WIT Magazine - Summer 2019

WENTWORTH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SUMMER 2019

Thompson Time Meet Wentworth’s New President, Mark Thompson

Breaking Into STEM: Women Find a Voice at Wentworth Blending Industry and Academia An Alumnus’ Dream Job at Fenway Park

VIDEO PROJECTOR

ZOLL BIPHASIC DEFIBRILLATOR

AED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR

NEONATAL TRANSPORT INCUBATOR

PROTO BOARD FOR ELECTRONIC DESIGN

WELSH ALLYN VITAL SIGNS MONITOR

ARCHITECT: LEERS WEINZAPFEL ASSOCIATES PHOTO: ALBERT VECERKA / ESTO

Open concept workspace for increased collaboration and demonstration

How to Save a Life Students within this Center for Engineering, Innovation and Sciences lab are receiving a hands-on education in how to save lives. The Medical Devices and Systems Lab offers a collaborative workspace and some of the cutting-edge equipment found in the biomedical industry.

“These are devices used in a clinical setting,” says Shankar Krishnan, chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. “This lab will directly prepare students for co-ops and jobs.”

FLUKE DEFIBRILLATOR ANALYZER

INFUSION PUMP

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CONTENTS

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Greg Abazorius Associate Director, Communications DESIGN

Stoltze Design EDITORIAL COMMIT TEE

Michelle Davis Chief Marketing Officer

Paula Sakey Vice President, Institutional Advancement

features

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MARK THOMPSON’S INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEY

From Cape Cod police officer to the head of a university, Thompson recounts his unconventional route and shares his passion for helping students find their own way

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BREAKING BARRIERS

Nine women discuss challenges faced in STEM fields and how they found a strong voice at Wentworth

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THE BLENDING OF INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA

A Narcan kit and a health care trivia game are two of the projects in which students recently found themselves working as Wentworth embraces the “embedded classroom” concept 2 | SUMMER 2019

Carol Estes-Schwartz Associate Vice President, Institutional Advancement Eric Shoen-Ukre Director, Alumni & Donor Relations S TA F F W R I T E R

departments 04

WIT NEWS

City of Boston partnerships, the return of the ROV team, athletic milestones, sustainable palm oil, the best of social media, and more

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Dennis Nealon Director, Public & Media Relations PHOTOGRAPHERS

Webb Chappell Kathleen Dooher Heratch Ekmekjian Brian Smith Joshua Touster

MARKETING & C O M M U N I C AT I O N S C O - O P

Sarah Sherard

ON THE COVER

Photograph by Brian Smith

PIECING IT TOGETHER

Robots and sharks in the classroom?

It’s just part of an Industrial Design class

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5 QUESTIONS

Associate Professor Ella Howard on preserving Roxbury’s history

WIT magazine is published by the Office of Marketing and Communications at Wentworth Institute of Technology, 550 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-5998.

Contact us at editor@wit.edu.

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Fenway Park’s facilities manager, from teacher to farmer, the road to Snapchat, STEAM Boston

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ALUMNI NEWS

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WITNEWS Going to College in High School

Partnership preps city teens for post-secondary success corporations with the trained workers they seek to match up with employment demands around Boston.

Pathways is fully funded by Wentworth, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Participating students take classes on Wentworth’s campus, simultaneously meeting some high school graduation requirements and earning college credits through hands-on coursework.

The program’s pilot group of five high schoolers began studying at Wentworth at the start of the spring 2019 semester—three in computer science and two in construction management. Five weeks into it, Pablo Ruiz and John Boland, both 17, said they were grateful for the opportunity but also have begun to understand the responsibilities that come with it. These include homework and dealing with the freedom of choice that isn’t there in high school but is present in the college environment.

“Little by little, they’re learning about dynamic fields of study in STEM, careers in the fields, and the challenges and opportunities that those environments present,” says Miller, who directs Wentworth’s Center for Community and Learning Partnerships.

The Pathways program joins CLP’s other initiatives in an education-to-jobs pipeline for traditionally underrepresented public-school students in Boston. Miller says the Pathways characteristics set it apart from other advancement initiatives— its focus on underrepresented students; authentic, in-classroom college enrollment with credits; university-business funding model; and the win-win employment potential of connecting businesses looking for well-educated and trained, local workers.

“It was never in my head that I’d be taking college classes in high school,” said Ruiz, who lives with his family in Dorchester and attends Madison Park Vocational Technical High School.

Miller said the program’s organizers hope to enroll nearly 250 students through the initiative in its first five years.

— Dennis Nealon

RAMP has long served as a successful example of the pipeline between Boston and Wentworth. In the case of RAMP, students from Boston Public Schools who are committed to Wentworth after high school can take part in a pre-college bridge program. Pictured are students from last year’s program with Erik Miller.

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PHOTO: WEBB CHAPPELL

“IT’S A TRIPOD,” says Erik Miller. “We’re exposing them to the academic rigors of STEM, preparing them for social challenges, and providing financial support to get in and through college.”

The “it” he’s referring to is Beacon Pathways, an innovative education partnership between the City of Boston and Wentworth Institute of Technology to embed youngsters in the college experience while they are still in high school. The goal is to increase attendance, retention, and graduation rates of Boston youth by showing them that they can succeed in college and beyond.

The program is intended to close the opportunity gap, in education and work, for Boston public high school juniors and seniors, motivating them to pursue STEM degrees and careers. Beacon Pathways is also meant to provide local computer science and construction management

Back to the Water The ROV team returns in search of a Civil War cannon

Wentworth’s ROV team spends a lot of time at the pool, but it’s all in the name of engineering.

Last June, a group of 12 students in the university’s chapter of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers took a custom-built submersible Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to Seattle for competition in the Marine Advanced Technology Education International ROV Competition. This cross-country trip marked only the third time that Wentworth qualified for the prestigious meet.

The group was charged with creating technology to locate and identify aircraft wreckage on the ocean floor, the same approach that was recently used to find the long-lost U.S.S. Wasp, a World War II aircraft carrier that sunk in 1942.

This June, an updated Wentworth team (some new faces, some familiar) is heading to the pools of Tennessee to once again compete, but this time with a new ROV, anodized in a shiny black for anti-corrosion protection. The team has been designing, prototyping, manufacturing, wiring, and programing for roughly six months, challenged with creating a vehicle that can operate in the freshwater environments of the Volunteer State, utilizing an AC/DC power supply that connects to a common wall outlet. The team has created a ROV that is capable of the following problem-solving abilities:

Above: Joseph Prendergast, BELM ’20, in the Manufacturing Center Right: Alyssa Vallese, BELM ’21, tests the ROV in the pool Below: The enclosure on the pool deck after a successful depth test

• Inspect and make repairs to a hydroelectric dam • Monitor water quality, determine habitat diversity, and restore fish habitat

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF ROV TEAM

• Recover a Civil War era cannon and mark the location of unexploded cannon shells The cost of creating such a robot, in addition to traveling to the competition, runs roughly $21,000. The team—along with faculty adviser Aaron Carpenter—has spent much of this year fundraising in between the regular demands of classes and co-ops.

Team member Ben October cited the ROV project as a key example of the creativity at the university. “When I came to Wentworth, I was blown away by the things people invent and build here,” he says.

Check wit.edu and alumni.wit.edu for updates on the team.

— Greg Abazorius wit.edu/magazine | 5

WITNEWS

Sustainability in the Palm of His Hand

Maarouf Barry, Business Management ’20, is looking to change the way we produce, package, and market palm oil, and he’s using his Wentworth experience to help make it a more environmentally sustainable and socially empowering product.

Eleis Farm (pronounced “Ay-lay-is”) was founded by Barry’s parents in 2013. Based in Boké, Guinea in Western Africa, the organization’s mission is to provide high-quality palm oil to the African diaspora by helping to increase smallholder farmers’ yields and reducing their impact on the environment. Barry has since brought his family’s startup to Accelerate, Wentworth’s Innovation + Entrepreneurship Center, to create networking opportunities for other students and to find mentors.

Barry explained that people tend People have a negative to have a negative view of palm oil, as it has been linked to deforestation view of palm oil ... the and the destruction of habitats. The communication and business communication and business branding branding skills Barry has skills he’s learned through his classes and Accelerate Startup Challenges learned have helped him have helped him educate others on educate others on how how red palm oil can be harvested and it can be harvested and marketed sustainably, as well as ways that those in the industry can give back. marketed sustainably.

Maarouf Barry during a trip to Eleis Farm in Guinea, Africa

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Accelerate’s Eleis Farm team was selected last year to be a part of MassChallenge, the largest accelerator program in the world. Barry took in all that he could from mentors and industry leaders, and brought those experiences back to Africa. He also saw the concepts he learned in his Wentworth classes come to life, especially the importance of having a niche market, something that Department of Management Associate Professor Michael Mozill had taught in his “Principles of Marketing” class.

Palm oil is a staple of the West African diet, and the demand for sustainably produced palm oil is higher than ever. To that end, Eleis Farm is working with smallholder farmers who already have their own functioning farms. Doing so eliminates the need for deforestation, and farmers can even use their land to grow multiple crops. Eleis Farm has also protected about 25 acres of inland forest with one of its initiatives, in addition to building a road to improve access to local markets for islanders, and restoring a water source in the village of Conakridy.

Eleis Farms has also been implementing blockchain technology in their quest to be more sustainable. That allows every user to know the exact journey their palm oil takes, from the seed to the plate. Through tools such as Google Earth time lapses, users can trace the whole process of how Eleis Farm harvests, packages, and markets each bottle of palm oil.

“Users can see how much the farmer made, how big his farm is, and a little biography from the farmer,” Barry says.

“We give them access to a Google Earth image that they can trace back up to five years to see whether or not the farm is located on a piece of deforested land, because we truly want to provide that sense of sustainability.”

These same farmers experience benefits themselves, including better living conditions, healthier diets, higher incomes, and sustainable income activities. Eleis Farm also employs women farmers in a traditionally male-dominated area.

“That income has a higher chance of being delivered toward the children and the rest of the family,” Barry says of dualincome households. “It’s money that can be used for cooking, education, and school supplies, things like that.”

Currently, Eleis Farm works with 130 families all over Guinea.

Barry is optimistic for the future of Eleis Farm and sustainable agriculture in general, because more than half of the world’s uncultivated land is in Africa.

— Samuel Kim

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MAAROUF BARRY

How student Maarouf Barry is bringing the teachings of Wentworth’s Accelerate to palm oil production in West Africa

Wentworth Athletes Make History As frigid winds danced across Wentworth’s campus earlier this year, several student-athletes were heating things up in their respective sports. By the time winter’s frosty grip gave way to springtime warmth, four had carved their names into the history books.

With his layup in the second half of a Feb. 13 game against the University of New England, Stephen Azums, BSCM ’21, became the 16th player in the Wentworth men’s basketball program history to reach 1,000 career points. Entering the game, Azums needed 27 points to reach the milestone and finished with exactly that number, one short of his career game high.

The Commonwealth Coast Conference named Azums to their All-Conference team for the second straight year. During the regular season, he averaged 17.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game while shooting 62.1 percent from the floor and 83.6 percent from the free throw line. His field goal percentage is currently the fifth highest in a single season in program history, while he presently ranks second in program history for highest free throw percentage in a season. Additionally, his 10.8 rebounds-pergame average is the second highest by a Leopard in a season in program history.

Brooke Paradis, BSCE ’19, was the next to make history as her March 8 women’s lacrosse game found her securing her 200th career point in a 13–6 victory over Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. Paradis opened the scoring just under five minutes into the game before adding an additional two points.

Paradis would continue to be a prolific scorer throughout the season. As of April 2, she was sitting at 258 career points with five regular season games remaining. And on March 2 she set a single-game record of 11 goals en route to netting her 200th career goal against Nichols College.

In the same game against Nichols, Emily Rogers, BSCE ’21, earned her 100th career point, an impressive feat for a sophomore.

On the men’s lacrosse side, Kyle Doner, BSA ’20, made his own news on March 16 against Wheaton College. Doner scored five goals and added an assist for a six-point afternoon, earning 100 career points. He became the 14th player in program history to reach the century mark.

With four games remaining in the season, Doner’s sophomore teammate, Ben Coakley, BSM ’21, was sitting at 90 career points. Coakley, whose two brothers also attended Wentworth, spent his first year at Towson University before transferring to the Leopards.

— Greg Abazorius & Bill Gorman Clockwise from top: Stephen Azums, Kyle Doner, and Brooke Paradis PHOTOS: COURTESY OF WENTWORTH ATHLETICS

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WITNEWS

Piecing It Together Using Legos to learn software

Simon Williamson brought Legos into his classroom this past semester in an effort to teach students how to expertly use 3D-design software. The result is the beautiful, photorealistic models seen here.

Williamson’s project requires each student to select a roughly 100-piece Lego set and recreate each piece inside and out using Rhinoceros 3D, a computer graphics and computer-aided design application software.

After a set has been digitally built, students create a lifelike image in rendering software KeyShot by using appropriate materials and textures, and an accurate color scheme.

Williamson, a professor in the Department of Industrial Design, sees the exercise as a “great combination of challenges as each part must be measured and modelled extremely accurately so that the construction phase follows the Lego system without a hitch.”

Because Legos are so ubiquitous, most viewers would be able to spot an inauthentic design. In addition to rendering the image correctly, students must also command a sophisticated lighting environment to get it right.

“Any errors will simply not work,” Williamson adds.

Pictured are designs from Class of 2021 Industrial Design students Olivia Deluca, Thatcher Ervin, Ethan Garrett, and Keith Manseau.

— Greg Abazorius

Keith Manseau

Thatcher Ervin

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Olivia Deluca

Ethan Garrett

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WITNEWS

5 QUESTIONS FOR

ELLA HOWARD

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF HISTORY IN THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

The congregation at Roxbury’s historic Eliot Congregational Church has come to know Wentworth well after a flurry of architecture, construction management, and marketing related classes visited the property to find ways to repurpose and save it (see our last issue at wit.edu/magazine).

But Ella Howard’s “Boston History” class took time to learn more about the people who call the church home. She and more than 100 of her students spent two semesters interviewing 50 parishioners, uncovering the human side of the church and why historical preservation is important to a community. “The history of Eliot is the history of Roxbury,” says Howard.

Hundreds of pages of transcripts have been presented to the church, preserving stories that would have otherwise gone untold.

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Why is it so important to tell these stories?

You don’t often know about someone’s life until after they die. This archive is a way to point out that some really incredible people are living just up the street, and they still have much to teach us. We spoke with Roderick Ireland, former chief justice of the Mass. Supreme Judicial Court and co-founder of the Roxbury Defenders group. We met Annie Johnson, a discharge nurse in World War II, and we spoke with Robert Taylor, a former bus driver who was also a vocalist and a pioneer of the rockabilly style. He’s now an inventor and our students have invited him to speak to Accelerate (Wentworth’s Innovation + Entrepreneurship Center).

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What do you think was the biggest takeaway

Is this project unique?

Ella Howard in her Beatty Hall office

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The Eliot project is not a model that many schools have used, at least not at this scale and in a public history sense. This project has a servicelearning aspect and an actual deliverable to the church. We’re thinking of doing something similar in the fall with local senior centers.

PHOTO: GREG ABAZORIUS

for Wentworth students?

That you can be successful in life and still give back and be a good neighbor. And I think that these students have a newfound respect for history. These parishioners represent living, breathing history. One student told me that this was the most meaningful experience she’s had at Wentworth. Also, these students have been great at talking to people!

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What interested you about teaching history at Wentworth?

I did my Ph.D. (in American and New England Studies) at Boston University, so I was excited to return to Boston, one of the best cities to be a historian. And I was hired to teach digital history and there were already several people doing that here, which is rare, so it was great to have a strong team in place teaching history in a 21st-century way.

You study urban history and renewal, particularly from a race

relations angle, and spent a lot of time teaching and researching in Georgia. You authored a book on homelessness in New York

and were recently granted a fellowship to research the historic preservation movement in cities like New Orleans. What has

struck you about Boston in your nearly three years at Wentworth?

I’m still learning about the city in many ways, but certainly the gentrification of certain areas has been interesting to track. The West End, I think, is a cautionary tale of breaking down a strong community that was in place. But I think an area like Mission Hill and the Eliot Church represent an opportunity to maintain character and preserving the stories of community members is one way to get there.

— Greg Abazorius

Historic images showing Eliot Church as seen in 1906; the Ferdinand & Co. Furniture and Carpet Store at the corner of Washington and Warren Streets circa 1880; and the hustle and bustle of Roxbury’s Guild Row section in 1939.

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WITNEWS

Opening the Door

Women presidents share their challenges, triumphs

Clockwise from top: Judy Vigna, parent; Jackie Jenkins-Scott, Kerry Healey, Zorica Pantić, and Gloria Cordes Larson; Yasameen Al Mharib, BSCO ’15, and Dalya Al Mharib, BFPM ’18; Fatima Hussein, CIS ’19

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PHOTOS: JOSHUA TOUSTER

Four of higher education’s most esteemed leaders—Zorica Pantić, Kerry Healey, Gloria Cordes Larson, and Jackie JenkinsScott—were presented in March with “Women of the Year” awards as part of the 13th annual Women@Wentworth event.

Jenkins-Scott, president emeritus at Wheelock College, moderated this year’s panel, which included President Pantić of Wentworth, President Healey of Babson College, and Larson, president emeritus at Bentley University. Each woman spoke of her respective career, including challenges and triumphs along the way.

Three-hundred people attended the Watson Auditorium event with Wentworth Trustee and former Woman of the Year recipient Christine Keville, Hon. ’16, introducing Scott.

Matthew Consigli of Consigli Construction delivered the founding sponsor remarks and Fatima Hussein, Computer Information Systems ’19, was the WOW Endowed Scholarship recipient featured speaker. The panel discussion gave way to questions from the audience.

A video of the entire event can be found on Wentworth’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/WentworthInstTech.

Faculty Standouts Several Wentworth professors are receiving funding thanks to the Presidential EPIC Mini-Grants Committee. Thirty-three different faculty and staff members, in addition to 21 outside collaborators, submitted a total of 16 applications.

“The committee members set very high standards for these awards,” says Eric Overstrӧm, senior VP of Academic Affairs and provost.

“They focused on ensuring that the intended projects would provide a significant impact on Wentworth students and faculty.”

The recipients are:

The Bachelor of Science in Applied Sciences degree helps create a cadre of life sciences programs now available at Wentworth, including Biomedical Engineering (pictured) and Biological Engineering.

ATE Remotely Operated Vehicle Competition and M Documentation: Aaron Carpenter and Peter Rourke ($5,000) Wearable Device for Continuous Monitoring UV A Exposure and Dehydration Level: Ali Kiapour and Chen-Hsiang Yu ($4,990) Self-Healing Bio-Concrete: Anuja Kamat and Laurie Grove ($5,000) I nterdisciplinary Solutions through Electromechanical Design: James McCusker and Alireza Mahdavi Nejad ($1,100) NanoLab—Product Design-Interdisciplinary Experience: Joseph Martel-Foley, Yugu Yang-Keathley, and Simon Williamson ($4,948.60) emi-Autonomous Self-Positioning Buoy System: S Nick Ortolino ($3,900) Robot-Assisted Rehabilitation System Evaluation: Uri Feldman and Wayne Bynoe ($4,900) Additional funding was secured for other faculty work including the development of an in vitro model of engrafted stem cell function (David Simpson), modeling projects for engineering calculus (Gary Simundza), a mobile smart device for architectural fieldwork (Jenn Lee, Jones Yu, Hong-Sheng Wu), and the augmentation of architectural history (Jody Gordon, Ann-Catrin Schultz). EPIC is the externallycollaborative, project-based, interdisciplinary, culture for learning.

PHOTO: KATHLEEN DOOHER

Assistant Professor Allen Wong, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, was elected an executive counselor for the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences’ (ACJS) Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship section. Established in 1963, the ACJS fosters professional and scholarly activities in the field of criminal justice.

The campus-wide Faculty Showcase took place in March with 43 different projects on display. Presented by Learning Innovation & Technology and the Office of the Provost, the annual event featured work related to teaching, scholarship, professorships, mini-grants, EPIC learning, sabbaticals, and creative endeavors.

Cybersecurity and Applied Sciences Programs Coming This Fall Wentworth’s Board of Trustees officially approved two new degree programs that are set to debut in Fall 2019: A Bachelor of Science in Applied Sciences and a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity.

The chair of the Department of Sciences, Franz Rueckert, believes that applied science is a natural fit for Wentworth students who want to work in highly technical industries, but maintain a hands-on role.

“The modern workplace is increasingly focused on novel creations at the intersection of related fields,” he says. “[This] degree gives students the technical skills and investigative training to contribute to these innovations through a broad background in the natural sciences.”

Cybersecurity is another area growing exponentially due to the constant threat of cyberattacks and data breaches.

Raymond Hansen, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Networking, and Charlie Wiseman, department chair, were key figures in making a cybersecurity degree at Wentworth a reality. Hansen previously helped build the cybersecurity program at Purdue University.

Hansen relates that as the worlds of homelife, work, and recreation continue to merge thanks to smartphones and other devices, securing those devices and data has become critically important. “The Cybersecurity major has been designed to provide insights and experiences in securing not only the technologies being used, but also to address the people and processes involved,” he says.

According to Hansen, there is currently a workforce gap of roughly 500,000 qualified cybersecurity specialists in the United States and three million worldwide. He adds, “The need is real, and immediate.”

— Greg Abazorius

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WITNEWS A throwback image of Wentworth’s 19th Annual Beaux Arts Ball in 2008. This photo originally ran in the December issue of the Leopard Print, Wentworth’s former print newspaper.

Wentworth Shares:

The best of social media

Student Cilviano Alvir-Perez pauses for a moment in between talking with various companies at the Center for Cooperative Education and Career Development spring Career Fair event.

We selected the most popular Instagram images to run on the @WentworthAlumniOffice and @WentworthInstitute accounts during the first part of 2019.

To find a listing of all of Wentworth’s official social media accounts, visit wit.edu/media/sm-accounts. And be sure to use #WITpride whenever you’re sharing anything related to Wentworth!

Surprise! An unexpected visit from Nala, a dog belonging to alumna Carlie Biron. A bit too early for college admissions, but still looking stylish in our “Future Wentworth Graduate” baby onesie!

Students Ainsley MacNab and Emily Fee were the creative force behind Wentworth’s eye-catching booth at PaxEast, the popular gaming culture festival.

Students Suliman Alaboudi, Electrical Engineering, and Ammar Mansour, Biomedical Engineering, share a laugh in the new Center for Engineering, Innovation and Sciences.

Mark Thompson speaks to the Wentworth community on Mar. 13 after he was officially named successor to President Zorica Pantić.

Wentworth Hall the morning after a February snowstorm.

The women’s volleyball team after winning their first Commonwealth Coast Conference championship.

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A Black Lives Matter banner was unveiled during February to coincide with Black History Month. The banner rotates every month to reflect diversity around campus.

Your Leadership Looks Like This upon entering the center for engineering, innovation and sciences from Wentworth’s quad, students are welcomed with messages of advice, gratitude, and encouragement on a dynamic and interactive screen. This colorful display is an opportunity for donors to the Wentworth Fund to share positive statements with the community.

“I am grateful for the education,

Rose Conti, BCN ’92, ABC ’09, BCM ’12, invests annually in our students and programs and she recently took advantage of this unique opportunity. Join Rose and make your gift of $4,500 payable over three years to the Wentworth Fund. Share a message to current and future students, honor a family member or favorite professor, or share a Wentworth memory.

rose conti, university adviser, bcn ’92, abc ’09, bcm ’ 12

With limited spaces available, make your gift to the Wentworth Fund today. Please visit alumni.wit.edu/donorwall, or contact Katie DePrimo, Director of Annual Giving, at 617-989-4218 or via email at deprimok@wit.edu.

connection, and community here at this great institution! Wentworth is a second family for me!”

Support for the Wentworth Fund ensures that the university can continue to provide an interdisciplinary, hands-on, project-based education that prepares every student for career success. Gifts have an immediate impact on the community — from funding supplies for labs and studios to sponsoring student presentations at academic conferences and providing scholarship assistance to deserving students.

Photo: Kate Kelley / Devlo Media

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Mark Thompson’s Inspirational Journey Wentworth’s New President Took an Unlikely Path to the University’s Corner Office

By Dennis Nealon SPEND TIME WITH THE INCOMING PRESIDENT of Wentworth Institute of Technology and you will leave with one overarching impression—Mark A. Thompson’s success in academia evolved from his uncertainty as a young man, when he left college after his first year and became a police officer in his hometown on Cape Cod. His story is unique. In becoming Wentworth’s chief executive, Thompson wrote a trivia question for himself: Name a person who wore a badge for four years then later became a university president.

“For me to go from a non-traditional college student to becoming the next president of Wentworth—I never would have imagined it,” he says. “I would have said you were crazy if you told me back then that this would happen.”

But it has. Thompson hung up his uniform, went on to earn three college degrees, built an impressive career in higher education, and developed a passion for supporting students as they find their way.

On a frigid March morning, a week before his public unveiling as Wentworth’s fifth president, Thompson, 56, took a break from non-stop campus briefings to talk about his journey. Despite the busy pace of the day, he’s approachable, friendly, and focused, accompanied on campus by his closest confidante, partner and wife of 31 years, Karyn. An early childhood educator with a master’s degree as a reading specialist, Karyn worked in public

schools, had her own nursery school, and taught a freshman seminar at Quinnipiac University. The couple has two daughters: Elizabeth, a social worker in pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Kathryn, a teacher’s assistant at Kennedy Day School who will be working on her master’s in social work beginning this fall.

“The more I’ve learned about Wentworth and all of its accomplishments, I just think that it is a remarkable success story,” Mark Thompson says. “It’s an institution well-poised for the future with a lot of opportunity going forward.”

Thompson, who enjoys working on cars, Julia Roberts movies, American history, and suspense novels, credits his success in academia to the support of various members of his family—specifically his mother, a registered nurse at Cape Cod Hospital; mother-in-law; and Karyn, as well as a professor who saw him not just as a student, but as a young man who needed guidance and support.

“At one point I didn’t really have any intent to go to college,” says Thompson. “I began my first year not having a sense of what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and when you’re 17 or 18 and people are asking you what you want to do with the remaining 80 percent of your life, that can be a pretty difficult question.”

That empathy for youthful uncertainty is Thompson’s gift, a foundation for his mission and leadership at Wentworth. He doesn’t gloss over his back story but, rather, wit.edu/magazine | 17

ABOVE Thompson in uniform during the early 1980s RIGHT From left: Kathryn Thompson, Karyn Thompson, Elizabeth Thompson, and Mark Thompson

highlights it—finding what you want to do in life is an odyssey; unexpected opportunities arise; and standing still is an ineffectual option.

“For me this is about recognizing an important responsibility that I have for the students and the positive impact that I can have on their lives working with others at Wentworth,” he says. “That’s why I’m here.”

His affinity for students has grown throughout this career, but began in 1982. Thompson was 19 and became a cop for the Eastham, Mass. Police Department. He spent much of his time in uniform dodging cars while directing traffic and minding rowdy tourists and locals in the summer. But he was also appointed the force’s youth services representative.

Thompson’s family moved to the historic Barnstable County community of Eastham when he was in the 5th grade. Born in Providence, with two younger sisters and a kid brother, he lived in Pawtucket and Barrington in Rhode Island, as a small child.

“It was a great experience,” he recalls of his years on the Eastham force. “I learned an awful lot from it.”

But a few years into it, things changed dramatically for him. “I met my future wife and her mother said to me, ‘It appears that you two are becoming more serious in your relationship, and it might be a good idea for you to go back and get your college education.’”

“The higher education industry is currently undergoing a tremendous transformation. President Thompson demonstrates a vision of how to keep Wentworth at the forefront of innovation and educational excellence.”

BOB TOTINO

“His background in economics will provide a broader perspective in addressing the challenges facing higher education, and his belief in the power of a shared community vision will guide Wentworth in paving the way for a shared governance [model].”

YUGU YANG-KEATHLEY

18 | SUMMER 2019

Thompson ran with that advice. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from Bentley University, an M.B.A. from Western New England University, and a Ph.D. in economics from Georgia State University. And he began building an impressive resume in higher education, from teaching and advising students at Marshall University and Morehouse College to ever-increasing roles as a senior administrator at Quinnipiac University.

At Quinnipiac, where he most recently was executive vice president and provost, Thompson mustered the administration to launch engineering and medical schools.

He won praise from students and administrators alike.

In a March interview with a local Connecticut television station, Quinnipiac President Judy Olian called Thompson, “one of the most beloved” members of the Quinnipiac community, adding his tenure as VP and provost was characterized by extraordinary growth and excellence for the university—something Wentworth has also realized in recent years and Thompson plans to continue.

“Mark is inspired by Wentworth students and the incredible promise they have as innovators, designers, engineers, scientists, and managers.

He’s truly passionate about improving the student experience.”

MATT HEISER

“We have the opportunity to do groundbreaking work in providing one of the country’s most-sought-after learning experiences,” he says.

Thompson will use his economics and finance experience against formidable challenges facing Wentworth and other higher education institutions. He’s vowed to commit himself on campus to consensus-making, shared governance, strategic planning, and ensuring his own accessibility to students, staff, and faculty members.

“This opportunity means so much to Mark,” says Karyn Thompson. “He will be a compassionate, forwardthinking, collaborative leader who will earn the respect of all members of the community.”

The level of enthusiasm for him on campus suggests Thompson has widespread support already. A diverse, 15-member, campus-based search committee unanimously recommended him over other top candidates in a national search. His background, humility, and open leadership style impressed that special committee and the trustees, according to board Chair Michael Masterson, Hon. ’18, and Wentworth alumnus Gregory B. Janey, ARS ’82, BCM ’04, Hon. ’17. As chair of the Presidential Search Committee and vice chair of the board, Janey—like Thompson—overcame youthful uncertainty to realize his success, ultimately becoming principal owner of a construction management and consulting firm in Boston.

“He leads quietly but strong as a rock,” says Janey, “and that’s what we need. Wentworth needs to be heard and he’s going to allow Wentworth to be heard.”

Search committee member Noelle Benavides, a Wentworth senior in biomedical engineering, applauded Thompson’s perspective on what constitutes a strong community.

“One of the things that I think makes Mark Thompson unique is his idea of diversity,” she says. “He sees it as a holistic idea—that diversity is something that should be a long-term commitment.”

Settling into his campus office in early June, Thompson said he is looking forward to his new set of opportunities and challenges at Wentworth.

“I’ve been very blessed over the course of time,” he says.

“I have an awful lot to be thankful for and very little to be upset about in my life.” •

Seal of Approval A diverse group representing alumni, students, faculty, staff, and the Board of Trustees unanimously recommended Mark A. Thompson as Wentworth’s next president.

Committee members included: GREGORY B. JANEY ’82, ’04, ’17 (Hon.), Trustee & Chair of the Presidential Search Committee NOELLE BENAVIDES JACK BL AISDELL L AURIE GROVE,

’70, ’72, Trustee

Associate Professor in the Department

of Sciences RICHARD GRUNDY

Find out more about President Thompson and his personal story by viewing an exclusive video at wit.edu/thompson-magazine.

’03

MATTHEW HEISER, Associate Director for the Office of Housing and Residential Life MARIO HEROLD, Computer Laptop/Desktop Repair Specialist in the Division of Technology Services RYAN HUTCHINS

’96, ’98, Trustee

Assistant Professor in the Myles and Eugenia Sweeney Department of Construction Management

TODD JOHNSON,

GLORIA MA, Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering ERIK MILLER ’04, ’07, ’10, Director for the Center for Community and Learning Partnerships ROBERT MURRAY,

On the Mark

’19

KEITH PEDEN

Trustee

’09 (Hon.), University Adviser, Trustee Emeritus

ROBERT TOTINO,

Vice President for Finance and CFO

Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

YUGU YANG-KEATHLEY,

wit.edu/magazine | 19

Wentworth Women Are Building a Network and Thriving in Male-Dominated Fields

Barriers

By Greg Abazorius the number of women and men in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is no secret. On a national level, men outnumber women at universities offering such programs 80 to 20 percent. And the numbers are similar in industry: women make up half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, but 29 percent of science and engineering workers.

Wentworth officials have been paying attention.

Since becoming coeducational in 1972, the university has seen its ratio shift to 78/22 and officials look to close the gap further. And when you look at the number of students engaging with clubs and organizations at Wentworth, the number flips to 60/40 in favor of female students. Leadership at the institute, meanwhile, is closer to 50/50.

Why are women engaging more? What is it like for a woman to attend Wentworth? And, despite best efforts, what challenges still exist when a student or employee feels outnumbered?

We spoke with nine women who have been active at Wentworth and share, in their words, their experiences.

THE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN

20 | SUMMER 2019

Carissa Durfee Director, Center for Student Engagement

Wentworth women are drawn to fields that have traditionally been male dominated. Their lives have been spent going against societal expectations. When they get here, they thrive in a community that supports them.

This happens in two ways. One is by fully immersing in an area through a club. Perhaps math wasn’t a “cool” thing to be skilled in during high school. Here, they can find kinship in one of several math-based groups and can let that part of their identity shine. The other is through our women-focused groups. It can be challenging to be one of a handful of women in some of our academic programs.

These groups encourage belonging and support.

Particularly when gender intersects with race, a student may be the only person of their identity represented in the classroom. This is why many students rely on identity-based student organizations for support and to not feel as isolated. These clubs contribute to a student’s retention and success.

Deanna Kondek CIVIL ENGINEERING ’19 President, Student Alumni Society; VP, American Society of Civil Engineers; Orientation Coordinator; Civ. Eng. Honor Society; Wentworth Bowl Recipient; Future Employee at AECOM

I was a sophomore in high school, and I was really into the idea of building bridges. I entered a competition and tested different substances, wood, plastic, et cetera. I called it “Bridging the Gap”—I was really proud of the title! And I won the overall prize. Then I heard from someone, “It’s gonna be hard for you to be an engineer as a woman.”

There’s a phenomenon called “Imposter Syndrome” where people are told they can’t do something, and they believe it. I and other women I know have definitely had to deal with that.

I haven’t really had that experience at Wentworth. The leadership programs have been extremely helpful and allowed me to try new things. I never felt like I couldn’t talk in a meeting. I’ve been able to work my way up, work co-ops, and feel more confident. I can’t imagine other schools giving you that opportunity.

Casey Galante ARCHITECTURE ’12, MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE ’13 Wentworth Alumni Association; Orientation Leader and Coordinator; Senior RA; Admissions Ambassador; Marketing Specialist, Shepley Bulfinch

The male/female split is definitely there, but I think it’s more on your mind as a prospective student. I took architecture classes in high school and it was mostly men, and you apply to jobs after college that have that same split. This is a good way to prep for it.

I remember some of the boys in Baker [Hall] being mischievous, but my floor was a 50/50 split and we all got along. I think the balance of men and woman was helpful as a freshman when making friends.

People settle in and become more accepting of each other.

Resources and staff are in place to help you succeed. I would tell other women to trust their instincts. There’s a reason you came here.

Honestly, a lot of the women in my classes stood out because they worked harder and took it seriously. Make a home, make a spot, build your legacy.

wit.edu/magazine | 21

Janine Murphy INTERIOR DESIGN TECHNOLOGY ’95, FACILITIES PLANNING & MANAGEMENT ’97, MASTER OF SCIENCE IN FACILITIES MANAGEMENT ’17 Director of Project Administration, Wentworth Institute of Technology

In high school, girls didn’t take wood shop or go to vo-tech schools. We were in home economics learning how to cook or sew. If a girl wanted to play on boys’ sports teams it was something everyone talked about, but not in a supportive way.

When I came to Wentworth, everyone was on the same page, working on the same projects and in the same labs. Now, with my daughter in high school I don’t see the stereotypes that I saw when I was her age.

The girls are in leadership roles and sports and are dominating. They all support and inspire each other and it is great to see them all building each other up. What is also great to see is that the male students are also supporting and cheering them on.

If I could go back and do one thing differently when I was a student here it would be to network more and connect with more females in the industry. I feel our female students know they are supported by the entire Wentworth community. We are recognized as a group that has a voice, ideas, talent, and can inspire others. We set an example for other women to follow.

ABOVE From left: Physical Plant employees Edie Waldsmith, Maintenance C Worker, current MSCM student; Janine Murphy, director of project administration, IDS ’95, FMC ’97, MSFM ’17; Nicole Papa, project manager, BINT ’08, MSFM ’16; Tina Neal, admin and financial analyst, ATN ’95, AE ’95; and Lula Drayton, administrative assistant and parent of a current Wentworth student

22 | SUMMER 2019

Durga Suresh-Menon Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator, Department of Computer Science and Networking, Wentworth Institute of Technology; 2011 Woman of the Year

It is hard not to notice the male to female ratio; it is quite obvious.

I am also in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and we are a field that struggles to recruit more female students. I have had classes that have been all male and most times with one female student.

But women who pick CS as their major are strong and intelligent and know their strengths and can handle themselves, so I’ve never seen any problems.

If you look at the history of the Wentworth Bowl, the most prestigious award, you will see that more women have held it than men. That says something about Wentworth and the place we create for women on campus. Annamaria [Wenner, dean of students and vice president of Student Affairs] and her team know what they are doing, and they do it well.

We need to highlight more women here. We are making the right moves, but we need women at Wentworth to be better supported, especially from faculty and staff. I am proud to be a woman at Wentworth. I have been a mentor, been mentored, and look forward to my third decade that I will start in August. We have come a long way.

There is a special prestige to be had as a woman here.

From left: Taylor Frothingham, Julie Penn, and Fatima Hussein

Taylor Frothingham ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ’20 President, Wentworth’s Women’s Council; Resident Assistant; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; Society of Women Engineers of the Year

I think the clubs allow you to make friends. I’ve made new friends and I’ve found new role models. I wouldn’t have met all these super empowering people if I didn’t join clubs on campus.

Fatima Hussein COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS ’19 President, Women’s Institute for Leadership Development; Student Speaker at 2019 Women@Wentworth Event; Resident Assistant; Wentworth Women’s Council; Orientation Leader

When you look at the leadership [at Wentworth], it’s split 50/50.

It just shows that women want to go into those leadership roles and want to be leaders.

Julie Penn MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ’19 President, Society of Women Engineers (SWE); Student Wellness Education and Empowerment; American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Carlie Biron ARCHITECTURE ’11, MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE ’12 Wentworth Alumni Association; Wentworth Events Board; Phi Sigma Pi; Green team; Soar in Four Leadership Program; Orientation Leader and Coordinator; Weekends@WIT; Project Manager, Columbia Construction

I lived out of the Campus Life office. I got involved every chance I could and it’s how I found my friends at Wentworth, who are still in my life today. It’s what I looked forward to.

In class, I would sometimes hear sexist remarks. I remember one guy saying, “Sit next to a girl; they take better notes.” But in general, there were no real problems. I was so busy with class and spending any waking moment in various clubs and groups. I surrounded myself with people I wanted to be around. It was easy to do that here.

I would have loved WILD (Women’s Institute for Leadership Development) and some of the women-focused groups! I see that Wentworth is trying to get women more engaged and set up more opportunities. And when I think of leadership at WIT, I think of people like Zorica [Pantić, former president] and Annamaria [Wenner].

Women can take on these roles and kick ass at them. It’s very inspiring.

We’d love the split to be different, but the reality is you’ll never be in an all-female industry. You want male advocates and you’ll meet them at WIT.

I was less confident and sure of my abilities before I joined SWE. Having a community of shared experiences helped foster that confidence. wit.edu/magazine | 23

THE BLENDING OF

INDUSTRY& ACADEMIA How Wentworth is leading the way with the idea of the embedded classroom

By Bret Silverberg

From left: Industrial Design students Kiera VanGulden ’19, Alex Connor ’19, Adam Supino ’18, and Sydney Meyers ’18 lead a design thinking course for sophomores during fall semester 2018.

24 | SUMMER 2019

ON A WEEKDAY DURING SPRING SEMESTER, a group of Wentworth students head to Boston’s Prudential Center. They’re not going to shop, dine, or work—not in the traditional sense anyway.

They’re going to class.

Specifically, they are heading to Industrial Design Studio.

The course, which meets twice weekly for three-hour sessions and is offered to juniors and seniors, has been most-recently located at the headquarters of health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, where Wentworth faculty member Matthew Templeton has spent the last three years as the organization’s senior director of innovation, strategy, and business solutions.

Students of this class, which focuses on “design thinking,” get the unique opportunity to network with anyone from professional project managers to top executives at Blue Cross, while working on real projects to the benefit of the organization.

Templeton loosely refers to this as the “embedded classroom.” Here, he says, education goes from theoretical to experiential, from abstract to immersive.

“At Wentworth, all the professors are practitioners,” he says. “They actually have boots on the ground. As an educator here, nothing is just theory.”

Though this particular studio course does share some of the attributes of a traditional cooperative working opportunity, it’s more of an off-site classroom in which students are encouraged not only to explore their creativity, but also to rub elbows with, ask questions of, and produce products alongside the people who do the work at the organization.

“We take the students really far really fast,” says Templeton, who has been teaching at Wentworth for 14 years.

“Our students learn creativity, but they have discipline, integrity. They’re really good on teams. I can teach anybody

to be creative, but those other things are a lot harder to teach.”

Students do have the opportunity to land a co-op with the organization through the studio course. This type of work-meets-class crossover played out in January 2018 when industrial design student Alex Connor, BIND ’19, then a junior, conceptualized, designed, and iterated an opioid overdose prevention toolkit through his work in the studio.

He then chose to do his official co-op with Blue Cross and eventually took his product to market at a time when Massachusetts grapples with an opioid crisis. The state ranked in the top 10 for opioid-related deaths in 2016.

“This really jump-started my career,” says Connor, who graduates in August and is currently working part-time at Blue Cross after staying on following his co-op semester.

“I really care about helping people understand concepts through art and design, and health care is one of the hardest topics to understand. [This work] has taught me a lot.”

Clearly there are schools that are focused on academic excellence, but academic excellence and practical application is a very powerful combination for students entering the workforce.

Spurred by Connor’s work at Wentworth, Blue Cross has disseminated about 800 kits to select employers with high-risk employee populations as part of a pilot program.

Prior students of the studio—alumni Sydney Meyers, BIND ’18, and Adam Supino, BIND ’18—took part in the development of a trivia-style game to enhance dialogue around health care and health insurance at home.

Industry-Driven Classes

Real-world preparation continues to have an impact all around campus. Professor Jack Duggan, department chair of the Department of Civil Engineering, is creating a new elective class that will train students in hazardous material work. After hearing from industry partners like consulting firm GZA GeoEnvironmental that Wentworth graduates have all the tools except for that one, Duggan and others pivoted their class structure to change with industry demand.

Through the partnership, students will have the opportunity to complete eight hours of field work, which may be done at GZA headquarters in Norwood, Mass.

“This is changing the way that I would teach electives and other classes,” Duggan says.

Mark Bamforth, a member of Wentworth’s board of trustees, says Wentworth is well-positioned when it comes to getting students prepared for the real world due to the valuable “high-skill” work being accomplished in the classroom combined with the school-wide mandatory co-op program.

“A Wentworth student can have the incredible experience of going into a workplace where they have more knowledge of a software program than maybe someone working there,” says Bamforth.

Bamforth is the CEO of Brammer Bio, a viral vector contract development and manufacturing organization supporting cell and gene therapy companies, which was recently acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific. He is also the parent of a Wentworth student.

“Clearly there are schools that are focused on academic excellence,” he says, “but academic excellence and practical application is a very powerful combination for students entering the workforce.”

Templeton says he thinks the embedded classroom concept is one-of-a-kind, outfitting students with real-world

experience, and, ideally, arming companies with talent in a time where high-skill workers are in short supply. The synergy between the Wentworth students and Blue Cross has been totally natural.

But Templeton is quick to remind that the embedded classroom, with all of its access to offices, employees, and opportunity, is extraordinary.

On the last day of the summer semester, he took a group of juniors to lunch where high-ranking Blue Cross staffers joined.

“I said to the students, ‘You guys realize this isn’t a normal class, right?’” Templeton says. “The bar has been set kind of high.” •

ABOVE

Alex Connor (right) presents his opioid overdose prevention kit, developed at Wentworth for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, at Hubweek 2018, an annual Boston-based innovation conference.

BELOW

The opioid overdose prevention kit contains two doses of naloxone nasal spray, gloves, and a mask, as well as operational instructions.

wit.edu/magazine | 25

ALUMNINEWS

26 | SUMMER 2019

Job of Dreams

PHOTOS: BRIAN SMITH

Alex Spader earned a Wentworth degree and wound up managing baseball’s oldest and most storied park

THERE ARE OFFICES, and then there’s Alex Spader’s office, which makes him the envy of history and baseball fans everywhere.

Spader’s office is Fenway Park in Boston, aka John Updike’s “lyric little bandbox,’’ the oldest and probably most-beloved ballfield in the country.

Spader’s job as facilities manager for the Red Sox is a labor of love—the place where the Wentworth alumnus happily goes to work each day for 10- and oftentimes 12-hour shifts, occasionally for weeks at a stretch without a day off. His job entails “everything but the field,” putting Spader amid all that history and giving him a bird’s-eye view to some great baseball, when he’s able to catch a half-inning or two.

The job’s demanding, but Spader says he wouldn’t trade places with anyone.

“I absolutely love coming to work every day.”

During a regular season homestand, 70- or 80-hour work weeks are not unheard of for Spader, who started at Fenway five years ago doing whatever his supervisors needed, including sometimes fixing fussy toilets. A friend a year ahead of him at Wentworth initially helped to get Spader a foot in the door at Fenway when Spader was in his junior year at the Institute.

“You lose track of time here,” says Spader, 25, who walks on average 10 miles a day in Fenway to do his job, which includes supervising events and game-day staffs—a cell phone stuck to his ear. He’s sometimes responsible for 15 workers at a time when he’s dealing with set-ups for mini-events and special occasions of one kind or another.

“There is something going on here every day,” he says.

Fenway is located little more than a mile from Wentworth, where Spader earned a bachelor’s degree in facility management in 2015. His education has served him well.

“Everything I do here I can relate back to one of the classes I had at Wentworth,” says Spader, who shares a house locally with three college buddies who also graduated from the university.

— Dennis Nealon

wit.edu/magazine | 27

ALUMNINEWS

STEAM Powered How can storytelling be used as a resource for Wentworth students exploring their career paths and passions? That’s the question three alumni are answering as they provide career-focused content for the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) community in Boston.

William Ma, Olakunle Lawal, and Elizabeth DiBenedetto, all CIS ’18, started STEAM Boston, a digital media website launched last September. Lawal and Ma are still leading the effort, but have since added fellow Wentworth connections Jorge Martins, BSME ’20 (community manager) and Emmanuella Emmanuel, BSCO ’16 (brand ambassador), as well as Boston University alumnus YiWen Den (associate editor) to round out the team.

One goal is to serve as a platform offering career advice for STEAM students

and professionals in the greater Boston area. Site visitors will find tips on acing an interview, building a LinkedIn profile, and working a career fair.

The main part of STEAM’s mission, however, is to empower and inspire Boston’s STEAM community through telling their stories. Stories from students and professionals—mostly in Q&A format—not only offer advice, but also motivate students to challenge themselves. One person explains why they switched majors. Another offers talks about overcoming barriers to earn a degree. One person offers a day in the life as a biomedical engineering student.

Most content features current or former Wentworth students. Ma says the various people he met at Wentworth through his classes, leadership positions, and clubs helped him realize that everyone had a story to tell.

“I met so many students who had something that could impact others,” Ma says. “They had amazing experiences and advice that I felt should be featured with a larger audience.”

That was exactly why he and fellow co-founder Lawal decided to create a website that consolidated inspiring stories and career advice into one platform.

“We want people to know that STEAM isn’t just about science and math; it’s about going beyond and into the community with your passions and skills,” Lawal says. “That’s why we’re trying to show people in the correct light, because STEAM and STEM are more than what people imagine them to be.”

The team hopes to grow and eventually curate more job postings, tailor career advice to specific majors, and introduce new forms of media, including podcasts and Spotify playlists.

“We want people to know that STEAM isn’t just about science and math; it’s about going beyond and into the community with your passions and skills.”

Lawal says that one of his proudest moments was when someone commented on one of their articles and asked for more tips on how to find a job.

“We were so happy when we saw that because it shows that what we’re doing really works and can change lives,” Lawal says. “We want to help people and connect them with the endless opportunities out there, and we’re starting to accomplish that.”

Find more at steamboston.com or follow on social media @SteamBoston.

— Samuel Kim

STEAM Boston team members (from left) Emmanuella Emmanuel, William Ma, Olakunle (Kunle) Lawal, and Jorge Martins

28 | SUMMER 2019

Wentworth’s Legacy Challenge As a young man, Angelo Firenze, Mechanical Engineering Design ’64, actively sought a school that would lead to career success.

“Wentworth played a very important role in my personal development,” said Angelo. “I was very involved in the educational process at Wentworth, and I needed the structure that they provided at that point.”

Now, Angelo and his wife Wega are giving back by way of the Ron Burton Training Village.

Since 1985, this leadership development program has taken challenged youths under its wing to help them get a leg up in life. Angelo and Wega immediately saw an opportunity to bring Wentworth and the Training Village together through Wentworth’s Legacy Challenge.

The Legacy Challenge provides dollar for dollar matching support to donors who commit $12,500 to create an endowed scholarship along with committing to a future gift in their estate plan that will be earmarked for the endowment. With their gift, Angelo and Wega were able to establish an endowed Wentworth scholarship, which will be awarded to graduates of the Ron Burton Training Village.

“I am very excited about this partnership,” said Angelo. “Wentworth is a perfect match for a lot of the kids that go through this program.”

For more information on Wentworth’s Legacy Challenge contact Carol Estes-Schwartz, associate vice president of Institutional Advancement, at 617-989-4255.

“With the Legacy Challenge, we will actually get to meet the people who are benefitting from our contributions, and that was very important for us.”

CLASSNOTES

1

2

1971 Philip Poinelli, AE, earned the Lifetime Achievement Award

through the Association for Learning Environments, a non-profit

3

association dedicated to planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of schools and higher education facilities.

1975 1 Mike Wojcik, MPS, had a chance to meet the student who

earned the scholarship he established. Tyler Cosma, a sophomore in civil engineering, is the recipient of the Theodore Wojcik Scholarship, which is named for Mike’s father.

1986

1978

John C. Murphy, MDE, MEC, was promoted to chief operating

2 Lewis Quentin, EEE, EE ’80, started a position at SharkNinja.

1981 3 Ralph Castagna, BCS, BU ’83, spoke to a Wentworth

Construction Management class about how he runs his company, Castagna Construction, and what he believes is the future of

Want additional Class Notes? Head to alumni.wit.edu to view more and/or submit your own!

1987 Michael O’Malley, CMW, helped to rebuild the Juan F. Luis

Medical Center in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which was severely damaged during Hurricanes Maria and Irma.

the industry.

1993

1982

Carlos Alberto Pinhancos, CEC, was honored by the New

Jim Baglini, ME, spoke to Assistant Professor Santiago Umaschi’s

a part of since 2005.

experience as a financial adviser.

1995

“Strategic Management” class about his extensive amount of

Steven Berroth, EES, EE ’84, was promoted to chief operating

officer and program manager at Aerion.

30 | SUMMER 2019

officer at GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.

Bedford chapter of the Prince Henry Society, which he has been

Eric Greene, FMC, recently joined Humanscale as a senior

account development representative in the company’s Boston office.

Bill McCaffrey Applying Hands-On Learning to Family Farm 1999 Jonah Kowall, BCOS, visited Wentworth to speak to current Computer

Science students about his work in infrastructure and operations, security, and

performance engineering.

Farah Naz, AAET, BAET ’02, is working as a sustainability consultant for

Beeah Headquarters in Sharjah, UAE. The company recently won a Gulf

Sustainability Award under the “Green Building” category and Naz’s workplace will soon become the first net zero building in the region.

2000 4 Patrick Planeta, BINT, owner of Planeta Design Group LLC, joined United

Sound End Settlements as a board member. He was also named the “hottest

emerging talent in residential design in New England” by New England Homes and separately appointed to the board of directors for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

4

A farmer by trade, Bill McCaffrey’s eyes are aglow as he explains the intricate nature of how a cranberry matures, his hands pantomiming the meandering path of a vine as it spreads and fruits within a bog.

Sitting in the Beatty Hall cafeteria during a recent campus visit, he discusses how he and his family use technology to maintain an energy-efficient farm in Taunton, Mass.

The expert way that he conveys the science behind agricultural work is befitting of someone who graduated with a Wentworth degree in Building Construction Technology in 1973 before teaching Building Construction at the school from 1976 to 1987.

“The campus has changed, but the students haven’t,” says McCaffrey. “They still work hard, and they want to learn.”

McCaffrey was drawn to the hands-on nature of Wentworth, believing it to be the vital piece of the education students receive.

“Practical education is essential. A lot of schools are doing it, but Wentworth is among the best,” he says.

Wentworth also showed McCaffrey how to estimate jobs and how to balance his budget. He graduated debt free after working as a roofer during school, even redoing the houses of several Wentworth professors.

But some of his greatest joys came later in life when he returned to campus as a young professor. He greatly enjoyed educating students and Wentworth would lead him to meet his future wife, Mary, herself a student at the school.

The grandson of a dairy farmer and son of a factory worker, McCaffrey wanted to get back to his roots and work with his hands. He opened Spring Rain Farm and has been harvesting cranberries ever since. Bill and Mary’s children also tend to the farm and they have since expanded their operation to include strawberries, asparagus, and stone fruit trees. Most recently, they have started raising cows and pigs.

Spring Rain Farm also employs groundbreaking technology including sensors that report the temperatures of specific locations to mobile devices, helping to prevent cranberry and strawberry buds from freezing. McCaffrey is also in the process of connecting the sensors to a diesel pump to automatically start and stop the pump depending on temperature, saving millions of gallons of water and reducing diesel emissions.

“I really wanted to make a difference,” he says, “and teaching and the farm are ways I believe I have done that.”

— Greg Abazorius wit.edu/magazine | 31

CLASSNOTES

A Second Act at Wentworth 2003 Keith Cattanach, BCOT, was presented with the Men’s and Women’s

Rugby Alumni Award. He played on the men’s team during his time at Wentworth and went on to coach the women’s team.

Mike Dellefave, BARC, AAET, was promoted to associate at RODE

Architects.

Lynn Pratt, BARC, had her watercolor paintings displayed in a solo show in Orange Hall Gallery Fringe in New York.

2005 Mugure Njendu, BARC, was elected as the new president of Kenya’s

Architectural Association.

2006 Dan Dryzgula, BARC, was promoted to associate at Svigals + Partners,

the company for which he worked a co-op while studying at Wentworth.

2007 5 Andrea Hardy, BAET, has published two books, Architecture Beyond

Criticism: Expert Judgment and Performance Evaluation and Adaptive Architecture: Changing Parameters and Practice.

5 32 | SUMMER 2019

Bertrand Saint-Preux earned an associate degree from a community college in Florida, but felt like he could not get to where he wanted without a degree in computer science.

He would find what he needed at Wentworth, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2018 and now working as a software engineer at Snapchat.

Saint-Preux says that the co-op program and Accelerate, Wentworth Innovation + Entrepreneurship Center drew him to the university from the Sunshine State. In his first year, he fully integrated himself in Accelerate, crafting an idea for a jukebox app and finding a glimpse into his future engineering career.

As a Haitian American in a part of America unfamiliar to him, Saint-Preux valued finding a community. He joined the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and eventually became president of the organization. Saint-Preux made it a point to ensure that everyone in NSBE had the types of opportunities to be involved that he had, coordinating events for the Urban Dictionary Spelling Bee and the group’s annual fashion show. In his last semester, he went to a high school to speak to students about STEM. He was also involved in Leading for Change, a project to help increase the retention rates of underrepresented students.

When asked about the importance of participating in clubs and organizations during college, Saint-Preux explained that although the social aspect is helpful to build a network, he did it to give back to his community. “One of my passions is helping other Black and Hispanic people, people who look like me, get to better places,” he says. “Helping the Black engineers I encounter grow and making sure they have the best career path—I think that’s super important.”

Saint-Preux connected to Snapchat while serving as a mentor at a tech trek, or camp, designed to help Black and Hispanic engineers emerge themselves in tech. He says that he never would have had the opportunity had it not been coordinated through NSBE. And he still works on the design for his jukebox app, utilizing techniques he’s learning from working at Snapchat.

“College is what you make it,” he says. “If you choose to make the best out of your college experience, then you can achieve what you want.” — Sarah Sherard

2008 Emily Cring, BINT, checks in to say that after 14 years of living in Fenway,

she recently bought a condo in Chelsea, Mass.

Michelle Fennell, BSA, was named one of the 20 Women in HVAC to watch in 2019 by Engineered Systems magazine.

6 Nicole Marinelli, BINT, MSFM ’16, married Derrick Papa in a November

11 ceremony in Narragansett, R.I. Nicole, a project manager in the department of Planning and Construction at Wentworth, was surrounded by several of her former classmates and current co-workers.

2009 Nathanial Bibaud, BSA, gave back to his community by teaching students

at Cashman Elementary how to draw.

Hal Blenkhorn, BDEM, AMDT ’10, has been promoted to general manager

at Franklin, Mass. manufacturer Tegra Medical.

7 Melissa Martinez, BSA, MARC ’10, was hired as a project manager at

Lamourex Pagano Associates Architects.

Brian Rawlings, ACIS, published a book entitled Edge of Space: The Outlaws.

Natasha Tashian, BINT, joined TRIA architecture as a senior interior

designer.

8 Jaclyn Shark Varland, BARC, MARC ’10, and Michael Varland BARC,

MARC ’10, opened the Office of Collaborative Architecture in Bloomfield, NJ.

6 2010 Andrew Fluder, BCMT, was hired by Mashburn Construction as an assistant project manager in the Charleston. S.C. area.

David Kulikowski, ACMU, BBCM ’12, MSCM ’14, was invited to speak at

the local Carpenter’s Union about his experience with Wentworth’s College of Professional and Continuing Education.

9 Rachid Moukhabir, BEET, is the president of Moroccan American

Connections (MACIR) in Revere, Mass. MACIR is a grassroots organization

meant for empowering Moroccan Americans in the City of Revere and helping them integrate into the community. Moukhabir was recently named Revere’s Person of the Year.

John-Paul Perron, BELM, was one of the 20 employees from Stanley Black & Decker that were asked to mentor a few companies for their three-month

7

8

incubation project.

wit.edu/magazine | 33

CLASSNOTES

11

Alex Schwarzkopf, BELM, and Matthew

Joyal, BELM, were featured in a Forbes

article about bringing artificial intelligence to

9

2011

Carlie Biron, BSA, MARC ’12, and her new puppy, Nala, recently

stopped by campus. They visited the Alumni Relations and the Student Affairs offices before picking up a “Future Wentworth

Graduate” onesie for Nala. (Read more about Biron on page 23.)

construction sites. The two discussed their company, Pillar Technologies.

Matt Vocatura, BSA, MARC ’16, and Sam

Maloney BSA ’16, MARC ’17, joined Assistant

Professor Meliti Dikeos’ Architecture Studio for

10

Seth Morrissey, BSA, was promoted to associate at OLSON LEWIS +

Architects firm in Manchester.

2012 10 Aaron C. Peabody BSA, MARC ’13, and Elizabeth Webb, BSA,

Esraa Samman, BSA, MARC ’17, is the first female sales representative of

the hygienic products company she works at in Saudi Arabia. Her job requires her to travel via car to visit clients, making her one of the only women in Saudi

2017

engagement and were scheduled to marry on May 4, 2019.

2015 11 Jennifer Roy, BIND ’16, and Matthew Joyal, BELM, are delighted to

announce their marriage in 2018.

34 | SUMMER 2019

interviewed by Boston Magazine regarding his thoughts on Boston’s changing skyline.

old and has also worked as a pipeline testing field engineer.

at Wentworth.

Jack Doucette, BSCN, and Katrina Zuelke, BCOT ’14, announced their

Michael Fallon, MSCM, has been named

president of The Fallon Co. He was also recently

New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He has been racing since he was 10 years

Arabia with a license.

2013

2016

C.J. McLaughlin, BMET, is due to make his NASCAR debut in July at the

MARC ’13, are happy to announce their marriage on October 13, 2018 in

North Kingstown, R.I. Elizabeth and Aaron met in the Architecture program

design review.

Leland M. Alexander, BSCM, proposed a memorial to commemorate the

100th anniversary of the 1919 Great Molasses Flood in Boston’s North End.

2018 Elizabeth DiBenedetto, CIS, Olakunle Lawal, CIS, and William Ma, CIS,

are a part of the team who founded and launched STEAM Boston, a digital

media website to provide career advice for STEAM students and professionals in the Boston area, in the fall of 2018 (see more on page 28).

in memoriam / 1939

Stuart Locke, EC

1940

1952

1958

Lewis F. Downey, Jr., PM&MD

Richard A. Howden, AC

Richard W. Berggren, BC

Robert K. Bartlett, MC&TD

Kenneth N. Jackson, Jr., S&DE

Frank B. Kimball III, S&DE

John P. Parker, MC&TD

Charles J. Kastrenos, MC&TD

Robert S. Ruscitti, S&DE

Luciano S. Rizza, AC&D

Lester F. Smith, IE

Roger E. Turcotte, BC Joel G. Zigelbaum, IE

1947

1953

Edward Manoogian, Jr., MW&TM

Frank W. Rankin, MC&TD

Poy A. Dong, MW&TM

1948

James F. Hayes, EC Phillip N. Kupelian, S&DE

Harold P. Nelson, IE

1959

Stephen H. Bishop, Jr., AM

Edward T. Speight, BC

Don L. Emerson, MED

1954

Richard A. Johnson, MED, AET

Neil A. Hunter, AET John P. Breen, PM&MD

William M. Lyons, AC

Robert O. Perkins, MC&TD

Joseph K. Wilkie, MW&TM

Thomas M. Quinn, AC

1949

1955

Albert J. Storti, EEE

1960

Vincent J. Aurelio, EEE Emery W. Irwin, AET

Arthur R. Brouard, IE

Thomas L. Manning, CHE, AT ’68

Gerard E. Cossette, AC

Walter H. Edwards, IEC

Jordan H. Robbins, MED

Albert J. DeBernardi, EC

John J. Hickey, Jr., AME

Norman L. Soney, AET

Clifford S. Fowler, BC, EEN ’82

Robert W. Solari, PM&MD

Robert D. Anderson, AC

Gordon F. Merrill, AC

1950

1956

1961

Robert R. Farnum, AET

Charles A. Crespi, BC

Bernard P. Gosselin, MP

Herbert W. Hunt, MC&TD

Gerald I. Kheboian, IEC

John M. Swift, Sr., AET

Leo Van Koert, MW&TM

Albert R. Kiefer, AM David E. Nolan, S&DE

1962

1951

Donald G. Scott, MW&TM

Robert J. Duchano, AC

1957

Daniel G. Nadeau, CHE

Richard J. Steinberger, IE

1963

Ralph A. Dyer, S&DE Howard D. Elander, PM&MD Robert H. Evans, MW&TM

David F. Casal, MD Richard L. Hopkins, MEP

John D. Collins, IE David J. Lamprey, MW&TM

Joseph M. Alpert, MD

Robert A. Kealey, IE

Richard E. Nalette, EEP

Harold G. Macomber, Jr., EC

Stanley F. Wisniewski, Jr., EEE

wit.edu/magazine | 35

CLASSNOTES

in memoriam / 1964

John D. Merrill, CHE

1972

1990

1973

1992

Lester M. Johnson, CHE

Arline E. Urquhart, IDS, IDC ’94

Richard M. Robbins, BC Kenneth W. Santoro, MP Lee D. Swanson, MEP

Gerald A. Moores, ASE

David A. Tedford, MD

Patrick Hynes, ME

Sean Kenney, INS, MAC ’95

1974

Tanis D. Tritt, TMW

1965

Paul R. LeBlanc, EEE

1993

John J. Foley, Jr., BC

1975

Frederick W. Walters, MET

Frank J. Dente, CC

Raymond E. Boileau, BC

William E. McGinley, MD

Philip Casavant, EEN

Mark X. Cook, AS

Robert M. Welby, EE, EEE ’69

Roger J. Perry, EEE

1966

1976

1996

James Dorsi, AET Robert J. Schriefer, Jr., AET

Edward P. Gavin, EE, EES ’72

Stanley M. Miller, AET

Alan F. Slade, MPE

1967

Derek R. Frechette, EEE, BEET ’99

1979

Joseph A. Schissler, EEE

Robert C. Solari, BC

Arthur J. Sullivan, MPE

Edward J. DiNitto, EEE

Terry L. Henry, EEE

2013

James Alexander Andaralo, BSA

1982

Luis M. Pinheiro, ATS, ME ’84

1970

1997

Faculty and Staff

Claire Bowles

1985

Thomas C. Chiara, CSW

Donald Burke Alfred J. French Glenn Okerson

1971

John R. MacDonald III, EE

1986

Joseph W. Curley, EEE

1988

Gerard J. Martel, EES, EEC ’91, EE ’94

1989

Christopher S. Perry, MET, MEC ’91

36 | SUMMER 2019

Build your future with Wentworth’s College of Professional and Continuing Education.

1

Get the management and leadership skills you need to advance your career.

We offer: • ME Civil Engineering

• MS Project Management

• MS Construction Management

• MS Technology Management

• MS Facility Management

Plus 1-year Certificate Programs in: • Managing Construction Projects • Facility Management • Project Management

classes available on campus and online.

Request our free ebook, Build. Manage. Lead. The Skills You Need to Get Ahead in Construction Management. Visit wit.edu/construction-careers and download your copy.

Introducing Auto Accept — Alumni who graduated in the last 2 years with a 3.0 GPA or better are automatically accepted into CPCE’s MS programs. Some restrictions apply. Call for details.

phone: 617-989-4300 e-mail: CPCE@wit.edu wit.edu/continuinged

@WentworthCPCE /WentworthContinuingEducation wit.edu/linkedin

550 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-5998 Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations 800-258-6948 www.wit.edu/alumni

Change service requested

save the date

Friday, October 18, 2019

The Inauguration of Wentworth’s Fifth President: Dr. Mark A. Thompson Visit alumni.wit.edu for updates

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID WENTWORTH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY