Beacons Fall 2023 by UMass Boston

BEACONS A MA G A ZIN E FOR U M AS S BOST ON ALU M N I AN D F R IE N DS

The Game-Changers

UMass Boston and New Balance are making plays to ensure the future of sport isn’t business as usual.

Fa ll 2 02 3

BECOMING BEACONS Nearly 3,350 undergraduates and 500 graduate students learned, played, and kicked off their UMass Boston experience this summer at 10 in-person and two virtual orientation sessions—including the first on-campus graduate orientation since before the pandemic. More than 700 family members and other student supporters joined in at their own, concurrent family orientation programs. As this year’s T-shirt said, “Together, we are Beacons!” 6

Fall 2023

Contents FA L L 2 0 2 3

FEATURES 18

The Game-Changers

Through a newly expanded partnership, UMass Boston and New Balance are preparing the next generation of sports industry leaders.

Where the Heart Is

From curating delightful seaside lodgings to supporting community care, Anne Hajjar ’90, G’95 has an affinity for creating the feeling of home away from home.

Meows the Time

In his new film, Crazy Cat Lady, Garrett Clancy ’88 chronicles the tireless (and heartwarming) work of dedicated volunteers addressing the feral cat crisis.

Going the Distance

From the Hub to the Hill

Founded in 2013 in memory of UMass Boston student Krystle Campbell, the Run for Krystle marathon team has built a legacy of camaraderie and hope in the face of tragedy.

With the newly launched Barron Congressional Internship program, Matt Barron ’86 is opening doors of opportunity on Capitol Hill for UMass Boston students.

DEPARTMENTS 02

Your Take

From the Chancellor

The Tea

Class Notes

Did You Know?

ON THE COVER Game Changers illustration by Daniel Bejar SEE PAGE 18 Beacons

Your Take

For this issue of Beacons, we asked our alumni and current students:

Who was your favorite UMass Boston professor and why?

PAUL FALER Late Professor, History “Paul encouraged me to do research that most people don’t get to do before the master's level. My projects took me to the U.S. National Archives and archives at Harvard and MIT.” —Carlene Hill Byron ’81

LINDA DUMAS Retired Professor, Nursing

“ Linda worked as a nurse practitioner while she taught at UMass Boston, educating us in real time with real-life experiences.” —JEAN MCGINTY ’08

CHRISTOPHER ZURN Professor, Philosophy

“ Dr. Zurn cares deeply about his students as human beings and creates a classroom education that facilitates community building, intellectual curiosity, and the empowerment of learners.” —PERRI LEVISS G’14, CER’20, PHD’20

LISA GONSALVES G’90 Associate Professor and Chair, Curriculum and Instruction “Lisa is a brilliant, humble heart on two legs, sharing a world of wisdom with her students. To this day she is my mentor and friend.” —Cyndy Drew Etler ’02, G’03

ELLEN FRANK Lecturer I, Economics

“ Ellen was an intelligent and passionate teacher. She’s the reason I minored in economics.” —GRACE FISHER ’20

BETTINA HARRISON Late Professor, Biology

“ Bettina maintained very high standards of performance. A great role model for my future career in teaching, she acted as my mentor in the very early days of the university.”

PAUL TUCKER Professor Emeritus, Art “A very personable and caring professor, Paul enabled discussion and valued our thoughts. When I was working in Fine Arts at the Boston Public Library, Paul visited and I let him how he influenced my career choice.” —Kathleen Dunn ’83

—LORNIE BULLERWELL ’69

What was your favorite view on campus? Visit alumni.umb.edu/yourtake to submit your answer! Submissions are edited for length and clarity. To read more alumni submissions, visit umb.edu/beaconsmagazine

DELORES GALLO Late Professor, Critical and Creative Thinking “With unmatched acumen and energy, Delores founded the Teacher Certification program and fearlessly led the way. Forty years later and her words and wisdom impact my teaching in the classroom.” —Judy Norton ’77

Fall 2023

From the Chancellor

BEACONS Chancellor

Marcelo Suárez-Orozco Provost

Joseph Berger Vice Chancellor for University

Advancement

T OUR CONVOCATION in September, we were honored to open the new academic year with a keynote address by Patrick Tutwiler, the Commonwealth’s Secretary of Education. Secretary Tutwiler offered inspirational remarks drawing on his personal journey to become an education leader. He spoke with passion, challenging our Beacons to trust the knowledge and skills they gain at UMass Boston and “run” toward things in life—toward what captivates us, what keeps us exuberant, and what gives us power, momentum, and strength. In this edition of Beacons magazine, we share stories of alumni who explored the intellectual universe while at UMass Boston and discovered what brings them joy and passion in life. Our cover story highlights the university’s New Balance Institute for Innovative Leadership in Sport, an exciting new initiative of our New Balance Sport Leadership & Administration program. New Balance has invested $15 million to endow these programs, which are positioning our Beacons for pioneering roles as sports professionals and change agents. Student interest has skyrocketed, in part because SLA and the institute marry the passion of sports with social responsibility and equity. You will also read about Matt Barron ’86, who aspired to become a back-to-the-land farmer. En route to graduating from UMass Boston with a degree in political science, he interned in food and agriculture policy, recognizing that he didn’t need to be a grower to remain engaged on issues about which he was passionate. Matt went on to enjoy a successful career in electoral politics

Beacons

Adam Wise

and is now paying it forward by establishing the Barron Congressional Internship program at UMass Boston. You will read about Anne Hajjar ’90, G’95, a West Roxbury native who fell in love with psychology at UMass Boston seeking to “save the world and empower women.” Anne embarked on a career as a mental health counselor, at shelters for victims of domestic abuse and for a crisis hotline. Later in life, Anne’s passion for helping others feel comfortable, valued, and at home served as the basis for her second act as a hospitality entrepreneur and proprietor of boutique hotels throughout New England. And you will read about award-winning film director, writer, and producer Garrett Clancy ’88, who, in his latest feature documentary, Crazy Cat Lady, explores the passion of animal advocates on the front lines of the feral cat crisis in Los Angeles. Garrett’s award-winning documentary revises the crazy cat lady narrative by paying homage to those who dedicate their lives to animal rescue. These Beacons sowed seeds at UMass Boston and left with insights into what they loved, what they truly cared about. And on the strength of these insights, they were prepared to run toward things in ways that elevated them and those whose lives they touched. I hope you enjoy reading about the good work of these exemplary Beacons. Sincerely, MARCELO SUÁREZ-OROZCO Chancellor

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Engagement

Allison Duffy

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Principal and Leadership Gifts

Andrea Kennedy

Senior Director of Alumni Engagement

Steven Whittemore Communications Specialist

Vanessa Chatterley Art Director

Kaajal Asher kaajalasher.com Copy Editor

Sasha Nyary sashanyary.com Contributors

Heather Brigham Austyn Ellese Mayfield Elizabeth Solet Photos and Illustrations

Daniel Bejar Gillian Gordon Bartosz Kosowski Javier Rivas

Beacons magazine celebrates the accomplishments and impact of the UMass Boston community and the lasting connection alumni and friends have with UMass Boston, Boston State College, and our legacy schools. We welcome your inquiries, ideas, and comments. Please share them with the UMass Boston Alumni Engagement team at 617.287.5330 or alumni@umb.edu.

The Tea

A visionary gift positions UMass Boston to lead in applied AI

The Motleys join program participants and family members in revealing the signage on the Dr. J. Keith and Angela Motley Residence Hall East.

Residence Halls Named for Dr. J. Keith and Angela Motley The namesakes of the newly christened Dr. J.

you should expect at an institution. And as a

Keith and Angela Motley Residence Halls were

university built on love, we cannot move on

honored for their steadfast commitment to UMass without thanking all those who stood by our side Boston at a dedication ceremony hosted by the

to ensure our students’ success with the

University of Massachusetts and attended by

opening of the campus’ first residence halls.

more than 400 people. Chancellor Emeritus Dr.

Let us continue to reach, inspire, and empower

Motley and former first lady Angela Motley G'94

the next generation of leaders.”

have been the driving force in expanding the

“The residence halls were a dream of ours

on-campus residential experience for students.

realized and only complements the work of

“It is an honor to pay tribute to two UMass

those around us. Thank you to everyone who

Boston legends,” said UMass Boston Chancellor

made this possible,” said Angela Motley, who

Marcelo Suárez-Orozco. “The incomparable

played a critical role during Dr. Motley’s tenure

Angela and Keith are tireless champions toward

by supporting fundraising efforts and making

equity for students, staff, and the UMass

service and student mentorship a hallmark of

community. The naming of this building is a

her time at the university. “We are truly humbled

testament to their leadership, making their

and forever grateful to be receiving an honor of

legacy a permanent honor of their forceful

this stature.”

efforts to build our first on-campus living space.”

Built in 2018, the Dr. J. Keith and Angela Motley

“This is beyond our imagination,” said Dr.

Residence Halls provide housing for first-year

Motley. “When you walk onto this campus, you

students, flexible living and learning spaces, and

can see transformation everywhere. That

a venue for fostering a stronger on-campus

should not be a surprise—excellence is what

educational experience.

UMass Boston recently announced the creation of the Paul English Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute, conceived and funded by tech entrepreneur and UMass Boston alumnus Paul English ’87, G’89, H’19. The new institute—created with a $4 million commitment and an additional $1 million in scholarship support from English—will be the first of its kind in the nation. “I’ve had the privilege of visiting dozens of universities over my career,” said English. “What stands out about UMass Boston is its pragmatism, grit, and diversity. It is these things that will propel UMB to lead on applied AI.” The institute will be embedded in academic study across UMass Boston’s schools and colleges and will include a focus on the social, ethical, and diversity challenges associated with AI. It will also catalyze UMass Boston’s efforts to gather experts from the full spectrum of the university’s research and organize its activity and expertise around this everexpanding technology. These combined emphases will allow the institute to give UMass Boston students in every field—who overwhelmingly join the Massachusetts workforce after graduation—the tools necessary to succeed in and shape the increasingly AI-powered world of work.

Fall 2023

FY 2023 GIFTS TO UMASS BOSTON

Driving Diversity in Nursing Mass General Brigham and UMass

achieved a 100 percent certification

Boston’s Manning College of

rate and a 92 percent placement

Nursing and Health Sciences

rate at Mass General Brigham

(MCNHS) are partnering to expand

hospitals. The new $20 million

the college’s Clinical Leadership

investment—$10 million from Mass

Collaborative for Diversity in Nursing

General Brigham and $10 million

program, an initiative they launched

from UMass Boston—will support

together in 2008 to support

400 additional students over five

diversity, practice-preparedness,

years. The funding will also

and behavioral health competency.

underwrite the creation of a

Since 2008, the program has provided hands-on hospital experience and career opportunities

TOTAL GIVING:

$37,366,952

behavioral health equity certificate for program participants. “Nurses are fundamental to

trained nurses, with a concerted

to 135 graduate and undergraduate

the delivery of high-quality,

focus on increasing diversity among

students at MCNHS, which offers

compassionate health care to our

our trainees. This initiative is a

the only four-year public programs

patients,” said Dr. Anne Klibanski,

powerful example of how collabora-

in nursing and exercise and health

president and CEO of Mass General

tion can drive change to overcome

sciences in the Greater Boston

Brigham. “There is an immense

monumental challenges

area. Participating students

need to increase the pipeline of

in a meaningful way.”

DONORS:

13,816

NEW ENDOWMENTS:

$12,700,000

$100K+ GIFTS:

28 ANNUAL FUND GIVING

9% Athletics 16% Academic Programs

36%

Unrestricted*

17% Student Services

22%

Scholarship Aid

Jonathan Martin (third from left), CEO of the North American arm of the global real estate investment firm AEW Capital Management, visited the College of Management in March as the inaugural speaker in the college’s new Distinguished Speaker Series. While there, Martin and AEW Chief People Officer Piper Sheer (center) also celebrated this year’s recipient of the AEW Capital Management–Pamela Strout Herbst ’77 Legacy Scholarship, Tamar Tondreau ’23 (second from left), along with fellow management students.

Beacons

* Unrestricted gifts can be used toward a variety of university needs and initiatives.

The Tea

Increasing climate awareness through public art OOL SCIENCE, an organization that uses youth art and science to deliver meaningful climate education, joined forces with Mario Umana Academy, a dual-language public K–8 school in East Boston. Together they created the Sea Level Rise mural, an impressive bilingual mural with 600-plus tiles that celebrates the community’s strengths, while also depicting the urgent climate issues facing the area along Boston Harbor, where the school is situated. Throughout the 2022–2023 school year, Umana’s third- through eighth-grade students and the school community organized mural tiles into nine themed panels. The panels display the role of biodiversity in sustainable and resilient ecological communities, the students’ values, such as inclusivity and respect, and the school’s vulnerability to flooding. The mural—made possible through funding from the National Science Foundation—serves as a powerful tool for educating the community and reinforcing the pressing issue of climate change and ways to address it. In a panel titled “We Can Adapt!” the tiles illustrate three key strategies the students learned for mitigating flooding: 1) absorb (such as creating marshes); 2) elevate (such as putting structures on stilts or floats); and 3) construct (such as building nature-based berms and living seawalls).

“The first step to understanding the impact and urgency of climate change is awareness, and a critical element of developing approaches to address climate change is hope,” said Bob Chen, Cool Science’s lead science expert and a professor and the

interim dean at the UMass Boston School for the Environment. “This mural project does both and is an example of how Cool Science engages and educates children through art and science. And the benefits extend to the broader community.”

BEST Boston Program UMass Boston’s College of Management has

careers in Greater Boston. Students get an excep-

launched a new program to connect small Boston-

tional learning experience with a rigorous curriculum,

area businesses with College of Management

have access to cutting-edge technology, and are

students. Named BEST (Business Engagement for

mentored by faculty as they prepare to pursue

Students) Boston, this new initiative gives UMass

careers in business.

Boston business students the ability to participate in

“BEST Boston is a strategic priority for the UMass

10-week consulting engagements to solve real-world

Boston College of Management toward its commit-

problems. The pilot launched this past summer with

ment for the economic development of the Boston

four participating businesses.

region,” said Venky Venkatachalam, dean of the

This impactful program aims to develop a pipeline of talented and diverse business professionals for

College of Management. “It is a win-win for both the businesses and the students participating.”

Fall 2023

Student Q&A: Soonbee Kwon ’25 Soonbee Kwon has always dreamed of connecting others through music. When she was younger, she was happiest when she was picking up an instrument in music class. Now a junior at UMass Boston majoring in music education, Kwon still has her sights set on that goal. We met up with Kwon to learn about her goal of helping others through music, her fondest memories at UMass Boston, and her vision for the future. Q: What made you choose UMass Boston? An affordable education and access to a diverse learning

Q: What has been your most memorable experience as a Beacon thus far?

environment was what attracted me to UMass Boston.

Morning and night walks along the Harborwalk have been one of my best memories here so far. The combination of the

Q: How did UMass Boston play a role in where you are today?

cool breeze and the smell of the saltwater really makes the

UMass Boston allowed me to express my identity and

playing Band is Horrible, a card game, with some of my music

embrace the things I have to offer. As a first-year student, I

friends after class.

experience worthwhile. Another memorable experience is

was a timid person who was afraid to make mistakes. But as agement from my academic advisors, which boosted my

Q: Who at UMass Boston has had the most influence on your life?

confidence and helped me become a leader.

The performing arts faculty made me fall in love with music

I put myself out there, I received a lot of support and encour-

again. Their dedication, their passion, and their expertise shine in and out of the classroom. I have personally experienced the care the professors have for their students to help them succeed academically, and to support them in their lives outside of the classroom. I highly value a musical community that encourages and connects with one another, and I can proudly say that I have made myself at home with all the musicians I have encountered here and have made lifelong relationships.

Q: What are your career aspirations? I always had a desire to help people and felt a greater sense of accomplishment from helping others than accomplishing my own goals. I would like to keep an open mind, but I am hoping to pursue something in music and combine my love for music with my passion to help others and to give back to the communities I belong to.

Q: What would you tell a prospective UMass Boston student? UMass Boston has lots to offer and will prepare you for the real world. It is not going to be easy, but have an open mind and accept that you don’t need to have it all figured out. Lean on the constants in your life. Seek support systems that will help make college life less stressful. Challenge yourself to take that one extra step. And of course, have some fun!

Beacons

COMMENCEMENT 2023

Fall 2023

“ As I stand here before you, I see a future of hope and promise, as you are minutes away from one of the most exciting moments of your lives. I believe that in these times the most consequential thing you can do as new college graduates is to serve and give back. And this takes courage— courage I know all of you possess.” —CHANCELLOR MARCELO SUÁREZ- OROZCO

Beacons

COMMENCEMENT 2023

FTER A BRIEF HIATUS, during which commencement ceremonies were hosted at various venues around Boston, UMass Boston's 55th commencement exercises returned to Columbia Point. More than 3,600 graduates were honored and officially welcomed into the Beacon alumni family with plenty of pomp and circumstance over two sunny days in May. This year’s graduates hail from more than 130 countries around the world and speak over 70 different languages. Nearly 60 percent of UMass Boston students are first-generation college students. During her remarks to the undergraduate class, Chancellor’s Medal recipient and co-keynote speaker U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts encouraged the undergraduate class to choose hope: “Much is broken in this world. And the urgency of change is upon us. You chose hope to get yourself here today. Now I’m asking you to choose hope for our world. Because hope is the spark that ignites change.” Rob Hale, CEO of Granite Telecommunications, who also received the Chancellor’s Medal, addressed the graduates, calling them leaders, urging them to not be afraid to take risks and to always give back along the journey. Hale and his wife, Karen, reinforced the theme of giving back by presenting each UMass Boston graduate in attendance with $1,000 as they crossed the stage. Graduates received $500 as a gift and $500 to give to an organization, family member, or supporter. Honorary degrees were bestowed upon two recipients at the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony: Veerabhadran Ramanathan H’23, a climate scientist who discovered the greenhouse effects of CFCs and other trace gases, which expanded our understanding of the range of gases responsible for global warming, and longtime Univision anchor and leading Hispanic journalist Jorge Ramos H’23. Three faculty members received Chancellor’s Awards at the graduate ceremony: Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts David Pantalone, Professor of Psychology S. Tiffany Donaldson, and Associate Professor of Biology Rachel Skvirsky for their distinguished scholarship, teaching, and service, respectively. JFK Award recipient Lee-Daniel Tran ’23 addressed the undergraduate class and spoke of community and connection among differences. The JFK Award was designed to be the highest commencement award that an undergraduate could receive. Nominees are evaluated on their academic record, their service contributions, and their overall contributions as a citizen of the university and of the world. Noor Tahirkheli G’18, PhD’23 addressed fellow doctoral and master’s candidates at the graduate ceremony. “This piece of paper we’re leaving with today is a ticket to all sorts of new experiences . . . Imagine if you took advantage of the privilege of this degree simply by knowing that you aren’t an impostor in the room, but that you are the exact person who is supposed to be there.”

> Top left: U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (in red) with the platform party. Top center: Chancellor Suaréz-Orozco, Rob Hale, and Provost Joseph Berger.

Fall 2023

Beacons

COMMENCEMENT 2023

> Above: JFK Award recipient Lee-Daniel Tran ’23

Fall 2023

Beacons

The Tea

Roxbury Youth Explore Urban-Planning Solutions to Extreme Heat HIS SUMMER, 25 high school students from Roxbury studied how extreme heat affects their communities and the city, and what role urban planning and design have in mitigating it. The program, which ran for the month of July, was offered by UMass Boston’s Department of Urban Planning and Community Development and its Sustainable Solutions Lab in partnership with the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA), Boston Public Schools, and Roxbury Community College. The 2023 Summer Program in Urban Planning, now in its second year, introduces youth of color from environmental justice communities to careers in urban planning, design, and development. It is part of 2023 Expanding Boston’s Pipeline for Youth of Color in Urban Planning, a citywide

project launched by the BPDA, Boston Public Schools, UMass Boston, and Boston Architectural College that is aimed at increasing the percentage of non-white urban planners in Boston from 5 to 25 percent over the next 20 years. The BPDA supported this program with an award of $100,000. The program also received generous support from the Conatus Foundation. As part of the program, students toured Roxbury’s historic Wakullah Dale neighborhood, used temperature sensors to record air temperatures at various public sites, conducted interviews with residents to understand how they cope with increasing temperatures, and researched design practices that alleviate urban heat islands. The high school students found that the air temperatures were, on average, 10 degrees warmer in Roxbury than the temperatures recorded

at Logan Airport, which is where Boston’s official temperature is measured. A subgroup of the students also worked with local urban designers to come up with guidelines and proposals for a new children’s playground to be constructed on the Roxbury Community College campus near historic Dudley House. The youth presented their extreme heat results, trends they found in their interviews, and their design ideas and guidelines at an event at Roxbury Community College on July 27. Their work will be compiled in a report that will be publicly available this fall. For more information on the summer program, or to get a copy of the report when available, contact Ken Reardon at kenneth.reardon@umb.edu or email the Sustainable Solutions Lab at ssl@umb.edu.

Fall 2023

The Tea

Alumni and Faculty Bookshelf Redeem the Lines Michael Patrick Murphy ’99

Redeem the Lines follows the lives of protagonist Patrick and his best friend from high school, Nate. Patrick, an Irish-Catholic boxer fresh out of prison for something he didn’t do, returns to his old neighborhood, which he barely recognizes because of the widespread flooding of heroin and its zombie addicts. At the same time, Nate, a Black out-of-state college graduate, comes back to Boston to attend yet another funeral. Breaking down neighborhood boundaries and racial biases, Redeem the Lines will thrust readers through whiskey benders, bare-knuckle brawls, and midnight rendezvous to expose the true colors of prejudice and corruption and find the key to resolving both.

Harlem World: How Hip Hop’s Super Showdown Changed Music Forever

When All Else Fails

Africa’s New Global Politics: Regionalism

Lana Ayers ’91

in International Relations

Jonathan Mael ’14, G’17

Harlem World chronicles a fateful night of hip-hop rivalry between the Fantastic Romantic Five and the Cold Crush Brothers and shares a new look at how Harlem helped ignite a musical revolution. This is the first book of its kind to focus on 1979 to 1983 and the legendary battles at Harlem World while connecting the genre's formative years to its massive role in American society today.

Rita “Kiki” Edozie, former Interim Dean,

When All Else Fails is a collection of poems

McCormack Graduate School (co-authored

that explores a rocky childhood, self-discov-

with Moses Khisa)

eries, losses of adulthood, and more. Ayers is a poet, novelist, publisher, and timetravel enthusiast. Her poems have appeared in such places as Rattle, The London Reader, Peregrine, MacGuffin, and Verse Daily. An author of seven full-length poetry collections, she has two more forthcoming: Overtures and The Autobiography of Rain.

Africa’s New Global Politics: Regionalism in International Relations is a culmination of six years of research and writing and offers important contributions to the field, not least of which is that Africa has much to offer international relations, even if scholars have minimized or overlooked its place in post-colonial international relations theories. Edozie’s eighth scholarly book, Africa’s New Global Politics has been well-received since its

Correction: In the last issue of Beacons, we mistakenly printed outdated information on Stephen O’Connor’s G’89 publishing history. O’Connor is the author of three novels and two collections of short stories. For more information on his projects, visit lowellwriter.com.

publication, earning a spot on the prestigious Choice Outstanding Academic Titles list from the American Library Association, which noted it as a “well-constructed, thoughtful book [that] is highly recommended.”

Beacons

The Tea

UMass Boston’s Robotics and Engineering UMass Boston’s Robotics and Engineering Club recently came out on top in NASA’s MUREP Innovation Tech Transfer Idea Competition, winning $15,000 and mentorship from NASA experts. The competition challenges students to take one of NASA’s many intellectual properties and expand it or improve upon it to create a product or service for everyday use, developing a marketable device and business plan. Team LazerSense Solutions, UMass Boston’s team of seven students, utilized a laser diode sensor array to create a nextgeneration smoke, carbon monoxide, and air quality sensor. The device was multipurpose, used for smart, in-depth air quality monitoring to improve smoke detection—and even identified precursors to fire.

Fall 2023

Club Wins NASA Competition In the final round, the team competed against seven other teams at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, this spring. “We prepared a presentation where we pitched our technology idea and business plan for the product and presented in front of a panel of judges that was made up of engineers, entrepreneurs, and intellectual property lawyers,” team member Olivia Moos ’25 said. The team also included Jaryd Benson ’24, Isaac Marzuca ’24, Jack Walsh ’24, Isabella Rasku-Casas ’26, Aditya Ponde ’26, and Richard Noel ’23. The team was led by faculty advisor Tomas Materday, senior lecturer of engineering. The students also won a trip to Ames Research Center, or NASA Ames, in California’s Silicon Valley.

THE GAME

chang ers By Au st y n E l l e s e M ay f i e l d THR O U GH UMASS BOSTON’S NEW B ALANCE SPORT LEADERSHIP & ADMINISTRATION PR OGRAM AND THE NEWLY ANNOUNCED NEW B ALANCE INSTITUTE FOR INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP IN SPORT, THE UNIVERSITY AND THE SPORTSWEAR GIANT ARE TEAMING UP TO PREPARE THE NE XT GENERATION OF SPORTS INDUSTRY LEADERS TO MOVE THE B ALL ON EQUITY. I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y D A N I E L H E J A R

Fall 2023

The Embrace memorial was created by artist Hank Willis Thomas and MASS Design Group and takes its inspiration from a 1964 photograph of the Kings, wrapped tightly in a hug at the news of Dr. King being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Beacons

Ask Joseph N. Cooper for a sports metaphor, and he’ll deliver one that’s scientifically informed. “WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE BODY and the stress you incur physiologically, if you go to the gym and only work one side of your body, there’s going to be an asymmetrical issue that would cause one part of your body to try to overcompensate, or another which increases the likelihood of injury,” Cooper explained. His doctoral degree in kinesiology—the study of the body’s movement—makes him keenly aware of balance and how interconnected things must work together to achieve a desired outcome. And as the inaugural Dr. J. Keith Motley Endowed Chair of Sport Leadership and Administration at UMass Boston, his attention is focused on bringing equilibrium to the future of sport. “When we think about the sport industry,” he continued, “if there’s an overemphasis on male sports or overemphasis on white consumers and spectators, that’s going to lead to issues for your Black consumers and spectators and your women participants.” For the industry to progress, he said, there must be intentional commitment to advancing performance. Advancing equitable practices and social responsibility inside the sports industry is the vision that drove UMass Boston and New Balance to create the Sport Leadership & Administration program (SLA) at the university in 2019. Since its founding with a $5 million endowment from the eponymous athletic footwear and apparel giant, the program has offered students the opportunity to engage in the phenomenon of sport—a $1-trillion-plus global market, by some estimates—through a variety of lenses that prepare them for a wide array of sport industry jobs and career paths, from front-office management to sports law to coaching. The program innovates beyond the traditional business management model of sports education by applying an interdisciplinary approach to create sport industry leaders who are elite in their business acumen and positioned to be change agents through the ethical management of people and organizations. This fall, New Balance announced that it will be investing an additional $10 million in the visionary partnership, endowing the SLA-affiliated New Balance Institute for Innovative Leadership in Sport, also under Prof. Cooper’s leadership. By increasing program faculty, bolstering student scholarship access (beyond the $56,000 already awarded from the original gift), expanding program offerings to include graduate-level 20

degree programs and professional certificates, and supporting scholarly research initiatives and publications focused on the sport industry, the new gift will amplify the partnership’s efforts to deepen the industry’s bench of equity-minded power players. “We are excited to expand our investment in UMass Boston through this institute, which reflects New Balance’s focus on advancing opportunities for transformational leadership, innovation, and diversity in our industry,” said Jim Davis, New Balance chairman. “Chancellor Suárez-Orozco and Dr. Joe Cooper have done a tremendous job to establish the Sport Leadership & Administration program. We look forward to seeing how this institute will enable the power of sport to positively impact our communities and create change-making sports leaders for the future.” “We’re equipping students to be transformational leaders in sport, not just transactional leaders,” said Cooper. “A traditional sports management program is going to focus on generating revenue and profit. That model largely ignores that in the process you could be reinforcing several inequalities and inequities. Our program is designed to provide students with the skills to be effective in business as well as being mindful of how to do it in ways that don’t exacerbate existing inequalities.” Since the beginning, the SLA program’s focus has been to give students a competitive edge by integrating the university’s deep-seated liberal arts scholarship with a pioneering understanding of business and athletics. Courses like “Sport in Society,” “Sports and Human Rights,” and “Sport and Globalization” are grounded in historical, anthropological, sociological, developmental, and economic insights resulting in learning that—in keeping with UMass Boston’s mission—is both holistic and actionable. “UMass Boston is the natural academic home for the New Balance Sport Leadership & Administration program and this new institute,” said UMass Boston Provost Joseph Berger. “Innovative and interdisciplinary, these initiatives prepare students for exemplary careers in sports management while offering a robust social justice platform to advance excellence, equity, diversity, and human rights in sports. This aligns with our foundational idea that a UMass Boston education is designed to have impact and serve the greater good.” Fall 2023

In true “if you build it they will come’” fashion, the SLA program and its blend of academic rigor and career preparation has been met with enthusiasm, piquing the interest of students and sports industry leaders alike. Enrollment has increased at an exponential rate. At the end of its first academic year, the program had 54 undergraduate students declare SLA as their major. By the 2022–2023 academic year, the program had 122 undergraduates majoring in SLA and 414 students enrolled in SLA courses. Students in the program have completed more than 10,000 internship hours with prominent organizations such as New Balance, the Boston Red Sox, TD Garden, NESN, and Kraft Sports + Entertainment Group, further honing their skills while contributing to organizational operations. “I think we’re lucky that UMass Boston is situated in one of the greatest sports cities in the country,” said Assistant Professor Allison B. Smith, who serves alongside Cooper as part of the program’s core faculty. “We have so much opportunity for our students to grow and develop and to go in and immediately get jobs or internships at these places they’ve revered their whole lives.” Smith sees the hands-on experience afforded by SLA’s two marquee student clubs—the Sport Leadership & Administration Student Association and Women in Sport Leadership & Administration—as the perfect complements to program coursework for expanding the confidence and capacity of participants. From hosting panels and professional development opportunities to coordinating travel and access to off-campus sporting events, the groups’ activities help connect the students with each other and with programmatic goals. “They’re planning the events, doing the hard work, and making it happen. I know other sports student clubs do this, but I don’t know how many of them do it on such a big scale. [Our students] are learning the skills in our student associations that they’re going to need as leaders in this profession,” said Smith. In addition to its popularity on campus, the promise and early outcomes of the SLA program have also been well received by companies and organizations across the region. SLA has amassed an active advisory board of 40 members from across the New England sports industry landscape and Beacons

built strong partnerships with for-profit and nonprofit entities excited to engage with the next generation of impactful sports professionals. “This is a brilliant partnership,” said UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco. “Unique in higher education, the New Balance Sport Leadership & Administration program at UMass Boston opens pathways for students pursuing sports management careers. At the same time, the program equips our students with the skills and knowledge necessary to be excellence-in-equity-minded change makers in sport, preparing them for service to the community, the nation, and the world.” Harnessing the transformative power of sport in service of broader systemic and social progress is precisely what Cooper envisions for the institute, the SLA program, and SLA students. “There’s a shift happening in sports right now as it relates to technology, as it relates to equity, as it relates to psychology, even environmental justice,” he said. “We’re hoping that our program and this new institute will serve as an integrated specialized model, where we can continue to bring in different dimensions of sport under one umbrella to engage in innovative practices, research, and programming that will ultimately advance equity and positive change in our society.” 21

Fall 2023

F R OM S U P P ORT IN G COM M U N IT Y CAR E T O CU R AT IN G DE L IGHT F U L S E AS IDE ACCOM M ODAT ION S, HOT E L IE R AN N E HAJJAR ’90, G’95 HAS AN AF F IN IT Y FOR HE L P IN G OT HE R S

where the heart ıs F E E L AT HOM E .

By Andrea Kennedy

Beacons

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon in August, summer vacationers swarm Martha’s Vineyard, and The Richard, a hotel in Edgartown, is booked solid. So are its four nearby sister hotels, as they have been for much of the season. It’s easy to see why. In The Richard’s flower-filled garden, a fashionable visitor curls up among the cushions of a massive white wicker throne. At The Christopher, four blocks away, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies welcome guests to an elegantly eclectic midcentury sitting room. Down the street at The Sydney, Anne Tamer Hajjar ’90, G’95, the proprietor of all this hospitality, presides over a cathedral-ceilinged common room, chatting cheerfully with a curious school-age patron. As director of hotels for Hajjar Management, the Milton, Mass.–based property management and development company, Hajjar manages a growing portfolio of boutique lodgings, featuring high-end service and jewel-box-like rooms. Like her hotels, Hajjar is accommodating and chic with a playful streak—and like most of them, she came to this business as a second act. Hajjar grew up in a modest two-family West Roxbury home with her parents and two older sisters. Her childhood was “wonderful,” she said, but shadowed by fears for her pharmacist father, who had a heart attack when she was a kindergartner and remained sick, at times unable to work, throughout her school years. As a senior at Boston Latin School, Hajjar was thrilled to be accepted at Northeastern, her father’s alma mater, but pivoted to UMass Boston when her father’s failing health rendered her family unable to help her pay for college. He died when she was a freshman, and her oldest sister succumbed to cancer the following year.

“It was just a horrible time period for me,” said Hajjar, who paid her tuition bills through long hours selling designer clothing at Filene’s. “It wasn’t fun, it was work. But you either take the option you’re given, or you curl up and die, and I certainly wasn’t going to do that. I wanted a college education, and I wasn’t going to blow it.” Hajjar fell in love with two things during her time at UMass Boston: her husband, Chuck, whom she met at a church dance, and her psychology classes. “I was very idealistic and wanted to save the world and empower women,” she said, “and psychology was so interesting to me.” After she and Chuck were married, she returned to UMass Boston to get her master’s degree in mental health counseling, first taking an internship at a shelter for victims of domestic abuse in Quincy, then a job as a counselor at a shelter in Cambridge. She staffed the crisis hotline and helped women and children make and carry out plans to escape their abusers and start new lives. “I really dove into that,” she said. “I’d come home at seven o’clock at night and go to bed so I could get up for work the next day. I had a great life with a great guy, and I thought ‘Everybody should have this great life.’” But the all-consuming work took a toll on them both—“you get these calls that just go right through you”—and with Chuck’s business growing, she left counseling to begin her own family.

Fall 2023

The winning hotel-ements What makes a hotel “boutique”? Boutique hotels are loosely defined as “stylish” and small—under 100 rooms, and often a fraction of that. But different sources offer differing criteria for these trending lodgings— from urban locales and luxury services to imbuements of “personality” and “je ne sais quoi.” Anne Hajjar told Beacons her recipe for a successful boutique abode. // LOCATION “Number one is obviously the location and the building. I love these historic buildings!” said Hajjar. For her, the sweet spot is a storied home in a picturesque coastal destination city. Her first hotel, The Sydney, occupies a 19th-century house that was built by record-setting whaling captain Charles Fisher. Her newest, The Merchant, in Salem, Mass., a mansion once visited by George Washington, is built over the home of a witch-trial executioner whose victims allegedly still visit. And her favorite? “It’s like kids, you shouldn’t pick a favorite,” said Hajjar, laughing. “But The Cliffside [Inn, in the Newport summer home of

The seeds for Hajjar’s career as a hotelier were planted years later, when the family built a house on Martha’s Vineyard. “I kind of fell into it,” she said. She recalled joking to Chuck that the only way they’d be able to find parking in Edgartown would be to buy their friend’s eight-room hotel. “We both laughed about it, but a couple months later, we found out the friend wanted to sell it. And I said”—this time with conviction—“ ‘We need to buy that hotel.’” Chuck pointed out that she had no direct experience running hotels. But his company, Hajjar Management, was by then a partner in two hotels in Boston: the Charlesmark Hotel and the Harborside Inn. So he agreed to take the plunge. “That first year, he set a goal, and I beat his numbers. He was flabbergasted,” Hajjar said. “He said, ‘You need to find another place now!’ So little boutique hotels became my babies.” Since then, Hajjar has launched nine hotels: five in Edgartown, three in Newport, Rhode Island, and one in Salem, Mass. Though her careers are very different, Hajjar sees a throughline. “When I map it out, it’s about trying to elevate people and their energy and their power. With counseling, I wanted to help women see a better life for themselves. And hospitality is about making people happy and making them feel welcome and warm. I want people to feel at home. But better. A better version of home.”

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painter Beatrice Turner] is such a gorgeous building.” // DÉCOR “The décor: really welcoming,” said Hajjar, who is adamant about the power of collaborating with a great interior designer. “We go in and make them—I wouldn’t say modern, but updated, with bright colors.” Each of her hotels has its own design inspiration. With her Edgartown properties, it’s the personalities of their namesakes: her children. (Her eldest son gets his nod in the name of the Charlesmark Hotel.) “Just like my kids are all different, the hotels are all different. Similar amenities, but different styles.” // ATTENTION TO DETAIL Hajjar’s interiors are full of eye-delighting details, from quirky wallpaper to decorative flourishes—like The Sydney’s barnacle-shaped mirrors— that deepen their sense of place. She’s also careful to keep original elements that give the buildings their character. “I keep staircases, I try to keep woodwork,” said Hajjar. And never to be forgotten: “Cleanliness! You open up a drawer, and I don’t want to see sand in it. We are very vigilant.” // PERSONNEL Hajjar is quick to praise the team members at her hotels, who include local professionals, international students, and Vineyard teens, many of whom return season after season. “I have the best staff,” said Hajjar. “My managers and staff go out of their way. People so appreciate hospitality and kindness and a smile.”

M E O W S

THE TIME FOR MANY PEOPLE, the “crazy cat

lady” moniker might evoke an unsavory depiction—terrycloth bathrobes, hair rollers, and a colony of felines roaming aimlessly around a person’s unkempt property. But award-winning film director, writer, and producer Garrett Clancy ’88 has set out to change that narrative, overhauling the antiquated portrayal and turning it into an appellation that represents salvation, humility, and, above all else, compassion. He has made strides in doing this through his critically acclaimed, featurelength documentary, Crazy Cat Lady (2022), which sheds light on the feral cat crisis in the city of Los Angeles. The documentary highlights a problem that many people don’t realize exists, Clancy said. An estimated one to three million feral cats roam the streets of Los Angeles, which is close to the city’s human population. But within that population exists a group of people—called “crazy cat ladies” in the film—who have made it their mission to resolve the feral cat crisis, one cat at a time. The film follows these men and women as they do their part to trap, spay or neuter and release (also known as TNR) or adopt as many cats as they can. “These are people who volunteer their time to trap feral cats, get them fixed, put them back in their colonies, and try to keep the numbers down,” said Clancy. “If you think of the term ‘crazy’ as just ‘passionate’ about cat rescue, then it’s a whole different tone. B Y VA N E S S A C H AT T E R L E Y

G A R R E T T C L A N CY ’8 8 S P R E A D S AWA R E N E S S A B O U T T H E F E R A L C AT C R I S I S T H R O U G H A N AWA R D - W I N N I N G D O C U M E N TA R Y

There are maybe hundreds or even

and vaccinate at least 20,000 commu-

his proudest achievements among

nity cats annually.

any other film project he’s worked on.

Clancy said he wants people who

“I was essentially the captain of this

watch his documentary to take away

ship, so I could make the film that I felt

one valuable point.

needed to be made.”

“If your city doesn't have a

Clancy is no stranger to the art of

feral cat crisis, it’s because the city

visual storytelling. He wrote, directed,

government is involved in it, whereas

and produced the festival-winning

LA city government was not able to

feature film Cold Ones, starring C.

get involved,” he said, adding that the

Thomas Howell, Kim Darby, and

documentary addresses a universally

Geoffrey Lewis; wrote the children’s

themed issue and pays homage to

film Scooter Kidz, and cowrote the

dedicated animal rescuers everywhere.

film The Newcomers, starring Chris

To date, Crazy Cat Lady has

Evans, Kate Bosworth, and Paul Dano.

thousands of these folks, but they’re all

appeared in 37 film festivals, amassing

Additionally, he was a co-producer

doing it on their own dime.”

accolades and recognition along the

on the festival-winning indie feature

That’s because for nearly a decade,

way. It received top honors at the

Getting Grace and a producer on the

no government funding existed for this

Oaks, Real to Reel, and Golden Gate

family feature Amazed by You. His play

type of feline population control. In

international film festivals. Clancy was

Steamers was an LA Weekly pick of the

2010, the city instated a TNR injunc-

also named best director at the Malta

week, and his short play The Weight was

tion, effectively putting a halt to any

Film Festival and best producer at

honored at what is now known as the

funds being allocated toward spaying

both the Madrid Art Film Festival and

Valdez Theatre Conference.

and neutering feral cats. The ruling has

Barcelona International Film Festival. Crazy Cat Lady is available for stream-

since been overturned, with the Los

“It makes the journey more

Angeles City Council approving the

satisfying,” said Clancy of the film’s

ing on Tubi, Amazon Prime Video,

Citywide Cat Program to spay, neuter,

widespread success, calling it one of

Vudu, and Apple TV+.

In 2020, Garrett Clancy helped to create a community-run fire department in his California town—called the Bell Canyon Volunteer Wildland Fire Department—in response to the Woolsey Fire, which destroyed over 1,600 structures in California. Clancy, who has first-responder experience from his time in the military, is fire chief and compares the project to filmmaking: “You have all these different parts of the film that you’ve got to put together—the actors, the crew, locations, a budget. And that’s kind of what it was to put together the fire department,” he said.

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G O I N G T H E D I S T A N C E

R E F L E C T I N G O N A D E C A D E O F T H E R U N F O R K R Y S T L E M A R AT H O N T E A M

n April 17, 2023, the members of UMass Boston’s Run for Krystle Marathon Team laced up their sneakers, pinned on their bibs, and joined almost 30,000 fellow racers in the 127th running of the Boston Marathon. As always, when the going got grueling, they found motivation in the reason behind their run. “You have to say to yourself, ‘I’m running because Krystle can’t,’” said nine-time Run for Krystle team member Rhonda Hodge ’13, G’20, DNP’20. “That’s enough to continue to take one more step.” “Krystle” is Krystle Campbell, a UMass Boston student who was killed in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Over the 10 years since that tragic day, the Run for Krystle team has raced more than 2,000 miles in Krystle’s honor—and helped raise more than $1.35 million for the scholarship founded in her name. The effort was launched by former UMass trustee Dick Campbell ’70. Dick and Krystle never met, but he was struck by similarities in their backgrounds: both Campbells, both from the same Medford, Mass., neighborhood, both attendees of the same high school and college. “It just

hit home. What a horrible thing. Her life was on an upward trajectory, and then it was cut short,” said Campbell. Wanting to build something “useful and worthwhile” from the tragedy, Campbell and his late wife, Barbara, asked Krystle’s parents for permission to name a scholarship at UMass Boston in Krystle’s honor. With their blessing, Dick and Barbara seeded the endowed Krystle Campbell Scholarship Fund in 2013, creating a yearly $5,000 award for students like Krystle: high-achieving undergraduates majoring in business at UMass Boston. Dick and Barbara were also the first to suggest that UMass Boston launch a marathon team to raise additional funds for the scholarship. The first marathon team was formed in 2014 and consisted of many Campbell family members and their friends. It has since grown to include a tight-knit group of nearly 60 UMass Boston alumni, faculty, and friends. Through their fundraising, thousands of donors from the UMass Boston community and beyond have contributed to the scholarship fund. As a result, its annual impact has

increased. Eight students were chosen to receive the award this year, bringing the total number of recipients since 2015 to 32. “Every student who receives one gets to breathe a sigh of relief from the financial burden of school,” said Erin Collins ’25, of Quincy, Mass., who was one of this year’s awardees. This year’s marathon, the 10th anniversary of the bombing, was emotional for many on the Run for Krystle team, knowing the impact of the scholarship they helped build will continue for generations. “The fact that we’ve been at this for 10 years speaks volumes about the dedication of our runners and the immense generosity of our donors,” said Paul Dyson ’00, a senior lecturer in UMass Boston’s English department and eight-time Run for Krystle team member. “That we can serve the university’s students and Krystle’s memory in this way is really wonderful and humbling.” —Andrea Kennedy If you are interested in learning more about the Krystle Campbell Scholarship Fund, visit umb.edu/ runforkrystle.

Fall 2023

From the Hub to the Hill Matt L. Barron ’86 establishes internship program for UMass Boston students BY VANESSA CHATTERLEY

Matt L. Barron ’86 didn’t always dream

of working in politics. In fact, he initially wanted to be a farmer. He attributes this career aspiration to the “back-to-the-land movement,” a social phenomenon that was popularized in the 1970s for its emphasis on self-sufficiency—a concept that subscribed to the agrarian farmer lifestyle. But without the capital investment necessary to purchase land and equipment, Barron soon realized that becoming a farmer would take more than enrolling in a few college-level agriculture courses. So, he dropped out of school to work full time for the then-commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture. There, he said, he could affect change behind the scenes. “I was part of organizing a statewide group called the Mass Food and

Agriculture Coalition that was a cross-section of part of the rural farm groups, as well as urban gardeners and food co-ops,” Barron said. “I was working on food and agriculture policy, filing bills in the legislature. I was immersed in the politics of trying to get legislation passed.” After nearly three years in this role, Barron decided to give college a second chance. He enrolled in the political science program at UMass Boston—this time focusing on a vocation that ran adjacent to his first career choice. “I realized I could still be involved in these issues that I’m passionate about but more from affecting the policy, rather than actually being a producer or grower,” he said. During his second year, Barron landed a highly coveted internship with former U.S. Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, then serving his fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. It was a critical time for farmers, one that was identified as an agricultural recession and one of the worst economic periods since the Great Depression. Barron staffed the Congressional Populist Caucus cochaired by Harkin and Oregon Representative Jim Weaver, which pledged to fight for economic “fairness and equity.” Harkin was quoted in UPI as saying, “our thrust will be economic . . . building a structure so that once again initiative is rewarded, not wealth and power.” After completing his internship and earning a bachelor’s degree in political

science from UMass Boston, Barron went on to enjoy a successful career in politics, working in electoral politics at the federal, state, and local levels. He served as a campaign manager and economic and agriculture development specialist for U.S. Representative John Oliver of Massachusetts and was a charter member on President Barack Obama's Agriculture and Rural Policy Committee. Currently, Barron is a political consultant and rural strategist at his own firm, MLB Research Associates. In this role, he has advised on dozens of state legislative races in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. He has also created numerous radio, print, and digital ads for independent expenditure efforts on rural issues across the nation and launched a series of state-branded/ rural-focused super PACs. While reflecting on his storied career in the political arena, Barron still recalls his congressional internship with great fondness, calling it “the highlight of [his] time at UMass Boston.” “Working for the Congressional Populist Caucus and helping Tom Harkin get elected to the Senate was incredibly satisfying,” he said. “It is my hope that other UMass Boston political science majors can have as rewarding an internship experience as I did.” Now, through a transformative $100,000 gift to the university, Barron is bringing this hope to fruition. The Barron Congressional Internship program will provide students with the

Fall 2023

opportunity to work alongside some of the most influential politicians in the nation’s capital. Students selected for the program, called Barron Interns, will spend the duration of their internship learning about the inner workings of government and how policies are developed and implemented—all without being hindered by financial constraints. Interns will receive a stipend to help cover living expenses while completing their internship. The program is open to all political science students who wish to gain hands-on experience while learning about the country’s legislative system.

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Barron believes that students from all backgrounds can benefit from the experience of working in politics and hopes to attract a diverse group of applicants. It is through this program that he hopes to shape the next generation of political leaders and ensure that UMass Boston remains a hub of political activity for years to come. Rin Hurd ’24, a senior majoring in political science with a minor in public policy, is the program’s first-ever Barron Intern. In September, they embarked for Washington, DC, to complete an internship with Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.

Hurd previously completed a congressional internship with Senator Elizabeth Warren in 2022 and said they’re grateful to Barron and the Political Science Department for the opportunity to continue their journey in the political landscape. “I honestly never thought a DC internship would be a reality for me unless I did it over the summer,” said Hurd, who plans to pursue their master’s in public policy. “Moving from Boston to DC, even temporarily, is expensive. I couldn’t imagine trying to figure out the cost of living. And yet, here I am!”

Class notes 1960s

Spirit Award by the Emerald Necklace

and was the director of customer care for

High School boys varsity head

Conservancy on May 17. The award is

Baltimore Gas and Electric. She received

basketball coach for 13 seasons,

Paul “P.J.” Yovino ’68 published his

given annually to an individual or

her bachelor’s in management and

qualifying for the MIAA State

debut novel, Portals, a historical fiction that

individuals their leadership, commitment

finance from UMass Boston, graduating

Tournament in 10 of those seasons.

explores the days between the JFK assassi-

to cities, passion for public places,

magna cum laude.

Seigal said his career in teaching was

nation and the Gulf of Tonkin incident in

dedication to the democratic ideals

1964 and the days that precipitated the

fostered in urban parks, and ability to

Jay Seigal ’81 retired after 33 years

principal at the Williams School and a

United States the entry of the United States

inspire public servants and private citizens

teaching in the Chelsea, Massachusetts,

longtime member of the Chelsea School

into the Vietnam War. Yovino is a

to join in common cause.

school system. He was the Chelsea

Committee.

inspired by his late father, who was a

resident of Quincy, Massachusetts, and double majored in political science and

Lawrence Mills ’70 published Boston

English at UMass Boston before attending

Transit in Stormy Weather 1962–1996,

Suffolk University Law School.

a collection of photos depicting the conditions on the T during major storms

1970s

and includes photos from the blizzards of

Paul Burton ’77 published his second

flooding, and other significant weather

book, Fiascoes and Foibles: An Unfiltered Look at Public Finance, Media, Politics and Sports, a fun, provocative tome that reflects largely on public-finance coverage over the final years of Burton’s career. Burton has 45 years of public-finance coverage under his belt,

1969 and 1978, the Fenway portal events. Some of the photos were taken from the Boston State College campus. Boston Transit in Stormy Weather was published by Silver Lake Press in Pembroke, Mass and is available at Ward Maps in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

including 10 years as a regional editor for

Janet Talarico ’79 published two

New York City–based trade publication,

children’s books in a series called Sophia

The Bond Buyer.

Decides! The books are about a little girl who wants to live a life full of purpose and

Jerrold D. Green ’75 has joined the Whittier Trust’s board of directors. Green is the president and chief executive officer of the Pacific Council on International Policy. He is also a research professor at the University of Southern California’s

intent. In addition to being a published author, Talarico is a retired sociology professor and an active sociologist, keeping up in her field of study and beyond.

1980s

Annenberg School for Communication

Carlene Hill Byron ’81, who retired from

Interdisciplinary street artist Rixy Fernandez ’19 recently unveiled

nonprofit development in 2022, was

her newest art piece—a bird-themed mural entitled Fly, Like You.

General John F. Kelly ’76 (Ret.) has

contracted as a senior editor for Spirit

The mural, which was commissioned by Fields Corner Main

been elected the Marine Corps University

Media. She has worked with authors

Foundation’s chairman. General Kelly has

around the world to help them shape their

Streets, is painted on the side of the restaurant My Sister’s

served the nation as White House chief

fiction and nonfiction books for an

of staff; the fifth secretary of the

international audience. Spirit Media will be

Department of Homeland Security;

publishing her second book, Not Quite

commander of the United States

Fine: Mental Health, Faith, and Showing Up

the CreateWell Fund’s Converging Liberations Residency at

Southern Command; and as a general in

for One Another, in 2024.

MASS MoCA; received a Ruth Butler Travel Fellowship to Mexico;

and Journalism.

Crawfish III on Dorchester Avenue, where Fernandez displayed her first-ever mural five years ago. Fernandez earned her bachelor’s in art from UMass Boston. Additionally, she attended

was commissioned by the City of Boston as a Transformative

the United States Marine Corps.

Lauren Preston ’88 has been named

Public Art muralist; completed her project for Now + There’s

Gina McCarthy ’76, the first-ever White

the vice president of customer care at

Public Art Accelerator Program; and is currently an artist in

House national climate advisor and former

Liberty Utilities. Previously, she was a

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

consultant at Utilligent, an operations and

residence with Elevated Thought.

administrator, was presented with the Liff

technology consulting firm in Los Angeles,

Fall 2023

Vanessa Calderón-Rosado G’94, PhD’00 was elected to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts board of directors. She is chief executive officer of Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, a community development corporation dedicated to empowering and engaging individuals and families to improve their lives and achieve socioeconomic mobility through high-quality affordable housing, education, financial and resident empowerment, and arts programs.

setts. Judge Joun earned his bachelor’s

Service while she was still in high school.

degree in political science in 1994 from

She will continue her annual partnership

UMass Boston, served in the U.S. Army

with Boston’s Tynan Elementary School,

and Massachusetts National Guard, and is

and she assists in delivering warm

the first Asian American male on the

clothing and cheerful notes to the

federal bench in Massachusetts.

homeless at Mass and Cass.

Jennifer Kingsbury ’98 was featured in

Makeeba McCreary ’97, president of

John Warner ’84, one of the cofounders

determination of farmers, workers, and

a Q&A article with the Framingham Source

the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and

of the field of green chemistry, has

businesses amid the economic and

for her work as a Perinatal/Special Care

Social Justice Fund, was named to the

cofounded and joined the scientific

social upheavals of the 1920s.

Nursery Nurse Educator at MetroWest

Nellie Mae Education Foundation’s board

Medical Center. In her role, Kingsbury

of directors. McCreary’s expertise and

advisory board of GL Chemtec International, which specializes in

Jennifer Dooling ’92 was promoted to

helps to facilitate the ongoing education of

scholarship in social justice and education

advanced chemistry research and design

chief banking services officer at BankFive,

all the perinatal nurses. She was recruited

will support the foundation as it continues

scale-up services. Warner, an accom-

a community bank with locations in

to MetroWest Medical after being a patient

its racial equity journey in public education.

plished leader in the scientific community,

Massachusetts and Rhode Island. She

in Framingham Union Hospital’s labor and

Prior to joining NCF, McCreary worked at

has over 100 publications providing

serves on the board of directors for the

delivery unit. Twenty-three years later,

the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston as the

foundational work in the fields of

Arts Foundation of Cape Cod and is a

Kingsbury said, “I went home with a baby

Patti and Jonathan Kraft Chief of Learning

noncovalent derivatization, polymer

member of EforAll Cape Cod advisory

and a new job, and never left! MetroWest

and Community Engagement.

photochemistry, metal oxide semiconduc-

board, where she has also been a mentor

Medical Center is my home.”

tors, and synthetic organic chemistry.

and judge. In addition, Dooling serves on

Kent Worcester’s ’82 latest book, A

Charles Raffoni ’94 is celebrating

the board of directors for Empower

Joyce Linehan ’96, G’04 was

10 years of owning his own wellness

Yourself in Brockton, Massachusetts.

appointed to the Massachusetts Board of

brand, Yoga with Chuck. Raffoni had the

Library Commissioners. Linehan and her

honor of teaching yoga to nearly 900

Cultural History of The Punisher, will be published in December 2023. The book

Brian Hughes ’99 was named equity

fellow board members are working to

participants at Gillette Stadium to benefit

explores one of the most murderous

partner in the law firm of Brennan,

improve the operation and maintenance

Boston Children’s Hospital. In addition to

characters in popular culture. First

Recupero, Cascione, Scungio and

of public libraries, promote cooperation

teaching, he was the top male fundraiser

introduced in 1974, the Punisher has

McAllister. Hughes is a litigator in the

with all types of libraries, and ensure that

for the event and led a team that raised

inspired three movies, a Netflix series, and

Taunton, Massachusetts office and

all residents of the commonwealth have

nearly $30,000.

more than a thousand comics and graphic

admitted to practice law in all state and

access to electronic information

novels. Worcester is a professor of political

federal courts in Massachusetts and

technologies and databases.

science at Marymount Manhattan College.

Rhode Island. He is also part of the firm’s

Sally Bernardina Seraphin ’98, assistant professor of neuroscience at

Barbie Loftus ’94 retired from her role

Trinity College, was awarded the Whitman

of probation officer after 43 years on the

Center Fellowship at the Marine Biological

Judge Myong J. Joun ’94 was

job. She was the long-tenured female

Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachu-

Franklin Black G’93 published his

nominated by President Biden and

probation officer in Massachusetts.

setts. As an undergraduate concentrating

debut novel, The Milk War Murder. The

approved by the United States Senate as

Loftus began her career doing clerical

in biobehavioral studies at UMass Boston,

novel shows the resilience and

U.S. District Court judge for Massachu-

work for Massachusetts Probation

she researched parental care in rats and

education law team.

1990s

Beacons

Class notes

endangered sea birds. She participated in

Jack E. Lambert, Jr. ’00, aviation industry

the McNair Scholars Program and the

veteran, was appointed CEO of private jet

research experience for undergraduates’

management and charter company

Socrates program to what is now known

FlyHouse. Lambert has worked in private

as the University of Roehampton London.

aviation for more than two decades and founded Jet Access Aviation in West Palm

Joshua Gordon G’05 has been appointed FIFA mediator, where he contributes his expertise to resolve disputes within the world of football. In addition, he recently authored a book titled

2000s

Beach, Florida. Jet Access grew to become

Strategic Negotiation: Building Organizational Excellence,

the 10th-largest Part 135 air carrier in

published by Routledge. This resource aims to provide organiza-

Thomas Bain G’06 joined the advisory

North America and merged with the

tions with a roadmap for enhancing their negotiation strategies

Aeromanagement Group at the end of 2019.

and overall performance. He has been renewed as an interna-

board of Wisr AI, an AI platform that predicts cyberattacks on large

tional arbitrator for the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where he

enterprises and their third-party vendor

Abraham Lateiner G’08 is part of a team

networks. Bain has over 15 years of

coordinating on a campaign to invite and

experience driving the marketing and

equip wealthy individuals to commit to the

go-to-market efforts for leading

work of social-justice. This campaign is

high-growth cybersecurity companies,

structured as a royalties cooperative: social

including Cyware Labs and RiskRecon

justice partners are receiving $5,000

dedicated to supporting student-athletes and shaping the future

(acquired by Mastercard). He currently

honorariums in exchange for offering

of collegiate sports. As part of his leadership roles, he has been

serves as the executive vice president of

guidance and accountability.

appointed chair of the USATF SafeSport Appeals Committee,

plays a crucial role in resolving disputes related to the sporting world. He also serves as the University of Oregon Faculty Athletics Representative, NCAA FARA D1 FBS Committee Representative, and Pac-12 Council member, where he is

where he is committed to promoting athlete welfare and

marketing for Finite State.

Joanna MacGugan G’08 published a Bill Fahey G’00 was named chief

book titled Social Memory, Reputation and

operating officer of Vicinity Energy. Fahey

the Politics of Death in the Medieval Irish

joins Vicinity with over 35 years of

Lordship. Stories of murderous monks,

experience in the energy industry.

tavern brawls, robberies gone wrong, tragic

Previously, he served as the executive vice

accidents, and criminal gangs from court

president and chief technical officer for

records reveal how the English of medieval

Veolia North America, where he led many

Ireland governed and politicized death and

operations-focused initiatives and was

collectively decided what passed for truth in

instrumental to its long-term success in

legal proceedings. MacGugan is a full-time

North America.

copy editor and independent scholar.

Meredith Guerriero ’03 was named

Jennifer R. Matthews ’08 was elected to

chief operating officer at Fetch, a rewards

Haverhill Bank’s board of directors.

app and leading consumer-engagement

Matthews serves as executive director of

platform. Tapping into her wide-reaching

L’Arche Boston North. For the past 17 years,

expertise in the technology sector,

she has been with the nonprofit, which

Guerriero will oversee Fetch’s revenue

provides homes for life for adults with

generation, legal, implementation, and

developmental disabilities, and has served

operations teams and work closely with

as executive director for the past five years.

ensuring a safe environment for all participants.

product and engineering to formulate new monetization strategies as the company

Paul McKnight G’07 was selected as the

expands into new categories.

new principal of Hansen Elementary in Canton, Massachusetts. He was previously

Kathryn Kuba G’08 was named 2022

at Raynham Middle School, where he had

Businesswoman of the Year at the

served as assistant principal since 2017.

Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce awards banquet. She earned

Kristin Shaw Monk ’06 published

her master’s in American studies from

Seaglass Dreams. The story follows Adeline,

UMass Boston. Kuba is the editor of My

a teenager grieving the loss of her best

Buckhannon, a position she’s held since

friend. She begins to have dreams that

the local business’s founding in 2018.

whisk her away from her quaint Cape Cod

Fall 2023

Katie Theoharides G’07 was named

Alfred Calixte ’13 is an associate

president and CEO of The Trustees of

director for CMC project management at

Reservations, one of Massachusetts’

Verve Therapeutics. In this role, he leads

largest nonprofits and the nation’s first

programs by collaboratively working with

conservation and preservation

functional area leads and program teams

organization. Theoharides, who earned a

to plan, track, and report on progress for

master’s in environmental biology from

multiple gene-editing programs, from

UMass Boston, is a respected expert on

early- to late-stage development. He has

the environment and climate science. She

over 10 years of industry experience,

joined the administration of former

predominantly in alliance, project, and

Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker in

program management.

2016 as director of climate and global warming solutions and was named

Bill Constantopoulos ’14 was

secretary of energy and environmental

appointed partner at Gray, Gray & Gray,

affairs in 2019.

LLP, a business consulting and accounting firm based in Canton, Massachusetts.

Michael Spillane ’82, president of consumer creation at Nike, retired after 16 years with the company. Spillane was responsible for developing the strategy that drives the creation of all Nike footwear, apparel, and equipment, and he

Andy Vidal ’04 was recognized as one

Prior to joining the firm in 2020,

of the Boston Business Journal’s 2023

Constantopoulos held accounting system

CFOs of the Year. Vidal has a challenging

implementation and client advisory

role as Roxbury Community College’s vice

positions at several prominent regional

president for finance and facilities. Vidal, a

accounting and law firms, as well as the

CFO for a decade, including past financial

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

leadership stints at Endicott College, Emerson College, New England College

led product merchandising to the global marketplace. Since

Alessandra Fisher ’12 was appointed

of Optometry, and the Solomon Schechter

director of immigrant integration and elder

joining Nike in 2007, Spillane has held leadership positions

Day School of Greater Boston, has

services for the Massachusetts Alliance

with the Converse, Umbro, and Greater China divisions, and,

improved the college’s financial standing.

of Portuguese Speakers. Fisher is

most recently, global footwear. With extensive experience in marketing consumer products, Spillane previously held senior management roles at leading apparel and textile companies, including Malden Mills, Tommy Hilfiger USA, Jockey International, and Missbrenner, Inc.

responsible for supervising caseworkers

Conor Yunits G’07 was named

who provide advocacy, case management,

executive vice president at Issues

and direct services to thousands of

Management Group. In this role, he

community members each year in areas

oversees public affairs/lobbying, real

such as social services; health insurance

estate/corporate public relations, and

enrollment; housing, nutritional, and fuel

digital divisions. Since joining the firm in

assistance; employment and career

2016, Yunits has served as the statewide

development; immigration and citizenship

communications director and spokesper-

applications.

life, sending her on adventures where she

Brian Kenneth Reagan G’00, former

son for ballot questions, as the lead media

experiences a multitude of human

Hudson High School principal, and most

relations strategist for publicly traded and

Amy Marie Frigulietti G’18 was named

emotions while slowly discovering she has

recently Waltham superintendent of

privately funded real estate companies,

deputy town administrator of Franklin,

a gift that allows her to transcend her

schools, was named superintendent of

and as a principal in the firm’s crisis

Massachusetts. Frigulietti has nearly 20

wildest dreams.

Hudson High School. Reagan has

practice.

years of experience in administrative and

served in leadership roles in Hudson,

Amanda Pitts G’04 was named CEO of

Wilmington, Bedford, and Shrewsbury,

Recovery Centers of America at

Massachusetts.

Westminster. She has nearly two decades of health care leadership experience

Ryan Stoute ’02 passed the American

focused on mental health and addiction

Registry of Radiologic Technologists

treatment. In her new role, Pitts will be

(ARRT) magnetic resonance imaging

responsible for driving positive patient

(MRI) registry exam in June. ARRT

outcomes while delivering the highest

certification and registration in MRI

level of services and quality of care that is

certifies individuals to perform the role

responsive to patients’ needs.

of an MRI technologist.

Beacons

professional management and brings

2010s

expertise in economic development,

Nate Bryant EdD’16 was elected to the

the public sector. A Massachusetts native,

board of directors of Northeast Arc, the

Frigulietti most recently worked as the

largest Arc in Massachusetts and one of

assistant executive director of general

the largest in the country. Bryant is

government services for the town of

responsible for setting the direction for

Wellesley.

public policy, and community outreach in

Northeast Arc to continue changing lives for people with disabilities—and children at

Abigail Gould G’19, CER’19 and Richard

risk of developing them—and their families.

Gould officially launched Oak & Argyle, a

Class notes

comprehensive consulting firm offering

Library in Roxbury. Nixon-Silberg

companies. As a partner, Vaz’s main role is

committee for Theatre Communications

guidance in government affairs, strategic

studied psychology and anthropology at

hiring, training, and developing a team of

Group’s 2012 annual conference, and

communications, community relations, and

UMass Boston and went on to work at

aspiring financial services professionals.

was a community member for the

real estate development. Abigail’s

the Boston Public Health Commission,

experience includes pivotal roles as the

focusing on equity initiatives.

director of legislative affairs for the

Boston Children’s Chorus innovation

2020s

team in 2014.

Massachusetts state auditor and as a

Stephen Alan Rollins, Jr. G’12 has

policy analyst for the House minority leader.

Akiba Abaka ’20 was named director of

Bryan Carter ’20, who graduated from

been named vice president and

Good Trouble, a newly created position

the Northern Essex Community College

shareholder of GT Reilly & Company.

Susan O’Mahoney Holtzman G’16 was

aimed at shaping program offerings and

Police Academy, joined the Tyngsborough

Rollins joined the firm in 2008 and works

recommitting Boston Children’s Chorus

police department. He completed a

named president and chief executive

with privately held businesses, financial

to being a multicultural, anti-ableist,

12-week field training program, during

officer of NAMI Miami-Dade County, the

institutions, and nonprofit organizations.

anti-racist organization for young people

which he patrolled the town of

leading mental health advocacy, education,

He has extensive experience in auditing,

in the Greater Boston region. In addition

Tyngsborough along with a veteran officer.

and support organization in Miami-Dade

tax, consulting, and forensic accounting.

to serving as a mentor for the Big Sister

Carter earned a bachelor’s degree in

County and the Florida Keys. Holtzman

Rollins serves on the board of the Salem

Association of Greater Boston, she has

criminal justice in 2020 from UMass

most recently was the lead on mental

State University Alumni Association and

served on the board of Boston Children’s

Boston, where he was also a four-year

health, disabilities, and older adults in the

Foundation and is active coaching his

Theatre, participated on the host

member of the university’s hockey team.

Office of Equity and Engagement, Office

daughters’ soccer teams.

of the Mayor, Miami-Dade County.

Jovanny Rosado ’18 was promoted to Lisa Leger ’10 was named executive

account director at Denterlein. While

director of the Brookline Chamber of

supporting the development and

Commerce. In her role, Leger is

execution of strategic communications

responsible for the overall leadership of

campaigns for several of the agency’s

the chamber and maintaining its mission

largest clients, he focuses on leading

to promote and advance the continued

media relations and content strategy

success of Brookline as a thriving

initiatives. Before Denterlein, Rosado

community in which to live, work, and do

was a part of the development and

business. She joins the chamber with over

communications team at Victory

a decade in the nonprofit development

Programs, worked at local communica-

sector, with professional experience in

tions agencies, and served in the U.S.

grant writing and corporate partnerships.

Navy.

Alex Magee G’18, formerly finance

Robert Spellane G’11 was named

director for the town of Hamilton,

interim regional director of the Small

Massachusetts, is now Arlington’s deputy

Business Development Center at Clark

town manager and finance director.

University. Spellane served as state

Before serving in Hamilton, Magee worked

representative for the 13th Worcester

in the city of Lowell as a data manage-

district of the Massachusetts House of

ment analyst, assistant to the city

Representatives from 2001 to 2011,

manager, and the deputy director of

followed by 12 years as vice president of

administration and finance for its public

strategic resources and initiatives at the

works department.

Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. Since 2019, Spellane

Ryan Boxill G’06 was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer of East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, the

Tanya Nixon-Silberg ’11 runs Little

has served as the executive director of

Uprisings, where she and her sister

Clark’s Master of Public Administration

partner with schools and organizations

for Senior Leadership Program, where

EBNHC with 20 years of health care experience. Most recently, he

such as the Boston Public Library and

he is also a professor of practice.

served as chief behavioral health officer at Boston Medical Center,

Puppet Showplace Theater on curriculum

largest community health center in Massachusetts. He comes to

where he helped launch BMC’s new Brockton Behavioral Health

revision and development, art, and theater.

Idizinho Vaz ’19 was promoted to the

Center. He also served as system vice president at Steward

Her newest public art piece, “They Did

role of associate partner at New York

Not Know We Were Seeds,” is at the

Life Insurance, one of the nation’s

HealthCare.

Parker Hill Branch of the Boston Public

strongest financial and insurance

Fall 2023

UMASS BOSTON’S active commitment to the success of our nation’s

veterans and their families is a point of pride across the Beacon community. It also serves as a frequent motivation for the generosity of university alumni and friends. In the case of Bill Perry ’95, G’98, his own experiences as a UMass Boston student after serving in the U.S. Coast Guard solidified for him the value of veteran access to educational opportunity. He established the Bill and Rose Perry Endowment for Student Veterans with an initial gift of $25,000 as a part of his personal dedication to the continued advancement of those who have served. After hearing the first recipient of his scholarship speak to the impact of his support at UMass Boston’s annual Joiner Institute event, Perry elected to triple his commitment to the university—in part through a planned gift—expanding his initial investment four-fold thanks to matching state funds. Planned giving is a powerful way for individuals to align their giving with their personal values and create a lasting impact that transcends their own lifetime.

With long-term gift planning, you can have a bigger impact on UMass Boston than you might have thought possible—and access financial benefits for yourself and your family. Including UMass Boston in your estate plan provides dynamic education for our students, who are engaged with our city and world, well into the future. Scan here for your free copy of our personal estate planning kit with comprehensive information to help you protect loved ones, organize everything in one place, and save on taxes. Beacons

To learn more about how you can build your legacy at UMass Boston, contact Ryan McDonald at 617.595.8677 or ryan.mcdonald@umb.edu, or visit plannedgiving.umb.edu 37

In Memoriam

In Memoriam It has saddened us to learn of the passing of the following members of the UMass Boston community since our last issue.

ALUMNI

James F. Johnson G’63

Kaylin Rose ’08

Professor Emeritus Leonard A. Catz

Karen Anderson ’77

Virginia A. Jonas ’75

Jean O’Brien Rowan ’61

Professor Emeritus Richard H. Eckhouse

Ruth Krock Anderson ’39

David A. Kanter ’81

William J. Rowan ’62

Patricia Flannery-Gibson

Brenda Koplow Angie ’59

Alison M. Kealy G’97, CER’98

Constance A. Ryan ’79

Professor Polly Kaufman

Joseph G. Ayube ’71

Maureen T. Kelley ’72

John S. Sanford ’69

Professor William Lee

Salvatore V. Bellistri ’67

Patricia M. Kelly ’78

Erin H. Sawyer G’05

Professor Harold P. Mahon

Jeanne Pierozzi Benoit ’84

William M. Kendricken ’01

Pamela S. Sawyer ’88

Professor Ann M. Michaud

Michael J. Blasi ’84

M. Frances Keyes ’47

Martin Schumacher ’71

John D. Nee

Paul G. Bronk ’02

Doris Kickham ’57

Sister Elizabeth Ann Shea, D.C ’51

Professor Edmund Traverso

Siobhan Buckley G’08

Christopher W. Laidler ’10

John H. Simonds ’81

Professor Gordon M. Webb

Virginia M. Carr ’65

Lisa Ann Lancaster ’10

Maurine E. Spieldenner ’78

Stephen Cheng ’00

Dorothy Collins Larson ’69

Hermine Spiewak CER’88

FRIENDS

Joy Clancy ’73, G’76

Mary T. Leary ’86

Janice M. Stapleton ’65

Clifford Adelman

Elizabeth S. Clark-Adams ’07

Mary Roddy Lee ’48

Lorraine F. Stigas ’66

Susanne Arnold

John R. Clifford ’74

Priscilla Aker Little G’93

Bruce Stokley ’79

Cameron Robert Barlow

Mary Rafuse Comer ’68

George F. Lombard ’75

Harold J. Sullivan ’00

Marc A. Charlestra

Robert J. Condon ’70

Chris W. Lupo ’96

Ann M. Sweeney ’82

Joseph Charyk

Mary Doherty Cormier ’61

Rocco J. Malfitano G’60

Anthony F. Taiani ’76

Jessica Doktor

Vernon C. Dailey G’94

Helen Lamoron Marche ’84

Marie Tedischi ’58

Laura V. Dowd P’15, P’22

John A. Dearn ’74

James F. Mawn ’63, G’65

Ernest M. Thomas ’73

Diana Duggan-Mobarak P’22

Stanley N. DeHaan ’68

Donald R. McComb G’69

Adam D. Toronto G’09

Louis J. Garr

Jean Fiske D’Espinosa G’92

Marie L. McDonald ’67

Joseph D. Travalini ’64

Roswell L. Gilpatric

John W. Deveney ’61, G’66

Francis A. McGeough ’51

James E. Travis ’69, G’91

Ellen O. Grant

Gail A. Douglas ’68, G’88

Gerald E. McGrath G’63

Joseph A. Trovato G’61

Eleanor Hart

John J. Downey ’60

John J. McGrath ’73

James A. Vaccaro ’66, G’69

Barbara Hayes

Marina A. Dubois ’81

Joseph E. McGurn ’72

David Vagos ’69

Barbara C. Hyland

Robert E. Dunn Sr. ’73

Rita McMahon McKenna ’46,

Carol Vienneau G’20

Peter G. Katsigianis

CER’89, CER’92

Helen Maslov Visnick ’73

Thomas J. Keohane

Thomas E. Eggers ’77

Richard J. Medicke ’96

Marcia Reynolds Ward ’61

Nelson Yuan-Sheng Kiang

Lawrence S. Finklestone ’71

Edwin F. Miller ’72

Cassandra Warshowsky ’76

Charlene M. Kinneavy

Richard P. Flaherty ’05

John J. Moore ’64

Charles Weeks ’78

Morris Levy

Janet Kirley Grant ’61

John R. Moreschi ’81

Eleanor M. Weiner CER’94

Marion Lipson

Robert J. Gregory ’87

Helen Delaney Mulhern ’80

Thomas A. Wetherall ’74

Dora Marcus

Mildred Bunch Griffith ’46

Rebecca C. Mutali ’22

Una Fallon Whitcomb ’61

G. F. Markham

Elaine Chaisson Hackett ’64

Thomas Nawn ’61

Adam T. White ’19

Rose A. Markham

William P. Hafferty G’99

David Neuner ’01

Douglas R. White G’81

Edward J. Mayotte P’91

Warren R. Handren ’70

Mary H. O’Leary ’64

Stephen C. Wildes G’18

Douglas Munsey, MD P’26

Lloyd A. Haynes ’93

Edward M. O’Malley ’80

Adrienne T. Williams ’58

Tyre Nichols

Nancy Reed Hellberg ’56, G’61

Timothy A. Page ’97

George F. Windisch ’79

Donald H. Ramsbottom

Gary G. Hicks G’96

Stephen J. Peregrim ’79

John A. Wyatt ’69, G’73

Stephen H. Sachs

Jean McCormack Hill ’52

Muriel Brown Porter ’55

Judith A. Joyce Wyman ’73

Roger A. Saunders

Hilary Hopkins ’71

William T. Power ’61

Tucker G. Zenski ’06

Nancy C. Sohon

Judith A. Hughes G’95

Robert M. Reebenacker ’69

Marilyn L. Hyder ’68

Thomas M. Reilly G’60

FACULTY AND STAFF

Kerry-Anne White

Lawrence K. Roland G’98

Professor Roswell P. Angier

George Vanderheiden

Mary Doucette Duseau ’57

Janet Hickey Jervinis ’59

Janet E. Taylor

Fall 2023

In Memoriam

NELSON YUAN- SHENG KIANG An internationally recognized scientist known for his influential research into speech and hearing, Nelson died in March at the age of 93 at his home in Boston. Born in Wuxi, China, he arrived at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1955, and was professor emeritus at MIT, Harvard Medical School, and Massachusetts General Hospital. In 1958, he founded and until 1996 directed the Eaton-Peabody Laboratory of Auditory Physiology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Known for his passion for educating and mentoring young scientists, researchers, and clinicians, he established a PhD program in speech and hearing bioscience and technology at the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Science and Technology in 1992. Nelson was a member of the UMass Boston Board of Visitors, and he and his wife, Barbara (Norris) Kiang, have been longtime, generous donors to the Asian American Studies Program and the Institute for Asian American Studies at UMass Boston.

RUTH KROCK ANDERSON ’39 Ruth died in March at her home in Naples, Florida. She was 104. After two years teaching math in the Boston school system, Ruth became a mathematician, working on MIT’s radar technology for World War II. She then joined the Naval Ordnance Test Station at China Lake, where she met and married Lowell “Andy” Anderson, a physicist from Cornell. They relocated to Washington, DC, where Ruth worked for the U.S. Bureau of Standards and their daughter Karen was born. When Andy retired to Cape Cod in 1974, Ruth became an information systems consultant and started a company making dresses for older women. After Andy’s death, Ruth settled in Naples, Florida, where she was active in the UMass Boston alumni community. During the pandemic, Ruth was featured in the national and local news for her volunteer work sewing masks. Her daughter has established an endowment at UMass Boston in Ruth’s honor.

MARY DOUCETTE DUSEAU ’57 Mary passed away peacefully in April at the age of 87. She worked for the Weymouth school system her entire teaching career. Mary was a very loyal and active alumna, attending many annual Teachers College luncheons and reunions. She served on the Board of Visitors and was a member of the Boston Teachers College Scholarship Steering Committee. She volunteered at the Weymouth Food Pantry and was very active at her parish, Saint Francis Xavier Church. Mary enjoyed reading, playing bridge, watching Boston sports teams, and going to White Horse Beach with her family. Mary is survived by Paul, her husband of 65 years, their four children and their spouses, their children, and many nieces, nephews, friends, colleagues, and former students, all of whom loved her dearly.

Beacons

Alumni Events

Devin Young ’21 and guest Mario at the UMass Foundation’s San Francisco Reception.

Talita Guerrero ’15 and guests Kalvin and Leonardo at the New England Patriots vs. Arizona Cardinals game, hosted by the UMass Foundation. (Photo: Aaron Soto)

San Diego Regional Committee Member Igor DaCruz ’11 with guest Ariana, Patricia Correia ’06, and guest Desmond. (Photo: Barry Hackett Photography)

UMass Boston Chancellor Suárez-Orozco at the UMass Foundation’s Alumni Reception in Palm Beach, Florida.

UMass Boston Assistant Professor of Political Science Travis Johnson addresses attendees at the UMass Foundation’s annual Faculty Lecture Series in Naples, Florida.

College of Education and Human Development Dean Tara Parker with three of the six 2023 Boston Teachers College Scholarship recipients at the College’s annual scholarship luncheon: Danielle Grant ’23, Alexandria Jones ’23, and Carolyn McCarthy ’23. (Photo: Kahrim Wade)

Fall 2023

Members of the class of 2023 gather for Senior Night at the Dorchester Brewing Company. (Photo: Kahrim Wade)

Kelly Xu ’23 and Carmen Xu ’23 at Senior Night at the Dorchester Brewing Company. (Photo: Kahrim Wade)

Briana O’Neill CER’18, Elizabeth Sheils ’15, Julianne Minuto G’15, and Marco Bellin G’16 gather at the Stamford, Connecticut Alumni and Friends Reception.

Beacons

Nevena Trochanova ’17 chats with Ashok Panikkar G’97 and Eric Weissberger G’92 at the Washington, DC Alumni Reception. (Photo: Chris Ferenzi Photography)

San Francisco Regional Committee Members Ann Pagliaro ’69, Tyler Moak ’08, Janice Daniels ’71, and Joshuah Mello ’02. (Photo: Matthew Mikaelian Photography)

Alumni Events

Frank O’Brien ’90, Janice Daniels ’71, Aaryaman Sharma ’22, Pramukh Ganeshamurthy ’15, Julia Ratzlaff ’12, and Ankitha Murthy at the San Francisco Alumni Reception. (Photo: Matthew Mikaelian Photography)

April Bolenbaugh G’05, Heather Schauder G’99, CER’00, and their guests at the San Diego Alumni Reception. (Photo: Barry Hackett Photography)

Two of the 2023 UMass Boston Alumni Association Scholarship recipients, Kanisha Thomas ’24 and Amarachi Chike ’24, with Kanisha’s sister Kiona, at the annual Alumni Association Scholarship Dinner. (Photo: Bob Durling Photography)

Ronald Zampell ’71, G’77, wife Ann, William Mahoney G’78, and wife Denyce at the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Alumni Reception. (Photo: Brass Tacks Photography)

Bill Dooley, Samantha Dooley ’16, Shannon Levesque, and Mario Marchesi G’19 at the Portland, Maine Alumni Reception. (Photo: Brass Tacks Photography) 42

Alumni gather for a group photo at the Berkshires Alumni Reception. (Photo: Eric Limón Photography)

Fall 2023

BEACONconnect Brings the UMass Boston Community Together

“ After connecting on BEACONconnect, Idizinho and I met for coffee to discuss our careers and he has become a helpful mentor. I am grateful that BEACONconnect exists to connect professionals who have UMass Boston in common.” –Tamira Acce ’20, associate, Grand Circle Corporation

“ I enjoyed meeting Tamira and look forward to connecting with more fellow alumni on BEACONconnect. I encourage others to use the site to seek out career advice or to offer their expertise. Asking for help can sometimes be intimidating, but BEACONconnect makes it easy. I will continue to use the platform to connect with classmates, network, find candidates, and be a resource for students and alumni. Drop me a note!” –Idizinho Vaz ’19, partner, NYLIFE Securities

With BEACONconnect, you can: > Find a mentor

Visit alumni.umb.edu/beaconconnect to sign up.

> Network via the alumni directory

Are you interested in using the site but are not sure

> Search or post jobs on the job board

where to begin? Email beaconconnect@umb.edu to

> Mentor fellow alumni or students

> Search or post on the alumni-owned business directory

schedule a one-on-one session with a BEACONconnect ambassador.

> Join groups > Learn about events

Beacons

BEACONconnect

Did You Know?

OLLI at UMass Boston The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UMass Boston is a membership-based community of adults aged 50 and older who enjoy learning and spending time with like-minded people. With a mission of fostering accessible lifelong learning, individual growth, and social connection, OLLI provides more than 140 non-credit courses, special lectures, social events, theater outings, and field trips in the United States and abroad. As they prepare to celebrate their 25th anniversary next year, Director Jim Hermelbracht shared some facts about OLLI at UMass Boston with Beacons.

1 2

OLLI at UMass Boston is one of only five Osher programs in the nation housed in a gerontology or nursing department. With this rarity, OLLI is able to tap into the expertise and resources provided by the Manning College of Nursing and Health

Sciences to connect learners directly with faculty, staff, and graduate students. OLLI at UMass Boston is the only lifelong learning program in the nation that provides free access to the Mango Language Program, allowing members to learn more than 70 languages at their own pace. “Learning a new language is wonderful

at keeping the mind active and engaged,” said Hermelbracht. “So, the Mango offering is an invaluable part of supporting our mission of engaging our members both intellectually and socially.”

The OLLI Scholars program at UMass Boston gives graduate students from across the university the opportunity to propose

and teach courses for OLLI members on any number of topics. “It’s a wonderful intergenerational experience,” said Hermelbracht. “It gives our UMass Boston graduate students some teaching experience if they desire it, and our members really enjoy the fresh knowledge.” Each year, cohorts of 15 to 20 OLLI Scholars teach 30 or more courses and receive a stipend.

The oldest current OLLI member at UMass Boston is 96 years old and stays involved in OLLI through its virtual and online programs.

OLLI resumed in-person activities after moving to fully remote programming during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Hermelbracht said the hybrid model is here to stay. “Fifty-five to sixty percent of our programs are still online, which gives wider accessibility. Maybe folks don’t have the physical mobility they used to, or they just cannot get to one of our on-site

Stonewall at OLLI is the first OLLI-based special interest group in the U.S. specifically aimed at creating an active engagement and support network for LGBTQIA+

programs. Our online programs have been able to provide community and help decrease isolation.”

seniors. According to Hermelbracht, this group provides a unique and meaningful

resource for members. “Many LGBTQIA+ seniors probably had a very different coming out

Interested in joining OLLI or learning more about

experience than if you were to talk to our undergraduate students,” he said. “Some of these

the program? Contact the UMass Boston OLLI

folks have come out later in life and find this group to be a wonderful resource for building

team at ollireg@gmail.com or on Facebook

and sustaining community connections.”

(OLLIUMASSBOSTON).

Fall 2023

Today, 2 out of 3 undergraduate students at UMass Boston qualify for need-based aid. Scholarship funds—which ease students’ financial burden today and debt burden in the future—are an essential contribution to the university’s mission of providing high-quality education at an affordable cost.

Give our students the security they need to focus on their dreams of earning a college degree. Visit umb.edu/gift to donate.

University of Massachusetts Boston Office of Alumni Engagement 100 Morrissey Boulevard Boston, MA 02125-3393

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Boston, MA Permit No. 52094

Beacons Fall 2023

Articles inside

OLLI at UMass Boston

Class notes

From the Hub to the Hill

GOING THE DISTANCE

Meows the Time

Where the Heart Is

THE GAME changers

NASA Competition Winners

Roxbury Youth Explore Urban-Planning Solutions to Extreme Heat

Student Q&A

Increasing climate awareness through public art

Driving Diversity in Nursing

The Tea

Your Take