The Gerald R. Ferrera Service Fellowship, established in honor of the popular and committed professor of Law at Bentley, is designed to encourage student internships at non-profit organizations. The program will provide a stipend for two fellows each year to pursue work at non-profit organizations, government agencies and NGOs in the United States and abroad. The first fellows will be selected in spring 2013 for service during the summer.

Gerald R. Ferrera, Adamian Professor of Law at Bentley, will retire in June 2013 following 45 years of distinguished service as a teacher and scholar. The program is made possible by a generous pledge from Ferrera’s wife and son, Judith A. Ferrera and David L. Ferrera. 

A longtime advocate for careers dedicated to the greater good of society, Ferrera has encouraged many students over the years to consider community service and non-profit work.

“I would hope they remember that service experience long after they graduate and then become active in the public service sectors of society,” Ferrera says of the fellowship. “My expectation is that they will then participate in some type of public service where they are employed and encourage others to work with them; or perhaps someday serve on a nonprofit board.  I feel it is all part of what we teach at Bentley about leadership.”

“Since such internships are typically unpaid or minimally-paid, they often present a significant financial burden for students and are less attractive compared to corporate internships,” says Susan Brennan, executive director of University Career Services. “The stipend will open up the doors for them to pursue service opportunities and to consider careers in non-profit management.”

The Office of University Career Services, in collaboration with the Bentley Service-Learning Center, will identify and place two Ferrera Service Fellows each year.  The fellowships will present students with real-world challenges that confront non-profit organizations and provide opportunities to apply their business skills.