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The Bentley Buzz

Connecting faculty and staff, one story at a time

Welcome to the latest issue of the Bentley Buzz, where we share news and stories about the faculty and staff who make Bentley special. To share your news or an idea for a story, please email buzz@bentley.edu.

Sept. 8, 2023

Welcoming the Class of 2027

Four student orientation leaders welcome new students to campus.New and returning students made their way to campus last week for the start of the new academic year. Orientation leaders could be heard enthusiastically greeting new students across campus as first-year and transfer students moved in to begin their Bentley journeys. The 1,138 students who make up the Class of 2027 come to Bentley from 33 states and 51 countries and territories; 32% identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American or multiracial; and 23% are the first in their families to attend college.

The incoming class was officially welcomed to campus during Convocation in the Bentley Arena, a longstanding Bentley tradition to welcome new students to campus in a formal ceremony. This year’s program featured a new addition: the Falcon Walk, a procession of incoming students from the Bentley green space to the Arena led by the university’s beloved Flex the Falcon mascot and accompanied by a festive bagpipe performance. During the ceremony, President Chrite emphasized Bentley’s commitment to helping students become “principled and impactful leaders ... who recognize that with the privilege of this wonderful education comes a responsibility to the greater good.” 

Later, the Class of 2027 began their orientation program as they continued to get acclimated to campus. Over the course of the weekend, the new additions to campus got to know Bentley and each other a bit more through resource fairs, a block party, bingo night and a scavenger hunt.

Welcome to Bentley, Class of 2027! 

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Watch the Move-In Recap

President Chrite poses with Flex the Falcon.

A Message from President Chrite

As the fall semester kicked off, President Chrite welcomed the community back to campus, providing an update on the university’s progress toward its Falcons Forward 2030 strategic plan goals and sharing his vision for the year ahead: “I’m confident we are building a stronger, more innovative and better Bentley, one step at a time.” 


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Recognizing Retiring Faculty

After many decades of service to academic success on campus, 11 faculty members retired this summer and received Emeritus status. All were honored during a special ceremony following the Welcome Back Luncheon on Sept. 1. Congratulations to the following on their successful careers as academic leaders at Bentley! 

  • Nader Asgary — Professor of Management, 17 years
  • Mike Bravo — Senior Lecturer in Management, 24 years
  • Barbara Paul-Emile — Professor of English and Media Studies, 43 years
  • Jane Fedorowicz — Professor of Accounting, 29 years
  • Pat Flynn — Professor of Economics, 47 years
  • Atul Gupta — Professor of Finance, 36 years
  • Dominique Haughton — Professor of Mathematical Sciences, 32 years
  • M. Lynne Markus — Professor of Information and Process Management, 20 years
  • Swati Mukerjee — Professor of Economics, 33 years
  • Aaron Nurick — Professor of Management, 44 years
  • Joe Weiss — Professor of Management, 41 years
Eight retiring faculty members pose together.

Welcome, New Falcons!

Ahmad Aljanaideh — Assistant Professor, Computer Information Systems 

Eric Antunes — Applications Administrator, Procurement and Campus Services

Payal Arya — Post-Doctoral Fellow, Natural and Applied Sciences

Oyenike Balogun-Mwangi — Assistant Professor, Natural and Applied Sciences

Rodrigo Bandeira de Mello — Associate Professor, Management

Scott Boyle — Assistant Football Coach, Defensive Assistant, Defensive Coordinator

Benjamin Braz — Lead Instructional A/V Engineer, Academic Technology Center

William Buckley — Manager, Life Safety Services

Marissa Carpinetti — Residence Director

Kayla Casamento — Head Club Coach, Athletics

Dennis Chin — Conference Services Coordinator

Riley Colvard — Assistant Coach, Ice Hockey

Guilherme Costa — Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Corporation

Sarah Dacey — Head Coach, Women’s Soccer

James Daley — Building Services Worker

Rebecca Daniels — Lecturer, Economics

Rahul Divekar — Assistant Professor, Experience Design 

Emily Dosch — Academic Advisor

Lisa Egan — Program Coordinator, Strategy and Innovation

Janelle Estes — Lecturer, Experience Design 

Lataya Ferguson-Jean — Senior Assistant Director, Fund and Data Management

Thomas Fiorentino — Assistant Coach, Ice Hockey

Marc Firenze — Lecturer, Computer Information Systems 

Mengchuan (Mike) Fu — Assistant Professor, Finance

Stacen Goldman — Academic Coordinator II, Philosophy

Sabarish Gopinath — Business Systems Analyst I, Business Intelligence and Enrollment Systems

Maria Granik — Assistant Professor, Law and Taxation

Alicia Haley — Assistant Director, Graduate Academic Advising

Christina Harrick — Graduate Academic Advisor

Julia Hvoslef — Director, Gender and Sexuality Student Programs

Andrew Jones — Head Coach, Ice Hockey

Seung-Wook Kim — Assistant Professor, Marketing

Kurtis Knight — Equipment Manager, Athletics

Brian Koeller — Lecturer, Finance 

Michael Landers — Assistant Football Coach, Special Teams Coordinator, Defensive Assistant

Jenny Lau — Assistant Controller, Financial Operations

Jackson Lautier — Assistant Professor, Mathematical Sciences

Ashlee Lindsey — Senior Assistant Director, Office of Alumni and Family Engagement

Alan Lisitano — Assistant Football Coach, Offensive Assistant

Yihan (Christine) Liu — Assistant Professor, Accounting

Clara Machado — Residence Director

Stefan Maric — Assistant Professor, Management

Michael May — Assistant Director, Graduate Admission

Patrick McGowan — Assistant Football Coach, Offensive Assistant

Brodie McPherson — Laboratory Coordinator, Natural and Applied Sciences

Jeff Moore — Assistant Football Coach, Defensive Assistant

Edgar Gonzales — Student Financial Services Administrator

Robert Muliero — Senior Technical Trainer, Data Management and Application Services

Natasha Nichols — Athletic Trainer, Ice Hockey

Travis O’Brien — Assistant Football Coach, Offensive Assistant

Sarah Pagliaccio — Lecturer, Experience Design

Kelly Parrish — Lecturer, Computer Information Systems

Elizabeth Paushter — Director, Education and Learning, Badavas Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning

Patricia Peknik — Lecturer, English and Media Studies 

Vernonica Pierni — Lecturer, Management 

Silke Plesch — Senior Lecturer, Natural and Applied Sciences 

Mary-Joan (MJ) Potvin — Lecturer, Accounting

Adam Reynolds — Director and Chaplain, Spiritual Life Center

Jason Reynolds — Senior User Experience Consultant, User Experience Center

Emily Richardson — Academic Coordinator II, Global Studies

Kate Roloff — Lecturer, Natural and Applied Sciences

Richard Rubini — Associate Director, Campus Services

Kellie Ruccolo — Planning and Guest Services Manager, Conference Center

Alexandra Salom — Academic Advisor

Tanseli Savaser — Assistant Professor, Finance

Carmen Scarpa — Assistant Football Coach, Wide Receivers, Co-Offensive Coordinator

Madeline Schroeder — Assistant Director, Multimedia Producer, Marketing and Communications

Sebastian Anetey Shamo — Lecturer, Finance

Grant Spinella — Residence Director

Maik Stanitzke — Assistant Professor, English and Media Studies  

Ping Tang — Assistant Professor, Computer Information Systems

Ashutosh Tyagi — Assistant Professor, Finance

Gregor Walz — Director, Athletic Communication

Hannah Weiser — Assistant Professor, Law and Taxation

Lyndsey Winick — Development Associate

Katherine Wood — Assistant Professor, Finance

Joshua Yesnowitz — Lecturer, Global Studies

Fei Yu — Assistant Professor, Modern Languages 

Yuyang (Hidy) Zhou — Assistant Professor, Management

ID Card Access for Academic Buildings

Bentley ID cards are now required to enter all academic buildings (Jennison, Smith, Adamian, Morison and Lindsay). Buildings are card-accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week for faculty and staff, while students have access from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Complimentary lanyards and phone card holders to help you keep track of your ID card are available for free in the Card Office in the University Police station.  

If your ID card doesn’t work or you can’t open a door, call University Police at (781) 891-2201. 

Bentley Recognized Among Nation’s Best

#1 Best Career Services

— 2024 Princeton Review

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Among “Best Colleges in America”

— Money

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#4 Master’s in Finance program

— Financial Times

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Inclusive Teaching Fellows Initiative

Faculty are invited to participate in a new program devoted to inclusive pedagogy, an instructional approach that’s both learner-centered and equity-focused.

To learn more, join one of two information sessions — Sept. 14 in Morison 330 or Sept. 15 via Zoom — or contact Instructional Designer Georgia Madway (gmadway@bentley.edu). 

See more program details

 

Two female students talk with a male student in the Bentley Library.

Photo of Bentley Library with fuchsia flowers in foreground.

New Sustainability Progress Report

Bentley’s newest Sustainability and Climate Change Action Plan outlines specific actions the university is taking to meet its goals of utilizing 100% renewable energy by 2026 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.

A new report from the Office of Sustainability tracks our progress.  

Explore full report

Register now for Falcon Weekend: October 13 to 15

Alumni, students, families, faculty and staff are invited to celebrate Falcon Weekend from Oct. 13 to 15. The weekend of activities features a homecoming football game, a number of outdoor events and a chance for alumni and families to return to Bentley to enjoy the fall on our beautiful campus! Questions? Contact Bethany Lawlor, director of the Office of Alumni and Family Engagement (blawlor@bentley.edu).

Check out the energy from previous year’s Falcon Weekend in the video at right, then sign up today! 

 

From the Newsroom

Expanding into the Middle East

New executive education program offers Kuwaiti business leaders the knowledge and skills to advance their companies and careers.

By Molly Mastantuono

 

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How Blockchain Builds Economic Inclusion

Bentley student-alumnus team leads on-campus discussion about the power of Web3 and a decentralized internet.

By Kristen Walsh

 

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Shining a Light on Hillel

Thanks to a generous investment from Steven C. ’83 and Beth Millner, the spirit of tzedakah is thriving at Bentley

By Kristin Livingston

 

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