The Bentley Buzz

This holiday season, University Police are glad to bring back their annual toy drive, which collects toys and presents for children and families in the Waltham area. First launched in 2001 to spread joy to the community after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the University Police Toy Drive has impacted countless families in need across Waltham, further strengthening Bentley’s ties with the neighboring community.

This year, University Police is partnering with Athletics to collect toys during home hockey and basketball games to ensure that members of the Bentley community can participate and help those in need across Waltham.

With fewer faculty and staff on campus last December, the toy drive was suspended, though University Police were still able to make a difference by donating gifts left over from 2019. After collecting toys from the Bentley community, University Police partners with Waltham Police to distribute the gifts to children and families who would benefit most from them..
 

“In the past, the Bentley community has been so generous with toys donated that we’ve had to find alternate places to donate them,” said Lt. Jess Roche. “After the Waltham Police Department got all that they needed for their program, we’ve taken toys to the Children’s Hospital in Waltham and to the local Department of Children and Families for children in their custody.”

University Police officers and staff regularly get involved to build community at Bentley, and the toy drive allows them to extend that effort each year to the Waltham area.  

“We love working with the Waltham Police Department to help children have a happier holiday,” said Lt. Roche. “We hope that receiving the extra gift makes things a little easier for their parents and puts a smile on the face of their children. We so appreciate the Bentley community’s generosity that allows us to do this for the greater Waltham community.”

Interested in donating a gift to the toy drive? Visit University Police headquarters to deliver a gift or contact Lt. Jess Roche or Melissa Diglio to arrange pick-up for larger donations by Dec. 17.

Toys should be new, unwrapped, non-violent and suitable for ages 1-16.

President Chrite spent time getting to know more members of the Bentley community at some holiday celebrations this month. Bentley’s loyal donors — Great Benefactors, President’s Club members, True Blue donors and members of the 1917 Legacy Society — enjoyed a night at the Holiday Pops at Boston's Symphony Hall. President Chrite also met alumni and family members at receptions in Boston and New York City, where he told them, “The alumni cohort is so important. I want to thank you for your support and your engagement. It’s one of the reasons why this university is so extraordinary. I look forward to engaging as many of you as possible in our upcoming strategic positioning process to define what the next level of excellence looks like for Bentley."

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Stanton Research Professor of Economics Dhaval Dave was awarded the 2021 Georgescu-Roegen Prize by the Southern Economic Association for his paper, "Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, Opioid Abuse, and Crime," which was published in the Southern Economic Journal. This is the second time that Dhaval earned the award, having first won in 2013 for his paper, "Impact of Direct‐to‐Consumer Advertising on Pharmaceutical Prices and Demand."

In addition to naming this annual award, the Southern Economic Association also recognizes the runner-up paper, which Dhaval also won for his paper, "The contagion externality of a superspreading event: The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and COVID-19."

Join the Buzz in congratulating Dhaval on these exceptional recognitions!

As part of Bentley’s commitment to fostering an environment of inclusion, belonging, respect and engagement, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion is proud to introduce NameCoach, which allows students, faculty and staff to record and share the accurate pronunciation of their names. Since NameCoach was launched in Blackboard earlier this semester, it's been used in nearly 100 courses by over 450 students and professors.

“I used the NameCoach tool to start normalizing pronunciation for inclusion," said Associate Professor of Geology Dave Szymanski. Xiaofan Gao, a student in Professor Szymanski's class, said, “NameCoach is very helpful because most people can say my name, but the pronunciation is always a bit off. But Professor Szymanski says it with no issue." 

A new feature called a NameBadge was added to the platform earlier this month, enhancing the usability of the tool. With NameBadge, the recording can be shared as a widget or a link in the email signature, on LinkedIn or any other social media platform. 

Create Your NameBadge