’04: Building the future of perinatal health

After years of hard work, community investment, and personal sacrifice, Quatia Osorio ’04 celebrated the grand opening of the Urban Perinatal Education Center in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in February 2022. “It’s a manifestation of what it means to actually dream big,” says Osorio.

“This is a culmination of what is feasible if you really believe, what is attainable if you persevere.”

A Rhode Island native, Osorio attended Bryant during a time of social reckoning and change kickstarted by Enron’s collapse and the events of September 11, 2001. For Osorio, it was a time of personal growth and challenge as well. “I had three kids by the time I graduated,” she recalls. Pregnant while living on campus, Osorio entered preterm labor during the academic year and negotiated a special arrangement to stay on campus in the dormitory then known as Hall 6 while maintaining a busy academic schedule until birth. Her favorite Bryant classes, she says, focused on practical skills that prepared her for her career after Bryant.

“I wanted someone who was going to give me real-life applications,” she says. She learned other real-life skills at Bryant outside the classroom. As a Black woman at a predominantly white institution, she learned firsthand the difficulties that life after college would present her. “My freedom fighting energy really started at Bryant,” she says. “So many times, we got into arguments with the administration about diversity issues on campus and tried to make it better.” and, seeing the profound need for more women’s healthcare advocates in Rhode Island, she took an interest in training other women as doulas. “My first training had 26 people,” she recalls with a smile. The momentum continued to build as she formed collectives, organized political activism, and brought together healthcare providers from a range of disciplines to solve critical problems facing pregnant Black women and families. She continued her education all the while, earning numerous professional certifications, including one in Human Resources Development from Bryant in 2015, and a second Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Philadelphia University in 2022. in areas with historically poor maternal health outcomes. In Rhode Island, Black women have adverse pregnancy outcomes at a greater rate than white women, a disparity that holds across lines of socioeconomic status and education.

The Urban Perinatal Education Center was her solution. Though UPEC began as an online pilot program during the COVID-19 pandemic, Osorio always wanted UPEC to occupy a permanent physical space.

“I’m not going to rent,” she says, “because Black people are worth an investment. We deserve to have something that’s ours, that we own.”

JIM ZAHANSKY ’95: Learning and growing for a lifetime

Business, management, and finance became the most popular college majors in the 1980s and 1990s, and James Zahansky ’95 Principal, Managing Partner, and Chief Goals Strategist at Weiss, Hale & Zahansky Wealth Management Partners, knew it was a field in which he could thrive.

through his membership in the Bryant Wall Street Council, a network of alumni, parents, and friends who work in the financial services fields. “I stayed connected with Bryant over the years, but when the Wall Street Council was formed, it was the biggest driver of my engagement,” he says.

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Healthcare programs at Bryant

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The Urban Perinatal Education Center (UPEC) addresses maternal care and outcome disparities in Rhode Island’s historically under-served Black community by providing childbirth education and services to pregnant mothers and families. As a licensed doula and community health worker, and as a mother of five children, Osorio understands the challenges Black and BIPOC mothers face from a medical system that has historically failed to adequately serve their needs, so she built UPEC with them in mind. “It needs to look like us and feel like us,” she says. “And when people come here, they’re going to see us. And there’s no judgment.

There’s just that cultural nuance of sheer lived experience and the complexity of what it’s like to be a Black person, a Black woman, in the United States, in Rhode Island.”

She and her peers engaged through BroSis, a platform for students of color to discuss pertinent issues on campus relating to discrimination, bias, and conflict resolution to support each other and navigate academia together.

After graduating from Bryant with a Bachelor’s of Science in Management, Osorio spent several years raising her children at home. Her experiences of birth and motherhood, supported all the way by Black doulas and midwives, sparked her interest in Black women’s perinatal care. “What does it look like to show up for Black and brown people in our community?” she asks. “A lot of it is holding space, listening to what they need, understanding the complexities of their lives, [in order] to get [them] the resources that they need.”

She became a practicing doula herself

“ The Urban Perinatal Education Center in Pawtucket, Rhode Island is a manifestation of what it means to actually dream big. This is a culmination of what is feasible if you really believe, what is attainable if you persevere.”

– Quatia Osorio ’04

At a community-focused healthcare training in 2019, she met Jennie Joseph, a prominent national advocate for midwifery and women’s health. “I had written on my bucket list, ‘I would love to meet Jennie Joseph,’” says Osorio. “And then there she was.” Osorio and Joseph quickly formed a mentoring relationship, and Joseph brought her into the National Perinatal Task Force (NPTF), a group of advocates founded by Joseph that aims to eliminate racial and class disparities in birth outcomes.

Through her work with the NPTF, Osorio gained a new understanding of the need for physical perinatal “safe spots”

Alumni And Parent Networking Events

September 21 | San Francisco, CA

Osorio strives to be a mentor to the next generation of doulas and healthcare advocates, just as Joseph was for her. She understands the importance of using her platform and position of power to inspire those around her. “Everyone who worked on this building was Black,” she says proudly. “My advisory committee is all dope, phenomenal Black women who are leading radical revolutionary movements in maternal health. We didn’t have to do it the typical nonprofit way. We could do it under love and justice and liberation and freedom and say that it’s Black.” Blending her vision for equity with her business savvy, Osorio always keeps an eye on the future. “Even upon opening, I’m looking for my successor,” she says, “because that’s part of how businesses continue to grow and thrive.” Driven to build a more equitable healthcare system, Osorio thinks often of her long-term impact on the community.

“Permission to give Black and brown people choice in a way that is not constrictive or restrictive but allows them liberation, freedom and love,” she says, “is what I would like to leave as my legacy. And if I can,” she adds, “I’m definitely going to put my name on it.”

“I wanted a degree in a business discipline, and so the “Three Bs” were at the top of my list — Bryant, Babson, and Bentley,” he says. “But when I took my tour and saw the campus and opportunities to learn by doing, there was no question Bryant was the best option for me.”

“Bryant continues to impress me. I’m proud of my alma mater for so many reasons”

– James Zahansky ’95

Right after graduation from Bryant, Zahansky carved out a successful career as an executive in the pharmaceutical industry. “I was recruited to work in pharmaceutical sales, and had countless opportunities to advance my career,” he says. Increasing work responsibility included leading many brands and ultimately the responsibility for a U.S. business unit. After almost 20 years, Zahansky reconsidered his professional and personal priorities.

September 15 | Tempe, AZ

BRYANT GET-TOGETHER IN ARIZONA

The Bryant community gathered in Arizona after a long hiatus. Bryant bulldogs, Troy Byrd ’01, Spencer Sweitzer ’12, Sarah (Krabbe) Sweitzer ’13, Steven Brodeur ’16, Jennifer McCarron ’97, Adam Katz ’89, Stephen Boulter ’74, Nataly Cardona ’13, Taylor Freitas ’18, Alexander Mangione-Smith ’20, Yongjie Lian ‘20, Jordan Silverman ’22, Ethan Edwards ’83, Will Felix ’21, and Matthew Garrison ’20 reconnected over food, drinks, and countless Bryant stories!

BRYANT MEET AND GREET WITH DR. BOYER Bay Area alumni welcomed Professor Stefanie Boyer, Ph.D. to San Francisco and were treated to tips from her book, Little Black Book of Social Media. Pictured here with Professor Boyer are: Matthew Stafford ’20, Casey Brine ’21, James Grant ’16, Anthony Ciampa ’16, Michael Gurevich ’96, and Corey Rider ’10.

“It was an amazing learning experience to serve on the board of BRYCOL, (an on-campus organization which managed all businesses on campus), to learn and participate in every facet,” says Zahansky. “From the practical such as understanding revenue and processing payroll, to the softer skills of hiring and training great employees, all of us who participated were prepared well on top of the hallmark stellar classroom education.”

Over the years, the spirit of the former BRYCOL has been incorporated into the Bryant curriculum, with students gaining practical, hands-on experience through internships, study abroad, corporate recruiting services, alumni mentoring, and alumni networking.

Zahansky is proud to participate as a mentor and advisor to Bryant students

View more pictures at facebook.com/bryantalumni/photos

October 20 | Nashville, TN

BRYANT RECEPTION IN NASHVILLE

Transitioning into financial services enabled Zahansky to further his skill set and gave him a chance to own his own business, building on the expertise he developed while leading pharmaceutical brands. He leads the overall practice with his partners at Weiss, Hale & Zahansky Strategic Wealth Advisors and coaches clients on how to maximize returns to meet their financial goals. “I’m able to spend more quality time with our clients, and am rewarded by helping them achieve their objectives,” he says.

Owning his own company has enabled Zahansky to have more free time, in which he prioritizes his family, but also finds time to support the University.

“Bryant continues to impress me,” says Zahansky. “I’m proud of my alma mater for so many reasons, including that it’s one of the nation’s premier schools for preparing graduates for their careers.

I’d encourage every alum to step up and see how they can share their knowledge and experience.” expanding on its undergraduate programs in Health Sciences, Biology, and Psychology. In addition to the successful graduate program in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS), which started in fall 2015, SHBS has just announced a new graduate program, the Master of Science in Healthcare Informatics (MSHI). Bryant’s MSHI program provides a holistic understanding of the healthcare system and emphasizes the need for collaboration to improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.

“While many healthcare education programs address the business and clinical aspects independently, our programs provide a more comprehensive and effective approach to addressing current and future healthcare challenges,”

New CFO

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Media, Arts, and Humanities. Ng also served as vice president for business affairs/treasurer at Scripps College in Claremont, CA, and senior associate provost for budget and planning at Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA.

At Bryant University, Ng will be engaged with all aspects of the University’s operating and capital

October 21 | Bryant University in Istanbul, Turkey says Kirsten Hokeness, Ph.D., Director of the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences. plans and budgets, as well as funding for the Vision 2030 strategic plan and its commitment to real-world ready education and superior student outcomes.

Bryant’s Innovative Healthcare Leadership Graduate Certificate provides an important resource for business professionals looking to enter or advance in the healthcare industry and individuals considering an MBA as a path to career growth. Graduates have the option of “stacking” the Certificate courses to enroll in Bryant’s Professional MBA Online (PMBA) program, and PMBA students may choose the Innovative Healthcare Leadership specialization.

For more information on programs offered by the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences and the College of Business, visit www.bryant.edu.

Bryant will host a Healthcare Leadership Summit on May 6, 2023.

Ng holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Boston College and a Master of Business Administration from Babson College.

Alumni in the Nashville area were thrilled to welcome Bryant’s Honors Program students to the city with a fun reception at Acme Feed & Seed.

October 6 | NYC, NY

NYC TIPOFF RECEPTION WITH MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH JARED GRASSO

Alumni and friends meet up with Men’s Basketball Coach Jared Grasso at the 40/40 Club in NYC.

Left to Right: Meagan Connelly, Bryant Athletic Development Director, and Eileen and Jamie Doppelt, widow and daughter, respectively, of the late Jeff Doppelt ’73 and great patrons of Bryant University.

Parents Irden and Hasan Ulusoy P’25 hosted alumni and parents for dinner in Istanbul as part of a trip to explore connections with educational institutions in Turkey.

Associate Dean of the College of Business Diya Das, Ph.D. poses with some of her former students at a special reception and dinner hosted by current parents Irden and Hasan Ulusoy P’25 in Istanbul, Turkey.