Dean's Report 2022

DEAN’S

REPORT

FROM THE DEAN

I am pleased to share the 2022 Dean’s Report, which celebrates our recent successes and highlights many of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends, with attention to the ways they make Isenberg a special place. I firmly believe that we are better today than we were before the pandemic took hold of us in spring 2020. We learned a lot about ourselves and we have a lot to be proud of, including how innovative, supportive, and resilient our community proved to be. I am personally privileged to work with so many inspiring people.

In this report, you’ll find updates on our programs, including new initiatives and the ways we’re adapting to the changing needs of our students, the business community, and the university. You’ll also find information on our strides in academic research and thought leadership, donor impact, and other priorities that advance our reputation. When you open this booklet from the other side, you’ll be able to read about our new strategic plan: Roadmap 2027 lays out our vision and the goals we’ll be working toward over the next five years. This plan will help us stay ahead of an increasingly competitive landscape and will be shared more fully later this fall.

I hope you enjoy this look under the hood! As we look both back at the past year and also forward to the future, one thread runs through everything—that is the devoted community of supporters, without whom we simply could not deliver world-class education or thought leadership. The continued involvement and support of alumni and friends is one of the most important aspects to Isenberg’s success—thank you!

I hope you enjoy the Dean’s Report as much as we enjoy sharing it with you.

Sincerely,

Anne

Massey

Dean and Thomas O’Brien Endowed Chair

Isenberg School of Management

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Celebrating Our Graduates

More than a thousand undergraduate students in the Class of 2022 celebrated with family, friends, and the Isenberg community at an in-person commencement ceremony this past May. Ninety-five percent of those students who were seeking employment obtained a job before or shortly after graduating from Isenberg. They are taking on roles including equity research analysts, area managers, audit associates, technology risk consultants, allocation analysts, and marketing program specialists. Many other students are going on to graduate programs, including our own master of science in accounting program.

Isenberg also celebrated more than 700 graduate students from the Class of 2022 and Class of 2020 (due to their celebration being canceled) who completed master’s degrees in accounting, business analytics, business administration, finance, and sport management. Students took their Isenberg MBA and MS Oaths and were invited to a grand reception to celebrate with their families, friends, and Isenberg staff and faculty.

Our doctoral program honored six students in a robing ceremony held at Isenberg. Our PhDs have received placements at top institutions such as Pepperdine, University of California, and Old Dominion University.

We are extremely proud of this group of students as they’ve grown to be resilient, inclusive, and socially conscious individuals.

STUDENTS AT THE LEAD

Over the past year, two student-run advisory councils have been established and had their first set of students at the helm. These boards will assist the Dean’s Office with ongoing strategy development and DEI initiatives. Isenberg has also created the Dean’s Academy, a program designed to attract top incoming students looking to hit the ground running in their business degree.

The Dean’s Student Advisory Council is composed of a small number of Isenberg undergraduate students who serve in a variety of capacities to assist the dean and Isenberg’s leadership team in developing strategies that not only enhance the undergraduate student experience but also support our vision as a top business school.

The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Advisory Council is an evolution from the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work, which centers student, staff, and faculty inclusion and belonging. With past efforts bringing students together on the DEI Student Council, and faculty and staff together on a DEI committee, we will merge efforts for 2022-2023 so that equal voice is provided to those committed to making Isenberg a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible organization.

Jenna Midura ’22 2021-2022 DSAC Member

“The Dean’s Student Advisory Council provided me with various opportunities, from enhancing my own leadership skills to giving back to the school that gave me so much in the four short years that I was there. Being a part of this team allowed me to voice my own and other students’ opinions so that we could work towards being a more diverse, inclusive, and well-rounded school. I will forever be inspired by their commitment to upholding the school’s vision as one of the best in the world.”

2022 Senior Barbecue

Dean Anne Massey and Associate Dean Janet Fink with the Dean’s Student Advisory Council

As part of Isenberg’s effort to attract and support exceptional students, Dean Massey has invited 32 newly admitted students to join a new initiative called the Isenberg Dean’s Academy. During their first two years, the students—chosen based on outstanding academic achievement in high school courses as well as potential for success at Isenberg—will participate in weekly seminars, meet corporate executives and industry leaders, and have regular sessions with the dean and other academic leaders.

“Ultimately, I want to provide these students with a unique experience that allows them access to professionals and leaders that you usually do not interact with as a college student,” says Bradley Bennett, the program’s director as well as the Ronald C. Mannino Faculty Fellow and associate professor of accounting. “I’m excited that the students will

“With faculty, staff, and students on the council together, they can gain another perspective of what their students face and how they truly feel. This perspective will give them a greater understanding of their students and allow them to make their classroom a better and more inclusive place for their students, and also allow them to educate fellow faculty and staff about their students, which will overall make Isenberg a more inclusive and welcoming space.”

have the opportunity to meet with corporate executives and business leaders on campus and in visits to firms in Boston and New York. Those discussions will enhance how they understand and view the issues that faculty discuss in their course material. I think the Dean’s Academy is an exciting way to provide a rich foundation, which sets them on a course to choose their profession and excel in it.”

Women of Isenberg Conference

“Our favorite part of organizing the event is being able to see the outcome,” says Amy Brennan, a senior OIM major and one of the 2022 Women of Isenberg (WOI) co-presidents. “To see all that labor produce an amazing event and positively affect so many attendees is an incredible experience.”

The team consisted of 12 students, including Brennan and co-president Skye Lovell, a senior marketing major. During this spring semester, says Lovell, “the 10 committee members have been spending close to 15 hours per week on WOI and the presidents hit 20 to 25 hours.” She adds that 21 community council members (undergraduate and graduate UMass students) and 19 student ambassadors also contributed by preparing questions for panel discussions and assembling introductions of moderators, among other tasks.

The hard work paid off, with the successful virtual event serving more than 400 attendees. The 2023 event will mark the tenth anniversary of the Women of Isenberg Conference.

Julia Jimenez ’24 2021-2022 IDEA Council Member and Chuck McQuaid Scholar

CULTIVATING AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE

The Isenberg community has been focusing on celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as part of the school’s priority to create global citizens and inclusive leaders. New coursework has been developed, including Diversity and Inclusion in Business, which supports students from all undergraduate majors in exploring personal identities, implicit biases and stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice, and building more inclusive cultures in teams and the workplace. The course will become mandatory for Isenberg students entering this fall.

The school’s third annual Inclusive Leadership Summit was held in November as a week-long virtual conference. Keynote speaker Ken Bouyer, director of Inclusiveness Recruiting at EY, emphasized the importance of having open and honest conversations about the issues we are facing today. “Conversations are the currency for change,” he said. Other events during the year included a panel discussion about how intersecting identities shape the experiences

of Womxn of Color at Work, which was offered in collaboration with the UMass Women of Color Leadership Network. Another cross-campus collaboration event was hosted by Isenberg and the School of Humanities and Fine Arts: Dr. Ronald Crutcher spoke with students about how to navigate race and leadership, inspired by his book, The Critical Role of Conversations Across Difference in a Democratic Society.

A screening of the film $AVVY, which investigates the historical, cultural, and societal norms around women and money, was followed by a live Q&A with director Robin Hauser and Dean Anne Massey.

Isenberg’s ongoing Conversation With series brings inspiring business executives to campus in person and virtually to talk to students about the demands of effective and inclusive leadership. They share personal stories and discuss challenges they have faced in their careers and organizations.

Womxn of Color hosts and panelists

Conversations are the currency for change.

Ken Bouyer Director of Inclusiveness Recruiting at EY

SUPPORTING THE WHOLE STUDENT

Plenty of business people know what design thinking is— a methodology for attacking wicked problems with surprising, innovative solutions—but they may not know what life design is. Life design uses the design thinking process and mindsets to attack problems in our lives. Those problems can range from feeling stuck in a job to wondering whether to buy a house. In Isenberg’s first-year seminar, Transitions, Office of Career Success (OCS) faculty ask their students to tackle this primary problem: how to make the most of the next four years of your life at UMass.

Using probing questions, such as which major to choose or internships to pursue, students explore possibilities by using the design thinking approach of ideating and prototyping. A good prototype for exploring a major is to interview a faculty member from the department. For exploring a company, students might find an externship with that company or interview an alum who works there, two good examples of a life design prototype. With master’slevel students, timing is tight; students need strategies for exploring options while engaged in a fast-paced, rigorous academic curriculum. Getting life design techniques early on in their orientations helps them do some initial goal setting and make plans for prototyping their professional interests right from the start. Feedback so far has been that

it’s a helpful way to gain clarity on some of life’s most tricky questions for a student, especially those big ones: What do you want to do with your life? Who do you want to become?

OCS faculty Holly Lawrence and Bob Bowse were trained in life design at the Stanford University Design Studio, and career coaches Kim Figueroa and David Wells have certification in life design coaching from Stanford University. An OCS goal is to get everyone in the career center and any faculty teaching career and professional development content trained and/or certified in life design so that we can integrate its concepts and practices into a lot of our work with students.

A Conversation With Earl Stafford ’76, CEO of the Stafford Foundation and emeritus UMass Amherst Foundation Board Member (top); The Association for Diversity in Business club (bottom)

ISENBERG & THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY

Isenberg rightly celebrates our tight-knit community of faculty, students, alumni, and friends, but the school works hard to ensure that our network of collaborators extends out across the entire university. Programs housed in Isenberg that can enhance degrees from other UMass Amherst schools and colleges include new 4+1 graduate degree offerings and a business minor. Isenberg faculty collaborate regularly with their peers across campus, and programming offered by the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship is explicitly pancampus in nature, attracting participants from every discipline to pitch competitions and entrepreneurship bootcamps.

Gregory S. Thomas, executive director of the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship, emphasizes the value of such cross-campus cooperation, pointing out that a close relationship between the deans of Isenberg and the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) in particular has led to a productive connection between his center and the lab of Professor of Biology Margaret Riley: At least four teams of student researchers from the Riley Lab have won funding for ventures focused on drug development at the Innovation Challenge, Berthiaume’s annual signature pitch event.

“When we discover that our entities are not in competition, then we can solve problems together and move forward,” he says. “Those two deans exemplify the cross-campus relationships we need to advance Chancellor Subbaswamy’s vision for the Berthiaume Center to be a catalytic organization—and to build a stronger UMass Amherst community.”

Riley says she encourages her students to take full advantage of Berthiaume’s resources. “It makes science come alive,” she

says, adding that the experience of trying to commercialize lab discoveries helps students develop invaluable skills: “The students choose their own projects. They have to inspire others to join their team. They have to become good at promoting their project. A lot of that—such as training in elevator pitches—they learn through the Berthiaume process.”

Students who want to add business skills and knowledge to their more formal degree programs are finding Isenberg’s academic resources more available as well. The business minor, which debuted in 2020, has been very popular, attracting more than 500 undergraduates per semester. They take 15 credits that provide them with a foundation in accounting, finance, management, marketing, and operations and information management. They acquire skills in decision-making, organizational behavior, strategy, project management, and supply-chain management.

“We knew there was demand for a business minor, but we were really surprised by just how many students jumped at the opportunity,” says Janet Fink, Isenberg’s associate dean for undergraduate programs. “They know that knowledge of important business concepts is applicable in any field and can enhance the marketability of their degrees, whether they’re in science, engineering, or humanities. We’re excited to have Isenberg be a resource for students across the university.”

Pathways to a Graduate Degree

Isenberg is continuing on its path of innovation to help students and professionals reach their academic and career goals with the launch of a new certificate in the foundations of management. Certificate programs provide increased access to graduate education and a pathway to our MS and MBA degrees. Our graduate certificates are available online which is ideal for busy people seeking to grow their business skills, move up or over in their career path, or become an industry leader.

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

Business Analytics • Forensic Accounting Foundations of Management NEW!

And for students who want to pursue an area of business study in more depth, Isenberg began offering accelerated 4+1 graduate degrees in the spring. Undergraduate students at UMass Amherst and other colleges in the Five College Consortium can apply during their junior year or early in the senior year and, if accepted to the Master of Science in Accounting, Master of Science in Business Analytics, or Master of Finance program, can start taking graduatelevel business classes before graduating. Some credits can even apply to both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

“Our 4+1 programs provide a great complement to a wide range of undergraduate degrees, enabling students to pursue their passion, while preparing for a rewarding career,” says Traci Hess, associate dean of graduate and professional programs. “Many undergraduate students have room in their schedule to take graduate classes and thus can get a head start on a master’s degree. They are then perfectly positioned for internships and full-time career opportunities.”

Isenberg’s status as a valuable and collaborative member of the larger UMass Amherst community and our ability to support students and faculty from other schools and colleges enhance our reputation as a top business school, and we continue to seek opportunities to share knowledge and resources.

Together Again

This past year brought alumni back to campus and out networking in full force! Events like homecoming, annual alumni award banquets for the hospitality and tourism management and accounting departments, graduate programs networking night in Boston, and a new event bringing together alumni and students working in real estate were incredibly successful. The most notable event was the 50th Anniversary of the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management, which brought more than 100 sport alumni, faculty, and friends to campus on June 11th. Events included a golf outing, lectures from McCormack faculty describing their industrychanging academic research, a panel discussion on the 50th anniversary of Title IX, and a celebratory banquet dinner. A dedicated “Fuel the Next Fifty” fundraising campaign advances efforts like the McCormack Diversity Fund.

Isenberg presented our new marquee event, Leaders of Impact, in September. The event showcased leaders who influence their organizations, industries, and communities in innovative and tangible ways. As an exemplary leader of impact, Rob Hale, co-founder and president of Granite Telecommunications, was the keynote speaker and shared his thoughts on leadership, influence, and effecting change. This year’s event recognized the following as Leaders of Impact:

≥ Ken Bouyer, EY Americas Director of Inclusiveness Recruiting

≥ Zaileen Janmohamed, SVP, Head of Commercial Development & Innovation, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties

≥ Ryan Salame, CEO, FTX Digital Markets & Founder, Lenox Eats

IN MEMORIAM

RONNIE

ISENBERG

“Ronnie Isenberg cared deeply about education throughout her whole life. She also cared about this school and our community, and her kindness and support continue to propel us forward,” says Dean Anne Massey. “She and her family valued the education Gene received at UMass and were determined to ensure that the commonwealth’s public university students have access to cutting-edge interdisciplinary higher education. We’re grateful that Ronnie was part of our community, and we’re honored to be part of her legacy.”

Ronnie Isenberg, who was named an honorary alumna of UMass Amherst in 2014, died at age 91 on September 25, 2021, at her home on Martha’s Vineyard. She will be remembered along with her late husband Gene Isenberg ’50, ’00H for their long-standing support of their namesake school, which gained its moniker in 1997 after the couple made the largest donation of its kind from an individual in the history of UMass Amherst.

The Isenberg family continues to support school initiatives such as scholarship funds, faculty excellence, and student-run events like the Women of Isenberg Conference.

Dean Massey and Chancellor Subbaswamy with the Leaders of Impact awardees and keynote speaker

More than 240 students have received funding for their Isenberg education since the George and Sherry Dickerman Family Scholarship was established in 1989, and many more will continue to benefit from their generosity.

GEORGE DICKERMAN

George Dickerman ‘61 lived a remarkable life, leading Spalding Sports Worldwide for 24 years and working tirelessly to ensure the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame remained in Springfield. He was also among the founding board members of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts when it was created in 1996. A longtime Longmeadow resident, he died on March 25 at the age of 83.

In addition to his business acumen, the quiet philanthropy of Dickerman, together with his wife Sherry, was cited by many friends and community leaders as having had a significant impact across the region. Dickerman’s impact on Isenberg was driven by his own experience at UMass. On the eve of his senior year, personal finances threatened to delay his degree. Fortunately, a family friend came to the rescue with assistance that allowed Dickerman to graduate on time. His benefactor’s only condition was that he give back by helping future UMass students. That has inspired Dickerman’s own message to recipients: They too must repay their scholarship by giving back to Isenberg, preferably with scholarship support of their own.

ELENA LUCORE

Elena Lucore, 19, of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, was a firstyear student at Isenberg when she passed away in February after being hit by a car when crossing Massachusetts Avenue. Although she had only been at UMass for six months, she had already left a positive impact on the UMass community and student body. Lucore embraced many opportunities to become involved at the university, joining Isenberg Women in Business and becoming a member of Iota Gamma Upsilon.

Lucore’s parents continue to have discussions with university administration regarding measures that can be taken to improve pedestrian safety on campus. They have also endowed a scholarship in her memory that will help others to succeed in their own dreams.

ANSHU JAIN

Anshu Jain ’85 MBA, who died in August, was “the best fixed income banker of his generation,” according to a colleague quoted in a Financial Times article about him. After his early career at Merrill Lynch, he moved to Deutsche Bank in 1995 and helped spearhead the efforts of Germany’s largest lender to become a strong European challenger to American investment banks. In 2012, he became Deutsche’s first non-white and non-Germanspeaking chief executive—he was appointed co-CEO along with Jürgen Fitschen.

During Jain’s MBA studies, he worked closely with thenFinance Professor Thomas Schneeweis, who could see that Jain was preparing to move up through the competitive ranks to the highest echelons of the financial industry. “Anshu focused on becoming one of our top students in the area of futures and options products, such that he was in demand by several of the larger investment firms on his graduation,” says Schneeweis, who is now chief investment officer for YES Wealth Management.

Jain was born in India and studied economics at the University of Delhi and then moved to the United States to study for his MBA at Isenberg. He resigned from Deutsche in 2015, and in 2017, he became president of the investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald.

MICHAEL LAP

Michael Lap, 24, of Northampton, Massachusetts, was a senior HTM major at Isenberg when he was killed in a car accident last fall.

Lap, a valued and admired member of the HTM department, was serving at the time as vice president of the UMass Student Chapter of the Club Management Association of America. “He was highly active in the chapter and took great care in involving other students and promoting the chapter,” wrote club advisor Rod Warnick, a professor of HTM. Warnick added that the UMass Student Chapter’s spring 2021 “Chapter of the Year” award—naming it the best CMAA chapter in the country—“was highly attributed to the student leadership and involvement of the students like Michael Lap.

FUTURE FOCUS

DEAN’S REPORT 2022

ROADMAP 2027

A strategic plan for Isenberg’s future

I am pleased to share Isenberg’s strategic plan, Roadmap 2027, and the ambitious goals we’ve set forth for the next five years. Our strategic planning process was driven by the question, How do we sustain and advance a reputation for excellence in all we do? These new goals will help us achieve our vision and support our mission in ways that reflect Isenberg’s values.

As shared in earlier reports, we have been investing in five priorities—attracting exceptional students, sustaining faculty excellence, enabling student success, creating global citizens and inclusive leaders, and inspiring innovation in teaching and learning—each with several underlying initiatives that will help us advance our reputation and achieve our goals.

The goals we have laid out will help Isenberg further its impact on business theory and practice, provide access to state-of-the-art curricula, advance graduates’ career preparation, create valued partnerships and alumni connections, and build a diverse organization that fosters inclusion and a strong sense of belonging.

Go to isenberg.umass.edu for more details about the specific initiatives we’re launching as part of the strategic plan—we are excited and hope you’ll be engaged with us throughout this process, since community support is crucial to Isenberg’s success.

Anne Massey Dean and Thomas O’Brien Endowed Chair Isenberg School of Management

ISENBERG’S VALUES

commitment to impact and outcomes that transform lives, organizations, and society

Excellence in all we do

spirit of collaboration, open communication, and respect for others

commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness

Individual and collective responsibility, ethical conduct, and integrity

On-going innovation in scholarship, teaching and learning, and programs

An entrepreneurial mindset and ‘can-do’ attitude

∞

VISION

To be recognized as a world-class business school that transforms lives, organizations, and society through education, research, engagement, and diversity and inclusion efforts. We seek to be the destination of choice for students, faculty, staff, and partners who share this commitment.

TO INCREASE OUR IMPACT on business theory and practice by supporting the creation and dissemination of outstanding scholarship

MISSION

∞ RESEARCH: We conduct cutting-edge scholarship focused on important and relevant business and societal challenges. In doing so, we recognize that the complexity of today’s challenges calls for research connections and collaborations that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries.

∞ EDUCATIONAL: We offer state-of-the-art education that is accessible and affordable to all learners. Founded on research and grounded in the real-world, we provide transformative curricular and co-curricular experiences that produce highly competent, confident, and inclusive future leaders who seek to make a difference.

∞ DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:

We create a culture of belonging and community that values and respects differences—not only in demographics, but also in background, experiences, and perspectives—so everyone feels welcome and where every member of our community can thrive.

∞ ENGAGEMENT: We serve regional, national, and global communities by sharing our expertise and knowledge, and seek to contribute to economic and social progress. We emphasize a collaborative approach that encourages the creation of value-added partnerships among faculty, students, other campus units, alumni, and external organizations.

TO BE A LEADER in offering state-of-the-art programs and career preparation, accessible to all learners, and supported by high-quality teaching, instructional innovations, and effective use of digital technologies.

TO BE A VALUED PARTNEROF-CHOICE for innovative and entrepreneurial pursuits, setting the standard for engagement with internal and external partners, including on- and off-campus educational institutions, alumni, industry, and community organizations.

TO BE MORE DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE and make Isenberg the destination of choice for students, faculty, and staff seeking a community that exemplifies belonging and opportunity for all.

TO GENERATE NEW AND SUSTAINABLE REVENUE STREAMS via a portfolio of innovative degree and non-degree programs.

THE VALUE OF EXCELLENT FACULTY

One of the top priorities laid out by Dean Anne Massey during her first year at Isenberg was sustaining faculty excellence — the school’s top-notch faculty members have been a vital part of the story of Isenberg’s growing reputation as a top business school, through both their impressive and groundbreaking academic research and also their evidencedriven, empathetic instructional strategies.

WHY I GIVE

“I believe that the more faculty get support, the stronger the total faculty will be. A faculty fellowship is an excellent support system to allow faculty to go beyond their traditional activities and produce work that enhances Isenberg’s reputation.”

John F. Kennedy, ’76 MS

Attracting and retaining the most impressive faculty members requires more than good will though. To compete with peer institutions for professors who publish in premium journals and earn strong student followings, the dean has focused on raising funds to support the establishment of titled positions.

While the highest levels of titled positions—endowed chairs and professorships—have long been important for supporting the work of established faculty members, Isenberg has more recently increased its focus on offering positions called fellowships, which are significant because they help retain newer faculty members who might otherwise be tempted to move to other institutions as they advance in their teaching and research. The first endowed fellowship will be established by John F. Kennedy, who earned a master’s degree in accounting from Isenberg in 1976.

The John F. Kennedy Faculty Fellowship’s first recipient, Emily Heaphy, is an associate professor of management who joined the Isenberg faculty in 2018. Her research focuses on how work relationships, emotions, and the human body affect human flourishing, and she teaches human resource

management to undergraduate and graduate students. She won the 2021 College Outstanding Teaching Award as well.

“Retaining faculty members during the more formative years of their academic careers is essential,” says Dean Massey. “Faculty like Emily Heaphy are publishing really new and influential research, and they’re sharing their fresh perspectives with our undergraduate and graduate students. We can’t afford to lose them to other institutions that see how valuable they are.”

An even newer faculty fellowship, the Charles J. Dockendorff Faculty Fellowship, will be ready for assignment in 2023. “I hope that this donation will continue to attract the best and brightest professors to the Isenberg school and give others the opportunity I was given,” Dockendorff says.

The fortified effort behind hiring and supporting up-andcoming academic stars included the designation of five fellowships during the fall of 2021, including Heaphy’s award. Other recipients included:

Lisa Pike Masteralexis, senior associate dean and professor of sport management

COMMITTED TITLED FACULTY POSITIONS

Isenberg Teaching Fellows

A new cohort of faculty were named to the Isenberg Teaching Fellows program, an honor that recognizes their innovative application of new technologies in the classroom:

≥ Carey Baldwin, Lecturer, OIM

≥ Kerri Bohonowicz, Senior Lecturer, Accounting

≥ Nora Junaid, Lecturer and Course Designer, OIM

≥ Emily Must, Lecturer and Director of Internships, Sport Management

≥ Sara Smiarowski, Lecturer, Finance

≥ G. Bradley Bennett, Ronald C. Mannino Faculty Fellow, Associate Professor of Accounting

≥ Jeremy Bentley, Richard Dieter ‘66 MS & Susan C. Dieter Faculty Fellow, Associate Professor of Accounting

≥ Matthew Katz, Dean’s Research Faculty Fellow, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director for the McCormack Department of Sport Management

≥ Mila Getmansky Sherman, Judith Wilkinson O’Connell Faculty Fellow, Professor of Finance

“These fellowships publicly affirm our faith in the quality and potential of our wonderful faculty members,” Massey says. “The supplementary funds that come with their titles can go toward research and travel, doctoral students, and more, helping Isenberg hold onto these world-class scholars.”

Increasing the availability of endowed positions for more senior faculty members remains a priority for Isenberg as well.

For example, a new endowed professorship—the Lisa Pike Masteralexis ‘87 Endowed Professorship in Sport Management—has been established as part of this year’s continued on page 2.4

20

Chairs Professorships

With the program entering its third year, the fellows’ goal is to improve student engagement by helping all faculty members incorporate new teaching methods into their classrooms as well as sharing best practices.

New Isenberg Teaching Fellows with Dean Massey

Fellowships

THE VALUE OF EXCELLENT FACULTY

50th anniversary celebration of the McCormack Department of Sport Management. Funded by a number of alumni and the McCormack family with a large funding match from Douglas ‘71 and Diana Berthiaume, the professorship is named in honor of Senior Associate Dean Lisa Masteralexis, who has been a sport management faculty member since 1990 and who served as the department’s longest-tenured chair, enhancing McCormack’s reputation and playing a special role in the lives and careers of its students and alumni. The faculty recipient of the award will be named in 2026.

Another position, the James P. O’Connell Endowed Professorship in Accounting, was awarded this spring to Elaine Wang. The position—named after a beloved faculty member who taught at Isenberg from 1965 to 1994—is made possible by the generosity of the Isenberg family; Paul Kelliher ‘74, ‘75 MBA and Joanne Kelliher; and John N. Spinney Jr. ‘87 and Erin Spinney ‘06.

And the school’s total number of endowed professorships will soon be increasing even more: In the past few months, three new endowed professorships have been announced.

Douglas ’71 and Diana Berthiaume have committed to funding two new titled positions, which they committed to as part of a program allowing Isenberg and UMass to access state matching funds toward faculty and student support. While the exact details have not yet been finalized, the endowed professorships will support two outstanding faculty members, allowing them to further their contributions in teaching, research,

and public service. The funds provided will support research and travel, doctoral students, offsetting teaching loads, and more. Doug Berthiaume, who graduated from Isenberg with an accounting degree, has been a long-time supporter of the school—the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship is named for him and his wife in recognition of the $10 million gift they gave in 2014, and they already support several faculty positions.

In September, Robert Epstein ’67 committed to funding an endowed professorship in honor of UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy, who plans to retire in 2023 after a decade of exceptional service to the university. The position is likely to support a faculty member in the Hospitality & Tourism Management Department—Epstein hopes to help ignite more interest in the field, which was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Epstein, who majored in marketing at Isenberg, is co-owner and president of the Horizon Beverage Group and former chairman of Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America—he has worked with more than 15,000 retail and restaurant customers.

“I have been inspired by the innovation and growth UMass and Isenberg have seen under Chancellor Subbaswamy’s leadership,” Epstein says. “The university is attracting students of the highest caliber who are eager to make a difference in their chosen fields; and faculty scholarship has had a considerable impact both in the commonwealth and on the national stage. It is an honor to contribute to this upward trajectory with a gift that will further bolster academic excellence in the Isenberg School of Management.”

Heaphy, associate professor and John F. Kennedy Faculty Fellow

Emily

CYCLE OF GIVING BACK

It is our mission to provide access to quality higher education regardless of wealth or social status. With gifts from donors, corporate partners, and many others, we have been able to almost triple our scholarship fund over the past five years, allowing us to help more than 900 students fund their education—including many who would otherwise not have been able to attend Isenberg. Isenberg scholarship recipients and those who are introduced to philanthropy early on, are the most likely to give back to help others and continue the legacy of giving.

DRIVEN to G][VE

“I received a foundational education at UMass that served me well throughout my career. It was a financial challenge for my family to support my enrollment at UMass and that is why I have been an annual fund donor for many years. Over the years I have been blessed with much in life so I made the decision to make a legacy bequest to scholarship and the Isenberg Dean’s Fund for Excellence. It is gratifying to know that I can possibly make a difference in other people’s lives through the gifts that I make to the Isenberg School.” Pat Sylvia ’77

Instilling a sense of pride and philanthropy early on helps our students understand the power of giving back. Many have been directly impacted by scholarships, company sponsorships for student activities, or even an alumni mentor who helped secure a first job. Every year, the senior class promotes the “Driven to Give’’ Senior Gift Campaign to leave their legacy at Isenberg. This year, the Class of 2022 raised $11,941, with 66 percent of the class participating in the campaign. They unlocked $6,000 of Dean’s Challenge funding bringing the final total to $17,941. Their gift is an Iris Booth that is being installed in the Chase Career Center. The booth will allow students to get free professional headshots to add to their tool kits as they grow their networks and build their personal brands.

EMBRACING GROWTH

As our enrollment grows we continue to staff up and recruit top faculty to support the need for more classes and support services. We hired six new faculty and are creatively solving for the shortage of student support staff by optimizing programs like the Career Peers and Student Ambassadors, which help assist with less technical requests so advisors and career coaches can focus on academic planning and career development.

FUNDING THE FUTURE

Generous support from thousands of donors has allowed Isenberg to move the needle on supporting the school’s priorities to maintain excellence and improve access for students seeking a quality business education. We are grateful to everyone who has made a gift of time or money that supports our progress. These generous contributions, along with the revenue generated from our innovative continuing and professional education programs, provide us with a solid financial foundation, but we never want to stop improving. This past year has been our best yet with more and more alumni and friends viewing Isenberg as investment-grade and our plans for the future of the school will provide an ROI like no other for our community.

SOURCES OF OPERATING FUNDS

General Operating Funds, 47%

Continuing and Professional Education, 34% Gifts and Endowment Income, 8% Other Program Income, 11%

WHO GIVES

Alumni, 1,610 Students, 956 Parents, 616 Friends, 321 Faculty & Staff, 148 Organizations, 139 FY22 Total Unique Donors: 3,490

CAREER PEER SUCCESS

Starting this fall, there are 20 Career Peers onboard. New this year, first-year students in Transitions meet oneon-one with a Career Peer to discuss resumes, elevator pitches, or any other topic of choice regarding career paths, majors, or life in Isenberg. In this way, they get exposed to the Office of Career Success early and to some of Isenberg’s top students and leaders who can help mentor them as they make decisions about majors, classes, internships, and more. With support from our generous donors, the very successful and popular program has tripled in size over the past two years and helped over 2,000 students.

WHY I GIVE

“As a proud graduate of Isenberg, being a supporter has always been a priority. The Chase Career Peers program is an innovative approach to providing undergraduates with invaluable insights that can help them navigate the first step of their career path. Being able to assist the program with its expansion so that more of the student population can benefit from conversations with peer counselors is a true honor.”

Claudia Mott ’80

π

A Career Peer advising a fellow student

ABOUT ISENBERG

Founded in 1947, the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is AACSB accredited and has more than 6,000 students enrolled in nationally and internationally recognized programs on campus and online.

ISENBERG OFFERS UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES IN:

• Accounting

• Finance

• Hospitality & Tourism Management

• Management

• Marketing

• Operations & Information Management

• Sport Management

DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS

ACCOUNTING

Highest satisfaction score for career preparation and guidance across all departments on campus

OPERATIONS & INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Highest satisfaction score for quality of teaching across all departments on campus

SPORT MANAGEMENT

Highest score for overall satisfaction with UMass experience

MASTERS DEGREES IN:

• Accounting

• Business Administration

• Business Analytics

• Finance

DOCTORAL CONCENTRATIONS IN:

• Accounting

• Finance

• Hospitality & Tourism Management

• Information Systems

CERTIFICATES IN:

• Undergraduate Business Analytics

• Undergraduate Business Studies

• Undergraduate HR Management

• Business Administration/ Analytics (dual degree)

• Sport Management/Business Administration (dual degree)

Isenberg faculty members are engaged in cutting-edge research that makes an impact on the business world and society, as well as the knowledge base in academia. We have gained a global reputation for thought leadership by addressing important issues with rigorous research methods across a range of topic areas, including business leadership, alternative investments, behavioral accounting, the economic impact of tourism, marketing and public policy, large-scale networks, humancomputer interactions, sport diversity issues, entrepreneurship, knowledge creation, and information flows. In fact, Isenberg faculty members have published articles in more than 20 premier journals over the past three years; some faculty members have published multiple articles in premier journals.

THE SCHOOL’S 50,000 ALUMNI LIVE AND WORK IN MORE THAN 80 COUNTRIES, AND MANY OF THEM SERVE AS MENTORS, GUEST LECTURERS, AND NETWORK CONNECTORS FOR ISENBERG.

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

• Management Science

• Marketing

• Organization Studies

• Sport Management

• Strategic Management

Anne P. Massey Dean & Thomas O’Brien Endowed Chair

Lisa Pike Masteralexis

Senior Associate Dean & Professor

Linda K. Enghagen, Senior Associate Dean of Academic Programs & Professor

William D. Brown, Jr. Senior Associate Dean for Finance, Operations, & Strategic Initiatives, & Clinical Professor

Traci J. Hess

Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, & Douglas & Diana Berthiaume Endowed Professor of Information Systems

George Milne

Associate Dean of Research & Carney Family Endowed Professor

Kristine Elison

Assistant Dean of Development

Holly Lawrence

• Undergraduate Real Estate

• Graduate Business Analytics

• Graduate Forensic Accounting

• Graduate Foundations of Management

Janet S. Fink

Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs & Douglas & Diana Berthiaume Endowed Professor

Assistant Dean, Office of Career Success & Senior Lecturer II

Melvin Rodriguez

Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs

Allison Werder

Assistant Dean of Marketing & Communications, Chief Marketing Officer