Beacons Spring 2024

BEACONS

A Foundation for the Future

Four years in the making, the official inauguration of Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco marks the start of a new era for UMass Boston.

A MAGAZINE FOR UMASS BOSTON ALUMNI AND FRIENDS Spring 2024

A JOYFUL CELEBRATION

At the university’s Celebration of Philanthropy on April 4, Danielle Grant ’24 shared how the support of three endowed scholarships kept her on track to achieve her degree in early childhood education as a working mother of four and children’s book author. Danielle will return to campus for her master’s degree in the fall as a teacher in the Boston Public Schools.

The annual Celebration of Philanthropy dinner honors donors to UMass Boston. This year’s event— attended by more than 250 people—was the largest in UMass Boston history and featured a new donor recognition mural in the Campus Center.

SPRING 2024

FEATURES

16 A Foundation for the Future

Postponed by the pandemic, Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco’s long-awaited inauguration ceremony celebrated his four years of leadership and his ambitious vision for UMass Boston.

24 Service by the Truckload

Torry Katsiroubas Stamm G’08 carries on a four-generation legacy of entrepreneurship and public service.

26 A Better Way to Beach

Effie Orfanides ’06 is making waves in the tech world with a new app for beach enthusiasts.

28 From Pain to Purpose

Nonprofit founder Stephanie Crawford CER’20 garnered city and state accolades in 2023 for the support she offers individuals and families facing pregnancy and infant loss.

FRONT COVER

Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco on UMass Boston’s recently renovated central plaza. Photo by Kathleen Dooher.

BACK COVER

Suárez-Orozco’s name joins those of all former UMass Boston leaders on the Chancellor’s Chain of Office.

Photo by Javier Rivas.

For this issue of Beacons, we asked our alumni:

HARBORWALK

“As an alum and current staff member, I find a brief stop at the Harborwalk a way to ground myself and tackle the day. It’s not just the view, it’s the sounds and smells of the ocean that bring a sense of peace in the middle of the city. It’s also the best spot to watch the sunrise! It’s breathtaking!”

—Dianne Kirkpatrick ’18

“Many a walk or bike ride along this peaceful and scenic strip was a calming reminder of the happiness found in the simple pleasures of life.”

—Arlene Conn ’82

“It seemed like it was another world way back in the early 80s. Small things meant a lot. The Harborwalk was important to me in those days. Every time I felt blue and lonely, I would go to the Harborwalk and gaze at the blue ocean, always remembering that my homeland, Morocco, was straight across, just on the other side of the horizon. That made me feel at peace.”

—Mohammed Zefzaf ’85

HEALEY LIBRARY

RYAN LOUNGE

“The view allowed me to relax while studying. It was almost like a respite for a short time.”

—Nancy Doherty ’01

“The eighth floor of Healey Library offered the best view of the harbor, as well as a place to quietly study.”

—Jonathan Burak ’11

ON APRIL 5TH, I was honored to be inaugurated as the ninth chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston. It was among the most humbling experiences of my life, the culmination of a long professional journey that began at the dawn of Argentina’s Dirty War and gained direction in California’s community college system.

The cover story of this edition of Beacons magazine highlights that memorable day which, for me, marked the advent of UMass Boston 2.0, bolstered by a new strategic plan, revitalized academic and administrative operations, and robust partnerships with Boston and the Commonwealth. As I reflect on where my journey has taken me, I see it as a version of a uniquely American story about the life-changing power of a public research university to promote engagement with the world and giving back.

In this edition of Beacons magazine, we share stories of alumni whose life experiences and UMass Boston education inspired creative, entrepreneurial ways to engage and give back.

You will meet Torry Kastiroubas Stamm G’08, a Beacon with deep family roots in public education, entrepreneurship, and civic service in and around Boston, who charted an entrepreneurial pathway for giving back in the areas of food security and health equity. Drawing on her UMass Boston MBA and her life experience as a contributor to her family’s thriving produce truck business, Torry pivoted the business during the COVID pandemic

into a new venture, Morrissey Market, that supports small produce suppliers, and provides nonprofits and people with access to healthy food, while embracing ethical business practices and sustainability.

You will read about the inspiring journey of Stephanie Crawford CER’20, who traversed the depths of despair in losing her stillborn son but emerged as an educator and passionate advocate for families traumatized by post-pregnancy loss. Now a PhD student at UMass Boston, Stephanie founded a nonprofit organization, Propa City Community Outreach, to engage with mothers who have experienced infant loss, and provides doula services to families seeking child development support. Stephanie’s journey to make families whole has enabled her to turn her pain into purpose.

And, just in time for summer, you will read about Beacheo, an app developed by lifelong beach enthusiast Effie Orfanides ’06, that consolidates essential beach information from parking availability to restroom facilities to weather updates and streamlines the beachgoing experience for users.

I hope you enjoy reading about the good work of these exemplary Beacons.

Sincerely,

MARCELO SUÁREZ-OROZCO Chancellor

BEACONS

Chancellor

Marcelo Suárez-Orozco

Provost

Joseph Berger

Vice Chancellor for University Advancement

Adam Wise

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Engagement

Allison Duffy

Senior Director of Alumni Engagement

Steven Whittemore

Communications Specialist

Vanessa Chatterley

Editors

Allison Duffy

Vanessa Chatterley

Andrea Kennedy

Austyn Ellese Mayfield

Steven Whittemore

Art Director

Kaajal Asher

kaajalasher.com

Contributors

Danielle Bilotta

Heather Brigham G’18

Vanessa Carta G’11

DeWayne Lehman

Sandra Mason

Elizabeth Solet

Photos and Illustrations

Ed Collier

Kathleen Dooher

John Holcroft

Bartosz Kosowski

Alex Nabaum

Javier Rivas

Shirley Anne Photography

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

High honors for professors

The UMass Boston faculty has claimed several prestigious honors recently, underscoring the caliber of research and scholarship being conducted at UMass Boston:

In a historic first for the Department of Physics, Assistant Professor Mohamed Amine Gharbi received a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation. The award grants Gharbi over $600,000 to advance his research on the mobility of living microorganisms, which could play a pivotal role in applications like the creation of micromotors and micromachines for biosensing, bioremediation, and disease treatment.

Professor of Physics

Christopher Fuchs has been named one of Vox’s 2023

Future Perfect 50, honoring his work as a pioneer of quantum physics. Vox’s annual list celebrates visionary change agents whose ideas can transform our future for the better. Fuchs is recognized for his codevelopment of QBism, a theory asserting that probabilities in quantum mechanics reflect observers’ expectations rather than objective reality, bridging the gap between consciousness and the physical world.

English Professor John Fulton, director of the Creative Writing MFA Program, was one of 35 writers selected by the National Endowment for the Arts from an applicant pool of over 2,000 submissions to receive a $25,000 FY 2024 Creative Writing Fellowship. The highly competitive fellowships are judged on the artistic excellence of submitted work; Fulton earned his for The Flounder and Other Stories, a Poets & Writers Page One New and Noteworthy Book selection. (Learn more in our Alumni and Faculty Bookshelf on page 11.)

You have to decide what side you are on. . . . It’s better to be with the people who are saying something than the people who are trying to keep folks from saying something.”

Nikki Giovanni, one of the nation’s best-known and most celebrated poets at “An Evening with Nikki Giovanni,” hosted by the College of Education & Human Development. More than 300 people attended to hear the renowned writer, educator, and activist reflect on her life and career.

ADVANCEing faculty diversity

The National Science Foundation (NSF) ADVANCE program awarded a three-year, $1 million grant to a team of five UMass Boston faculty members tackling gender and racial inequity among the university’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics faculty.

“While the student body at UMass Boston is one of the most diverse in the country, the faculty is not as diverse,” explained Associate Professor of Leadership in Education Katalin Szelényi, who is a co-principal investigator on the grant with Biology Professor Adán Colón-Carmona, Chemistry Professor Hannah Sevian, Management Professor Maureen Scully, and Dean of Faculty and English Professor Rajini Srikanth.

Their project aims to provide clarity around factors affecting the career outcomes of women faculty and faculty of color in STEM fields, with approaches that are relevant to all faculty at the university, both tenure- and nontenure- stream. This may include the way faculty activities are recognized and rewarded or undervalued, and organizational barriers that inhibit equity. In addition to cultivating and supporting the university’s increasingly diverse faculty, the project will create “a model for other universities,” said Provost Joseph Berger. UMass Boston was one of only six higher education institutions in the U.S. to receive an ADVANCE Adaptation grant in 2023.

Giving the mic to climate-impacted communities

April 10–12, 2024

The Waverley Street Foundation has awarded a shared two-year, $2.3 million grant to the School for the Environment and the environmental news radio program Living on Earth, which is produced at UMass Boston and airs on 250 public radio stations nationwide. Together, the partners will use the funds to launch a joint Center for Climate & Environmental Justice Media. The center will provide media skills training for students of color and members of marginalized communities, then help participants create micro-podcasts to deliver their stories of climate injustice and progress. The goals: amplifying the voices of climate-impacted communities and catalyzing grassroots climate action.

Waverley Street Foundation was launched by Apple founder Steve Jobs and is cochaired by his widow, philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, and Apple Vice President for Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson, former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The foundation has committed to granting its entire $3-billion-plus endowment by 2035 to support climate solutions grounded in community needs.

19 1,068 $64,831

TEAMS DONORS RAISED

$37,366,952 DONORS: 13,816 NEW ENDOWMENTS: $12,700,000

PARTICIPATION LEADERBOARD

Men’s Lacrosse / 149 donors

Women’s Soccer / 145 donors

Men’s Soccer / 141 donors

Men’s Hockey / 82 donors

Women’s Volleyball / 79 donors 48-Hour

$100K+ GIFTS: 28

ACCOLADES

MEN’S HOCKEY

Most alumni donors

MEN’S LACROSSE

Most parent donors

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Most friend donors

WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

Most faculty/staff donors

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

WOMEN’S SOCCER

First to reach goal

New Campus Hub for Native & Indigenous Students

Last fall, the campus community celebrated the grand opening of the Native & Indigenous Student Resource Hub, a space that Assistant Professor of Native American History Maria John hopes will provide a natural home, meeting place, and dedicated space for students to socialize, collaborate, and access resources through community events, staffing support, and more.

“I don’t think we can underestimate the power of having a place that is just for the students,” said John, adding that it’s been challenging for Native and Indigenous students to find one another on campus without a dedicated space to do the work of community building. The hub,

sponsored by the Institute for New England Native American Studies and the Native American & Indigenous Studies minor, is located on the third floor of the Campus Center. “This brings visibility, community, the opportunity to build, a sense of belonging, and so much more.”

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Karen Ferrer-Muñiz said the hub continues an important collaboration of students, faculty, and staff to “further uplift an ecology of acknowledgement of Native communities as the traditional land caretakers of Massachusetts.”

Climate pioneers headline new lecture series

Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco’s new lecture series “From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience” is drawing climate pioneers to campus to share their thoughts on how the global community can progress toward climate resiliency.

The series kicked off in November with Dr. Ram Ramanathan, distinguished professor emeritus of climate sustainability at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Ramanathan discovered the greenhouse effect of CFCs in 1975, establishing the now-accepted fact that non-CO2 gases are a major contributor to planet warming. He was followed in April by Dr. Vanessa Kerry, the World Health Organization’s first director-general special envoy for climate and health (and daughter of former Massachusetts senator and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry).

Though one is an atmospheric scientist and the other a physician, both speakers emphasized the importance of viewing the climate crisis through a public health lens.

“We have got to change the narrative on our climate problem,” said Ramanathan, noting that past successes curtailing pollution have hinged on protecting human health. “Thanks to our former EPA head and White House advisor Gina McCarthy [’76], aggressive laws were passed, and they were all for health reasons.”

“It also provides a space for our community to centrally offer tailored support, community, and cultural celebration for the Native community and their allies that focuses on holistic student success through belonging,” she said. “I look forward to seeing how this hub grows and hopefully flourishes in the coming years.”

“It was important to showcase extraordinary nonprofit leaders doing good work in this city at a great institution that shares those values.”

JOHN WERNER, organizer of more than 3,000 TED talks, on why he decided to host TEDxBoston’s Boston Leaders event on the UMass Boston campus in January. The 15 featured speakers—including Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco and alumni Paul English ’87, G’89, H’19; Elisabeth Jackson ’00; and Imari Paris Jeffries ’97, G’99, G’03, PhD’23—lead service-oriented organizations whose missions range from local to global. To see recordings of the talks, visit www.youtube.com/c/TEDxBeaconStreet.

Student Q&A: Kaushar Barejiya ’24

Undergraduate Student Body President Kaushar Barejiya ’24 is determined to become an attorney, and as she finishes up her senior year as a political science major at UMass Boston, she’s one step closer to making that dream a reality. We met up with Barejiya to learn more about her UMass Boston experience, both in and out of the classroom.

Q: What made you choose to attend UMass Boston?

At first, I planned to head to law school in London but decided to pursue my undergraduate studies in the United States instead. Being an international student, I didn’t have the luxury of visiting the campus in person before making my decision. So, it’s fair to say that all the reasons I now love UMass Boston weren’t apparent to me back then. They only became real once I stepped foot on campus.

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

I cannot emphasize enough that a significant portion of the college experience exists beyond the academic buildings. Whether it was joining clubs, taking on leadership roles, or pursuing internships with nonprofits and even the congressional office of Senator Ed Markey, these experiences expanded my network and gave a purpose and meaning to my education. UMass Boston’s unique position in the city as a public university helped me tap into resources and opportunities afforded by the city of Boston.

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

Being elected as the undergraduate student body president for the academic year 2023–24 was undeniably one of the most profound and memorable experiences of my time as a Beacon. Whether it was navigating complex issues, collaborating with the university administration, or spearheading initiatives that came with multilayered obstacles, every day was a chance to lead with integrity.

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

My time at UMass Boston has been shaped by the collective contributions and influences of many people, specifically my professors and friends. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Rachel Puopolo, my academic advisor and director of CLA First in the College of Liberal Arts. She has been a constant support since day one. Her patience and her wise words have helped me through some tough academic challenges.

Q: What are your goals after graduation?

After graduation, I plan to work for a year or two and then go to law school to get my JD.

Q: What would you tell a prospective student considering attending UMass Boston?

With a plethora of resources available at UMass Boston, having a sense of direction enables you to utilize them effectively. While the college experience can be overwhelming, having short- and long-term goals will help you stay centered and grounded. Extracurriculars are the cornerstone of any college student’s experience. You will find something that best suits your passions and interests here at UMass Boston, but you will have to go out and put effort into finding it.

Q: Is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t covered yet?

The college experience is an unparalleled and irreplaceable opportunity that comes once in a lifetime. Embrace it fully. It’s a time to explore new endeavors, even if that means facing failure along the way. At UMass Boston, you will find a great community of friends and professors.

50th anniversary of the creation of UMass Boston campus on Columbia Point

The Massachusetts Legislature established the University of Massachusetts Boston in 1964. The second university in the UMass system, UMass Boston opened its doors in 1965 at a renovated building in Park Square in downtown Boston. The university moved to its present campus on Columbia Point in Dorchester in 1974.

Historic photo credits: University Archives and Special Collections

A new collaboration for public education

BOSTON MAYOR Michelle Wu announced during her annual state of the city address in January a new partnership between Boston Public Schools (BPS) and UMass Boston to transform the BCLA- McCormack School on Columbia Point into the city’s first University-Assisted Community Hub School.

“Together, we’ll give our high school students direct access to college coursework and resources, partner educators from both institutions, and create a seamless pathway into UMass Boston for our graduates as we renovate a state-of-the-art high school campus embedded in the Columbia Point community,” Mayor Wu said in her address.

The new partnership developed over a year of research and strategizing, including a fact-finding mission to California, where UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, in his previous position as dean of the Graduate School of Education & Information Studies at UCLA, led the development of a new model of high school aimed at enhancing college success.

“As Boston’s only public research university, we are committed to providing BPS students with an equitable pathway to and through UMass Boston. We look forward to working alongside the mayor and superintendent with BCLAMcCormack leadership, teachers, students, parents, and the community to ensure this is a successful collaboration,” said Suárez-Orozco.

Umass Boston has a long-standing collaboration with BCLA-McCormack, which is located just a block from campus. The new partnership expands the relationship significantly. In keeping with the community school model, the partners will focus not just on academics, but also on wraparound services that contribute to student, family, and community engagement and wellness. At UCLA’s partner school, these initiatives include extended school days, health clinics, family legal services, and more.

In codeveloping what will be Massachusetts’ first university-assisted community school, the partners are positing “a new vision for educational transformation in Boston Public Schools,” said Tara Parker, dean of the

UMass Boston College of Education & Human Development.

A deepened partnership with BPS and the City of Boston presents the university with “an incredible opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to anti-racism, health promotion, and education for the future,” she said. “In the spirit of Ruth Batson and others who fought for equity in public schools, we seek to mobilize our resources and work in partnership with school leadership, teachers, students, families, and the larger community to cocreate meaningful change in this school and beyond.”

Collaborations between the two schools have already begun. When the college brought acclaimed poet and educator Nikki Giovanni to campus in March for a distinguished lecture, they also arranged for her to speak to more than 200 students at BCLAMcCormack and meet with teachers over lunch. Some of the students shared their own poetry with Giovanni. “It was amazing—a very special day at the school,” said Dean Parker. “When we left, the school leaders said, ‘Now we really know what this partnership with UMass Boston can be!’”

Alumni and Faculty Bookshelf

JOHN FULTON , recognized as one of the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellows for 2024, presents a radiant collection that lays bare the riddles of desire, youth, old age, poverty, and wealth in his latest book, The Flounder and Other Stories. From inner-city pawnshops to high-powered law firms, and from the California desert to the coast of France, Fulton paints a vivid picture of life’s challenges and moments of hope. Through lucid prose, he offers insights into what endures in a changing world. Fulton is a professor of English and the director of the MFA program in creative writing at UMass Boston.

YVONNE DESOUSA ’91 embarks on a deeply personal exploration of love and addiction in her memoir, Shelter of the Monument: A Provincetown Love Story. Starting with her upbringing in Provincetown, a close-knit fishing community, deSousa introduces readers to Richard, a troubled figure she becomes romantically involved with despite warnings from her family and rumors of his dark past. As deSousa delves deeper into their tumultuous romance, she lays bare the harsh realities of loving someone consumed by addiction.

LINDA UPHAM-BORNSTEIN ’77 dives into organized taxpayer activity in the 1930s through her book, Mr. Taxpayer Versus Mr. Tax Spender: Taxpayers Associations, Pocketbook Politics, and the Law During the Great Depression. The book provides a comprehensive overview of these grassroots organizations, tracing their origins from the 1860s and highlighting their peak in the 1930s. UphamBornstein details the organizational methods and strategies employed by these associations, including constructive economy, political lobbying, tax strikes, and litigation.

SCOT LEHIGH G’97 ’s debut novel, Just East of Nowhere, is a gritty coming-of-age tale set in the overlooked corners of Maine. The story follows a troubled cast of characters who are caught in the undercurrents of a struggling coastal town. The novel should resonate with anyone who also came from, as in singer Kris Kristofferson’s evocative phrase, “just the other side of nowhere.” Shortly after its publication, Just East of Nowhere claimed the #1 spot on the Portland Press Herald’s fiction bestseller list.

UMass Boston Hosts FirstEver Alumni Exhibition

BY VANESSA CHATTERLEY

he University Hall Gallery at UMass Boston hosted its inaugural alumni art exhibition and reception this past spring. Aptly named Looking Back, Facing Forward, the exhibition showcased over 40 pieces from 31 alumni, whose class years span over five decades.

University Hall Gallery Director Samuel Toabe said the idea to host an alumni exhibition stemmed from a long-standing desire to showcase the diverse voices and skills of UMass Boston alumni artists.

“This exhibition showed us how important art and creativity are to our alumni,” he said. “Having art in our lives, no matter what our primary specialties might be, helps with creative problem solving, developing empathy, and provides people with a healthier and more balanced life.”

In addition to this being the first-ever UMass Boston alumni art exhibition, it also marked the debut of students taking on the gallery’s curatorial process for a large-scale show. Gallery Assistants Hunter Murphy ’24, Erika Perez ’24, Willa Schanback ’26, and Isabella Slonka ’26, under the mentorship of Toabe, were tasked with selecting, arranging, and categorizing the pieces that appeared in the show.

Slonka, who is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in history with an art history minor, said she was grateful for the firsthand experience.

“With the amount and variety of artworks to choose from, collaboration and compromise were key,” she said. “When deciding on the layout of the show, it really felt like the works grouped themselves together in a way. Color schemes and similar subject matter became clear as we arranged the artworks. Since there are so many artworks in the exhibition, grouping them together keeps visitors from being overwhelmed and welcomes them to explore each piece.”

David R. Andresen ’71 paid homage to his past as a former embassy public affairs officer in his piece, Autoportraits–Paris. Dorothy Walsh ’76 blended photography, a contemporary medium, with oil and egg tempera, an ancient painting technique, in her piece, Reaching. Jennifer Kufchak ’03 depicted a whimsical and fantastical scene in her painting, Mr. Photon and Friends, while Russell Dupont ’71 showcased the evolution of Boston neighborhoods through his woodcut prints, Harry the Greeks and Dudley Street Howard Thomas Hay ’21 explored themes of body dysmorphia in his surrealistic digital photograph, Heading Down the Trail. Saida Cora ’18 celebrated Ukrainian culture in her acrylic painting, The White Stork, and Heather MacLean G’21 presented Happy Jar, a whimsical stoneware creation reflecting her joy in working with clay.

Barbara Hebard ’75, a skilled bookbinder whose work has been showcased at nearly 100 exhibitions around the world, said she was thrilled to have her work on display at her alma mater.

“I was elated, glad that UMass was open both to book arts and to work done by alumni who had graduated so many years ago,” she said. “The exhibition should help viewers, particularly current students, see not only the diversity of the works, but also the variety of courses of study completed by the alumni. Regardless of their major,

UMass Boston alumni have a strong love of the arts and express that in multiple forms of media.”

Nick Zaremba ’01 a mixed-media artist whose portfolio includes illustration, printmaking, graphic design, and site-specific 3D installations said he hopes the exhibition inspired inward reflection among gallery visitors.

“I’m proud of my school for having a continuously active, beautiful gallery space on campus,” he said, adding that such spaces are vital to the university experience. “I’m grateful to be part of such a diverse list of alumni artists and honored to have taken part in this exhibition.”

As a student, Slonka said she found it comforting to see how art still plays a role in the lives of UMass Boston alumni.

“When speaking to many of our artists, I noticed what an impact their time at UMass Boston had on their art and careers,” she said. “I feel that it is important to highlight the success stories of our alumni through their art.”

The following alumni were featured in Looking Back, Facing Forward: Jeremy Ackman ’12; David R. Andresen ’71; Adam Augello ’17; Saida Cora ’18; Charlie Crowell ’13; Kathleen P. Dunn ’83; Russell Dupont ’71; Katie Fitzpatrick ’07; Lisa Gualtieri ’79; Howard Thomas Hay ’21; Barbara Adams Hebard ’75; Rachelle Jeanty CER’17, G’19; Corey Jones ’13; Farrin Khan ’21; Jennifer Kufchak ’03; Erika Lopez-Torres ’21; Heather MacLean G’21; Edward Maglott ’87; Sylvain Malfroy-Camine ’17; Derek Mangus ’05; Patrice McInnis ’92, CER’21; Stephen Molloy ’76; Maureen Murphy ’77; Sarah Newcomb G’04; Merlo Philiossaint ’13; Jesus Pizarro ’18; Deborah Sacon G’92; Maria Servellon ’12; Dorothy Walsh ’76; Hsin-Ching Wu PhD’20; and Nick Zaremba ’01.

Gallery Director Samuel Toabe

Light of Hope

Physics

Professor Jonathan Celli is working to bring photodynamic cancer care to rural South Asian communities.

N RURAL INDIA and other parts of South Asia, the high incidence of oral cancers is a major health concern. In these areas, even when early-stage cancers are detected, treatment may not be accessible to patients. When available, current care options often require that patients travel long distances to receive care like radiation and chemotherapy, which involve multiple rounds of costly medical treatments and may come with debilitating side effects. A new method for managing the disease is urgently needed to address the health crisis while considering the barriers to health care access, including infrastructure.

This spring, UMass Boston Professor of Physics Jonathan Celli was awarded $608,000 from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support his efforts to advance the development of a low-cost, compact medical device for screening and treating oral cancers. The award is part of a five-year, $2.87 million, multi-PI NCI cooperative agreement in collaboration with Tayyaba Hasan, professor of dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Rongguang Liang, professor of optical sciences at the University of Arizona.

The joint project aims to create an affordable, user-friendly, handheld therapeutic device that can put cancer treatment within reach for more patients. “The device’s purpose is to screen for early signs of oral cancer, identify lesion locations, and provide immediate treatment at the point of care,” explained Celli.

Both a diagnostic and treatment tool for cancerous oral lesions, the device eradicates malignant cells through photodynamic therapy (PDT), which involves using a light

source in combination with light-activated medication. It is a method that has already shown great promise in treating oral cancers.

The PDT device is specifically designed for low-resource, rural locations. In a single appointment, medical providers can use the device to both screen for oral cancer and treat malignant or pre-malignant oral lesions, offering a medical intervention for oral cancers that is more feasible and less invasive than traditional cancer care.

“This work builds on an earlier prototype device built at UMass Boston through previous NCI funding. A clinical trial in India using this device produced excellent results. Out of 29 patients with early-stage oral cancer, 22 had complete tumor response in a single PDT session with our hardware. And compared to other therapies, healing was excellent, with oral mucosa returning to a shiny and healthy state after PDT. We are

excited about designing and testing the nextgeneration device to build on what we saw with the previous system,” said Celli.

Once the device is ready, the technology will undergo testing in a Phase IIb clinical trial in India. Clinical partners in India are Moni Abraham Kuriakose, an oncologist with Karkinos Healthcare and Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Center, and Mohd Akram, a radiotherapist at Aligarh Muslim University.

UMass Boston Postdoctoral Research Associate Shakir Khan has been instrumental in the project. Graduate and undergraduate students studying biology, engineering, and physics have also participated in the project through research positions in Celli’s lab.

The research has led to a pending U.S. patent and the launch of a start-up company named Photodynamic Solutions.

By Sandra Mason

The village makes a difference

Building a better life through determination and community

THROUGHOUT HER LIFE, two things have been focal for Gina King ’24: her love for her family and her unwavering resolve to pursue her dreams.

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Born and raised in Boston, Gina headed to California in 2015 to pursue an independent life of her own. There, she began her college career, earning associate degrees with summa cum laude honors in business administration and early education. A promising job opportunity brought her back to Boston in 2019, and Gina began building a professional career and family of her own.

Life took an unexpected turn for Gina when she found herself without a job amid a wave of pandemic layoffs and a change in her relationship left

YOUR GIFT MATTERS

her parenting alone. Now a single mother of a young son—with special health needs of his own—Gina began imagining the type of life she wanted to build for herself and baby Julian. And she knew that education was the key to unlocking a brighter future for them both.

Gina chose to enroll in the College of Education & Human Development at UMass Boston to pursue her bachelor’s degree, a choice made possible through the generosity of donors who contributed to the scholarships Gina earned along the way. Her scholarships helped her balance working six days a week while creating a safe and stable environment for her son, carrying a full-time course load, and investing the necessary time to focus on her

studies to make the Dean’s List.

This December, Gina will graduate from UMass Boston with a BA in early childhood education and her teaching licensure. After graduation, she plans to begin her career as an educator; and in January 2025, she’ll begin pursuing her master’s degree in behavioral therapy with the goal of becoming a behavioral analyst for under-resourced children and families. Gina credits the support of the generous Beacon community as being central to her success.

“I am so grateful, because it truly does take a village to raise a child,” Gina says, “and right now donors are participating in that village financially to make going to school and finding a higher paying job possible.”

Seventy-two percent of UMass Boston undergraduate students receive financial aid that helps remove the barriers between them and achieving their dreams. Your gifts to the UMass Boston Annual Fund provide unrestricted resources that empower success in every corner of our campus. Join our community of likeminded donors in creating an engine of opportunities that propel our students forward. Together, we’re preparing a new generation of leaders who are ready to change the world!

Visit umb.edu/give today to make your gift online!

Gina King (far right) with CEHD Dean Tara Parker (second from left) and fellow scholarship awardees.

A Foundation for the Future

With the inauguration of Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, UMass Boston celebrates the official installation of its ninth chancellor and the promising future of what he calls “UMass Boston 2.0.”

AUSTYN ELLESE MAYFIELD

APRIL 5, 2024, was a sun-dappled Friday on Columbia Point. Harbor winds caught the familiar edges of scarves and spring coats as the Beacon community buzzed about the campus, wrapping up the activity of another week.

But on that Friday, a mix of regalia—tams, hoods, tassels, and robes—fluttered alongside the usual seasonal attire as a processional of leaders and dignitaries made their way to Clark Athletic Center for the momentous business of the day: the much-anticipated inauguration of Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco.

“It’s a celebration,” said Suárez-Orozco of the day’s events, “a celebration of what we’ve achieved, of what we’ve constructed together. We’re moving into another era.”

While inaugurations typically mark the beginning of a leader’s tenure, the ceremony officially inducting SuárezOrozco as UMass Boston’s ninth chancellor has been four years and many achievements in the making. He assumed the role of university chancellor on August 1, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic roiled across the globe and social divisions in the U.S. added even more tension to seemingly unprecedented times. What he found upon his arrival was an institution brimming with potential, at an inflection point in the journey of realizing its mission.

“I think that given the crisis of purpose in higher education, this is the moment to articulate with clarity what exactly an urban public research university in the 21st century—especially in this iconic city of Boston—stands for,” said Suárez-Orozco. “We’re reaffirming our foundations in a new way, in a fixed way. We’re setting the course, as Beacons,

toward a destination where education serves to pursue truth at a time when truth is so contested, pursue science when large segments of our population don’t believe in science, and pursue justice at a time when inequality is at unprecedented, historic levels.”

The course and the destination comprise equal parts of what Suárez-Orozco describes as “UMass Boston 2.0,” though unlike many software updates, the improvements led by Suárez-Orozco move beyond bug fixes and superficial edits.

Since joining as the university’s leader, Suárez-Orozco has been setting the stage for UMass Boston 2.0. He made key hiring and personnel selections—a new dean of students, new provost, and newly installed leadership across a swath of previously interim school and college appointments. In 2022, the university released a comprehensive ten-year strategic plan, For the Times, and the institution has seen record-level support for both research funding and philanthropic giving. Enrollment and retention have been bolstered, alongside career and internship opportunities for students and alumni. And amid improved metrics and data points, the newly opened quadrangle sits at the heart of campus as a physical representation of the university’s blossoming and growth.

Suárez-Orozco is quick to note that these transformative achievements were born from collaboration and partnership. He doesn’t use the word “I” very often, and his use of “we” is not a “royal we.” His unwavering belief in the power

We’re addressing what our country desperately needs today: more equality, more justice, more truth, more science, more democracy.”

– MARCELO SUÁREZ-OROZCO

An ovation for Suárez-Orozco at the moment of his installation.

Bottom right: His Holiness Pope Francis sent a message of support from Vatican City.

About Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco

Prior to coming to UMass Boston, Suárez-Orozco served as the inaugural UCLA Wasserman Dean, leading two academic departments, 16 nationally renowned research institutes, and two innovative demonstration schools at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education & Information Studies. His research focuses on cultural psychology and psychological anthropology, with an emphasis on education, globalization, and migration.

His award-winning books and edited volumes have been published by Harvard University Press, Stanford University Press, University of California Press, Cambridge University Press, New York University Press, and others. In January 2018 His Holiness Pope Francis appointed Suárez-Orozco to the Executive Committee of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and on July 4, 2018, the Carnegie Corporation of New York named him a “Great Immigrant / Great American.”

An immigrant from Argentina, Dr. Suárez-Orozco is a product of the California master plan, having studied in community college and at the University of California Berkeley, where he received his AB, MA, and PhD (in anthropology) in 1986.

The bottom line is this: More than maybe anywhere else, what happens on this campus matters. It matters for individuals, for communities, for our state, and our world.”

– GOVERNOR MAURA HEALEY

and necessary action of the collective is a value imbedded in his language and strategic vision for change.

“It’s the power of the ‘we’. . . it’s the power of the ‘us,’” Suárez-Orozco said of the accomplishments and opportunities occurring on campus and beyond. “[Humans] really are Homo sapiens social, the social species. Our connections with the broader community are fundamental to better understanding what is needed. It’s also what distinguishes UMass Boston, I think, from some of the other universities here in the general neighborhood.”

The day was replete with accolades and ritual, including the ceremonial bestowing of the UMass Boston chancellor’s medallion. And while Suárez-Orozco is not one for pomp, he was described as a man keenly interested in circumstance. That is to say, the situations and realities facing humanity.

In her recorded remarks, Danielle Allen, PhD, who worked with Suárez-Orozco at Harvard University, provided a sketch of Suárez-Orozco as a distinctive leader, who brilliantly unites head and heart.

Members of the chancellor’s family look on during the ceremony. Opposite: (Top) Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey delivers her remarks. (Bottom) Kaushar Barejiya ’24 and Delaney Bowen ’21 G’24 represented UMass students on the dais, speaking as presidents of the Undergraduate Student Government and Graduate Student Assembly, respectively.

The chancellor’s catalytic leadership was heralded throughout the inauguration ceremony by colleagues and collaborators from across decades and sectors. His Holiness Pope Francis, who appointed Suárez-Orozco to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, sent a message from the Vatican celebrating the chancellor as a cultivator of the next generation of change agents and peacemakers.

University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan cited Suárez-Orozco’s galvanization of talent and resources in making UMass Boston “an indispensable educational resource for this region and far beyond.” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu highlighted the chancellor’s influence in positioning the university as a true engine for community empowerment, joining the City of Boston in early education and workforce development initiatives. And Governor Maura Healey spoke earnestly of Suárez-Orozco’s demonstrated care and commitment to UMass Boston, its students, and the people of Massachusetts.

“The bottom line is this: More than maybe anywhere else, what happens on this campus matters. It matters for individuals, for communities, for our state, and our world,” said Gov. Healey. “No institution combines excellence and equity, achievement and access, and diversity quite like UMass Boston. We are so grateful, Chancellor Marcelo, to have you here in the Commonwealth as a leader helping to lead not just this university, but also as a leader in this state.”

“Marcelo always reminded us that people were pursuing two things: love and work—to have a chance for a foundation for flourishing for themselves and the people they love. For him, the well-being of human beings is always at the center of what he does,” said Allen. “He’s as smart as they come, and he’s a person who always understands the emotional impact of the choices that leaders make. He unites that incredible talent for empathy to smart, penetrating analysis. This is why he’s a person who leads with such a sense of purpose.”

Suárez-Orozco is eagerly eyeing the horizon and the opportunities that await UMass Boston in this new era.

“It’s the beauty and novel quality of our mission that keeps me motivated. We’re a jewel in Columbia Point, and I think we’ve been the best kept secret in the great, great ecology of higher education in Boston and in the Commonwealth,” said Suárez-Orozco. “Now is the time to work with more passion and tell our story.”

“If UMass Boston didn’t exist, we would have to invent it,” Suárez-Orozco continued, paraphrasing Voltaire. “You can’t have a happy future for the city of Boston or for the Commonwealth without a happy future for our students, because we are the face of the New Boston. And we’re addressing what our country desperately needs today: more equality, more justice, more truth, more science, more democracy. At a time when universities need clarity of purpose, that’s what we offer. I’m in 100 percent, and the best is yet to come.”

A Full Day of Celebration

The Chancellor’s installation was not the only momentous occasion on Inauguration Day. The ceremony was bookended by events celebrating exciting developments at UMass Boston.

A new space for a new era

The day kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the university’s new quadrangle. Gathered at the Quad’s central crossroads with well-wishers, UMass President Marty Meehan, Board of Trustees Chair Stephen Karam, Trustee Mary Burns, and UMass Building Authority Director Barbara Kroncke, the Chancellor asserted that in opening the transformed space, “we literally open the campus of UMass Boston 2.0.”

The accessible Quad, landscaped with 500 trees and 95,000 plants and shrubs, features three recreation fields, numerous picnic tables and benches, a basketball court, and a 300-space parking lot. It replaces an unusable underground garage and the campus’s original Science Center building, a transformation requiring more than a decade of planning and execution and 421,118 hours of labor, said Kroncke.

“We’re getting rid of a piece of history that we needed to get rid of,” said Meehan. Now, “the students at UMass Boston are going to have a facility that they deserve.”

Important conversations for our times

Following a community-wide celebratory luncheon, UMass Boston hosted academic symposia that gathered national experts in the Campus Center Ballroom to discuss three “grand scholarly challenges”: issues of national and international import where the university is positioning itself to have real impact.

“These are the fundamental challenges of our times. And they are aligned to our strategic vision moving forward,” said Suárez-Orozco. “These are global challenges which have a local reality. So I like to think of us as being ‘glocal’ in our endeavors to connect with and—through research, through science, through the humanities— address these challenges and make our institution more relevant to the problems of the world.”

Climate Change: From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience

UMass Boston alum and former White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy ’76, Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer, and Harvard University Professor Mary Waters took part in a discussion on climate change, “From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience.” The panel was moderated by Steve Curwood, host and executive director of Living on Earth, who facilitated questions regarding the future of green jobs, the importance of spreading wealth and education globally, and the richness that diversity can bring to creatively and effectively fighting the climate crisis.

Education for the Future: University-Assisted Community Schools

College of Education & Human Development

Dean Tara Parker led a discussion on the role universities play to provide sustained support to schools in their communities. Education experts for this panel included Wasserman Dean Christina Christie and Associate Dean of Public Engagement Annamarie Francois from the UCLA School of Education & Information Studies, Senior Advisor for Youth and Schools at the City of Boston Rebecca Grainger, UMass Boston Associate Professor Christopher Martell, Gastón Institute Director Lorna Rivera, and the Richard K. Lubin Foundation Director of Education Emily Woods.

Health & Wellness: Confronting Inequity in Health Care

Manning College of Nursing & Health Sciences

Dean Bo Fernhall led a session exploring research on cardiovascular fitness, cancer disparities, and the impact of environmental change and climate on public health with a panel of experts: Nurse Director at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Cancer Care Equity Program Lumila Svoboda, UMass Boston Associate Professor Alexander F. Medico More, and Professor and Executive Associate Dean at the Indiana University School of Public Health NiCole Keith.

Above: Chancellor Suárez-Orozco cuts the ribbon in the historic ceremony opening the new quad. Below: Attendees listen in at the “Education for the Future” symposium.

SERVICE TRUCKLOAD BY THE

Alumna Torry Katsiroubas Stamm G’08 carries on a four-generation legacy of entrepreneurship and public service.

BY HEATHER BRIGHAM G’18

CROSS NEW ENGLAND , you can see them: iconic green trucks bearing the name “Katsiroubas Bros.” The modern-day convoy of a thriving produce business, these trucks also represent a century-old legacy of entrepreneurship and commitment to community, spearheaded today by UMass Boston alumna Torry Katsiroubas Stamm G’08

Stamm was born into a family with deep ties to public education, civic service, and entrepreneurship. Her great-grandfather on her mother’s side, William T. Morrissey, was an engineer in Boston’s Public Works Department for 30 years, eventually becoming head of the Metropolitan District Commission. Her maternal grandfather served as a dean at Boston State College.

Stamm’s family on her father’s side hailed from Greece and epitomized hard work and perseverance. Katsiroubas Brothers traces back to 1914, when brothers Jim and Fred Katsiroubas opened a banana cart selling to Boston restauranteurs. Over the years, their modest endeavor blossomed, transformed over four generations to a store, then a produce wagon, and now a wholesaler that provides produce and specialty foods to more than 1,000 restaurants and other customers.

From as early as age five, Stamm was immersed in the family business, excitedly lending a hand whenever possible. She remembers spending Friday nights rolling coins on her grandparents’ bed. Her involvement continued through her youth and college years; she spent every weekend and school vacation working. After college, following her father’s advice to explore beyond the family business, she ventured to New York City, where she worked for a magazine and dabbled in photography. After a few years in NYC,

she found herself drawn back to Boston and the family business.

Upon her return, Stamm rejoined Katsiroubas Brothers full time. But as a woman in a male-dominated industry, she faced challenges. “My dad had a lot of confidence in me. And I had confidence in myself because of him,” said Stamm. “But the environment I was in did not have confidence in me.” With encouragement from her father, she decided to get an MBA as a strategic move to distinguish herself and advance her career. Stamm applied to several business schools, but her choice to attend UMass Boston was “a no-brainer,” she said. “UMass Boston checked every box— and more.” She was proud to continue her public schooling, especially at an institution located on the very street—William T. Morrissey Boulevard—the city had named after her great-grandfather.

After graduation, armed with newfound business acumen, Stamm transitioned into a leadership role within her family’s business. After her father’s death from ALS in 2013, Torry became the company’s president. Today, Katsiroubas Brothers has more than 50 of those signature green trucks and nearly 200 employees, led by the vision and dedication of Stamm and her brother, Ted, now the company’s CEO. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and many of their restaurant clients closed doors, Stamm and her team had to reimagine how to deliver the produce of their farming partners. They pivoted from wholesale delivery to CSA-style produce boxes sold to individuals and donated to nonprofits. What started as a temporary solution to the pandemic shutdown has evolved into a mission to give nonprofits and people with food-related disease access to healthy foods through the food as medicine

movement, launching a new arm of the business known as Morrissey Market. With the goal of supporting small suppliers while helping to combat food insecurity, Morrissey Market is in the process of becoming a Certified B Corp, embodying the values of sustainability and ethical business practices.

Stamm’s personal goal is to “be a person for others,” and her endeavors extend beyond her business ventures. She established the Nick and Debbie Katsiroubas Scholarship at UMass Boston, providing financial assistance to deserving students pursuing either business or nursing degrees—honoring her family’s business background as well as the nurses who cared for her father when he was ill. In addition to the scholarship, Stamm returns to UMass Boston at least once per semester to guest lecture, has mentored female students, and has served on the College of Management advisory board. In memory of her father, her family also founded the Nick Katsiroubas Foundation, dedicated to supporting causes related to food insecurity. Looking to the future, Stamm is determined to impart to her three children the same values that shaped her. For her business, she envisions a continued expansion of Morrissey Market’s impact, embracing the evolving landscape of food access and health equity while upholding the values of philanthropy and community engagement.

A Better Way to Beach

EFFIE ORFANIDES ’06 IS MAKING WAVES IN THE TECH WORLD WITH AN APP THAT PROMISES TO SAVE HOURS OF FRUSTRATION AND PLANNING FOR BEACH ENTHUSIASTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

BEACHEO, a free app available on Android and iOS, offers comprehensive details about saltwater beaches in the United States and Puerto Rico. Touting itself as “a better way to beach,” the app provides beachgoers with insights such as weather forecasts, sand conditions, parking availability, bathroom facilities, and other amenities.

“No mobile app has ever provided information like this—all in one place,” said Effie Orfanides ’06. “The Beacheo app helps take the guesswork out of going to the beach. Whether you need to be sure a beach has a bathroom or you’re wondering whether to pack your boogie board, Beacheo is going to answer those questions for you before you even leave the house.”

The idea for Beacheo sprouted during Orfanides’ college days—when resources like cell phones, search engines, and GPS were still in their infancy. Between lectures and exams, Orfanides would try to coordinate beach trips with a cousin who was notorious for sleeping in and impromptu trips to Starbucks. By the time they would finally arrive at Orfanides’ favorite beach spot, Old Silver Beach in Falmouth, Mass., the parking lot would be at capacity.

“We would pull off to the side of the road and go, ‘Okay, we need to find a beach, but we want to make sure it has a bathroom. And we want to make sure it has food, because we didn’t pack anything to eat. And we don’t want to travel very far,’” Orfanides recalled. “It would take even more time out of our morning trying to figure out what beach to go to that would have all the amenities we were looking for.”

Living in Massachusetts, where prime beach spots filled up quickly, Orfanides envisioned a solution to streamline the beachgoing experience—a platform that

By Vanessa Chatterley

consolidated essential beach information, from parking availability to restroom facilities.

It was then that Orfanides turned to her cousin and said, “It would be so cool if there was something with all of this information in one place.”

Fueled by this desire for a one-stop solution, Orfanides’ idea for Beacheo began to take shape.

But it wasn’t until years later, amidst personal and professional upheavals, that Orfanides embarked on realizing her vision. Following a turbulent period marked by a divorce, relocation to Florida, and the loss of a job and a dog, Orfanides decided it was time to breathe life into her long-dormant idea.

“I remember thinking, ‘You know what? I always wanted to do this app. It’s been in the back of my mind for years.’ And I felt like now’s the time to do it,” she said.

Armed with this newfound determination and a network of industry contacts from her journalism background, Orfanides made her foray into app development.

She started by enlisting the help of friends to research beaches across the country for key details like hours, parking availability, bathroom facilities, and sand conditions.

“It was a lot of time-consuming, grueling research. Hours and hours of finding information and adding it to Google Sheets. That’s how we started: just collecting information and putting it in a spreadsheet,” she said. Orfanides added that some states, like Massachusetts, were easier due to personal familiarity, but others—like California and Florida—posed significant challenges due to their sheer volume of beaches.

Beacheo officially launched in January 2022, marking the culmination of

Orfanides’ tireless efforts. The app has quickly gained traction, amassing over 15,000 downloads in its first two years.

One of Beacheo’s standout features is its user-friendly interface, designed to provide seamless navigation and real-time updates. The app harnesses data from sources like the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, ensuring users have access to accurate weather forecasts and tidal information.

Today, Beacheo continues to evolve, regularly undergoing updates and spot checks to ensure accuracy and reliability for its vast database of nearly 3,000 beaches.

“I’ve learned so much over the past few years about just business in general and it’s been a crazy ride,” she said. “I want this app to be as helpful as possible, and I’m constantly thinking of ways to upgrade it and make it more useful.”

In the next few years, Orfanides hopes to expand Beacheo’s reach beyond U.S. shores, encompassing global beach destinations. Phase two of the app, currently in beta testing, promises enhancements like interactive mapping and a feature to bookmark favorite beaches.

Above all, Orfanides said she hopes Beacheo transforms the way people plan their beach outings.

“There’s truly nothing like hearing positive feedback from people who see that this app is a necessity in today’s day and age, but I also love the constructive feedback, too. I’ve gotten so many personal messages that have been so touching and make it all worth it. It’s been super rewarding,” she said. “If I can make your life a little bit easier, then that’s what I want to do.”

FROM PAIN TO PURPOSE /

Danielle Bilotta

UMass Boston early childhood education PhD candidate Stephanie Crawford CER’20 has been named a 2023 Extraordinary Woman by the City of Boston and a 2023 Commonwealth Heroine by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for her work in community and family services, advocacy, and post-pregnancy baby loss.

With the help of a close friend, Crawford founded the nonprofit Propa City Community Outreach in 2011 to support mothers who experienced pregnancy and infant loss.

“My son was stillborn in February 2011, and this was my way of healing and trying to support someone else and help soften the blow, because I had experienced such a big blow,” she said.

Crawford’s nonprofit initially focused on providing support to parents one-on-one, but she soon realized community members needed the space and resources to talk about their mental health and address topics that were still considered taboo in her community, such as pregnancy loss and grief.

The outreach program provides education, public awareness, and support in processing healing in positive ways, including resources for youths to advocate for their own healing journey, sessions to help discover various healing modalities, and further support for families and individuals that have suffered baby loss.

In 2011, Crawford was also taking a class at UMass Boston when her professor encouraged her to pursue the PostMaster’s Certificate in Early Education and Teaching. While being accepted into the program, she learned she was pregnant for a second time following her previous loss and was hesitant to move forward. After a positive conversation with the program director, Crawford decided to enroll in 2020. She said she felt supported during her entire time in the program while she was pregnant and even brought her son to class when he was a toddler.

Currently, Crawford is in her second year of her PhD program at UMass Boston while working as a teacher in the Boston Public Schools system and has found similarities

between her nonprofit work and her work as a kindergarten teacher. Her experiences have highlighted the importance of not isolating individuals to force them to figure out their own emotions but rather addressing their concerns as a community.

“When one person is not healed, it definitely affects the community,” she said. “Find ways to help them and address what they’re lacking in and fill them up with what they need, because that affects the classroom, or the world, in a positive way.”

Crawford explains that it’s also important to give children more credit that they do know themselves and provide them the space to identify their emotions and express how they may want to deal with them.

“We give them the feelings, then we tell them what to do with those feelings, then we tell them how much time they have to do it, and then we tell them to get back to doing what we want them to do,” she said. “I think that one of the most important things is allowing young children to have autonomy.”

Through Belle Joie Doula & Family services, Crawford also offers doula services and education for families with children up to 5 years of age, with and without special needs, to learn about effective child development practices. When Crawford completes her PhD program, she hopes to merge her worlds together and dig deeper into what can be done to support whole families, enhancing her work as an educator, and supporting family engagement in Boston Public Schools.

Crawford said her work is inspired by her need to honor her son; her work being recognized feels like she has been able to turn her pain into purpose.

“When you experience loss, sometimes one of your biggest fears is that you’re going to forget your child because they’re not here and you can’t make those memories,” she said.

“Whenever my work is being recognized, it reminds me that God put me here for a reason, and it feels like I’ve honored my child and there’s a purpose to my story.”

Class notes

1960

Arthur N. Mabbett ’69, founder, chairman, and CEO of Mabbett & Associates Inc., was honored with an EBJ Lifetime Achievement Award by the Environmental Business Journal, an independent business research publication that provides strategic market intelligence to the environmental industry. For 44 years, Mabbett, Inc. has provided environmental, health, and safety consulting and engineering services to industry, commercial enterprise, and federal, state, and local agencies.

Mabbett, Inc. is a U.S. Small Business Administration certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business.

1970

Sterling Anderson ’76 used his own family history to portray how race, politics, religion, and economics set the cultural direction of a society in his new book, Escaping the Delusions of Culture: A Cultural, Familial, and African American Reality

Dennis Cowan ’78 was selected for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in government relations and practice. Cowan is a former managing partner at Plunkett Cooney and currently serves as coleader of the firm’s Business Transactions & Planning Practice Group.

Eduardo Crespo ’72 was featured in the Boston Business Journal for his business receiving the Small Business Administration’s 2023 Minority Owned Small Business of the Year for Massachusetts. He is the founder and CEO of Hispanic Market Solution, a multicultural-focused marketing firm with offices in Lawrence and Boca Raton, Florida, which he launched in 2003.

Peter Grimshaw ’76 is a freelance cartoonist at Silver Moon Comics and Collectibles in Salem, Mass. He is also a volunteer and exhibiting artist at the

Salem Arts Association and is a Fine Arts Committee volunteer and exhibiting and demonstrating artist at the Topsfield Fair.

Karen Keane ’73, chairman emerita of Bonhams Skinner, was appointed chair of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design Board of Trustees. Keane was instrumental in establishing Bonhams Skinner—a leading provider of live and online auction and appraisal services for fine art, antiques, and jewelry. Keane is also a leading appraiser on the PBS series “Antiques Roadshow” and specializes in American furniture and decorative arts, Americana, and folk art.

James Pontuso ’70 was named visiting professor at University of Virginia, where he is teaching “The American Political Tradition,” a course in the Politics Department. He has authored or edited seven books and published more than 100 articles, reviews, and essays. His latest book, Nature’s Virtue, was published by St. Augustine’s Press in 2019. Until his retirement in June 2022, he was Patterson Professor in the Government Department at HampdenSydney College.

Richard Trapilo ’76 joined Coastal Commercial Real Estate as a broker. He has an extensive background in acquiring, developing, and selling commercial properties. In addition to commercial property, he has experience in buying and selling residential property.

1980

Diane Britt ’87 had her artwork featured at the Thomases Family Endowment of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation Art Gallery. The exhibit, which was on display from March to April 2024, focuses on Jewish themes, imagery, and historical and personal imagery. This includes her grandmother’s stories spanning from life in town at the end of the 19th century to experiences during the Holocaust, as well as ancient folklore surrounding golems.

Paul English ’87, G’89, H’19, tech entrepreneur and philanthropist, and his partner Rachel Cohen developed a dating app that pairs people based on their availability to go out that week. Lola Dating—a project under English’s Boston Venture Studio—is designed to reduce the “talking stage” between prospective partners and instead get them to meet in person.

Stuart Gregerman ’86 was sworn in as the ninth board member of the Revere & Son Heritage Trust Corporation. In addition to his role as board member, Gregerman serves on the Revere & Son Heritage Trust Corporation Development/Marketing/PR Committee, working on fundraising and marketing.

1990

Vanessa Calderón-Rosado G’94, PhD’00, CEO of Inquilinos Boricuas en Accino, Boston, received the Governor’s Award in the Humanities from Mass Humanities. She was honored for her work in promoting Latinx culture and building community through the arts in Boston’s South End, as well as for her contributions to shaping a more equitable philanthropic ecosystem in Massachusetts.

JD Chesloff G’93, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, and Imari Paris Jeffries ’97, G’99, G’03, PhD’23, executive director of Embrace Boston, were among those named to the Boston Business Journal’s list of 2023 “Movement Makers.” The list comprises 50 individuals in the Greater Boston business community who are taking a stand, creating change, and taking actionable steps to work together to make Boston continue to grow as a place for equity, inclusion, and diverse points of view.

Mary Kelly G’98, CER’17 was appointed principal of St. Patrick School in Lawrence. She started her position on July 1, 2023. Kelly brings more than 30

years’ experience in the public and private school sector serving as principal at Lawrence Catholic Academy and as an assistant principal at Saltonstall School in Salem. She taught in the Lowell Public Schools and in Catholic schools in Medford and Woburn.

Marianne Genova Long G’93, a dedicated educator in the field of mathematics whose career spans nearly three decades, has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. Long currently serves as a mathematics teacher for grades 9 through 12 at Malden High School. Prior to this, Long was a high school mathematics teacher with RPA Fall River Public Schools and spent 25 years with the City of Waltham.

Hadley Luddy ’94, CEO of the Homeless Prevention Council, announced her candidacy to represent the Outer and Lower Cape in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. She worked for the state’s Department of Children and Families for five years, for the nonprofit Community Connections for 10 years, and for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Cape and Islands for five years before joining the Homeless Prevention Council in 2018.

Mark Reed-Edwards ’90 published his debut children’s book titled Bo Gotta Go The story revolves around Bo, a spirited Portuguese water dog with a penchant for lounging on the couch, exploring every nook of the house, and basking in the sun. However, Bo occasionally succumbs to restlessness! Residing in Massachusetts with his family, Reed-Edwards, a dedicated writer, draws inspiration from his beloved Portuguese water dog, Bowie, who serves as the muse behind Bo Gotta Go

Danielle Robinett ’94 retired from the U.S. Army after 34 years. She enlisted in the Army in 1989 as an operating room technician and left active duty to return to school, enrolling at UMass Boston to study finance. While at UMass Boston,

she worked in the university’s Veterans Affairs office and joined the ROTC program. In 1994, she became a combat engineer and was the first female combat engineering company commander. Robinett now supports the Military Officers Association of America.

Marjorie Tucker G’90 published Hard’s Luck: An Infantryman’s Personal Memoir of World War II in the Battle of the Bulge Tucker is the daughter of Corp. Howard F. Tucker, Jr., the original author, who is a retired federal civil servant and teacher. Tucker modified and rewrote Hard’s Luck, which recounts Corp. Tucker’s experiences as an Army half-track driver and technician during the largest land battle ever fought by U.S. forces.

2000

Adam Baacke G’03 was named commissioner of the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance for the Commonwealth. Baacke comes from UMass Lowell, where he spent the past nine years, most recently as assistant vice chancellor for campus development. He has an extensive background in city planning, real estate development, and capital construction management.

Sidnee Berch ’20 landed a position as digital marketing coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, a National Football League team based in Ohio. In this role, Berch manages the team’s email marketing and engagement. She also creates outreach initiatives to keep fans informed about upcoming games, housekeeping notes, and other game-related news. Prior to this role, Berch completed a sports marketing and operations internship with the Jacksonville Icemen, a mid-level professional ice hockey league. After eight months, she was offered a position with the Atlanta Gladiators, a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Georgia. She said these opportunities gave her the type of hands-on experience that she might not have otherwise had before landing her coveted role with the NFL team.

William Baga G’07 was appointed principal at Clifford Academy, the Home for Little Wanderers’ special education school in Walpole for students experiencing emotional, behavioral, and/ or learning difficulties. Baga joins Clifford Academy from Boston Prep, a charter school in Boston’s Hyde Park, where he was assistant principal of the high school.

Abbey Baker ’08 published a book educating prospective and current law students on what it is like to be an attorney so that they might make an educated decision on whether a life in law is for them. The book is called Legally Briefed: The Aspiring Attorney’s Essential Guide to Life After Law School

Chris Breen ’06 was appointed deputy director of the Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) by Mayor Michelle Wu.

A Boston native, Breen has already devoted 18 years to serving the city, in roles that span from teaching at the Eliot K–8 Innovation School to tackling urban renewal. As deputy director, he is tasked with enriching the ONS’s essential service provision and strengthening ties with local entities.

Flossy Calderon ’01 was promoted to vice president of ABCD Head Start & Children’s Services at Action for Boston Community Development. A 20-year veteran of early education, Calderon most recently served as director of ABCD Head Start & Children’s Services. She serves on the board of the Massachusetts Head Start Association.

Christine DePalma ’04, G’09 was promoted to associate director of campus operations at EMD Serono, the health care business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in the U.S. and Canada.

Blake Dinius ’09, an entomologist extension educator for Plymouth County, led a discussion titled “Rainbows on the Wing: Creating Landscapes for Dragonflies.” The event was hosted by the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. After earning his biology degree from UMass Boston, Dinius embarked on a career in insect research on bees, lacewings, springtails, and various other critters, contributing to the establishment of global guidelines and practices in the field.

Katrina Hobbs Everett ’07 was elected to the Haverhill City Council earlier this month, making history as the first Black woman to serve on the council. Everett is an adjunct instructor at Merrimack College and was the cofounder of Power of Self-Education. She runs a B2B consulting firm focused on providing large- and small-scale consulting, coaching, and facilitation services.

Jason Kaplan G’01, CER’02, associate professor and chair of the School Psychology Department at William James College, has been named 2023 Trainer of the Year by the Massachusetts School Psychologists Association. Kaplan’s research interests include systems change; the assessment and treatment of

children with learning, social, and emotional disabilities; and supervision.

Susan Ko PhD’01 joined Vantage Leadership Consulting as a partner based in Los Angeles. Ko has more than two decades of experience as a licensed psychologist and executive coach, with expertise in assessment, multi-project management, talent recruitment, and leadership development. In her role at Vantage, Ko focuses on client service, business development, and thought leadership.

Katherine Kuusela ’05, G’07 was hired as a financial planner and insurance agent at New York Life and Orchard Financial Strategies & Insurance Services. In this role, she helps clients with family and income protection (insurance), retirement planning, estate conservation, budgeting and saving, employee benefits, buy-sell agreements, and rollovers.

Patrice Lamour ’03 launched LAMOUR Clinic to provide behavioral health, therapeutic, and communitybased services that aid individuals, children, and families to achieve optimal daily functioning. In August 2023, she opened a second location in Randolph, Mass.

Kristine Lincoln G’06 was named interim director of student services for Old Rochester Regional School District. In this role, Lincoln oversees the student services office, which assists school

staff in working with families to meet the unique needs of students through individualized learning programs.

Victoria McKay ’05 was named director of development at the Massachusetts Historical Society. In this role, she manages and oversees the internal infrastructure, major gifts, and recurring giving, and provides crucial support for overall development strategy and goals.

Anna Rue G’05 gave a presentation titled “Supporting Nordic American Folk Arts in the Upper Midwest: Past Projects and New Directions,” which explored the Nordic Folk Arts project at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and gave an overview of how the project worked to support the practice and study of Nordic American traditional arts in the region and beyond.

Yvonne Spicer EdD’04, who previously served as the first mayor of Framingham, was named executive director of Life Science Cares’ Boston operations.

Ryan Stoute ’02 was hired as an MRI technologist at Salem Hospital. He was appointed to this role after passing his ARRT MRI registry exam in June 2023.

Eliza Wilson ’09 was appointed associate member of the School Site Council for Brockton Public High School.

2010

Abe Abdul G’13 assumed his role as the 159th president of the Massachusetts Dental Society in July 2023. Abdul has the distinction of being the first individual from a minority background to lead the organization.

Christian Chan G’08, PhD’12, an associate professor at the International Christian University in Tokyo, became a co-winner of the Ig Nobel Prize in Education for his team’s studies that showed a correlation between boring teachers and bored students.

Shawn Connors G’10 was appointed assistant principal of King Philip Regional Middle School. He has over 18 years of educational experience teaching English.

Whitney Dailey G’11 was a speaker at the Impact Relations Institute – Impact Council in January 2024. Dailey is the executive vice president of Purpose at Allison and leads the agency’s Purpose Center of Excellence a dedicated team specializing in Purpose brand strategy and ESG leadership.

Kurt Deion G’19 a public historian, author, guest speaker, and presidential expert was promoted to the position of education specialist at the Historic Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC. He was also named to the 2024 Next-Gen Leader cohort for the White House Historical Association. Additionally, Deion is on a speaking circuit for his book, Presidential Grave Hunter: One Kid’s Quest to Visit the Tombs of Every President and Vice President (2023).

Emily Dulong G’12, vice president of government advocacy and public policy at the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, was named to Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list. Dulong is a leading advocate for health care organizations, caregivers, and patients in Massachusetts.

Fakisha Fabre ’17, G’17 was promoted to vice president of diversity and inclusion at Morgan Stanley. Fabre is an experienced diversity and inclusion professional with a demonstrated history of working in both the nonprofit organization management and finance/financial services industries.

Kristie Ferrantella G’16 was named Nantucket’s municipal housing director. In her role, she oversees all the administrative functions and communication initiatives of the town’s housing office, represents the town to local and state agencies, as well at the state house, and serves as the fair housing director for the town.

Amanda Grant ’19 was appointed co-response mental health clinician to the Behavioral Health Unit Police Collaborative for the Tewksbury Police Department. In this role, she will respond alongside Tewksbury police to mental health emergencies and crises as part of the Behavioral Health Unit Police Collaborative and will work with individuals after crises to ensure they have access to appropriate services.

Daniel Hartford ’13, a financial advisor and portfolio manager at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst

(CFA) designation. Hartford has worked at the firm since 2020. The CFA charter is a globally recognized credential for investment analysis competence and integrity and portfolio management.

Shray Joshi ’19 was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for marketing and advertising. He founded Good Peeps in 2022, a full-service marketing agency focused on helping consumer packaged goods companies.

Bienvenu Musehenu Kulungu ’10, founder and CEO of Kulungu Corp., announced the construction of a major

De’Shawn Washington ’13, G’18, G’22, a fourth-grade teacher at Maria Hastings Elementary School in Lexington, was named 2024 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. The Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Program is the state’s top award for educators and annually recognizes excellence in teaching across Massachusetts through the selection of a teacher who exemplifies the dedication, commitment, and positive contributions of educators statewide. Washington is the first Black male to be named Massachusetts Teacher of the Year and the fourth recipient from Lexington. His recognition as the 62nd recipient of this award automatically designates him as Massachusetts’ candidate for the National Teacher of the Year Program.

U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo ’98 was honored as one of the distinguished recipients of the 2023 Brother Thomas Fellowship. Administered by the Boston Foundation, the Brother Thomas Fellowship is a highly sought-after accolade that celebrates exceptional artists for their significant impact on the arts and their dedication to creating meaningful change. Mhlaba-Adebo is a multifaceted artist known for her profound exploration of culture, identity, and social justice through various artistic mediums. Her work spans visual arts, spoken word, and music, and she consistently uses her art as a catalyst for initiating critical conversations and inspiring social change.

new hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The hospital will satisfy the needs of an underserved region where most hospitals are poorly staffed and equipped.

Brian Moynihan G’16 was promoted to partner at E.J. Callahan & Associates, a construction accounting firm in Massachusetts. He has over 15 years of experience in the construction industry, specializing in accounting, tax, and business advisory services, with a focus in the construction, real estate, architecture, and M&D industries.

Stephanie Peach G’15, a 2007 graduate of Peabody High School, has made history by becoming the first woman to lead the Peabody City Council in over a decade.

J. Matt Rafeld ’10, G’18 was hired as director of financial wellness at Alera Group, a Deerfield, Illinois-based firm.

Andrew Rebello CER’16, principal of Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School, received the national Milken Educator Award, bestowed by the Milken Family Foundation. The award honors exceptional educators from coast to coast for their excellence and innovation in the field. A respected leader in and outside the school, Rebello was recently sworn in as a member of Governor Healey’s Economic Development Planning Council to develop the Massachusetts Economic Development Plan and serves as a member of the Educational Policy and Legislative

Committee for the Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association.

2020

Gustavo Burkett PhD’24 was appointed to the role of dean of Colby College. In this role, Burkett has broad oversight of the student experience at Colby and works to fully integrate the College’s academic and campus life programs.

Debra Butler PhD’22 was named executive director of the American Society of Adaptation Professionals. Butler joined ASAP as a member in 2017 and worked part time for ASAP in 2019 while completing her PhD dissertation in environmental studies from UMass Boston.

Caroline Cooney ’22, the current Miss World Massachusetts, recently competed for the title of Miss World America. The Miss World and Miss World America Organization stands out in the pageant world for their “Beauty with a Purpose” service project, with each state competitor embarking on a service project of their own choosing.

Timothy Cronin G’23 was selected as a 2024 honoree for the Boston Innovators in Healthcare Award from the Boston Business Journal. The award celebrates those whose work most stands out locally in the industry.

Miguel Ferry CER’23, G’23 was promoted to senior project manager at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Victoria Franco G’21 was named director of marketing at BCC Research, a market research and data company headquartered in Boston.

Sheila Gould CER’22 was named director of early literacy initiatives at the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation. In her role, she will help the foundation determine how best to

engage area stakeholders and the early learning community around early literacy.

Karen Hunt ’20 announced her retirement from Catholic Charities in Malden, where she worked for 18 years as a lead preschool teacher.

Donald J. Jenkins PhD’23 was named chief operating officer of Convergent Energy and Power. He entered the energy storage sector through various roles at Enel X (previously EnerNOC), a division of multinational power company Enel.

Rebecca Penders PhD’20 and her team received the Quality Improvement Award by the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) for their work on the Blue Band Initiative, a program that helps to alert health care providers about a patient’s risk for preeclampsia.

Thamara Pierre-Louis G’22 joined the Boston Parks and Recreation Department as its community outreach coordinator. In this role, Pierre-Louis is responsible for planning and scheduling events and activities; participating in meetings and workshops; coordinating and providing program plans; and helping to formulate, implement, and maintain community events.

Keelin Severtson G’20 was named the Macalester College volleyball program’s top assistant coach.

Maria Vasco ’20 was named to Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list. She is the founder and owner of Uvida Shop, Boston’s first and only zero-waste store, which she started while a student at UMass Boston.

Gabrielle Weatherbee G’20 was promoted to audit and assurance manager at Deloitte and Touche. She serves clients in the investment management sector, including mutual funds, closed-end funds, and private investment funds.

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

Ann-Marie Toomey Amendolare ’60

Mary Anne Arabian ’59

Francine L. Barco G’97

Philip G. Bennett ’78

Jason T. Berube G’01

David B. Bigelow ’95

Hazel B. Briceno G’90

Jacqueline A. Canali ’62

William R. Carter ’74

Kathleen Grimshaw Cheverie ’66

Anne Youngclaus Claflin ’62

Edward F. Clough ’75

Virginia Callahan Coleman ’58

M. Claire Collins ’97

Alan M. Cooper ’58

Patricia G. Coulombe ’60, G’70

David Coyle ’04

Gerard A. Crawford, II ’77

Helen M. Cummings G’55

Therese Cunniff ’99

Robert J. Cunniff ’69

Eileen Cunniffe G’70

Margaret Cunningham ’72

Margaret Yulduzian Damboorajian ’57

Cydney Dang ’01

Judith E. Degrinney ’83

Sharon Henault Demello ’70

Jean Ramsdell DePlacido ’65

Marian L. Devance ’80

Ellen Kelly Dickson ’74

Virginia M. Dolan ’81

Michael A. Donato G’66

Paul C. Dorn ’90

Patrick E. Dougherty ’71

Marie Duerden ’70, G’75

William J. Dufresne, MD ’77

Mary E. Dunn EdD ’07

Cheryl A. Eastman ’02

Paul W. Ehrlich ’73

Michael A. Ellis ’06

Lynsey May Eno G’21

Robert F. Erickson, Sr. ’73

Concetto C. Ferrara ’79

Christine E. Fiander G’11

Robert F. Finnegan ’71

Francis S. Fletcher ’76

Daniel J. Foley ’77

Claire A. Fusaro G’69

Marie Ellen Garvin G’72

Thomas F. Geysen ’67

William Good ’70

Mary Grant Keaveney ’58

Giana Gray CER’11, G’12

Robert V. Groves ’62

Wendy Yuksel Hanawalt ’75

Alice K. Harrigan G’99

Stephen G. Harvey ’75

Carol Boudreau Hayes ’63, G’79

Peter F. Hayes ’78

Sarah Tosney Herzig G’69

Robert G. Hogan ’74

Walter D. Holland ’73

John J. Holleran ’73

Dennis J. Jackson ’77

Luc L. Jean ’91

John W. Jordan, Jr. ’62

Phyllis Kane Kelleher ’58

V. Richard Kelter ’69

George J. Kenny ’93, G’95

Patrika Wallach Knickle ’90

Mildred M. Leblanc ’97

Kevin J. Lessard ’67

Charles H. Lyons ’75, G’81

Richard MacDonald ’75

Claire Milmore MacDonald ’70

Charles F. Madden ’88, G’12

Mary T. Mahoney ’89

Lois J. Martin ’81

Barbara T. Maxwell ’69

John R. McCarthy ’56

Daniel J. McDevitt ’77

John A. McHugh ’70

Gladys Medzorian ’57

Anne Kane Michalik ’78

Dennis J. Michaud ’80, G’99

Robert P. Mierzykowski ’83

Robert L. Molla ’74

Arlene Lavin Morrissey ’66, G’74, EdD’00

Richard Mosca ’68

Jane C. Mulford ’69

Michael J. Mulkerin ’69

Denis Mulvihill G’73

Robert E. Murphy ’73

Robert R. Nardone G’75

Patricia M. Norton ’80

Margaret Gippert O’Brien ’77

Doris McAnneny O’Meara ’57, G’61

Marie Nicholson O’Neill ’48

Mary Dinjian Orr ’38, G’39

Allan D. O’Toole ’86

Paul M. Pantano ’75

Jeannette Lambert Peabody ’87

Ruth Hanigan Peck ’56

Barbara Perry G’76

John M. Powers G’94

Robert C. Ragucci ’77

Carol K. Rainwater ’75

Christina Regan ’15

Ann Marie Rhuda-McGrath ’91

Raymond J. Richard ’74

Gerald Ridge ’60

Nancy Skally Rizzo G’68

Ellen M. Ronayne ’89

William J. Ruggiero ’71

Jane Russell ’70

Paul L. D. Russell ’77

Frederick H. Saintours G’05

James W. Shea G’74

Janice Moore Slater G’56

Christine Covino Spinale ’74

Mary C. Stack ’71

Sabrina B. Tarulli ’96

Vera Kethura Tavernier ’72

Carol A. Taylor ’66

Joan C. Todd ’85

Catherine Wadden Trainor ’63

Susana Ulloa-Beal ’93

Alan A. Varteresian ’61

Nancy Ayers Wade ’69

Laura Kelley Walsh ’73

Patricia A. Waterman ’73

Robert S. Webber ’81

William J. White ’74

Paul J. Wilbanks ’79

Mary Ann McBride Wilkins ’56

Christine A. Wilson ’11

Diedra Wolfe ’70

Mary Nash Woodford ’54

Anna F. Yoder PhD’05

Tucker G. Zenski ’06

FACULTY AND STAFF

Professor Emeritus Marvin Antonoff

Professor Elizabeth Bostrom

Professor Emeritus John Brereton

Professor Antonio Carrara

Professor James Dittmar

Professor Emerita Claire Golomb

Professor Nicholas Lembo

John Murphy

Professor Clark Taylor

Iris Tolbert

Professor Daniel Wakefield

FRIENDS

Kevin Castanien

Phyllis Cutler

Bill Doran

Eva Ehrlich

John J. Evans, Jr.

Myra A. Ferguson

Florence M. Griffith

Thomas M. Hanlon

David S. King

Michael Meagher P’25

Joseph W. Murphy

Joseph J. O’Donnell

Richard A. Soden

Rachael Solem

Stephen J. Sweeney H’85

Greg Torres

Mary B. Toth

John E. Walsh

PHYLLIS KANE KELLEHER ’58

Phyllis passed away at the age of 87 after a short period of declining health. Born in Boston and raised in Dorchester, she was a resident of Stoughton, Mass., for many years and enjoyed spending her summers in South Yarmouth. Phyllis was a beloved teacher in the Stoughton School System for more than 40 years, teaching at the Gibbons Elementary School, Jones Early Childhood Center, Dawe Elementary School, and O’Donnell Middle School. She retired as the Assistant Principal of the Gibbons School. Phyllis was a sports lover and refereed basketball for several years. She was a member of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the Kappa Delta Phi Society. In 1963, she married Joseph L. Kelleher, and they shared over 60 years of marriage. In addition to her husband, Phyllis is survived by her two daughters, her son-in-law, her grandchildren, her sister, and several nieces and nephews.

PROFESSOR EMERITUS WILLIAM ROBINSON

Bill, professor emeritus of environmental toxicology, passed away in March at the age of 75. He joined UMass Boston’s Environmental Coastal & Ocean Sciences Program as an associate professor in 1992, was promoted to full professor in 2000, and held many administrative leadership roles during his tenure. Bill retired in 2019 and continued to be part of the School for the Environment community, conducting research and advising students. He genuinely enjoyed his chosen career and pursued varied interests in his personal life with the same enthusiasm. Bill and his wife, Scottie, enjoyed travel, live music performances, and sailing together. They cared deeply about the development and evolution of the School for the Environment and in 2022 established the William E. Robinson Research Fellowship Fund of the School for the Environment at UMass Boston.

ELLEN KELLY DICKSON ’74

After a battle with cancer, Ellen passed away peacefully at 71, surrounded by family. Born in Boston and raised in Dedham, Mass., she grew up in a vibrant and busy household as the oldest of eight, with seven younger brothers. While at UMass Boston, she held the inaugural Student Trustee position and addressed the student body at commencement. In 1975, while enrolled in the MBA program at Babson College, she met the love of her life, Henry “Chip” Dickson. They moved to Summit, New Jersey, in 1993, where Ellen served her community in several ways. She was a member of the city council for six years and was serving as mayor when Hurricane Sandy struck in 2012. Ellen and Chip became Florida residents in 2018, where Ellen joined the boards for the Beach Property Owners’ Association of Delray Beach and the Florida Coalition for Preservation. Ellen was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. In 2021, Ellen and Chip established the Ellen Kelly Dickson Scholarship Fund at UMass Boston. Her spirit lives on with her husband of 46 years, her immediate and extended family, and her large network of friends.

Alumni Events

Marc Abelard ’00 and wife Ginette Saintus Abelard ’04 at the Cape Cod reception.

(Photo: Neilan Media)

Alumni gather at the Providence, RI reception. (Photo: Neilan Media)

Cape Cod Alumni & Friends Reception (Photo: Neilan Media)

Henry Score ’22, Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Recreation Jacqui Schuman, and Robert Score P’22 at the Cape Cod reception. (Photo: Neilan Media)

Beacons gather at the starting line of the annual Beacon 5K. (Photo: Javier Rivas)

Young Alumni Council President Gray Milkowski ’18 cheers on Shiva Pabba G’23 as he crosses the Beacon 5K finish line. (Photo: Javier Rivas)

Alumni catching up at the New York City reception.

(Photo: Jonathan Heisler Photography)

Yolanda Navas ’17 and Christopher Finlay ’13 at the Washington, DC reception. (Photo: Chris Ferenzi Photography)

Stephen Karll ’68, Gina McCarthy ’76, Lauren Forbes ’19, Chancellor Suárez-Orozco, Jacob Santamaria ’76, Alumni Association President Kathy Carten ’79, and Julianne Dyer Wood G’07 at the annual Beacon Alumni Awards dinner. (Photo: Bob Durling Photography)

Panelists Ramesh Raskar, John Werner, Paul English ’87, G’89, H’19, and Provost Joseph Berger at the launch of the Paul English Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute. (Photo: Javier Rivas)

Alumni & Friends Reception in Tampa. (Photo: Jake Ford Photography)

UMass Boston Alumni Engagement’s annual Alumni Holiday Reception at the JFK Presidential Library and Museum. (Photo: Professional Event Images, Inc.)

Zohra Jayaraman ’17 and guest Sundar at the San Francisco reception.

(Photo: Visage Studio)

Robert Kraft and Chancellor Suárez-Orozco with the Kraft Scholars at a reception celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Kraft Scholars Program. (Photo: Eric Adler)

Dilek Mir ’91 and Amelia Joaquim ’11, G’15 at the Los Angeles reception. (Photo: Barry Hackett Photography)

Alumni and friends applaud remarks by Chancellor Suárez-Orozco at the holiday reception. (Photo: Professional Event Images, Inc.)

Alumni catching up at the Alumni & Friends Reception in Fort Lauderdale. (Photo: Jake Ford Photography)

Kimberly Cooper, Grace Golden, and Darren Golden ’13 at the San Diego reception. (Photo: Barry Hackett Photography)

The Alumni Association and the Young Alumni Council Welcome New Members

Both volunteer boards added to their membership over the past year, with two new directors of the Alumni Association Board of Directors and eight new members of the Young Alumni Council. The boards play volunteer advisory roles, assisting the Office of Alumni Engagement in connecting alumni to their alma mater through events, programs, and philanthropy, fostering a lifelong relationship between alumni and their alma mater. To learn more, visit alumni.umb.edu or email us at alumni@umb.edu.

New Alumni Association Board Members

SANDIP DASGUPTA G’21

Sandip received an MBA from UMass Boston in 2021. He currently serves as the manager of digital and emerging technologies at Ernst & Young, Boston. Prior to his current role, Sandip was an architect for Publicis Sapient in Boston. Sandip enjoys camping with his family and is an avid golfer.

SHKEYA BRITTLE ’04

Shkeya received a BS in management from UMass Boston in 2004. She currently serves as director of events and corporate partnerships at Revolutionary Spaces in Boston. Prior to her current role, she was the coordinator of events and admissions recruitment for UMass Boston. Shkeya served on the planning committee for Harbor to the Bay, a volunteer organization that raises money for AIDS/HIV support.

New Young Alumni Council Members

SUKIA AKIBA ’16

Sociology

Executive Director, The Soul Supplier Cambridge, Mass.

JAKE BATES ’22

Computer Science Software Engineer, Liberty Mutual Sandwich, Mass.

STEPHANIE BENSADOUN ’18

Psychology Managing Director, National Center for Public Performance Arlington, Mass.

IVAN CUTTS ’18

Management Vice President/Community Manager, J.P. Mogan Chase Brockton, Mass.

DLYNZEE DAMAS ’21

Environmental Science Planning Engineer, MWRA Brockton, Mass.

ROMAN DAVIS ’14

Exercise & Health Sciences Director of Employee Development and Corporate Strategy, Jay Cashman, Inc. Braintree, Mass.

ALANA HYLTON CER’21, G’22

Public Administration Program Manager, Monitoring & Compliance, MWRA Quincy, Mass.

KUSH PATEL ’21

Political Science Volunteer, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir Marlborough, Mass.

The MakerSpace at UMass Boston

The UMass Boston MakerSpace gives our students, faculty, and staff access to physical and digital tools for scientific and creative projects. MakerSpace was spearheaded in 2016 by Information Technology Associate Chief Information Officer Apurva Mehta and School for the Environment Academic Labs Director Helenmary Holtz and was expanded into an interdisciplinary community of teachers and learners by IT Assistant Vice Chancellor of Client Services John Mazzarella ’08, G’11. Since taking the helm in June of 2023, Zack Ronald ’10, the university’s manager for innovative educational technology, has built MakerSpace into a signature program for UMass Boston, attracting users ranging from local public school students to entrepreneurs from the Venture Development Center to international visitors interested in learning more about this innovative initiative. Ronald shared some facts with us about the MakerSpace and its evolution.

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sense of community and belonging for all makers.”

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Founded with equipment donations from various departments on campus, the space has been sustained by Information Technology Services as a place to create and belong. “We’ve continued to invest in this space to align with the university’s goal of advancing holistic student success. The engagement we’ve seen from the 150-plus students who have used the space this spring shows this is an investment worthy of our support,” said Ray Lefebvre, the university’s chief information officer.

2

The space is outfitted with 10 Prusa Mk3 S+ networked printers, two 3D scanners and circuit boards, Arduino, and robotic components available to all students. Students lead workshops and certification courses on the use of all the equipment and materials in the space.

There is a dedicated team of students assisting participants through teaching, mentoring, training, and support. “I’ve worked with student employees in many different areas on campus for almost 15 years, and MakerSpace has attracted hugely passionate students interested in the work we do. That passion turns into a desire to share the knowledge with others through peer mentorship and training efforts, as well as other creative projects that constantly expand the capabilities of the lab,” said Mazzarella. “The level of engagement, participation, and emotional investment of students in the UMass Boston MakerSpace has to be one of the highest of any facet of campus life that I’ve seen!”

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MakerSpace has a mission to become zero waste by 2025. With help from the Master Planning and Sustainability Office and continued support from IT, makers have found innovative ways to reuse materials, and are continually accepting and refurbishing donated equipment.

To learn more or support UMass Boston MakerSpace, visit www.umb.edu/makerspace.

Beacon Bash

SEPTEMBER 20–21

Come home to UMass Boston’s beautiful harbor campus to reminisce and celebrate what it means to be a Beacon!

4 All-Alumni Reunion Dinner & Outdoor Movie Night

4 Beacon 5K & BBQ

4 Boston Harbor Boat Cruises

4 Campus Tours

4 Faculty Lectures

4 Golden Reunion Society Celebration & Class of 1974 Induction

Golden Reunion Society Celebration & Class of 1974 Induction

Have you celebrated your 50th reunion already?

Then join us for the inaugural Golden Reunion Society Celebration and the induction of the Class of ’74.

The Golden Reunion Society is for all alumni who have celebrated their milestone 50th reunion. Come connect with fellow alumni from Boston State College and UMass Boston for an unforgettable evening of nostalgia and laughter. Let’s celebrate over 50 years of memories and welcome the Class of ’74 into our esteemed society. Don’t miss out on this epic reunion!

We look forward to seeing you in September. Discover more about Beacon Bash events at umb.edu/beaconbash.

This is the moment to articulate with clarity what exactly an urban public research university in the 21st century stands for.”