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Composite image featuring four individual photos of students discussing their research and creative projects during Bentley's 22nd annual Undergraduate Research Day.
Bentley students share insights from their research and creative projects during the university’s 22nd Annual Undergraduate Research Day. Clockwise from top left: Honors Program student Jaden Hecht ’25, FirstGen Presidential Fellow Daelle Guirand ’25, Honors Program student Jacob Palhares ’25, and Franchesca Vilmenay ’26, Valente Center research assistant with Bentley’s Center for Integration of Science and Industry. (Photos by Maddie Schroder and Katherine Avendano)

Employers expect business school graduates to excel at interpreting financial statements and identifying market trends. But they’re often surprised — and delighted — to discover that Bentley students are equally adept at exploring AI applications in the health industry, evaluating the environmental impacts of electric vehicle use and investigating what young professionals value most in modern workplace culture.

Each year, hundreds of Bentley students enhance their academic experience by engaging in one (or more) of the research-related opportunities available to undergraduates. These include:  

Working individually or in groups and guided by faculty mentors, students in these programs “explore complex, challenging problems by bringing together the relevance and rigor they’ve learned in the classroom,” says Paul Tesluk, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. He notes that engaging in research challenges undergraduates to think deeply, ask hard questions and embrace complexity — skills that will serve them well professionally, regardless of the field they choose.  

Studies also show that research experience gives graduates a competitive edge in an increasingly crowded job market. According to the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), 85% of employers reported they were “somewhat” or “much more” likely to hire workers with experience in academic, community-based or service-learning projects. And a National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) study found that the top five qualities employers look for among candidates — problem-solving skills, ability to work in a team, communication skills, initiative and strong work ethic — are all enhanced through scholarly and creative inquiry.  

These qualities were on full display during Bentley’s 22nd Annual Undergraduate Research Day, when more than 140 Bentley students shared insights from their projects. In his welcome remarks, Tesluk painted a bigger picture of the benefits of undergraduate research. “In our broader environment right now, the very essence of scholarship is in many ways at stake,” he said. “What we’re doing here today demonstrates Bentley’s commitment to knowledge production and academic inquiry — and how vital this is for advancing society.”  

Here, we highlight a few of the research and creative projects our Falcons completed this year: 

Headshot of Ally Casciano

Ally Casciano ’25

Majors: Finance, Liberal Studies Major: Global Sustainability

Minor: Law  

Faculty Advisor: Ryan Bouldin, associate professor, Natural and Applied Sciences   

Project: “Passive House Design”  

“A passive house is a building engineered to produce zero carbon emissions and run entirely on renewable resources,” Casciano explains. “I chose it as my LSM research topic because of my personal interest in architecture and interior design and because it reflects all of the disciplines — finance, sustainability, law — I’ve studied during my time at Bentley.”  

Casciano used SketchUp, a 3D modeling software, to design a single-family home that incorporates energy-efficient strategies like passive solar design (a non-mechanical method of collecting, storing and distributing solar energy) and green roof systems (rooftop “gardens” that absorb rainwater and improve air quality). To determine the home’s long-term financial viability, she compared estimated construction costs with energy savings over time — and found her eco-friendly design yielded an impressive ROI of $80,000 over 25 years.  

“As a creative person in a business school, I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to pursue this passion project,” Casciano says. “I’ve learned a lot about myself and the career I want to follow.” Now that she’s graduated, she’s working full-time as a project engineer for a Boston-based construction and development firm. “I hope to obtain green building certifications in this role and one day build my passive house design in real life.”  

Sketches and a 3-rendering of the passive house Ally Casciano designed.
Headshot of Valeria Escamilla

Valeria Escamilla ’25

Major: Health Industries

Minor: Marketing

Faculty Advisor: Danielle Blanch Hartigan, Chester B. Slade Professor of Psychology and executive director, Center for Health and Business

Project: “AI in Optometry”

“The optical industry has been part of my life for as long as I can remember,” says Escamilla, whose parents founded a chain of full-service eye clinics in Bogota, Colombia, and Miami. “Growing up, I saw firsthand how the field can change lives. Helping people through optometry became my lifelong dream.”  

As Escamilla sees it, AI tools can help patients achieve optimal eye health. The industry is already using AI to analyze retinal scans for early stages of eye disease, provide more precise measurements for cataracts surgery and create progressive lenses (i.e., bifocals) custom-tailored to an individual’s visual habits. Yet, few patients know about these options — an “awareness gap” she sought to explore through her research.

In a survey Escamilla conducted, she found that:  

  • 76% of respondents were unaware of current AI uses, but were open to AI improving their vision care
  • 57% would use AI to help choose lenses
  • 69% would use AI to predict future eye problems

But respondents also expressed concern about the lack of transparency in AI’s underlying algorithms, underscoring the importance of trust between patients and clinicians. “People are cautious when it comes to data privacy and diagnostic accuracy,” Escamilla says. “Providers must be able to clearly communicate how AI works to their patients.”

Escamilla, who begins optometry school this fall, is grateful for the opportunity “to explore technological trends in the industry I love.” She is committed to continuing her research efforts in the future. “I want to open eye care practices that are both clinics and research hubs, where I can collaborate with fellow optometrists and field experts,” she shares. “Together, we can design solutions to address growing challenges — including innovation, awareness and accessibility — in the optical industry.”   

Headshot of Cameron Krinsky

Cameron Krinsky ’25, MSF ’25

Major: Finance (Advanced Standing in Finance program)

Faculty Advisor: Laura Jackson Young, associate professor, Economics

Project: “Electric Vehicles: The Future of Transportation or a Forgotten Failure?”

A self-professed auto enthusiast, Krinsky volunteered as a docent for two Rhode Island car museums prior to enrolling at Bentley. In his view, automobiles aren’t merely machines, but “works of art that convey unique and compelling stories.” Arriving on campus, he immediately joined the Bentley Car Club, a student-run organization where he could share his passion with like-minded peers.  

When it was time to choose a topic for his Honors Research Pathway, Krinsky’s love for all things automotive steered him toward electric vehicles (EVs). Since they run on electric batteries instead of gasoline- or diesel-powered combustion engines, EVs are widely considered a key method for mitigating climate change. Federal, state and local regulations have been enacted in recent years to encourage Americans to switch to EVs.

Intrigued by the environmental, economic and social impacts of widespread EV use, Krinsky set out to compile comprehensive data for each area. “Prior to conducting this research, I was skeptical about the efficacy of mass EV adoption,” he says. “But what I learned made me aware of issues I’d never previously considered.”  

One example: How an increased demand for lithium — an essential component in EV batteries — poses significant risks to environmental and human health. Extracting the metal requires enormous amounts of fresh water, Krinsky discovered, which diverts the vital resource away from local communities. The mining process also releases toxic chemicals that contaminate soil and groundwater and compromise air quality.

Krinsky, who accepted a full-time position as a credit risk analyst in Santander’s corporate and investment banking division after interning with the company last summer, is grateful to Bentley for facilitating his research. “As someone who believes transportation is critical to the well-being and advancement of society, this project was truly eye-opening.” 

Headshot of Jacob Palhares

Jacob Palhares ’25

Major: Corporate Finance and Accounting

Faculty Advisor: Brian Wilson, lecturer, English and Media Studies

Project: “Business as Usual, Play as Exception”  

For his Honors Creative Pathway — a photo essay exploring the increasingly elusive pursuit of work-life balance — Palhares drew inspiration from his personal life. “Anyone who knows me will tell you I stress way too much about things, whether it’s preparing for an upcoming exam or meeting a project deadline for my job,” he shares. “After talking about this with friends and family, I realized I wasn’t alone.” Advances in technology have blurred the line between our personal and professional lives, he says, giving rise to “an ever-growing expectation in the corporate world that employees can (and even should) work from anywhere, at any time.”  

His photo essay features portraits of young professionals wearing business attire while engaged in leisurely pursuits, such as snowboarding, tennis and playing poker. “I wanted to use humor and irony to invite conversations about a topic that others might find hard to address,” Palhares explains. “These images visualize the tension between professional obligations and personal fulfillment but do so in a way that brings joy and laughter to the audience.”  

Palhares, who plans to become a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and work in the field of wealth management, is thankful the Honors Program gives students the option to engage in creative pursuits. As he notes, “This project really forced me to practice what I was preaching — to step away from work and school and spend more time doing something I really enjoy.” 

Photo composite featuring two of Palhares' portraits: Left, a young man in a business suit sits on a snowy hill. He wears a helmet and ski goggles and is typing on a laptop computer, which sits atop a snowboard in his lap. Right, a young man in a business suit stands in a gym, distractedly reading a business report while shooting a basketball into a net.
Headshot of Sam Potter

Sam Potter ’25

Major: Corporate Finance and Accounting

Faculty Advisor: Johannes Eijmberts, senior lecturer, Global Studies, and director, Valente Center for Arts and Sciences

Project: “Modern Workplace Culture and the Motivational Drivers of Young Professionals”

While interning with a global supply chain finance team last summer, “I became interested in how cultural differences affect negotiation tactics and business collaboration,” Potter shares. When he later joined the Valente Center’s Undergraduate Researcher program, he decided to make cultural diversity in the workplace the focus of his independent study.

Potter was particularly interested in exploring generational differences. “With the rise of remote work and changing workforce dynamics,” he explains, “there’s been a corresponding shift in employee motivation, especially among young professionals.” To better understand what younger employees value most in the workplace, Potter developed a survey that he sent to all Bentley undergraduate and graduate students.  

“The data indicates a strong correlation between motivation and factors such as salary, autonomy and structured responsibilities,” he says of his findings. The survey also revealed that young professionals, regardless of their cultural backgrounds, seek authentic personal connections — “not from their organization as a whole, but from smaller workplace groups or select coworkers,” he explains. “This suggests that managers need to adapt their leadership strategies to foster inclusive team environments and strong mentorship networks.”  

Potter, who hopes to find a full-time finance- or research-related role, characterizes his work with the Valente Center as a “highly rewarding experience” — and one he encourages fellow Falcons to consider: “We’re fortunate at Bentley to have the opportunity to explore topics we’re passionate about but aren’t necessarily exposed to in our normal business classes.” 

Stacked headshots featuring (from top to bottom) Nereyda Betances, Erica Estrella and Zoe Ragland-Haines

Nereyda Betances ’25, Erica Estrella ’25 and Zoe Ragland-Haines ’25

Majors: Marketing (Nereyda and Zoe), Mathematical Sciences (Erica)

Minors: Management (Nereyda and Erica); Computer Information Systems (Zoe)

Faculty Advisors: Isa Beltre, senior lecturer, Marketing, and associate director, FirstGen Presidential Fellows Program, and Jane De León Griffin, professor, Modern Languages, and Associate Provost for Student Success

Project: “Shaping Tomorrow, One Community at a Time”

For their Signature Work Project, the trio of FirstGen Presidential Fellows explained how their academic and extracurricular activities at Bentley enhanced their understanding of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — 17 interconnected objectives that guide global development efforts.

For Betances, participating in Bentley’s MOSAIC Experience, a pre-orientation program for first year and transfer students of color and allies, emphasized the importance of SDG #10: Reduced Inequalities. “I was super nervous coming into Bentley,” she shares. “As a student of color at a PWI [Predominantly White Institution] , I thought I’d be homesick and wouldn’t make any friends. But MOSAIC creates a space where students like me can forge friendships and receive specialized guidance and support to succeed in our first year of college.” As such, the MOSAIC Experience helps support SDG #10 by helping to foster a more equitable and inclusive campus environment.  

Both Estrella and Ragland-Haines highlighted their involvement with Bentley’s Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center (BSCLE). As program manager for the Waltham Family School, “I taught English to Spanish-speaking mothers, helping them build the language skills they need to navigate daily life, support their education and gain greater independence,” Estrella shares. “As the daughter of immigrants, this was particularly meaningful, since my parents enrolled in a similar program when they arrived in the U.S.” In addition to SDG #4: Quality Education, the BSLCE program supports SDG #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, she notes, by “helping moms develop the tools and confidence they need to pursue future job opportunities.”  

Ragland-Haines also served as a BSCLE program manager, serving youth in a lower-income Waltham housing community through the Prospect Hill Afterschool Program. She and fellow Falcons provided healthy snacks (supporting SDG #2: Zero Hunger) and helped with homework (SDG #4) — an experience she characterizes as “my absolute favorite thing that I did during my time at Bentley.”

Through the BSCLE’s partnership with the Yawkey Foundation, Ragland-Hines also interned in the Malden, Massachusetts, office of U.S. Congresswoman Katherine Clark. The experience provided “a deep understanding of how our government works and why it’s important for local and federal governments to work together,” she shares. Her work with Rep. Clark’s office led directly to a second internship, facilitated by The Fund for American Studies. Working with the National Association for Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), Ragland-Haines saw firsthand how domestic trade, in particular interstate commerce, plays a vital role in the U.S. economy. These internships, she says, helped illustrate the importance of SDG #9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG #16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.  

All three FirstGen Presidential Fellows appreciate the hands-on opportunities Bentley provided “to demonstrate our understanding of pressing global challenges and our ability, both individually and collectively, to address them.” And each is committed to advancing the U.N. SDGs in their personal and professional lives. Now that they’ve graduated, Betances is pursuing a full-time marketing position, Estrella is spending six weeks in Spain as a non-profit consultant and Ragland-Haines is moving to Houston, Texas, to pursue a career in digital marketing.

Pictured left, from top to bottom: Betances, Estrella and Ragland-Haines.

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