Fall 2014

Jonathan White calls hunger in the United States an invisible epidemic. His research on the subject includes interviews with 54 Americans who battle under-nutrition as a result of poverty; a survey of over 200 college students to assess their awareness of the issue and their beliefs about those who are hungry; and an intensive literature review of national and regional data. White tackles the issue in his forthcoming book, Hungry to Be Heard: Voices From a Malnourished America. 

Students in a Bentley course offered last spring faced the typical array of required readings, class discussions, papers and exams. Oh, and they had to run a 5K.

“Run” as in plan and orchestrate an event to raise money for a cause. The inaugural “5 for the Fight” race, held on campus last April, collected nearly $900 for the American Cancer Society/Relay for Life at Bentley.

“Reply all” responses to a general-announcement email are generally annoying, embarrassing or otherwise cringe inducing. But at Bentley this summer, the replies delivered an electronic group hug for a soon-to-retire colleague. Here are excerpts from the original message and the spontaneous tributes it inspired.

Thursday, June 13, 2014, 1:57:41 PM

From: Roy (Chip) Wiggins III

To: Faculty & Staff DL

This spring, the Financial Times website heralded the “revival of executive education.” The report cited increased demand for short courses in management and other areas at business schools in the U.S. and abroad, as company spending on employee development rebounds from the financial crisis of 2008.

Most colleges reserve the term “market demand” for business courses. Here the phrase takes a different turn, informing two new majors — Professional Sales and Creative Industries — that answer employers’ call for skilled professionals.

The move marks Bentley as the only major university in the northeastern U.S. with an undergraduate major in Professional Sales. An unusual collaboration gives both programs a distinctive edge. In developing the majors, which launched this fall, faculty had significant input from Career Services and corporate partners.

Pete and Andrew Frates ’10 have a common foe. A gifted athlete who played baseball in college and semi-pro thereafter, Pete was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in 2012, at age 27.

Commonly known as Lou Gherig’s disease, the progressive neurological disorder has no cure or effective treatment. “But our family wasn’t about to accept the status quo,” says Andrew, pictured above on right. “Pete told us to strap up our boots and get to work.”

New Undergraduate Students

Enrollment

980 Freshmen

132 Transfer students

Gender

58%   Men

42%   Women

Geography

36      U.S. states

42      Countries including China, India, Colombia and Jordan

Ethnic diversity

24.5% ALANA (African American, Latino, Asian, Native American) students from the U.S.