the country. What I didn’t expect was how down-to-earth she

PHOTO BY JOEL BENJAMIN

<< TAKE TWO

was. She was obviously very smart, but I could tell from the beginning she was also a person of great warmth, great character and great integrity. And all those things proved true in the time we worked together.

How did you fasten on a career in higher education?

MSC: Well, my first love was science.

I grew up in the Sputnik era, and more than anything I wanted to be a part of the science that was fueling such remarkable advances across many fields. I have my parents to thank for giving me a love of education and supporting my aspirations — especially at a time when it wasn’t so common for a girl to be interested in science. I loved teaching and cancer research. However, developing programs and working in campus communities as an administrator was also fascinating. I’m grateful to have had both experiences in my academic life.

ADB: I’ve talked a lot about my family’s role in my career choice, because it was so influential for me. I grew up around academia; in fact, I remember running around classrooms when I was quite young.

My father was a professor at the University of Minnesota, and my mother — who taught home economics in the early part of her career — went back to school to earn her PhD in psychology. They were role models, and handed down their passion for higher education. I was so grateful they could both be with me for the inauguration ceremony at Bentley. It was very meaningful.

Higher education has been experiencing some tough challenges, and a recent Gallup Poll shows public confidence is declining.

Why is that and what can be done to rebuild trust?

MSC: There is no doubt that higher education is facing some very turbulent times. The cost of a college degree, and the average debt some students may have to take on to achieve their educational goals, are challenges that all higher education leaders must address.

However, I see so much evidence that our

institutions are working on affordability with great focus. We have to ensure that our colleges are providing access to education for all students and, further, that student bodies reflect our society.

We also must continue helping people understand how important the American system of higher education is to our economy, our quality of life and our democracy. My organization, the Association of American Universities, works to communicate the value of university-based research to policymakers and the public. The research discoveries that happen at universities across the country turn into new technologies, new entrepreneurial ventures and new industries.

ADB: This is so important on the educational front as well. A college education is transformational. It enables social mobility, and provides opportunities people otherwise would not have. Those of us in higher education leadership have to keep working hard at connecting the dots for students and families, so the return on their investment is clear and concrete.

Also, as I said in my inaugural, now is the time for all of higher education to engage in a critical self-assessment. We have to ensure we are delivering what families expect, what employers value most, and what students will need for lifelong success. Mary Sue talks about higher education as a public good.

That is so true, and it is up to us to earn the public’s trust.

President Coleman, you have been a national voice for the value of diversity and inclusion in higher education. Why is that important on college campuses?

MSC: Because we know that every student benefits from a diverse learning environment: Discussion is more multidimensional and robust when the widest possible spectrum of viewpoints and perspectives is included.

Simply put, I believe we cannot have true educational excellence without diversity.

ADB: I have admired Mary Sue’s commitment to a truly inclusive campus climate

for many years. As dean both at Minnesota and Michigan, I made diversity a school-wide priority. Here’s what I know: When we open the doors as widely as possible, and value each person’s contributions and perspective, we create a sense of true belonging where all can thrive. From a business perspective, I believe that diversity is a bottom-line imperative. Research has shown, time and again, that diverse teams and diverse workforces are more effective.

President Davis-Blake, your inaugural address noted that “the future doesn’t come with a manual.” How does a college education prepare students for what President Coleman has described as “a chaotic world”?

ADB: We have to provide a learning experience that develops both practical skills and interpretive skills. Change is rapid and ever-present. We need to be able to adapt, assess complex landscapes, and synthesize increasingly vast amounts of information.

This is what drew me to Bentley, in fact. Here students are steeped in an excellent business education, but one that is integrally linked with the study of science, arts and humanities, and technology. This well-rounded education is what today’s students need and the future will demand.

MSC: Alison is absolutely right. The best educational environment is one that prepares students not only for their first job, but for their entire life. I’ve heard Alison say that “Bentley is on the rise,” and I think this is precisely why a Bentley education is in such demand.

What characteristics do you value in each other?

MSC: Alison’s smart, strategic thinking; her hard work; her straightforward approach and her integrity.

ADB: Mary Sue’s intelligence, her warmth, the strength of her leadership and — you guessed it — her integrity. Integrity matters so much to both of us.

BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 17

FEATURES >>

18 | WINTER 2018

<< FEATURES

A SUDANESE REFUGEE AND A PUERTO RICAN EXECUTIVE PROVE THAT IT’S A SMALL, SMALL WORLD.

BY KRISTIN LIVINGSTON

The Lost Boy 1988 Manyang Kot Mangar ’10 was born in Sudan, a nation at war with itself.

Muslim versus Christian. Dinka versus Nuer. Government versus rebel.

Manyang remembers his early years in the village. Every day, his mother would bake kisra, a soft flatbread, and cook vegetables. Meat, too, if they had it. Every night, she would make up the bed for him and his four siblings, praying over their small bodies.

Their last night together, exhausted from chasing his little brother, Pagarau, and helping his older sister, Ayor, do chores, Manyang falls asleep quickly in the sub-Saharan heat.

He wakes in terror.

Gunshots and screams, as his family scatters in the darkness; he runs into the brush, alone.

Manyang hears a familiar voice, feels strong hands lift him. It is his uncle, who with other villagers, guides the survivors over more than 1,000 miles, through near-starvation, dehydration, threats of animal attacks and crossfire, to a camp in Ethiopia. Manyang is corralled with scores of other boys. Every day, he sits with his class in a circle, drawing his letters in the dirt, eating beans and maize at mealtime, searching the crowd for family. Every night, he cries for his mother. He is 8 years old.

1998 “You must write your life story,” a United Nations official tells the crowd of young men. “Where you’re from, what has happened to you, why you want to leave your country.”

Manyang has not even stepped foot in his country for 10 years.

He has migrated to the Kakuma camp in Kenya, where he receives 14 days’ food to protect and parcel over two weeks. On his own, ILLUSTRATION BY DARIA KIRPACH/ISPOT

he continues his schooling, plays soccer with his friends. His uncle visits when he can.

Now, on the cusp of adulthood, he must record his life story so he can go to America. A second heaven, he has been told, which has … everything. Education. Safety. A good life. Manyang writes earnestly, submits the essay for consideration. Is his story — his life — worthy?

Two weeks later, his letter arrives.

2001 Manyang lands in New Haven, Connecticut, on a cold May morning — or so he thinks. His host family says, “Just wait until December.” They take him grocery shopping, buy him clothes, show him how to do laundry and turn on the stove in the apartment he shares with three other boys from Kakuma. Outside, brick and concrete paths outline the puzzle of a city. There are stairs in every building. Conversely, life revolves around sitting: at computers, in restaurants, on the bus. But Manyang is skilled at adapting. When the snow finally comes, it is strange. The puzzle he has begun to solve is erased, reset in white.

At a local college, Manyang finishes his GED; he works part time at the Yale University bookstore, stocking shelves and helping students navigate foreign language texts. He finds a mother hen in Cecile Cohen, the store’s France-born manager. Studying toward an associate’s degree, he returns to the position every summer. She urges him to think big. What’s next? Perhaps, university?

As Manyang plans for college, a few of his Kakuma friends return to South Sudan. One carries back news from America.

2006 The woman on the phone is weeping. “You are alive.”

The joy that Manyang feels at hearing his mother’s voice after 18 years breaks the dam. He presses the phone to his face, desperate to reach through the line and hold her. She says she searched for him for BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 19

FEATURES >>

years, even in Kenya, without luck. Both thought the other had died.

His father, he learns, was murdered in the attack.

It is time to come home.

2007 In the village, he recognizes so many faces. It is elation upon elation.

His mother crushes him to her. His sisters, too. They are grown and beautiful. His brother is strong.

But first, Bentley. Manyang returns to the U.S. and continues his education. Through scholarships, loans and financial aid, he graduates with a degree in accounting and secures an internship with the minister of finance in the city of Juba. Civil unrest is quieted for the time being. His family pools their cattle for a dowry and arranges a marriage with Atong, a local girl. Though he has been dating a student from Kenya, Manyang falls in line, and in love.

“She’s gorgeous, taller than me,” he says. “We got along right away.”

Manyang takes his place as family patriarch. But the political patriarchy in South Sudan falters and, in 2013, war resumes. Juba is no longer safe. Pagarau has died, gunned down by cattle thieves. In need of money to support family, including his brother’s widow and children, Manyang reaches out to friends at Bentley — two who mentored him during school, who wished him well on marriage and fatherhood, who watch the headlines and email when news from South Sudan is particularly troubling: Jane Ellis and Janet Ehl, then the respective associate dean of academic services and the director of recruiting and employer relations.

“Manyang,” says Janet, “Travelers Insurance is hiring.”

2018

ABOUT THE ‘LOST BOYS’ The civil war that consumed Sudan in 1987 forced more than 20,000 boys from their homes; most were Manyang’s age. These “Lost Boys” risked their lives and captivity in the northern army during the 1,000-mile escape to Ethiopia. When conflict erupted in that country, in 1991, some 10,000 of these boys fled once more, many to Kenya’s Kakuma camp. As years passed and no family members came forward, the United Nations Human Rights Council determined these young men had no hope of going home, and worked with the U.S. State Department on resettlement. The Lost Boys represent only half the story, however. Of the 3,600 children who would come to America, 89 were girls.

Figures from the International Rescue Committee, October 2014 20 | WINTER 2018

It’s noon in Hartford. Crowds of colleagues in button-downs gather in the lobby of One Financial Plaza, heading out for salads and sandwiches.

Seeing Manyang, a Travelers name badge dangling from the lanyard tucked under his collar, I smile and wave. He returns both, greeting me and Alonso, our photographer, with warm handshakes.

After, he’s shy — “I’m a quiet guy,” he says with a soft laugh — and a bit self-conscious to have an entourage. We push through the revolving door onto the humid street and I ask about his son.

“This is Chep,” he says, grinning and showing me one of about 30 photos he has printed. The little boy has cheeks a mile wide. “Chep,” like an affectionate clap on the back, is pronounced quickly and proudly.

Manyang has not seen him or Atong since May 2017, when he returned to the States.

“Why don’t you return?” I ask, while Alonso sets up the shot: Manyang backed by the golden reflection of a high-rise.

“There is nothing in South Sudan,” he says. Not even a reliable phone line. “It is a country by name, but nothing really.”

He adds: “I wanted to be part of that nation. But things didn’t work out the way I envisioned.”

Manyang’s new vision: Bring Atong and Chep to New Haven. Per U.S. immigration policy, he took a DNA test to prove Chep is his; the Career Services team at Bentley raised funds to cover the $900 fee, and paperwork continues.

For now, he works hard as an account manager and underwriting assistant at Travelers, sends money home and his nephew to school in Uganda. What of his own homecoming? “If I can contribute something bigger than myself, to just give back in some way … maybe someday.

When the war is over.”

PHOTOS BY ALONSO NICHOLS AND COURTESY OF THE ALUMNUS

<< FEATURES

The Humanitarian Carlos Carrazana ’85 has visited the camps in Ethiopia and Kenya where Manyang grew up, though the two have never met. As executive vice president and chief operating officer for Save the Children (STC), he travels almost every other week to the most distressed areas of the world, assessing which need is most important: health, education or safety.

“Do you cure the child before you teach her?” Carrazana asks.

“Which country gets what resources? Which other nonprofits can you partner with in the area? And what do you value more in that moment — child protection or vaccinations?”

It is an emotional job for Carrazana: anxiety and fear for the roughly 155 million children STC serves each year, but also infinite hope and pride.

His career began in banking, including roles at Wells Fargo and Deloitte. Working with world banks spurred his interest in economic growth and sent him back to school for a master’s in public health. His focus shifted to nonprofits, where his background in business and finance is essential to his primary responsibilities. These include

To business graduates, he says: “You are wanted, because your skills are not ingrained in international development.” acting as the liaison between the STC board and C-suite; managing the general council, several chief officers and executive programming; and professionalizing the 2.2 billion-dollar organization.

When Carrazana joined STC in 2012, he implemented a staff training program that included Six Sigma, the famed process improvement tool introduced at Motorola in the 1980s.

“This is a huge job with limited resources that relies on donations,” he says. “We need the best policies and financial systems out there

— better than JPMorgan — because we owe it to the children and the donors.”

Often, he adds, liberal arts graduates lack skills that a graduate of Bentley might take for granted. For example, how to create a sustainable infrastructure in a crisis area, distribute food and water, spot fraud at warehouses, compensate local businesses and others for resources. And, always, embrace change.

To business graduates, he says: “You are wanted, because your skills are not ingrained in international development.”

Raised in Puerto Rico to Cuban parents (a self-described CubanRican), Carrazana has a glass-half-full outlook. When a problem arises, he takes it step by step. How can we accomplish the first goal — and move forward?

“Even when times are hardest — famines, hurricanes, earthquakes, genocide — you can’t look a child in the eyes and not be positive for them,” he says. “Because we’re going to help as much as we can. It’s my privilege to make sure of that.”

Taking Flight In 2016, Massachusetts admitted more than 13,000 of an estimated 5 million Syrian refugees. In Flight, filmmaker and Bentley professor Casey Hayward gives a voice and face to this population, whose members often live quietly among us.

“I never wanted to leave Syria,” says one participant in the documentary. “We left thinking it would just be a month.”

It was 2014 when the family fled to the Za’tari camp in Jordan; the film shows their gratitude for being relocated to the U.S., but also the desire to raise their children back home.

Hayward has won regional Emmy Awards for his documentary work and teaches a course on filmmaking at Bentley. “My work may seem quiet, because I try not to sensationalize their struggles,” says the associate professor of English and media studies. “My role is education.”

LEARN MORE | Meet the families and watch the film at bentley.edu/flight.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ALUMNUS AND FACULTY MEMBER

BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 21

CLASS NOTES

22 | WINTER 2018

PHOTO BY ASHLEY MCCABE

<< CLASS NOTES

1970 Romeo Laberge, Old Orchard Beach, Maine, was inducted into the Maine Golf Hall of Fame in September 2015. Laberge has been one of the state’s premier amateur players for several decades.

1975 Jack Pini, Ashland, Mass., has joined Exceptional Leaders International as a senior adviser.

1978 John P. Napolitano, MST ’87, P ’08 ’09, Scituate, Mass., has been named to Investopedia’s list of Top 100 Financial Advisors for 2018. The list celebrates those who have contributed significantly to conversations about financial literacy, investing strategies, life-stage planning and wealth management.

Napolitano is CEO and director of wealth management at U.S. Wealth Management, headquartered in Braintree.

1979

40th Reunion May 31 to June 1, 2019 Charlie Sinunu, Ellicott City, Md., is director of international sales for DSC Dredge. In July, he and the company’s CEO, Bob Watts, were appointed to President Trump’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa.

Alumni from Kappa Pi Alpha hit the links at Stow Acres Golf Course on August 17, 2018.

From left: Chuck St. John ’77; Ted Cowie ’77; Mike Zack ’77, MST ’85; Bill O’Neil ’77; Bob Rice ’77, MST ’87; Paul Flaherty ’75; Bob West ’76; Jimmy Fuerst ’73, MST ’01, P ’14; Hank Bornstein ’77; John Taylor ’77; Jim Bunt ’73, MST ’87; Dave Allen ’76, MST ’80; Ron Wuenneman ’79, MBA ’89 and Jimmy Preston ’79.

Sinunu recently traveled to Africa as part of an official delegation with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.

1984

35th Reunion May 31 to June 1, 2019 Mark Ahern reports: “After spending the last seven years as the head of investor relations at a European equity hedge fund in New York City, I have joined friends and former colleagues as a partner at AccessAlpha Worldwide, representing a select group of unique investment firms offering specialized strategies that deliver meaningful alpha to institutional investors.

Although the firm is based in Chicago and typically represents non-U.S. based managers, I have established an office in Massachusetts.” He says his wife, Lana Popkova, and three children, ages 16, 11 and 9, leave Bronxville and New York City with fond memories and look forward to living in Yarmouth Port.

There was no ice in sight as Bentley alumni — many of whom played hockey together and report their excitement for the new arena — held their annual summer get-together in Dennis, Mass. From left: Rich Davis ’79; Ray Belanger ’79; Sue (Lawrence) Belanger; Mike Sokolski ’78, MST ’89; Mary (D'Addabbo) Davis ’81; Rick Briand ’78; Mark Canavan ’77; Jim Cronan ’80; Mary (Stanton) Bibeau ’79; Julie (Mador) Cronan ’80 and Bob Bibeau ’78.

1986 Sergio Hernández, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, writes: “I am proud and happy to share that I received the 2018 Distinguished CPA Award for Community Services from the Puerto Rico Society of CPAs.”

1989

30th Reunion May 31 to June 1, 2019 Anthony Patwary, Geneva, Switzerland, married Ana Carmo on June 30, 2018, in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. Fellow Falcons from 10 countries attended, including Ramon SardaBassas; Jaclyn Smith, P ’22; Abraham Btesh-Abadi ’91; Alisyahrazad Hanafiah ’91; Chinaphong Kowong ’90 and Valerie Manoukian ’91.

1991 Valerie Manoukian, Cordoba, Argentina, reports that a group of about 30 international alumni have had three successful gatherings: in Miami, Fla. (2010); Sanlucar de Barrameda,

Spain (April 2015) at the home of Alfonso Borbon de Orleans; and, most recently, at the wedding of Anthony Patwary ’89. She looks forward to getting together again, in Bali in 2019, for another Falcon wedding.

2002 Shant Banosian, Belmont, Mass., was named Lender of the Year by Boston Agent magazine for the third consecutive year. He ranks as the No. 1 producer at Guaranteed Rate, closing $457.9 million in funded loans exclusively in 2017.

Banosian is the company's branch manager and vice president of mortgage lending.

Mackenzie (Nurse) Giuffre, MBA ’10 and husband Adam, MBA ’11, Luzern, Switzerland, write: “We and big sister Evelyn Rose welcomed Cora Shyne into the future Bentley Falcon family on November 1, 2017.”

2003 Jason M. D’Entremont, Norwell, Mass., was recognized as a top national financial adviser by Northwestern Mutual for his commitment and drive to help families and businesses plan for and achieve financial security.

The recognition includes being inducted into the company’s elite membership, the 2018 Forum Group.

2007 Blake Reynolds, Worcester, Mass., is now the manager of office operations for the global portfolio of offices at Boston tech company Zerto.

2008 Kunal Shah and wife Disha Doshi welcomed daughter Samara on December 23, 2017.

2009

10th Reunion June 1 to 2, 2019 Tori Piskulick married Peter Fink in their hometown of San Diego, Calif., on April 14, 2018.

Alexandra Wyman married Joseph Brittain on June 3, 2018, in Charleston, S.C. She is a television producer and director in New York City.

2010 Kim (Angelovich) Currier, MSMA ’10 and husband Ross, MST ’11, Chelsea, Mass., welcomed daughter Ella Janet on June 16, 2018.

Kyle Fabian, MST ’12 married Kelly Mee ’11, MST ’12 on July 7, 2018, in Bryn Athyn, Penn. The couple lives in Boston.

Alex Kearney and Sam Maher wed in Harpswell, Maine, on June 30, 2018.

The couple lives in San Francisco.

BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 23

CLASS NOTES >> 2010 continued Ashley (Insel) Ruggeri and husband Jim, Ashland, Mass., welcomed son Albie James on July 24, 2018.

Stephanie Sachetta and Abbey Underwood married in Sheldon, Vt., on August 18, 2018, and reside nearby in St. Albans.

Jason Westrol and Alaura Berry ’11 said “I do” on August 18, 2018, in San Diego, Calif. The couple lives in New York City.

2011 Alaura Berry and Jason Westrol ’10 said “I do” on August 18, 2018, in San Diego, Calif. The couple lives in New York City.

SPOTLIGHT: VICTORIA WATTS '98

BY MOLLY MCKINNON

What do mustard and moisturizer have in common?

Victoria (Guenther) Watts ’98.

The alumna is founder and president of an all-natural skincare line, VictoriaLand Beauty. But her first taste of business came as a student, serving as marketing manager for a product that her father’s company produces. Watts ran taste tests for Ipswich Ale Mustard in her New Product Development and Marketing course.

More than a decade later, she was in test mode again.

Personal skincare challenges had prompted her search for “a natural, pure treatment,” she says. “I was getting frustrated using product after product, so I took matters into my own hands.”

Literally: Watts began mixing ingredients such as essential oils and botanical extracts in her kitchen. Every Wednesday, her home became “VictoriaLand,” where her BFFs gathered to try out what she had made the night before.

The company that Watts went on to create now offers three 5-star rated products, including face and neck cream, eye and lip treatment, and face oil. In August, VictoriaLand Beauty launched a travel-size collection of all three.

Watts counts marketing faculty member Perry Lowe as a mentor. “He was always so supportive,” she says. “Being able to use what I was learning in the classroom in a hands-on situation helped prepare me for owning and running my own business.”

That includes using her business for good. VictoriaLand Beauty donates 2 percent of sales to the Dream Dare Deliver campaign at Boston Children’s Hospital. The hospital was a vital resource when Watts’s 2-year-old son, Cyrus, was born with a hereditary disorder that affects the retina.

“Creating the business, I wanted to have one of our core values be social responsibility, and this was a natural fit.”

Watts says. “The amazing team at Children’s empowered our dream for Cyrus and others like him to live a happy, fulfilling life.”

Adam Giuffre, MBA and wife Mackenzie (Nurse) ’02, MBA ’10, Luzern, Switzerland, write: “We and big sister Evelyn Rose welcomed Cora Shyne into the future Bentley Falcon family on November 1, 2017.”

Rebecca Hernandez wed Neel Jhaveri at Maison Dupuy in New Orleans, La., on April 6, 2018. The couple resides in the Boston area.

Chris Kuchta and Carolyn Schrade ’13 wed in July 2017.

The couple lives in upstate New York.

Kelly Mee, MST ’12 and Kyle Fabian ’10, MST ’12 married on July 7, 2018, in Bryn Athyn, Penn. The couple lives in Boston.

Jared Sirota and Mariel Crystall exchanged vows on November 12, 2017, at the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, N.Y. Fellow Falcons in the wedding party included Scott Berger, Matthew Cohen, Chris Kuchta and Jeremy Smith. The couple is living in New York City.

2012 Lisa Ann Landry, Waltham, Mass., reports she has switched firms and is practicing international and domestic tax, business, and trusts and estates law with Vacovec, Mayotte & Singer, LLP in Newton.

Robert “Bobby” Reardon, Belmont, Mass., had an eventful week this past May. He writes: “I was sworn in as a member of the Cambridge Police Department on May 21 after previously serving as a Belmont police officer. And on May 24, I graduated from the Harvard University Extension School with a master’s degree in management.”

Holly Selvitella and Spencer McKenna wed on August 19, 2017, at Granite Links in Quincy, Mass. Many fellow Falcons were on hand for the special day. The wedding party included Katie Howard, Laura Piantedosi, Jennelle Brosseau, Chris Higgins, Richard Travers and Max Smith ’13. The couple lives in South Boston.

2013 Hayden Ziebel-Lipitz, MSA ’14, East Longmeadow, Mass., was promoted to manager at the Boston office of WilliamsMarston LLC. Carolyn Schrade married Chris Kuchta ’11 in July 2017. The couple lives in upstate New York.

2014

5th Reunion June 1 to 2, 2019 Elizabeth (Papp) Putnam, MBA and husband Cale, North Grafton, Mass., welcomed Anthony Joseph on April 9, 2018.

2015 April Yeung and Ryan Creegan tied the knot in July 2018 surrounded by fellow Falcons.

2016 Zachary Clifford, MSFP ’17, East Walpole, Mass., writes: “I successfully passed the CFP in July, becoming one of the youngest in the country to pass the exam using my Bentley education. Once I satisfy the experience requirement, I will officially be able to call myself a CFP.”

LEARN MORE | victorialandbeauty.com 24 | WINTER 2018

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ALUMNA

<< FAMILY << CLASS MATTERS NOTES

Eight Degrees and Counting Matthew Freitag’s family adopted a puppy while he was at college, a yellow Lab they named Bentley. Everyone agreed it was an appropriate fit: Matt ’16 is one of five in his extended clan to attend the university.

BY MARY K. PRATT

The other Falcons are Shamus McBride, who is a cousin of Matt’s father; Shamus’s wife, Claudine (Bono) McBride; her brother, Mark Bono; and, as of last May, Mark’s son, Matthew Bono.

Mark ’83, MBA ’90 was the first to enroll. He liked that Bentley was a commutable distance from his home in Medford. Moreover, says the former Accountancy major, it was a good-size school without being so big that he couldn’t get to know his professors.

Claudine ’89, MBA ’94 followed, impressed by Mark’s experience. “I thought Bentley would prepare me to go out in the world,” she remembers.

Meanwhile, her future husband was heading to campus from his hometown of Adams, Mass. Shamus ’89, MST ’94 had been drawn by Bentley’s proximity to Boston, beautiful setting and top-notch academics. He particularly liked being part of a groundbreaking program that, in fall 1985, issued a portable personal computer to every first-year student.

“I will never forget being in the auditorium and seeing those computers,” says Shamus, who applied the technology in his Accountancy major.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE FAMILY

Post-Bentley life has been good. Mark is the founder and managing partner of financial services firm PTG Consulting. Finance major Claudine joined a company accounting department and became its controller before staying home to raise her family. Shamus is a managing director at Goldman Sachs.

All three made return trips to their alma mater to earn graduate degrees.

Their collective endorsement of Bentley is not lost on the next generation.

“The family connection wasn’t the driving factor, but it was a consideration.

It was a legacy I wanted to carry on,” says Matthew ’18, a client associate at Merrill Lynch. The former Finance major decided to study business while in high school, just like his aunt and uncle.

Matt Freitag tells a similar story, noting that networking with Shamus helped him prepare for college and his own professional career. He is a client adviser at RINET Company LLC and pursuing the MS in Financial Planning at Bentley.

Could more family members follow? College sweethearts Claudine and Shamus have twin boys who are now seniors, with Bentley on their short list of college picks.

“It’s hard not to show favoritism,” Claudine admits. “Bentley has a lot to offer.”

BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 25

INSIDE JOB >>

<< CLASS << INSIDE NOTES JOB

SLOW TO GO FAST We were trying to solve a simple dilemma: How do you cook a burger fast but also maintain high quality? Oddly enough, we ended up going with something slower in order to create speed — a technique called sous-vide, which cooks food for long periods at low temperature in a water bath. Then we do a quick sear before serving.

CULTURE CLUB When people talked about “culture” at a business, I thought it was a fantasy concept. But at Chipotle I worked with individuals making minimum wage, and they were happier than many people I saw working in finance — that’s because of company culture. We worked hard, but we were rewarded for it with small perks, like paid breaks and free food. It said to people, this company values my energy.

CREATING BUY-IN Every single decision, from toasting the bun to saucing the burger at the end, has to serve a dual purpose, benefiting customers and employees. We have a very specific process in how the burger is created. Each step was modified by an employee over time, and eventually created the most efficient process for making the burger.

Each task has a purpose and a mission, so employees can buy in and feel attached to what they’re doing.

Building the Perfect Burger Adrian Wong ’08 worked in finance but dreamed of finding an industry he could disrupt with new technology to improve a product. His search ended at the local burger joint. Using a revolutionary cooking technique, Wong hit on the Holy Grail of fast food: a patty that is both low cost and high taste. Next he took a night job at Chipotle for an employee’s view of the industry. Today, Wong’s year-old Beta Burger, in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, wins raves for exceptionally juicy burgers, customizable with two dozen toppings.

PHOTOS BY JOY DELUC

PURSUIT OF PERFECTION The mission of Beta Burger is in the name: “to test.” We are all in pursuit of the perfect burger, and I’m not here to judge what you think is the right one. When we go about creating a burger, we go by three taste-bud factors: sweet, salt and sour. We’ve offered some unexpected combinations, for example, putting marshmallow on a burger. There was a lot of skepticism, but the marshmallow provided a subtle sweetness, while the beef and the sauces added the salt and the sour.

When people tried it, they were impressed.

RECIPE FOR GROWTH I want to open two more stores in Boston within two years’ time. To me, it is essential to make the Boston region our home base and for outsiders to recognize us as the Boston burger that is making waves in the area. From there, I plan to target other areas with a very focused urban population, such as Providence.

GETTING SAUCY Burger places today are all about the sauce. But if you compare them, at the end of the day, everybody’s secret sauce tastes the same.

That’s why we call ours “not-so-secret sauce.”

I will tell you right now, it is chipotle mayo. We differentiate ourselves by how we cook the burger.

And also by our homemade steak sauce — I can’t tell you what’s in that.

As told to Michael Blanding

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CLASS NOTES >>

Weddings 2.

1.

3.

5.

4.

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6.

<< CLASS NOTES

7.

8.

9.

10.

12.

1. Kyle Fabian ’10, MST ’12 and Kelly Mee ’11, MST ’12 2. Jason Westrol ’10 and Alaura Berry ’11 3. Stephanie Sachetta ’10 and Abbey Underwood ’10 4. Alexandra Wyman ’09 and Joseph Brittain 5. Holly Selvitella ’12 and Spencer McKenna ’12 6. April Yeung ’15 and Ryan Creegan ’15 7. Tori Piskulick ’09 and Peter Fink 8. Carolyn Schrade ’13 and Chris Kuchta ’11 9. Alex Kearney ’10 and Sam Maher ’10 10. Anthony Patwary ’89 and Ana Carmo 11. Rebecca Hernandez ’11 and Neel Jhaveri 12. Jared Sirota ’11 and Mariel Crystall

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11.

CLASS NOTES >>

SPOTLIGHT: PAUL COCCOVILLO ’00

BY KRISTIN LIVINGSTON

When Facebook acquires a company like Instagram or WhatsApp, the fit of technology seems natural. Not so in 2014, when the social media colossus bought Oculus VR and its virtual reality headset, the Oculus Rift.

“This software-based giant had no idea how to lay the basis for a consumer hardware company,” says Paul Coccovillo ’00, whom Facebook tapped for help. His credentials: helping to launch the Xbox One and Surface tablet at Microsoft, as well as reviving Verifone after its 2013 crash.

As controller for Oculus and Building 8, Facebook’s research innovation lab, Coccovillo built a leadership team that could give Oculus the best practices to operate efficiently at super speed. The 40-person startup grew into a multinational corporation, shipping its product to 60 retailers in the first year.

“You have engineers and researchers with great ideas and drive,” he says, “but not knowing what’s required to get a product to market, to bridge the cost of production in China, shipment to the U.S., and put this vision into the hands of every man, woman and child in an economical way.”

The Rift, he adds, “broke a lot of preconceptions” about how quickly an innovative product could be put within reach of the average consumer. In 2014, the standard price for a high-end headset and PC was around $2,000. Just four years later, the cost has come down 90 percent. As Coccovillo puts it: “We’re democratizing VR.” Defying expectations is nothing new for the kid who grew up down the runway from Boston’s Logan Airport. The first in his family and one of very few in the neighborhood to attend college, Coccovillo earned an accounting degree and developed a knack for joining companies on the cusp of a transformative acquisition or VC investment, like Nantucket Nectars and Annie’s Homegrown.

In May 2018, a top-secret project lured Coccovillo away from Facebook. But he calls his work on the Rift the most rewarding of his career.

“Disabled vets can put on a headset and experience having a working body again; they can relearn how to use their motor skills. It’s peace and escape from their reality, just for a little while.”

Coccovillo welcomes Falcons to San Francisco for a Bentley alumni event.

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PHOTO BY DOUG CODY PHOTOGRAPHY

Gatherings Homecoming and Family Weekend Thousands of Falcons and their friends and family were on campus this fall, cheering on the home team at Homecoming and celebrating the inauguration of President Alison Davis-Blake at Family Weekend!

PHOTOS BY BRIAN SMITH AND ASHLEY MCCABE

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CLASS NOTES >>

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PHOTOS BY BRIAN SMITH AND ASHLEY MCCABE

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CLASS NOTES >>

In Memoriam 1937

1952

1959

George Lovejoy

Alfonso “Al” Apruzzese

Peter Carr

Joseph (Constantineau) Constant

Salvatore Ciampa

1953

1960

Costanzo Fustolo, P ’80

Richard Hedberg

Richard Valeri

Margaret (Incrovato) St. Andre

1945 Dawn (Lundstedt) Bailey

1947 Marjorie (Maker) Michel

Thomas Thomas

Dale Sherburne

1954

William Winrow

Richard Kamieniecki

1962

Thomas McMahon

Carl Conti

Charles Chamberlain

1955

1963

Arnold Marcus

Peter Bassaline

Robert Edins

1948

Raymond Hayes

1949

Merwin Sheinwald

B. Benjamin Cavallo

1964 David Dirubbo, P ’90

Francis Dignan

1956

Victor Elder

Wilfred Cote

Jacob Selig

Russell Sample

1965

Nick Tassielli

William Bradley, P ’93 ’98

1950

James Newell

Robert Valway

Margaret Flaherty

1957

Ivanhoe Gleason

Joel Dubrow

1967

Alfred “Freddie” Meninno

Leonard Gallant, P ’90

James Collins

Francis Philip

David McWhirt

William O’Grady

Francis Sabatino

James Shirton

Montcalm Strever

Michael Thomas

1968

Ronald Thompson

Edward Clermont

1951

Philip Rooney

Robert Callahan

1958

Norman Henk

Richard Bullwinkle, P ’83

M.J. “Joe” Manning

Jo Anne (Horton) Ziaja

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Watch your inbox for the digital version of the magazine, which will include links to online obituaries.

<< CLASS NOTES

1969

1984

Donald Melanson

Jeffrey Miller, MSCIS

1970

1985

Richard Gibbs

David Thomas

Kenneth Roberts

1986

1973

John Nugent

Bert Hammel

1987

1975 Joseph Bouchard

1976 Christos Liapopoulos, P ’89

Enrique Garcia

1989 Benjamin Etheridge, MBA, P ’13

1993 Donna (Canty) Smith

1977 Malcolm Locke

1995

Thomas Nee, MST

John Bilafer, MSF ’99

Muguette (LeBlanc) Rocha William Sullivan

1998 Ronald Aparicio

1978

Christopher Ormsbee

Steven Pressman

2009

George Strobel

James Palombo

1979

2016

Judith Cummings

Craig McCullough, MBA

Frank Kelly Jr. ’68, P ’96 1948 – 2018 The next time you crack open a can of Coke or Pepsi, stop and think of Frank Kelly. The trustee emeritus spent 24 years with The Coca-Cola Company in executive positions here and abroad.

At retirement, he was vice president, as well as executive vice president of Coca-Cola Nestle.

Francis Kelly Jr. was born in Boston on June 22, 1946. A graduate of Cambridge Latin, Bentley and Harvard Business School, Mr. Kelly loved golf and his hometown sports teams. In the late 1970s, he took a brief hiatus from his career with Coke to become president and CEO of PepsiCo Japan. In 1992, Mr. Kelly joined Bentley’s Board of Trustees and helped lead the college into the new century; he was also a member of many other for- and nonprofit boards. This June, he celebrated his 50th Bentley reunion. He is survived by his beloved wife of 40 years, Masako; five sons, including Simon Kelly ’96; and six grandchildren.

Annmarie Daley William Dunphy John Heffernon William Loughery

1983 Harold Mead

Of Special Note

Ahmed Maruf, a student in the Class of 2020, passed away after battling cancer. In his memory, classmates helped raise money dedicated to building wells in India, Nepal and Pakistan and a school and mosque in Malawi.

BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 35

CLASS NOTES >>

Future Falcons

1.

2.

3.

4.

1. Cora Shyne and big sister Evelyn Rose, daughters of Mackenzie (Nurse) ’02, MBA ’10 and Adam, MBA ’11 Giuffre 2. Anthony Joseph, son of Elizabeth (Papp) Putnam, MBA ’14 and husband Cale 3. Albie James, son of Ashley (Insel) Ruggeri ’10 and husband Jim

4. Ella J., daughter of Kim (Angelovich) ’10, MSMA ’10 and Ross ’10, MST ’11 Currier 5. Samara, daughter of Kunal Shah ’08 and wife Disha Doshi

SAVE THE DATE

Class of 1969 and Blue and Gold Society: May 29 to 30, 2019 Classes of 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989 and 1994: May 31 to June 1, 2019 Classes of 1999 and 2004: May 4, 2019 Classes of 2009 and 2014: June 1 to 2, 2019

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5.

“I couldn’t have come to Bentley without financial aid; I got a lot of help. It’s only been a couple of months, but I’ve learned so much and made so many awesome friends.

This is my school, and I can’t imagine not being here.”

— Naqi Abbas ’22, New Jersey Economics-Finance

7 OUT OF 10 STUDENTS WOULDN’T BE HERE WITHOUT FINANCIAL AID. Students need — and rely on — your help to make the most of their time at Bentley.

The Bentley Fund supports students right now. Make sure they have the same Bentley experience — the teachers, classes, internships, clubs, sports and lifelong friendships — as you did.

Give back by making a gift to the Bentley Fund today — and help students follow in your footsteps. bentley.edu/give

175 Forest Street Waltham, MA 02452 USA

University marshal and professor Joseph Newpol leads the academic procession.

PHOTO BY JOEL BENJAMIN