UMass Boston Magazine, Fall 2019

Volume 20, 17, Number 1 Fall/Winter Fall 2019 2014-2015

UMass Boston A M AG A Z I N E F O R A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A S S AC H U S E T T S B O S TO N

Finding a Home Residence Halls Promote Community

Also in this issue: • Commencement Comes Home • Digital Entrepreneur Paul English ’87, ’89, H ’19 • Just Imagine Goes Over the Top

UMass Boston

UMass Boston VOL. 20, NO. 1, FALL 2019

A Message from the Chancellor During its 55-year history, the University of Massachusetts Boston has on occasion been faced with seismic opportunities and challenges that have made our university what it is today—a place that feels more and more like home.

When our university welcomed its first class in 1965, renovations were still underway in the former Columbia Gas building in downtown Boston, the primary facility for the newly established UMass Boston. Less than a decade later, in 1974, the university moved to the new “Harbor Campus” here on Columbia Point, an oceanfront location that is unparalleled in its beauty. The closure of our underground garages in 2006 signaled another significant change—the development of a comprehensive master plan to enhance the campus with new academic buildings and infrastructure.

The opening of the first residence halls on the UMass Boston campus in fall 2018 began another significant, but decidedly unique, chapter in the story of our university. For the first time, students enrolled at UMass Boston would have the opportunity to live on campus with fellow students, sharing social and academic experiences, and creating community.

In this issue of UMass Boston magazine, we take a look at the changes that residential life on campus have brought to our university, particularly through the experiences of students who are embarking on their second year as resident assistants. We always knew—as national data show— that providing a living-and-learning environment on our campus would boost student success, and we were pleased to hear that the benefits of residence halls extend to the broader student body. The themes that students most frequently mentioned were opportunity, community, and home. I am so pleased that we are continuing to build a home for students at UMass Boston!

I hope you find this issue of UMass Boston as engaging as I do, with its stories about our stellar alumni and students, generous donors, and efforts to enhance UMass Boston’s presence in the capital city of our commonwealth.

—Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman

VO L U M E 2 0 , N U M B E R 1 , FA L L 2 0 1 9

UMass Boston is a magazine for alumni and friends of the University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston State College, the State College at Boston, the State Teachers College at Boston, the Teachers College of the City of Boston, and Boston Normal School.

IN THIS ISSUE

8

Interim Chancellor Katherine S. Newman

9

Interim Provost Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Emily McDermott

Undergraduate Shares Breakthrough Prize Joseph Farah ’20 Is Part of the Team that Photographed a Black Hole Finding a Home at UMass Boston New Residence Halls Promote Community, Student Success

12 New Quad Will Reshape the Campus Landscape

Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Adam Wise

Grass Lawn Will Replace Stone Courtyard

14 Commencement Comes Home

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Engagement Allison Duffy

Commencement Ceremonies Return to Campus

18 Starting a Successful Business:

Director of Communications DeWayne Lehman

Art Director Sarah Weatherbee

21 Mutant Zebrafish Versus Tiny Telomeres

Associate Editors Peter Grennen Anne McLaughlin Crystal Valencia

cli 24

Designers Rose Coveney, Suzanne Korschun, Wendy Lanchester, Chansavanh Phanthalangsy

UMass Boston Magazine Office of Government Relations and Public Affairs University of Massachusetts Boston 100 Morrissey Boulevard Boston, MA 02125-3393 Phone: 617.287.5300 Email: news@umb.edu

Genetic Research Addresses Medical Concerns

23 Climate Changer

Writers Vanessa Carta, Vanessa Chatterley, Colleen Locke, Crystal Valencia

We welcome your inquiries and comments. Please direct them to:

21

Q & A with Paul English ’87, ’89, H ’19 Digital Entrepreneur Offers Tips for Success

Managing Editor Ed Hazell

Photo Credits Harry Brett (pp. 26–29, 35, 36) Ed Collier (pp. 9–11) Colleen Locke (p. 34) New York Times (p. 18) Janina Seibel (cover)

8

Kathleen Theoharides ’07 Shapes the Commonwealth’s Clean Energy and Climate Change Adaptation Policies

Opening Doors to Opportunity Bringing Together Students, Faculty, and Business

27 You CAN Scholarship

Helps Students Achieve Their Dreams

28 Over the Top

The Just Imagine Campaign Exceeds Its Goal

23

36 Boston State College and UMass Boston

Classes of 1969 Celebrate Alumni Gather for 50th Reunions

28

Departments 2

30

UNews Major happenings on campus since our last issue About Alumni Class notes from the ’60s to the present

34 Investing in UMass Boston

News of philanthropy and its extraordinary impact on the university Fall 2019 UMass Boston

n

1

UMass Boston

UMass Boston VOL. 20, NO. 1, FALL 2019

A Message from the Chancellor During its 55-year history, the University of Massachusetts Boston has on occasion been faced with seismic opportunities and challenges that have made our university what it is today—a place that feels more and more like home.

When our university welcomed its first class in 1965, renovations were still underway in the former Columbia Gas building in downtown Boston, the primary facility for the newly established UMass Boston. Less than a decade later, in 1974, the university moved to the new “Harbor Campus” here on Columbia Point, an oceanfront location that is unparalleled in its beauty. The closure of our underground garages in 2006 signaled another significant change—the development of a comprehensive master plan to enhance the campus with new academic buildings and infrastructure.

The opening of the first residence halls on the UMass Boston campus in fall 2018 began another significant, but decidedly unique, chapter in the story of our university. For the first time, students enrolled at UMass Boston would have the opportunity to live on campus with fellow students, sharing social and academic experiences, and creating community.

In this issue of UMass Boston magazine, we take a look at the changes that residential life on campus have brought to our university, particularly through the experiences of students who are embarking on their second year as resident assistants. We always knew—as national data show— that providing a living-and-learning environment on our campus would boost student success, and we were pleased to hear that the benefits of residence halls extend to the broader student body. The themes that students most frequently mentioned were opportunity, community, and home. I am so pleased that we are continuing to build a home for students at UMass Boston!

I hope you find this issue of UMass Boston as engaging as I do, with its stories about our stellar alumni and students, generous donors, and efforts to enhance UMass Boston’s presence in the capital city of our commonwealth.

—Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman

VO L U M E 2 0 , N U M B E R 1 , FA L L 2 0 1 9

UMass Boston is a magazine for alumni and friends of the University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston State College, the State College at Boston, the State Teachers College at Boston, the Teachers College of the City of Boston, and Boston Normal School.

IN THIS ISSUE

8

Interim Chancellor Katherine S. Newman

9

Interim Provost Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Emily McDermott

Undergraduate Shares Breakthrough Prize Joseph Farah ’20 Is Part of the Team that Photographed a Black Hole Finding a Home at UMass Boston New Residence Halls Promote Community, Student Success

12 New Quad Will Reshape the Campus Landscape

Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Adam Wise

Grass Lawn Will Replace Stone Courtyard

14 Commencement Comes Home

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Engagement Allison Duffy

Commencement Ceremonies Return to Campus

18 Starting a Successful Business:

Director of Communications DeWayne Lehman

Art Director Sarah Weatherbee

21 Mutant Zebrafish Versus Tiny Telomeres

Associate Editors Peter Grennen Anne McLaughlin Crystal Valencia

cli 24

Designers Rose Coveney, Suzanne Korschun, Wendy Lanchester, Chansavanh Phanthalangsy

UMass Boston Magazine Office of Government Relations and Public Affairs University of Massachusetts Boston 100 Morrissey Boulevard Boston, MA 02125-3393 Phone: 617.287.5300 Email: news@umb.edu

Genetic Research Addresses Medical Concerns

23 Climate Changer

Writers Vanessa Carta, Vanessa Chatterley, Colleen Locke, Crystal Valencia

We welcome your inquiries and comments. Please direct them to:

21

Q & A with Paul English ’87, ’89, H ’19 Digital Entrepreneur Offers Tips for Success

Managing Editor Ed Hazell

Photo Credits Harry Brett (pp. 26–29, 35, 36) Ed Collier (pp. 9–11) Colleen Locke (p. 34) New York Times (p. 18) Janina Seibel (cover)

8

Kathleen Theoharides ’07 Shapes the Commonwealth’s Clean Energy and Climate Change Adaptation Policies

Opening Doors to Opportunity Bringing Together Students, Faculty, and Business

27 You CAN Scholarship

Helps Students Achieve Their Dreams

28 Over the Top

The Just Imagine Campaign Exceeds Its Goal

23

36 Boston State College and UMass Boston

Classes of 1969 Celebrate Alumni Gather for 50th Reunions

28

Departments 2

30

UNews Major happenings on campus since our last issue About Alumni Class notes from the ’60s to the present

34 Investing in UMass Boston

News of philanthropy and its extraordinary impact on the university Fall 2019 UMass Boston

n

1

UNEWS

Venture Development Center Hits $1 Billion Funding Milestone

T

en years ago, UMass Boston renovated an 18,000-square-foot student cafeteria in Wheatley Hall, turning it into an award-winning R&D space.

This year, as it caps off its first decade in operation, the Venture Development Center (VDC) has a lot to celebrate. The VDC surpassed the $1 billion mark in investments, which have gone to support 102 start-up companies now employing 1,128 people. The center now hosts 31 start-ups, including Marigold Health, Aday Technologies, and AirWorks.

Since its opening, the center has also provided UMass Boston students with internships at participating firms, workshops, courses, and seminars. The connections established among more than 100 companies and 2,000 students have often resulted in job offers upon graduation.

“Our students, faculty, and entrepreneurs can be proud of having built something that has made a meaningful contribution to both economic growth and opportunity in Massachusetts,” said William Brah, the founder and director of the self-funding VDC, which also topped $1 million in annual revenue for the first time this year.

Bookshelf Alumni and Faculty Publications Lisa Duffy ’09, ’12 calls her second novel “the closest I’ll ever get to writing a love story to my childhood.”

Released this summer, This Is Home has been described as a deeply affecting novel. It’s the story of a teenage girl finding her voice who unites with her new downstairs neighbor, a military wife, in a search for the true meaning of home.

“Unlike my debut, there’s some stuff from my own life in this book. . . . my middle apartment, triple-decker upbringing,” she said.

Duffy’s 2017 debut, The Salt House, became a book club favorite and landed her on several lists, including Bustle’s 17 Best Debut Novels by Women in 2017. Duffy had written the first scenes of the novel in an undergraduate creative writing class at UMass Boston. After graduating, she enrolled in the university’s MFA program.

Duffy is currently at work on her third novel, My Kind of People, which is due to be released from Atria Books in June 2020.

In her latest book, Downhill from Here: Retirement Insecurity in the Age of Inequality, Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman marshals dramatic statistics and paints vivid portraits to show that the American retirement crisis touches us all, cutting across class lines and generational divides. An acclaimed sociologist and author of more than a dozen books, Newman makes it clear in her latest book that America must do better for its seniors.

In Into the Jungle, alumna Erica Ferenick ’82 weaves a tale of one woman’s terrifying journey of survival in the Bolivian Amazon. The New York Times Book Review chose it as one of the “Summer of 2019’s Seven Best Thrillers.”

In The Not Good Enough Mother, Professor of Counseling and School Psychology Sharon Lamb, breaking from her usual scholarly books, weaves together stories of mothers and children she’s observed along with the deeply personal story of her search for the right treatment for her opioid-addicted son.

Professor of Public Policy and Public Affairs Mark Warren co-authored Lift Us Up, Don’t Push Us Out!: Voices from the Front Lines of the Educational Justice Movement, an anthology that tells stories of how black and brown parents, students, educators, and their allies are fighting back against systemic inequities and the mistreatment of children of color in low-income communities.

2

n

UMass Boston Fall 2019

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

n

3

UNEWS

Venture Development Center Hits $1 Billion Funding Milestone

T

en years ago, UMass Boston renovated an 18,000-square-foot student cafeteria in Wheatley Hall, turning it into an award-winning R&D space.

This year, as it caps off its first decade in operation, the Venture Development Center (VDC) has a lot to celebrate. The VDC surpassed the $1 billion mark in investments, which have gone to support 102 start-up companies now employing 1,128 people. The center now hosts 31 start-ups, including Marigold Health, Aday Technologies, and AirWorks.

Since its opening, the center has also provided UMass Boston students with internships at participating firms, workshops, courses, and seminars. The connections established among more than 100 companies and 2,000 students have often resulted in job offers upon graduation.

“Our students, faculty, and entrepreneurs can be proud of having built something that has made a meaningful contribution to both economic growth and opportunity in Massachusetts,” said William Brah, the founder and director of the self-funding VDC, which also topped $1 million in annual revenue for the first time this year.

Bookshelf Alumni and Faculty Publications Lisa Duffy ’09, ’12 calls her second novel “the closest I’ll ever get to writing a love story to my childhood.”

Released this summer, This Is Home has been described as a deeply affecting novel. It’s the story of a teenage girl finding her voice who unites with her new downstairs neighbor, a military wife, in a search for the true meaning of home.

“Unlike my debut, there’s some stuff from my own life in this book. . . . my middle apartment, triple-decker upbringing,” she said.

Duffy’s 2017 debut, The Salt House, became a book club favorite and landed her on several lists, including Bustle’s 17 Best Debut Novels by Women in 2017. Duffy had written the first scenes of the novel in an undergraduate creative writing class at UMass Boston. After graduating, she enrolled in the university’s MFA program.

Duffy is currently at work on her third novel, My Kind of People, which is due to be released from Atria Books in June 2020.

In her latest book, Downhill from Here: Retirement Insecurity in the Age of Inequality, Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman marshals dramatic statistics and paints vivid portraits to show that the American retirement crisis touches us all, cutting across class lines and generational divides. An acclaimed sociologist and author of more than a dozen books, Newman makes it clear in her latest book that America must do better for its seniors.

In Into the Jungle, alumna Erica Ferenick ’82 weaves a tale of one woman’s terrifying journey of survival in the Bolivian Amazon. The New York Times Book Review chose it as one of the “Summer of 2019’s Seven Best Thrillers.”

In The Not Good Enough Mother, Professor of Counseling and School Psychology Sharon Lamb, breaking from her usual scholarly books, weaves together stories of mothers and children she’s observed along with the deeply personal story of her search for the right treatment for her opioid-addicted son.

Professor of Public Policy and Public Affairs Mark Warren co-authored Lift Us Up, Don’t Push Us Out!: Voices from the Front Lines of the Educational Justice Movement, an anthology that tells stories of how black and brown parents, students, educators, and their allies are fighting back against systemic inequities and the mistreatment of children of color in low-income communities.

2

n

UMass Boston Fall 2019

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

n

3

UNEWS

Entrepreneur Dan Phillips Creates Opportunities for Students

Gastón Institute Receives $1 Million Donation from Robert and Diane Hildreth

P

ledging their commitment to support the commonwealth’s Latinx students, Robert and Diane Hildreth have donated $1 million to UMass Boston’s Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy, the region’s leading research and policy institute focusing on Latinx communities.

“This school is a statewide leader in educating Latinx students, and the Gastón Institute’s research and policy leadership are at the center of that important work,” Robert Hildreth said.

Hildreth is the founder of the Hildreth Institute, Inversant, and La Vida Scholars, three nonprofit organizations with

complementary missions to get lowincome students to college. A leading philanthropist in the areas of higher education and immigrant rights and a longtime donor to the Gastón Institute, he serves on UMass Boston’s Board of Visitors.

Through this investment, the institute will further expand its Latinx student success initiatives. In 2017, 19.5 percent of all newly enrolled full-time UMass Boston students were Latinx, and the university is close to reaching the 25 percent benchmark for becoming a Hispanic- Serving Institution in the near future.

Sarah DuBois-Coyne (l) and Joseph Farah

Students Earn Prestigious Goldwater Scholarships

U

ndergraduate students Sarah DuBoisCoyne and Joseph Farah became the first in university history to win a Goldwater Scholarship. They were chosen after a demanding competition involving 5,000 undergraduates across the United States.

This coveted recognition is reserved for the top science,engineering, and mathematics students who intend to pursue doctoral degrees.

L

ast year, UMass Boston established the Student Entrepreneur Program with the support of Dan Phillips, founding donor and chairman/founder of CloudHealth Technologies. The program offers workshops in the fall and spring semesters for all students interested in career opportunities in venture-capital backed growth companies. It also includes one-on-one mentoring to assist students in their search for internships and jobs, as well as scholarships for select students. Over his career, Phillips has been an executive in five venture-capital backed start-ups and is an advisor to the UMass Boston Venture Development Center.

“UMass Boston students are exactly the type I like to hire at my companies. They can handle adversity, want ownership, and require and expect little supervision. They have been exceptional,” Phillips said. “I am committed to making opportunities possible for more of them.”

Gastón Institute Director Lorna Rivera (left) with Diane and Robert Hildreth and Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman (seated)

4

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UMass Boston Fall 2019

Barr Foundation Awards Sustainable Solutions Lab $1 Million for Climate Resilience Work

T

he Barr Foundation has awarded $1 million to support climate resilience work at the Sustainable Solutions Lab (SSL). The funds will support research, convenings, and pilot projects to tackle challenges at the intersection of climate change and social equity.

“This investment from the Barr Foundation will empower SSL to dramatically ramp up our research, convening, and thought leadership to help solve some of the biggest challenges facing our region,” Sustainable Solutions Lab Director Rebecca Herst said.

DuBois-Coyne, also a recipient of an Alumni Association Scholarship, is majoring in biochemistry and has worked closely with Professor of Biology Alexey Veraksa, along with a professor at Harvard Medical School, to study a neuronal protein known as NF1. The protein prevents an overactive form of another protein, Ras, from causing human cancer.

“To have my work selected from a pool of the top STEM students in the country is truly humbling,” DuBois-Coyne said.

Photo: Christian Merfeld from Boston Harbor Now

Advancing Latinx Student College Success

In the past year, SSL, a partnership between five colleges and four institutes within UMass Boston, has released three major reports that address financing climate resilience, the feasibility of a harbor barrier as part of larger resilience efforts in coming decades, and the need for upgraded governance structures.

Little research to date has focused directly on the unique challenges that low-income communities and communities of color face in this time of climate change. By the fall of 2020, SSL plans to release a report on how Greater Boston residents view and experience climate change.

Dan Phillips (center) with students from the Student Entrepreneur Program Fall 2019 UMass Boston

n

5

UNEWS

Entrepreneur Dan Phillips Creates Opportunities for Students

Gastón Institute Receives $1 Million Donation from Robert and Diane Hildreth

P

ledging their commitment to support the commonwealth’s Latinx students, Robert and Diane Hildreth have donated $1 million to UMass Boston’s Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy, the region’s leading research and policy institute focusing on Latinx communities.

“This school is a statewide leader in educating Latinx students, and the Gastón Institute’s research and policy leadership are at the center of that important work,” Robert Hildreth said.

Hildreth is the founder of the Hildreth Institute, Inversant, and La Vida Scholars, three nonprofit organizations with

complementary missions to get lowincome students to college. A leading philanthropist in the areas of higher education and immigrant rights and a longtime donor to the Gastón Institute, he serves on UMass Boston’s Board of Visitors.

Through this investment, the institute will further expand its Latinx student success initiatives. In 2017, 19.5 percent of all newly enrolled full-time UMass Boston students were Latinx, and the university is close to reaching the 25 percent benchmark for becoming a Hispanic- Serving Institution in the near future.

Sarah DuBois-Coyne (l) and Joseph Farah

Students Earn Prestigious Goldwater Scholarships

U

ndergraduate students Sarah DuBoisCoyne and Joseph Farah became the first in university history to win a Goldwater Scholarship. They were chosen after a demanding competition involving 5,000 undergraduates across the United States.

This coveted recognition is reserved for the top science,engineering, and mathematics students who intend to pursue doctoral degrees.

L

ast year, UMass Boston established the Student Entrepreneur Program with the support of Dan Phillips, founding donor and chairman/founder of CloudHealth Technologies. The program offers workshops in the fall and spring semesters for all students interested in career opportunities in venture-capital backed growth companies. It also includes one-on-one mentoring to assist students in their search for internships and jobs, as well as scholarships for select students. Over his career, Phillips has been an executive in five venture-capital backed start-ups and is an advisor to the UMass Boston Venture Development Center.

“UMass Boston students are exactly the type I like to hire at my companies. They can handle adversity, want ownership, and require and expect little supervision. They have been exceptional,” Phillips said. “I am committed to making opportunities possible for more of them.”

Gastón Institute Director Lorna Rivera (left) with Diane and Robert Hildreth and Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman (seated)

4

n

UMass Boston Fall 2019

Barr Foundation Awards Sustainable Solutions Lab $1 Million for Climate Resilience Work

T

he Barr Foundation has awarded $1 million to support climate resilience work at the Sustainable Solutions Lab (SSL). The funds will support research, convenings, and pilot projects to tackle challenges at the intersection of climate change and social equity.

“This investment from the Barr Foundation will empower SSL to dramatically ramp up our research, convening, and thought leadership to help solve some of the biggest challenges facing our region,” Sustainable Solutions Lab Director Rebecca Herst said.

DuBois-Coyne, also a recipient of an Alumni Association Scholarship, is majoring in biochemistry and has worked closely with Professor of Biology Alexey Veraksa, along with a professor at Harvard Medical School, to study a neuronal protein known as NF1. The protein prevents an overactive form of another protein, Ras, from causing human cancer.

“To have my work selected from a pool of the top STEM students in the country is truly humbling,” DuBois-Coyne said.

Photo: Christian Merfeld from Boston Harbor Now

Advancing Latinx Student College Success

In the past year, SSL, a partnership between five colleges and four institutes within UMass Boston, has released three major reports that address financing climate resilience, the feasibility of a harbor barrier as part of larger resilience efforts in coming decades, and the need for upgraded governance structures.

Little research to date has focused directly on the unique challenges that low-income communities and communities of color face in this time of climate change. By the fall of 2020, SSL plans to release a report on how Greater Boston residents view and experience climate change.

Dan Phillips (center) with students from the Student Entrepreneur Program Fall 2019 UMass Boston

n

5

UMass Boston Remembers Chancellor Sherry H. Penney

UNEWS

New Sport Leadership and Administration BA Helps Students Get in the Game

A

n innovative new sport leadership and administration bachelor of arts program which launched this fall will prepare UMass Boston students for career opportunities in the sport industry. The program was made possible by a $5 million pledge—the largest in UMass Boston history—from the Boston-based global athletic apparel and footwear leader, New Balance.

“This very exciting public-private partnership between Boston’s only four-year public higher education institution and a Bostonbased leader in the sport industry will have a positive impact on generations of young people while providing significant benefits to the industry at the local, national, and international levels,” said Charlie Titus, vice chancellor for athletics and recreation, special projects and programs.

The program will be led by an endowed professor, the Dr. J. Keith Motley Chair for Sport Leadership and Administration, named after the university’s eighth chancellor, a former college basketball player and coach himself.

The program is designed to create new career pathways and bring additional diversity to the leadership and management ranks of the sport industry. A distinguished advisory board of sport legends will help to guide the program and develop internships for the students. Olympic track star Edwin Moses H ’09, former New England Patriot Andre Tippett, Boston Celtics star Tom “Satch” Sanders, and Baseball Hall of Fame executive Jeff Idelson are among the members.

Representatives of the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Sports Group, Boston Bruins, Boston Athletic Association, Boston Celtics, City Year, Boston Sports Museum, Bank of America, Citizens Bank, New England Patriots, ESPN, Reggie Lewis Center, and New Balance will round out the powerhouse board.

6

n

UMass Boston Fall 2019

The Beacons baseball team made their third trip to the College World Series this spring.

Beacons Compete in the College World Series (left to right) Former Chancellor J. Keith Motley, former New Balance President and CEO Rob DeMartine, Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman, and Vice Chancellor Charlie Titus

Joseph N. Cooper Named J. Keith Motley Chair

I

n September, Joseph N. Cooper was appointed the inaugural J. Keith Motley Endowed Chair for Sport Leadership and Administration. Cooper comes to UMass Boston from the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education.

His areas of expertise are sport management, gender and race in sport, and higher education.

His research focuses on the nexus between sport, education, race, and culture with an emphasis on sport as a catalyst for holistic development and positive changes in society.

B

eacons baseball finished their 2019 season tied for third in the country, falling just one win short of the championship series at the College World Series in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The team made their third trip to the College World Series this spring after winning their third NCAA Regional tournament title, a Super Regional title, and a conference record third-straight baseball championship. The Beacons also earned their highest national rankings to close out a season, ranking third on the American Baseball Coaches Association National Poll and fifth on the D3Baseball.com National Poll.

Men’s tennis also won both their Little East Conference regular season and tournament titles and set a new program record by winning 90.4 percent of their conference matches.

Sherry Penney, the longest-serving chancellor of UMass Boston and the first woman to lead the UMass system, passed away earlier this year at 81 with her husband James Livingston.

Known for her grit and determination, Penney made it her mission to advocate for diversity both on campus and in Boston’s corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors, in her own words working to “change the face of leadership in this region.”

Penney served as chancellor for 11 years, from 1988 to 1995 and from 1996 to 2000. She also served as interim president of the UMass system in 1995 and 1996. Upon her retirement in 2000, she founded the highly successful Center for Collaborative Leadership, serving as its director until 2012.

“Chancellor Penney was an extraordinary leader at UMass Boston and a good friend to the institution, even though in retirement she lived far away,” said Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman.

When she became chancellor of UMass Boston, Penney was faced with one of the most severe funding crises in university history, brought on by the state’s economic difficulties in the late 1980s. Nevertheless, she worked successfully to grow UMass Boston’s research enterprise and graduate program offerings. She also significantly deepened the university’s relationships with the surrounding, diverse communities of Boston, including her support for the founding of the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy and the Institute for Asian American Studies.

Penney understood the critical role of diversity as a source of the university’s strength. In 1988, less than a third of the faculty were female; by 2000, more than 41 percent were women. Faculty of color rose from under 13 percent in 1988 to 20 percent in 2000.

Over the years, Penney’s Center for Collaborative Leadership and its signature offering, the Emerging Leaders Program, has created a cadre of more than 800 diverse professionals who are filling leadership roles throughout Greater Boston.

“When someone reaches the age of 81 and your first thought is that they were taken far too soon, that is a life well-lived,” said Lisa DeAngelis, director of the Center for Collaborative Leadership. “Sherry believed that each of us had an obligation to step into our leadership and pushed us to do just that. She will be sorely missed, but the impact of her legacy will be felt for generations to come.”

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

n

7

UMass Boston Remembers Chancellor Sherry H. Penney

UNEWS

New Sport Leadership and Administration BA Helps Students Get in the Game

A

n innovative new sport leadership and administration bachelor of arts program which launched this fall will prepare UMass Boston students for career opportunities in the sport industry. The program was made possible by a $5 million pledge—the largest in UMass Boston history—from the Boston-based global athletic apparel and footwear leader, New Balance.

“This very exciting public-private partnership between Boston’s only four-year public higher education institution and a Bostonbased leader in the sport industry will have a positive impact on generations of young people while providing significant benefits to the industry at the local, national, and international levels,” said Charlie Titus, vice chancellor for athletics and recreation, special projects and programs.

The program will be led by an endowed professor, the Dr. J. Keith Motley Chair for Sport Leadership and Administration, named after the university’s eighth chancellor, a former college basketball player and coach himself.

The program is designed to create new career pathways and bring additional diversity to the leadership and management ranks of the sport industry. A distinguished advisory board of sport legends will help to guide the program and develop internships for the students. Olympic track star Edwin Moses H ’09, former New England Patriot Andre Tippett, Boston Celtics star Tom “Satch” Sanders, and Baseball Hall of Fame executive Jeff Idelson are among the members.

Representatives of the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Sports Group, Boston Bruins, Boston Athletic Association, Boston Celtics, City Year, Boston Sports Museum, Bank of America, Citizens Bank, New England Patriots, ESPN, Reggie Lewis Center, and New Balance will round out the powerhouse board.

6

n

UMass Boston Fall 2019

The Beacons baseball team made their third trip to the College World Series this spring.

Beacons Compete in the College World Series (left to right) Former Chancellor J. Keith Motley, former New Balance President and CEO Rob DeMartine, Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman, and Vice Chancellor Charlie Titus

Joseph N. Cooper Named J. Keith Motley Chair

I

n September, Joseph N. Cooper was appointed the inaugural J. Keith Motley Endowed Chair for Sport Leadership and Administration. Cooper comes to UMass Boston from the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education.

His areas of expertise are sport management, gender and race in sport, and higher education.

His research focuses on the nexus between sport, education, race, and culture with an emphasis on sport as a catalyst for holistic development and positive changes in society.

B

eacons baseball finished their 2019 season tied for third in the country, falling just one win short of the championship series at the College World Series in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The team made their third trip to the College World Series this spring after winning their third NCAA Regional tournament title, a Super Regional title, and a conference record third-straight baseball championship. The Beacons also earned their highest national rankings to close out a season, ranking third on the American Baseball Coaches Association National Poll and fifth on the D3Baseball.com National Poll.

Men’s tennis also won both their Little East Conference regular season and tournament titles and set a new program record by winning 90.4 percent of their conference matches.

Sherry Penney, the longest-serving chancellor of UMass Boston and the first woman to lead the UMass system, passed away earlier this year at 81 with her husband James Livingston.

Known for her grit and determination, Penney made it her mission to advocate for diversity both on campus and in Boston’s corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors, in her own words working to “change the face of leadership in this region.”

Penney served as chancellor for 11 years, from 1988 to 1995 and from 1996 to 2000. She also served as interim president of the UMass system in 1995 and 1996. Upon her retirement in 2000, she founded the highly successful Center for Collaborative Leadership, serving as its director until 2012.

“Chancellor Penney was an extraordinary leader at UMass Boston and a good friend to the institution, even though in retirement she lived far away,” said Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman.

When she became chancellor of UMass Boston, Penney was faced with one of the most severe funding crises in university history, brought on by the state’s economic difficulties in the late 1980s. Nevertheless, she worked successfully to grow UMass Boston’s research enterprise and graduate program offerings. She also significantly deepened the university’s relationships with the surrounding, diverse communities of Boston, including her support for the founding of the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy and the Institute for Asian American Studies.

Penney understood the critical role of diversity as a source of the university’s strength. In 1988, less than a third of the faculty were female; by 2000, more than 41 percent were women. Faculty of color rose from under 13 percent in 1988 to 20 percent in 2000.

Over the years, Penney’s Center for Collaborative Leadership and its signature offering, the Emerging Leaders Program, has created a cadre of more than 800 diverse professionals who are filling leadership roles throughout Greater Boston.

“When someone reaches the age of 81 and your first thought is that they were taken far too soon, that is a life well-lived,” said Lisa DeAngelis, director of the Center for Collaborative Leadership. “Sherry believed that each of us had an obligation to step into our leadership and pushed us to do just that. She will be sorely missed, but the impact of her legacy will be felt for generations to come.”

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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Undergraduate Shares Breakthrough Prize

Finding a Home

By Colleen Locke

THE “OSCARS OF SCIENCE” RECOGNIZES THE FIRST IMAGE OF A BLACK HOLE

at UMass Boston

RESIDENCE HALLS BUILD COMMUNITY

BY DEWAYNE LEHMAN

UMass Boston physics major and Honors College student Joseph Farah is sharing in a $3 million Breakthrough Prize, which annually recognizes achievements in the life sciences, fundamental physics, and mathematics. It is often called the “Oscars of Science.”

He is part of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration that took the first image of a black hole in April. When the image was recorded, Farah was the only undergraduate on the 347-member team.

“What a remarkable scientific achievement,” marveled Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman. “For an undergraduate to have contributed to a landmark discovery of this importance is nothing short of astounding. UMass Boston is immensely proud of Joseph Farah’s gifts and simply delighted that he has been recognized by this award.”

It took the synchronization of eight sensitive radio telescopes strategically positioned around the world in Antarctica, Chile, Mexico, Hawaii, Arizona, and Spain and scientists at 60

8

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When Ursula Barth took the stage in the Clark Athletic Center at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new residence halls three years ago, she was well spoken but clearly nervous. She had reason to be. As a newly minted student senator, Barth had been selected to speak on behalf of the entire student body.

institutions to produce an image of a black hole silhouetted against the hot gases swirling around it. The image matches expectations from Einstein’s theory of gravity: a bright ring marks the point where light orbits the black hole, surrounding a dark region where light cannot escape the black hole’s gravitational pull (see photo above).

Barth was introduced by the chancellor and was part of a lineup of speakers that included Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and UMass President Marty Meehan—even though she was only a first-year student.

“This image is destined to be iconic, I think, just because it was the first time that we’ve seen a black hole, and seeing is believing,” Collaboration Director Shep Doeleman of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics told New Scientist.

“I can only imagine that having residence halls, how beneficial it would be to up-andcoming leaders at UMass Boston, because it will be yet another opportunity for students to utilize the resources on campus,” she said.

Farah, one of the first two UMass Boston winners of the prestigious Goldwater Prize (see page 4), is listed as a coauthor on all six discovery papers as well as more recent publications. He gave a presentation about the black hole image in May during UMass Boston’s Physics Colloquium, one of three talks he’s given about his work with EHT. He has spent more than 4,000 hours working in Harvard research groups.

“My goal is to lead research to peel back the layers of mystery surrounding astrophysical bodies, like black holes, the dark matter web, and fast radio outburst,” Farah said.

Those resources include 1,077 student beds and 12,000 square feet of lounge and study spaces, with a panoramic view of Columbia Point on the upper floors. Community learning and activity spaces open to all take up the ground floor, which also includes dining facilities and on-site academic support services. Architects paid attention to the importance of common areas, since they are vital to encouraging student interaction, social activities, and dining.

Ursula Barth

“I got to watch it, from dirt to being built, and then I got to live there,” Barth said, calling living on campus “such a privilege.” “If you have that student who is just a little shy or

After graduation, Farah hopes to pursue a PhD in astrophysics.

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

n

9

Undergraduate Shares Breakthrough Prize

Finding a Home

By Colleen Locke

THE “OSCARS OF SCIENCE” RECOGNIZES THE FIRST IMAGE OF A BLACK HOLE

at UMass Boston

RESIDENCE HALLS BUILD COMMUNITY

BY DEWAYNE LEHMAN

UMass Boston physics major and Honors College student Joseph Farah is sharing in a $3 million Breakthrough Prize, which annually recognizes achievements in the life sciences, fundamental physics, and mathematics. It is often called the “Oscars of Science.”

He is part of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration that took the first image of a black hole in April. When the image was recorded, Farah was the only undergraduate on the 347-member team.

“What a remarkable scientific achievement,” marveled Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman. “For an undergraduate to have contributed to a landmark discovery of this importance is nothing short of astounding. UMass Boston is immensely proud of Joseph Farah’s gifts and simply delighted that he has been recognized by this award.”

It took the synchronization of eight sensitive radio telescopes strategically positioned around the world in Antarctica, Chile, Mexico, Hawaii, Arizona, and Spain and scientists at 60

8

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UMass Boston Fall 2019

When Ursula Barth took the stage in the Clark Athletic Center at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new residence halls three years ago, she was well spoken but clearly nervous. She had reason to be. As a newly minted student senator, Barth had been selected to speak on behalf of the entire student body.

institutions to produce an image of a black hole silhouetted against the hot gases swirling around it. The image matches expectations from Einstein’s theory of gravity: a bright ring marks the point where light orbits the black hole, surrounding a dark region where light cannot escape the black hole’s gravitational pull (see photo above).

Barth was introduced by the chancellor and was part of a lineup of speakers that included Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and UMass President Marty Meehan—even though she was only a first-year student.

“This image is destined to be iconic, I think, just because it was the first time that we’ve seen a black hole, and seeing is believing,” Collaboration Director Shep Doeleman of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics told New Scientist.

“I can only imagine that having residence halls, how beneficial it would be to up-andcoming leaders at UMass Boston, because it will be yet another opportunity for students to utilize the resources on campus,” she said.

Farah, one of the first two UMass Boston winners of the prestigious Goldwater Prize (see page 4), is listed as a coauthor on all six discovery papers as well as more recent publications. He gave a presentation about the black hole image in May during UMass Boston’s Physics Colloquium, one of three talks he’s given about his work with EHT. He has spent more than 4,000 hours working in Harvard research groups.

“My goal is to lead research to peel back the layers of mystery surrounding astrophysical bodies, like black holes, the dark matter web, and fast radio outburst,” Farah said.

Those resources include 1,077 student beds and 12,000 square feet of lounge and study spaces, with a panoramic view of Columbia Point on the upper floors. Community learning and activity spaces open to all take up the ground floor, which also includes dining facilities and on-site academic support services. Architects paid attention to the importance of common areas, since they are vital to encouraging student interaction, social activities, and dining.

Ursula Barth

“I got to watch it, from dirt to being built, and then I got to live there,” Barth said, calling living on campus “such a privilege.” “If you have that student who is just a little shy or

After graduation, Farah hopes to pursue a PhD in astrophysics.

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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9

New Grant Program Broadens Opportunity to Live on Campus One of the challenges facing UMass Boston administrators when they were planning to open the first residence halls was how to ensure that the students in them would reflect the makeup of the greater student body. To that end, the university established a Campus Living Grant program, allocating $1.4 million in scholarships to expand access for students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

“We provide a space for students to call UMass Boston home.”

—RA Janrey Javier doesn’t know what their passion is, the residence halls give those students an automatic door into the community and help them discover their passions and interests.”

UMass Boston traveled a long and winding road to the opening of its first residence halls in September 2018. The concept is about as old as the “Harbor Campus,” as it was referred to after its completion in 1974. The Boston Redevelopment Authority proposed building student housing on the campus several years later, but the idea never took hold. In the early 2000s, a UMass Boston announcement that the university planned to build housing was met with stiff neighborhood opposition and the idea was quickly abandoned.

Since then, however, an increasingly tight and expensive Boston housing market and Mayor Walsh’s call for colleges and universities to build housing for their students slowly transformed local opposition into support for the effort. Persistent lobbying by university officials, who argued that UMass Boston students deserved access to the same college experience as their peers at private universities, also helped steer public opinion in a positive direction. A final selling point was the university’s establishment of a public–private partnership—the first of its kind in Massachusetts—with Capstone College Communities, which would finance and develop the residence halls. This plan enabled the

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campus to construct state-of-the-art housing while avoiding additional debt.

“UMass Boston was eager to add this opportunity to our campus but mindful of our responsibility to keep borrowing to a minimum,” noted Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman. “We were fortunate to find a partner in Capstone that was sensitive to our aspirations. They built a stunningly beautiful facility that our students enjoy immensely. I know I never, ever lived in a residence hall with views like these!”

For the university, the aim was always to improve student success and improve retention rates. National data has shown that students who live on campus enjoy more academic success. At UMass Boston in its first year, 93 percent of students in the residence halls returned for the spring semester, compared with an 89 percent fall-to-spring retention rate for all freshmen.

“The thought was that having residence halls was a great jumping-off point to engage students in a more enriching college and academic experience,” said Gail DiSabatino, vice chancellor for student affairs.

“It’s lifted everyone up. We saw a tremendous uptick in opportunities for residents as well as nonresidents.”

“Opportunity” is the word most often used when students and administrators talk about what the halls make possible, including leadership

opportunities like RAs and service on committees that help to govern the new facilities. More than 200 students have applied for the 31 available RA positions each year.

“I think living in the residence halls is a whole new world,” said Samantha Zeno, a junior social psychology major starting her second year as an RA. Zeno, who lived in Harbor Point Apartments across the street as a freshman, said she has seen the residence halls become a connecting point for the students who live in Harbor Point, the adjacent Peninsula apartments, and other places nearby. They use the first-floor common areas, access academic support services, and buy meal plans for the dining hall. There’s also a small convenience store that’s open late for snacks or sundry items.

“I really love it,” said Zeno, who is currently student body president.

“Long term, it will build UMass Boston’s community pride.”

Janrey Javier, a second-year RA and IT major, also sees the residence halls as a gathering place for residents and nonresidents alike.

“We provide a space for students to call UMass Boston home,” Javier said.

That was the ultimate goal, said DiSabatino.

“We want everyone to feel like this is home, whether they live with us or not,” she said.

Students were awarded grants in the amounts of $8,600 and $5,000, based on their eligibility for funding. Forty-six percent of the overall residence halls population was eligible for a Pell grant, a federal program for low-income students; 25 percent of those students (230, or 22 percent of all residents) received Campus Living Grants to help with the costs associated with living on campus.

The students who were awarded Campus Living Grants had lower overall family incomes and were more diverse in terms of race/ethnicity.

“It’s essential that we are helping all of our students succeed, and the Campus Living Grants play an important role in that effort,” said Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman. “This program enables us to foster an on-campus residential community that reflects the diversity of our entire student body.”

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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New Grant Program Broadens Opportunity to Live on Campus One of the challenges facing UMass Boston administrators when they were planning to open the first residence halls was how to ensure that the students in them would reflect the makeup of the greater student body. To that end, the university established a Campus Living Grant program, allocating $1.4 million in scholarships to expand access for students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

“We provide a space for students to call UMass Boston home.”

—RA Janrey Javier doesn’t know what their passion is, the residence halls give those students an automatic door into the community and help them discover their passions and interests.”

UMass Boston traveled a long and winding road to the opening of its first residence halls in September 2018. The concept is about as old as the “Harbor Campus,” as it was referred to after its completion in 1974. The Boston Redevelopment Authority proposed building student housing on the campus several years later, but the idea never took hold. In the early 2000s, a UMass Boston announcement that the university planned to build housing was met with stiff neighborhood opposition and the idea was quickly abandoned.

Since then, however, an increasingly tight and expensive Boston housing market and Mayor Walsh’s call for colleges and universities to build housing for their students slowly transformed local opposition into support for the effort. Persistent lobbying by university officials, who argued that UMass Boston students deserved access to the same college experience as their peers at private universities, also helped steer public opinion in a positive direction. A final selling point was the university’s establishment of a public–private partnership—the first of its kind in Massachusetts—with Capstone College Communities, which would finance and develop the residence halls. This plan enabled the

10

n

UMass Boston Fall 2019

campus to construct state-of-the-art housing while avoiding additional debt.

“UMass Boston was eager to add this opportunity to our campus but mindful of our responsibility to keep borrowing to a minimum,” noted Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman. “We were fortunate to find a partner in Capstone that was sensitive to our aspirations. They built a stunningly beautiful facility that our students enjoy immensely. I know I never, ever lived in a residence hall with views like these!”

For the university, the aim was always to improve student success and improve retention rates. National data has shown that students who live on campus enjoy more academic success. At UMass Boston in its first year, 93 percent of students in the residence halls returned for the spring semester, compared with an 89 percent fall-to-spring retention rate for all freshmen.

“The thought was that having residence halls was a great jumping-off point to engage students in a more enriching college and academic experience,” said Gail DiSabatino, vice chancellor for student affairs.

“It’s lifted everyone up. We saw a tremendous uptick in opportunities for residents as well as nonresidents.”

“Opportunity” is the word most often used when students and administrators talk about what the halls make possible, including leadership

opportunities like RAs and service on committees that help to govern the new facilities. More than 200 students have applied for the 31 available RA positions each year.

“I think living in the residence halls is a whole new world,” said Samantha Zeno, a junior social psychology major starting her second year as an RA. Zeno, who lived in Harbor Point Apartments across the street as a freshman, said she has seen the residence halls become a connecting point for the students who live in Harbor Point, the adjacent Peninsula apartments, and other places nearby. They use the first-floor common areas, access academic support services, and buy meal plans for the dining hall. There’s also a small convenience store that’s open late for snacks or sundry items.

“I really love it,” said Zeno, who is currently student body president.

“Long term, it will build UMass Boston’s community pride.”

Janrey Javier, a second-year RA and IT major, also sees the residence halls as a gathering place for residents and nonresidents alike.

“We provide a space for students to call UMass Boston home,” Javier said.

That was the ultimate goal, said DiSabatino.

“We want everyone to feel like this is home, whether they live with us or not,” she said.

Students were awarded grants in the amounts of $8,600 and $5,000, based on their eligibility for funding. Forty-six percent of the overall residence halls population was eligible for a Pell grant, a federal program for low-income students; 25 percent of those students (230, or 22 percent of all residents) received Campus Living Grants to help with the costs associated with living on campus.

The students who were awarded Campus Living Grants had lower overall family incomes and were more diverse in terms of race/ethnicity.

“It’s essential that we are helping all of our students succeed, and the Campus Living Grants play an important role in that effort,” said Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman. “This program enables us to foster an on-campus residential community that reflects the diversity of our entire student body.”

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

n

11

New Quad Will Reshape the Campus Landscape

The elevated catwalk corridor system is considered by many to be part of UMass Boston’s DNA. With the demolition of the Science Center, a new catwalk route is being established to help move a large number of people indoors. The redesigned catwalk will have views of the new quad and gathering areas where it interfaces with McCormack and Wheatley halls.

BY CRYSTAL VALENCIA

UMass Boston’s waterfront campus is evolving. From new academic buildings University Hall and the Integrated Sciences Complex, to the campus’s first residence halls and a reconfigured roadway with open spaces along the waterfront, the university has a whole new look. And the transformation isn’t over yet.

The next step of the university’s 25-year campus master plan will see the demolition of the Science Center, pool building,

substructure, and plaza. In their place, the university will construct a new, landscaped, four-acre quad that will serve as a main campus gathering space and provide scenic pathways across campus. Campus leaders envision professors holding class outdoors and students tossing Frisbees or spreading out a blanket on which to study between classes. Scheduled to be completed in 2022, the expansive green lawn and pathways will give further new shape to our transforming campus.

Healey Library Wheatley Hall McCormack Hall Integrated Sciences Complex (ISC)

Campus Center

Quinn Building

Clark Athletic Building

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UMass Boston Fall 2019

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

n

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New Quad Will Reshape the Campus Landscape

The elevated catwalk corridor system is considered by many to be part of UMass Boston’s DNA. With the demolition of the Science Center, a new catwalk route is being established to help move a large number of people indoors. The redesigned catwalk will have views of the new quad and gathering areas where it interfaces with McCormack and Wheatley halls.

BY CRYSTAL VALENCIA

UMass Boston’s waterfront campus is evolving. From new academic buildings University Hall and the Integrated Sciences Complex, to the campus’s first residence halls and a reconfigured roadway with open spaces along the waterfront, the university has a whole new look. And the transformation isn’t over yet.

The next step of the university’s 25-year campus master plan will see the demolition of the Science Center, pool building,

substructure, and plaza. In their place, the university will construct a new, landscaped, four-acre quad that will serve as a main campus gathering space and provide scenic pathways across campus. Campus leaders envision professors holding class outdoors and students tossing Frisbees or spreading out a blanket on which to study between classes. Scheduled to be completed in 2022, the expansive green lawn and pathways will give further new shape to our transforming campus.

Healey Library Wheatley Hall McCormack Hall Integrated Sciences Complex (ISC)

Campus Center

Quinn Building

Clark Athletic Building

12

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Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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Commencement 2019

COMMENCEMENT COMES

Home

14 14 UMass UMass Boston Boston FallFall 20162019 n

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May 30–31, 2019

C

ongresswoman Ayanna Pressley, the first African American woman to be elected to the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts, encouraged a sea of UMass Boston graduates to “upend the status quo” as the university celebrated its 51st commencement back on its waterfront campus.

“Today, graduates, you are coming of age with a hopeful eye and a critical heart, questioning institutions that have come up short and working hard to build the infrastructure to do things differently for those who come up behind us,” she said during the undergraduate ceremony on May 31, 2019. “I encourage you to be skeptical.

Ask the question that changes the conversation. Shake the table. . . . Just do not become cynical.”

For the first time since 2014, UMass Boston held commencement exercises on the Campus Center lawn overlooking Dorchester Bay. Ceremonies had been held off campus for the past four years while the campus underwent a massive transformation into a cutting-edge, sustainable living and learning environment.

UMass Boston conferred degrees on 3,934 students—including 83 doctoral candidates—over its two days of commencement ceremonies. The university held a separate graduate commencement ceremony on May 30, 2019, with former Interim Chancellor Barry Mills serving as the principal speaker.

Pressley and Mills were joined by honorees Mary L. Bonauto, civil rights project director at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD); Paul English ’87, ’89, CTO of Lola.com, a company that helps businesses manage their employee travel; Claudia Rankine, author of the best-selling Citizen: An American Lyric and four other collections of poetry; and Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, a Zimbabwean lawyer whose work in the fields of women’s human rights and conflict resolution has had an international impact.

“You hold in your hands the future of the nation, the future of this beautiful city. . . . So, graduates, now go—do good, do work, and do justice.”

“Make it your mission to double over the next five years the number of UMass Boston graduates who work at your place of employment. Pay it forward.”

—Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley

—Former Interim Chancellor Barry Mills

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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Commencement 2019

COMMENCEMENT COMES

Home

14 14 UMass UMass Boston Boston FallFall 20162019 n

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May 30–31, 2019

C

ongresswoman Ayanna Pressley, the first African American woman to be elected to the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts, encouraged a sea of UMass Boston graduates to “upend the status quo” as the university celebrated its 51st commencement back on its waterfront campus.

“Today, graduates, you are coming of age with a hopeful eye and a critical heart, questioning institutions that have come up short and working hard to build the infrastructure to do things differently for those who come up behind us,” she said during the undergraduate ceremony on May 31, 2019. “I encourage you to be skeptical.

Ask the question that changes the conversation. Shake the table. . . . Just do not become cynical.”

For the first time since 2014, UMass Boston held commencement exercises on the Campus Center lawn overlooking Dorchester Bay. Ceremonies had been held off campus for the past four years while the campus underwent a massive transformation into a cutting-edge, sustainable living and learning environment.

UMass Boston conferred degrees on 3,934 students—including 83 doctoral candidates—over its two days of commencement ceremonies. The university held a separate graduate commencement ceremony on May 30, 2019, with former Interim Chancellor Barry Mills serving as the principal speaker.

Pressley and Mills were joined by honorees Mary L. Bonauto, civil rights project director at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD); Paul English ’87, ’89, CTO of Lola.com, a company that helps businesses manage their employee travel; Claudia Rankine, author of the best-selling Citizen: An American Lyric and four other collections of poetry; and Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, a Zimbabwean lawyer whose work in the fields of women’s human rights and conflict resolution has had an international impact.

“You hold in your hands the future of the nation, the future of this beautiful city. . . . So, graduates, now go—do good, do work, and do justice.”

“Make it your mission to double over the next five years the number of UMass Boston graduates who work at your place of employment. Pay it forward.”

—Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley

—Former Interim Chancellor Barry Mills

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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Commencement 2019

May 30–31, 2019

JFK Award Winner Lands Job with Microsoft Kristen Laird ’20 hopes to improve the quality of people’s lives through her work with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and software. The computer science major, this year’s winner of the John F. Kennedy Award for Academic Excellence, was well on her way to doing just that as she graduated with a nearly perfect academic record.

Laird has secured a job in Microsoft’s AI Development Acceleration Program, where she will help to lead the development and launch of artificial intelligence tools that will be used by hundreds of thousands to millions of people around the world.

While a student, she received three Microsoft internships and ran coding workshops for organizations such as Big Sister, DigiGirlz, and MetroHacks, promoting technology education for middle school and high school students.

Graduate Transitions from Basketball to PhD Elisa Ogawa ’13, ’15, ’20 came to the United States from Japan to play basketball at the age of 15 despite being unable to read, write, or speak English. After transferring to UMass Boston as an undergraduate, Ogawa not only played basketball for the Beacons, but she also discovered her love of research.

She graduated in May with a PhD in exercise and health sciences—her third degree from UMass Boston—and has started a two-year postdoctoral fellowship that has her doing research and working with some of the older veterans at the Boston Veterans Administration, making sure they stay healthy and mobile. She has published seven peer-reviewed research papers and is an author on several other papers currently under review or in preparation.

Student Flees Persecution, Graduates with Distinction Aleksandr Zolotov ’20 was born and raised in Russia, but in 2010, he had to flee his homeland to escape persecution as a member of the LGBT community and seek political asylum in the United States.

As soon as his permanent residency in the United States was granted, Zolotov was accepted by the UMass Boston management program. He became a peer mentor for transfer students in the College of Management, joined the Mass Media newswriting team, and became the marketing intern of University Dining Services on campus.

His internship led to a full-time marketing specialist position upon graduation. He recently founded a regional chapter of People Respecting Individuality, Diversity, and Equality (PRIDE), an initiative of Sodexo’s Employee Business Resource Group.

A Closer Look at the Class of 2019 2,783 undergraduates 1,082 graduates 83 doctoral degrees conferred

Oldest student is 16

n

UMass Boston Fall 2019

81 years of age.

150

veterans, including

33

active personnel, reservists, and National Guard

Hello Guten Tag

Bonjour Hallå

104

countries represented

Hola Caio

90

More than languages spoken Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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17

Commencement 2019

May 30–31, 2019

JFK Award Winner Lands Job with Microsoft Kristen Laird ’20 hopes to improve the quality of people’s lives through her work with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and software. The computer science major, this year’s winner of the John F. Kennedy Award for Academic Excellence, was well on her way to doing just that as she graduated with a nearly perfect academic record.

Laird has secured a job in Microsoft’s AI Development Acceleration Program, where she will help to lead the development and launch of artificial intelligence tools that will be used by hundreds of thousands to millions of people around the world.

While a student, she received three Microsoft internships and ran coding workshops for organizations such as Big Sister, DigiGirlz, and MetroHacks, promoting technology education for middle school and high school students.

Graduate Transitions from Basketball to PhD Elisa Ogawa ’13, ’15, ’20 came to the United States from Japan to play basketball at the age of 15 despite being unable to read, write, or speak English. After transferring to UMass Boston as an undergraduate, Ogawa not only played basketball for the Beacons, but she also discovered her love of research.

She graduated in May with a PhD in exercise and health sciences—her third degree from UMass Boston—and has started a two-year postdoctoral fellowship that has her doing research and working with some of the older veterans at the Boston Veterans Administration, making sure they stay healthy and mobile. She has published seven peer-reviewed research papers and is an author on several other papers currently under review or in preparation.

Student Flees Persecution, Graduates with Distinction Aleksandr Zolotov ’20 was born and raised in Russia, but in 2010, he had to flee his homeland to escape persecution as a member of the LGBT community and seek political asylum in the United States.

As soon as his permanent residency in the United States was granted, Zolotov was accepted by the UMass Boston management program. He became a peer mentor for transfer students in the College of Management, joined the Mass Media newswriting team, and became the marketing intern of University Dining Services on campus.

His internship led to a full-time marketing specialist position upon graduation. He recently founded a regional chapter of People Respecting Individuality, Diversity, and Equality (PRIDE), an initiative of Sodexo’s Employee Business Resource Group.

A Closer Look at the Class of 2019 2,783 undergraduates 1,082 graduates 83 doctoral degrees conferred

Oldest student is 16

n

UMass Boston Fall 2019

81 years of age.

150

veterans, including

33

active personnel, reservists, and National Guard

Hello Guten Tag

Bonjour Hallå

104

countries represented

Hola Caio

90

More than languages spoken Fall 2019 UMass Boston

n

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Q+A Starting a Successful Business

with Paul English ’87, ’89, H ’19 Cofounder of Kayak.com

BY VANESSA CHATTERLEY

uring the 2019 undergraduate commencement ceremony on May 31, UMass Boston honored entrepreneur and philanthropist Paul English ’87, ’89 with an honorary doctor of science degree.

English began his career as a leader in business and technology innovation after graduating from the University of Massachusetts Boston with an MS in computer Online entrepreneur science in 1989. In 2004, he cofounded and served as chief Paul English (l) receives technology officer of Kayak, an online company that changed the his honorary degree way people booked flights and made other travel arrangements. from Interim Chancellor He took the company public in 2012 and sold it to Priceline in Katherine S. Newman.

2013. Today he continues to innovate as chief technology officer of Lola.com, a company that helps businesses manage employee travel, and as founder of GetHuman, an enterprise that helps users obtain excellent customer service at any company.

As cofounder of Summits Education, English helps build education systems in rural Haiti that employ more than 350 educators and serve nearly 10,000 students who could not otherwise attend school. He is also a director of Partners in Health and of Village Health Works, two organizations that provide quality health care to populations in extreme poverty. His latest project is to erect a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Boston.

UMass Boston magazine recently asked English to reveal some of the secrets of his success and to reflect on his experience at the university.

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Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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Q+A Starting a Successful Business

with Paul English ’87, ’89, H ’19 Cofounder of Kayak.com

BY VANESSA CHATTERLEY

uring the 2019 undergraduate commencement ceremony on May 31, UMass Boston honored entrepreneur and philanthropist Paul English ’87, ’89 with an honorary doctor of science degree.

English began his career as a leader in business and technology innovation after graduating from the University of Massachusetts Boston with an MS in computer Online entrepreneur science in 1989. In 2004, he cofounded and served as chief Paul English (l) receives technology officer of Kayak, an online company that changed the his honorary degree way people booked flights and made other travel arrangements. from Interim Chancellor He took the company public in 2012 and sold it to Priceline in Katherine S. Newman.

2013. Today he continues to innovate as chief technology officer of Lola.com, a company that helps businesses manage employee travel, and as founder of GetHuman, an enterprise that helps users obtain excellent customer service at any company.

As cofounder of Summits Education, English helps build education systems in rural Haiti that employ more than 350 educators and serve nearly 10,000 students who could not otherwise attend school. He is also a director of Partners in Health and of Village Health Works, two organizations that provide quality health care to populations in extreme poverty. His latest project is to erect a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Boston.

UMass Boston magazine recently asked English to reveal some of the secrets of his success and to reflect on his experience at the university.

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hen did you realize that you had a talent for creating innovative technology?

It was probably when I was 16 and had developed a video game called Cupid.

My brother Ed was the creator of Frogger for Atari, which inspired me to create my own games. Then, when I created a game, I thought, “Maybe I can do this, too.”

Shortly after that, you enrolled as an undergrad in the computer science program. What made you decide to enroll in UMass Boston for your bachelor’s and master’s degrees?

had one or two people working on something. I didn’t give them my full attention, but I’ve worked on them part-time. A couple of those things haven’t worked. I created a safe-driving game called Road Wars, which gave you points for driving under the speed limit and without swerving or excessive accelerating and braking. That ended up not taking off on its own. I didn’t spend any money on marketing.

I thought the game would just grow on its own, but it didn’t.

I also created an app to get rid of junk paper mail that’s sent to your house. It was called “Junk Butler,” and the idea was that you’d pay $20, we’d send you an envelope, and you’d put all of your junk mail in the envelope and mail it back to us. Then we would send postcards or whatever was required to contact the sending company and remove you from the mailing list. That was also something that we didn’t do any marketing for, and maybe back then I didn’t know how to do that, but it ended up not taking off on its own.

I liked that it was local. I wanted to stay in Boston, and I also got a merit scholarship. My family didn’t have a lot of money, so UMass Boston ended up being very affordable. The university had more diversity than the universities where my friends were going to school, so I valued that.

In addition to being an entrepreneur, you’re also a It was eye-opening. It was great to meet people, particularly from other philanthropist. Most recently, you donated $1 million to countries, and also other ages. There was also a professor in the comfund a Martin Luther King memorial in Boston. Why was this cause important to you? puter science department whom I liked a lot and who was very helpful to me. His name is Bob Morris, It really is based on my but I think he’s now retired.

“Spend time with people who inspire you concern about issues What do you feel is most important when starting a new business venture?

How did your current business venture, Lola.com, come to be what it is today?

We started out building a chat app that let you chat with a travel agent 24/7. The surprise we didn’t expect was that we found out most of our visitors were business travelers—those are the people who really needed last-minute support because their plans frequently changed.

That led us down the path of trying to figure out what else business travelers need, interviewing them, and spending a lot of time with them and building solutions for them.

Have you ever had a business idea that just didn’t come to fruition for a number of reasons?

I’ve had several small start-ups that I’ve done on the side where I just

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UMass Boston Fall 2019

and other adventures in medical genetics at UMass Boston research labs

By Colleen Locke

and who have values that you think are good and

who are working to improve themselves.”

I’d say it’s a couple things: (1) Be super selective about the people that you work with. If you’re a really good recruiter and spend all your time meeting and talking to other people, it’s frequently those other people who become your co-founders or your collaborators. They can make the difference between a company that fails and a company that succeeds. The thing I would put most importance on is selecting those people you work with and setting the bar as high as you can. (2) Make sure you’re vetting your solutions with customers as frequently as you can. The worst thing you can do as an entrepreneur is work on something in a lab for six to nine months without showing it to a customer, because then you become really wedded to your solution, and it can be hard to accept feedback. If you find a way to get feedback regularly along the way, it can keep you on the right path.

20

around race in Boston, and I wanted to acknowledge the time that Martin and [his wife] Coretta spent in Boston. They met here and began their love story in Boston. And then to think about, “If they were alive today, what would they be working on to inspire people?”

Mutant Zebrafish Versus Tiny Telomeres

You were diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1996. Has this impacted your work in any way?

It’s probably been negatively and positively impacted. One of the things about being bipolar is that when you’re in a manic phase, you get incredibly excited about new ideas, and your mind races, and you write extensively. A lot of the ideas end up being really terrible ideas that you end up pursuing anyway. I think what you need to realize is that when you’re in a manic phase, you need people whom you trust near you so that you can bounce ideas off of them and they can help keep you on track.

What advice do you have for our readers who would like to follow in your footsteps as an entrepreneur?

Be really mindful of whom you spend time with. Spend time with people who inspire you and who have values that you think are good and who are working to improve themselves. That way, you can have a constant dialogue: “What can I learn? What should I be exposed to? Where should I spend my time?” I think that’s the biggest thing. A lot of college students wind up going out to bars a lot and just decompressing after their studies, and I’m not opposed to that. But I would be selective about making sure you’re hanging out and spending time with people who want to improve themselves and who have good values.

In Hollywood films, superheroes often get their special powers from genetic mutations. In UMass Boston labs, genetic changes are leading not to invisibility or Spider Sense, but to medical breakthroughs.

“We use mutants to see how genes function because if you mutate the gene, you can see what the effect is, and that tells you [why we have the gene],” Assistant Professor of Biology Kellee Siegfried explained.

Siegfried, with funding from two grants from the National Institutes of Health’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) totaling $628,022, studies zebrafish, a home aquarium favorite whose genes may one day provide clues that will help reverse male infertility.

In meiosis, the cellular process that produces eggs and sperm, DNA unzips to produce chromosome strands that go into the sex cells. The process doesn’t happen properly if protein caps at the end of the DNA, called telomeres, are too short. Short telomeres indicate a high likelihood of bad sperm function. However, in one mutant strain of zebrafish, even when the telomeres are short, the process unfolds without a hitch.

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hen did you realize that you had a talent for creating innovative technology?

It was probably when I was 16 and had developed a video game called Cupid.

My brother Ed was the creator of Frogger for Atari, which inspired me to create my own games. Then, when I created a game, I thought, “Maybe I can do this, too.”

Shortly after that, you enrolled as an undergrad in the computer science program. What made you decide to enroll in UMass Boston for your bachelor’s and master’s degrees?

had one or two people working on something. I didn’t give them my full attention, but I’ve worked on them part-time. A couple of those things haven’t worked. I created a safe-driving game called Road Wars, which gave you points for driving under the speed limit and without swerving or excessive accelerating and braking. That ended up not taking off on its own. I didn’t spend any money on marketing.

I thought the game would just grow on its own, but it didn’t.

I also created an app to get rid of junk paper mail that’s sent to your house. It was called “Junk Butler,” and the idea was that you’d pay $20, we’d send you an envelope, and you’d put all of your junk mail in the envelope and mail it back to us. Then we would send postcards or whatever was required to contact the sending company and remove you from the mailing list. That was also something that we didn’t do any marketing for, and maybe back then I didn’t know how to do that, but it ended up not taking off on its own.

I liked that it was local. I wanted to stay in Boston, and I also got a merit scholarship. My family didn’t have a lot of money, so UMass Boston ended up being very affordable. The university had more diversity than the universities where my friends were going to school, so I valued that.

In addition to being an entrepreneur, you’re also a It was eye-opening. It was great to meet people, particularly from other philanthropist. Most recently, you donated $1 million to countries, and also other ages. There was also a professor in the comfund a Martin Luther King memorial in Boston. Why was this cause important to you? puter science department whom I liked a lot and who was very helpful to me. His name is Bob Morris, It really is based on my but I think he’s now retired.

“Spend time with people who inspire you concern about issues What do you feel is most important when starting a new business venture?

How did your current business venture, Lola.com, come to be what it is today?

We started out building a chat app that let you chat with a travel agent 24/7. The surprise we didn’t expect was that we found out most of our visitors were business travelers—those are the people who really needed last-minute support because their plans frequently changed.

That led us down the path of trying to figure out what else business travelers need, interviewing them, and spending a lot of time with them and building solutions for them.

Have you ever had a business idea that just didn’t come to fruition for a number of reasons?

I’ve had several small start-ups that I’ve done on the side where I just

n

UMass Boston Fall 2019

and other adventures in medical genetics at UMass Boston research labs

By Colleen Locke

and who have values that you think are good and

who are working to improve themselves.”

I’d say it’s a couple things: (1) Be super selective about the people that you work with. If you’re a really good recruiter and spend all your time meeting and talking to other people, it’s frequently those other people who become your co-founders or your collaborators. They can make the difference between a company that fails and a company that succeeds. The thing I would put most importance on is selecting those people you work with and setting the bar as high as you can. (2) Make sure you’re vetting your solutions with customers as frequently as you can. The worst thing you can do as an entrepreneur is work on something in a lab for six to nine months without showing it to a customer, because then you become really wedded to your solution, and it can be hard to accept feedback. If you find a way to get feedback regularly along the way, it can keep you on the right path.

20

around race in Boston, and I wanted to acknowledge the time that Martin and [his wife] Coretta spent in Boston. They met here and began their love story in Boston. And then to think about, “If they were alive today, what would they be working on to inspire people?”

Mutant Zebrafish Versus Tiny Telomeres

You were diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1996. Has this impacted your work in any way?

It’s probably been negatively and positively impacted. One of the things about being bipolar is that when you’re in a manic phase, you get incredibly excited about new ideas, and your mind races, and you write extensively. A lot of the ideas end up being really terrible ideas that you end up pursuing anyway. I think what you need to realize is that when you’re in a manic phase, you need people whom you trust near you so that you can bounce ideas off of them and they can help keep you on track.

What advice do you have for our readers who would like to follow in your footsteps as an entrepreneur?

Be really mindful of whom you spend time with. Spend time with people who inspire you and who have values that you think are good and who are working to improve themselves. That way, you can have a constant dialogue: “What can I learn? What should I be exposed to? Where should I spend my time?” I think that’s the biggest thing. A lot of college students wind up going out to bars a lot and just decompressing after their studies, and I’m not opposed to that. But I would be selective about making sure you’re hanging out and spending time with people who want to improve themselves and who have good values.

In Hollywood films, superheroes often get their special powers from genetic mutations. In UMass Boston labs, genetic changes are leading not to invisibility or Spider Sense, but to medical breakthroughs.

“We use mutants to see how genes function because if you mutate the gene, you can see what the effect is, and that tells you [why we have the gene],” Assistant Professor of Biology Kellee Siegfried explained.

Siegfried, with funding from two grants from the National Institutes of Health’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) totaling $628,022, studies zebrafish, a home aquarium favorite whose genes may one day provide clues that will help reverse male infertility.

In meiosis, the cellular process that produces eggs and sperm, DNA unzips to produce chromosome strands that go into the sex cells. The process doesn’t happen properly if protein caps at the end of the DNA, called telomeres, are too short. Short telomeres indicate a high likelihood of bad sperm function. However, in one mutant strain of zebrafish, even when the telomeres are short, the process unfolds without a hitch.

Fall 2019 UMass Boston Fall 2019 UMass Boston 21 n

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Zebrafish “Right now, the links between telomeres and infertility are still new to us. It’s not really known why you have this link,” she said. “We want to get deeper into that and see how long you need your telomeres to be to have this process happening normally.”

Axolotl and the Case of the Missing Limb Assistant Professor of Biology Catherine McCusker studies the Mexican axolotl salamander, whose “superpower” is the ability to regenerate severed limbs. “It seems as embryos, all species are capable of regeneration. But only some species are capable of maintaining that ability when they are adults,” McCusker said.

McCusker, now in the second year of a threeyear $444,004 grant from NICHD, uses skin grafts to trick her ghostly white amphibians into thinking they have a missing limb. In an injured axolotl, the chromatin structure, a tightly packed coil of DNA and protein found in the nuclei of cells, opens up, activating certain genes that help direct limb regeneration.

Mexican Axolotl Salamander

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“One of the big questions that we’re trying to answer is what kind of changes are happening to the chromatin structure that make those cells that are contributing to the regeneration capable of making a new blueprint,” McCusker said. “How does the axolotl know to replace exactly what’s missing?”

If she can find an answer to that question, then perhaps she’ll unlock the secret that will help regrow healthy arms and legs for human victims of limb loss.

Night of the Living Photoreceptors The World Health Organization says vitamin A deprivation is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children. “If you have a chronic lack of Fruit Fly vitamin A in your diet—you don’t eat your carrots or drink milk or eat liver or squash—then you will have permanent eye damage. You will become blind because the light-sensing cells in your eye, photoreceptors, will actually die from lack of vitamin A,” Assistant Professor of Biology Jens Rister explained.

Rister’s lab has its eye on fruit flies, which don’t need vitamin A to develop normally. Fruit fly photoreceptors deprived of vitamin A don’t die. “This indicated to us that there’s some kind of molecule or pathway that might stabilize the dying cell and keep some of its function alive,” Rister said.

Recently, Rister and his global team of collaborators and students discovered a novel protein that plays a key role in the response to vitamin A deprivation and indeed stabilizes damaged photoreceptors. Flies with the protein can see and function normally. Mutant flies deprived of the protein showed severe anatomical, behavioral, and electrophysiological defects.

Climate Changer

Kathleen Theoharides ’07 shapes the commonwealth’s clean energy and climate change adaptation policies.

By Vanessa Chatterley

E

arlier this year, Kathleen Theoharides ’07 was appointed by Governor Charlie Baker as Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She was officially sworn in on May 3, 2019.

“I was proud and honored to be chosen by the governor to serve the people of the commonwealth and work on such critical issues as environmental protection, addressing climate change, and providing clean energy,” said Theoharides, who was first recruited to the Baker-Polito administration in 2016 as director of climate change and later assistant secretary.

In her role as EEA secretary, Theoharides oversees the commonwealth’s six environmental, natural resource, and energy regulatory agencies and plays a critical role in shaping policies that affect and promote efficient energy use throughout the commonwealth. She also chairs the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, the Energy Facilities Siting Board, and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. “[We’re] very focused on reducing the causes of climate change and reducing our contribution here in Massachusetts to climate change but also working with other states and across the country to really help deploy climate change solutions,” said Theoharides, adding that the administration is also focusing on deploying clean energy, improving energy efficiency, tackling electrification, reducing emissions, and promoting climate change adaptation.

Throughout her childhood, Theoharides said she always had an interest in environmental issues and the natural world.

It wasn’t until high school and college that she had the

opportunity to develop that passion. After earning her bachelor’s in ecology and evolutionary biology from Dartmouth College, Theoharides enrolled at UMass Boston to pursue her master’s in environmental biology. During her time at the university, she worked with the Watershed-Integrated Sciences Partnership and conducted Kathleen Theoharides ’07 Leads research on climate change, the Executive Office of Energy and invasive plants, community Environmental Affairs assembly rules, and ecosystem ecology. In addition, Theoharides worked as a teaching assistant all through grad school.

“The opportunity to be at a school with so many different types of learners was really helpful for me as a teacher and as a student. The commitment from the students that I taught was amazing,” said Theoharides, who has kept in touch with her alma mater through a shared interest in issues affecting the commonwealth. “I’ve interacted with staff at the university on everything, from the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program to some of the climate science we’re seeing around sea-level rise in the Boston area. I think UMass Boston has been a great resource to the executive office in terms of some of the programs we’re working to deliver, especially on the climate change front.”

Could this protein help restore sight to humans who are blind due to vitamin A deficiency? As a first step toward answering that question, Rister will be using a fiveyear, $1,906,230 NIH grant to figure out how the protein targets photoreceptors and the role it plays in “normal” photoreceptor development.

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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Zebrafish “Right now, the links between telomeres and infertility are still new to us. It’s not really known why you have this link,” she said. “We want to get deeper into that and see how long you need your telomeres to be to have this process happening normally.”

Axolotl and the Case of the Missing Limb Assistant Professor of Biology Catherine McCusker studies the Mexican axolotl salamander, whose “superpower” is the ability to regenerate severed limbs. “It seems as embryos, all species are capable of regeneration. But only some species are capable of maintaining that ability when they are adults,” McCusker said.

McCusker, now in the second year of a threeyear $444,004 grant from NICHD, uses skin grafts to trick her ghostly white amphibians into thinking they have a missing limb. In an injured axolotl, the chromatin structure, a tightly packed coil of DNA and protein found in the nuclei of cells, opens up, activating certain genes that help direct limb regeneration.

Mexican Axolotl Salamander

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“One of the big questions that we’re trying to answer is what kind of changes are happening to the chromatin structure that make those cells that are contributing to the regeneration capable of making a new blueprint,” McCusker said. “How does the axolotl know to replace exactly what’s missing?”

If she can find an answer to that question, then perhaps she’ll unlock the secret that will help regrow healthy arms and legs for human victims of limb loss.

Night of the Living Photoreceptors The World Health Organization says vitamin A deprivation is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children. “If you have a chronic lack of Fruit Fly vitamin A in your diet—you don’t eat your carrots or drink milk or eat liver or squash—then you will have permanent eye damage. You will become blind because the light-sensing cells in your eye, photoreceptors, will actually die from lack of vitamin A,” Assistant Professor of Biology Jens Rister explained.

Rister’s lab has its eye on fruit flies, which don’t need vitamin A to develop normally. Fruit fly photoreceptors deprived of vitamin A don’t die. “This indicated to us that there’s some kind of molecule or pathway that might stabilize the dying cell and keep some of its function alive,” Rister said.

Recently, Rister and his global team of collaborators and students discovered a novel protein that plays a key role in the response to vitamin A deprivation and indeed stabilizes damaged photoreceptors. Flies with the protein can see and function normally. Mutant flies deprived of the protein showed severe anatomical, behavioral, and electrophysiological defects.

Climate Changer

Kathleen Theoharides ’07 shapes the commonwealth’s clean energy and climate change adaptation policies.

By Vanessa Chatterley

E

arlier this year, Kathleen Theoharides ’07 was appointed by Governor Charlie Baker as Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She was officially sworn in on May 3, 2019.

“I was proud and honored to be chosen by the governor to serve the people of the commonwealth and work on such critical issues as environmental protection, addressing climate change, and providing clean energy,” said Theoharides, who was first recruited to the Baker-Polito administration in 2016 as director of climate change and later assistant secretary.

In her role as EEA secretary, Theoharides oversees the commonwealth’s six environmental, natural resource, and energy regulatory agencies and plays a critical role in shaping policies that affect and promote efficient energy use throughout the commonwealth. She also chairs the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, the Energy Facilities Siting Board, and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. “[We’re] very focused on reducing the causes of climate change and reducing our contribution here in Massachusetts to climate change but also working with other states and across the country to really help deploy climate change solutions,” said Theoharides, adding that the administration is also focusing on deploying clean energy, improving energy efficiency, tackling electrification, reducing emissions, and promoting climate change adaptation.

Throughout her childhood, Theoharides said she always had an interest in environmental issues and the natural world.

It wasn’t until high school and college that she had the

opportunity to develop that passion. After earning her bachelor’s in ecology and evolutionary biology from Dartmouth College, Theoharides enrolled at UMass Boston to pursue her master’s in environmental biology. During her time at the university, she worked with the Watershed-Integrated Sciences Partnership and conducted Kathleen Theoharides ’07 Leads research on climate change, the Executive Office of Energy and invasive plants, community Environmental Affairs assembly rules, and ecosystem ecology. In addition, Theoharides worked as a teaching assistant all through grad school.

“The opportunity to be at a school with so many different types of learners was really helpful for me as a teacher and as a student. The commitment from the students that I taught was amazing,” said Theoharides, who has kept in touch with her alma mater through a shared interest in issues affecting the commonwealth. “I’ve interacted with staff at the university on everything, from the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program to some of the climate science we’re seeing around sea-level rise in the Boston area. I think UMass Boston has been a great resource to the executive office in terms of some of the programs we’re working to deliver, especially on the climate change front.”

Could this protein help restore sight to humans who are blind due to vitamin A deficiency? As a first step toward answering that question, Rister will be using a fiveyear, $1,906,230 NIH grant to figure out how the protein targets photoreceptors and the role it plays in “normal” photoreceptor development.

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Opening Doors to

Opportunity

Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman works to link UMass Boston to the business community.

By Crystal Valencia

M

aedot Kassa ’19 was a couple months away from graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English and was still grappling with what she would do once she left school. Then she was invited to make a presentation about the degree program to communications industry professionals as part of a new series of “industry clusters” that the university has developed to build bridges to the Boston business community.

Kassa arrived armed with 30 copies of her résumé, and had a great conversation with Alex Goldstein, founder and CEO of 90 West, a strategic communications and community engagement firm.

“I went into the event hoping to get a better understanding of how UMass Boston approaches their curriculum,” Goldstein said, “but came out of the event trying to figure out how I was going to convince one of the students to accept a job offer.”

“I remember feeling excited and relieved. I knew it would be a serious opportunity, but I did not expect to get a job,” Kassa said. “I feel so lucky. To be able to directly speak with CEOs was a great experience.”

UMass Boston sits just minutes from downtown Boston and its thriving business community. A quick ride on the T drops visitors right smack in the middle of the city’s towering skyscrapers, home of the Big Four accounting firms and major banks, a prospering start-up scene, and some of the best hospitals in the world.

But for many students, it might as well be another country.

Since her appointment last year, Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman has been on a crusade to bridge the gap between the UMass Boston campus and the city’s industry and nonprofit leaders. She aims to secure internships, jobs, and apprenticeships for students and gain more exposure for faculty and researchers. And as the most diverse university in New England, the university has a lot to offer Boston’s business community.

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Opening Doors to

Opportunity

Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman works to link UMass Boston to the business community.

By Crystal Valencia

M

aedot Kassa ’19 was a couple months away from graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English and was still grappling with what she would do once she left school. Then she was invited to make a presentation about the degree program to communications industry professionals as part of a new series of “industry clusters” that the university has developed to build bridges to the Boston business community.

Kassa arrived armed with 30 copies of her résumé, and had a great conversation with Alex Goldstein, founder and CEO of 90 West, a strategic communications and community engagement firm.

“I went into the event hoping to get a better understanding of how UMass Boston approaches their curriculum,” Goldstein said, “but came out of the event trying to figure out how I was going to convince one of the students to accept a job offer.”

“I remember feeling excited and relieved. I knew it would be a serious opportunity, but I did not expect to get a job,” Kassa said. “I feel so lucky. To be able to directly speak with CEOs was a great experience.”

UMass Boston sits just minutes from downtown Boston and its thriving business community. A quick ride on the T drops visitors right smack in the middle of the city’s towering skyscrapers, home of the Big Four accounting firms and major banks, a prospering start-up scene, and some of the best hospitals in the world.

But for many students, it might as well be another country.

Since her appointment last year, Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman has been on a crusade to bridge the gap between the UMass Boston campus and the city’s industry and nonprofit leaders. She aims to secure internships, jobs, and apprenticeships for students and gain more exposure for faculty and researchers. And as the most diverse university in New England, the university has a lot to offer Boston’s business community.

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You CAN Scholarship Lisa Matthews from Morgan Stanley (left) makes a point during a communications industry cluster, while Joe Craven and Bill Dunigan from the financial planning and investment management firm BlackRock listen. As a result of the cluster, BlackRock hired two UMass Boston students.

“Boston boasts a thriving economy that is eager to diversify its talent base,” noted Newman. “UMass Boston should be their ‘go-to’ source for exceptionally bright, hard working students from every conceivable background. Our students are the ideal young professionals and we are excited about supporting business and nonprofit leaders in their quest for a 21st century professional labor force.”

Newman teamed up with the Alliance for Business Leadership, and recruited CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business leaders from across the city — some of whom haven’t historically recruited from UMass Boston — to set up a series of industry clusters.

Other organizations, such as the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, and Community Resources for Justice, also helped recruit their members to attend. Individuals such as retired banker Bob Sheridan assisted, too.

The clusters get UMass Boston students and faculty in the room with Boston’s top business executives for a half-day of networking.

They discuss best practices, trends, and how local businesses can partner with UMass Boston to assist students as they prepare to graduate and how they can differentiate themselves in a competitive job market.

“Working with UMass Boston on these clusters has been an exciting way for the business community to offer feedback on the tangible ways in which UMass Boston grads can be best prepared for jobs in key sectors of the Massachusetts economy, and to see first hand the wealth of talent that exists on campus,” said Jesse Mermell, the former Alliance for Business Leadership president.

Visiting executives review aspects of curriculum, with a goal of providing feedback to faculty experts about the skills in highest demand and the needs of industry. They devote much of the discus-

Alex Goldstein of communications firm, 90 West (center) hired UMass Boston student Maedot Kassa ’19 after meeting her at an industry cluster.

BY VANESSA CHATTERLEY

sion to the impact of new technologies on their firms and the skills their employees will need to command in the future. Each cluster focuses on a specific field, offering a tailor-made networking opportunity for students and faculty.

“I know that our members have been tremendously impressed by the students and faculty they’ve had a chance to meet with, and many of them have already arranged for opportunities to be back on campus to recruit, lecture, or partner in other innovative ways,” Mermell said.

The campus has already hosted executives from some of Boston’s top employers — from John Hancock and Liberty Mutual to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Mass General to Ernst & Young, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and KPMG. More clusters are planned for the upcoming year, including social services, criminal justice, banking, cybersecurity, technology, and computer science.

Many of the executives in attendance say they would be willing to mentor students, offer internships, grab a coffee to discuss their field, or allow students to shadow professionals at their organization.

Students get an opportunity to display their talents for visiting CEO’s in their fields of professional interest. Kassa said she sees these events as important for any student looking to get a leg up in their industry. Just being in a room with these executives gave her hope.

“It allowed me to get a sense of what the communications industry is like and a sense of what skills employers look for when hiring,” she said.

Goldstein was encouraged by the depth of energy and talent he came across at UMass Boston. He called Kassa a great addition to the team, and said she is “undoubtedly putting the skills she learned in the classroom to work.”

“Oftentimes folks in our industry need reminders that the talent we’re looking for is right here in our backyard,” he said.

“ Our members have been tremendously impressed by the students and faculty they’ve had a chance to meet.”

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Helps Students Achieve Their Dreams When Talita Guerrero ’15 immigrated to the United States from Brazil at age 12 with her parents, she was met with little in the way of opportunity or family support. Her parents worked two and three jobs just to make ends meet, and Guerrero fell through the cracks.

“I just didn’t try hard as a teenager,” said Guerrero, who dropped out of high school at age 16 after giving birth to her first child.

“But at that time, I knew 100 percent that I needed to give my son the absolute best life that I could possibly give him.”

While working full-time in the mortgage and financial planning industry, Guerrero went back to school for her GED and enrolled at UMass Boston. “Financially, it was tough, so I applied for the Charles Hoff Leadership Scholarship,” said Guerrero. “It was hard because a lot of scholarships were not available to students like myself: students who had an unfortunate background but got back on track, who wanted to put the work in and be successful.

I’m a high school dropout. I’m not an athlete, so it didn’t look good on paper.”

But to Guerrero’s immense surprise, she received the highly prestigious and coveted scholarship. “It was huge, not just because of the financial part but because Charlie Hoff believed in me,” said Guerrero.

The scholarship helped her pay for some of her tuition and reaffirmed her desire to complete her degree. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in management in 2015, Guerrero cofounded Right Key Mortgage, headquartered in Lakeville, Massachusetts. The company now has three offices across Massachusetts as well as offices in five other states.

Talita Guerrero and Charlie Hoff at UMass Boston

Despite her great success, Guerrero has never forgotten her beginnings. She recently established the Talita Guerrero You CAN Scholarship Fund, a $25,000 endowment intended to help full- or part-time students at UMass Boston with specific adversities, such as parenting minor children, strong financial need, or an extended period away from higher education pursuits. Non-U.S. citizens can also apply.

“The You CAN Scholarship is here to help young students to know that they can,” said Guerrero. “If you have a dream, you can achieve it. By doing this, I hope I can help another person just like myself to get out there and live a life that they have always dreamed of.”

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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You CAN Scholarship Lisa Matthews from Morgan Stanley (left) makes a point during a communications industry cluster, while Joe Craven and Bill Dunigan from the financial planning and investment management firm BlackRock listen. As a result of the cluster, BlackRock hired two UMass Boston students.

“Boston boasts a thriving economy that is eager to diversify its talent base,” noted Newman. “UMass Boston should be their ‘go-to’ source for exceptionally bright, hard working students from every conceivable background. Our students are the ideal young professionals and we are excited about supporting business and nonprofit leaders in their quest for a 21st century professional labor force.”

Newman teamed up with the Alliance for Business Leadership, and recruited CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business leaders from across the city — some of whom haven’t historically recruited from UMass Boston — to set up a series of industry clusters.

Other organizations, such as the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, and Community Resources for Justice, also helped recruit their members to attend. Individuals such as retired banker Bob Sheridan assisted, too.

The clusters get UMass Boston students and faculty in the room with Boston’s top business executives for a half-day of networking.

They discuss best practices, trends, and how local businesses can partner with UMass Boston to assist students as they prepare to graduate and how they can differentiate themselves in a competitive job market.

“Working with UMass Boston on these clusters has been an exciting way for the business community to offer feedback on the tangible ways in which UMass Boston grads can be best prepared for jobs in key sectors of the Massachusetts economy, and to see first hand the wealth of talent that exists on campus,” said Jesse Mermell, the former Alliance for Business Leadership president.

Visiting executives review aspects of curriculum, with a goal of providing feedback to faculty experts about the skills in highest demand and the needs of industry. They devote much of the discus-

Alex Goldstein of communications firm, 90 West (center) hired UMass Boston student Maedot Kassa ’19 after meeting her at an industry cluster.

BY VANESSA CHATTERLEY

sion to the impact of new technologies on their firms and the skills their employees will need to command in the future. Each cluster focuses on a specific field, offering a tailor-made networking opportunity for students and faculty.

“I know that our members have been tremendously impressed by the students and faculty they’ve had a chance to meet with, and many of them have already arranged for opportunities to be back on campus to recruit, lecture, or partner in other innovative ways,” Mermell said.

The campus has already hosted executives from some of Boston’s top employers — from John Hancock and Liberty Mutual to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Mass General to Ernst & Young, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and KPMG. More clusters are planned for the upcoming year, including social services, criminal justice, banking, cybersecurity, technology, and computer science.

Many of the executives in attendance say they would be willing to mentor students, offer internships, grab a coffee to discuss their field, or allow students to shadow professionals at their organization.

Students get an opportunity to display their talents for visiting CEO’s in their fields of professional interest. Kassa said she sees these events as important for any student looking to get a leg up in their industry. Just being in a room with these executives gave her hope.

“It allowed me to get a sense of what the communications industry is like and a sense of what skills employers look for when hiring,” she said.

Goldstein was encouraged by the depth of energy and talent he came across at UMass Boston. He called Kassa a great addition to the team, and said she is “undoubtedly putting the skills she learned in the classroom to work.”

“Oftentimes folks in our industry need reminders that the talent we’re looking for is right here in our backyard,” he said.

“ Our members have been tremendously impressed by the students and faculty they’ve had a chance to meet.”

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UMass Boston Fall 2019

Helps Students Achieve Their Dreams When Talita Guerrero ’15 immigrated to the United States from Brazil at age 12 with her parents, she was met with little in the way of opportunity or family support. Her parents worked two and three jobs just to make ends meet, and Guerrero fell through the cracks.

“I just didn’t try hard as a teenager,” said Guerrero, who dropped out of high school at age 16 after giving birth to her first child.

“But at that time, I knew 100 percent that I needed to give my son the absolute best life that I could possibly give him.”

While working full-time in the mortgage and financial planning industry, Guerrero went back to school for her GED and enrolled at UMass Boston. “Financially, it was tough, so I applied for the Charles Hoff Leadership Scholarship,” said Guerrero. “It was hard because a lot of scholarships were not available to students like myself: students who had an unfortunate background but got back on track, who wanted to put the work in and be successful.

I’m a high school dropout. I’m not an athlete, so it didn’t look good on paper.”

But to Guerrero’s immense surprise, she received the highly prestigious and coveted scholarship. “It was huge, not just because of the financial part but because Charlie Hoff believed in me,” said Guerrero.

The scholarship helped her pay for some of her tuition and reaffirmed her desire to complete her degree. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in management in 2015, Guerrero cofounded Right Key Mortgage, headquartered in Lakeville, Massachusetts. The company now has three offices across Massachusetts as well as offices in five other states.

Talita Guerrero and Charlie Hoff at UMass Boston

Despite her great success, Guerrero has never forgotten her beginnings. She recently established the Talita Guerrero You CAN Scholarship Fund, a $25,000 endowment intended to help full- or part-time students at UMass Boston with specific adversities, such as parenting minor children, strong financial need, or an extended period away from higher education pursuits. Non-U.S. citizens can also apply.

“The You CAN Scholarship is here to help young students to know that they can,” said Guerrero. “If you have a dream, you can achieve it. By doing this, I hope I can help another person just like myself to get out there and live a life that they have always dreamed of.”

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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27

OVER

THE TOP

More than 11,000 alumni, 1,600 current and former faculty and staff members, and corporations and foundations put the Just Imagine Campaign over the top. Contributions totaling more that $114 million pushed the fundraising campaign well past its original ambitious goal of $100 million. This astonishing generosity will help promote student success, advance research, provide annual support, and transform our campus.

“It shows what I already knew to be true: Our community is deeply committed to the success of our incredible students and their professors,” said Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman. “It is impossible to overstate how important philanthropy has been, and will be, to the growth and continued success of our university.”

The Just Imagine Campaign surpasses its fundraising goal.

Promote Student Success

$31.5 M Building the Research Enterprise

$8.9 M Transform the Campus

Our students are, and will always be, the beacons that guide our mission. Just Imagine donations helped improve student retention and graduation rates, create 15 cohort-based student success communities, hire professional and peer advisors, and increase scholarship and financial aid dollars. Eighty endowed funds, of which 69 will provide undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships in perpetuity, were created.

A Record-Setting Year

Build the Research Enterprise $27.8 M

$43.6 M

Grow Annual Fund

Student Success

$2.9 M Other

$114,682,964 total dollars raised

27

academic advisors added 28

n

UMass Boston Fall 2019

$16,000

average financial aid package to full time undergraduate students

Creating knowledge of local and global consequence is paramount to our contributions as Boston’s public research university. We’re thrilled that an outpouring of more than $31 million dedicated to research support, including contributions from more than 1,700 corporations and foundations, has helped us equip our 99 new teaching and research labs, endow seven faculty positions, and support faculty development.

The Just Imagine Campaign kicked off with a $1,000,000 gift from Janice and Ralph James (center) to fund Student Success initiatives. The investment helped create student success communities, increase the number of academic advisors, and promote co-curricular learning experiences.

Grow the Annual Fund

Transform the Campus

Our university donors embrace the mission of an urban public university, a gateway to economic and social progress for thousands. The backbone of support for all university endeavors, annual giving has played an integral role in funding student scholarships, faculty recruitment and development, campus improvements, community partnerships, and so much more.

UMass Boston added its first new academic buildings in more than 40 years with the opening of the Integrated Sciences Complex in 2015 and University Hall in 2016. In 2018, the university opened its first residence halls, enhancing the living-learning experience of more than 1,000 students—about 40 percent of the freshman class.

1,785

corporate and foundation donor organizations

99

new teaching and research labs

$865

average household contribution

$4,048,744 donated by former and current faculty and staff

UMass Boston raised $23.8 million in fiscal year 2019, setting a new annual record for fundraising in the university’s 55-year history. The previous record was $17.6 million. The fundraising total more than doubled the $10.5 million campus goal set by the UMass system and nearly tripled the amount raised in fiscal year 2018.

“Our record-setting results both in terms of campus-wide achievement this fiscal year coupled with the topping of our comprehensive campaign goal were only attainable by the countless partnerships formed across the campus and with the generous investments made by alumni, parents, and friends of UMass Boston,” said Vice Chancellor for Advancement Adam Wise.

670,000

square feet of new living/learning spaces

700

new trees planted on campus as part of the utilities master plan Fall 2019 UMass Boston

n

29

OVER

THE TOP

More than 11,000 alumni, 1,600 current and former faculty and staff members, and corporations and foundations put the Just Imagine Campaign over the top. Contributions totaling more that $114 million pushed the fundraising campaign well past its original ambitious goal of $100 million. This astonishing generosity will help promote student success, advance research, provide annual support, and transform our campus.

“It shows what I already knew to be true: Our community is deeply committed to the success of our incredible students and their professors,” said Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman. “It is impossible to overstate how important philanthropy has been, and will be, to the growth and continued success of our university.”

The Just Imagine Campaign surpasses its fundraising goal.

Promote Student Success

$31.5 M Building the Research Enterprise

$8.9 M Transform the Campus

Our students are, and will always be, the beacons that guide our mission. Just Imagine donations helped improve student retention and graduation rates, create 15 cohort-based student success communities, hire professional and peer advisors, and increase scholarship and financial aid dollars. Eighty endowed funds, of which 69 will provide undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships in perpetuity, were created.

A Record-Setting Year

Build the Research Enterprise $27.8 M

$43.6 M

Grow Annual Fund

Student Success

$2.9 M Other

$114,682,964 total dollars raised

27

academic advisors added 28

n

UMass Boston Fall 2019

$16,000

average financial aid package to full time undergraduate students

Creating knowledge of local and global consequence is paramount to our contributions as Boston’s public research university. We’re thrilled that an outpouring of more than $31 million dedicated to research support, including contributions from more than 1,700 corporations and foundations, has helped us equip our 99 new teaching and research labs, endow seven faculty positions, and support faculty development.

The Just Imagine Campaign kicked off with a $1,000,000 gift from Janice and Ralph James (center) to fund Student Success initiatives. The investment helped create student success communities, increase the number of academic advisors, and promote co-curricular learning experiences.

Grow the Annual Fund

Transform the Campus

Our university donors embrace the mission of an urban public university, a gateway to economic and social progress for thousands. The backbone of support for all university endeavors, annual giving has played an integral role in funding student scholarships, faculty recruitment and development, campus improvements, community partnerships, and so much more.

UMass Boston added its first new academic buildings in more than 40 years with the opening of the Integrated Sciences Complex in 2015 and University Hall in 2016. In 2018, the university opened its first residence halls, enhancing the living-learning experience of more than 1,000 students—about 40 percent of the freshman class.

1,785

corporate and foundation donor organizations

99

new teaching and research labs

$865

average household contribution

$4,048,744 donated by former and current faculty and staff

UMass Boston raised $23.8 million in fiscal year 2019, setting a new annual record for fundraising in the university’s 55-year history. The previous record was $17.6 million. The fundraising total more than doubled the $10.5 million campus goal set by the UMass system and nearly tripled the amount raised in fiscal year 2018.

“Our record-setting results both in terms of campus-wide achievement this fiscal year coupled with the topping of our comprehensive campaign goal were only attainable by the countless partnerships formed across the campus and with the generous investments made by alumni, parents, and friends of UMass Boston,” said Vice Chancellor for Advancement Adam Wise.

670,000

square feet of new living/learning spaces

700

new trees planted on campus as part of the utilities master plan Fall 2019 UMass Boston

n

29

ABOUT alumni

ABOUT alumni

1960s Arthur Mabbett (BS Biology ’69) The Boston Business Journal ranked his firm, Mabbett & Associates, Inc., as the 42nd fastest growing company in Massachusetts.

1970s Laurence Donoghue (BA Political Science ’77) was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. He was also named a “Super Lawyer” in the field of Labor and Employment Law

by Boston Magazine and was named among the nation’s most respected lawyers in recent editions of The Best Lawyers in America.

Russell duPont (BA Secondary Education, English, ’71) selfpublished his second novel, Waiting for the Turk, earlier this year. He describes it as a detective novel that takes place in South Boston. His first novel, King and Train, is a semiautobiographical book that takes place in Dorchester.

William Poehler (BS Elementary Education ’70) was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School. Poehler was co-captain of the undefeated 1965 basketball team at the high school and went on to become a four-year starter at Boston State College.

Poehler is also a member of the UMass Boston Athletic Hall of Fame.

1980s John W. Cavanaugh (MA Public Affairs ’87) is celebrating an important health milestone.

This year marks his fifth year as a colon cancer survivor!

30

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UMass Boston Fall 2019

Jodie Cohen (BS Biology ’98) recently accepted the position of assistant principal at Chenery Middle School in Belmont.

Jonathan Hall (BA Human Services ’00) was recently named director of outpatient services at Recovery Centers of America in Danvers.

Theresa Gleason (MA English ’93) had her poem “Snapper” published in Cape Cod Times’s first poetry page.

She is currently an adjunct professor at Mount Wachusett Community College and Nashua Community College.

Dennis Kohut (MEd Initial Licensure Middle, Secondary ’07) has been appointed as principal of Swampscott High School by Superintendent Pamela Angelakis.

John Pelesko (BS Mathematics ’92) has assumed the role of dean of the University of Delaware College of Arts and Sciences. He had served as interim dean since September 2018.

Amir Shiranian (BS Management ’92) recently opened the fourth location of his successful restaurant chain, Amelia’s Taqueria. Shiranian also recently took over the Dining Commons to treat our students to a night of Mexican cuisine.

Alumna Albie Johnson (BA Communication ’77) Every day at work, Albie Johnson handles history. As state librarian for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a post she’s held since 2007, Johnson oversees a priceless collection that includes everything from the original manuscript of William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation, his account of the founding of the Puritan colony in Massachusetts written in 1659, to videotape of the legislature’s debates on the legalization of same-sex marriage in the early 21st century. The State Library of Massachusetts, founded in 1826, also houses historic maps and more that half a million volumes of statute books and government documents. It’s the job of Johnson and her 11 staffers to provide research services for state government as well as the general public. Her efforts include digitizing the library’s many treasures for easy access online. Johnson graduated from UMass Boston with her BA in communication and later earned her MLS from Simmons University and an MEd from Emmanuel College. She says her goal is to bring the wonders of history that the library holds to a wider public audience.

Jane Lienau (BA Liberal Arts ’85, MA Education ’93) published a textbook with Wayside Publishing called Scandite Muros: Scale the Wall of Latin, about sight reading for AP Latin students.

David Ryan (BA English ’89) had his recent fiction appear in several literary journals, including Conjunctions, Epiphany, and Bellevue Literary Review. Another story is forthcoming in the Kenyon Review.

Denise Murphy (BA Sociology ’80) was recently elected to her second consecutive term as vice president of the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA). At the end of her term as vice president, she will go on to be president of MBA.

Assaad Sayah (BS Biology ’82) is currently serving as interim chief executive officer of Cambridge Health Alliance. He was previously the health system’s chief medical officer.

1990s Lorenzo Boyd (BA Sociology, Political Science ’95, MA Applied Sociology ’01) joined the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences as an associate professor of criminal justice and director of the Center for Advanced Policing at the University of New Haven.

John Buckley (BA History, Political Science, ’93) was promoted to chief of police at the Medford Police Department. He was formerly a detective lieutenant in Medford.

Benjamin Slomoff (BA community planning management ’93, MS dispute resolution ’97) recently published his third book of poetry. An essay of his appears in Aging Wisely . . . Wisdom of Our Elders (2018). He just celebrated his 106th birthday at his home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

2000s Kola Akindele (BA Economics, Political Science ’03) has been promoted to assistant vice chancellor for city and community relations at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.

Cyndy Etler (BA American Studies, English ’02) recently published her memoir titled The Dead Inside: A True Story. Etler endured abuse during her childhood but was able to overcome her trauma and express what she went through by becoming a writer.

Jennifer Gilson (BA Criminal Justice ’07) made history as the first woman police officer to join the Manchesterby-the-Sea Police Department.

Jacob Luhn (BS Exercise Science, Physical Ed. ’02, MBA ’04) is the assistant to the head coach and a recruiting coordinator for the University of Cincinnati’s men’s basketball team.

Juana Matias (BA Criminal Justice, Political Science ’09) has been named chief operating officer of MassINC, a non-partisan public policy think tank that also conducts polls and publishes Commonwealth magazine.

Evan O’Brien (BA Sociology ’00) was promoted to commercial lending officer at Bank of Canton, where he has worked for the past six years as a senior commercial credit analyst.

Sandra Range (MA Mental Health Counseling ’01) is the author of a new spiritual self-help book, You’ve Lost Your Mind, Now Find Your Soul. She also founded Intentional Self, LLC, a holistic counseling and wellness center in Stoughton, Massachusetts.

Jeffrey Sanchez (BA Legal Practice, Criminal Justice ’06) is a senior fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He also has served as the Massachusetts State Representative for the 15th Suffolk/ Norfolk District communities since 2003.

Katrin Sanford (MS Family Therapy ’06) is the new privacy officer at Fallon Health in Worcester.

Colin Rose (PhD Education ’14) Assistant Superintendent of Opportunity and Achievement Gaps Colin Rose is tasked with reducing racial inequities in Boston Public Schools (BPS). He hopes to eliminate inequities in performance and in access to exam schools and advanced programs across the board. He was promoted to his current position in 2015, after spending a decade as an educator at Higginson/Lewis K–8 School in Roxbury.

In addition to his position at BPS, Rose plays an active role in the community. He’s coordinated Acceleration Academies during school vacations and serves on the Extended Learning Time Taskforce. Rose is also a member of the BPS Male Educators of Color, a coaching program that strives to improve educational outcomes for students of color.

Rose received his PhD in education from UMass Boston, where he has also served on the initial Doctoral Student Advisory Committee. He earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a master’s in education at Boston University.

Cynthia Lang Walton (BA English ’02) received the Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

She is a professor of English at Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth, NH.

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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31

ABOUT alumni

ABOUT alumni

1960s Arthur Mabbett (BS Biology ’69) The Boston Business Journal ranked his firm, Mabbett & Associates, Inc., as the 42nd fastest growing company in Massachusetts.

1970s Laurence Donoghue (BA Political Science ’77) was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. He was also named a “Super Lawyer” in the field of Labor and Employment Law

by Boston Magazine and was named among the nation’s most respected lawyers in recent editions of The Best Lawyers in America.

Russell duPont (BA Secondary Education, English, ’71) selfpublished his second novel, Waiting for the Turk, earlier this year. He describes it as a detective novel that takes place in South Boston. His first novel, King and Train, is a semiautobiographical book that takes place in Dorchester.

William Poehler (BS Elementary Education ’70) was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School. Poehler was co-captain of the undefeated 1965 basketball team at the high school and went on to become a four-year starter at Boston State College.

Poehler is also a member of the UMass Boston Athletic Hall of Fame.

1980s John W. Cavanaugh (MA Public Affairs ’87) is celebrating an important health milestone.

This year marks his fifth year as a colon cancer survivor!

30

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UMass Boston Fall 2019

Jodie Cohen (BS Biology ’98) recently accepted the position of assistant principal at Chenery Middle School in Belmont.

Jonathan Hall (BA Human Services ’00) was recently named director of outpatient services at Recovery Centers of America in Danvers.

Theresa Gleason (MA English ’93) had her poem “Snapper” published in Cape Cod Times’s first poetry page.

She is currently an adjunct professor at Mount Wachusett Community College and Nashua Community College.

Dennis Kohut (MEd Initial Licensure Middle, Secondary ’07) has been appointed as principal of Swampscott High School by Superintendent Pamela Angelakis.

John Pelesko (BS Mathematics ’92) has assumed the role of dean of the University of Delaware College of Arts and Sciences. He had served as interim dean since September 2018.

Amir Shiranian (BS Management ’92) recently opened the fourth location of his successful restaurant chain, Amelia’s Taqueria. Shiranian also recently took over the Dining Commons to treat our students to a night of Mexican cuisine.

Alumna Albie Johnson (BA Communication ’77) Every day at work, Albie Johnson handles history. As state librarian for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a post she’s held since 2007, Johnson oversees a priceless collection that includes everything from the original manuscript of William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation, his account of the founding of the Puritan colony in Massachusetts written in 1659, to videotape of the legislature’s debates on the legalization of same-sex marriage in the early 21st century. The State Library of Massachusetts, founded in 1826, also houses historic maps and more that half a million volumes of statute books and government documents. It’s the job of Johnson and her 11 staffers to provide research services for state government as well as the general public. Her efforts include digitizing the library’s many treasures for easy access online. Johnson graduated from UMass Boston with her BA in communication and later earned her MLS from Simmons University and an MEd from Emmanuel College. She says her goal is to bring the wonders of history that the library holds to a wider public audience.

Jane Lienau (BA Liberal Arts ’85, MA Education ’93) published a textbook with Wayside Publishing called Scandite Muros: Scale the Wall of Latin, about sight reading for AP Latin students.

David Ryan (BA English ’89) had his recent fiction appear in several literary journals, including Conjunctions, Epiphany, and Bellevue Literary Review. Another story is forthcoming in the Kenyon Review.

Denise Murphy (BA Sociology ’80) was recently elected to her second consecutive term as vice president of the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA). At the end of her term as vice president, she will go on to be president of MBA.

Assaad Sayah (BS Biology ’82) is currently serving as interim chief executive officer of Cambridge Health Alliance. He was previously the health system’s chief medical officer.

1990s Lorenzo Boyd (BA Sociology, Political Science ’95, MA Applied Sociology ’01) joined the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences as an associate professor of criminal justice and director of the Center for Advanced Policing at the University of New Haven.

John Buckley (BA History, Political Science, ’93) was promoted to chief of police at the Medford Police Department. He was formerly a detective lieutenant in Medford.

Benjamin Slomoff (BA community planning management ’93, MS dispute resolution ’97) recently published his third book of poetry. An essay of his appears in Aging Wisely . . . Wisdom of Our Elders (2018). He just celebrated his 106th birthday at his home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

2000s Kola Akindele (BA Economics, Political Science ’03) has been promoted to assistant vice chancellor for city and community relations at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.

Cyndy Etler (BA American Studies, English ’02) recently published her memoir titled The Dead Inside: A True Story. Etler endured abuse during her childhood but was able to overcome her trauma and express what she went through by becoming a writer.

Jennifer Gilson (BA Criminal Justice ’07) made history as the first woman police officer to join the Manchesterby-the-Sea Police Department.

Jacob Luhn (BS Exercise Science, Physical Ed. ’02, MBA ’04) is the assistant to the head coach and a recruiting coordinator for the University of Cincinnati’s men’s basketball team.

Juana Matias (BA Criminal Justice, Political Science ’09) has been named chief operating officer of MassINC, a non-partisan public policy think tank that also conducts polls and publishes Commonwealth magazine.

Evan O’Brien (BA Sociology ’00) was promoted to commercial lending officer at Bank of Canton, where he has worked for the past six years as a senior commercial credit analyst.

Sandra Range (MA Mental Health Counseling ’01) is the author of a new spiritual self-help book, You’ve Lost Your Mind, Now Find Your Soul. She also founded Intentional Self, LLC, a holistic counseling and wellness center in Stoughton, Massachusetts.

Jeffrey Sanchez (BA Legal Practice, Criminal Justice ’06) is a senior fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He also has served as the Massachusetts State Representative for the 15th Suffolk/ Norfolk District communities since 2003.

Katrin Sanford (MS Family Therapy ’06) is the new privacy officer at Fallon Health in Worcester.

Colin Rose (PhD Education ’14) Assistant Superintendent of Opportunity and Achievement Gaps Colin Rose is tasked with reducing racial inequities in Boston Public Schools (BPS). He hopes to eliminate inequities in performance and in access to exam schools and advanced programs across the board. He was promoted to his current position in 2015, after spending a decade as an educator at Higginson/Lewis K–8 School in Roxbury.

In addition to his position at BPS, Rose plays an active role in the community. He’s coordinated Acceleration Academies during school vacations and serves on the Extended Learning Time Taskforce. Rose is also a member of the BPS Male Educators of Color, a coaching program that strives to improve educational outcomes for students of color.

Rose received his PhD in education from UMass Boston, where he has also served on the initial Doctoral Student Advisory Committee. He earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a master’s in education at Boston University.

Cynthia Lang Walton (BA English ’02) received the Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

She is a professor of English at Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth, NH.

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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A B O U T alumni

A B O U T alumni Mihai Maruseac (PhD Computer Science ’16) recently joined the Privacy Team at Google. He served as the captain of UMass Boston’s cybersecurity team for several years. Maruseac formerly worked as a machine-learning engineer at LeapYear Technologies, a prominent start-up at UC Berkeley that focuses on differential privacy.

Phuna Mbenza (BS Psychology, Philosophy ’18) released his debut album Remedy in 2018. The album combines Mbenza’s musical inspirations, from Amy Winehouse to Congolese singer-songwriter Lokua Kanza.

Clifford Merchant (BA Criminal Justice, Sociology ’16) was recently sworn in as an officer after graduating from Plymouth Police Academy.

Alumna Janet Mills (BA French ’70) Janet Mills was elected governor of Maine last November, making her the first woman to hold the office in the state’s history. After graduating from UMass Boston, Mills went on to earn her law degree in 1976 at the University of Maine. Her extensive service to the state includes positions as assistant attorney general, regional attorney general, state representative, and attorney general— the first woman to hold the position. She also cofounded the Maine Women’s Lobby to advocate for battered and abused women.

2010s Lauren Annese (BA Theatre Arts ’16) landed a role as stage manager at The Second City Touring Company in 2018. The Second City, a comedy club that started in Chicago and expanded to Toronto and Hollywood, also manages multiple touring companies.

Ryan Bristol (BS Management ’15), vice president of Bristol Bros.

Development Corp. in Hingham, has been appointed to a one-year term on the South Shore Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors.

Kara Hayes (MPA Public Administration ’16) was given the DA’s Special Recognition Award.

She served as chief of the DA’s Victim Witness Assistance Program before taking the lead on community outreach and acting as the Suffolk County District Attorney’s director of community engagement and liaison to the LGBTQ community.

Megin Hemmerling (MS Gerontology, Management of Aging Services ’13) has been appointed director of Assisted Living Services at Chelsea Jewish Lifecare.

Sherline Heriveaux (BA Communication Studies ’18) was offered a coveted spot with NBC Universal’s competitive Page Program in New York City shortly after graduating from UMass Boston.

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Keisha Jagroop (BS Criminology ’17) is celebrating pre-screening employment with Suffolk County House of Correction.

Jack Kelly (BA Political Science ’13) overcame a drug addiction and homelessness to write a memoir titled Sharp Needle: One Man’s Journey from Hockey to Heroin, Recovery, Politics and Finding Peace.

James Kirby (BS Nursing, RN ’12, MS Nursing ’16) is the owner of Alba Med Spa LLC and recently announced that they will open a new location in South Weymouth.

Laura Lajewski (PhD Leadership in Urban Schools ’18) is the new executive director of COMPASS, a nonprofit that provides specialized services to youth and families in need.

Sandra Morones (BS Nursing ’10) has accepted a position as a clinical research manager at the Center for Neuro-Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Kurt Morris (MA American Studies ’10) wrote a true-life story about living with and recovering from depression and anxiety, which was published in The i’Mpossible Project: Lemonade Stand Volume II. Adriana Soto (BA Clinical Psychology ’12) started her clinical psychology internship year at Ryan White Immunology Clinic. She also founded a swimwear line called Aragma Swim in 2018.

Tinatin Surguladze (PhD Counseling and School Psychology ’18) was hired as staff psychologist at Roger Williams University.

Kate Wisel (BA English ’15) received the 2019 Drue Heinz Literature Prize for her book, Driving in Cars with Homeless Men.

IN MEMORIAM Since our last issue, it has saddened us to learn of the deaths of the following members of the UMass Boston community.

Faculty and Staff

Alumni and Friends

Andrew Boelcskevy, Retired Faculty

Anne M. Barker ’71

John P. Grossmann ’69

Clare K. Crawford, Retired Staff

Robert J. Bartlett ’61 MEd ’65

Ronald J. Haley ’61

George Goodwin, Retired Faculty

Angela Bowen ’92

Patricia Hall

Midori R. Hayashi, Retired Staff

Connie Ward Bowes ’65

Winnifred H. Hawley ’60

A. Collins Jenko, Retired Staff

Grace K. Breslin CER ’98

Kevin P. Healey ’80

Anne K. Kibrick, Retired Faculty

Fatima Z. Breton ’14 GCT ’18

Thomas F. Heavey ’75

Lovalerie King, Former Staff

Renee Marie Browne ’10

Dean S. Hobbs ’80

Milton D. Klein, Retired Faculty

Walter J. Burke MEd ’61

Walter K. Holman

Dirk Messelaar, Retired Faculty

Stacey J. Burns ’92

Michele D. Kendrick ’71

Michael C. Meyer, Faculty

Geraldine R. Burns MA ’86 CER ’92

Deirdre I. Kennedy MA ’94

Dolores A. Miller, Former Staff

Mary E. Cameron ’54

Robert Joseph Kenney ’83

Duncan M. Nelson, Retired Faculty

Mary M. Carney ’04

Roger J. Kineavy, Sr. ’83

Sherry H. Penney, Retired Faculty

Lois Chenette-Cardalino ’70

Julian Lamb-Orgel

Marilyn M. Pula, Retired Faculty

Noreen M. Colannino ’77, ’80

Alice P. Lindblad ’69

Louis E. Roberts, Retired Faculty

Susan Bryant Conley ’83

James D. Livingston

Harold Thurman, Retired Faculty

Ruth Marie Connaughton ’48

Karen MacFarlane ’75

Robert J. Todd, Retired Faculty

Mary Barossi Conti ’39

Mary E. Mahoney MEd ’68

Lois A. Welch, Former Staff

Anna Corcoran

Mary A. Marchese

Thomas M. Couming ’77

Dr. Joseph S. Mariani ’58

Heather F. Cumming MEd ’97

Joan Warner McHugh ’89

Steven W. Dand ’73

Martha Carney McLaughlin ’64

Sumner Darman

Jennifer Lynn McNary ’95 MEd ’01

Aaron DiBella

James M. McNiff ’66

Gerald Esposito ’94

Lt. Colonel Michael A. Melvin

Jennifer I. Ferent ’19

Michael D. Merchant ’02

Eleanor Flibotte

Daniel Charles Molino ’80

Patricia C. Foley ’00

Dr. Francis S. Murphy, Jr. MEd ’50

Charles R. Freidel ’76

Mary E. Murray ’69

David J. Fuller ’62

John F. Nelson ’04

Jacques S. Gansler

Loretta Sullivan O’Brien ’69

Daniel Andrew Gero ’11

Linda A. O’Brien ’80

Sean Robert Glennon ’15

Charles J. O’Neil ’76

Gloria R. Godfrey ’75

Luckinson Oruma

Rosemary A. Good ’48

I.M. Pei HDFA ’80

Barbara Twombly Grace ’59

ldeberto Pereira ’69

Carolyn T. Graham ’82

Ellen Collins Philie ’63 MEd ’80

John L. Grant EdD ’09

Justin David Poitras ’14

Ida R. Greenberg ’79

Anne M. Preskenis ’66

Manny Press Rhea I. Reed MS ’10 Katherine M. Richo MS ’92 Francis M. Roache ’75 MA ’81 Christopher R. Roberts ’70 Dr. Jack E. Rogers MA ’96 Stephen J. Ross ’91 David R. Salamone ’95 Donald E. Samuelson ’74 Ruth Saris ’82 Frances Jane Scafidi ’86 Adam Scala Edward J. Shanley ’69 George J. Shdeed ’59 James M. Sheehan ’96 Madeline McLean Smith ’51 Douglas R. Spicer ’77 Samuel Spiegel Tetsuo Takayanagi Peter A. Tegan ’69 Kathleen A. Terry MEd ’98 John J. Thompson, Jr. ’69 ’89 Barbra Trybe ’88 Robert F. Vitale ’62 Daniel G. Vitt ’89 Philip Von Iderstein Elinor M. Wallace ’59 S. Ruth Wheeler ’88 Nancy E. Whitten Martignetti ’80 Michael E. Williams ’91 Sister Margaret Rose Willis ’63 Michael T. Wilson ’90 Eliot J. Winograd ’73 Konstantin Yeliseyev ’19 Malachi Isaac YisraEL ’06 Edward A. Zaleskas ’53

To send us your news, please visit alumni.umb.edu/shareyournews, email alumni@umb.edu, or write Alumni Office, UMass Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125. We’ll include everything that space permits, edited for length and style.

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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A B O U T alumni

A B O U T alumni Mihai Maruseac (PhD Computer Science ’16) recently joined the Privacy Team at Google. He served as the captain of UMass Boston’s cybersecurity team for several years. Maruseac formerly worked as a machine-learning engineer at LeapYear Technologies, a prominent start-up at UC Berkeley that focuses on differential privacy.

Phuna Mbenza (BS Psychology, Philosophy ’18) released his debut album Remedy in 2018. The album combines Mbenza’s musical inspirations, from Amy Winehouse to Congolese singer-songwriter Lokua Kanza.

Clifford Merchant (BA Criminal Justice, Sociology ’16) was recently sworn in as an officer after graduating from Plymouth Police Academy.

Alumna Janet Mills (BA French ’70) Janet Mills was elected governor of Maine last November, making her the first woman to hold the office in the state’s history. After graduating from UMass Boston, Mills went on to earn her law degree in 1976 at the University of Maine. Her extensive service to the state includes positions as assistant attorney general, regional attorney general, state representative, and attorney general— the first woman to hold the position. She also cofounded the Maine Women’s Lobby to advocate for battered and abused women.

2010s Lauren Annese (BA Theatre Arts ’16) landed a role as stage manager at The Second City Touring Company in 2018. The Second City, a comedy club that started in Chicago and expanded to Toronto and Hollywood, also manages multiple touring companies.

Ryan Bristol (BS Management ’15), vice president of Bristol Bros.

Development Corp. in Hingham, has been appointed to a one-year term on the South Shore Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors.

Kara Hayes (MPA Public Administration ’16) was given the DA’s Special Recognition Award.

She served as chief of the DA’s Victim Witness Assistance Program before taking the lead on community outreach and acting as the Suffolk County District Attorney’s director of community engagement and liaison to the LGBTQ community.

Megin Hemmerling (MS Gerontology, Management of Aging Services ’13) has been appointed director of Assisted Living Services at Chelsea Jewish Lifecare.

Sherline Heriveaux (BA Communication Studies ’18) was offered a coveted spot with NBC Universal’s competitive Page Program in New York City shortly after graduating from UMass Boston.

32

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UMass Boston Fall 2019

Keisha Jagroop (BS Criminology ’17) is celebrating pre-screening employment with Suffolk County House of Correction.

Jack Kelly (BA Political Science ’13) overcame a drug addiction and homelessness to write a memoir titled Sharp Needle: One Man’s Journey from Hockey to Heroin, Recovery, Politics and Finding Peace.

James Kirby (BS Nursing, RN ’12, MS Nursing ’16) is the owner of Alba Med Spa LLC and recently announced that they will open a new location in South Weymouth.

Laura Lajewski (PhD Leadership in Urban Schools ’18) is the new executive director of COMPASS, a nonprofit that provides specialized services to youth and families in need.

Sandra Morones (BS Nursing ’10) has accepted a position as a clinical research manager at the Center for Neuro-Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Kurt Morris (MA American Studies ’10) wrote a true-life story about living with and recovering from depression and anxiety, which was published in The i’Mpossible Project: Lemonade Stand Volume II. Adriana Soto (BA Clinical Psychology ’12) started her clinical psychology internship year at Ryan White Immunology Clinic. She also founded a swimwear line called Aragma Swim in 2018.

Tinatin Surguladze (PhD Counseling and School Psychology ’18) was hired as staff psychologist at Roger Williams University.

Kate Wisel (BA English ’15) received the 2019 Drue Heinz Literature Prize for her book, Driving in Cars with Homeless Men.

IN MEMORIAM Since our last issue, it has saddened us to learn of the deaths of the following members of the UMass Boston community.

Faculty and Staff

Alumni and Friends

Andrew Boelcskevy, Retired Faculty

Anne M. Barker ’71

John P. Grossmann ’69

Clare K. Crawford, Retired Staff

Robert J. Bartlett ’61 MEd ’65

Ronald J. Haley ’61

George Goodwin, Retired Faculty

Angela Bowen ’92

Patricia Hall

Midori R. Hayashi, Retired Staff

Connie Ward Bowes ’65

Winnifred H. Hawley ’60

A. Collins Jenko, Retired Staff

Grace K. Breslin CER ’98

Kevin P. Healey ’80

Anne K. Kibrick, Retired Faculty

Fatima Z. Breton ’14 GCT ’18

Thomas F. Heavey ’75

Lovalerie King, Former Staff

Renee Marie Browne ’10

Dean S. Hobbs ’80

Milton D. Klein, Retired Faculty

Walter J. Burke MEd ’61

Walter K. Holman

Dirk Messelaar, Retired Faculty

Stacey J. Burns ’92

Michele D. Kendrick ’71

Michael C. Meyer, Faculty

Geraldine R. Burns MA ’86 CER ’92

Deirdre I. Kennedy MA ’94

Dolores A. Miller, Former Staff

Mary E. Cameron ’54

Robert Joseph Kenney ’83

Duncan M. Nelson, Retired Faculty

Mary M. Carney ’04

Roger J. Kineavy, Sr. ’83

Sherry H. Penney, Retired Faculty

Lois Chenette-Cardalino ’70

Julian Lamb-Orgel

Marilyn M. Pula, Retired Faculty

Noreen M. Colannino ’77, ’80

Alice P. Lindblad ’69

Louis E. Roberts, Retired Faculty

Susan Bryant Conley ’83

James D. Livingston

Harold Thurman, Retired Faculty

Ruth Marie Connaughton ’48

Karen MacFarlane ’75

Robert J. Todd, Retired Faculty

Mary Barossi Conti ’39

Mary E. Mahoney MEd ’68

Lois A. Welch, Former Staff

Anna Corcoran

Mary A. Marchese

Thomas M. Couming ’77

Dr. Joseph S. Mariani ’58

Heather F. Cumming MEd ’97

Joan Warner McHugh ’89

Steven W. Dand ’73

Martha Carney McLaughlin ’64

Sumner Darman

Jennifer Lynn McNary ’95 MEd ’01

Aaron DiBella

James M. McNiff ’66

Gerald Esposito ’94

Lt. Colonel Michael A. Melvin

Jennifer I. Ferent ’19

Michael D. Merchant ’02

Eleanor Flibotte

Daniel Charles Molino ’80

Patricia C. Foley ’00

Dr. Francis S. Murphy, Jr. MEd ’50

Charles R. Freidel ’76

Mary E. Murray ’69

David J. Fuller ’62

John F. Nelson ’04

Jacques S. Gansler

Loretta Sullivan O’Brien ’69

Daniel Andrew Gero ’11

Linda A. O’Brien ’80

Sean Robert Glennon ’15

Charles J. O’Neil ’76

Gloria R. Godfrey ’75

Luckinson Oruma

Rosemary A. Good ’48

I.M. Pei HDFA ’80

Barbara Twombly Grace ’59

ldeberto Pereira ’69

Carolyn T. Graham ’82

Ellen Collins Philie ’63 MEd ’80

John L. Grant EdD ’09

Justin David Poitras ’14

Ida R. Greenberg ’79

Anne M. Preskenis ’66

Manny Press Rhea I. Reed MS ’10 Katherine M. Richo MS ’92 Francis M. Roache ’75 MA ’81 Christopher R. Roberts ’70 Dr. Jack E. Rogers MA ’96 Stephen J. Ross ’91 David R. Salamone ’95 Donald E. Samuelson ’74 Ruth Saris ’82 Frances Jane Scafidi ’86 Adam Scala Edward J. Shanley ’69 George J. Shdeed ’59 James M. Sheehan ’96 Madeline McLean Smith ’51 Douglas R. Spicer ’77 Samuel Spiegel Tetsuo Takayanagi Peter A. Tegan ’69 Kathleen A. Terry MEd ’98 John J. Thompson, Jr. ’69 ’89 Barbra Trybe ’88 Robert F. Vitale ’62 Daniel G. Vitt ’89 Philip Von Iderstein Elinor M. Wallace ’59 S. Ruth Wheeler ’88 Nancy E. Whitten Martignetti ’80 Michael E. Williams ’91 Sister Margaret Rose Willis ’63 Michael T. Wilson ’90 Eliot J. Winograd ’73 Konstantin Yeliseyev ’19 Malachi Isaac YisraEL ’06 Edward A. Zaleskas ’53

To send us your news, please visit alumni.umb.edu/shareyournews, email alumni@umb.edu, or write Alumni Office, UMass Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125. We’ll include everything that space permits, edited for length and style.

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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INVESTING IN UMASS BOSTON

Lornie Bullerwell ’69 Pays It Back with Bequest to UMass Boston

Krystle Campbell Fund Reaches $1 Million Mark

BY VANESSA CARTA

BY VANESSA CHATTERLEY

When Lornie Bullerwell ’69 entered the Park Square building of the brand-new University of Massachusetts Boston in 1965, he had no way of knowing what was in store. After all, there were no upperclassmen for the charter class of 1969 to turn to for guidance.

What Bullerwell and his fellow students found instead was an eager young faculty ready to mentor and learn alongside their students in the “UMass Boston experiment.”

“Much of who I became is due to the education I got from UMass Boston.”

Lornie Bullerwell ’69

More than 50 years later, it is clear that the experiment has been a success. The charter class went on to enjoy fulfilling careers and lives of service and giving back. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the graduation of our charter class, Lornie Bullerwell has established a bequest to UMass Boston. The 2019 bequest, for an undisclosed amount, is just the latest instance of Bullerwell’s generous support. He had already established a charitable gift annuity at UMass Boston to provide a scholarship to biology majors from Lynn or Dedham. In addition, he is a loyal annual donor and currently serves on the UMass Boston Board of Visitors and the Alumni Association Board of Directors, where he chairs the Scholarship Committee.

“Much of who I became is due to the education I got from UMass Boston,” said Bullerwell. “After my family and my late wife Dorothy Quinn, this place molded who I am and what I became.

I had a career that gave me back so much.”

Since his graduation 50 years ago, Bullerwell went on to have a very illustrious career as a biology teacher and director of science education in the Dedham, Massachusetts, school district. His teaching style received notice, including a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship at Princeton, where he was recognized as one of the top 50 biology teachers in the country.

Since reconnecting with UMass Boston in the 1990s, he has guided many of his high school students through our doors. “I had a career that gave me back so much. I know I made a difference in many kids’ lives. I have had sufficient numbers come back and tell me how much of an impact it’s made,” said Bullerwell.

Bullerwell sees a lot of similarities between the students entering UMass Boston today and those who entered in 1965.

“They’re of different languages, ethnicities, and colors, but they’re the same.... In terms of their ability to tough it out, to make things work, to just drag themselves through whatever problems they might face,” Bullerwell said. “They are just amazing.”

Photo left: The original Park Square building where Bullerwell’s UMass Boston journey began 34

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UMass Boston Fall 2019

The Krystle Campbell Scholarship Fund this year reached the $1 million milestone, making it the second-largest scholarship endowment at UMass Boston. Former UMass Trustee and UMass Boston alumnus Richard Campbell ’70, H ’14 established the fund in memory of fellow alum Krystle Campbell (no relation), who lost her life in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

The success of the fund is thanks in part to the annual Run for Krystle teams, who run the Boston Marathon to raise money for the fund. After this year’s marathon, the fund had reached $955,000. In a surprise move, Richard Campbell then donated the difference to bring the fund to $1 million.

“These kids go into UMass Boston, and they’re like us. They need all the help that they can get. They’re working and going to school at the same time,” said Campbell. “This scholarship plays an important role, and I’m happy to be part of it.”

“Scholarships can make a real difference. I have no doubt that Krystle would be especially pleased to know that a scholarship in her name is supporting students at her alma mater,” said Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman.

The first Krystle Campbell scholarships were awarded in 2015 to two undergraduate business students. Each year since, two students

who have demonstrated a need for financial assistance have received the scholarships. The students are selected for their exceptional grades, volunteer work, involvement in the university and community, and allaround excellence in academics.

Scarlette Nord ’20, a 2018 recipient of the scholarship, said “I was really touched

by Krystle Campbell’s story. To know that I’m representing her in a way, I want to make sure I do her proud,” said Nord.

“Knowing that I can still continue in school and knowing that my hard work is being acknowledged in some way just makes me want to keep working harder and keep on going further.”

Alice Boushell ’21, who received one of this year’s scholarships, has said that it makes her want to do good by Krystle and make the most out of her time at UMass Boston. “The second I stepped foot on this campus, it felt like such a different rush, and it felt like this is where I want to be. It’s a whole community,” Boushell said.

With continued support from the UMass Boston community, the Krystle Campbell Scholarship will be able to help future business students find their home at UMass Boston, too.

Photo left: The Run for Krystle team with Interim Chancellor Newman (center) Photo top right: (l–r) Dean Arindam Bandopadhyaya, scholarship founder Richard Campbell, and Interim Chancellor Newman, award Alice Boushell ’21 with a 2019 Krystle Campbell Scholarship.

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

n

35

INVESTING IN UMASS BOSTON

Lornie Bullerwell ’69 Pays It Back with Bequest to UMass Boston

Krystle Campbell Fund Reaches $1 Million Mark

BY VANESSA CARTA

BY VANESSA CHATTERLEY

When Lornie Bullerwell ’69 entered the Park Square building of the brand-new University of Massachusetts Boston in 1965, he had no way of knowing what was in store. After all, there were no upperclassmen for the charter class of 1969 to turn to for guidance.

What Bullerwell and his fellow students found instead was an eager young faculty ready to mentor and learn alongside their students in the “UMass Boston experiment.”

“Much of who I became is due to the education I got from UMass Boston.”

Lornie Bullerwell ’69

More than 50 years later, it is clear that the experiment has been a success. The charter class went on to enjoy fulfilling careers and lives of service and giving back. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the graduation of our charter class, Lornie Bullerwell has established a bequest to UMass Boston. The 2019 bequest, for an undisclosed amount, is just the latest instance of Bullerwell’s generous support. He had already established a charitable gift annuity at UMass Boston to provide a scholarship to biology majors from Lynn or Dedham. In addition, he is a loyal annual donor and currently serves on the UMass Boston Board of Visitors and the Alumni Association Board of Directors, where he chairs the Scholarship Committee.

“Much of who I became is due to the education I got from UMass Boston,” said Bullerwell. “After my family and my late wife Dorothy Quinn, this place molded who I am and what I became.

I had a career that gave me back so much.”

Since his graduation 50 years ago, Bullerwell went on to have a very illustrious career as a biology teacher and director of science education in the Dedham, Massachusetts, school district. His teaching style received notice, including a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship at Princeton, where he was recognized as one of the top 50 biology teachers in the country.

Since reconnecting with UMass Boston in the 1990s, he has guided many of his high school students through our doors. “I had a career that gave me back so much. I know I made a difference in many kids’ lives. I have had sufficient numbers come back and tell me how much of an impact it’s made,” said Bullerwell.

Bullerwell sees a lot of similarities between the students entering UMass Boston today and those who entered in 1965.

“They’re of different languages, ethnicities, and colors, but they’re the same.... In terms of their ability to tough it out, to make things work, to just drag themselves through whatever problems they might face,” Bullerwell said. “They are just amazing.”

Photo left: The original Park Square building where Bullerwell’s UMass Boston journey began 34

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UMass Boston Fall 2019

The Krystle Campbell Scholarship Fund this year reached the $1 million milestone, making it the second-largest scholarship endowment at UMass Boston. Former UMass Trustee and UMass Boston alumnus Richard Campbell ’70, H ’14 established the fund in memory of fellow alum Krystle Campbell (no relation), who lost her life in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

The success of the fund is thanks in part to the annual Run for Krystle teams, who run the Boston Marathon to raise money for the fund. After this year’s marathon, the fund had reached $955,000. In a surprise move, Richard Campbell then donated the difference to bring the fund to $1 million.

“These kids go into UMass Boston, and they’re like us. They need all the help that they can get. They’re working and going to school at the same time,” said Campbell. “This scholarship plays an important role, and I’m happy to be part of it.”

“Scholarships can make a real difference. I have no doubt that Krystle would be especially pleased to know that a scholarship in her name is supporting students at her alma mater,” said Interim Chancellor Katherine Newman.

The first Krystle Campbell scholarships were awarded in 2015 to two undergraduate business students. Each year since, two students

who have demonstrated a need for financial assistance have received the scholarships. The students are selected for their exceptional grades, volunteer work, involvement in the university and community, and allaround excellence in academics.

Scarlette Nord ’20, a 2018 recipient of the scholarship, said “I was really touched

by Krystle Campbell’s story. To know that I’m representing her in a way, I want to make sure I do her proud,” said Nord.

“Knowing that I can still continue in school and knowing that my hard work is being acknowledged in some way just makes me want to keep working harder and keep on going further.”

Alice Boushell ’21, who received one of this year’s scholarships, has said that it makes her want to do good by Krystle and make the most out of her time at UMass Boston. “The second I stepped foot on this campus, it felt like such a different rush, and it felt like this is where I want to be. It’s a whole community,” Boushell said.

With continued support from the UMass Boston community, the Krystle Campbell Scholarship will be able to help future business students find their home at UMass Boston, too.

Photo left: The Run for Krystle team with Interim Chancellor Newman (center) Photo top right: (l–r) Dean Arindam Bandopadhyaya, scholarship founder Richard Campbell, and Interim Chancellor Newman, award Alice Boushell ’21 with a 2019 Krystle Campbell Scholarship.

Fall 2019 UMass Boston

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50

Boston State College and UMass Boston 1969 Classes Celebrate Y E AR S

T

he Boston State College and UMass Boston classes of 1969 celebrated their 50th reunions this spring, bringing together nearly 200 alumni on campus in May and June.

UMass Boston Alumni Engagement Did You Know?

There are over 110,000 UMass Boston alumni worldwide. There might be a fellow Beacon right down the street from you! Make sure that the Alumni Office has your most current information so you can stay connected at home and abroad. You can update your information at alumni.umb.edu/update.

Cheryl Connery, who served on the UMass Boston planning committee, said that collaboration with the university began early in 2018 to ensure that the day’s activities went smoothly.

“I really enjoyed the many conversations with people who were able to come, and many who weren’t due to various circumstances,” said Connery. “The university staff were instrumental in guiding us through this process and pulling it all together.”

Approximately 75 percent of our alumni stay in Massachusetts after graduating. However, many Beacons live and work outside of New England. Here’s where you can find most of them.

The celebrations kicked off with an interactive tour of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, followed by a two-hour boat cruise around the Boston Harbor. In the afternoon, alumni were invited to take a guided tour of campus. In addition to exploring the Integrated Sciences Complex, they also learned more about the Campus Center, University Hall, and the residence halls.

“I haven’t been to the university since 1974. I had just gotten out of the service, and I came back and wanted to see some of my professors,” said Steven Darling ’69, adding that there were only three buildings on campus at that time. “There’s just so much here that’s new.”

The UMass Boston class of 1969, which gathered on May 11, 2019, donated more than $130,000 to the university— surpassing their $100,000 goal.

These funds will go toward naming the residence hall courtyard the “University of Massachusetts Boston Charter Class of 1969 Courtyard.” In addition, the class contributed more than $8,000 to the Class of 1969 Scholarship Fund. Boston State College class of ’69 alumni, who came together on June 8, 2019, raised $10,500 to support the Boston State College Scholarship Fund.

Photo top right: Boston State College Class of 1969 on a walking tour of campus; middle: UMass Boston Class of 1969 pause as they walk through a transformed campus; bottom: UMass Boston alums enjoy a harbor cruise; photo left: Boston State class in Alumni Lounge.

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UMass Boston Fall 2019

MAP KEY

Most Alumni

Least Alumni

UMass Boston on the Move Whether you’re in Dorchester or Daytona Beach, we’re on our way to see you. We’ll be hosting events in California, Florida, New York, and Washington, DC, this spring—and will be traveling all over New England as well. Watch out for invites and evites coming your way, and check our website and social channels, too.

Get Social!

Show your Beacon pride, and you could snag some UMass Boston swag. Enter to win one of our swag baskets (see photo, right) by following us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Increase your chances by following us on all three. For a fourth entry, share an update with us through any of our social media channels and tag it as #UMBswag so we can find you. The contest runs through December 31, 2019. Winner(s) will be announced on January 6.

50

Boston State College and UMass Boston 1969 Classes Celebrate Y E AR S

T

he Boston State College and UMass Boston classes of 1969 celebrated their 50th reunions this spring, bringing together nearly 200 alumni on campus in May and June.

UMass Boston Alumni Engagement Did You Know?

There are over 110,000 UMass Boston alumni worldwide. There might be a fellow Beacon right down the street from you! Make sure that the Alumni Office has your most current information so you can stay connected at home and abroad. You can update your information at alumni.umb.edu/update.

Cheryl Connery, who served on the UMass Boston planning committee, said that collaboration with the university began early in 2018 to ensure that the day’s activities went smoothly.

“I really enjoyed the many conversations with people who were able to come, and many who weren’t due to various circumstances,” said Connery. “The university staff were instrumental in guiding us through this process and pulling it all together.”

Approximately 75 percent of our alumni stay in Massachusetts after graduating. However, many Beacons live and work outside of New England. Here’s where you can find most of them.

The celebrations kicked off with an interactive tour of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, followed by a two-hour boat cruise around the Boston Harbor. In the afternoon, alumni were invited to take a guided tour of campus. In addition to exploring the Integrated Sciences Complex, they also learned more about the Campus Center, University Hall, and the residence halls.

“I haven’t been to the university since 1974. I had just gotten out of the service, and I came back and wanted to see some of my professors,” said Steven Darling ’69, adding that there were only three buildings on campus at that time. “There’s just so much here that’s new.”

The UMass Boston class of 1969, which gathered on May 11, 2019, donated more than $130,000 to the university— surpassing their $100,000 goal.

These funds will go toward naming the residence hall courtyard the “University of Massachusetts Boston Charter Class of 1969 Courtyard.” In addition, the class contributed more than $8,000 to the Class of 1969 Scholarship Fund. Boston State College class of ’69 alumni, who came together on June 8, 2019, raised $10,500 to support the Boston State College Scholarship Fund.

Photo top right: Boston State College Class of 1969 on a walking tour of campus; middle: UMass Boston Class of 1969 pause as they walk through a transformed campus; bottom: UMass Boston alums enjoy a harbor cruise; photo left: Boston State class in Alumni Lounge.

36

n

UMass Boston Fall 2019

MAP KEY

Most Alumni

Least Alumni

UMass Boston on the Move Whether you’re in Dorchester or Daytona Beach, we’re on our way to see you. We’ll be hosting events in California, Florida, New York, and Washington, DC, this spring—and will be traveling all over New England as well. Watch out for invites and evites coming your way, and check our website and social channels, too.

Get Social!

Show your Beacon pride, and you could snag some UMass Boston swag. Enter to win one of our swag baskets (see photo, right) by following us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Increase your chances by following us on all three. For a fourth entry, share an update with us through any of our social media channels and tag it as #UMBswag so we can find you. The contest runs through December 31, 2019. Winner(s) will be announced on January 6.

Government Relations and Public Affairs Office University of Massachusetts Boston 100 Morrissey Boulevard Boston, MA 02125-3393

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Boston, MA Permit No. 52094

We are pleased to announce that with your help we’ve exceeded the $100M goal of our Just Imagine campaign and raised $114.7M. Your gifts over the last several years have helped UMass Boston initiate and sustain transformational changes in the way we serve our students, our city, and our world. Thank you for imagining the possibilities with us and for continuing to invest in our urban, public mission. We invite you to view the campaign

19.655

report at umb.edu/imagine.