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An MLK Celebration Like No Other

Man at podium addresses audienceFor the past 37 years, Bentley celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day with an annual breakfast, an important annual tradition. This year, the dream of a bigger, bolder, more inclusive and campuswide event became a reality. Classes were cancelled for a day so that everyone could participate in exploring the theme of the “Business of Justice.” 

President Chrite welcomed more than 400 members of the Bentley community who joined in-person  — and another 248 who participated via streaming video  — saying, “We will through our own individual measures commit to critically reflecting on our collective stewardship of Dr. King’s legacy — to take account and to be accountable for our nation’s ability to, as yet, fulfill its highest aspirations.”

Students presented the Dr. Earl L. Avery MLK Leadership Award to Assistant Professor of Management Mateo Cruz and Associate Director of Financial Assistance Nivia Mogan ’99. 

After the breakfast, the celebration continued across campus. Offerings included more than 50 insightful presentations and conversations about the influence of Black culture on fashion, music, brand marketing and social media, as well as art workshops and a faculty and staff talent show. 
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See the Highlights from MLK Celebration at Bentley

Looking to the Future at Town Hall

President Chrite and Chief of Staff Amanda King welcomed faculty and staff to the first Town Hall of 2024. Provost Paul Tesluk and Dean of Students Andrew Shepardson also took the stage to outline a vision for Bentley’s future.

The Town Hall presentations brought to life plans for two initiatives that stem from our Falcons Forward 2030 strategic plan: Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Student Wellbeing. The plans include a reimagining of space and resources on our campus to provide a comprehensive approach to student wellbeing and position Bentley at the leading edge of business.

Watch the Video

Register Now for the Next President's Speaker Series

 

Rich Gotham wearing a blazer and button up shirt

Join us for the next President's Speaker Series featuring special guest, Rich Gotham, president of the Boston Celtics. 

President Chrite will engage in a conversation with Rich Gotham about the career path that led him to the Celtics and discuss lessons learned along the way.

 

Wednesday, Feb. 28
2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Koumantzelis Auditorium, Lindsay Hall

The event will also be livestreamed.

Register

 

Curating at Bentley

As curator of the RSM Gallery in Bentley’s library, Danielle Krcmar says her goal is to find artists whose work is relevant to the university’s curriculum, but who also bring the “wow” factor to campus. 

“In looking for artists for Bentley, I try to always show something new in the gallery in terms of medium and subject matter,” says Danielle. “I’m interested in artists who address issues that offer potential for curricular and co-curricular tie-ins as well as collaboration with campus offices.”

Headshot of Danielle Krcmar woman with long brown hairThe latest RSM Gallery exhibit, Landscapes and Lives Partitioned: Witnessing the Borderlands, features a range of mediums from artist Shelley K. White. The exhibit invites the viewer to consider their own immigration story and take a small booklet of poetry that inspired some of the art in the exhibit, a tangible remembrance of the gallery experience. In addition to viewing the art, the Bentley community is also invited to participate in related workshops and discussions.

As with most artists that Danielle exhibits, she began her exploration of White’s work with a visit to her studio. “I thought her artwork was very strong and compelling.” 

For Danielle, becoming a curator for a business-focused university was a natural fit, and not just because she had previously curated for Babson College. Danielle says that artists need more than artistic skill, they also need an entrepreneurial mindset. An active artist who works primarily in sculpture, she learned early on that if she wanted to show her work, she needed to create a network and make her own opportunities.

“Artists are always looking for exhibition opportunities. So, I began curating group exhibitions that included my work and doing public art pieces.” 

Like other entrepreneurs, Danielle says she must find the balance of creating the work and putting the work into the public sphere. “Your time can go into the marketing or into proposals, or it can go into the studio.”

Coming up next, Danielle is working with local gallerist and curator Beth Kantrowitz to curate work from Gateway Arts. This nonprofit studio art center, gallery and store supports artists with disabilities, providing them with studio workspace, exhibitions and sale opportunities for their art. The opening reception and talk on Feb. 29 is part of Disability Awareness Week events in collaboration with Bentley’s Disability Services Office.

On your next trip to the library, remember to explore the RSM Gallery, and check out Bentley’s events calendar to see upcoming events.  

Bentley Community Delivers Kindness

University Police put out a request to the Bentley community to donate warm winter clothing to people who are unhoused. The response? By the time campus closed for winter break, “Charlie’s Bin” in the lobby of the police station was overflowing with donations of more than 800 pairs of socks, 542 winter hats, 416 gloves and much more.

Two days after Christmas, Sergeant Matt Doucot, who spearheaded the effort, loaded his pick-up truck and brought the donations to The Movement Family, an organization in Lawrence, Mass. that provides a weekly dinner and other services for people who are homeless.People eating a pizza dinner at long tables

“Not only did the Bentley community fill up the bed of my truck with donations, but the back seats were filled as well,” said Matt.  “A lot of institutions have logos or sayings that are just that…sayings. But Bentley University has the message of 'Be a Force’ all over campus, and that force of kindness showed up big time.”

Matt says he was inspired by the example set by his late father, Charlie, who was known for his generosity. 

“One Christmas Eve, my dad helped a pizza shop owner in Chelsea get his kitchen back online. The owner was so grateful that he gave my father a couple dozen pizzas. Instead of coming home, my dad went to a homeless encampment under the Southeast Expressway and celebrated Christmas Eve with them,” says Matt.

In addition to the clothing donations, the Doucot family also sponsored a pizza dinner (pictured at right) for 60 people who are currently unhoused. On behalf of the Doucot family and the Falcon family, thank you to everyone who helped to make this winter a little warmer for people in need.

Two male students and a female student at desk with laptop

New Funding to Support Student Success

We are pleased to share that the Office of Student Success, in collaboration with Information Technology and Corporate and Foundation Philanthropy, has secured a nearly $1 million grant from an anonymous funder. These funds will support the Office of Student Success, which supports all Bentley students in accessing the resources they need to identify and realize their academic goals, complete their degrees, and transform their lives. 

Additionally, the gift will help Bentley build a data-driven student success ecosystem to better connect students to resources they need to succeed, as well as hire an additional success coach. Student success coaches work with those experiencing academic difficulty to help identify a pathway to completing their degree.
 

Reflections on Managing Conflict

The booklet “Reflections of the Ombuds” by Eliane Markoff is a collection of articles that focus on addressing and managing conflict, reflecting many of Bentley’s values. 

Eliane notes that, “Not all conflict is bad as it can present us with growth opportunities when addressed constructively.” 

You can get your free copy of her reflections at the circulation desk at the library. 

Small blue booklet with blue pen

Falcon Family Fridge Opens

It’s official - the Falcon Family Fridge is up and running! Anyone in the community is invited to take what you need and donate what you can

As announced last semester, the Falcon Family Fridge is a freestanding outdoor structure with shelves for large plastic bins to hold dry goods, and there is also a full fridge with a freezer compartment in the unit for perishable goods. It is located outside of the lowest level of Jennison, in the corner where Jennison meets Smith.

The Falcon Family Fridge is now  open for food pick up.  Please review our donation guidelines and check out our newly created Meeting Basic Needs at Bentley site that has many other helpful resources.

For those who'd like to help us keep the fridge stocked throughout the year, you can sign up to receive notifications when supplies are low.

 

Shelves filled with food and a blue door

Gold circular logo for STARS

Bentley Gets a Gold STAR for Sustainability Tracking

The Office of Sustainability is excited to announce Bentley’s Achievement of a Gold ranking from the Sustainability Tracking and Rating System, which is a program through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). This is the first time in six years that Bentley has achieved this honor, and the ranking represents a lot of hard work by many on campus. 

The featured program that helped us earn this rating is our Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, which was developed over a 12-month planning process that engaged over 300 Bentley students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The plan consists of five focus areas, each with five-year goals and strategies that align with the university's mission to "change the world with a transformative business education, integrated with arts and sciences, that inspires and prepares ethical leaders who will confront the challenges of today and shape the opportunities of tomorrow."
 

Read the Report

Woman with outstretched arms standing in clothes closet

Introducing Bentley’s New Career Closet!

The Pulsifer Career Development Center is proud to announce that the Bentley Career Closet is now open and offers students access to business attire for job interviews, career fairs, classroom presentations and more. 

Located in the Undergraduate Career Development Center in LaCava 225, the Career Closet is available without an appointment from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Students can set up other times by appointment by emailing Kristine Vidic at kvidic@bentley.edu. Students are allowed to select three items per semester. Every item in the Career Closet is free to any Bentley student. 

In alignment with the Career Development Center’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment, the Career Closet is organized by size rather than gender and strives to offer clothing in a range of sizes inclusive to every body size and shape. 

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Explore Workday Learning

Workday Learning is now available to help streamline employee learning and development with a user-friendly interface and an extensive array of resources to support continuous growth and success. 

The system provides a centralized location for employee learning opportunities that includes more than 75 internal resources (including on-demand and live courses) and full integration with LinkedIn Learning. The system will continue to grow as the go-to hub for professional development. 

To access this resource, login to Workday using your Bentley single sign-on credentials and look for the “Learning” icon. Additionally, if you’d like a brief walkthrough, you can access this overview video.

For any questions or comments or if you are someone who is interested in leveraging this system to deploy employee learning, feel free to contact HR Learning & Development at GA_HRLearningDevelopment@bentley.edu

 

Woman wearing a necklace working at laptop

Welcome New Falcons!

Bentley welcomed 15 new staff and faculty since December:
Bentley Falcon statue

-Sardar Ali, Building Services Worker

-Michael Barry, Dispatcher I

-Emily Campia, Sexual Assault Resource Specialist

-Vincent Carrabino, Club Coach

-Juan Coca, Instructional and Online Audio / Visual Technician

-Immastrid Gillett, Space Planning Administrator

-Jose James, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Haptosphere

-Laura Kryzanek, Accountant

-Brendan Minahan, IT Project Manager

-John Mulvey, Director, Operations for Enrollment Management

-Herbert Muwanga, Senior Cybersecurity Engineer

-Fernando Prieto, Director, Procurement (Vendor and Supplier Management)

-Julia Rappaport, Senior Associate Director, Strategic Communications

-Wallys Sosa-Picard, Associate Director, Brand and Creative Services

-Jane Sulkin, IT Project Manager

 

 

From the Newsroom

A Bentley Student Reflection on ADCOLOR 2023

Jaychele Nicole Schenck ’26 shares insights on DEI advocacy and reflections from the 2023 ADCOLOR conference that celebrates and advocates for diversity in the creative industries. 

By Jaychele Nicole Schenck ’26 with an introduction by Kristen Walsh

 

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Professor, Alumna Inspire Readers in New Book, “This Era of Black Activism”

Bentley’s Mary Marcel, an associate professor of Experience Design , and alumna Edith Joachimpillai ’12, edited and contributed essays to “This Era of Black Activism,” a new book that explores social justice movements championed by Black activists.

By Molly Mastantuono

 

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9 Fascinating Facts About Dan Everett

Learn all about Bentley’s Dan Everett, an internationally recognized linguist, anthropologist and philosopher, who has been hailed as “the closest thing we have to a real-life Indiana Jones.” 

By Molly Mastantuono

 

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