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About

President's Cabinet

President’s Cabinet

President Chrite headshot
E. LaBrent Chrite, Ph.D.
President

E. LaBrent Chrite, the ninth president of Bentley University, is an experienced higher education leader who believes business can change lives for the better. He served most recently as the president of Bethune-Cookman University, where he led the institution through an extensive review that resulted in continued accreditation and strengthened institutional governance and fiscal integrity. Prior to joining Bethune-Cookman, Brent served as the dean of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver and dean and professor of management at the Feliciano School of Business at Montclair State University. Over the course of his career, Brent has helped governments, universities and foundations across the world to develop programs and research initiatives aimed at bolstering emerging markets, entrepreneurism and capital development and reducing poverty. Originally from Detroit, Brent has a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, M.S. from the University of Missouri-Columbia and B.A. from Michigan State University. 

Read President Chrite's Full Bio

George Cangiano
George Cangiano, PHR
Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

George joined Bentley in 2014 and has held numerous human resources roles, including director of HR, director of talent management and interim vice president of HR. His current role involves aligning Bentley’s HR programs with the university’s strategic goals and academic mission, and overseeing all aspects of human resources for the university’s 1000+ faculty and staff. Prior to joining Bentley, George spent six years in senior HR positions at Tufts University, where he oversaw strategic initiatives ranging from organization management to workforce planning. George holds a B.S. in Hospitality and Business Management from Newbury College and a PHR certification from the Human Resource Certification Institute.

Guilherme Costa
Guilherme Costa, J.D.
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Corporation

Guilherme brings to Bentley more than 15 years of higher education leadership providing legal counsel and supporting regulatory guidance. Most recently, Costa served as the senior associate vice president and deputy university secretary at Syracuse University, where he played a crucial role in matters of governance, institutional strategy and oversight of revisions to university bylaws and various compliance-related policies and procedures. Costa also served as Syracuse's interim senior vice president and university secretary, working closely with the board of trustees and the university's chancellor and president to oversee all board activities and responsibilities. Prior to his time at Syracuse, Costa held the position of vice president, general counsel and secretary to the board of trustees at Ithaca College. Costa's previous experience includes roles as the general counsel for the South Dakota Board of Regents, deputy general counsel at the University of Idaho, associate in the healthcare practice of a national law firm, and law clerk at the University of Notre Dame while a law student there. Costa holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Notre Dame, an M.S. in Organizational Learning and Leadership from the University of Idaho, and two B.A. degrees, in Business Administration and Political Science, from the University of Florida.

Headshot of Sean Ferguson
Sean O. Ferguson, Ed.D.
Vice President for Strategy and Innovation

Sean joined Bentley as the vice president for Strategy and Innovation in 2022 with a track record of developing and implementing strategic plans that delivered transformational programmatic, financial, operational and reputational results for multiple established and start-up business schools and universities across the globe. Before coming to Bentley, he spent close to a decade in business education leadership roles in Asia, most recently as the senior associate dean for Asia School of Business, a start-up partnership between the MIT Sloan School of Management and the Central Bank of Malaysia. Prior to joining the higher education industry, he had a distinguished corporate career in the energy, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), management consulting and software industries. Sean is a higher education industry opinion leader, has led degree programs at multiple top 50 global business schools, and has served on numerous international boards in Asia, the United States and Europe. He received his doctorate in Global Education from the University of Southern California, with his area of expertise in employability and career management in Asia-Pacific. He also has an MBA from Rice University and a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Carolina Figueroa
Carolina Figueroa
Vice President for Enrollment Management

Carolina joined Bentley University in 2016 as vice president for Enrollment Management, bringing with her close to 20 years of higher education experience. In this role, she provides strategic leadership in the development and implementation of recruitment strategies and oversees Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions, as well as Institutional Research, Financial Aid, and Enrollment Systems and Services. Prior to joining Bentley, Carolina served as vice president for enrollment development at Brandeis University, where she led university recruitment and enrollment programs including oversight of undergraduate admissions, student financial services and pre-college programs. Before that, she held senior leadership positions at George Mason University and George Washington University. Carolina holds a master’s degree in Management of Information Systems from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Maureen Forrester
Maureen Forrester
Vice President for Administration and Finance and Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer

Maureen joined Bentley in 2018, bringing with her several years of experience in higher education and corporate financial management. In her current role, Maureen oversees all aspects of university finances, including strategic budgeting and financial planning, risk management, financial accounting and reporting, student financial services, treasury and debt management, and investment oversight. Maureen also has leadership responsibility for facilities management, procurement and campus services and the office of sustainability. Her experience includes nine years as university controller at Harvard, where she built upon her extensive experience in senior management in the corporate world. Before joining the nonprofit sector, she was vice president of finance for the U.S. retail business unit of Staples, vice president and senior bank lender at The First National Bank of Boston and senior auditor at EY, a professional services firm. Maureen holds a B.S. in Accounting and Management from Babson College and is a certified public accountant.   

Chris Grugan Headshot
Chris Grugan
Vice President for University Advancement

As head of Advancement, Chris oversees the university’s fundraising, alumni engagement and Pulsifer Career Development Center. Before joining Bentley, Chris served as the executive director of Principal Giving for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. In this role, he was responsible for developing and leading a newly created principal giving team, which worked with many of the university’s most generous alumni, parents and friends. Before serving in this capacity, Chris also served as the senior executive director of Individual Giving, where he led a 90-person team responsible for generating philanthropic support for the university’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Before that, he held advancement leadership positions at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business and Tufts University. Chris holds a B.A. in Geology from Colgate University.

Liz Hess Headshot
Liz Hess
Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Liz joined Bentley in 2021 after nearly 30 years in higher education and technology services working in numerous technology leadership roles across Harvard University and Harvard Business School. As CIO, Liz is responsible for leading and executing the university’s information technology strategy and has oversight of numerous areas of campus including academic computing, client services, data management and analytics, cloud services and IT security. Throughout her career, she has been responsible for driving digital transformation, managing complex enterprise implementations and delivering user-centric services. Liz has championed the use of technology to support the teaching and research mission with innovative online learning platforms and collaboration models. She has a passion for learning and commitment to excellence and is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. She earned her M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Chris Joyce
Christopher J. Joyce
Vice President for Marketing and Communications

Chris joined Bentley University in 2015 and was named vice president for marketing and communications in 2020. He oversees strategic communications, brand and creative services, digital engagement, enrollment marketing, advancement communications and events, with efforts focused on awareness, reputation, engagement and recruitment. Chris is chiefly responsible for sharing Bentley’s story with the world. In 2020, Chris helped Bentley research, develop and launch its new brand platform, Be a Force, the result of a strategic, multiyear, university-wide creative and messaging development process to help better differentiate Bentley in the higher education landscape. Previously, Chris led Bentley’s strategic communications department and also served as an advisor and chief of staff to two university presidents. Prior to Bentley, Chris worked on a variety of local, state and federal political campaigns as a campaign manager and served as the executive director for the Massachusetts Democratic Party. He also led teams in the successful reelection of President Barack Obama and the election of Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. Chris is a graduate of Bates College with a bachelor’s degree in History.

Amanda King
Amanda N. King
Chief of Staff

Amanda joined the Bentley community in 2009 where she was tasked with developing the university’s Office of Sustainability. She has held numerous roles on campus including director of sustainability and special advisor to the president. In her current role, Amanda oversees operations in the Office of the President including providing management and oversight for the university's 2030 strategic positioning process. Specializing in change management, Amanda is also responsible for the coordination and implementation of key strategic priorities and special projects across the university – prioritizing collaborative participatory processes to assure community engagement in Bentley’s efforts to achieve its ambitious goals. Amanda holds a master’s degree in Environmental Economics and Policy from Duke University and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Connecticut College.

Rick Oches Headshot
Rick Oches, Ph.D.
Dean of Arts and Sciences

Rick became a member of the Bentley faculty in 2008, joining the Natural & Applied Sciences (NAS) Department after a decade as a faculty member in the Geology Department and Chair of Environmental Science & Policy at the University of South Florida. He served as NAS Department chair for seven years, and he became Dean of Arts & Sciences in 2018. His undergraduate and graduate degrees are in geology, and his teaching and research interests have focused on Earth's recent climate history and human and environmental response to past climate changes in different parts of the world. Increasingly his academic interests center on Earth and environmental science education, transdisciplinary course and curriculum development, and interdisciplinary faculty engagement to foster improved science literacy for non-STEM majors.

Katie Lampley
Katie Penn, Ph.D.
Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

​​​​​​Katie has been a long-time member of the Bentley community where she has developed diversity-related learning opportunities across the university. A member of the Class of 1996, Katie has held numerous staff roles on campus including assistant provost of diversity and inclusion, executive director of diversity and inclusion and associate director of admissions. As the leader of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Katie has provided vision, leadership and coordination for strategic institutional planning to ensure inclusive environments and equitable outcomes for all faculty, staff and students at Bentley. Her work has promoted an inclusive work and learning environment by supporting student- and employee-led initiatives, resource development and advocacy for affinity groups. Katie holds a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change from Antioch University, an MBA with a concentration in Marketing from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and a B.S. in Economics and Finance from Bentley.

Sanjay Putrevu's headshot
Sanjay Putrevu, Ph.D.
Dean of Business

Sanjay joined Bentley University as the dean of business in June 2022. He previously served as dean of business at Cleveland State University and the University of Wyoming. Prior to this, he served as associate dean and chair of marketing at the University at Albany, SUNY. In his various administrative roles, he successfully led capital campaigns, introduced innovative programs, secured AACSB reaccreditations, developed international partnerships and established new centers of excellence. Over the course of his academic career, he spearheaded numerous initiatives to enhance academic excellence, student success and community engagement. He has received several teaching, research and service awards. Sanjay obtained his Ph.D. in Marketing from the University at Buffalo, SUNY and his Master of Management Sciences degree from Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India.

Andrew Shepardson
J. Andrew Shepardson, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Andrew has been a member of the Bentley community since 1993, when he started as judicial coordinator. Following promotions to assistant dean, associate dean and dean, he assumed the position of vice president for student affairs and dean of students in 2011. In this capacity, Andrew oversees all aspects of student life on and off campus through the management of numerous student-facing officers. In addition to his roles on campus, Andrew has taught undergraduate and graduate courses at Bentley, Northeastern and Suffolk universities. He has been named staff member of the year by Bentley students and received the university’s Founder’s Day award. Andrew holds a Ph.D. from the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, an M.Ed. in Student Development and Counseling from Northeastern University, and a B.A. in English from St. Michael’s College in Vermont.

 

Paul Tesluk headshot
Paul Tesluk, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Paul Tesluk is a national expert in leadership development, team design and effectiveness, and organizational change. He is an accomplished scholar who has been widely published in the most selective journals in his field, and he has served on the editorial boards of many leading academic journals in management. Before Bentley, Paul was dean of the University at Buffalo School of Management, where he also served as chair of the school’s Organization and Human Resources Department, and founded and served as academic director of the Center for Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness. Previously, Paul served as chair of the Department of Management and Organization at the University of Maryland – Robert H. Smith School of Business, Ralph J. Tyser Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management at the University of Maryland, and assistant professor in the Psychology department at Tulane University. Paul holds Ph.D. and master’s degrees in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Penn State University and a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Relations from Cornell University.