Welcome to the latest issue of the Bentley Buzz, where we share news and stories about the faculty and staff who make Bentley special. It is compiled by Kevin Wong, associate director of internal communications. To share your news or an idea for a story, please email buzz@bentley.edu.
Feb. 10, 2022
With the community together again and the spring semester underway, faculty, staff, students and alumni joined together earlier this month for the 36th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. This year's theme was Access Leads to Impact, focusing on the ways in which opportunities for personal and professional growth can broaden the impact one can have on their community. During the event, which was held in person and shared over Zoom, student leaders Arafat Rasheed ’22, Samantha Applebaum ’22, Hassan Hassan ’22, Ysanel Luciano ’22 and Mukosolu Obukwelu ’22 shared their experiences at Bentley and recognized the people and groups who have helped them grow and succeed while on campus.
President Chrite marked his first MLK Celebration by welcoming the virtual community and speaking about Dr. King's legacy and continued impact on the world. "It's difficult for me to imagine a time in our nation's recent history in which the lessons of Dr. King, and this year's theme — Access Leads to Impact— would be more timely, applicable or needed," said President Chrite. "We must recommit ourselves to ensuring that the promise that Bentley offers remains available to all members of this community."
Following the opening reflections, a panel of alumni engaged in a discussion moderated by Ysanel Luciano ’22, where they discussed their times on campus and their journeys to Bentley. The panelists, Bentley Marketing Lecturer Isaura Beltre ’99, MS ’02, Farrah Jazeh MBA ’21 and Eval Silvera ’99, also shared the support systems that helped them to succeed as students and in their careers, noting the importance of advocacy and encouragement.
To close the event, this year's Dr. Earl L. Avery MLK Leadership Award recipients were announced, with Nicole Black, associate director of graduate academic advising, and Guilda Hilaire ’00 receiving awards. Each year, the award is given to faculty, staff, students or alumni who have made a positive contribution to creating a diverse and inclusive culture at Bentley. The celebration concluded with a tribute to Claudette Blot, assistant director of mentorship and advising in the Multicultural Center, for her continued support of students at Bentley.
Congratulations to this year's award recipients, and to the MLK Planning Committee for hosting another important community event.
Molly Mastantuono: "Who is Bentley's Jeopardy! star?"
Jeopardy! fans who watch the show might have recognized a familiar face on last Friday's episode — Bentley's Assistant Director of Academic Communications (and officemate of this Bentley Buzz writer) Molly Mastantuono!
Molly, who's been a casual fan of the show since junior high, first tried out back in 2004, when Jeopardy! hosted in-person tryouts at the Hynes Convention Center. Though she did well on the written test and even advanced to play a practice game with real buzzers, she didn't hear back on if she'd been selected to advance to the next round.
But thanks in part to the tests moving to an online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Molly found another opportunity to try out for the show last April, and this time, advanced well into the final round of selections after excelling at the online tests. "In July, they contacted me to participate in a mock game via Zoom, where we used pens as clickers to buzz in with our answers," said Molly. "Then, one night in October, as I was putting my girls to bed, a contest coordinator called to invite me on the show."
A month later, Molly found herself on a plane headed to Culver City, Calif., to officially make her Jeopardy! debut. After passing all of the COVID protocols and providing two negative tests, Molly was ready to put her knowledge to the test under the bright lights of a Sony Studios soundstage. But her preparations began long before she ever stepped foot on the set. A lifelong fan of all things trivia, she captained both her junior high and high school academic challenge teams and is a faithful player of the Jeopardy! app.
With her Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac at the ready, she'd practice with co-workers during lulls in the day when back in the office. Just before the pandemic, Molly helped lead a team of co-workers to a trivia victory during a Marketing and Communications division outing. She also began studying areas where she didn't feel as strong, including opera, U.S. presidents and classical music, though none of those categories came up in her game, she noted.
Hosting this round of games would be Mayim Bialik, whose hosting meant that Molly's game was unique compared to the thousands of episodes recorded throughout the show's history. Both of her practice games featured two other female contestants, as did her taped appearance. "I later found out that my taping was only the second time in Jeopardy! history where all three contestants and the host were women," Molly said. "Since I have two young daughters, it meant a lot to me to be able show them that being female and being smart is cool!"
The first round of her game was challenging, especially as it took time to get a hang of the timing of the buzzer. Contestants can only buzz in once the question's been fully read, and the game locks you out temporarily if you click too early. In Double Jeopardy, Molly made an impressive comeback and accomplished her personal goal of making it to Final Jeopardy. In addition to the many family, friends and co-workers who were cheering Molly on, musician and platinum award-winning producer Einer Bankz — who was part of a Jeopardy! clue that Molly answered correctly — gave her a shout-out on TikTok account to his 4 million followers.
@einerbankz TikTok find Molly’s @ for me #jeopardy ♬ original sound - Einerbankz
She was stumped on the final question, one that asked about technology used by the elevator-based Disney ride "The Tower of Terror," but was still glad to end in the positive. Of all ironies, she recounted a moment earlier that day when she stepped onto an elevator with a prominent "Otis" engraving — which, it turns out, was the correct answer to her final question.
But watching the episode with her husband, Massimo (an alumnus of the Class of ‘96) and daughters Ilaria, 9, and Emilia, 6, made the experience worthwhile. As a teenager watching Jeopardy! with her family, she'd marveled at her father's ability to fire off right answer after right answer. Now, she was watching herself do the same, but this time on the other side of the television screen.
Congratulations, Molly, on an impressive Jeopardy! appearance!
Nurse Practitioner Jackie Burgoyne was named a 2021 Nurse Practitioner by the Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners! Jackie, who joined Bentley last April to support the Health Center's efforts to provide services for students throughout the pandemic, was nominated by a former student she had instructed in a graduate program. Each year, the NP Hero award is given to nurse practitioners who are making an impacts in patient care and their profession.
Before joining Bentley, Jackie worked at Boston Medical Center where she specialized in adult primary care. "I am so excited to be at Bentley and working with the incredible team at the health center serving Bentley students," said Jackie. "I look forward to this semester and many more to come, no matter what may come our way. Go, Falcons! Stay healthy!"
Join the Buzz in congratulating Jackie on this excellent recognition!
who nominated her
70%
Carbon Footprint Reduction since 2008
114.2
Metric tonnes of CO2 abated in residence hall lighting upgrade
1,045
Meals donated in one year to those in need in partnership with Food for Free
As the baseball season approaches, Bob DeFelice has announced he will retire at the end of this season, bringing an end to more than half a century as Bentley's baseball coach. Bob – or Coach as he's known around campus – also served as the director of Athletics from 1991-2020, and is the only coach in the history of Bentley baseball since the program began in 1969. He's amassed 831 career wins, a total that ranks third in New England Division II history and 14th nationally among active Division II head coaches, and has had the honor of coaching more than 500 student-athletes.
Replacing him will be Mike Hill ’97, a former Falcon All-America and longtime assistant to Coach DeFelice.
Congratulations on an incredible career, Coach DeFelice, and best of luck in your final season at the helm of Bentley baseball!
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