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1971
Thomas Keon, Cape Canaveral, Fla., has accepted the position of chancellor at Purdue University Calumet.

1978
Signature Flight Support Corporation has appointed Brad Drew, Weston, Fla., to serve as vice president of sales for global operations.

1981
Fidelity Bank announced that Michael Gilles, Boston, Mass., has been promoted from executive vice president and chief financial officer to chief operating officer.

1982
The Lloyd Center for the Environment has elected Robert Pielech ’MST, New Bedford, Mass., to its Board of Directors. Pielech is the principal shareholder in New Bedford firm Raymon Pielech Zexter PC, where he serves as director of information technology services, director of business valuation services, and director of bookkeeping services.

1985
Michael J. O’Riordan ’MBA, Norfolk, Mass., has been promoted to senior vice president at Middlesex Savings Bank, in the Credit Administration Division.

1988
Dean College has tapped Daniel A. Modelane ’MBA, Norfolk, Mass., as vice president of financial services and treasurer.

1989
Gary Saykaly ’MBA, Duluth, Ga., has accepted the position of senior director for the Southeast Capital Markets Group at Cushman & Wakefield. 

1990
Neutron Interactive, a lead-generation company, has welcomed Christopher Cimino, Salt Lake City, Utah, to serve as senior vice president of business development and industry relations.

Edward Demeritt, King of Prussia, Penn., has earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership at Eastern University.  Demeritt’s academic achievements earned him membership in Delta Mu Delta, the international honor society in business.

Onstream Media Corporation, a leading online service provider of live and on-demand Internet broadcasting, has appointed Robert D. (RD) Whitney, Jaffrey, N.H., to its Board of Directors.

1991
Christopher Lynch ’MBA, Arlington, Mass., delivered the keynote address at the McCallum Graduate School of Business Commencement ceremony. Lynch is vice president and general manager at Vertica Systems, a Hewlett-Packard company.

1992
Christopher Cimino ’MBA, BS ’90, Salt Lake City, Utah, has been named to the management team for Neutron Interactive. His title is senior vice president of business development and industry relations.

1993
Demandware Inc., a global leader in on-demand e-commerce, has appointed Nick Camelio, Watertown, Mass., to serve as vice president of human resources.

1994
The Boston Business Journal highlighted Georgianna Melendez, Peabody, Mass., for spearheading an initiative to increase diversity in the workplace. Melendez is the co-director of Commonwealth Compact at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

1998
Gary Savage ’MST, Winchester, Mass., has joined the Board of Directors for the Boston Estate Planning Council.

Hilton Worldwide has named Charles Stuart, Memphis, Tenn., to the post of manager, Brand Performance Support, for the Hilton Garden Inn brand. He previously supported the brand as manager of Pulse for Hampton.

2000
Courtney Nappa, Franklin, Mass., has been named Mrs. Massachusetts and, in August, competed in the Mrs. USA pageant. 

2002
Scott Tower ’MBA, Boston, Mass., has been promoted to first vice president, Commercial Credit, at Cambridge Savings Bank.

2004
Stonyfield Farm, the world’s leading organic yogurt producer, has tapped Tever Dooley, Boston, Mass., to be division sales manager, east.

Dennis Pellecchia ’MSPFP, Rowley, Mass., chairman of the board at Braver PC, has been elected by the firm’s executive committee to serve as president and CEO.
Yen Diep, Boise, Idaho, has been inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, recognizing scholastic achievement at Boise State University College of Business and Economics.

2005
Michael Morganti, Marlborough, Mass., has been named New England regional sales manager for the California-based Hess Collection winery.

2007
Stephanie (Canton) Haddad, Burlington, Mass., has written her first novel: A Previous Engagement. Her second novel, Love Unlisted, is scheduled for release this fall.

2009
Nicole Darvirris, Dracut, Mass., has earned an MEd in Higher Education Administration at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

2011
Consulting magazine has identified Bill Kracunas ‘MBA, Hingham, Mass., among the “Top 25 Consultants in the U.S.” for 2011. Recognized for excellence in technology, Kracunas is the technology practice leader for RSM McGladrey’s East Region.

Jennifer (Isaacson) Waldron, Westbrook, Conn., has completed her undergraduate studies at Bentley University. Having left the school in 1990, two courses shy of graduating, she returned to the classroom and earned a Bachelor of Science.

Recent graduates need a stepped-up game plan to tackle a tough job market. “The jobs are out there, but students need to go above and beyond to get them,” observes Susan Brennan, director of undergraduate career services. “You can’t expect to stay home, submit résumés online, and get a job.”

Networking events and job fairs are prime opportunities for meeting employers and alumni, Brennan adds. “And when students are at these events, they need to be comfortable with their elevator pitch and clear about who they are.”

This line of attack has a strong track record. Nearly 70 percent of Bentley students get their jobs through programs and other resources at the Miller Center for Career Services.

Home Team Advantage

Students’ work to differentiate themselves with employers should start as early as freshman year, according to Brennan.

“We reach out to help students explore and understand their passions,” she says of tools such as career assessments. “It’s the first step to building a personal brand.”

Bentley alumnus Dan Schawbel ’06 is similarly bullish on branding. He wrote the bestselling book Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success and blogs extensively on the topic at personalbrandingblog.com.

“You need to discover your brand before you can communicate it,” explains Schawbel, who was featured with marketing guru Seth Godin and other web luminaries in a recent issue of Details magazine. It’s about long-term thinking – figuring out where you see yourself and how you fit in to the world.”

Knowing and reaching your target audience is crucial. Toward that end, Bentley career advisers hold an average of 2,000 individual meetings per semester, discussing the résumé, cover letter, elevator pitch and interview.

“We also encourage internships to help students gain more focus and experience, and build a network,” says Alyssa Hammond, associate director of undergraduate career services.

And the payoff is big: Internships led to job offers for about 50 percent of graduates in the Class of 2009. 

Game On

Many tech-savvy Bentley students are leveraging social media to pry an advantage with potential employers. 

“They’re using it to help market their personal brand,” Hammond says of tools such as YouTube and Twitter. “It comes naturally because it’s the way they communicate.”

A case in point is former Marketing major Lisette Diamant ’09. When an initial job offer fell through, she worked with Career Services to schedule informational interviews. The many discussions with advertising executives, green marketing consultants, and consumer goods brand managers confirmed her passion for the field.

The self-dubbed “marketing FUNatic” began a blog (http://marketingfunatic.blogspot.com) and Twitter page that captured her enthusiasm Soon after, she landed a job as project manager with TracyLocke, a brand-to-retail marketing agency.

Company officials were impressed with her personal branding, the alumna reports. “They even pointed out specific blog posts they found interesting and ideas they thought were innovative.”

Still, job seekers must take care to keep their use of social media on a professional plane. To reinforce the point, Career Services staff created the film spoof CSI: Career Services Investigation, a lighthearted lesson in protecting one’s online image. Similarly, the seminar Social Networking and Your Job Search highlights the emerging tools and how to use them for best effect.

As Hammond observes: “It’s about standing out, but in a positive, professional way.”

Alec Biedrzycki ’09 did just that. His foot-in-the-door was a “musical résumé,” which went viral on YouTube and earned air time on CNN.

“The video helped me get noticed by lots of people,” he notes, “which led to interviews at several companies.”

Networking and perseverance were also in the mix – and led the alumnus to a position at Scratch Marketing+Media.

“It’s one thing to show how creative you can be,” says Biedrzycki, whose degree is in marketing. “But it’s another thing entirely to show that you can sustain a dedicated work ethic and still maintain that innovative mindset.”

Assets of more than $1 billion make investment management for the Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund (JPFPF) a high-stakes endeavor. Bentley students got an unprecedented inside look at the client–money manager relationship during a December presentation on campus.

The first-of-its-kind event took place in the university’s financial Trading Room. There, portfolio managers at Eaton Vance and the Boston Company made presentations to 20 undergraduate and graduate students and to JPFPF trustee and Bentley parent Peter Sleiman. The topic: annual performance by the two firms in overseeing $200 million in investments for the Florida-based pension fund.

“This seemed like a great opportunity to help further Bentley’s goal of blending classroom education with real-world experience,” explains Sleiman, who proposed the presentation. His son, Paul, is a Bentley sophomore.   

Spirited Exchange

Discussion explored undervalued stocks with good potential and highlighted the importance of researching international investments by visiting other countries to study their economy and general business climate. The session ended with spirited questions and exchanges between the money managers and Bentley students.

Gibbons Professor of Finance Jahangir (Jay) Sultan and Trading Room Manager Richard Gibble lent support in facilitating the program. Also attending were representatives from Summit Financial Advisors, an investment consulting group that works with the JPFPF.

“Students learned about specific mandates of the pension fund and how these investment mandates are implemented to provide safe and enhanced returns, with a look at recent performance during the credit crisis,” says Sultan, a founding director of the Hughey Center for Financial Services and the Trading Room.

Value Added

These facilities proved an ideal setting for the day’s event. The Trading Room offers real-time data feeds from major equities, fixed income, futures, options exchanges, and over-the-counter markets in the United States and overseas. It often hosts corporate training seminars on securities trading, financial econometrics, risk management, and similar topics.

“The students who participated gave us a lot of wonderful feedback,” says Sultan, who hopes to see similar events in the future. “They felt it was an outstanding and innovative program, and said they learned a great deal.”

Dan Holmes of Summit Advisors came away impressed. “The quality, depth and insight of the questions asked by Bentley students were outstanding.”

Coralee Whitcomb ’83 MSCIS has spent six years as the heart of academic honesty at Bentley. At Faculty Senate meetings, she is the unabashed cheerleader for integrity. In the classroom, she is the energetic mentor who roasts marshmallows and skewers cheating. And to incoming freshmen, she is the first word on avoiding plagiarism.

As the university’s first academic integrity coordinator, Whitcomb has promoted the importance of honesty to faculty and students alike. She leaves Bentley this semester after more than two decades on campus.

The coordinator position was created to support the Bentley Alliance for Ethics and Social Responsibility. The alliance builds awareness of and commitment to ethics, service, social responsibility, and sustainability in research, curricula and campus culture.

“It’s been a very interesting job because every integrity incident is unique,” says Whitcomb. “I hope that as the first coordinator, I set a tone that was understanding and educational.”

Grace and Understanding

Colleagues credit Whitcomb with shedding light on the secretive culture of cheating, through workshops, a student survey, and updated guidelines in the Faculty Manual. Her even-handed treatment of both offenders and accusers wins special praise.

“When you’re dealing with this issue, you don’t always see everyone at their best,” observes Bentley alliance coordinator and management professor Tony Buono. “Coralee has been able to engage a broad range of constituents – administrators, faculty, students and parents – with understanding, grace and charm. That’s not easy to do.”

Her successes include establishing a student-run Academic Integrity Council at Bentley (she recruited members at a marshmallow roast) and creating a workshop to educate new students about plagiarism. She brought wider visibility to the issues through presentations and workshops for the national Center for Academic Integrity.

William Connolly ’10, president of the Academic Integrity Council, admires Whitcomb’s gusto.

“Coralee is not afraid to ruffle feathers and call people out for not having as strong a stance as they need to,” says the Marketing major, who consults for a web-based solution (turnitin.com) that guards against plagiarism in students’ written work.

Passionate Pursuit

Whitcomb’s Bentley days date to 1983, when she earned the MS in Computer Information Systems and a spot on the faculty. The ethical use of technology, including equal access to the Internet, is a longtime passion. Whitcomb served as president of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, spoke on privacy issues at the White House, and was named among the “25 Most Wired” by networking organization WebGrrls International. She taught in the Computer Information Systems Department until December 2009.

Associate Professor of Marketing Andy Aylesworth, who heads the Faculty Senate, appreciates Whitcomb for keeping academic integrity at the fore. 

“It’s not an issue that faculty look forward to dealing with,” he admits. “But Coralee was always there to remind us how important it is – and if bad things happened, she was there to talk us through it.”

As Whitcomb looks back on her tenure, she is both wistful and joyous.

“There have been a number of times when my heart was broken, and I’ve gone to Bentley and felt like it put its arms around me,” she reveals. “Working at the same place for a long time has so many rewards. It has been an incredible ride.”

A group of Bentley professors aims to compose a bestseller list of future business leaders by prompting students not only to read challenging literary works, but to experience an “aha” moment.

Launched last fall, the Undergraduate Fellows Seminar emphasized reading as a means for making connections among individual ideas to gain broader insight. Twelve bachelor’s degree candidates read three assigned books with a common theme, and joined four professors to explore the topic from multiple disciplinary perspectives. The goal is to cultivate close reading and deliberate discussion – a simple premise with complex plot twists in the age of text messages and tweets.

“The most successful learning comes from opportunities to sit down with others – teachers and students – and think carefully about matters of real significance,” says Mike Frank, a longtime faculty member who originated the idea for the program. “Successful reading means engaging with the ideas in a text, entering into a conversation with people who have thought carefully about related matters, and taking the ideas of others not as true, but as a challenge to one’s own thinking.”

Frank, an associate professor of English, joined three colleagues in teaching the inaugural seminar: Susan Adams, associate professor of management; Susan Dobscha, associate professor of marketing; and Jeff Gulati, assistant professor of global studies. The program is sponsored by the Jeanne and Dan Valente Center for Arts and Sciences.

Intricate Plot

The four professors selected challenging books of broad and enduring interest to examine the seminar topic, which for 2009-2010 was “representation.”

Of his choice, Hannah Pitkin’s The Concept of Representation, Gulati says: “It has a continuing impact on how political scientists assess the ‘representativeness’ of legislative institutions. The book explores important and controversial questions of what ‘good’ representation is.”

Other entries on the reading list were Representation: Cultural Representation and Signifying Practices, edited by Stuart Hall, and Art and Illusion by E.M. Gombrich.

Faculty members led discussions of works far removed from their own specialties, which Valente Center director Chris Beneke says created a unique educational opportunity. “The professors approached these texts with no more discipline-specific expertise than the students, providing learning on both sides.” 

Adams agrees. “We [faculty] were struggling through passages with students, but using our training as scholars to model how to study and facilitate discussions that lead to in-depth inquiry. We aren’t perfect; we may not find all the answers we seek, but we do keep digging to understand the underlying structures of concepts.”

Students were especially challenged by the reading requirements and broad discussion topic. “What differentiates this course from others is that students must struggle with the material before they can contribute anything meaningful,” explains Ilya Fishman ’11, a Corporate Finance and Accounting major.

“Going over the concepts was mentally exhausting at some points,” adds Information Design and Corporate Communication major Kate Matheson ‘10. “I used parts of my critical thinking that I have never used before. I’ve become a better student in other classes because I have a better grasp of the big picture.”

Novel Setting

In addition to group discussions with professors, undergraduate fellows met on their own to pursue related topics and readings. Each was required to write an extended, research-based paper delving into issues raised in the course, as well as to attend programs at the Valente Center and events off campus. Among the latter: a trip to Cambridge for the American Repertory Theater’s rendition of The Donkey Show. .

As Dobscha notes: “We tried to relinquish control as professors and leave the course outcomes and structure almost entirely in the students’ hands.”

Crissi Mann ’11 found the change of pace stimulating. “The multiple fields incorporated into one course – English, marketing, politics and management – gave the class a remarkable twist,” observes the Corporate Finance and Accounting major. “We had a ton of different views flying around the room at once.” 

Pushing people outside their comfort zone sparks different types of learning, according to Dobscha. “Students grapple with text and have opportunities to unpack complex topics they will face in their life: racism, bullying, sexism and other inequities,” she says. “These things have no simple answers.”

Building Character

Beneath its unifying concept of “representation,” the seminar encouraged students to consider how different academic disciplines inform each other.

“Students learned to see disciplinarity as a system for effectively addressing large, complex questions,” explains Frank. “It’s looking at the same material through a range of different lenses.”

The story closed with growth for all involved. “We thought we would end the semester ‘understanding representation,’ but what happened was even better,” says Mann. “We finished having all been challenged in some way -- whether through analyzing dense topics, answering slippery questions, or just reading difficult books.”

Adams credits the program for addressing an issue often overlooked by business schools: creating critical thinkers. “Students need more practice and explicit instruction on how to dig deeper into material, to tease out inconsistencies and understand underlying premises,” she says. “Strong ethics require this type of study, so sound decisions are made based on analyzing their current and future implications.

“We need to prepare better business leaders for a better business world, and Bentley is uniquely positioned to do that.”

A loan can help change a life. It did for businesswoman Linda Joy. The native of Lakeville, Mass., owns Aspire Media, a motivational publishing and conference company for women that she founded in 2005 (www.aspiremag.net).

Like many entrepreneurs, Joy needed capital to grow her business. But qualifying for a typical bank loan presented a problem for the former welfare recipient. 

That’s where Bentley comes in.

In spring 2009, Joy received the first-ever loan issued by the Bentley Microcredit Initiative (BMI). The innovative, student-run effort promotes economic development through loans of up to $6,000 for local business owners.

Microcredit is the practice of lending small amounts of money to individuals who have entrepreneurial dreams, but limited prospects to obtain financing through traditional channels. The concept gained worldwide attention when Muhammad Yunus, founder of the pioneering microlending institution Grameen Bank, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

“This loan means everything in helping me move my business forward,” says Joy, who will repay the $6,000 loan over two years at an interest rate of 12 percent, which is the average for microloans in the United States.

Concepts in Action

The BMI was established through the honors course Seminar in Microlending, which debuted in spring 2008. Taught by Professor of Finance Roy (Chip) Wiggins, the course introduces students to microfinance and provides an opportunity to apply its concepts.

“This furthers our mission of sending socially responsible business leaders out into the world,” Wiggins says of the course, which, by popular demand, is now open to students of all majors as a finance elective.

Complementing the academic component of the BMI is the Bentley Microfinance Group: a student organization with more than 100 active members. The group is charged with reviewing the loan applications of small-business owners such as Joy. Funds awarded to successful applicants are drawn from donations by Bentley alumni and parents — $125,000 had been raised as of May 2009.  

“We always keep in mind that we are dealing with real people,” says Microfinance Group president Michaela Baca ’12, who plans to major in Managerial Economics and pursue the Liberal Studies concentration in Health and Industry. “We have the potential to help change lives. Everyone one in the group is so passionate about this work and doing it successfully.”

Building Relationships

Loans are not the organization’s only specialty. Students also offer consulting services, advising clients on issues such as business plans, marketing, strategic development, and training.

“Not all business owners are ready to receive a loan right away, so we help them build their company in other ways,” says Pranay Jain ’11, an Economics–Finance major who is the Microfinance Group’s vice president for external relations. “Once their businesses are stronger, they may become good candidates for a loan.”

So far, the biggest challenge has been connecting with local entrepreneurs who may benefit from the loan or consulting services. Outreach through Craigslist, nearby business organizations and community centers, Twitter, and a web site has brought in some clients. An additional boost is expected from a Global Microfinance Symposium, planned for March 21. The event aims to raise awareness of microlending efforts at Bentley as well as those in India, which will be the symposium’s focal point.

Student-driven microfinance efforts are rare on U.S. college and university campuses, according to Baca. It’s a fact that she and fellow students hope to change. The Bentley contingent had a hand in founding a student alliance that will teach peers how to establish a microfinance organization at their own school. The alliance also includes Brown, Cornell, Duke, Rutgers and Yale.

Achieving Dreams

The BMI loan has already had a significant impact for Joy. She has introduced an all-digital version of her magazine, Aspire, and forged a partnership with radio talk-show host Pat Baccili of the popular The Dr. Pat Show. The program’s focus on uplifting and inspirational news, education, and practical information has been a perfect complement to her magazine’s mission. 

And Joy’s most ambitious endeavor? That would be the Mission to Inspire 100,000 Women in 2010, through which she will provide free Aspire subscriptions to women across the world. 

These achievements offer a promising outlook for the newest BMI loan recipient: Frank Burns of Norwood, Mass. The maker of custom furniture and accessories is looking for additional skills to manage and market his four-year-old company (http://www.burnsdesign.us).

“My career has been pretty varied: I’ve served in the Army, worked in small businesses and, most recently, managed telecommunications contracts for Massachusetts,” he explains. “I had developed good business skills, but didn’t know how to apply them to my work as an artist.”

The loan he received in December 2009 enabled Burns to enroll in the Artists’ Educational Toolbox, a career development program that sharpens business savvy for creative types. He also will have ongoing access to Bentley expertise and resources – a BMI benefit that Joy has come to prize.

“This process has been about having a conversation with the students and sharing a vision,” she says. “It’s not just the loan that helped; these students gave me a chance to have my dream heard.”

Global Reach

In January 2010, the Bentley Microfinance Initiative made its first international move, with a gift of $5,000 to aid economic development in Ghana. Bentley students pursuing internships in the African country will join Associate Professor of Management Diane Kellogg to make a first round of loans this summer. Kellogg directs the four-year-old Ghana Project, which began as a partnership with a single NG) – the Mmofra Trom Educational Center – and now includes more than 10 such partnerships in the region.

Anyone looking for vivid lessons on women’s lives – from the impact of the beauty culture to wage inequalities to domestic violence – will find them in The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World (Penguin Books, 2009) by Professor and Chair of Global Studies Joni Seager.

Now in its fourth edition, the atlas uses eye-catching maps to present otherwise dry data. Previous iterations earned Outstanding Reference Book honors from the American Library Association and won the Chicago Geographical Society's Publications Award.

“Mapping is a powerful tool, because it makes information more accessible to people who are not specialists,” explains Seager. “Patterns, or the lack of patterns, are revealed on maps that would never be apparent in statistical tables or even in narratives.”

For example, one world map uses four colors to portray the average age at which women marry. In countries shown in red, the average is 20 years or younger. The United States is among the “orange” nations, where women tend to marry at age 26 or older.

Another map, with all countries rendered in purple, illustrates the troubling universality of domestic violence. Bright green boxes show the percentage of women who reported recent physical abuse by a male intimate; numbers range from 6 percent (Togo) to 80 percent (Pakistan).

Expanding Horizons

Seager joined the Bentley faculty in September 2009, with experience that includes teaching and chairing the Geography Department at Hunter College, CUNY and serving as dean of environmental studies at York University in Toronto, Canada. She earned a BA at the University of Toronto, and MA and PhD degrees at Clark University in Worcester, Mass.

“It’s a rare pleasure to see a freestanding Global Studies Department,” she says of the move to Bentley, where her courses aim to broaden students’ perspectives. “These days, if you don’t take a global view in business, you’re behind the curve. That’s true whether you work at a small firm in Iowa or a multinational corporation.”

The professor had to expand her own horizons for the first edition of the women’s atlas, co-authored with Annie Olson and issued in 1986.

“If we had relied solely on established datasets, such as those maintained by the United Nations, the book would have had only about five maps,” Seager notes. “We decided instead to start with what we knew about women’s lived experience.”

Their list quickly grew to more than 100 topics, including marriage and divorce, seats of power, and sex trafficking. The data come from wide-ranging global sources such as reports by the Pew Foundation, International Olympic Committee, and U.S. Department of Justice.

A World of Challenges

Having mapped women’s lives from many angles, Seager considers the thorniest challenges to be violence, the threat of violence, and economic inequalities. As she puts it: “The threat of violence is used to police women everywhere.”

Still, the professor sees considerable progress over the past 20 years – gains reflected in the data, but more important, in women's lives.

“Globally, the most notable good news is a dramatic increase in girls’ education rates,” she says. “In the USA, the women's movement has won significant progress in equal employment legislation, in laws and a cultural shift to recognize marital rape, and in the treatment of women who have experienced violence and sexual assault. But there's a long way to go.”

Africa has been a recent destination for the professor herself. In late 2009, she was tapped by the Mozambique government to consult on the emerging topic of gender and climate change. Her work with the country’s Environmental Ministry centers on developing a national strategy to address the relevant issues.

“Most environmental things -- including climate change -- happen in the physical realm, but are actually rooted in social issues. That is, they are caused or solved by social efforts, have impact on social efforts, or prompt policies and actions,” explains Seager. “And once you start talking about social arrangements, there is always a gendered dimension.”

She credits Mozambique for “progressive thinking” on the issue. “Very few governments have developed policy vehicles on gender and environment, although more are likely to do so in the next few years.”

Sometimes, a hearty collaboration starts with something as simple as a good lunch.

Three years ago, Bentley Assistant Professor of Finance Irving Morgan (left) had a research paper starting to simmer. He ran into Fred Ledley in the faculty cafeteria and asked the professor of natural and applied sciences to review some initial findings. Ledley liked what he saw, and suggested working together at some point.

This winter, the pair finished a project with potential to help the biotechnology industry integrate the best practices of science and business. The goal: Bring more life-changing — and potentially life-saving — products to the real world.

Aiming to Assimilate

The researchers might make an odd couple anywhere other than Bentley. Ledley’s background is in molecular medicine. He has served on the faculty at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and helped found several biotechnology firms, including one that does gene therapy. Morgan owns an extensive record of scholarship in biotechnology, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate and managerial finance.

Their paper, “Strategic Management of Discontinuous Scientific Change in Biotechnology,” aims to explain why such companies so rarely assimilate their business and science practices.

“A lot of people look at financing, and a lot of people look at technology,” says Ledley. “What we’ve done is break down the financing by technology and, conversely, break down the technologies by where the money’s coming in. It’s really unique.”

Over the past 25 years, government investment and venture capitalism have poured more than $8 billion into the gene therapy sector of the industry. But the track record of products actually making it to market is pitifully anemic.

“The public hasn’t gotten the benefit of the billions of dollars and thousands of scientists at work in this field,” says Ledley. “The question is why.”

The Money Trail

To find out, Ledley and Morgan used a process common in high-tech circles. That concept — technology evolution — holds that technology advances exponentially only up to a certain point, before being supplanted by another technology. Their analysis showed that funding for biotechnology works in much the same way. That is, money was often ample for emerging projects, but slowed to a comparative trickle in later stages.

“The pattern is that the money chases early to the riskier technology, before that technology’s success can be determined,” explains Morgan. “So when you need the money late in a technology, because you now know its capabilities, you don’t get the sufficient capital. It has already gone to the next new technology.”

The two-pronged analysis gave Ledley and Morgan a distinctive take on how to address this breakdown in the business model. Their paper identifies a “science strategy” — pushing companies to navigate vertically between a succession of discontinuous technologies — and a “product strategy,” which requires greater capital investments once a technology is shown to be ready for real-world development. This round of work earned the professors “Best Poster” honors from Bentley.

“Right now this is academic research,” observes Ledley. “But the strategic correlates to practice are going to be really exciting.”

In 1990, Paul Grassia was a rising corporate executive with a corner office when tragedy struck: A massive stroke left the 43-year-old paralyzed on one side. Instead of conceding defeat, Grassia turned his energies to regaining basic skills and pursuing a longtime dream. Today, the alumnus known professionally as Paul G. has found success as a Neil Diamond tribute singer and author of the book A Stroke of Luck.

Did you perform while you were at Bentley?
The 1969 yearbook has pictures of me singing in Bentley talent shows. In college I also had a group that was the house band at the Chateau in Waltham, where we did weddings and events.

Was your stroke unexpected?
There were some warning signs, which I ignored. But even if they had caught [the problem], they couldn’t have fixed it. After it happened, the doctors said I’d never walk or talk again. But I didn’t listen to them. After three years in a wheelchair, I learned to walk again – and not only talk, but sing.

What took you to the ranks of international author and recording artist?
Sheer determination. It’s a miracle, and I’m smart enough to realize that. The doctors have no idea how I do what I’m doing. Only 30 percent of my brain works, but I tell you, I’m using all 30 percent.

How did you fasten on becoming a Neil Diamond tribute singer?
During my recovery, I saw him on TV and thought, “Poor man. The older he gets, the more he looks like me.” That got me thinking. I knew I could do his voice, but I had to start talking again. Once I could, I started working on his voice. It took me three years, but I did it.

What’s your performance schedule like?
I travel 10 months of the year. I’ve performed in every U.S. state, in Canada, and in eight countries in Europe. There’s no place I go where people don’t know me. I love that. I’ve performed at Fenway Park three times, which was a thrill because I’m a big Red Sox fan.
My favorite place to perform is the Beacon Resort in Lincoln, N.H., owned by Edward Clermont ’68. I owe a lot to him. He hired me sight unseen when I first came back after my stroke. He gave me a shot when no one else would.

Have you met Neil Diamond?
Sure. The first time was in 1999 when I was performing at Bally’s hotel in Las Vegas. He came to see my show and sat in the back row. Afterward, he came backstage. He jumped up to kiss me — he’s a lot shorter than I am — and said, “I’ve seen them all, and you’re the best.” Right after that, he sent me digital tracks for 200 of his songs, so when I sing, I have Neil’s band backing me up.

What’s your favorite Diamond song? And your least favorite?
My favorite is The Story of My Life. It wasn’t one of his more popular, but it’s very romantic. My least favorite is Sweet Caroline – only because the audience won’t let me leave unless I sing it at least twice.

What are you most proud of?
My book, A Stroke of Luck. It tells the story of how everything good in my life happened after my stroke. I taught myself to write again and just kept writing. At the end of two years, I had a book. Trying to get it published, I sent out 150 manuscripts and it was rejected every time. So I published it myself. I hand it out for free after each performance and now there are 150,000 copies worldwide. It’s been translated into Italian and Cambodian. And I get barrels full of letters from people who say, “Your book really helped me recover.”

I’m a lucky guy. I get to do what I love every day, because I didn’t listen to everyone who told me that I’d be a vegetable. Now, as I like to say, I’m a ham.

Have you ever taken ginger to sooth an upset stomach or been needled by an acupuncturist? These and other forms of traditional Chinese medicine have found favor with a surprising number of U.S. adults. Surprising, too, is the intertwined history of medical traditions in the East and West.

Assistant Professor of History Bridie Andrews-Minehan is well acquainted with the opposing and inseparable nature -- the yin and yang – of the two traditions.  As she puts it: “There is no way to draw a boundary between Western medicine and Chinese medicine, in either direction.”

Traditional Chinese medicine applies the laws and patterns of nature to the human body. Treatments such as acupuncture, herbs, massage and meditation aim to elevate a person’s ability to fight all illness and disease, by achieving balance in the body.

Some 5,000 years of history notwithstanding, the practices are remarkably dynamic. “Chinese medicine draws on the past,” observes the professor, “but it is constantly being recreated and updated within the framework of what has gone before.”

Medical history is a longtime focus for Andrews-Minehan, who holds a PhD from Cambridge University in England. The work took her took to China for two years, where she studied at the Nanjing College of Pharmacy and immersed herself in the country’s culture. Along the way, she discovered that the evolution of Chinese medicine had as much to do with politics, public perceptions, and Western influences as it did with science. The history of acupuncture is a case in point. 

East Meets West

For much of Chinese history, Andrews-Minehan notes, acupuncture was disdained by physicians and widely perceived as a low-status practice associated with street tradesmen and itinerant peddlers. In 1822, the Imperial Medical Academy went as far as to ban its teaching and practice.

It wasn’t until the early 1930s that the ancient art gained acceptance. The impetus for change: a Chinese scholar–physician who relocated traditional acupuncture points to correspond with modern (i.e., Western) anatomical illustrations. At that moment, acupuncture was redefined to look like science.  

Until then, says Andrews-Minehan, “this thing we call ‘traditional Chinese medicine’ did not exist. It was defined by the encounter with West.”

Today, the practice once considered the most questionable part of Chinese medical heritage is the country’s most marketable skill. Acupuncture and other traditional therapies are practiced alongside Western treatments in many of China’s hospitals and clinics. Never mind that scientific evidence of its effectiveness remains limited and controversial.

West Meets East

Acupuncture pierced the American consciousness in the 1970s. When a well-known journalist traveling in China with the Nixon administration needed an emergency appendectomy, specialists at the Peking hospital used acupuncture to treat the post-operative pain. James Reston would tell his tale on the front page of The New York Times.

Today, acupuncture is a leading form of so-called complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the United States. According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, 38 percent of U.S. adults have used such approaches to restore or maintain health. About 2 million Americans use acupuncture in a given year.

The professor’s research underscores how global connections can complicate notions of East and West, domestic and foreign – whether the venue is medicine or business.

“Acupuncture and herbs earn billions of foreign exchange dollars for China,” says Andrews-Minehan, whose latest book, Medicine, Culture and Modernity in China, is under review at the University of British Columbia Press. “They are here to stay.”

Students give a year, gain opportunity

The increased call for social responsibility has organizations hunting for leaders with a keen sense of civic duty. A new partnership between Bentley and City Year aims to groom those leaders, by making service a more central part of the academic experience.

Through the first-of-its-kind “give a year” partnership, students will put a temporary hold on their formal education to pursue hands-on volunteer ventures. Participating Bentley students will serve the community while also receiving scholarship support from the university and internship opportunities with leading global organizations.

“We’re providing an opportunity for students to build skills on a personal and professional level, by bringing an ethical and social component to their education.” says Franklyn Salimbene, who directs the nationally recognized Bentley Service-Learning Center.

Students apply to Bentley and to City Year. Those chosen are designated as National Service Scholars and receive a $20,000 scholarship at Bentley. The university will award up to 10 scholarships a year for undergraduate or graduate study to those who are accepted into the program and complete the service year. Each student is also eligible to receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $4,725, following the year of service. Other benefits include include a monthly stipend during the volunteer commitment. 

Beliefs Meet Resources 

Long popular in Europe, a “gap year” for service and other non-traditional learning activities is taking off with young Americans. Many colleges and universities are on board with the trend.

“As a service-learning pioneer, Bentley works to prepare future business leaders with the skills and the values needed to solve world problems,” says President Gloria Cordes Larson. “I can’t think of a better way to accomplish that goal. We are putting resources into something we truly believe in -- $1 million in scholarships underscores that commitment.”

The “give a year” partnership will be part of the admission process for the 2009-2010 academic year. Participants from Bentley will join 1,650 City Year corps members in 18 locations across the United States and one site in South Africa, furthering their work to make a difference in children’s lives as tutors, mentors and role models.

According to Rob Gordon, senior vice president of civic leadership at City Year, the partnership is custom made for young people who are passionate about serving their community. “It will connect academic institutions to the national service movement in a very powerful way.”

“Future leaders will have both an excellent business education and an intensive civic leadership experience,” observes City Year Co-founder and CEO Michael Brown. “Organizations are looking for the kind of leadership this partnership will foster.”

Academic Matchmaking

An innovative program launched in spring 2008 pairs Bentley undergraduates and professors as research partners in the arts and sciences – with positive results for all concerned. Projects have run the gamut from Irish immigration in the 1840s to mathematical modeling of fish mortality.

Sponsored through the Valente Center for Arts and Sciences, the program was the brainchild of the center’s former director, Cyrus Veeser.

“Admission is competitive on both sides,” the associate professor of history says of the program. “Faculty like having good students to work with, and students want these kinds of opportunities. Even if they’re planning business careers, students benefit from developing their basic research skills.”

The program has sought faculty proposals for the assistantships in the past two semesters. The Valente Center staff winnows the list to about eight projects and sends descriptions to all Bentley undergraduates, with an invitation to submit their academic résumé and a statement of qualifications. Those selected receive $10 per hour for their work, up to a maximum 20 hours per week.

Inspiration Strikes 

The inspiration for the research assistantship program came through Veeser’s participation in the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes. The organization includes a range of academic institutions, from large research-driven universities to smaller liberal arts colleges. Members share strategies for promoting interdisciplinary arts and sciences research within their institutions.

Bentley was the only business school in the consortium, Veeser reports. “Everyone was looking for ideas to attract non-liberal-arts majors, which is something we do all the time,” he says. “So we had something to offer the group.”

The exchange of ideas benefited Bentley as well. A program at Haverford College served as a model for the research assistantship initiative here. “They were delighted at our interest,” says Veeser. “They were happy to share materials on how they solicited proposals.” 


Model Behavior
The research assistantship program has attracted broad participation across the arts and sciences. For example, Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences Mihaela Predescu engaged an assistant to help in her collaboration with the Harvard School of Public Health.

The work would expose students to applied mathematics, she says. “I thought it was a good opportunity for a student to participate in a project of this depth.”

Using data supplied by the Harvard researchers, Predescu is creating computer models to show how certain fish and insect populations are affected when key environmental variables change. Her research assistant, Jonathan Jenq ’10, uses Predescu’s models to create simulations of species population changes. He inputs equations that represent different variables, and documents changes in the results. The Harvard researchers will ultimately use Predescu’s analysis to develop policy recommendations for issues like mosquito control.

“It’s very different from anything I’ve done before,” says Jenq, a Mathematical Sciences major selected for his aptitude with differential equations. “The project introduces me to research that’s happening right now in mathematics, and shows how complicated it really is.”

Learning in Tandem
Another research team focused on films instead of fish. 

Ariel Warsawski ’09 worked with Assistant Professor of English Heide Solbrig to study industrial films of the 1940s and 1950s. Solbrig’s research centers on Henry Strauss, who made numerous films in the genre for companies such as AT&T, General Electric, Dupont, and Ford. Media and Culture major Warsawski, an aspiring film producer, moved the project ahead with crucial legwork: contacting company archivists to obtain films, converting films to digital files, and seeking copyright information.

“Heide is great,” Warsawski says. “I’ve learned so much about how and where to find information and how to get things done. And even though she’s faculty, I realize it’s a learning process for her, too.”

Stepping even further back in time – to the 1840s – Doug Logan ’09 worked with writer-in-residence Pierce Butler to mine original sources for information about life during the Irish famine. Butler had completed a rough draft of his historical novel about the period when he tapped the research assistantship program for help filling in the details.

“He asked me to look for turns of phrase; descriptions of smells, sights and sounds; any kind of sensory data,” explains Logan, who uncovered primary sources, such as letters from immigrants, to help Butler bring the period to life for readers.

“I hadn’t done long-term research before, and I thought it might be tedious,” admits the Philosophy major, who plans to enroll in graduate school upon earning his Bentley degree. “With this project, I found that I’m good at it – and that gave me confidence.”

Other projects to win assistantships:
•    Media coverage of international human trafficking, with Professor of Government Christine Williams
•    The role of new media in the 2008 presidential election, with Assistant Professor of International Studies Jeff Gulati
•    The paleontologic climate, with Professor of Natural and Applied Sciences P. Thompson Davis
•    The relationship between money and happiness, with Assistant Professor of English Lawrence Weinstein
•    Political party research in Latin America and Spain, with Assistant Professor of International Studies Bonny Field

Looking Ahead
Associate Professor of History Christopher Beneke has picked up the program’s reins since becoming Valente Center director earlier this year. He hopes to attract additional funding to expand the program, perhaps through yearlong assistantships that give participants a greater opportunity to develop a solid working relationship.

“We’ve had very positive feedback,” Beneke says. “Students’ enthusiasm is very telling. They understand how important research skills are, and they’re eager for a chance to develop them.”

Welcome to the New U

The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (MBHE) has approved a change of designation and name for Bentley, granting university status to the 91-year-old institution. Announced in early October by the Board of Trustees, the move met with enthusiasm on campus and beyond.

“Bentley has become the model of a 21st-century business university,” says President Gloria Cordes Larson, noting the school’s “highly integrated business and arts and sciences curriculum, industry-leading technology facilities, and innovative teaching and research agendas. We are extremely pleased to have the MBHE recognize that.”

Much planning and research preceded the change. A survey, conducted in 2006, sought input from key Bentley stakeholders on how university status might affect institutional operations, prestige, financial support, and other issues. Close to 60 percent of the students, faculty, staff, alumni and trustees who responded supported the move.

The work to establish university-level credentials in key strategic areas has forged ahead. Investments include distinctive PhD programs in accountancy and in business; an innovative undergraduate program that combines business with the liberal arts through an optional second major in Liberal Studies; and noteworthy research that crosses academic disciplines.

“The hallmark of a first-rate business university is faculty research that informs teaching and impacts practice,” observes Bob Galliers, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “We see teaching and research as mutually reinforcing; this will continue to be the case for us as a university.”

Bentley is similarly committed to raising its national and international profile. The university designation adds heft to the work of recruiting students, faculty and staff; creating partnerships with academic institutions worldwide; expanding study-abroad sites; and sponsoring conferences that reflect the school’s areas of strength.

“As a university, we will provide the breadth and technological reach we always have,” says Larson. “At the same time, Bentley retains the core values and student focus of a close-knit campus.”

FY 2008 was a transitional year for Bentley in terms of facilities and finances. The year ended with an operating surplus, but the results revealed sighs of the worldwide financial crisis that would follow in FY 2009. Those signs included the first decline in the market value of the endowment since FY 2003, and the failure of the auction-rate securities market early in calendar 2008, which resulted in much higher-than-anticipated interest costs.

In September 2007, the last building in the university’s $170 million construction and acquisition phase opened for use, completing a seven-year period in which Bentley achieved substantial gains in the quality and quantity of its finances and facilities. No major capital projects are planned, and no additional borrowing is anticipated for the next few years.

FY 2009 was shaping up to be a quiet year when the worldwide financial crisis hit. Bentley has solved short-term implications of the crisis – which included a temporary inability to access operating cash and five financial contracts with Lehman Brothers – and will continue to address long-term implications of a precipitous decline in the market value of the endowment. The university has maintained financial stability during this crisis, and is taking steps to ensure not only that stability continues into the future, but also that strategic progress is made.

Reviewing the Numbers

Bentley ended FY 2008 with another positive performance, reporting an operating surplus of $2 million – a number that continues to support the A3 “positive” bond rating. Operating highlights include a 5.7 percent ($7.9 million) increase in net tuition, room, board and fees over 2007. This total included student financial aid, which grew $2.9 million, or 6.4 percent, resulting from a higher quality student class and an increased cost of attendance. Tuition rates rose 5.5 percent for undergraduates and 4 percent for graduate students. Undergraduate enrollment was 4,009, compared with 4,046 in 2007; graduate registrations increased significantly, to 7,416 from 6,749. 

Total operating expenses increased 6.6 percent ($10.3 million) to $164.5 million, up from $154.2 million in 2007, primarily from increased salaries, benefits, utilities, advertising, depreciation, and interest expenses. Depreciation expense increased by $1.3 million, and interest increased by $1.8 million as a result of the failure of the auction-rate bond market. 

Looking Ahead

The endowment market value declined from $249.6 million to $225 million. Cash ended the year at $766,000, offset by a line of credit short-term loan of $7.1 million. As of the end of August, the short-term loan had been fully repaid. Net property, plant and equipment decreased by $129,000 on $19 million of capital purchases, offset by a slightly higher depreciation charge.

Because of the failure of the auction-rate securities market, Bentley refunded its MDFA 2003 Select Auction Variable Rate Securities (SAVRS) in the amount of $56.1 million, and issued $60 million private placement with GE Capital. This new issue provided a 25-year source of capital and fixed the debt at 4.18 percent, with a reset every three years. This reduced the university’s variable-debt exposure to just 30 percent of its total $152 million in outstanding debt, and marginally increased annual debt-service costs.

Although FY 2008 was another positive year, the university is mindful of the uncertainty that the future brings. Actions will be taken to assure that Bentley weathers the storm and remains financially strong. This is a time when our alumni and their generosity are needed more than ever, so that we can continue our positive trajectory and finance a new strategic plan.

The Bottom Line on Going Green

In a tough economy, it’s more important than ever for businesses to bear down on their financial bottom line. A new Bentley graduate course widens that focus by emphasizing the “triple” bottom line: responsible practices that can grow corporate coffers while also helping to safeguard the environment and support the local community.

Business Sustainability was proposed as a course in 2007, after Adjunct Assistant Professor of Management Will O’Brien ran across the concept in his research on Wal-Mart. The retail giant employs sustainability as a prime corporate strategy. “Sustainability” is defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

“It’s a commitment to the environment as well as a business strategy,” explains O’Brien, who also serves as a consultant with the Maryland-based Strategic Sustainability Consulting.

On the eco-front, Wal-Mart seeks to drive major improvement within its massive supply chain and in its own operations, along with launching less complex changes. For example, installing refrigerator cases with motion sensors that turn off the lights when no one’s around has saved the company more electricity in one year than the average household consumes in a decade.

“Difficult economic times drive companies to be sustainable because they can see a short-term cost reduction,” reasons O’Brien. “It’s similar to the investments in technology 10 to 20 years ago. The companies that are still around are the ones that made smart investments. Likewise, those who make strategic investments in sustainability today will be more competitive and around longer.”

For Starters, Lights Out

Bentley graduate students in the first iteration of the course, offered in summer 2008, were assigned to project teams and paired with a nonprofit or municipality in need of a sustainability plan. Clients included the American Textile History Museum, Olin College of Engineering, the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, and the City of Boston.

MBA candidate Dan Hackett worked with Mother Caroline Academy, a middle school in Dorchester, Mass., for girls of limited financial means. No stranger to sustainability, Hackett has LEED ((Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and serves as an environmental engineer for Camp, Dresser and McKee in Cambridge.
 
Mother Caroline Academy signed up for help because of steadily climbing utility bills. With assistance from a sub-consultant, Hackett and his team found that the academy’s boiler was leaking and needed to be replaced. They recommended which boiler to buy, and supplied names of local contractors who could do the installation.

The team’s 25-page sustainability plan also outlined measures for reducing water and electricity costs, starting a recycling program, raising revenue through environmental grants, incorporating sustainable living into the curriculum, and holding a “green week” for students. One cost-saving initiative was as simple as turning off the lights.

“It surprised me to learn that their cleaning staff would turn the lights on in a room to show it had been cleaned,” says Hackett, whose efforts to reduce his own carbon footprint include recycling, using energy-efficient light bulbs, and sharing the commute to work with his wife. “We instead suggested that the classroom lights be turned off one-by-one as rooms were cleaned.”

Initially, academy staff seemed a bit overwhelmed by the plan’s breadth. Hackett and other team members stepped in with a proposed time line to “enable them to take steps over a few months, rather to do everything at once.”

Small Changes, Big Results 

Course participant Danielle Stewart ’07 was new to the sustainability concept. Attending Bentley part time to earn the MS in Finance, she works by day as a fixed assets analyst for Gorton’s Seafood in Gloucester, Mass.

Stewart’s project, for the City of Boston, aimed to educate public employees on Mayor Thomas Menino’s climate action plan. The goals were to inspire employees to adopt green practices in their daily work and, thereby, set an example for other Boston residents.

Tackling the topics of energy use, transportation and recycling, Stewart’s three-person team crafted an online survey to learn about employees’ current practices and attitudes toward sustainability. The 200 survey respondents offered some interesting feedback. 

For instance, many staffers reported having no control over office lighting because their entire floor operated on a central switch. Other workers, wanting to recycle but lacking appropriate bins at the office, were toting their recyclables home at the end of each day. (The city soon supplied the bins, an effort that had been underway.)

The biggest hurdle for the Bentley team’s recommendations was fiscal restraint.

“The city didn’t want to spend any money,” Stewart says. “The greatest return often requires an investment, and we needed them to understand what they could get back by investing in infrastructure. Even if they’re not ready now, they should consider implementing the recommendations for the future.”

Stewart says that she learned lessons worth sharing at Gorton’s.

“I work on capital projects for the company, and a lot of those recently are related to energy savings,” she explains. “We’re expanding our lighting upgrades, taking advantage of energy rebates, and insulating better. I’m thinking of things in new ways now.”

Like Hackett, Stewart applies eco-principles at home. “I’ve always turned off my lights and my computer, but now I’m more conscious of it,” she says. “We need people to understand the benefits for themselves. There are really small changes you can make that bring great results.”

O’Brien is impressed by his students’ embrace of sustainability and the quality of the plans that teams developed.

“Even if, as some believe, global warming is all hype, it makes sense to save our environment and change our practices,” says the professor, noting his own main motivator for preserving the planet: seven grandchildren.

When Monil Kothari and Jacob Graham went to the Student Activities Fair as Bentley freshmen last year, there was no quibbling about their aim. The former leaders of their respective high school debate programs were eager to join a college-level team.

Kothari notes his lack of speaking skills as a high school freshman. “By the end, I was able to think so much faster on my feet because of my debate experience,” he says. “I wanted to continue it.”

The plan came into question when Kothari and Graham learned that a debate club had not been active on campus for several years. Undaunted, they decided to reconstitute the group: The Bentley Debate Society was born.

The pair recruited Ellen Snedeker, assistant professor of law, taxation and financial planning and associate director of graduate admission, to advise the organization. They got a green light from the Association of Bentley Activities and, that spring, signed up 120 like-minded peers. 

“These are very motivated students,” Snedeker says of Kothari and Graham, who serve as Debate Society co-presidents. “They were really inspired by their idea and committed to making it happen.”

Passion and Purpose

Timely issues and solid education draw students to the group. For example, in two “Great Debates,” society members assumed the roles of Barack Obama, John McCain and, during primary season, Hillary Clinton. The roles of the presidential candidates and debate moderators were “cast” by the society’s nine-member board. Student participants strived to represent not only the candidates’ positions, but their personalities and mannerisms. The Bentley University Democrats and Bentley University Republicans co-sponsored the events.

“It’s a passionate debate,” says Kothari, a Finance major. “People really get into their roles.”

In addition to hosting political theater, the Bentley Debate Society runs skill-building clinics. Students can learn proper debating techniques and even prepare to take part in two formal debates that the society holds each year. 

“It’s a clinic atmosphere,” observers Graham. “There are interactive sessions and a focus on how to improve your debating skills.”

Skills for Life

Kothari and Graham agree that the critical-thinking skills that debating fosters are valuable in many areas of life and business. Case in point: The winning team in the last Bentley Business Bowl drew three of its five members from the Debate Society.

“It’s interesting to see how students develop,” says Snedeker. “They come in thinking, ‘This is my chance to give my opinion.’ But debate isn’t about opinion. It’s about presenting facts and building a case. Over time, you can see the change in how they present their arguments.”

The Bentley Debate Society’s early mission has been to establish itself on campus. In the coming years, Kothari and Graham hope the group will participate in competitive intercollegiate debates.

“I’m happy to see how rapidly it’s expanding,” says Corporate Finance and Accounting major Graham. “Debate can benefit the whole community by getting people to think. It’s more than just a club.”

After two decades as a Fortune 500 executive, Sue Burton '89 made a leap: The funny professional turned professionally funny. A new portfolio career as a fun-trepreneur™ (her trademarked term) combines stand-up comedy and business consulting. One day may find the Massachusetts native coaching corporate types on how to separate the “im” from “possible.” The next, she’s mining laughs in the touring production “Women in Comedy.”

Q: What do you say when people ask what you do?
My elevator pitch, you mean? I always say, ‘It better be a tall building.’ I worked in marketing and product development for a company that was sold to E*TRADE, and I always did stand-up comedy on the side. After being laid off, I decided to combine the two. So now I’m a consultant who works in marketing and product development, using humor to build innovation.

Q:How do you do that?
I find that in the corporate world, there’s a paradox of experience. People are so focused that they can’t get out of their own heads. One exercise I do has them “cast” the role of their customer. What does their ideal customer eat? What do they drink? What kind of car do they drive? I have them use magazines to create a customer collage, and then do the same for the company. Developing these personas usually uncovers interesting insights.

How did you get into comedy?
Shortly after graduating from Bentley, I took an adult ed class in comedy. I did my first solo stand-up at Catch a Rising Star in Cambridge in 1991. I always kicked myself for not pursuing it full time. But I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be doing what I am today without the depth of business credibility.

Q: Is it hard to be taken seriously as a consultant?
When talking to potential clients, I lead with my business experience. But people see the comedy piece in my bio and they’re curious – they love it. Many people seem to have this closet creative side: the compliance officer who plays in a bluegrass band, the lawyer who has a secret screenplay in his drawer. That revelation then becomes an invitation to be more playful and experiment.

Q: Has your Bentley education helped you?
Truthfully, I can only be out there in the business world doing these things because I speak the language. I’m not a life coach in a caftan. I can read a balance sheet. I can stand toe-to-toe with the CFO and talk about income statements. My Bentley degree is an immediate stamp of approval – it says I’ve had high-caliber training.

Q: Are you still doing stand-up?
Definitely. My pursuits divide nicely: Business consulting work tends to be during the day, and straight humor work is a weekend and evening activity. In the fall, I did “Women in Comedy” out in Pittsfield and “Stand Up for Your Community” on the South Shore, a benefit for local food banks. I’ve also been working with Loretta LaRoche. We’re in rehearsal for a musical theater production called “All Stressed Up and Nowhere to Go,” opening at the Company Theater in Norwell in June. There’s a five-member cast, including Loretta and me, complete with musical and dance numbers.

Q: Is comedy-driven consulting a tough sell in a down economy?
Laughter is not a dirty word. It’s so needed, especially in these times. Everyone is so serious. Humor can be a terrific way to build morale. Humor can help you manage your own stress, laugh at yourself, and get some perspective. Studying with Loretta these past four years, I’ve learned that a sense of fun and optimism can make the worst times a little better.

It was no walk in the park. But as Tony Kiszewski trekked across the muddy farms of Ethiopia last summer, the assistant professor of natural and applied sciences knew that each step brought him closer to slowing the spread of an often deadly disease: malaria.

Specifically, Kiszewski and other researchers are stalking a link between the mosquito-borne illness and maize, which is quickly becoming Africa’s leading food crop. 

“We believe maize pollen provides an important source of nutriment for the larval stages of mosquitoes,” explains Kiszewski, who holds a PhD in tropical public health from Harvard University. Verifying the link could put the brakes on malaria’s debilitating spread, by informing strategies aimed at thwarting the growth of mosquitoes.

Caused by a parasite spread to humans through mosquito bites, malaria infects approximately 500 million people each year. It kills more than a million, most of them African children. Those stricken endure fevers, chills and nausea; coma and death are frequent outcomes. Prevention is key to combating the disease, since no vaccine exists and treatment medications are too expensive for most who are at risk.  

Pollinating Pests

The forefront of disease prevention is familiar territory for Kiszewski.

As a master’s degree candidate at Cornell University during the early 1980s, he tackled the frightening phenomenon of river blindness. Parasitic worms are to blame for the illness, which afflicts millions of people on 11 continents. The Bentley professor participated in the first field trials for Ivermectin, helping to prove the now-common drug safe and effective against parasites that cause river blindness and a host of other diseases.

Malaria moved onto Kiszewski’s research agenda in 2005, when he met noted maize historian James McCann of Boston University. The two men and their Ethiopian colleagues compared maize cultivation data with malaria infection rates – and saw an intriguing pattern. As maize production increased, so did the local mosquito population.

According to field and laboratory data, mosquito larvae that ingest maize pollen mature faster, grow larger, and live longer than their non-maize-fed counterparts. Such observations are not just academic.

“By 2020, maize is expected to become the dominant food crop in Africa,” says Kiszewski. “Even now, malaria kills so many people in this area that foreign investors become diverted to healthier locations.”

Indeed, the United Nations has issued a compelling call to action. The agency’s Millennium Development Goals challenge world leaders to halt malaria’s spread, and reverse its incidence, by 2015.

Insects on a Diet 

Funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, the project in Asendabo, Ethiopia, involves an international group of researchers. The U.S. contingent comprises Kiszewski, McCann, and members of the Malaria Initiative at the Harvard School of Public Health. In Ethiopia, research team members hail from the Infectious Disease unit of the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization, science departments at Addis Ababa University and Jimma University, and the Ethiopia Agricultural Research Organization.

The team is working with 18 farms to deprive mosquito larvae of their presumed favorite food. For example, some farmers have moved hot pepper fields – a popular cash crop – closest to the mosquito breeding sites, shifting maize crops farther away. Others planted the prized teff grain nearest to where the bugs breed. Such plant redistributions could create a buffer around the maize fields, since maize pollen can’t travel very far.

The most recent trip included stops at each participating farm. Kiszweski and his colleagues set up traps to attract and collect mosquitoes; the nightly total was 500 per household. The researchers also recruited more study participants: residents of newly built homes, whose construction had created mosquito breeding sites in the pits that provided mud for plastering the walls.

With each visit, Kiszewski sees changes that make the landscape even more hospitable to mosquitoes. “We hope to discover and instill simple and sustainable modifications to agricultural practices that might halt or reverse these trends.”

Focused on that goal, Kiszewski is eager to return to Asendabo in summer 2009, as the next rainy season begins. “I expect that we’ll find fewer, smaller, and less long-lived mosquitoes as a result of these interventions, along with a correlating drop in malaria infections.”

And of course the professor has his rubber boots ready to go.

Faculty and other members of the campus community continue to provide insightful analysis and thoughtful commentary for print, broadcast and online media.

See the latest media coverage of Bentley people and programs.

The Wall Street Journal. Professor of Government Christine Williams discusses the impact of the Internet on the 2008 presidential election, in the article “Web Data Offer New Slant on Traditional Horse Race” (October 18, 2008).

U.S. News & World Report.Ian Cross, senior lecturer in marketing, offers advice to job seekers who want to work for environmentally friendly firms, in “5 Steps to Finding Out if a Company is Green” (October 9, 2008).

San Francisco Chronicle and WGBH-TV. Professor of Finance Leonard Rosenthal lends insight on how the high-rolling world of Wall Street is likely to have to change, in the front-page story “Finance Sector Enters New Era of Regulation” (October 5, 2008). Rosenthal also serves as a resource on the financial crisis in an interview with Emily Rooney for the WGBH-TV program Greater Boston (September 18, 2008).

Financial Times (U.K.). The Bentley name change and the school’s work to build university-level credentials are highlighted in “Bentley Gets University Status” (October 3, 2008).

Associated Press. The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education decision to grant Bentley a change of designation is detailed in “Mass.-based Bentley Now a University” (October 2, 2008). The story is also covered by MarketWatch.com, Yahoo.com, Reuters, Newsblaze.com, Examiner.com, WBZ-TV, WFXT-TV, WCVB-TV,WHDH-TV, WPRI-TV, WTEN-TV, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Business Times, The Columbian (Wash.), and Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (Ind.).

The Oregonian.Gregory Hall, associate professor of natural and applied sciences, discusses how the Internet can affect people’s behavior during an economic downturn, in the article “Sifting Reliable Web Sources and Speculators Can Toss Thoughts and Emotions into Conflict” (September 21, 2008).

The Huffington Post. The online media outlet (www.huffingtonpost.com) highlights Bentley as one of four schools to announce new initiatives in community service at the high-profile ServiceNation summit in New York City (September 15, 2008).

MarketWatch.com. The Bentley–City Year“give a year” partnership is cited as a new model for national service (September 12, 2008). Others to feature the story: AOL Money & Finance, LATimes.com, Boston Business Journal, Los Angeles Business, Philadelphia Business Journal, San Francisco Business Times and Dallas Business Journal.

BizEd. The magazine’s Headlines department quotes Mike Page, dean of business and the McCallum Graduate School, on the importance of the Bentley accreditation by the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS). Another BizEd story features Professor of Marketing Pierre Berthon and senior lecturer Ian Cross.“Want to Attract Gen Y? Be Green” spotlights a Bentley study on companies that young consumers believe to be eco-friendly (September/October 2008).

Boston Women’s Business. The challenges of higher education and the attributes needed to lead a university are topics of discussion in a question-and-answer feature with Bentley President Gloria Cordes Larson (August 1, 2008).