Welcome to the latest issue of the Bentley Buzz, where we share news and stories about the faculty and staff who make Bentley special. It is compiled by Joan Yenawine, associate director of internal communications. To share your news or an idea for a story, please email buzz@bentley.edu.

Oct. 3, 2024

People working together at conference table

Third Annual Bentley-Gallup Report Makes National Debut

The 2024 Bentley-Gallup Business in Society Report launched nationally on Sept. 12 at Gallup's headquarters in Washington, D.C. President Chrite led a panel of business leaders who shared their views on the report findings and included discussions on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI), whether businesses should speak out on political issues and current thoughts on diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.

Last week, Bentley co-hosted an event in partnership with the Massachusetts Business Roundtable and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Featuring panelists from Citizens Massachusetts, MetLife and Accenture, the event attracted a live audience at CitySpace in Boston and was also available to livestream.

Check out the D.C. event video recap, explore stats and download the new report.

Download the Report Explore the Highlights

Spirits Soar at Falcon Weekend

This year, more than 2,000 alumni, donors, families, students, guests and friends, along with faculty and staff, participated in dozens of activities and celebrations throughout Falcon Weekend.

See the highlights

Four young professionals seated on stage at panel discussion

Celtics Pros Return to Campus for Alumni Panel

On Sept. 18, three Bentley University alumni who are all current employees of the Boston Celtics returned to campus share career insights with students. Panelists included Remy Cofield, MBA ’12, director of scouting for the Boston Celtics; Ariann Williams ’12, director of community engagement; and Autumn Ceppi, MBA ’23, marketing coordinator. Bentley's Director of Undergraduate Career Development for the Pulsifer Career Development Center, Alyssa Hammond, moderated the conversation, which was co-sponsored by the Pulsifer Career Development Center, Bentley National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and Bentley Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

The Bentley Equity Experience (BEX) is back!

Mark your calendars! The Bentley Equity Experience (BEX) Survey launch day is Monday, October 28. Through this study, which includes a quantitative survey and community engagement, you'll have the opportunity to share your views on campus safety, fair and equitable treatment, and experiences of discrimination and bias. Your feedback will help us gauge the current campus climate and drive positive change. Watch your inbox for more details, including instructions on how to compete the survey.

Visit bentley.edu/bex for updates on this year's study and to review the findings from the 2021 study. You can also sign up to become a BEX ambassador.

What are New Bentley Students Thinking and Feeling?

Wondering what it feels like to be a new student at Bentley? Then be sure to take a stroll through Smith Hall and experience the Dialogue through Art installation that fills the first and second floor windows. The display is the result of an expanded orientation exercise made possible through the collaboration between Falcon Discovery Seminar and the Collins Creative Corner.

Neelangi Gunasekera, program manager, Student Success, explained that the project uses art to help first-year students start a conversation with existing community members. Students, faculty and staff helped to cut out more than 2,400 thought bubbles that new students used to write out or illustrate their worries and excitement.

“We gave students the chance to reflect on their excitement and worries about starting their journey at Bentley,” says Neelangi. “I hope our community will stop by the installation, read our students reflections, and continue this important dialogue with them.”

Danielle Krcmar, director, Visual Arts, says the project “has been a labor of love from start to finish. We want to elevate student voices and show them that the Bentley community is here to listen to them. As one MBA student said to me, ‘When you look at the worries, you feel like you’re not alone.’

Blue thought bubble on construction paper

Orange thought bubble on construction paper

Green thought bubble on construction paper

President's Speaker Series with Paul Knopp, KPMG

Join us for the next President's Speaker Series featuring special guest Paul Knopp, U.S. Chair and Chief Executive Officer, KPMG. President Chrite will lead a conversation with Paul Knopp, exploring his career journey, insights on effective leadership, strategies for fostering a strong and inclusive company culture, and approaches to navigating change management.

Wednesday, October 9, 2024 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Lindsay Hall, 38 Koumantzelis Auditorium

Welcome, New Falcons!

Nikolas Beimler — Lecturer, Global Studies
Cody Belland  — Assistant Professor, Accounting
Nicholas Bisconti — Lecturer, Marketing
Kiya Bodendorf —   Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admission
Marco Bonilla — Lecturer, Management
Jeremy Caldwell — Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admission
Mary Converse-Schulz — Lecturer, Finance
Steven Dowling — Assistant Coach, Athletics
Hayden DuBois —  Lecturer, Management
Susan Frick — Assistant Director, Next Gen Social Innovation Incubator
Jose Guzman  — Assistant Professor, Modern Languages
Cynthia Hanshaw   — Program Manager, Center for Women and Business
Margaret Hassey — Lecturer, Global Studies
Daniel Holbrook — Lecturer, Economics
Sergiy Ivakhnenkov — Lecturer, Computer Information Systems
Shweta Jain — Lecturer, Economics
Sherri Klein — Program Manager, Center for Health & Business
Harry Ma — Assistant Professor, Mathematical Sciences

Timothy Murray — Assistant Professor, Economics
Bhaskaran Natarajan   — Lecturer, Management
Devon Nedoroscik — Club Coach, Athletics
Oshoyanogue Omoyeni — Assistant Football Coach
Laura Reinholm — Assistant Controller, Financial Operations
Hannah Roos   — Administrator, Student Accessibility Services
Jean Roth — Lecturer, Mathematical Sciences
Jacob Schwartz — Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admission
Helena Sinai   — Business Administrator, Administration & Finance
Priyadharshini Sivakumar — Digital Learning Manager, Strategy and Innovation
Mathieu Severance — Assistant Football Coach, Athletics
William Tierney — Assistant Professor, English and Media Studies
Luca Tiezzi   — Lecturer, Modern Languages
Lars Torres — Associate Director, Next Gen Social Innovation Incubator
David Wilson   — Lecturer, Economics
Nkasiobu Wodu — Lecturer, Global Studies

In the Know @ the Library

Switch up your free time: Nintendo Switches and games now available to borrow!
The library’s new Nintendo Switch Kits come with everything you need to get started and the current collection of games includes fan favorites like Mario Kart and Animal Crossing.

RSM Art Gallery: Multiversed
September 20–October 20, 2024

RSM Art Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of Multiversed, featuring Jameel Radcliffe’s large-scale portrait paintings, Rebecca Greene’s cardboard sculpted masks and weavings, and Nygel Jones’ sculpturally framed collages and paintings. Now you have multiple reasons to visit the library this month.

Banned Books: Celebrate the freedom to read!
According to the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, challenges to books in 2023 reached their highest point in more than 20 years of tracking data. “4,240 unique book titles were targeted for removal from schools and libraries.” Stop by the library lobby to visit a pop-up display of the top 10 most challenged books of 2023 and grab a button to show your support for everybody's freedom to read, learn, and explore. You can also browse the library’s collections of frequently challenged titles online as downloadable eBooks and audiobooks or physical books.

What's Hot at the Library: Top Checkouts of Academic Year 2023-24
Ever wondered what everyone else is diving into at the Bentley Library? Here's a look at our top checkouts for print books, ebooks/audiobooks, and streaming films during the 2023-2024 academic year!

What's Next from OpenAI?

On Sept. 19, Dane Vahey ‘06, a strategic marketing leader at OpenAI. came back to campus to discuss his life after Bentley. Vahey spoke about how he wound up working at some of the most disruptive tech companies, including Stripe, NexHealth, and Salesforce. In case you missed the live event, we've got you covered with the video! Hear his views on the future of AI in marketing and sales, and learn about OpenAI’s latest products and model capabilities.

Watch the Video

FROM THE NEWSROOM

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