Bentley Magazine Winter 2025

A century-long commitment pays off: How Bentley built the top-ranked career services program in the nation (page 16).

Bentley Magazine

Editor

Julia Rappaport

Creative Director

Kelly Milligan

Designers

Juliana Freire

Ashley Rhodes

Staff Writers

Kristen Walsh

Contributing Writers

Alyssa Giacobbe

Megan Johnson

Rob Sneddon

Staff Photographer

Maddie Schroeder

Project Manager

Casey Brennan

Print and Production

Judy Metz

Director for Advancement Communications

Alexis Baum

Executive Director for Advancement Communications and Donor Relations

Jane Kim Donino

Assistant Vice President for Strategic Communications

John McElhenny, P ’28

Vice President for Marketing and Communications

Christopher J. Joyce

Vice President for University Advancement

Chris Grugan

President E. LaBrent Chrite, PhD

A Word from the Editor

The thrum of a college campus. A place that feels like home for four years (give or take), but also much more, an almost indescribable amount more: A place where fun is had, tests are crammed for, resumes built, life experiences compiled, friendships and mentors secured. It’s the library and the dining hall, the green space and the residence halls, the stairways and the buildings (page 7). It’s traditions like Breakfast by Moonlight (back cover) and a fist bump from a mascot (page 42).

Trying to capture a campus is a tall order, which is why we’ve devoted this issue to exploring it. As President Chrite writes in his column on page 10, higher ed is under an unprecedented microscope. Amid the uncertainty, a campus can feel like an ever-changing constant. Sure, new eateries might crop up, favorite professors may retire, but stepping foot back here can elicit a return to a sense of self, a renewed sense of community or purpose, and an undeniable and welcome nostalgia (page 11).

So dive in — on the pages ahead, you’ll read about projects happening on campus (page 7), the creative ways cutting-edge technology is being integrated into classrooms (page 22), and how our career services came to be the nation’s top-ranked program (page 16), plus lots more. What are your thoughts on this issue? On this campus? What does returning to Bentley stir in you? Email magazine@bentley.edu, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

Julia Rappaport, editor

P.S. We’d also love to hear your thoughts on this magazine. Scan the QR code here and take a very short survey to help us create a publication that you love and learn from.

Readers Respond

Be in touch.

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781-891-2076

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For mailing address updates: alumni@bentley.edu 781-891-2025

Re: Honoring a Life by Lifting Up Future Falcons

Re: 50 Years of Women’s Varsity Sports

Patricia (Matson) Thomas ’61 called after reading the summer ’25 cover story to share that a photo of the bowling club (which became coed in 1942) was from the late 1950s. “We didn’t have much in terms of social activity then and there were very few women. We all went home or to jobs after school. The bowling club was our main social activity,” she recalled. Thanks, Patricia, for letting us know!

What a beautiful way to honor Nick’s life and impact. Bentley has always been more than just books and business — it’s the people and the values they carry forward. Grateful to his family and the Bentley community for making sure his legacy lives on.

—Sandy Kontos ’93

Re: 50 Years of Women’s Varsity Sports

Proud to be a part of a university and athletic program that values women athletes at Bentley.

—Stefanie Vestal ’05

from the NEWS NEST

Welcome, Class of 2029

Cue the cow bells and charged-up cheers. Move-in day for Bentley’s Class of 2029 was anything but quiet, thanks to an enthusiastic group of orientation leaders, resident assistants and other community members who came to welcome the newest students to campus on August 28. The latest class of Falcons is comprised of 1,134 undergraduate students hailing from 35 states and territories and 39 countries. Twenty-six percent of the class are the first in their family to go to college, while 13% are varsity student-athletes.

Giving on the Go

At the end of every spring semester, the Office of Sustainability hosts Give ‘n Go: While moving out, students can drop off items they no longer need at stations around campus, which other members of the Bentley community are able to take and reuse. But the majority of donations go to local organizations such as Goodwill and Healthy Waltham.

A look at Give ‘n Go’s impact this year

15,645 lbs.

Jennifer Brown

3 Questions for New Dean of Arts and Sciences

41,000 lbs.

Since 2023... ...preventing up to

60 metric tons 23% increase of material was diverted from the landfill of material has been diverted from disposal of greenhouse gas emissions in donations

Catching up with Jennifer N. Brown, formerly of Marymount Manhattan College, as she starts her first semester at Bentley.

1) What drew you to Bentley?

My own research is quite interdisciplinary — I work in literature, history, theology, politics and several different languages — and I was excited that Bentley values this kind of intellectual exploration in its faculty and students, specifically the university’s model of integrating business with arts and science. Last year, a National Bureau of Economic Research study showed that students who double major are over 50% more likely to thrive in economic downturns than counterparts with a single major because that diversity of study gives students a diversity of skills and knowledge, and hones their critical thinking in an adaptive way. The arts and sciences at Bentley give business students a distinct advantage, and because every student with an arts and sciences major completes a minor in business, they are better equipped than other students without that background.

2) What’s one thing about you that might surprise someone?

My first work of fiction is coming out in April and is an academic murder mystery, with some Tudor English intrigue thrown in for good measure. I’m also a runner and have done the New York marathon three times and the Chicago marathon twice.

3) What is your favorite place on campus so far?

I’m still learning my way around campus, but I have a suspicion that my favorite place will be the library, because inevitably on any college campus I’ve ever been on, that’s where I end up.

Big Things Ahead

This summer, crews broke ground on the renovation of the Adamian Academic Center. The project plays a key role in realizing Bentley’s vision to fuel technology, innovation and entrepreneurial excellence on campus. With immersive technology labs and collaborative learning spaces, the center will ensure students are prepared to lead and thrive in the global 21st-century marketplace. “Important industries like health care must integrate technology to thrive in an increasingly digital world. This initiative will empower Bentley students to become drivers of that innovation in a way that positively impacts the marketplace, society and our planet,” says Danielle Blanch Hartigan, Chester B. Slade Professor of Psychology and executive director of Bentley’s Center for Health and Business. In addition, the renovated center will facilitate collaboration among faculty and their colleagues in other fields, emphasizing the combination of business and arts and sciences that sets Bentley apart. And corporate partners will be able to come to campus and brainstorm with classes about how to bring their products to market.

The work on Adamian isn’t the only activity keeping campus construction crews busy:

If your plans entail catching a volleyball or basketball game on campus, you’ll note a refreshed look for the Dana Center’s Barbara Stevens Court (pictured below) as well as a new recreational gymnasium next to it that will provide an area for students and Bentley community members to enjoy basketball, pickleball, volleyball, dodgeball, yoga, dance, cheer and other activities during more hours of the day.

Two other new spaces on campus dedicated to wellness and well-being have also recently been completed: Copley North lounge, which was transformed into a wellness space for students, as well as the Collins Creative Corner, a dedicated creative workspace for students, faculty and staff equipped with tools for creative design, prototyping and more. The space is committed to nurturing creative ideas and activity on campus.

Master’s in Finance Ranked Top in the U.S.

Bentley’s master’s degree in Finance has been rated one of the best in the world by the Financial Times, coming in at No. 1 among U.S. programs and No. 42 among the top programs globally. Alumni of the program reported an almost 8% increase in salaries from last year, the highest growth among U.S. schools. In the rankings, Bentley stood out among other schools nationwide in multiple areas including:

What We’re Talking About

If people believe companies will do more good than Washington, corporate leadership becomes civic leadership. That confidence is a mandate to tackle pay equity, climate impact and community well-being with clear goals, transparent reporting and accountability. Trust lasts only when results are visible and keep improving.”

—Kristi Minnick Westerling

The Stanton Professor of Finance was responding to new data from the 2025 Bentley-Gallup Business in Society Report, showing that Americans trust businesses (43%) more than the federal government to act in society’s best interest (31%)

FOR MORE ON THE 2025 REPORT, visit bentley.edu/gallup

Media Highlights

Bentley was ranked No. 1 Best University (Regional Universities North) and No. 2 Most Innovative (Regional Universities North) in the 2026 Best Colleges rankings.

Professor of Political Science

Jeff Gulati discusses findings from the 2025 BentleyGallup Business in Society Report that show Americans trust business more than the federal government.

Bentley is featured for being No. 15 in the nation for graduates’ success in a new ranking by LinkedIn.

An excerpt from Associate Professor of Mathematics Noah Giansiracusa’s new book Robin Hood Math: Take Control of the Algorithms That Run Your Life is featured.

The Big Number

140+

The record-setting number of students that presented during Bentley’s 22nd annual Undergraduate Research Day, during which participants share what they’ve learned from scholarly, creative and/or community-based projects. Topics covered included sustainable home design, AI tools for optimizing health care and what young employees value most in modern workplace culture.

SPORTS CORNER

C White ’01 has been recognized as a Northeast-10 Coach of the Year after leading Bentley’s 2024-2025 women’s basketball team to a 28-1 record, a 24-game winning streak, the conference’s regular season championship and a No. 3 ranking in the WBCA Division II coaches’ poll. And baseball coach Mike Hill ’00 was named Coach of the Year by the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA). Hill led the 2024-2025 baseball team, which NEIBA named New England Division II Team of the Year, to a program-record 33 wins and the No. 2 seed in the Northeast Division for the NE10 Baseball Championship.

There are new faces among the Falcon coaches this year. Kevin Walsh, previously of Union College and College of Saint Rose, has been named head coach for swimming and diving and aquatics director, succeeding Mary Kay Samko, who led the program for 29 years. Ashley Holdridge, meanwhile, has started as the new head coach for women’s lacrosse. She previously coached at Buffalo State.

Five players from the 2024-2025 men’s hockey team have signed with pro teams. Ethan Leyh, MBA ’25, a two-time captain, signed with the Greensboro Gargoyles, the minor league affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes. Two-time All-Atlantic Hockey defenseman Nick Bochen ’24, MBA ’26 will suit up with Vimmerby HC in Sweden’s second division, HockeyAllsvenskan. Artem Buzoverya, MBA ’25 is headed to the U.K.’s Coventry Blaze. Sam Duerr ’25 signed with Anglet in Ligue Magnus, the top professional hockey league in France. Tanner Main ’25 will be playing with Strasbourg in France2.

Forward Thinking

BY BRENT CHRITE

If you’ve been reading the news lately, you know that higher education is under a microscope. Critics are taking aim at the value, the rising costs and the very education that universities provide. These are valid concerns. And I believe universities have to do a better job answering them. To regain the trust of Americans, colleges need to focus on three things:

1. Return on investment. We need to be able to honestly assure our students (and their families) their degrees will open doors to careers that allow them to pay off any student debt and earn more than they would have without that degree.

2. Outcomes. From the first day on campus, colleges should prepare students for what comes next: fulfilling, good-paying jobs in growing industries — even jobs and markets that don’t yet exist. Achieving this isn’t just good for our students. It contributes to society and supports economic growth.

3. Lifelong skills. In our classrooms, campus clubs, athletic programs and internships, higher education offers a way for students to develop “durable” skills such as collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. These abilities will help them to succeed in their first job and all the way through to retirement.

At Bentley, ROI is in our DNA, and our focus on career preparation is second to none. Ninety-nine percent of our undergraduates are employed or planning to attend graduate school within six months of graduation, with a median starting salary of $72,000.

The true value of higher education is more than a financial transaction. It’s a transformational experience that can change students’ lives and profoundly affect their families for generations to come.

At our commencement in May, I shared the stage with 2025 Class President Aldo Hernandez-Godinez, a first-generation college student. Aldo said there were times when he questioned whether someone from his background belonged at a college. But he came to Bentley and made the most of every opportunity. By graduation, he had competing job offers and accepted a sales position at Workday in Boston.

ROI. Outcomes. Lifelong skills. Those are the obligations that colleges and universities have to our students as we adapt to this innovation age.

now

When Brands Go Retro

A professor explains why nostalgia sells.

nos·tal·gia

noun

A sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.

Source: Oxford Languages

“Nostalgia is what we call a mixed emotion: There’s a longing for the past and some positive wistfulness as we think back on a prior time when things were perceivably better or simpler, but there’s also a tinge of sadness because, in our minds, that time doesn’t exist anymore. Nostalgia in our culture can be triggered when consumers are under stress or there’s a negative externality that they are experiencing, such as during COVID or an uncertain economy. People have that mixed emotion, then you begin to see that reflected in advertising, branding and communications. You might see it, for example, in brands going back to their old retro styles. I think to a certain extent, nostalgia is always there.”

—Shelle Santana, Assistant Professor, Marketing

The Professor Using Film to Increase Empathy Among Patients with Dementia and Their Caregivers

Can film help build empathy in health care? That was the task at hand for Distinguished Lecturer in English and Media Studies Jeff Stern, who cowrote and directed Dottie, a new short film about dementia, for New Hampshire nonprofit Articine, which uses the arts to help providers deliver more empathetic patient care. “I’m proud to have worked on something that’s very relevant and that’s useful in the world,” says Stern, pictured above on set, who showed the film in his classes and brought in cast and crew to discuss the business side of movie making. “I was excited to be a part of a project that was quite different from my

typical business-focused classes and internships,” says Hailey Jennato ’23, who worked on the film’s crew alongside her brother Hayden ’27. Dottie, which is making the rounds on the film festival circuit, was also screened for the public in Wilder Auditorium in collaboration with the Center for Health and Business.

Ties That Bind

How one fateful phone call led to a lifelong love story — at and with Bentley.

By Alexis Baum

A Fortuitous Phone Call

Three weeks before the fall semester would begin at Bentley College in 1974, Deborah (Debbie to all who know her) Murdza — at the time the manager of systems and programming at Star Market — got a phone call from her former graduate school professor. Recently hired as chair of Bentley’s Management department, the professor had no one to teach an introductory computer course. Debbie was his first call.

The three weeks’ notice wasn’t an issue. “I always liked the idea of getting somewhere in life faster,” says Debbie, who graduated early (and with a full scholarship) from Northeastern University, where she also later earned her graduate degree. She had no qualms about preparing to teach on a short timeline but, as she read through the course curriculum, she had a different issue.

“I remember thinking that this textbook just wasn’t going to cut it,” she says. “I taught the course that fall, but when Bentley asked me to come back to teach a computer systems design course the following semester, I knew the best thing I could give the students was the opportunity to design and implement an application that would create a real-life business solution.” And current events gave Debbie just the opportunity.

An Experiment in Teaching

President Richard Nixon had recently implemented price controls to combat rising inflation across the United States.

“We needed a way to evaluate options for extra inventory when prices were temporarily lowered,” Debbie says. “Each week, hundreds of items had a temporary price reduction, and we wanted to understand the ROI by considering the cost of outside storage.”

Debbie knew that with the right computer system, Star could capitalize on the temporary policy and maximize its return on investment.

That’s when she made the bold decision to enlist her seven Bentley students to work with her to create an innovative solution for Star — long before experiential learning was a widely integrated practice. “I wanted to give my students a real experience that would address the needs of the company,” she says. “All in one semester, we designed the system, identified the programs needed and had group sessions at Star Market offices to program and implement the system for production.”

“This is the way I always thought people learn best — side by side with other people, teaching and learning together,” continues Debbie, who joined Arthur D. Little, Inc., in 1977 as a management consultant and left 20 years later as a vice president and director.

Innovation and Impact

There’s no way Debbie could have known at the time that accepting the part-time faculty position would ultimately lead to a very different role for her at Bentley — that of first lady. She and Bentley’s fourth president, the late Gregory Adamian, married in 1978. Gregory was known for his transformational, 21-year presidency, during which he significantly expanded the campus and the curriculum while also increasing the university’s endowment and enrollment. And, like Debbie, he valued the role technology could play in education: In 1985, under his leadership, Bentley became one of the first schools in the nation to provide its students with laptop computers.

Debbie remembers Gregory as a visionary leader who had a knack for telling stories, both during his time as a Bentley professor and during his tenure as president. “Greg was an incredible storyteller,” she says. “He looked beyond the textbook and used his stories as an innovative way to teach the principles of law. When he became president, his stories often inspired others to support Bentley in many ways.”

Honoring a Legacy

When Gregory retired in 1991, the Adamian Academic Center was named in his honor. Today, the Adamian Center is undergoing a transformation — a renovation that will create a state-of-the-art hub for hands-on teaching and learning that will emphasize technology, innovation, entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary collaboration.

“Greg was so generous to Bentley over so many years, and investing in the renovation of the Adamian Center enables me to give back in an especially meaningful way because these spaces will immerse today’s students in the kinds of learning opportunities that Greg and I both believed in so strongly,” Debbie says.

As a generous supporter of the project, Debbie, along with other donors to Bentley’s Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship initiative, officially broke ground on the project this fall.

“It was wonderful to represent our legacy together,” she says.

“I am proud that Greg and I are Great Benefactors, and that I had the opportunity to stand alongside fellow supporters of a project that will empower Bentley students to push the limits of innovation to drive change and shape the business world.”

When the renovations are complete, Gregory’s presidential portraits will again be hung on the center’s walls.

“Bentley is part of my heart because Greg loved Bentley,” Debbie says. “Knowing that his legacy will live on forever means so much to me.”

“Investing in the renovation of the Adamian Center enables me to give back in an especially meaningful way because these spaces will immerse today’s students in the kinds of learning opportunities that Greg and I both believed in so strongly.”

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SUPPORTING BENTLEY AND THE TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP INITIATIVE, visit bentley.edu/giving

Best in Class

How a century-long focus on professional success and impact has built the top-ranked career services program in the nation.

The consecutive number of years Bentley has ranked in the top five for best career services.

Yaritza Peña ’15 started using Bentley’s Pulsifer Career Development Center before she even began her first year. As part of STEP, the university’s summer program designed to help first-generation students transition from high school to college, Peña was paired with Janet Ehl, the center’s assistant vice president, as a mentor. “Right from the beginning, I had a vision of what was possible for me after graduation, and the opportunities available to students with backgrounds and interests similar to mine,” says Peña, who today works as assistant director of project management at Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

Participating in career services events and offerings became a regular part of her first year of college, and was important in helping refine her path. “I was faced with, ‘If I’m not an Accounting and Finance major, what am I? If I don’t want to work for one of the Big Four, what do I want to do?’ ” says the Managerial Economics major. “The center had so many different types of events for different types of interests. They gave me the tools to help me make my own decision in a way I’m not sure I would have been able to otherwise.”

This fall, for the third year in a row, the Princeton Review ranked Bentley No. 1 in the country for “Best Career Services” in its 2026 Best Colleges guide. It was Bentley’s 13th consecutive year ranked among the top five. Recent data from the Class of 2024 shows that 99% of graduates are employed or attending graduate school within six months of graduation; those employed have a median starting salary of $72,000. The success, no doubt, can be attributed to a combination of impressive factors, many of which have been part of Bentley’s DNA since its founding, including classes that align with the changing marketplace, access to speakers and visiting professors who are influential in their industries, career services programming, and a focus on internships.

Percentage of undergrads who complete at least one internship.

Percentage of first-years who have taken Bentley’s intro career course each spring since its creation in 2013.

Despite these changes, Ehl gives significant credit for the success of career services to the students themselves. “The students who come to Bentley are motivated to be successful and they want to be engaged with us,” she says. “These changes were really just a way to help get to a lot of students in a very functional and efficient manner.”

The success is also a credit to the university, which, for over a century, has been adapting teaching and curricula for a changing marketplace. Take, for instance, the 2023 founding of the Center for Health and Business to prepare students for the increasing number of jobs in the fast-growing health care industry. Or the newly launched FinTech and AI majors, as well as a STEM MBA program, all of which equip future business leaders with the skills to excel in today’s data- and technology-driven environment. In addition, Bentley places a strong emphasis on internships, with 90% of undergraduates completing one or more internships and 39% of those internships leading to full-time employment. And the university cultivates close ties with employers, as do the faculty, many of whom have significant real-world job experience.

“We offer experiential learning to build bridges between theory and practice,” says Jahangir Sultan, chair of the Finance Department and founding director of the Hughey Center for Financial Services/Trading Room. “Many of our professors bring to the classroom industry experience and best practices in their respective fields.” Sultan also highlights facilities on campus that provide real-world learning opportunities, like Bentley’s Trading Room, a teaching and research center that offers firsthand exposure to financial concepts such as valuation of financial instruments like stocks, bonds and currencies; trading; portfolio construction; and risk management; and is equipped with four ticker tapes displaying market information, news headlines, and real-time and historical data. “The Trading Room is like a biology lab where we dissect financial frogs to learn about the building blocks,” he says. “We build valuation models in the Trading Room instead of taking someone else’s models as given. Students practice finance in the Trading Room in addition to learning finance in the classroom.”

Jim Pouliopoulos, director of Bentley’s Professional Sales program, a lecturer in Marketing and coauthor of How to Be a Well Being, also ensures the reality of the job market is discussed openly in class. “I spend time talking about how not to pick the wrong job when you get out of school,” he says. “I think students want a very clear path from where they are to where they’re being told they have to go, career-wise. I really want them not to think that way, because most careers are not so linear.”

And of course, Bentley’s active alumni base plays a critical role in job placement success and career exploration. John McDonough ’86, CEO of Veterinary Practice Partners, a nationwide network of vet hospitals, admits he didn’t use the center much as a student, but has been eager to take part in alumni events designed to help foster a new generation of graduates. As part of a recent panel he led on veterinary medicine along with his COO, Rich Pacheco ’96, McDonough helped connect several students with career contacts. “As I got to the later parts of my career,” he says, “I started to wonder: How can I give back to the school that gave me so much at the start of my career?”

Amanda (Sibley) McGoldrick ’12 says Bentley students make themselves easy to hire. As the former senior director of marketing for CRM platform HubSpot, McGoldrick recruited employees out of Bentley. “Students from Bentley were incredibly well-prepared — from the application process where I would see strong resumes and interviews, to a solid business-focused skill set during their time in internships and associate roles. Bentley students really set themselves apart,” she says. “As a first-year student, you’re already encouraged to attend career events and develop skills needed in the workplace. What’s more, students have the support throughout their journey to find a job and career. Staff and faculty are ingrained in students’ experience from the beginning, which shows on the professional side.”

“Way back when, we didn’t work with first- and second-year students. That’s changed,” says Kristine Vidic, the center’s senior associate director and career equity and access specialist. “Now anyone can come in, at any point in their college career. We’re embedded into the classroom, so students don’t have to look at career services as being something else they need to fit in.”

How did Bentley’s career services impact your professional journey? Email magazine@bentley.edu and share your story.

PHOTO BY KEVIN MAGUIRE

Virtual Reality, Real-World Results

Remember Pokémon GO? Released in 2016, the interactive video game made cartoon characters appear (or appear to appear) in real-world locations via a smartphone app.

“That was a huge cultural phenomenon,” says Jack Wolfe, academic media technologist at Bentley and an expert in extended reality (XR) technology.

But the Pokémon GO craze was also short-lived. Which might lead one to believe XR was a fleeting novelty with few applications outside of gaming.

And nothing could be further from reality.

Extended reality is an umbrella term that includes both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). “Augmented reality — sometimes called mixed reality — is when you can see the world around you, but artificial graphics are overlaid on your vision,” Wolfe says. Pokémon GO, for example. “Virtual reality is when you’re fully immersed in an environment such as a game or an app, usually through some kind of head-mounted display.”

And the technology offers tantalizing possibilities for real-world use cases in many fields. The most obvious is its potential to solve the “How do you practice that?” problem. Certain occupations, such as piloting airplanes and performing surgery, require high-risk procedures with no margin for error. That makes attempting them for the first time a harrowing prospect.

“One of the most compelling developments in VR is its ability to train people such as first responders for stressful situations that are hard to replicate,” says Stephan Demers ’09, manager of network design and logistics compliance at Meta Reality Labs, who double majored in Computer Information Systems and Global Perspective on Commerce and Culture. “Now we can do it for lots of different jobs without having to actually recreate the physical environment.”

Realizing Remote Possibilities

Extended reality technology can also be used in industrial environments. Tejas Shroff ’16 worked with XPO Logistics, a freight-shipping specialist, on a VR training application that enhanced employees’ awareness of potential hazards. “It helps people identify safety concerns and develop proper protocols on the warehouse floor before they actually step onto the warehouse floor,” he says. So when new hires actually have to “load trucks or shift heavy pallets around in an environment where there’s a lot of heavy machinery,” he explains, they will already be oriented and know what to watch for.

Another benefit of XR technology is that it enables remote troubleshooting. For example, technicians at high-end European car manufacturers can now provide support to their counterparts in the U.S. who are wearing camera-equipped AR glasses. “The expert in Germany can see what the tech is seeing and instruct them in real time on how to problem-solve or do an install,” Demers says.

Advances in lightweight, wearable AR technology — including smart glasses that offer many of the same features as smartphones but with hands-free use — are rapidly expanding the possibilities under development. “The most exciting one for me is real-time translation,” Demers says. “As someone who often spends six to 10 weeks a year out of the country, it’s like a wall coming down in terms of being able to communicate.” It’s kind of like science fiction coming to life, he says: “Real-time translation has been in the air for 60 years, going back to Star Trek, and now you can actually buy it for $300.”

XR technology can enable teams to connect and troubleshoot real-world scenarios, as well as offer a window into new worlds without leaving the home or office.

LEARNING WITH XR

A look at just some of Bentley’s classes using AR and VR.

Continuing Italian 1 | MLIT 201

What if learning Italian felt like stepping into a boardroom in Milan? That’s the question Senior Lecturer in Modern Languages Alessia Dalsant explores with the help of XR technologies as part of this Italian class. Dalsant’s students use VR to immerse themselves in realistic workplace scenarios. AI-powered conversational simulations help them practice job interviews, refine formal language, and build confidence in authentic business contexts.

Environmental Science and Sustainability | NAS 150

In this class as well as in NAS 340 (Oceanography), both taught by Betsy Stoner, students use VR to “dive into” natural ecosystems — including seagrasses, mangroves and coral reefs — to learn about these environments, the benefits they provide to humans, and how human activities may threaten them. “We have conducted a study evaluating students’ learning from our VR experiences versus actually being in marine ecosystems, and while students learned an immense amount in the field, we saw the largest learning gains from engaging in our VR experiences,” Stoner says.

Cyber Psychology | PSY 315

Students use VR to role-play with an AI-powered avatar in this class taught by Silke Plesch. First, students select a role such as “concerned parent who wants to discuss their child’s cellphone use at school,” then, in a VR setting, they debate with a realistic avatar (for example their child, who wants to use a cellphone at school). After the discussion, the avatar provides students with feedback on their debating skills, and the class debriefs the advantages and disadvantages of social interaction with technology.

Wind Energy | NAS 346

A 360-degree VR video is used in this class taught by Zana Cranmer, associate professor of Natural and Applied Sciences, for students to see and hear what it’s like very close to a wind turbine near the water. As students tune in, they can hear the rhythmic crashing of waves and a boat passing by. In contrast, the turbine itself is quiet and difficult to hear, helping students learn that wind turbines, which are often mistakenly presumed to be quite noisy, are no louder than a lot of the sounds we encounter every day.

Staying Ahead of the XR Curve

Another form of XR technology is “cinematic reality,” or CVR, which is VR created with cameras rather than computer-generated images. “With a CVR experience, you don’t need to build the environment,” says Steve Salina, Bentley’s principal instructional and research media production and infrastructure engineer. “You just need to put a camera in a specific environment and capture it.”

Using 360-degree underwater cameras, Salina collaborated with Betsy Stoner, assistant professor of Natural and Applied Sciences, to develop a “virtual field trip” for Stoner’s class on Ecosystem Services in the Caribbean. “We ended up getting a bunch of things that we didn’t expect to get, like sea turtles,” he says. “They swam right up to the camera.”

The result is an experience that’s immersive in more ways than one. Students feel like they’re underwater. (Salina notes that one student actually ducked when the sea turtles swam toward the camera.) That vividness improves their ability to retain information. “That’s why it’s so valuable,” he says. “It’s not just the wow factor — they’re actually learning something.”

Still, XR’s wow factor is pretty awesome. Demers felt it when he first visited Meta’s Reality Labs and was treated to a demo of their advanced VR technology. “It was a walk-through of the International Space Station,” he recalls. “That was the first time I was in an immersive virtual world. I remember walking up to the window of the space station and looking down at Earth — and feeling goose bumps on my arms. That’s when I realized this was a chance to be a part of something that was going to be truly transformational.”

The Soft Sell

XR also offers the potential to improve development of so-called “soft skills.” Silke Plesch, a senior lecturer in Natural and Applied Sciences who teaches cyber psychology courses, says this could fill a growing void. “Soft skills,” she says, “are actually really hard.”

The pandemic and its resulting isolation made many students even more dependent on technology to communicate. With that in mind, Plesch and her Bentley colleagues have developed XR training that uses AI-powered avatars

equipped with ChatGPT. Students can then practice communication skills such as debate, negotiation and conflict resolution “without the pressure of performing in front of 28 other students in a classroom,” she says. “Gen Z are all growing up with technology at their fingertips 24/7, so it’s important that we have the latest technology available in the classroom so we can meet them where they are. A traditional classroom environment with a professor just standing in front of them and lecturing away isn’t going to meet the students’ learning needs through engaging with technology.”

And, adds Gaurav Shah, MBA ’01, MSHFID ’12, Bentley’s senior director of academic technologies and user experience design, it’s something that employers need to take into consideration as well. “Many companies use VR headsets to train managers in having difficult conversations in which they have to provide negative feedback or for HR applications involving sensitive topics such as sexual harassment,” he says. “AR/VR enables supervisors to practice so they can get comfortable before having those conversations in the workplace.”

With the global augmented reality market size expected to increase from roughly $140 billion today to $1.7 trillion by 2032, XR education and training are growing in importance — for students, current employees and employers. At Bentley, these new technologies are worked into learning and development in a range of applications.

Take, for example, virtual “international cafes,” which enable students to familiarize themselves with different languages and cultures. “That’s great for MBA students who will be interacting with people on a global level,” Salina says. Or being able to pitch an entrepreneurial idea to potential “investor” avatars. In a university setting, perhaps the most valuable aspect of XR is its ability to simulate actual reality.

“That’s part of what Bentley prides itself on,” he continues. “When students come out of here, they’re prepared when they encounter various situations in the real world because they’ve already experienced them in school.”

One of the most compelling developments in VR is its ability to train people such as first responders for stressful situations that are hard to replicate.”

Stephan Demers ’09, manager of network design and logistics compliance, Meta Reality Labs

CLASS NOTES

1970

Don Wetmore, Stratford, Conn., has been selected as the 2026-2027 district governor for Rotary District 7980 Southern Connecticut, leading 60 Rotary Clubs and 1,800 Rotarians.

1975

Phil Pacino, Reading, Mass., recently retired after 38 years of service on the elected Reading Municipal Light Department board of commissioners. The commission oversees the light district of Reading, North Reading, Wilmington and Lynnfield. Phil is also a member of the Peer Review Acceptance Boards for New England Peer Review and the CT Society.

1976

Robert O’Neill , Port Saint Lucie, Fla., is retiring after 48 years in public education and psychology. Robert attended Bentley, Suffolk and Kansas universities as well as the University of Massachusetts Boston. He worked at Danvers State Hospital, West Bridgewater High School, Seabrook New Hampshire High School and the Port St. Lucie School District. Robert looks forward to spending more time with his lovely wife, Nicki, his daughter, Lillian, and his son, Patrick.

1978

George O’Grady, Bellingham, Mass., announced his retirement after 48 years in the IT industry and 36 years as an adjunct instructor. He plans to spend more time with his wife of 43 years, Linda, and their two grandchildren. Golf is also in his plans!

1982

James (Jim) Tosches, Encinitas, Calif., was in town with his sister and niece for the Patriots’ Day Red Sox game at Fenway Park and couldn’t believe all the acknowledgments he got for his Bentley sweatshirt. “Shout out to the dudes I met from Class of ’26,” he writes.

1985

Ted Gorski, Bedford, N.H., is celebrating 25 years as a leadership coach/president of Get Your Edge, LLC. Ted was also selected as vice chair of the Transportation Committee for the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

Members from the class of 1982 got together for a golf outing in South Carolina. Pictured are Steve Richardson, Kevin Daly, Kevin Boland, Mark Comiskey, Phil Cupero, Michael Boch, Steve Baldwin, Dave DiNardo, Larry Frank, Dana Banks, Bob Dolan and Tom Meshako

Class of 1976, it’s been 50 years since you tossed your caps to the sounds of Fleetwood Mac and danced under disco balls. Now it’s time to reunite, reminisce and relive the magic.

May 15 and 16, 2026 Bentley University

2

Ways to Un-Busy Your Life

BY KRISTEN WALSH

After a successful career in the nonprofit sector, Kishshana Palmer ’01, MSIAM ’02 launched ManageMint, Inc. (then Kishshana & Co.) in 2013. The company provides leadership development and change management, while Palmer’s roles include leadership coach and adviser, podcaster, keynote speaker and author of 2024’s Busy Is a Four-Letter Word: A Guide to Achieving More by Doing Less. “Many of us are on autopilot. But life comes in seasons, and you’re allowed to shift — in your business, your relationships, your health and how you lead.” Below, find her tips for slowing down and focusing on what matters to you.

1 Pause

Take time to consider where you are in your life, including your work, relationships, and physical and mental health. This sets the stage to identify your purpose. What matters to you right now?

Redefine Productivity

Productivity doesn’t always have to mean checking off every item on a to-do list. When you can, try focusing on things that are fulfilling and contribute to something meaningful, whether they’re on the get-done list or not.

4

Think Holistically

Being productive goes beyond tasks. It’s important to be in tune with your overall mental, spiritual and physical health.

3

Reevaluate Your Priorities

Do some thoughtful planning. Be more strategic in how you approach scheduling. Say “no” to what doesn’t serve you. 5

Plan for Guilt-Free Rest

Rest isn’t a reward; it’s a necessity. Start small by planning one rest activity for the week.

1987

Lynne (Wilson) O’Halloran, P ’16 (see Julia Paradis ’16 and Alex O’Halloran ’16) Brian Roach, Westwood, Mass., has completed licensure as a family nurse practitioner and has joined the emergency department team at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, Maine, as an advanced practice provider. He has traded in his running shoes for scuba and rock-climbing gear and is an active member of the Wilderness Medical Society.

1989

Paul Duprey, Halifax, Mass., was recently named director of accounting and human resources for Boston Golf Club in Hingham. Boston Golf Club is No. 91 in Golf Digest ’s Top 100 Courses. Paul is a former middle school educator, assistant principal and principal who retired from education.

199 1

Laura (Wallace) Aldrich, Orlando, Fla., has been promoted to president of consumer goods for Scott Brothers Global. Laura is responsible for leading licensing for both BrandJourney and the Scott Brothers, more commonly referred to as the Property Brothers on HGTV.

199 4

Angel Cruzado, Los Angeles, founded Respiris in February 2024 to ensure no one faces a layoff alone. After two decades in human resources at companies like Microsoft, Medtronic and Fidelity, Angel saw a pattern: layoffs prioritized compliance over compassion. He created Respiris to change that. The company blends real job search coaches with AI-powered tools to support people through career transitions. Its soon-to-launch AI Companion Coach offers personalized guidance. A single co-parent and first-generation college graduate, Angel built the company from lived experience. In 2025, he shared this vision at the Transform Conference.

’97 Liyuan Woo

SPOTLIGHT

How focusing on innovation fuels this award-winning CFO.

BY KRISTEN WALSH

Liyuan Woo ’97 has an eye for great brands. And she’s most passionate about category creators — brands that disrupt the status quo to solve problems in a novel way. Her goal as a chief financial officer: to provide financial strategy that fuels innovation, scales ideas and builds new markets.

“I have a bit of a challenger personality, so I enjoy the breakthrough thinking and innovation required to be a category creator,” says Woo, who is CFO at TOCA Football and was recently named Orange County Business Journal ’s CFO of the Year in Private Industry. “Speed and adaptability matter when you’re creating something new.”

TOCA Football provides tech-enhanced soccer training that evaluates factors including accuracy, speed, body movement and reaction time. The data serves to create a universal player rating system, a standard that has long been missing from the sport. The company also operates immersive sports entertainment and dining venues. It recently extended a Major League Soccer partnership through 2036.

“My financial team is very outcome driven,” says Woo, who helped the company secure $35 million in new funding earlier this year. “It’s about how to optimize data and facts to ensure that decisions will drive the biggest return on investment for the business.”

Woo’s passion for category creators was first sparked at SharkNinja, known for its rapid product development cycle in areas such as kitchen appliances and home cleaning products. Her next stop was The VOID, a trailblazer in immersive virtual reality entertainment. At BeautyHealth, Woo led a public offering and oversaw the hypergrowth of the company’s flagship skin health innovation brand, HydraFacial. She credits insights gained throughout her career — including at Deloitte, bebe and Gymboree — for shaping her success. “It’s always about learning something new and carrying it forward from one role to the next,” she says. “That adds a fresh perspective and nontraditional lens to my work. It’s a big part of my motivation.”

SPOTLIGHT

’87 Sam Singer

How this alumnus is working to bring animals like the dire wolf and the woolly mammoth back from extinction.

BY KRISTEN WALSH

As chief financial officer at Colossal Biosciences, Sam Singer ’87, MSF ’96 is just as invested in the science the biotech and genetic engineering company is doing as he is in the financial strategy. It’s not surprising. Colossal Biosciences, one of Time’s 100 most influential companies of 2025, is pioneering species de-extinction and environmental conservation — with the dire wolf recently restored and the woolly mammoth up next.

Singer, who majored in Accounting, first entered the biotech sector as an equity research analyst. His motivation for working as an investor became deeply personal when he lost both his parents to cancer during his teenage years and early adulthood. “As an investor, I came to appreciate the science and research focused on developing therapies for devastating diseases, particularly cancer,” he says. “I realized I could indirectly help patients by supporting investment strategies that provide funding for this vital science.”

“Purpose” is what made the transition to Singer’s current role so organic. “At Colossal we’re doing something that’s important for humanity,” he says. “Using gene-editing technology for de-extinction and conservation to help restore the earth’s ecosystems for a better future.”

Unexpected paths are something Singer, who began his career in public accounting, encourages. “Every role serves as a stepping stone to where you’re ultimately meant to be. Even though you may not know where that is, you’ll recognize the right opportunity when it comes. And if it’s in your DNA, go for it. You never know where it’s going to lead.”

May 7 and 8, 2026

Bentley University

Discover. Innovate. Inspire.

Learn from peers and share your expertise at the Bentley Alumni Conference — where connections spark and ideas soar.

1998

Gisela (Damm) Manna, Exeter, N.H., celebrated five years of owning Churchills Garden Center. Gisela balances her career as a finance director for Raytheon while running the garden center with her husband, Jim.

2004

Lou Orfanos, Boston, has joined the board of directors at Dallas-based Thryv, a small business marketing and sales platform. Lou is currently serving as senior vice president and general manager of commerce at Toast, provider of software and hardware solutions for restaurants.

2008

Robert “Bobby” Forgione, Houston, graduated on May 9, 2025, from the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University with his MBA.

2011

Kimberly (Markowitz) Bonamassa and Daniel Bonamassa , Pleasantville, N.Y., welcomed baby girl Silvia. She joins older brother Nicholas and sister Juliana.

Michael Capofari and Molly (Alfieri) Capofari ’13, Southington, Conn., welcomed their third daughter, Maia, on October 11, 2024. She joins big sisters Mary Kate, 4, and Meadow, 2.

Francis “Frank” Perry IV, MSF ’12 and Christine (Uzdejczyk) Perry ’12, Medfield, Mass., welcomed baby boy Walter Roman Perry in the fall of 2024. Walter joins big brother Francis “Frankie” Perry, 2.

Cara Hart and Kelly Conley were married on October 12, 2024, in Stockton, Mass. Cara was a member of the women’s basketball team from 2007 to 2011 and her wife played at Assumption University. Members of both teams were in attendance to celebrate the couple, including current head coach of the Bentley team, C White ’01.

2012

Brian DaSilva and Katie Dunn were married on April 5, 2025 (their shared birthday) in Hampton Bays, N.Y. It was a

perfect day celebrated with many fellow Falcons.

David Koschei and Amanda (Wagner) Koschei ’14, Wilmington, Mass., welcomed Violet Dorothy Koschei on February 3, 2025. She joins big sister Ruby, 21/2.

Christine (Uzdejczyk) Perry (See Francis “Frank” Perry IV ’11, MSF ’12)

2013

Molly (Alfieri) Capofari (see Michael Capofari ’11)

Rachael (Litton) Champagne and Tyler Champagne, Orange, Conn., welcomed their second child, Charles Nelson, on February 27, 2025. Their daughter Emma, 3, is a proud big sister.

Natalie Ip, MSA ’14, Lexington, Mass., was crowned the inaugural 2025 National American Miss Massachusetts Elite Queen. At the pageant, she was honored with several prestigious awards, including Best Resume, Spokesmodel, Runway, Heart of Service, and Miss Spirit in the New England Elite division. Natalie is a cloud systems compliance professional at Google.

Jeremy Koufakis married Luverie Lumbera on June 22, 2024, at the Pendry Natirar in Peapack, N.J. The two honeymooned in Australia and New Zealand. Eighteen fellow Falcons celebrated with the newlyweds on their big day, including seven who all met while living on the third floor of Slade their freshman year. The couple is currently living in Williamsburg, N.Y.

2014

Amanda (Wagner) Koschei (See David Koschei ’12)

2015

Peter Koopman and Kayla (Anghinetti) Koopman ’17, MSA ’20, Upton, Mass., welcomed son John (“Jack”) Armstrong on December 20, 2024.

2016

FOLD

Nick Hoffman and Samantha Sorabella ’17 said “I do” at Pelham House Resort in

Dennis Port, Mass., on October 13, 2024. They were surrounded by 15 fellow Falcons, including teammates from the Bentley men’s soccer team and classmates from the 2016 Information Design and Corporate Communication (IDCC) course trip to Italy. The newlyweds traveled to the Maldives for their honeymoon.

Alex O’Halloran and Julia Paradis were married on May 12, 2024, in Beverly, Mass. They were surrounded by many fellow Falcons, including the groom’s mother, Lynne (Wilson) O’Halloran ’87. The couple resides in Watertown with their 21-year-old cat, Bear.

Esperanza Silva (see Renee Perkins ’20)

2017

FOLD

Elizabeth (Shuman) Bolick, MSA ’18 and Timothy Bolick , Milton, Mass., welcomed their son, Greyson Shuman Bolick, on March 14, 2025.

Julia Davis, MST ’18 and Eric Beckwith tied the knot on June 13, 2025, in Scituate, Mass. They were surrounded by over 30 Falcons including Bentley football and women’s basketball teammates, members from the Alpha Phi Fraternity and lifelong friends and family.

Kayla (Anghinetti) Koopman, MSA ’20 (See Peter Koopman ’15)

Samantha Sorabella (See Nick Hoffman ’16)

2018

FOLD

Samantha Avallone and Zachary Schrier were married on September 22, 2024, in Livingston, N.J., surrounded by many fellow Falcons.

Julia Averna and Joe Emma were married on September 29, 2024, in Newport, R.I. It was a perfect day surrounded by family and many fellow Falcons!

Matt Jeffers and Gabby Weatherbee were married on October 17, 2024, in Portsmouth, N.H. The couple met as undergrads at Bentley and now reside in Malden, Mass. Gabby is an audit and assurance manager at Deloitte and Matt is a valuation and modeling manager at Grant Thornton.

SPOTLIGHT: WHY I VOLUNTEER

Josh Hollander

2020

FOLD

Timothy Fay and Emily Weiner were married on June 7, 2025, in the presence of friends, former classmates and teammates, including former Bentley coaches Mary Kay Samko and Joseph Frantel.

John Herman and Tiffany Knowles ’21, MSAA ’22 were married on October 12, 2024, in Bretton Woods, N.H., surrounded by family and many fellow Falcons.

Renee Perkins, Boston, celebrated the fifth anniversary of the founding of Blue Seven Studio, a marketing agency serving clients across the U.S. and internationally.

A health care consultant offers up insight for

fellow Falcons.

BY MEGAN JOHNSON

Josh Hollander ’96 is well-versed in navigating the health care industry from the nonclinical side. As the director of value-based care at Clearway Pain Solutions, a physician group focusing on comprehensive pain management, he specializes in the necessary business functions that enable and pay for care, whether it’s contracting with insurance companies or developing new payment models. In 2019, the Computer Information Systems major returned to campus to speak at one of Professor Danielle Hartigan’s classes. The experience inspired him to continue engaging on a wider level. Today, he hosts a monthly virtual “power lunch” open to Bentley students, alumni and staff that focuses on timely topics in health care and offers up group discussion.

What inspired you to start the “power lunches”?

I knew there were many nonclinical people from Bentley in health care, so I started reaching out to them on LinkedIn. There is something unique about the culture at Bentley that makes connecting with other alumni very warm. It’s very much about giving to the greater community.

What has been rewarding about giving back to Bentley?

It’s meeting the individuals. To me, it’s the idea of leveraging these motivated Bentley students who have a flair for business, and identifying health care as a career opportunity.

You lead the virtual events, but what have you learned through them?

I’ve learned more about my industry than I could have without these events. This network from Bentley has provided me with experts. All the time, I reach out to folks with questions, advice, sometimes ask for connections or about jobs. And I get as many or more asking me for the same thing. So it’s a back-and-forth.

Discover volunteer opportunities for Bentley alumni.

Since 2020, Blue Seven has grown into an agency powerhouse, working with over 250 brands including Cape Cod Chips, Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers and more. Renee has been named to the Boston Business Journal ’s 25 Under 25 list and has hired a few Bentley alumni over the years, including Esperanza Silva ’16, who recently joined the team.

2021

FOLD

Tiffany Knowles, MSAA ’22 (See John Herman ’20)

2023

FOLD

Sal Lupoli Jr. was invited to the New England Patriots Rookie Minicamp. At Bentley, Sal was the Northeast 10 Conference MVP for the 2023 season, led Division II in tackles per game, and tied the Bentley record for tackles in a single season. He was an AFCA first team All-American linebacker and finished his career as Bentley’s all-time leader in tackles.

Gatherings

1. Returning to campus for the annual Bentley Alumni Conference

2. Presidential event in New York City

3. 50th reunion celebration

4. Presidential Reception and Adamian Groundbreaking Celebration on campus

5. Happy hour in Raleigh, N.C.

6. Presidential reception in Los Angeles

7. An evening gathering in New Jersey

Weddings

1. Timothy Fay ’20 and Emily Weiner ’20

2. Brian DaSilva ’12 and Katie Dunn ’12

3. Samantha Avallone ’18 and Zachary Schrier ’18

4. Jeremy Koufakis ’13 and Luverie Lumbera

5. Joe Emma ’18 and Julia Averna ’18

6. Tiffany Knowles ’21, MSAA ’22 and John Herman ’20

7. Gabby Weatherbee ’18 and Matt Jeffers ’18

8. Julia Davis ’17, MST ’18 and Eric Beckwith ’17

9. Samantha Sorabella ’17 and Nick Hoffman ’16

10. Alex O’Halloran ’16 and Julia Paradis ’16

11. Cara Hart ’11 and Kelly Conley

Graduate Students

Jim Sano, MBA ’87, Medfield, Mass., has published his eighth novel, Joline, the sixth in the award-winning Father Tom series. He and his wife, Joanne, also welcomed their first granddaughter, Harper Elizebeth, to whom the book is dedicated.

David Cohen, MBA ’01 is the CEO of Doc Wayne Youth Services in Boston. Doc Wayne has been selected as a participating nonprofit in the Red Sox’s season-long initiative Changeup the Conversation. Doc Wayne, a therapy provider that uses sports and play to support mental health, offers group and individual sessions for kids and adults, as well as training for caregivers and professionals. The organization was one of five recipients chosen for Morgan Stanley’s Children’s Mental Health Innovation Awards.

Karl-Henry Francois, MBA ’07, Boston, has joined Eastern Bank as a senior vice president in the commercial banking division. With 20-plus years of experience, he specializes in tailored financial solutions for middle market businesses, helping clients strengthen their financial position, manage risk and grow. His expertise includes lending, treasury management, hedging strategies, debt capital markets and financial restructuring. He serves on the boards of Bridgewell and the New England Human Services Collaborative.

Awards and Recognitions

Rick Miller ’80, a lecturer in Management and the Athletic Department’s executive in residence, was recognized by Real Leaders as one of 80 Top Global Impact Executive Coaches. Rick is ranked No. 1 in the U.S. East Coast and No. 2 worldwide.

Lisa Willauer ’90, Glastonbury, Conn., a founding partner of Glastonbury-based accounting and advisory firm Fiondella, Milone and LaSaracina LLP (FML CPAs), has been named to Forbes ’ inaugural Best-In-State CPAs 2025 list, which identifies 1,000 of the finest CPAs from across all 50 states. Last year, Lisa was one of just four honorees from Connecticut named to Forbes ’ Top 200 CPAs list. Founded in 2002, FML has grown to 120 employees with 19 partners across six offices throughout Connecticut.

Submit your own class note and find more classmates and friends online.

Mark your calendars MARCH 26, 2026

Every gift fuels the next generation of leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs.

Future Falcons

1. Maia (center), daughter of Michael Capofari ’11 and Molly (Alfieri) Capofari ’13, with big sisters Meadow (right) and Mary Kate (left)

2. Charles Nelson, son of Rachael (Litton) Champagne ’13 and Tyler Champagne ’13, with big sister Emma

3. Silvia, daughter of Kimberly (Markowitz) Bonamassa ’11 and Daniel Bonamassa ’11, with big brother Nicholas and sister Juliana

4. Violet Dorothy, daughter of David Koschei ’12 and Amanda (Wagner) Koschei ’14

5. Elizabeth (Shuman) Bolick ’17, MSA ’18 and Timothy Bolick ’17 with son Greyson

6. John “Jack” Armstrong, son of Peter Koopman ’15 and Kayla (Anghinetti) Koopman ’17, MSA ’20

In Memoriam

1941

Robert Larson

1947

Helen (Avtges) Haralampu

1949

Gerald Roberts

Robert True

Margaret (Soutsos) Zantos, P ’85

1950

Arnot Atherton

1951

William Burke

Jeremiah Laurenti

William McAdams

Nicholas Votze

1952

Louis LoCicero

1956

Salvatore Sachetta

1957

Maurice Lavoie

Richard Ledonne

Richard Tenczar

1958

William Dixon

Martin Kashulines

Burton Kaufman

Alan Miller

James “Jim” Smithson

1959

Charles Began

Francis Connors 1960

Hartnell Bartlett

Mary (Cole) Richman

Emil Novak

Leonard Fafel, P ’94

Robert Chute

Edna (Bruce) Schroeder

1965

Michael Garofalo, MSA ’77

Doucas Goranites

John Hanley

John Scanlan, P ’88

1966

Joseph Delsignore

Elizabeth (Fillmore) Etter

Charles Hughes

Kevin Kelly

Robert McCrillis, P ’05 ’08

Perter Sarandopolis

Edward Sheehan

1967

Christos Apostolakos

John Boris

Rita (Canty) Correia

1968

Joseph Collins

Joan (Desantis) Ternan

1969

John Bulman

Linda (Humphreys) Farnum

Francis Gawron

Kenneth Morris

Kazar Shooshan 1970

Mitch Guziejka

Robert Myers

Galen Rockwell

Peter Vasil

1971

David Ahearn

Theodore Cichaski

Richard Pike

Martin Wood

1972

Lee Hamilton

David Rizkallah

Joseph Tropeano

1973

Richard Burke

Francis Martel, P ’05 1974

Raymond Billings

Scott Mahoney

Karl Nitsch 1975

Edward Flaherty

Charles Santilli 1976

David Poutry

Hawkins

Boughan 1984

Norman Budge

Thomas Crowe 1985

Constance (Coughlin) Russell

Janice (Goldmeer) Stone

Susan (Nappi) Yanchak

Meri (Somerset) Horowitz, MSA ’90

Nicole Kunzig

Kevin DeFreitas

Juan Paolo Tantoco 2025

Gaurav Jaisingh

Graduate Students

Robert MacPhail, MST ’77

Michael Ekman, MST ’79

Joseph Fitzpatrick, MSA ’79

Jon Morse, MST ’84

Bruce Esposito, MBA ’85

William Hardy, MBA ’87

Robert Cawley, MSA ’88

Neil O’Brien, MBA ’89

David Jacobs, MBA ’91

William Carnes, MBA ’96

Todd Booth, MST ’99

Elwin Richter, MBA ’99

David Scharn, MSHFID ’04

Christopher Donohue, MBA ’24

Friends, Faculty and Staff

Paul Dee, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Law, Taxation, and Financial Planning

Sharon Hays, Administrative Assistant

Sandra Smith, Senior Benefits Specialist

Remember Bentley classmates, friends, faculty and staff by making a gift in their name: bentley.edu/memorial-gift

Remembering a Charter Inductee into Bentley Athletic Hall of Fame

John A. “Jack” Pini Jr. ’75, one of the first inductees into the Bentley Athletic Hall of Fame, who went on to hold multiple roles on campus including senior philanthropic adviser, died this spring. Pini was a catcher for the baseball team from 1972 to 1975, serving as captain his senior year and getting nods as MVP and Most Improved Player. In 1984, he was among the first six inductees into the Bentley Athletic Hall of Fame. “More than 200 people turned out for the first annual Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, which was held in the college’s Resident Dining Hall,” noted an article published in the April 29, 1984 edition of the student newspaper (then called The Inferno, which less than a year later was renamed The Vanguard ). In addition to his work on the Advancement team, Pini also served as assistant baseball coach, co-head golf coach, chair of the annual Falcon Club Golf Tournament, and co-founded the Bentley Executive Club for alumni and supporters.

Flex your Falcon

Think you’re an ace at all things Bentley? Try your hand at the falcon-themed trivia below.

How many falcon statues can be found around campus?

a. 10

b. 4

c. 2

What popular TV show did Bentley’s current mascot, Flex the Falcon, make a cameo on in 2016?

a. The View

b. The Today Show

c. The Daily Show Bentley’s first mascot was adopted in 1962. What was it?

a. The falcon, of course!

b. A beaver

c. A hawk

Giving back to Bentley is about opening doors, building confidence and paving the way for future leaders who will drive change and make a positive difference in the world. I give back because my small act can lead to meaningful opportunities for students.”

Make your gift to the Bentley Fund to empower the next generation of business leaders. Make your gift by June 30 | bentley.edu/give

The Falcon Files

Breakfast by Moonlight

Then: Grabbing a plate at the second Breakfast by Moonlight (spring 1992). The tradition got its start the previous semester.

Now: Some things have changed, but the smiles stay the same: Breakfast by Moonlight is still going strong (spring 2025).

We want to hear from you! Email magazine@bentley.edu with your memories of Breakfast by Moonlight.