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Suffolk
A Magazine for A lumni and Friends of the Saw yer Business School | Spring 2007

BUSINESS

Reengineering
the Undergraduate
Business Degree

Global Business Education in Boston

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

Suffolk

BUSINESS
Spring 2007

William J. O’Neill, Jr.
Dean
Morris McInnes, DBA
Associate Dean/Dean of
Academic Affairs
Ruth Ann McEwen, PhD, CPA
Associate Dean/Dean of
Accreditation and Administration
Theresa M. Malionek,
BSBA ’89, MA ’94
Director, Communications
and Special Events
Rebecca Coyne
Director, Alumni Relations
Contributors
Gregory Bergman
Maggie Bucholt
Leah Ritchie, MA ’94
Cristina Rodriques
Lephan Tieu, BSBA ’07
Alex Yen
Photography
John Gillooly
Ken Martin
Dhan Shrestha
Szymon Tolak
Cover Photo
Peter Vanderwarker
Design
First Light Design

Recently, Business Schools
across the US, have benefited
from enrollment surges in
their undergraduate business
programs. Louis Lavalle of
BusinessWeek writes, “undergrad business programs are
getting MBA-like respect, and
competition to get into them is
hotter than ever.”
Our undergraduate business
program has also experienced
tremendous growth. Since
2000, our undergraduate enrollments have increased by over 50%.
In this issue we focus on the Suffolk undergraduate business degree--the
Suffolk BSBA. You will learn about recent enhancements in the curriculum
to provide students with the knowledge and skills that they need in today’s
global workforce. You will also read about Suffolk alumni who are giving
back to Suffolk with internships, serving as advisory board members, mentoring, and teaching. I encourage each of you to be involved in your alma
mater by attending networking events, providing internships for our students
and giving financially to support our programs.
I am also delighted to inform you of the Sawyer Business School’s first
endowed chair, the Sawyer-Parks Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies.
The Sawyer-Parks Chair will assist the Business School as it grows its entrepreneurial programs.
Lastly, we’ve received many positive comments about the new look of your
alumni magazine, Suffolk Business such as from the one we received from
Sarah Wilkinson, MBA ’03, who writes, “to be perfectly honest, I thought it
was a new magazine. The stories, layout and photos are all excellent. I read
the whole issue cover to cover. It really seems as though the Business School
is taking steps forward in the right direction! Thanks again for your efforts.”
Many thanks to the Business School’s Director of Communications, Teri
Malionek for spearheading the redesign effort and for managing the production process.
Thank you for your feedback and support. If you have suggestions on items
we should cover in the next issue, contact me at woneill@suffolk.edu or Teri
Malionek at tmalione@suffolk.edu
Best regards,

William J. O’Neill, Jr
Dean

Global Business Education in Boston

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2

News from the Business School

6

Events Wrap-Up

10

Faculty Updates

14 Reengineered and Ready:
The New Undergraduate
Business Program
By Maggie Bucholt

Holly-Ann Paiva BSBA ’07 and internship recipient from a Suffolk alumnus

20 On Call: Alumni and

Friends Are Enthusiastic
Responders
By Maggie Bucholt

22

Germany, Innovation and the
Role of the University
By Gregory Bergman

24
Julia Frost, BSBA student and President of the Women In Business Student Club

26

Rainy Day Funds:
To Save or To Spend
By Gregory Bergman

Alumni Connections

By Rebecca Coyne, Alumni Director,
Sawyer Business School

28

Alumni Events

30

Alumni Profiles and Classnotes

37

Donor Profile: Arnold Goldstein,
MBA ’66, LLM ’75

Dean O’Neill, Lephen Tieu, BSBA ’07 and Nique Fajors, BSBA ’89 connect with
undergraduate students and alumni at the BSBA Networking Event in October

NEWS

Robert Kraft Kicks Off
Inaugural MBA Boardroom
Leadership Scholars Program
On April 19th, 20 graduating Suffolk MBA students received
a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn valuable leadership lessons from Robert Kraft, founder, chairman and CEO of the
Kraft Group Companies.
The students are members of the Suffolk MBA program’s
inaugural Boardroom Leadership Scholars (BLS) Program, a
unique initiative within the Sawyer Business School. Although
the program is open to all graduating MBAs, only 20 students
are selected each year as Boardroom Leadership Scholars.
Among the eligibility criteria, students must meet requirements for graduation, write a 500 word essay on what it takes to
be a leader in today’s global business environment; and demonstrate leadership capability, skills and interest.

One of the student participants, Kuda Tawha, MBA
’07 said “I enjoyed the meeting immensely and it is
one of the memories I will treasure for the rest of my
life. I took away many important lessons on family,
character, ethics, integrity, leadership, and business.”

Kraft, serving as Boardroom Leader, met with the 2007
Suffolk MBA Boardroom Leadership Scholars:

Each year the Suffolk MBA Program invites one nationally
known business leader to serve as the Boardroom Leader. The
annual BLS event features a keynote address and a Q&A session, which will enable the scholars to learn from the invaluable
experiences of the boardroom leaders.

Robert M. Correa, Michaela Costa, Keri Dattoli-McGloin,
Derek J. Edmond, Katie Hayman, Geoffrey Jarok, Matthew F.
Jordan, John Lawrence, Aaron W. Mace, Kimberly Matthews,
Mathew A. Palmer, Daniela Popa, Mareana Ricci, Luiz Santos,
Allyson Schneider, Gary M. Sheehan, Lee Sher, Nicholas St.
Hillaire, Peter J. Talarico, and Kuda Tawha.

Center for Innovation and Change Leadership Establishes
Research Partnership
The Center for Innovation and Change Leadership has formed a partnership with two leading
international business schools to study Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS).
The partnership includes the Institute of Innovation
Research (IoIR) at Manchester Business School, UK and the
Customer & Service Science Lab at the Bocconi University,
Italy. Professor and Center co-director, Robert DeFillippi and
Associate Professor Mark Lehrer constitute the core research
team from Suffolk.
The research partnership will focus on innovation in
Knowledge-Intensive Business Services. Knowledge-Intensive
Business Services (KIBS) are a subset of business services
whose primary outcomes take the form of knowledge assets.
2

Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

Examples inclue IT services, design and R&D services, consultancy, and marketing services. The share of KIBS is growing in
developed economies and KIBS are considered one of the most
important engines of growth. KIBS play a crucial role as key
competitive facilitators in the economy and KIBS firms often
act as key partners in developing technological and organizational innovations with their clients. The growth of KIBS is the
consequence of the increasing tendency of firms to outsource
some core processes and critical resources to specialized service
providers.

NEWS

Chairman of the FASB Addresses Suffolk
The Sawyer Business School, in conjunction with the Boston Accounting
Research Colloquium (BARC), hosted the Chairman of the Financial
Accounting Standards Board (FASB), Robert Herz for a presentation entitled “The FASB and the Challenges and Opportunities Facing Financial
Accounting” on November 9. FASB is the principal accounting standard setting body in the United States and its decisions have far-reaching implications
for companies and the capital markets in the US. Over 80 people, including
Suffolk faculty and students, and members of the Boston business and academic
community, attended the presentation. Chairman Herz provided an update on
current projects being deliberated by the FASB and shared his thoughts on how
accounting educators can best prepare students to face the new challenges in
the accounting profession. The Boston Accounting Research Colloquium was
formed by five Boston area schools (Boston College, Boston University, Bentley
College, Northeastern University, and Suffolk University) as a way for local
scholars to meet regularly to discuss accounting research and to invite speakers
of national prominence to present their research in Boston. Associate Dean/
Dean of Academic Affairs Morris McInnes founded BARC in 1987 when he
joined the faculty of the Business School. Recently, McInnes was recognized by
BARC for his leadership and contributions to the organization.

Pictured left to right - Associate Dean Morris McInnes,
Robert Herz, chairman, Financial Accounting Standards Board

Center for Public Management Events
Promotes Partnerships
The Center for Public Management has focused its efforts on
public service research, training and community support since
its establishment in 1973. An important aspect of the Center’s
work includes educational seminars and certificate programs
offered to emerging leaders interested in the Commonwealth’s
public service.
In collaboration with community partners, the Center provides extensive educational opportunities for Massachusetts’
public service managers through its certificate programs. These
year-long programs are offered in partnership with several

Boston based organizations. Certificates are offered in: Health
& Human Services Management, Administration & Finance,
and Home Health Management.
In collaboration with the Greater Boston Chamber of
Commerce, “Connecting Business with Government” was held
in November. This program included panel discussions and
lectures discussing topics such as the “Top Five Things You
Need to Know When Working with Government” and government & business interaction. Participants also received an
opportunity to put their knowledge to work with a prepared
case study. Dean O’Neill, and Paul Guzzi, President and CEO
of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, both spoke at
the event.
In collaboration with the John Joseph Moakley Institute, the
“Massachusetts State Legislature Staff Training” was held in
February. Speakers included former Senate President Robert E.
Travaglini and House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi. The training teaches new staff members on several issues, including:
where they can find key information, the importance of good
public service, how to deal with the press, and overviews of
ethics and the state budget process.
For more information about the Center for Public Management contact Sandy Matava, Director at 617.573.8024 or visit
www.suffolk.edu/cpm

Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

3

NEWS

Inventor of Post-It-Notes
Addresses Inaugural
New Product Innovation
Awards Ceremony

The Sawyer Business School hosted the first annual 5K
Innovation Awards Ceremony on November 10th. The New
Product Innovation Competition was established to encourage
students to turn their new product ideas into a commercial reality. Sushil Bhatia, executive in residence was the competition
and ceremony organizer.
Art Fry, keynote speaker, discussed his personal experiences
about creating innovative ideas and new products. Fry, a newproduct development researcher, at the time of discovery, had
attended a fascinating seminar hosted by the innovator of
adhesives, Dr. Spence Silver. Intrigued by the idea Fry took the
concept and applied it to some personal use. The application,
he hoped would make his life easier. He was frustrated with
scrap paper bookmarks falling out of his church choir hymnal.
In a split moment, Fry realized that the adhesive Silver created could be used as a reliable bookmark. From that moment
on the Post-It Note became a household name. Six finalists
remained from the twenty-five entries that were submitted.
The winners of the competition are as follows:

Pictured left to right - Professor Bhatia with first place winners: Joanna Trainor, Kevin
Morris, Ed Cunnally, and Art Fry.

Pictured left to right - Professor Bhatia with second place winners: Lisa Hachey, Tom
Santos and Wallace French, and Art Fry.

First Prize: $3,500

Product: EMBA 900 Chair

Innovators: Ed Cunnally, EMBA ’07, Kevin Morris,
EMBA ’07, Joanna Trainor, EMBA ’07, Emily Bugbee,
EMBA ’07, Kamaraj Arockiasamy, EMBA ’07

Second Prize: $1,000

Product: CTM (Close To Me)

Innovators: Lisa Hachey, EMBA ’07, Tom Santos, EMBA
’07, Jim Landary, EMBA ’07, Charu Deodas, EMBA ’07,
Wallace French, EMBA ’07

Third Prize: $500

Art Fry, inventor of 3M’s Post-It Pads

Innovators: Lorenzo Petruzesiello, BS ’96, GMBA ’06,
Marie Texier, GMBA ’06, Isa Perez, GMBA ’06, Erik
Raynor GMBA ’06

Your Chance to Innovate
and Participate

Well-known company representatives including ones
from Motorola Labs, Silicon Valley Bank, Merrill Lynch,
Netezza, and AmeriVault Corp. judged the event.

Professor Bhatia is accepting proposals for the 2007
New Product Innovation Competition and Awards
Ceremony. The Competition is open to all Suffolk
alumni and students.
Visit www.suffolk.edu/new_product
for more information.
Interested in judging the competition?
Also contact Professor Bhatia at sbhatia@suffolk.edu.

Product: Insulin Voyager

The 2007 Awards Ceremony will be held on
Friday, November 2.
For more information visit:
www.suffolk.edu/new_product
4

Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
Hosts Events for Student Entrepreneurs
The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies hosted the Global
Student Entrepreneur New England Regional Awards (GSEA)
Competition on Monday, May 7th.
The GSEA program is the premier award for undergraduate
students that own and run businesses while attending college
or university. Nominees compete against their peers, and other
student entrepreneurs from around the world for cash prizes.
Since its founding in 1988, the GSEA program has celebrated
the success of hundreds of student entrepreneurs. The GSEA
program is an Entrepreneurs’ Organization program, in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Financial.
The winner of the New England competition was Michael
Kopko, founder of DormAid and student at Harvard University.
DormAid (http://www.dormaid.com) is a service that helps
students enjoy their studies by handling the downsides of student life -- laundry, dorm cleaning, bedding, and more.
Second place was awarded to Brendan Ciecko, a student at
Hampshire College, who stunned the GSEA judges with his
business, Ten Minute Media (http://www.tenminutemedia.
com), which produces high-end web content for music stars
such as Bob Seger, Monica, and Natalie Cole, as well as manag-

NEWS

ing music artists. Michael and Brendan will both go on to compete at the GSEA Global Finals that take place 1-3 November
2007 in Chicago.

Teaching Youth to Build Businesses
The Center will host the National Foundation for Teaching
Entrepreneurship (NFTE) Business Plan Competition on June 6.
NFTE is a New-York based organization that teaches high school
students from lower-income neighborhoods how to start their
own businesses.
Since 1987, NFTE has reached over 120,000 youth and has
trained more than 3,700 Certified Entrepreneurship Teachers in
31 states and 13 countries. NFTE New England serves over 800
students in Massachusetts annually through partnerships with
schools and community based organizations.
The Center for Entrepreneurship provides education, support resources, consulting to Suffolk students, alumni and the
greater Boston community. For more information about the
GSEA New England Regional Awards Competition, or NFTE
Business Plan competition or to learn more about the Center
for Entrepreneurship, visit, www.suffolk.edu/ces.

Business Undergrads
Honored at NABA
Awards Reception
Five of the thirteen scholarship winners announced at the 18th
Annual National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. (NABA)
Awards Reception held on Thursday, April 26 were Suffolk students.
Nancy Douyon received a $10,000 Educational Institutional
Partnership Scholarship given on behalf of NABA and Suffolk
University.
Victoria Blanchard received a $10,000 Educational Institutional
Partnership Scholarship given on behalf of NABA and Suffolk
University.
Kerlin Aristilde received a $2,500 Corporate Partnership
Scholarship given on behalf of Liberty Mutual. Kerlin, who graduated in May, will join PriceWaterhouseCoopers in the fall along
with fellow students and NABA members: Aliki Anestis, Jean Paul
Manga and Michelle Udezue.
Hugette Konate, received a $2,500 Corporate Partnership
Scholarship given on behalf of Investors Bank & Trust. Hugette is
interning with KPMG and plans to start graduate school in the fall.
Hugette was also recognized as Distinguished Student Member for
her role as President of the NABA Boston Student Chapter.

Pictured left to right - Aliou Ba, Issam Chleuh, Mame Oumy Mbengue, Associate Professor
of Accounting Gail Sergenian, Nancy Douyon, Huguette Konate, and Eric Compaore

Aicha Belemkoabga received a $1,000 Marie Jose-Felix
Scholarship. Aicha is a junior at Suffolk and is majoring in
Accounting and minoring in Finance.
Eric Compaore, a junior Global Business and Accounting
double major received the Outstanding New Student Member
Award. Eric will be joining a peer mentoring program at
Deloitte & Touche for the summer. Eric is also treasurer of the
Boston Student Chapter of NABA.
Suffolk’s involvement began in 1995 when Associate Professor
of Accounting Gail Sergenian was asked to become the faculty advisor for the Boston Metropolitan Chapter. Suffolk is a
Platinum Level Corporate Sponsor of NABA Inc.
Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

5

EVENTS WRAP-UP
To honor Suffolk University’s Centennial Celebration, the Sawyer Business School hosted a
spectacular series of cultural, social, and academic events focusing on the Centennial themes
of global business, public service, and partnerships.
October 16

US Energy and the Role of Venezuela
Co-sponsored by WorldBoston

Fadi Kabboul, Minister Counselor for Petroleum Affairs, Venezuelan Embassy

Pictured left to right - Dean O’Neill, Felix Rodriguez, president & CEO of CITGO
Petroleum Corporation, and Associate Dean Shahriar Khaksari

October 26

Doing Business in Brazil
Co-sponsored with the New England Latin America Business Council

Pictured left to right - Dr. Isaac Cohen, CNN Senior Analyst for Latin American Economic News, Salomon
Chiquiar, Rabinovich Seyfarth Shaw, president of New England- Latin America Business Council, Cássio
Mesquita Barros, Mesquita Barros Advogados, Associate Dean Shahriar Khaksari, Ronaldo Veirano, JD ’71,
Veirano & Advogados Associados, C. Gopinath, associate professor of Management, Paulo Sotero, director
of the Brazil Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

6

Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

Ronaldo Veirano, JD ’71, Kathryn Battillo, VP for
Advancement

EVENTS WRAP-UP

November 13

February 8

Doing Business in India

Doing Business in China

Consul General of India, Neelam Deo with Professor Bhatia
and Dean O’Neill

Pictured left to right - Yuan Wu, former manager Bank of China, and MPA student,
Harvard University Kennedy School of Governor; Shixin Chen, Deputy Director of Tax
Policy, Ministry of Finance of China & MPA student, Harvard University, Kennedy
School of Government; & Jeff Hotchkiss, President of Assembly Test Division, Teradyne

Jothi Raghavan, Bharatha Natyam Dancer

April 24

Bing Yeng Leung, Flour Dough Sculpture

Lion Dance by Kung Fu Athletic
Association

Doing Business in Poland
Co-sponsored by Polish American Networking Organization (PANO)

Weronika Wiktor from Cafe Polonia in traditional polish
costume.

Pictured left to right - Patryk Dresher, panelist & senior associate, litigation group, Ropes & Gray, Dariusz
Wojtaszek, panelist First Secretary, Consulate General of the Republic of Poland, Shahriar Khaksari,
associate dean, Marek Lesniewski-Laas, Honorary Consul, Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Boston,
Marcin Bolec, president, Polish American Networking Organization, C. Gopinath, associate professor of
Management and Tad Witkowicz, panelist and entrepreneur.

Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

7

EVENTS WRAP-UP
November 9
Center for Innovation & Change Leadership sponsored:

Innovation and Speed-to-Market in
Design Driven Industries

January 11
The US Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services,
Alex Azar was in Boston to address 200+ local business and
health leaders regarding healthcare transparency. The Deputy
Secretary discussed the administration’s plans for health programs to offer meaningful, consistent information on both the
quality and price of healthcare services.

Pictured left to right - Panelists: Robert Wong, Hal Stern, Robert Zeytoonian,
board member of Center for Innovation & Change Leadership, Angie Kyle,
Beate Chelette, and Kory Kolligian

November 16

Pictured left to right - Mike Lavin, professor & chair Public Management, Dean O’Neil,
Alex Azar, USDHHS Deputy Secretary, and Suffolk Provost Patricia Maguire Meservey

Center for Global Business Ethics and Law with the Center for
Advanced Legal Studies and Institute for Executive Education
presented a panel discussion on the history, impact, guidelines,
and corporate decision-making related to the Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act. The panel was moderated by Derek Meisner,
partner, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham LLP.

March 29
Over 100 alumni, students and faculty attended the
WorldBoston/Suffolk University Global Leadership Series featuring Pakistani Ambassador to the US, Mahmud Ali Durrani
discusses the Current State of US-Pakistani Relations.
James T. Brett, MPA ’76, CEO & President of The New England Council

Caption to come

Pictured left to right - Dean O’Neill, Ambassador Durrani and John Carlson,
Chairman of the Board of Directors for World Boston
James Roosevelt, former associate commissioner of Social Security and the
grandson of Franklin D. Roosevelt

8

Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

NEWS

Executive MBA Alumna Named

Suffolk BSBA Alumni
Open Italian Eateries
in Winchester and Boston
Alessandra Siniscalco, BSBA ’07 started Café Piazza
Dolce in Winchester, Ma., two years ago at the age 18.
Today, the Café is a thriving eatery and has been featured in the Boston Globe and on New England Cable
Network’s TV Diner.
Siniscalco dreamed of running her own business since
high school. With the help of her parents and her strong
work ethic, that dream became a reality. Her café is
located in the same building where her parents operate a
salon and spa and is now open six days a week. The café
overlooks Bellino Park and has free Wi-Fi access, large
flat screen TVs. Her secret: Alessandra imports ingredients from various parts of Italy and bakes everything
fresh in the café daily. The café’s specialties include:
panini, pizza, pastries and a variety of coffee drinks.
Café Piazza Dolce is located at 831 Main Street,
Winchester, Ma. For directions and hours visit their
web site at: www. cafepiazzadolce.com

Evan Buland, BSBA ’04 opened Café Quattro a
year following his graduation from Suffolk and a stone’s
throw away from the Nathan R. Miller Dormitory at 20
Somerset Street.
Since its opening, Café Quattro has quickly become a
“Suffolk” establishment. Faculty, staff and students can
regularly be seen eating in the café. Many student clubs
use Café Quattro’s catering services for club events.
Specialties include: pizza, chicken pesto panini, crabmeat roll and turkey wraps.

2007 National Financial
Services Champion
by the Small Business
Administration
Anne Cerami, SBA
program manager for
TD Banknorth and
Executive MBA alumna,
has been named the
2007 National Financial
Services Champion by
the US Small Business
Administration (SBA).
Cerami was honored, along with the SBA’s other Champion
and Lender Award winners, at a reception ceremony held in
Washington, DC on April 23 during the SBA’s National Small
Business Week.
Cerami was first named the 2007 Massachusetts Financial
Services Champion. She went on to win the New England competition for this award as well, before being named the National
Financial Services Champion.
The Financial Services Champion award is presented annually to an individual who assists small businesses in obtaining
financing either directly or through advocacy efforts to increase
the availability of financial services. Another reason for Ms.
Cerami’s selection was because of her many volunteer efforts
beyond her business and professional responsibilities to advance
small business interests.

STAY CONNECTED

To the Sawyer Business Alumni Network

Evan attributes his success to the education he received
at Suffolk. He received his undergraduate degree in management from Suffolk in 2004. Now he runs his own
pizza/sandwich shop right next to one of Suffolk’s dorms
and has a specialty pizza called the “Suffolk.”
Café Quattro is located at 4 Somerset Street, Boston
and is open Monday – Friday 11am – 8pm and
Saturdays noon – 4pm.

Send us your News
• Promotions • Marriages • Births
• Other announcements
To: Rebecca Coyne, Director of Alumni Relations
rcoyne@suffolk.edu • 617.994.4321

Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

9

FACULTY UPDATE

Michael B. Arthur

Richard H. Beinecke

Robert Defillippi

Tom O’Hara

Grants and Awards

Presentations at Conferences

Michael B. Arthur, professor of
management, was honored with the
Everett Hughes Award for a lifetime
of exceptional research, scholarship
and intellectual leadership from
the Academy of Management. The
Everett Hughes Award is the highest
distinction a person can receive
from the AMA’s Careers Division.
Arthur is the fourth person to
receive this award.

Mark Lehrer, associate professor of
management, was invited to present
at the Woodrow Wilson International
Center for Scholars’ conference on
New Thinking in International
Trade: National Strategies to Build
Comparative Advantage where he spoke
about trade strategies used in France
and Germany.

Michael B. Arthur was also awarded
the Sawyer Business School’s
Excellence in Research Award.
Thomas Whalen, visiting assistant
professor of accounting was awarded
the Sawyer Business School’s
Excellence in Teaching Award.
Billy Mee, instructor, information
systems & operations management,
received the Outstanding Faculty
Member of the Year Award from the
Student Government Association.
Assistant professors of marketing,
Anders Bengtsson and Giana M.
Eckhardt have been awarded a
research grant from the Marketing
Science Institute (MSI) to study
the social construction of brands in
China. For this project, Bengtsson
and Eckhardt have partnered with
Dunkin’ Brands. They will travel to
China this summer to begin
empirical data collection.

Tom O’Hara, associate professor of
finance presented his research paper
entitled “Rich Stock, Poor Stock: A
Strategy For Improving The Portfolio
Selection Process” at the 33rd Annual
Conference of the Northeast Business
and Economics Association on October
of 2006 held in Port Jefferson, New
York. The paper was invited by double
blind review and was published in the
Proceedings of the Conference.
Giana Eckhardt, assistant professor
of marketing and two colleagues from
Australia presented at the Business as
an Agent for World Benefit Conference.
They discussed the importance of
businesses being involved in helping
to make the world a better place from
an ethical and moral standpoint. The
conference mostly debated the concern
of corporate social responsibility.
Suzyn Ornstein, associate professor of
management, Kevin Krauss, clinical
professor of management and George
Moker, instructor of management
presented, “University-High School
Partnerships: A Model for Improving
Entrepreneurship Education and
Community Outreach” at the United

10 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

Giana Eckhardt

States Association for Small Business
and Entrepreneurship conference in
Orlando, FL, on January 12, 2007.

In the News
Magid Mazen, professor of management, was interviewed on NECN by
Chet Curtis and Political Commentator,
Avi Nelson about President Bush and
Prime Minister Maliki meetings about
the chaos in Baghdad, Iraq.
Sushil Bhatia and C. Gopinath,
associate professor of management were
quoted in an article from Business Line
India (8 Jan. 07 p.10). The two professors were in India, leading a group of 19
Executive MBA students. In India, they
visited Intel, GE Welch Technology
Center, Trigent Software, SigmaAldrich Inc and EXIM Bank.
Elizabeth J. Wilson, chair and associate professor of marketing, was quoted
in the March 5, 2007 issue of Banker
and Tradesman regarding the True
Blue advertising campaign designed to
reposition Eastern Bank in the New
England financial marketplace.

Leadership Roles
Robert Defillippi, professor of management and co-director of the Center for
Innovation and Change Leadership has
been asked to be the conference coordinator for the 15th Annual International
Conference on Multi-Organizational
Partnerships, Alliances & Networks
(MOPAN) in June 2008.
This annual international conference is
intended for those directly engaged or

FACULTY UPDATE

C. Gopinath

Liz Wilson

otherwise interested in practice related
to multi-organizational relationships
within and across borders. The Center
for Innovation and Change Leadership
will host the conference.
The Marketing department will host
the annual Consumer Culture Theory
Conference in May 2008. Assistant
professors Anders Bengtsson and
Giana Eckhardt will co-chair the
conference. Consumer Culture Theory
(CCT) is an interdisciplinary field that
comprises macro, interpretive, and critical approaches to and perspectives of
consumer behavior.
William J. O’Neill, Jr., dean of the
Business School and professor of
management has been appointed to the

Laurie Levesque

Alex Yen

Board of Directors of EDGAR Online,
Inc., a leading provider of interactive
business and financial data on global
companies to financial, corporate and
advisory professionals. The company
makes its information and a variety of
analytical tools available via online subscriptions and licensing agreements.

New Faculty
Appointments 2007
Due to expanding undergraduate enrollments, the Business School has hired
a historic 19 new faculty members for
the 2007 academic year; bringing the
Business School total full-time faculty
numbers to 110.

Suzyn Ornstein

New Faculty include:

Accounting

Mohamed I. Gomaa

Assistant Professor, Accounting

Prior to joining Suffolk, Mohamed
was an assistant professor at the School
of Business and Economics at Wilfrid
Laurier University in Ontario, Canada.
He earned his PhD in accounting
at the University Maastricht, The
Netherlands, his Master’s degree in
accounting from the University of
South Florida in Tampa, Florida,
his MS in decision and information
Systems from the University of
Florida, and his Bachelor’s degree from
Alexandria University, Egypt.

Publications
“Looking for the Next Big Thing: Bringing Virtual Team
Concepts into the Executive MBA Classroom,” co-authored
by Sushil Bhatia and Michael Barretti clinical professor of
marketing has been accepted for publication in the Indian
Journal of Economics and Business.
Warren Briggs, professor of information systems and operations management co-authored, Competitive Analysis of
Enterprise Integration Strategies for an upcoming issue
of Industrial Management and Data Systems. He has also coauthored Competitive Analysis of MIS in the MBA Core:
“Are Trends Putting Pressure on the MIS Course?” in the
Journal of Information Systems Education (April 2007).
Associate dean Ruth Ann McEwen is author of Earnings Per
Share, published by BNA Tax and Accounting Portfolio No. 5137.
“Continuing to Provide and Fund a Mix of Ryan White
Title I HIV/AIDS Services: Support from the ‘Voices of
Experience’ Needs Surveys in Massachusetts” with leadauthors Richard H. Beinecke, associate professor of health

administration, Sandy Matava, clinical assistant professor of
public administration, and MPA student Nicole Rivers has
been published in the Journal of HIV/AIDS & Social Services.
Richard H. Beinecke edited with others the Administration
and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services,
November 2006. Their introductory article is a “Guest Editors’
Introduction: Evidence-Based Mental Health Practices and
Performance Measures in Massachusetts.” The issue is available
through Springer-Link.
Laurie Levesque, chair and associate professor of management, co-authored article, “The Status of Women in Corporate
Governance in High Growth, High Potential Firms,” has been
published in Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, 2007
Alex Yen, assistant professor of accounting, had his article “A
Content Analysis of the Comprehensive Income Exposure Draft
Comment Letters,” published in the 2007 edition (Volume 19)
of Research in Accounting Regulation, edited by Gary J. Previts.”

Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

11

FACULTY UPDATE

Jorge Colazo

Abu Jalal

Georges Kemassong

David Manzler

Stefan Platikanov

Jamshed J. Mistry

David L. Manzler, CFA

Prior to Suffolk, Jamshed was assistant professor at Worcester
Polytechnic Institute teaching mostly accounting courses. Jamshed
earned his DBA from Boston University and his MBA from the
University of Utah and his BS from Purdue University.

David is expected to complete his PhD in June 2007 from the
University of Cincinnati. His research interests include investments
and financial institutions, with a current focus on closed-end funds.
Before joining the PhD program, David worked in the financial
services industry as a portfolio manager, research analyst, and financial operations principal. David earned his MBA from University of
Cincinnati and his Bachelor’s degree from Ohio University.

Assistant Professor, Accounting

Brigitte W. Muehlmann

Assistant Professor, Accounting

Brigitte researches and teaches in the areas of US Taxation and
Investments Planning as well as US & International Financial
Reporting and Analysis. Prior to joining Suffolk, Brigitte was associate professor at Bentley College where she earned her MST degree.
Brigitte earned her Doctorate and Master’s degrees from Vienna
University of Economics and Business Administration. She is a certified public accountant, management accountant, financial management, valuation analyst, and licensed tax expert.

Business Law & Ethics

Miriam F. Weismann

Associate Professor, Business Law & Ethics

Miriam is a former US attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.
She earned her LLM from Kent College, her JD from DePaul
University, and her Bachelor’s from the University of Arizona.

Finance

Assistant Professor, Finance

Stefan Platikanov

Assistant Professor, Finance

Stefan is expected to complete the PhD program at the University of
Colorado by the end of this year. He has taught Corporate Finance
and Introduction to Business at the University of National & World
Economy in Bulgaria. Stefan earned his Master’s degree from the
College of Europe and the University of Hamburg, Germany and BA
in economics from the University of National and World Economy,
Bulgaria. He is a co-founder and partner of Riahovetz Ltd., a private
business in Gabrovo, Bulgaria.

Management and Public Management
Alicia D. Boisnier

Assistant Professor, Management

Abu specializes in empirical corporate finance, international finance,
financial markets and institutions, and banking. Abu expects
to receive his PhD in Finance in June, from the University of
Minnesota. He earned his BA in economics and mathematics from
Wabash College in Crawfordsville, IN.

Prior to joining Suffolk, Alicia was assistant professor of the
Department of Organization & Human Resources at the School of
Management of State University of New York. Alicia earned her
PhD and MS at the University of California at Berkeley and her
BA in psychology & media studies at Hampshire College. Alicia’s
research interests include organizational culture and subcultures,
self-monitoring/impression management, demographic diversity, and
identity development.

Georges Désiré Tsafack Kemassong

Brenda Bond

Georges is expecting to earn his PhD in economics from the
University of Montreal, Canada in the fall of 2007. His fields of specialization include finance, econometrics, and international finance.
He earned his Master’s degree in finance from the University of
Toulouse, France, he also earned a Master’s degree in statistics from
Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et d’Economie Appliquée, Côte
d’Ivoire and his Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University
of Cocody, Côte d’Ivoire.

Brenda joins Suffolk from Harvard University’s Kennedy School
of Government where she was a research associate in the Criminal
Justice Policy and Management Program. Her work compares the
effects of intensive enforcement and community problem-oriented
policing on crime, disorder, and citizen perceptions of legitimacy
in crime hot spots. She earned her Master’s degree and PhD from
Brandeis University and a Master’s degree from the University of
Massachusetts Lowell.

Abu M. Jalal

Assistant Professor, Finance

Assistant Professor, Finance

12 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

Assistant Professor, Public Management

FACULTY UPDATE
Zhen Zhu

Assistant Professor, Marketing

Before joining Suffolk, Zhen was assistant professor at Babson
College. Prior to coming to the United States, Zhen was marketing
analyst for Procter & Gamble in Shanghai, China. Zhen earned her
MBA in marketing and BS in economics at Fudan University in
Shanghai, China. Zhen earned her PhD in marketing at University
of Illinois.

Aimee L. Williamson

Zhen Zhu

Carlos Rufin

Assistant Professor, Management

Carlos’ teaching interests include international business, the environment of business, and public management. Carlos joins Suffolk from
the Babson College where he was assistant professor of international
business. He earned his PhD in public policy at Harvard University.
He also earned his Master of Arts in economics at Columbia
University in New York and his Bachelor’s in economics at Princeton
University.

Sheila S. Webber

Assistant Professor, Management

Before joining Suffolk, Sheila was assistant professor of management
at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Sheila earned her PhD in
industrial/organizational psychology at George Mason University
in Fairfax, VA and her Master’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson
University. Her undergraduate degree is from Franklin & Marshall
College where she double majored in psychology & government.
Sheila has published a number of papers in the areas of work teams
and project leadership in Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of
Business Research, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Academy of
Management Executive, and Journal of Business and Psychology.

Aimee L. Williamson

Assistant Professor, Public Management

Aimee is expected to receive her PhD in public affairs from
University of Colorado in May 2007. She earned her Master’s degree
from the University of Colorado and her Bachelor’s degree from the
University of Notre Dame. Currently, Aimee is research analyst/data
coordinator for the Colorado Children’s Campaign.

Marketing
Cristian Chelariu

Assistant Professor, Marketing

Cristian’s research interests include channel management, sales
force management in emergent economics, B2B, and implementation of market orientation. He earned his PhD from Georgia State
University, MBA from the University of Nebraska and his Bachelor’s
degree from Al.I.Cuza University, Romania. He will be leaving
Schulick School of Business, York University, Canada to join the
Business School.

Information System and Operations Management
Jorge Colazo

Assistant Professor, Information System and
Operations Management

Jorge’s research and teaching interests include operations management; innovation and technology management; operations-IT
interface; and empirical research methods. He earned his PhD in
business administration from the University of Western Ontario and
earned his MBA at I.D.E.A. and a Master’s degree in engineering in
Buenos Aires, Argentina. Jorge received an award for participating
in the competition-based 2006 Operations Management Research
Incubator held at the Academy of Management Conference in
Atlanta, Georgia.

Peter Tarasewich

Associate Professor, Information Systems and
Operations Management

Peter joins Suffolk from Northeastern University where he was
Assistant Professor. Peter earned his PhD from the University of
Connecticut, his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and BSE
from Duke University. His research interests include: eBusiness,
wireless information systems, human-computer interaction and
usability. Peter’s research appears in Communications of the ACM,
Communications of the AIS, and IEEE Transactions on Engineering
Management.

Arnold Kamis

Associate Professor, Information Systems and
Operations Management

Prior to joining Suffolk, Arnold was assistant professor of computer
information systems and information & process management at
Bentley College. He earned his PhD in information systems from
New York University and his BS in applied mathematics (computer science) from Carnegie Mellon University. Arnold’s research
interests are in electronic business, decision support technologies and
human-computer interaction. His publications appear in journals
such as the International Journal of Electronic Commerce, Information
& Management, Communications of the Association for Computing
Machinery and The Database for Advances in Information Systems.
Arnold serves as a chair for the Hawaii International Conference on
System Sciences minitrack on Electronic Marketing, as an associate
editor for Case Studies in Business, Industry and Government Statistics,
on the editorial review board for Journal of Electronic Commerce
in Organizations, and as the web site editor for the Journal of
Management Information Systems.
Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

13

COVER STORY
“We are determined, as a
team of faculty, administrators,
and students to build one of the
‘best BSBA programs in Boston’”
Morris McInnes, associate dean for Academic Affairs

Julia Frost, BSBA ’07

Reengineered and Ready:

The New Undergraduate Business Program
Globalization, Leadership,
Communication, Technology,
and Social Responsibility
Are Highlights
14 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

It’s no secret that the world of work has changed: the virtual office requires a workforce that knows how to communicate their functional knowledge to their global counterparts,
whose diverse cultures may differ sharply from their own. More
and more, businesses are demanding savvier employees with
leadership skills and an in-depth understanding of the global
perspective. And, as trends show, they are looking to recruit
above-average business graduates with bachelor’s degrees.

The Sawyer Business School’s reengineered Bachelor of
Science in Business Administration(BSBA) curriculum, to
commence in fall 2007, will prepare graduates to meet the challenges of today’s work environment.
“It’s hugely exciting,” said Laurie Levesque, chair and
associate professor of management, and a curriculum task force
member. “We’re hoping that the thoughtful planning and the
incredible support we’ve received from the University will help
to bring it all together.”
A confluence of events prompted revamping the Bachelor of
Science in Business Administration (BSBA) curriculum, last
overhauled in the 1980s with minor changes introduced in
the 1990s. In response to the stepped-up demand for undergraduate business majors, national trends show enrollment in
undergraduate business programs has increased dramatically,
more rapidly than in MBA programs, according to AACSB
International—the premier accrediting body for business
schools across the world. Other factors were the need for the
curriculum to reflect the Business School’s revised global mission, to meet revised AACSB guidelines, and to coincide with
the course-crediting method adopted by Suffolk’s College of
Arts and Sciences.

LINKS to a Successful Career
The new curriculum is focused on educating the global leaders of tomorrow and seeks to build preparation through programming that focuses on leadership, innovation, networking,
knowledge, and service (LINKS)—all “links” to a successful
career. The themes of globalization; ethics and corporate social
responsibility; diversity and diverse culture; leadership; teamwork; communication competency; and networking, careers,
and life-long learning are emphasized throughout all four years
of the program.
In 2004, a 13-person task force for curriculum change,
chaired by Catherine McCabe, assistant professor of marketing, was convened with varied members of the Suffolk Business
faculty and the school community. “We asked ourselves, ‘What
would an ideal curriculum look like?’” said Levesque. “We
started from scratch, saying ‘There are the things our graduates
need to know, so what courses and in what sequence makes
sense? Only later did we say, ‘What does this mean in terms of
courses and what sequence makes sense?’”
Using Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A
Revision of Bloom’s Educational Objectives as a foundation to
help the committee understand and implement a standardsbased curriculum, the group met over a two-year period, rewriting the curriculum, and conferring with faculty and department
heads, before presenting a proposal that was approved by the
faculty in May 2006.

Business Courses Introduced in Freshman Year
The curriculum emphasizes the foundations of business
knowledge and practical application in group class projects,

experiential learning, and in real-world experiences, such as
internships; all supported by technology.
Business courses are introduced earlier—in the freshman
year instead of the junior year—and the program offers the
flexibility needed to tailor their program of study to meet
students’ needs. Students also take SU101, a one-credit freshman-year experience, in which students are block-scheduled to
encourage building relationships with each other. During the
fall 2005–2006 semesters, this new-curriculum pilot project
was highly successful, and in particular, juniors and seniors
served as teaching assistants in SU101, where they acted as role
models, and served as a resource for freshmen.
“This course is really helpful to those students who haven’t
lived in a city,” said Levesque, who explained that 18-year-olds
need a transitional course after they arrive on campus.
According to Levesque, the task force also “tweaked the linkages between quantitative courses.” For example the calculus
requirement was dropped for all but two majors, Finance and
Accounting. However, if a student had taken calculus in high
school, the student is encouraged to continue with calculus at
Suffolk. After collaborating with the math department, Finite
Math is now a requirement for freshmen not taking calculus and
a prerequisite for other quantitative courses. “You don’t learn to
synthesize and evaluate until you’ve mastered the basics,” said
Levesque. “We built the curriculum on that.”

A Global Focus from Day One
The globalization theme is interwoven throughout all four
years of the curriculum; students are exposed to the global business environment through a variety of courses, electives, and
workshops. They may opt to take one of two general education
classes, either on globalization or on history, which incorporate the underlying theme of the new BSBA program. That is,
business is linked to other disciplines. Students take one of the
many courses broadly defined as social change in the United
States and abroad, which exposes them to world geography and
cultural diversity; they study how social movements affect businesses around the world. “They will learn how business, people,
and cultures interact,” said Levesque.
In the business core, Business Ethics in a Global Environment
incorporates discussions of ethics across diverse cultures. Microand macroeconomics courses include a study of global markets,
and the Strategic Management capstone course gives students
another opportunity to link global issues with their functional
knowledge. In the fourth year, a variety of professional development workshops, including Global Business Etiquette, will help
graduating students transition to the real world.
Students also have the opportunity to visit companies in
other countries to observe first-hand how business is conducted:
the three-credit Global Travel Seminars combine Boston-based
classroom learning with a one- to two-week trip; recent choices
included London, England; Prague, Czech Republic; and
Beijing and Shanghai, China. (see related story on page 18 & 19)
Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

15

Communication, E-Portfolios, and Cohort Courses
The emphasis on communication competency requires that
students learn how to write concisely and well; use proper citations in research; and present their ideas effectively and persuasively, both orally and in writing. A grading system for assessing
communications skills is being developed and will be shared
with all faculty for use across the curriculum. “To progress in
any career, you have to communicate clearly,” Levesque said.
“Poor communication can lead to numerous problems, both
professional and personal.”
Communications skills will be further strengthened and the
improvements documented with the student’s individual online
or e-portfolio, one of the most innovative co-curricular components. The e-portfolio will showcase a student’s work and
their experiences. Students will chronicle what they learn—in
the classroom, in extra-curricular activities, and through their
real-world business experiences. With a student’s permission,
the staff at the Career Services Office can access the portfolio
to advise on career choices and identify potential areas for skill
development. The Portfolio also develops a student’s technical
expertise and instills a greater responsibility for documenting experiences and knowledge. In the students’ junior year,
they can create a personal web page to assist them with job
recruitment by presenting themselves effectively to prospective
employers.
“We anticipate that the e-portfolio will be used as a developmental tool, as well as facilitating academic and self-assessment
for student growth,” said Levesque.
The curriculum’s changes addressed requests students had for
earlier introduction of business courses, greater integration of
the curriculum, as well as the faculty’s concerns about students’
need for more analytical, problem solving, and business skills.

“I’ve learned how to manage my time efficiently and
how to multitask by participating in so many events,”
she said.“It’s fast paced. I want to get the most out of
my college career, so that when I graduate, I’ll have a
career I’ll be able to keep up with.”
Lephan Tieu, BSBA ‘07 marketing major
All co-curricular components, such as “cohort” experience,
are integrated with the main coursework. These four components are introduced in each of the four years: Experiencing
the Suffolk Community; Leadership and Corporate Social
Responsibility; Group Dynamics and Experiential Learning;
and Professional Development. Each experience provides active
learning opportunities, links together multiple curricular
components, and creates common learning experiences. They
each become progressively more complex and utilizes the skills
learned in previous years. In particular, the purpose of the
fourth-year cohort experience is to create networking opportunities and provide career skills with workshops on professional

16 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

behavior and job hunting; the events will be sponsored in conjunction with alumni and students groups.

New Honors Program and Challenge Courses
To encourage scholarship, a second undergraduate Honors
Scholars program was organized. Like the existing Griffin
Honor Society and Sawyer Ambassadors, Honor Scholars students must maintain a high grade-point average, and they benefit from a supportive environment that encourages intellectual
curiosity and academic distinction. Twenty-five percent of the
BSBA classes taken by Honor Scholars are honors classes; they
also are given first choice to register for stimulating, tuitionfree “challenge courses.” Each semester, eight to nine topics are
offered; one of the courses scheduled for this fall is Knowledge
Globalization, to be taught by Mawdudur Rahman, professor
of accounting.
“We ask the faculty to send us proposals,” said Myra Lerman,
assistant dean for undergraduate business programs, and advisor to Honors and Griffin students. “We are offering challenging courses on current business trends.”
Most recently the course titles included, Leading the
Entrepreneurial Nonprofit, Social Entrepreneurship, and
Leadership in Institutional Change. In addition to advising honor students, Lerman meets with Sawyer Ambassadors
twice a month and with the Honors Scholars once a month;
her role is to enhance the groups’ leadership, communication,
and networking skills, to facilitate the meetings, and to act as a
resource. The goal of the Sawyer Ambassadors is to build community and to address unmet student needs.

Social Responsibility and Service
One of the challenge courses on social responsibility prompted
Sawyer Ambassador Julia Frost BSBA ’07, president of the
Women In Business Student Club (voted Outstanding Student
Organization of 2006 by Suffolk students), to organize the
Pink Campaign, which raised $1,100 over a two-week period
for breast cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
in Boston. The course demonstrated how to build committees
and the infrastructure needed for social causes. Frost led other
Women In Business members in writing, designing and producing flyers and hosting table events on campus stressing the
importance of early detection. The course also inspired her to
join the Dollar Campaign, which generated $1,700 in contributions to raise awareness about global child prostitution.
“I love helping to organize events that educate and inspire our
members and the business community to get active,” said Frost.
“Whatever business career I choose, I know I want to make a
difference in people’s lives.”
Sawyer Ambassadors and student club members were instrumental in organizing and staffing the well-attended BSBA
Student and Alumni Networking Event at the Omni Parker

House Hotel last fall. Two members from each student organization were represented on the planning committee.
“We all discussed the logistics,” said Anthony Holley BSBA
’07, a Sawyer Ambassador, president of the Suffolk University
Business Career Organization Student Club (SUBCO), and a
member of the Collegiate Investment Association (CIA) Student
Club. “We made sure that we had people manning every sector
of the event. We had everything covered.”
Everything, that is, except coat racks, he said. No matter. “We
had more than 200 people,” said Holley. “We packed the house.”

Network, Network, Network
Students, faculty, administrators, and alumni, including
Nique Fajors BSBA ’89, vice president of marketing for Atari
Corporation, who was the keynote speaker, networked, and
enjoyed dinner and the view from the rooftop ballroom. Fajors
urged students to network, network, network, to mix and
mingle with people they didn’t know.
“Networking is very important, and you have to take full
advantage of the opportunities at Suffolk,” said Lephan Tieu
BSBA ’07, a Sawyer Ambassador and president of the Professional
Marketing Association (PMA) Student Club, another committee member. “Alumni are very willing to act as a mentor and to
help you succeed.”
A co-editor-in-chief and contributing writer for the student
newsletter, Suffolk Business Leader, Tieu is president of PMA,
collaborates with other student groups or organizing weekly,
free events, which offer more variety for students, and are scheduled for the activity periods. For example, the SUBCO career
lecture guest speaker, David D’Ardanglo, head of marketing, at
M&L Transit Systems, was cosponsored by PMA.
“I’ve learned how to manage my time efficiently and how to
multitask by participating in so many events,” she said. “It’s fast
paced. I want to get the most out of my college career, so that
when I graduate, I’ll have a career I’ll be able to keep up with.”
Tieu has already parlayed her networking skills into the
real world of business. Her last internship was at the luxurious Onyx Hotel, near the TD Banknorth Garden (formerly the
Fleet Center), where she worked as a guest-services agent and
concierge. At the time, the hotel’s general manager was Eric
Travers, BSBA ’01, an alumnus of the Business School, whom
she had met at one of the Business School’s Alumni networking
events. When she needed a local internship, she pulled out his
business card and contacted him.
“I loved working at the hotel,” said Tieu. “I met so many
new people. The hotel itself was also a huge networking venue;
many business travelers stay there, and I collected many business cards.”
Eric Travers has since left Onyx Hotel and is the current
General Manager at Poste Modern Brasserie at the Hotel
Monaco in Washington, DC.

Pictured left to right - Aicha Belemkoabga, Victor Bado, Yannick
Ilboudo, Hulda Compoare, Eric Compoare, SIFE administrator, Mame
Khary Dione, & Professor Thomas Haslam of Suffolk Dakar’s SIFE team

Opportunities to Enhance Learning
In addition to a variety of student clubs and other opportunities to enhance individual learning, the new curriculum places
more emphasis earlier on case analysis and presentation and
offers more access to national and international competitions,
some held on the Suffolk campus, including the New Product
Innovation Competition.
The New Product Innovation contest joins the existing BSchool Beanpot Case Analysis Competition, which brings
together teams of undergraduate business students from
Boston-area business schools, the National Association of Black
Accountants (NABA) Case Analysis Competition, and students
in Free Enterprise (SIFE), a global nonprofit organization that
mobilizes university students to create economic opportunities
for others and discover their own potential in the process. (see
related story on page 4)
“Participating in these competitions is one of the most valuable and rewarding experiences that our students can have,”
said Gail K. Sergenian, associate professor of accounting, a
curriculum task force member who works with NABA teams.
“They learn how to analyze real business situations under tight
deadlines, prepare professional presentations, and defend their
strategies before a team of experts. Even more important, they
learn how to think on their feet and work in an intense environment.”
Revising the undergraduate business curriculum was an
enormous task that involved administrators, faculty, students,
department heads, and advisory boards. “We are determined,
as a team of faculty, administrators, and students to build One
of the ‘best BSBA programs in Boston’” said Morris McInnes,
DBA, associate dean for Academic Affairs and professor of
accounting. 2
Learn more about the new BSBA curriculum, by visiting:
www.suffolk.edu/BSBA

Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

17

GLOBAL SEMINARS

Global Travel

Seminars

The Business School’s Global Travel Seminar Program
provides a powerful opportunity for undergraduate and
graduate students to build the global mindset crucial for
today’s business professionals.
Each seminar is custom designed by the faculty member
leading the seminar and includes visits with business
executives, government leaders, and academic experts
and cultural activities.
During Spring Break in March 2007, undergraduate
students visited England, the Czech Republic, and will
visit China in June.

Business in London, England
March 10-17, 2007

Business in the European
Union: Prague, Czech Republic
March 10-17, 2007
Seminar Schedule
Sunday, March 11 Arrive in Prague
Guided tour of Prague, Welcome Dinner
Monday, March 12 Morning Presentation:
The economic, historical, and political overview
of the Czech Republic
Lunch
Visit to: Rückl Crystal
Tuesday, March 13 Visit to: Senate of the Czech
Republic
Wednesday, March 14 Visit to: Microsoft, KPMG
Thursday, March 15 Visit to: Czech Trade
Commission, Bison & Rose
Friday, March 16 Free time to explore the city,
Farewell Dinner

18 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

Seminar Schedule
Monday, March 10 Leave Boston for London
Tuesday, March 11 Arrive in London
Monday, March 12 Lecture:
“London as a Global Business Center”
Lunch at Regents
Company visit to CBS Outdoor
Group Dinner
Tuesday, March 13 Visit to:
Parliament, private tour by MP Nigel Evans
Chicago Board of Trade Lunch
Visit to: British American Business Council
Wednesday, March 14 Visits to:
Bank of England, Lloyds of London
Thursday, March 15 Sightseeing Trip:
Stonehenge and Bath
Friday, March 16 Visits to:
Little, Brown Book Group, London Stock Exchange

GLOBAL SEMINARS
“The globalization of business has made
the world much smaller. Today it is so
important to learn about different systems
and different cultures to be successful
in business.”
Masatada Abe, BSBA ’07

Business in
Beijing and Shanghai, China
June 14–26, 2007
Seminar Schedule
Thursday, June 14
Sunday, June 17 Visit to: Tiananmen Square,
Forbidden City
Lunch
Temple of Heaven
Monday, June 18 Lecture: “The Chinese Business
Environment” at the University of International
Business and Economics
Visit to: BMW or Mercedes
Tuesday, June 19 Visit to: Yanjing Beer
Wednesday, June 20 Day trip to:
the village of Zhuozhou
Thursday, June 21 Lecture at University of
International Business and Economics
Visit to: CF Securities
Friday, June 22 Fly to Shanghai
Saturday, June 23 Sightseeing in Shanghai
(visit Shanghai Museum of Art, People’s Square,
Jade Buddha Temple)
Monday, June 25 Shanghai Stock Exchange
Lijia Zui Financial District

“The Doing Business in London Seminar provided
a priceless experience for undergraduate students.
It allowed them to learn about London through
business, culture, and tourism; and at the same time
form and build life-long friendships. The group was
enthusiastic and very eager to learn about global
business. Every one contributed to make the trip
successful and beneficial.”
Khaled Amira,
Assistant Professor of Finance
Undergraduate London Seminar Leader

Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

19

ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE

John Leonetti
MSF/JD ’01

Holly-Ann Paiva
BSBA ’07

Need Advisory Board members to
act as guest judges in a capstone
accounting class?

> No problem.

On Call:
Alumni and Friends
Are Enthusiastic Responders

An alum to sponsor an internship?
Teach a management class?
Coach a case-analysis competition?

> No problem.

Sawyer Business School alumni and friends are responsive to calls for assistance
and more than willing to accommodate faculty and the students who are the next
generation of global business leaders.

“The Advisory Board members are really involved,” said
Michael Kraten, PhD, assistant professor of accounting, who
teaches the course. “They’re looking to maintain the high-caliber of students; these are the students they are interested in
recruiting to their organizations.”

group selects a real-world organization and prepares a risk-management plan that identifies potential problems, assesses and
prioritizes the problems, and develops internal controls to deal
with the situation. On the last day of class, individual groups
present the risk-management plans without notes, slides, or
even a podium; each presentation is five minutes. A course
requirement stipulates that members from the local business
community guest judge the presentations, and Kraten immediately extended the invitation to the Advisory Board with stellar
results—and a bonus.

Kraten structures the capstone course, i.e., the final course
that students take before they graduate, around a leadership
theme for which there is no textbook solution. Each student

According to Kraten, Advisory Board member Leanne Melto,
a senior manager with KPMG, the audit, tax, and advisory firm,
mentioned to John Moriarty, a KPMG senior partner that one

When Accounting Department Advisory Board members
were invited to judge students’ risk-management plans for an
undergraduate course, ACCT 450 Theory and Practice, the
response was nearly 100 percent for both the undergraduate
course and its graduate counterpart.

20 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

of the group presentations had focused on a risk-management
plan for Suffolk University. Moriarty, one of KPMG’s authorities on higher education, and a contributor to the in-house publication, “Strategic Financial Analysis for Higher Education,”
volunteered to speak to the entire class on the subject.
Needless to say, Kraten was thrilled and readily accepted
the offer; Moriarty spoke to the class in April. “Things like
this keep popping up,” noted Kraten, who is grateful for the
Advisory Board’s dedication; his students will benefit greatly
from hearing the advice of a senior KPMG partner.
Alumnus John Leonetti MSF/JD ’01 is a firm supporter
of internships, which he organized as an employee at Merrill
Lynch, and then at Smith Barney, where management adopted
a formal internship program with the Sawyer Business School.
Last year, Leonetti started Beacon Hill Equity Group, an independent affiliate of Raymond James Financial, and once again
called on Myra Leman, assistant dean, for potential internship
candidates; he interviewed five and selected Holly-Ann Paiva
BSBA ’07.
“Internships help students define their goals,” said Leonetti.
“You don’t have to look far to find students who want to do well.
Interns demonstrate their appreciation, whether the internship
is paid or unpaid. They are hard-working and conscientious
about doing a good job.”
Paiva, who graduates this May with a major in finance, is
delighted with her experience and has accepted a full-time position with Beacon Hill Equity Group. Her goal is a career as a
certified financial planner, and she is learning about selecting
investments, allocating portfolios, and evaluating investment
opportunities.
“If I have a question, he’ll sit down with me and explain it,”
said Paiva, who is interested in sitting for the Series 7 and CFP
examinations. “That kind of attention you won’t find at a bigger
firm.”
Alumnus Mark DiFraia BSBA ’97, director of business
development at Charles River Development, was honored to
teach Business Organization and Leadership in the fall 2006
semester. A former member of the Griffin Honor Society, he
has maintained a close and satisfying relationship with the
Business School since his graduation and has helped
organize Griffin networking events. While a student
at Suffolk, Mark served as president of his class for
all four years and also as president of the Student
Government Association. When DiFraia took the
same class as an undergraduate, taught by Pierre
Du Jardin, it was a turning point; it confirmed his
decision to switch his major from political science to
business.
“I was impressed with the caliber of the
students and with their creativity,” he
said of teaching experience. “The class
helps students think like managers and
to solve problems.”

A student at American University, in Cairo, Egypt, studying for a Master’s degree in Middle East studies, Lenka Benova
BSBA ’02 was not only a participant in several national caseanalysis competitions, but she also volunteered to help coach

“Being part of the Suffolk family is an asset and a
support base for me for a lifetime...when your family
needs your help, you go back, and help.”
Lenka Benova, BSBA ’02
five national and international competitions after she graduated. In addition to constructive criticism, she provided support, motivation, experience, and encouragement.
“Suffolk was truly like my family, from the professors and
administrators, to the alumni and other students; being part
of the Suffolk family is an asset and a support base for me for
a lifetime,” she explained. “And when your family needs your
help, you go back and help.”
In 2002, she coached two teams, one undergraduate and
one graduate, for the National Association of Black Accounts
(NABA) Case-Analysis Competition; both won first place.
She also coached the Suffolk team of undergraduates for the
B-School Beanpot Case-Analysis competition, comprised of
teams from Boston-area schools, and for the Students in Free
Enterprise (SIFE) Competition at Suffolk’s Dakar Campus in
Senegal, Africa. In 2006, the Suffolk University Dakar SIFE
team won top honors in Senegal, and took third place in the
international competition held in Paris and judged by business
executives from 30 countries, including some of the world’s top
CEOs.
“Coaching is exciting,” Benova said. “I love working with
students and seeing them learn from each other, struggle with
the process, and then appreciate the experience at the end. I
also coach because these are the best and brightest students at
Suffolk, and I want them to have confidence and to know that
they have much to offer upon graduation.” 2

Give Back to Your Alma Mater!
Interested in sponsoring a Suffolk student to
intern in your organization?
Would you like to share your knowledge
and expertise as an adjunct or as a special
speaker in class?
Can you mentor or coach an undergrad?

Contact the Sawyer Business School’s
Dean’s Office at:
suffolkbusiness@suffolk.edu
or 617.573.8631
Michael Kraten, PhD,

Assistant Professor of Accounting
mkraten@suffolk.edu
Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

21

FACULTY PERSPECTIVE

Germany,
Innovation,

and the
Mark A. Lehrer, PhD
Associate Professor of Management
mlehrer@suffolk.edu

Role of the
University

From Faust to Finance
Before he was heralding the American university systems’ role in
developing new industry, Lehrer was trying to instill in his students
a love of German literature. But that didn’t last. “It’s a declining
industry,” he sighs. “People just aren’t interested anymore. I wanted
to do something else with my life.” Then the Berlin Wall fell, it all
clicked together. Mark would stop teaching Goethe, and start learning
business. “Everyone was certain that Germany would become Europe’s
dominating innovative economic force,” he says. “I figured that I could
leverage my expertise in German and use it to tap into this inevitable
development.”
To his dismay, it didn’t quite turn out that way, as the reunited nation’s predicted economic success
was surprisingly disappointing. “So I went back and tried to figure out why my initial predictions were
wrong,” says Lehrer. “And I found that the German university system is one really big explanation.”
After experiencing an “economic miracle” following WWII, the German economic engine began to
run out of gas in the 1980s. The reason for the stagnation was the country’s inability to excel in “new”
industries, such as computer technology and biotech. Even today Germany’s strength is in “older” sectors,
like automobile manufacturing, industrials and chemicals.

22 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

FACULTY PERSPECTIVE

München Malaise
Traditional explanations of this point to issues like the lack
of labor market mobility, underdeveloped stock markets, or the
notoriously inflexible nature of the country’s labor market and
institutions meaning, essentially, too much red tape. Lehrer,
however, has another, totally unique answer: The university
system in Germany needs repairing.
“One of the most important elements of a nation’s economy
is its university system,” says Lehrer. “Universities are instrumental in facilitating channels from the research lab to the
business community. The malaise affecting the German university system is that it is inflexible, and totally shut off from
the economy.”
This is unlike the university system in America, according
to Lehrer, which is heavily integrated into the business world,
“so many new ideas come out of the university system,” he says.
“There is simply no substitute for the university system in driving innovation into the economy, particularly when it comes to
developing new industries.”
Biotech is a case in point. Germany had only 15 biotechnology products in the pipeline in 2003, compared to 872 in
the US and 194 in the UK, which has a significantly smaller
population.
“Germany can’t seem to commercialize its biotechnology
research,” says Lehrer. “In short, they can’t seem to make it
from discovery to drug store. This is far different from the US,
which is considered by many to hegemony in this area.”

All Brains, No Business
According to Lehrer, it isn’t that German scientists have lost
their touch in the lab, it’s that, unlike in the US, the German university has ceased to be at the center of innovation. “Innovation
shifted from universities to specialized R&D institutes, such as
our National Institute of Health,” explains Lehrer. “Such institutes represent the core of Germany’s R&D.” Lehrer cites the
“staggering” decline of Nobel Prize winners from German universities over the past 100 years, particularly since the 1950s,
Lehrer blames this trend on the German government’s drive to
standardize education after WWII.
“They kept passing laws to ensure that all German universities were doing exactly the same thing in exactly the same way,”
says Lehrer. This differs from the model in the US where there
is some harmonization between universities, as conducted by
the universities themselves—not by the state.
The result is a serious lack of competition in the university
system, between both professors for wages as well as universities
themselves for students or for research grants. Not to mention a
general lack of business acumen that doesn’t bode well for commercializing new technologies.

American venture capitalists, many of whom came to
Germany in search of emerging technologies, soon left after
they realized that these scientists didn’t know a balance sheet
from a bed sheet.
“These VCs ran into a bunch of scientists asking for money who
couldn’t even do a business plan and knew nothing about how
to file a patent,” says Lehrer. “They were so used to just getting

“There is simply no substitute for the
university system in driving innovation into the
economy, particularly when it comes to
developing new industries.”
money and not competing for it that they had no clue what to do.
I guess you could say that they were all brains and no business.”
But not here. “The business culture in America is so porous,” he
explains. “It permeates everything including the university systems, especially because they are run a little like firms.” Crucial
to keeping this competitive edge over other university systems
according to Lehrer is the fact that the university systems in
the US are funded by both private and public money, unlike in
Germany where the whole R&D system became public.
“This mixture of financing modes is crucial to keeping the
university system in the center of innovative developments,”
explains Lehrer. “It’s what keeps our university system strong.”

Suffolk Succeeds
No where is the strength of the American university system
more represented than at Suffolk University, says Lehrer.
“Suffolk is a great example of being able to succeed in the way
that a German university cannot—specialization,” says Lehrer.
A by-product of competition, Lehrer believes that specialization
is the most important contributor to innovation. “It is the key
to our system here in America, which has been so successful,”
he says. Without it, the university will fail to take center stage
in the development of new industries. This is what happened in
the German case. And it’s a lesson we need to remember.”
Lehrer believes that Suffolk’s uniqueness lies in its location,
and the way in which it leverages that. Not a national university,
it’s a regional and an international university, he notes, made up
of mostly Boston kids and international students. “It’s a very
unique business model,” he says. “It offers the best of Boston,
America and the world.”2
Mark Lehrer is Associate Professor of Management. He earned
his PhD in Strategic Management from INSEAD, France. His
research and teaching areas include strategic management,
innovation and technology and the international management of R&D. Mark is widely published and is a member of
the Educator’s Advisory Board for the Wall Street Journal

Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

23

FACULTY PERSPECTIVE

Public Management
Professors
Douglas Snow and
Jerry Gianakis
provide a much needed
forecast on the use of
“rainy day” funds.
Douglas Snow
Associate Professor of Public Management
dsnow@suffolk.edu

Financial storm clouds
on the horizon.

Doug received his PhD from Northern Illinois
University. His areas of interest include tax policy,
public budgeting and financial management.

unds : nd
ay F pe
iny D
Ra
or To S
o Save
T

When it rains, it pours – from one
end of the Commonwealth to another.
Unable to raise property taxes, local
governments in Massachusetts are
using rainy day funds in increasingly
innovative ways to protect against an
economic torrent.
“They store revenue against a rainy day,”
explains Snow, who worked as a Fiscal
Analyst for the Utah State Legislature
before coming to Suffolk.

Jerry Gianakis
Associate Professor of Public Management
ggianaki@suffolk.edu
Jerry received his PhD from Florida State University. His
interests include: quantitative analysis, public budgeting,
and the administration of public services.

24 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

FACULTY PERSPECTIVE
“These funds were implemented in Massachusetts after the passing of Proposition 2 ½, which set a limit on the increase of
property taxes to 2.5% per year.”
Compared to taxes like sales tax and income tax, property
taxes are less “elastic” to the economy, meaning that they are
more stable and less subject to the ups and downs of the market
cycle.
“At the time, property taxes in the state were the highest in
the nation,” says Gianakis, a Massachusetts native who earned
his budgeting stripes down south as a Budget Director for St.
Petersburg, Florida.
“Proposition 2 ½ brought Massachusetts in line with the
county in the short run, but it left cities unable to raise property taxes to compensate for a reduction in state aid during a
recession. Rainy funds have since tried to fill the void.”

It Takes a Village …
Despite all literature which claimed these funds won’t grow
very large because tax payers will generally vote to get their
money back, the dynamic duo’s findings showed different.
“We were surprised to find that local governments had such
substantial rainy day funds,” says Snow. “It was also surprising
to see that they don’t just think of these funds purely as a tool
to deal with a lack of state aid. They have become embedded
in the financial management culture. They aren’t just being
peddled away at the first signs of financial stress.”
Snow cites his own town of Chelmsford as an example. “The
town faced a $3 million deficit last year and still voted to put
$1 million into the rainy day fund,” he says, adding that it
takes only a majority vote to put money into the fund, but a
two-thirds majority to take it out –a structure that shows these
towns are serious about saving cash.
Yet the biggest surprise in their findings was the idiosyncratic
way in which local governments saved or spent their rainy day
funds.
“We couldn’t find any determinant variable that would tell
us how much money a city would have in its rainy day fund, or
how it would spend it,” says Gianakis.
“Socio-economic variables such as birth rate, income level,
and geographic location didn’t really tell us as much as we
expected.”
For example, while generally the poorer the city – and therefore the more dependent upon state aid – the smaller the fund,
very wealthy communities also had only a few bucks set aside
for a rainy day.
“These communities feel that they have a political support
for increases in the property tax, and overriding Proposition 2
½,”Gianakis explains. Such an “override” must be approved by
a majority of the voters in a referendum.
This idiosyncrasy, according to Gianakis, is a product of the
state’s history of localism.

“Massachusetts is a highly localized state,” he says. “People
really identify with their communities. There can be two different towns right next door to one another with two vastly
different political histories and cultures.”
This differs from many states, he explains, where political
culture doesn’t change much from city to city, and can easily
be summarized at the state level. Further attesting to this spirit
of localism is fact that out of the 43 states that have rainy day
funds, only Massachusetts is one of the few that allow local
governments to establish them.
A potential downside of this ethos of localism, however, is
that cities don’t tend to share resources and services.
“You see more regionalism in other states with special districts,
as well as governmental mechanisms for which they can share
resources among local governments,” says Gianakis. “But not
here. Cities here want to do things their own way, which means
that they are pretty much on their own.”

A Perfect Storm?
So far, Massachusetts’ cities and towns have fared rather well
on their own, developing innovative ways to use their rainy day
funds to protect against state cutbacks.
“It seems there is a learning curve, and cities have become
more sophisticated in terms of their fiscal budgeting strategies,”
says Snow optimistically. “They are thinking more strategically,
and surprisingly long-term.”
But their innovation might not be enough. Both Gianakis
and Snow warn that the large and growing balances in rainy
day funds might signal more than just good fiscal planning.
“We think they might be preparing for a doomsday scenario,”
quips Gianakis. “There’s a perfect financial storm brewing out
there, and the towns and cities know it. Maybe only on an
unconscious level – but they know it.”
And what about just reversing Proposition 2 ½ so local governments could survive with less state aid? “We think it’s time
to give that some serious thought,” says Gianakis.

The Calm before the Storm
In the meantime, the two have teamed up for the second time
to simulate the effects of the 1991 recession on local state aid,
in order to determine if the funds are big enough to deal with a
similar crises. Massachusetts politicians should stay tuned.
“The budget represents our values translated into dollar signs,”
says Snow. “It’s a rank ordering of them. So despite what politicians say, the budget is a pretty good proxy for how they view
the world.
The professors are also talking to local financial directors
to find out more about their individual budgeting strategies.
“Our goal is to identify the best practices for how to use rainy
day funds at the local level,” says Snow. “And Massachusetts is
the best place to do it.” 2
Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

25

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS
Fellow Alumni,
My “day job” as a human resources director requires me to leverage the most
important asset of the organization—the talents of our people. As your board
president over the past two years, I’ve been able to put this experience into practice by drawing upon the strengths of my colleagues. Together, we’ve strived
to make the Alumni Association even more vibrant and our events ever more
relevant.
Case in point: September 21st, 2006, the official kickoff to Suffolk University’s
Centennial Celebration. Everyone in attendance will not soon forget the grand
procession down Tremont Street beneath hundreds of blue and gold banners, nor the Academic Convocation,
with keynote speech by former President George H.W. Bush. Following the events on the Boston Common,
Sawyer Business School alumni and friends gathered for a reception at 73 Tremont, the iconic, newlyacquired Suffolk University building.
For your alumni association, the centennial has been all about rekindling and maintaining connections.
With such a large number of graduates, it’s not always an easy goal to accomplish. We rely on you for candid
feedback and involvement. One thing I’ve discovered from my experience on the board is what a powerful
impact alumni volunteers have in steering this amazing University.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the time that I have served as board president. As my second and final term
in this capacity draws to a close, I will work with the board over the coming months to help select my successor. I’d like to thank you for your support and encourage your continued participation. Let’s make it
our mission to spread the good name of Sawyer Business School in our work, and to take advantage of this
important connection in our lives.
Sincerely,

Elaine O’Sullivan, MPA ’97
President, Alumni Board of Directors, Sawyer Business School

Sawyer Business School
Alumni Board of Directors 2007-2008

The Sawyer Business School Alumni Board of Directors includes 15 alumni representatives. Their mission is to
foster a life-long commitment between Suffolk University and its alumni by providing alumni opportunities to
engage in educational, professional, social and community service activities; and by providing the University the
special perspective and support of alumni in its life and growth.

The Sawyer Business School’s Alumni Board of Directors include:

Elaine M. O’Sullivan, MPA ’97

President of the Sawyer Business School
Alumni Board of Directors

Mark W. Haddad, MPA ’93

Vice President of the Sawyer Business School
Alumni Board of Directors

Angela Nunez, BSBA ’82,
MBA ’87, APC ’96

Clerk of the Sawyer Business School
Alumni Board of Directors

26 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

Edward J. Bradley, Jr., BSBA ’57
Richard R. Duchesneau, BSBA ’69
Maureen V. Feeney, BA ’75, MPA ’76
Irene B. Fitzgerald, BSBA ’91, MS ’93
Dianne L. Grattan, MBA ’02
Robert H. Jones, BSBA ’72
Richard E. Lockhart, MBA ’73
David R. Morse, MBA ’94
William A. Popeleski, Jr., MBA ’87
Rachelle P. Robin, MBA ’87
Tara L. Taylor, MBA ’00
Roger Wellington, MPA ’01

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS
Dear Alumni,
Getting to know you has been a pleasure but it hasn’t been always been
easy. With so many Sawyer Business School graduates among the Alumni
Association’s 60,000 members, my work as your new Director of Alumni
Relations has already been an exciting and inspiring challenge.
I arrived in January amidst a whirlwind of activity, including the introduction of a new look for the University’s Alumni Association. Our logo,
representing “the school on the hill in the heart of Boston,” was designed to
be an instantly-recognizable symbol of all of the exciting events offered by
the alumni association. I came here as we launched the Suffolk University
Club of Boston, extending full membership privileges to alumni at the
Downtown Harvard Club of Boston. Most significantly, I began in the
midst of this grand celebration for Suffolk University’s centennial year.
In my efforts to get to know Suffolk University and Sawyer Business School, I’ve applied my own background in executive education and alumni programs at Harvard Business School and my work at YPO, one
of the world’s leading membership organizations for global business leaders give me a starting point. I’ve
also been fortunate to be able to draw upon the expertise of Alumni Board President Elaine O’Sullivan,
MPA ’97. Elaine and her colleagues on the alumni board have clearly made enormous strides in reconnecting alumni with Sawyer Business School. Programs such as cultural learning events (this year we held four;
Brazil, China, India and Poland) and Alumni Career Breakfasts have strengthened the tie between alumni
and University.
In my brief time here, I’ve quickly discovered what you already know: that Sawyer Business School has
a history and culture unique to business education. So I’m hoping to tap into your knowledge of Suffolk
University and Sawyer Business School as well as your input. As we plan future events, I encourage your
feedback and your participation. My goal is to make the alumni association a true reflection of you, its
constituents. I look forward to getting to know you.

With Warm Regards,

Rebecca Coyne,

Director of Alumni Relations, Sawyer Business School
Email: rcoyne@suffolk.edu Tel.: 617.994.4231

BSBA Student and Alumni Networking Event

Suffolk BSBA students

Pictured left to right - Allison Nicole Britton, Katherine
Oppenheim, BSBA ’07 & John Mitchell, BSBA ’07

Pictured left to right - BSBA students: Ana Maria Duran, Javier
Garcia Negre, Patchaya Otaravana, Ester Alias, & Bailing Sun

Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

27

ALUMNI EVENTS

MS in Finance Program Hosts
EMC Executive

Pictured left to right - Assistant Professor of Finance, Khaled Amira, guest, and
Iness Aguir, MSF student

Pictured left to right - Michael Richards, Sr. Vice President, PNC Bank, Irina
Simmons, Associate Dean Shahriar Khaksari, John Walker, MSF ’02, Vice President
PNC Bank, & Mary Jane Walker, Associate Director, MS in Finance Programs

Students and alumni of the MS in Finance Programs packed the
Boston Harbor Hotel this past fall to hear from Ms. Irina Simmons,
a member of EMC Corporation’s executive team. Simmons is Senior
Vice President and Treasurer of EMC, where she has worked since
1995. With 2005 revenues of $9.7 billion and more than 27,000
employees worldwide, EMC is the world leader in products, services,
and solutions for information management and storage.
Responsible for EMC’s overall risk and liquidity management,
Simmons oversees interest rate, equity, foreign exchange, and property/casualty risk as well as the management and investment of the
company’s more than $7 billion in cash. Simmons manages EMC’s
global and investment banking relationships, including cash and debt
management and cash flow forecasting. She is also responsible for
EMC’s pension and 401K plans.
Simmons joined the MSF community for its annual networking
reception, which drew an enthusiastic and energetic crowd of over
125 people. Appropriately, she spoke at length about the importance
of the effective use of social and professional networks, commenting
on the positive impact her network has had upon her career. Guests
also heard about challenges of the technology sector and the rewards
that a career in this exciting domain can bring.
Simmons’ appearance continued a long tradition of the MSF
Programs in bringing executive speakers to networking events, giving
students and alumni an important opportunity to grow their own
networks and to hear directly from successful finance professionals.

Alumni Awards Ceremony
Road Race

Pictured left to right, Bill Fonte (BSBS ‘83, MBA ‘89) and
Coach Jim Nelson

Pictured left to right - Dean O’Neill, Alumni Achievement Award Winner Dr. Helaine Smith,
EMBA ’05, Michael Barretti, EMBA ‘82, Director, Executive Education and Life-Long
Learning, Alumni Service Award Winner Eric Bedard, EMBA ’02, and Kristin Polito, MBA ’03,
Director, Executive MBA Program

Mary and John McCulloch (BSBA ‘56)

28 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

Holly Zhang (on left, EMBA ‘01) and Dianne
Gratten (on right, MBA ‘02)

ALUMNI EVENTS
Celtics Game

Pictured top left - Erin Morrill (MPA ‘90) David
Morrill;
Bottom left - (standing) Mario Gallotto (BSBA ‘85,
EMBA ‘96), (left to right) Michael, his son, 12,
Ana, 11, Mary, mom (in back), Marissa, 7; Email:
mgallotto@hancock.com;
Top right - Julie Donato, Todd Kroner (MBA ‘06)

First Thursday Networking Events

Paul Thorton

Above top - Alumni met at the Red Sky Restaurant and Lounge during fall
1st Thursday; Bottom - Spring 1st Thursday gathering at Vintage Lounge
Above top - Paul Thorton leads the instruction; Bottom - Alumni discuss leadership

Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

29

ALUMNI PROFILE

Carla Santarpio

BSBA ’88
Co-owner, Santarpio’s Restaurant, East Boston, MA

C

arla Santarpio ’88 cherishes the close ties that have kept her East Boston
restaurant going strong for four generations “I really love working with my
family,” she said. As part owner of Santarpio’s Restaurant, Carla Santarpio,
along with her family, have maintained the restaurant’s hundred year-old
reputation for excellence by serving great food and keeping it simple (the
only items on the menu are pizza and barbecued lamb and sausage). But
simple is good, as loyal customers will attest, and it has helped Santarpio’s
remain a local landmark in Boston since 1903.
Despite plans to pursue a law degree after graduation, Santarpio had a
change of heart and decided instead to join the business, “I wanted to stay
and help my father. He made the business what it is today,” she said. This
decision worked out well for Santarpio, who enjoys the flexible hours and the
chance to spend time with her children.
The management classes Santarpio took at Suffolk taught her lessons that
would later help her inject new life in the business.
In 1991, she created more efficient ways to handle the seemingly endless
amount of paperwork. The time savings was so remarkable, she began opening the restaurant earlier in the day to take advantage of the lunch crowd.
“Lunches are now 25 percent of our business,” Santarpio said.
When she is not helping her relatives make an average of 300 pizzas a day,
Santarpio enjoys spending time with her children, working out at the gym,
skiing, or taking time to relax in Florida. She currently lives with her family
in Marblehead.

General Management positions (EVP Marketing
and Sales) with consumer packaged goods and
healthcare companies including Unilever and
Carter Wallace (now Church & Dwight). He also
had a 6 year stint as VP Marketing on the Radio
side (CBS, ABC).

1950

James Meikle, BSBA,
was a guest speaker in Professor
Jonathan Frank’s class in February to
give students insights on his forty year
career in the information systems field.
He retired as VP of Commonwealth GA
(now NSTAR) in 1988.

1961

Stuart Taylor, BSBA, is celebrating retirement!
After working in accounting until 1967, he served
the Baptist ministry from 1967 until 2006
(20 of those years in Canada).
1969

Frank M. Falcette, BSBA, MBA ’69 is Assistant
Vice President for Educational Affairs at Georgia
Perimeter College.

1973

Van Juliani, MBA, is calling it quits after 12
years of service on the Board of Selectmen.
Gary Karelis, MBA, owns an investment and
property management company in Newburyport
where he lives with his wife and two children.
1970

Doug McDermond BSBA was promoted to
Director of Management Services at the Floridabased American Management Services.
1971

Stephen H. Friedman, MBA, is currently
consulting with small-mid size health care
companies and their advertising agencies. He
spent 30 years in executive Marketing and

30 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

John J. O’Connor, BSBA, was vice chairman
of services for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and
served as partner at the firm for 24 years until
he was announced to the board of directors of
Aspect Medical Systems, Inc.
Ed Ryan, MBA, is senior vice president for Total
Retirement Services at Diversified Investment
Advisors, Inc.
Charles R. Shediac, BSBA, has taken the
position of Senior Vice President/Chief Loan
Officer at The Georgetown Savings Bank.

ALUMNI PROFILE

Ed Ryan

MBA ’73
Senior Vice President, Total Retirement Services
Newton, MA

A

s Senior Vice President for Total Retirement Services, Ed
Ryan, ’73 was tapped by his employer, Diversified Investments
Advisors in Newton, to bring the company to a new phase, “I
am creating a new business plan – a new structure,” Ryan said.
Specifically, Ryan was charged with growing the companies’
total retirement outsourcing business, which is a bundled service that provides clients a single view of their retirement planning (including healthcare, investments and IRA accounts for
example).
Before joining the company, Ryan had a 30-year career at
MassMutual Insurance in Springfield, where he held a variety
of positions including senior vice president of sales, and vice
president of marketing. In 1970, he earned a liberal arts degree
in math, and then an MBA from Suffolk in 1973. Although
Ryan believes his math degree taught him how to think clearly,
he credits Suffolk with preparing him for the corporate world.
“Suffolk trained me in business. I still refer to my old textbooks,” Ryan said.
Despite the 60-hour work week, or the endless hours on the road visiting clients or commuting to work, Ryan loves the job, “I like
the fact that if I do a good job, people will have more money to retire on and I like to compete against best financial institutions in
the world everyday,” Ryan said.

1979

1981

1983

Joe DeMeo, BSBA, operates a photography
business in Estero, on Florida’s West Coast,
called DeMeo with his wife Gail DeMeo.

Erik Berger, MBA, has been named general
manager of Sheraton Moana Surfrider Resort.
He has an extensive career as general manager of
the 2,265 room Walt Disney World Swan and
Dolphin Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Susan E. Cole, MPA, was certified in October
2006 as an advanced hospice administrator by
the California Association for Health Services
at Home, a national accrediting organization.
Cole has served as executive director of Seacoast
Hospice since 1997 and has extensive experience
in non-profit management.

Spencer Hanley, BSBA, is General Manager
of the Nevis Air and Sea Ports Authority.
1980

Arthur Bowes, EMBA, is presently the Senior
Vice President of Human Resources for the North
Shore Medical Center (Partners HealthCare
System) in Salem, Ma. Arthur is also a professor
in the MBA program at the University of
Massachusetts/Boston where he teaches courses
in both the Human Resources and Health
Care Specializations. Arthur’s daughter, Cheryl
Bowes, graduated from Suffolk University in
2003 and is presently enrolled in the M.S. in
Communications program at Suffolk.
Dennis DiZoglio, MPA, former Methuen
Mayor, is quitting his job as deputy director of
development for the Massachusetts Bay Transit
Authority to take the Haverhill –based Planning
Commission executive director position.

Phyllis P. Godwin, MBA, is Chairman; CEO
of her father’s company, Granite City Electric
Supply Co. Phyllis is among the South Shore’s
most successful businesswomen and was featured
The Patriot Ledger on December 2, 2006.
1982

Paula Scott Dehetre, MPA, is Workforce
Systems Manager for Virginia Governor Tim
Kaine.
Barbara Jasmain, EMBA, was invited to teach
Advanced Finance at Bentley College for the first
time last semester.

Ed Jarvis, EMBA, former Executive Director of
Entrepreneurial Studies at Suffolk and faculty
member, owns and manages Alden Rowing
Shells, LLC with his son, Ryan Jarvis MBA’03.
1984

Marvalee Brown, EMBA, recently started
working as Client Manager for Leahy Consulting
Services in Richmond, VA. Retirement was too
boring!

Charles Lenis, MBA, is vice president of
worldwide sales for Exa-Grid Systems, Inc.
Debra Taylor, MBA, is senior accounting
manager for Protein Forest, In in Waltham, MA

Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

31

ALUMNI PROFILE

Celine Ariaratnam

Global MBA ’05
Customer Marketing Manager, Coca-Cola Ltd., Toronto

W

hen Celine Ariaratnam (Global MBA 2005’) moved to
Toronto from India at age thirteen, she never dreamed she would
become a marketing executive at Coca-Cola. “In college, I was
interested in religion,”Ariaratnam said. After getting her undergraduate degree in world religions, and a masters degree in South
Asian studies both from the University of Toronto, she became
interested in the business opportunities available in some of the
countries that she studied. Not surprisingly, she was particularly
interested in India, “I wanted to focus on one (country) and really
understand it – try to specialize and better determine the opportunities,” Ariaratnam said. That decision led her to the Global MBA
program, which she touts as one of the most fulfilling and challenging experiences of her educational life, “The environment at Suffolk
was very good. We were always challenged to do well,” Ariaratnam said. In her current job as Customer Marketing
Manager at Coca-Cola Ltd. in Toronto, Ariaratnam enjoys a collaborative team environment and the opportunity
to apply the lessons she learned while in school. In between working and plotting her future as an entrepreneur,
she is very busy planning her upcoming wedding and honeymoon trip to Italy.

1985

Erin M. Gorman, MBA, is the national sales
manager for Mellon Financial’s Private Wealth
Management mortgage group. She has more
than 20 years of experience in all aspects of the
mortgage business. Prior to rejoining Mellon,
she was founder and managing principal of her
own Boston-based mortgage brokerage boutique,
specializing in the high-end marketplace.
Previously, Gorman was senior vice president with
GuardHill Financial Corporation, a New Yorkbased mortgage broker. In addition, during her
nine years with The Boston Company’s (acquired
by Mellon in 1993) jumbo mortgage division,
Gorman was consistently a top-ranked mortgage
sales producer. Mellon is among the nation’s
leading private wealth managers, with more
than 135 years’ experience in providing wealth
planning, investment management and financial
management services to financially successful
individuals, families, family offices, charitable
gift programs, entrepreneurs, professionals,
endowments and foundations. Mellon’s Private
Wealth Management group is a leader in each
of its major client segments and consistently
achieves industry-leading client satisfaction and
retention rates.

Christine Herb, BSBA, is named Executive
Vice President, Chief Information Officer for
Columbia River Bank.
1990

Michael F. McLaughlin Sr., MBA, writes
“Prof Khaksari peaked my interest in
international business when I was a graduate
student in the late 80’s. I did an analysis of how
the globalization of business and the economy
would impact my industry and what changes
would likely take place and what opportunities
might present themselves. As a result of this
analysis I founded Flagship Forest Products, Inc.
I currently serve as President & CEO. Flagship
is an importer and stocking wholesale distributor
of high-grade hardwoods from overseas. They
are the largest distributor of Indonesian and
Malaysian hardwood decking in the Northeast
US. I was well prepared to manage the amount of
and the pace of change in business because of the
training I received at Suffolk. My wife Carolyn
and I have one daughter and two sons and reside
in Hudson and Falmouth, MA.”

32 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

1993

James P. Dever, III, BSBA, is the Vice President
on the Board of Directors of Habitat for
Humanity Greater Boston, Inc, an Executive
Committee Member – Logistics Chairperson
for Autism Speaks Walk 2006, and the Branch
Manager of Rockland Trust Company.
1994

Joanie Walsh, MBA, formerly Joanie Finn,
relocated to Colorado Springs in 2003, got
married to John Walsh in 2005, and has been
working for ITT Corporation since April 2004
in the field of training and employee
development. A 1994 graduate from the MPA
program, she was Professor Dave Pfeiffer’s
graduate assistant working on a NIH grant to
evaluate the implementation of the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
1995

Maribeth Netishen, MBA, is self employed at
Mary Kay Independent Senior Sales Director.

ALUMNI PROFILE

Lou Casey

MSF ’98
CFO, Sustainable Energy Solutions, Framingham, MA

L

ou Casey ’98 spends his time helping others save their energy. Casey’s company, Sustainable Energy Solutions, provides consulting services to small and
medium sized businesses to help them track and reduce the cost of power usage,
“As the price of power goes up, it takes more of a bite out of an organization’s
budget, Casey said.”
Casey’s clients span a broad spectrum including nursing homes, health clubs,
and small industrial facilities. Recently, Casey’s company was hired by Catholic
Nuns to deliver solar electricity to the schools and hospitals they run in the
African country of Congo. Although Casey finds this project particularly
rewarding, he says it is challenging to work in remote regions of the world, “If
something goes wrong, or you just need an extension chord, there is no Home
Depot - nothing like that. It is like planning to construct things on the moon,”
Casey said.
Although trained as an electrical engineer, Casey came to Suffolk in 1996
because he wanted a career change. “I was working in nuclear power when the industry was at death’s door,”
Casey said. After finishing an MS degree in Finance at Suffolk, he realized that he could use both his engineering background and his new financial expertise to help him build his new business. Before he started his current
business, Casey also ran another startup with a partner called Telepower, which delivered telecommunication and
bundled energy to residents and small businesses. Before that, Casey was employed by various companies including Yankee Atomic Electric Company, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Stone and Webster, and Honeywell.

1996

Tina Bronkhorst, EMBA, is Vice President at
Digitas.
Denise Verrastro Iannone, MBA, had a baby
boy, Michael Cole Iannone, 1/29/2006
William Mee, MBA, and Instructor of
Information Systems and Operations
Management was recognized in April by Suffolk’s
Student Government Association as Outstanding
Faculty Member of 2006. Mee credits his Suffolk
education as the key to his success stating, “As a
Suffolk MBA I was given models and skills that
I use everyday in the classroom. A few models
that I use today are: “The Model for Teaching
Excellence” by Professor Morris McInnes,
“Communications Skills” by Professor Suzyn
Ornstein, “Technology Skills” by Professor
Jonathan Frank, and “Strategic Vision” by
Professor Bob DeFillipi.
1997

Eric Kinsherf, MBA, recently obtained the
designation of Certified Public Accountant from
the MA Board of Public Accountancy. He has
been working for the firm of Thevenin, Lynch,
Bienvenue LLP, Certified Public Accountants
since September 2005. He transitioned to this

job from his previous position as Finance Director
for the Town of Braintree.

1999

Julie Moss, EMBA, takes the position of
associate vice president and financial adviser with
Morgan Stanley.

Karen E. Rothwell, MBA, is currently a
Director with Outward Insights, a consulting
firm specializing in strategy and competitive
intelligence.

1998

2000

Caleb DesRosiers, BA ’94, MPA ’98, JD ’98
married Dr. Christina Elaine Harris in San
Diego, CA. Caleb is director of pubic policy
at Roche Pharmaceuticals in New Jersey. He
is also on the boards of the Massachusetts
Association for Mental Health, a private nonprofit
organization that develops community-based
education, healthcare and mental services for
children and adults; and Central Boston Elder
Services, which provides services to low-income
elderly people.

Brian Phillips, BSBA, is a wedding
photographer whose work is currently featured in
the latest issue of Wedding Style NE Magazine.

Carla Sbardella, MBA, was recently appointed
Director of Medical Management at Network
Health.
Karen E. Rothwell, MBA, is currently a
Director with Outward Insights, a consulting
firm specializing in strategy and competitive
intelligence.

Doug Hirsch, EMBA, moved to Los Angeles,
and is once again herding cats for his old
employer, BBN. He bought a house down in San
Pedro, blocks from the beach.

2001

Michael Bell, EMBA, in January 2007 was
elected President of the Environmental Bankers
Association (EBA). The EBA is a non-profit trade
association that represents the financial services
industry, including bank and non-bank financial
institutions, insurers, asset management firms and
those who provide services to them. Its members
include lending institutions, property & casualty
and life insurers, the environmental consulting
and appraisal community, and attorneys. The
(continued on pg. 34)
Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

33

ALUMNI PROFILE

Susan Cole

MPA ’82
Executive Director, Seacoast Hospice,
Exeter, New Hampshire

S

usan says that although she cannot recite her old class notes
exactly, the lessons she learned at Suffolk have stuck with her.
“Suffolk taught me that leading an organization requires an
understanding of the legal and political realities of doing your
job,” Cole said. As the Executive Director of Seacoast Hospice
in Exeter New Hampshire, the only independent non-profit
hospice in the state, Cole is responsible for providing end-oflife care to terminally ill clients and their families.
Despite the emotional challenges of hospice work, Cole says
that her job is full of joy, “When you help people focus on
living each day as fully as possible, it leaves you with a sense
that it matters what you did,” she said. Cole recently opened
the Hyder Family Hospice House in Dover, N.H., a 14-bed
facility that is the largest of its kind in the state.
A resident of York, Maine, Cole earned a BS in Criminal
Justice from Northeastern University in 1978, and then a
Masters of Public Administration from Suffolk in 1982. Since that time, she has had a variety of experiences working in human service agencies including the department of social services and the Y.W.C.A. In 1985, Cole was made
Executive Director of a rape crisis center in Portland Maine, and then ran a small hospice before taking her current
position at Seacoast in 1991.

EBA was established in 1994 in response to
heightened sensitivity to environmental risk
issues, and the need for environmental risk
management and due diligence policies and
procedures in financial institutions. Their web
link is http://www.envirobank.org/index.php.
Chet Cekala, MBA, left his job at Gillette
and became the Chief Intellectual Property
Counsel at Teradyne. Teradyne (NYSE:TER) is
a leading supplier of Automatic Test Equipment
used to test complex electronics used in the
consumer electronics, automotive, computing,
telecommunications, and aerospace and defense
industries.
Mark S. Ducker, MSPM, became the Executive
Director of the Carbon County Economic
Development Corporation in Carbon County,
Wyoming (based in Rawlins, WY) in October
of 2007. The mission of the Carbon County
Economic Development Corporation is to
improve and promote the economic viability of
Carbon County by assisting existing businesses in

their efforts to grow, facilitate the development of
infrastructure throughout the county to enhance
the ability to expand local businesses and recruit
new business into the county, assess the demand
for affordable workforce housing to attract
developers and builders to create new housing
opportunities, and to develop improved industrial
sites which are affordable and attractive to new
and expanding businesses. Mr. Ducker’s primary
responsibilities will be to assess the economic
needs of residents and organizations throughout
Carbon County and be the intermediary to
communicate those needs to partners in industry,
local and county government, and the Wyoming
Business Council.
Sajid Riaz, MSF, completed three years at Ernst
& Young’s at corporate finance practice in the
Middle East, a year and half ago (Nov 2005)
he moved to FALCOM Financial Services as a
Director of Equity Capital Markets (a part of
the Investment Banking Group). FALCOM is a
newly established investment bank based in Saudi

34 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

Arabia; it is the largest investment bank in the
country (out of the 15-20 licensed up till now).
They have recently launched operations in Saudi
Arabia and the plan is to have a presence across all
Arabian Gulf countries within the next 3-5 years.
2002

Nadine Armstrong, MSF was promoted to Vice
President/Wealth Manager at US Trust Company
in Vero Beach, FL.
John Dugger, EMBA has been selected Chair of
the Gloucester Housing Coalition.
Damon Gregoire, MBA ’02 has been appointed
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of 3D
Systems Corporations, a leading provider of 3-D
modeling, rapid prototyping and manufacturing
solutions. In a press release, Abe Reichental,
President and CEO of 3D Systems Corporations,
says, “…throughout his impressive career, Damon
has built strong financial operations’ teams and
amassed significant experience with corporate
governance and controls, debt and equity markets

ALUMNI PROFILE

Dr. Danyi Wen

EMBA ’04
Scientist II, Biogen IDEC, Cambridge, MA

W

hether she is gliding across the floor in a ballroom dance competition,
or networking with other scientists in her field of pharmaceutical development, Dr. Danyi Wen knows how to work a room. Wen’s leading edge
research in biomarkers, substances in the body that may contribute to the
early detection of cancer, is well known among her peers, and has led to
numerous publications in medical journals. A native of Chestnut Hill, Wen
is currently employed by Biogen-Idec, where she is continuing her research
toward new drug discovery.
Before completing her MBA at Suffolk in 2004, Wen earned an M.S.
in Biochemistry and Pathology from the Peking Union Medical College,
and an M.D. degree from the Fourth Military Medical University in Xian,
China. After coming to the U.S. in 1991, she joined the faculty at Harvard
Medical School as an instructor, and was then employed by Millenium
Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge. While Wen was at Millenium, a drug for
rheumatoid arthritis was brought to clinical trials because of an article that
she published. In 2003, Millenium officially recognized Wen for her outstanding contributions to the field.
Because she wanted to learn more about the business side of the pharmaceutical industry, and needed a flexible class schedule to do so, Wen enrolled
in Suffolk’s Executive MBA program in 2002. She remembers that the program taught her to see the big picture of
business in a global arena, “Suffolk gave me a skill set for managing (my) company’s international initiative,” Wen
said.
Research is among Wen’s many passions in life along with ballroom dancing and gathering with old friends from
Suffolk, which she does faithfully once a month.

and financial reporting. His demonstrated leadership and strategic skills in
financial matters with multinational public and private companies and his
significant financial systems implementations experience are exactly what
3D Systems needs to support the execution of our business strategy and to
provide the highest degree of integrity in our financial reporting.”
2004

Lindsay Adams, BSBA, recently switched jobs. She was working at Product
Ventures, a product design company as a marketing insights executive
and is now working at Millward Brown, an advertising, branding, and
communications marketing research company (Part of WPP), as a research
executive, in Fairfield, CT.
Greg Belkin, MBA, is product marketing manager of SeaTab Software,
Inc. He joins SeaTab from analyst firm The Aberdeen Group, adding
additional market insight and understanding of the Business Intelligence
industry to the company
Karmle L Conrad, MHA, has just signed on with Impact, Inc. The
company is an international Financial Advising & Planning Group
which assists clients with increasing their family’s Net Worth through the
strategies used by Donald Trump & Robert Kiyosaki.
Mary Alice Holmes, MSPM, is Business Manager of the Emmy-winning
program, RX for Survival, produced by WGBH.

Diane Berry Hrenko, MBA, is business manager of the University of
Massachusetts Medical Associates.
Paul Louie, MBA, and wife Ling are happy to announce that their
newborns arrived on Dec 15, 2006. Their names are Paige and Ethan Louie.
Katerina Papp, MBA, has been promoted to an Assistant Vice President in
Commercial Banking Division of Eastern Bank.
Eulvid Rocque, BSBA & MPA’06, former Suffolk University employee is
now Senior Budget Analyst at Georgetown University.
Ben Shamir, MPA, is the National Regional Director of the American
Associates of Ben-Gurion University.
Julio E. Vaca, MBA, joined online video search startup PodZinger.com in
February 2006 as Senior Product Manager. Son, Michael David, turned 1
on January 31st.
Sara Wingerath, MPA, is now working for Tuesday’s Children, a not for
profit family services agency dedicated to supporting the families directly
affected by 9/11/01. Her job as Mentor Coordinator for the Hudson Valley,
West Point and Long Island areas in NY allows her to run programs for
children who lost parents and match them with caring adult role models in
their area.
Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine

35

ALUMNI PROFILE

Chris Bogdanovitch

MHA ’05
Senior Therapeutic Specialty Representative, Pfizer Inc.
Cambridge, MA

A

t the Killington School for Tennis, where Chris Bogdanovitch worked
while in college, he used to teach physicians how to improve their game.
His students said he was a natural, but they were not necessarily talking
about tennis, “They said I should get into the pharmaceutical field because
I felt comfortable talking to doctors,” Bogdanovitch said.
As a Senior Therapeutic Specialty Representative at Pfizer, Bogdanovitch
now educates doctors on prescription medication, specifically urological
and respiratory drugs like Viagra, and Detrol La, a medication that helps
people quit smoking. Bogdanovitch also lobbies Congress to influence
healthcare policies, like those that help drug companies provide medication to the uninsured.
After earning his BA from St. Joseph’s College in Rutland, Vermont
in 1991, Bogdanovitch began working for Pfizer in New York as a sales
rep. He was soon moved up the ranks and was tapped for a hospital rep
position in Boston. Bogdanovitch later took on a coaching role, mentoring and training new sales representatives, and was then put in charge of
designing a Sales Position for a new division of Pfizer in 2004.
Bogdanovitch credits Suffolk, particularly professor Rick Greg, for teaching him many useful lessons about strategic
planning “He helped me to look at things from a mile high view – to have a broader perspective on the industry,”
Bogdanovitch said.
Bogdanovitch earned a Masters Degree in Healthcare Administration from Suffolk in 2005 and has been an active
alumni since graduation. He currently lives in Boston with his wife Jennifer and daughters Sophia and Eva, and he
still enjoys tennis.

2005

2006

Sheila Constantino, BSBA, was married on Sheila Constantino,
BSBA, was married on October 21, 2006 and is now Sheila Constantino
Magovern.

Jennifer T. Cheney, MHA is Operations Manager for Massachusetts
General Hospital.

Inna Podshivalova, BSBA, works for travel company ACIS as a Tour
Consultant, travels constantly all over Europe and absolutely loves it. She
is hoping to open her own Spa in the future and is learning about that
industry by attending spa trade shows and conventions.
Helaine Smith, EMBA, is a dentist at American Academy of Cosmetic
Dentistry (AACD) and a volunteer for AACD’s Give Back a Smile (GBAS)
program. She recently restored the smile of a survivor of domestic abuse,
who had four chipped and broken front teeth.
James Wheeler, MSF, moved to Chicago in August 2006 and began the
full-time combined JD/MBA program at Northwestern University, which
takes three years to complete. The first year is entirely at Northwestern
University School of Law, and he currently is in the second semester. This
summer he will begin taking classes at Kellogg School of Management, and
will be a full-time first-year student there beginning in the fall.

36 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

Rebecca Frechette, BSBA has been selected to participate in the Miss
Massachusetts USA Pageant, being held at the Marriott Hotel in Quincy.
The winner will represent our state in the nationally televised MISS USA
PAGEANT IN 2007. The most exciting state prize of all is an all expense
paid trip to the National MISS USA Pageant, where she will compete for
the prestigious title of MISS USA and an extraordinary prize package and
the opportunity to fulfill a personal goal.
Kimberly Le, BSBA, received the MSCPA Firm Scholarship sponsored by
the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.

DONOR PROFILE
Find out how you can help future generations
of Suffolk alumni. Contact Charlotte Sobe,
Director of Planned Giving, at (617) 573-8441
or e-mail: CSobe@Suffolk.edu

Arnold Goldstein MBA ’66, LLM ’75 and his wife Marlene are firm believers in the value of a Suffolk
education. “My MBA gave me a new perspective,” says Goldstein.
While Goldstein was studying for his MBA nights, he was busy days running his own law firm. “I got my license to practice law in ’64
and hung out my shingle and I have never stopped,” he says. Goldstein was convinced a business degree was tantamount to better
serving his clients and maintaining a successful law practice. As it turns out, he was right.
To say Goldstein is a renaissance man seems an understatement. In addition to his more than 40 years of legal experience in asset protection and wealth preservation planning, Goldstein is a distinguished professor at Lynn University in Florida and a frequent
guest-lecturer at the New England School of Law. When he’s not practicing law or teaching, he’s busy writing and consulting. He has
authored over 100 books on asset protection, offshore trusts, tax resolution, and related topics.
The Goldstein’s have recently made a provision in their will to benefit Suffolk through a $1 million bequest. In addition
to their generous philanthropy, Arnold Goldstein also shares his time as a volunteer on Suffolk’s Board of Visitors and is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Business School. “I think Suffolk has done amazing things in the past few years,” says
Goldstein. “I’m very proud of it.”

Spring 2007 ~ Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine
GIVING TO SUFFOLK

37

Calendar of Events 2007-2008

June 2007
Friday, June 1
Alumni Reunion Weekend
6:00-8:00pm Welcome Reception
Cabot-Cahners Room, Symphony Hall
301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston
34th Annual
Suffolk Night at the POPS!
8:00-10:00pm Symphony Hall
301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston
Reception & floor seats: $100 per person
Reception & first floor balcony seats:
$75/person
Contact: Rebecca Coyne,
617.994.4231 or rcoyne@suffolk.edu

July 2007
Sunday, July 22
12:30pm Pre-game lunch & party
Who’s on First, Yawkey Way
2:05pm Boston Red Sox vs.
Chicago White Sox
Right Field Grandstand, Fenway Park
Lunch & Game Ticket: $50/person
Lunch one: $20/person
Contact: Rebecca Coyne,
617.994.4231 or rcoyne@suffolk.edu

August 2007
Thursday, August 2
11:30am Pre-game lunch & party
Who’s On First, Yawkey Way, Boston
1:05pm Boston Red Sox vs.
Baltimore Orioles
Right Field Grandstand, Fenway Park
Lunch & Game Ticket: $50/person
Lunch one: $20/person

Sunday, August 19
3:30pm Lunch Buffet
Gator Pit/LeLacheur Park, Lowell
5:00pm Lowell Spinners vs.
Vermont Lake Monsters
LeLacheur Park, 450 Aiken Street, Lowell
Lunch & Game Ticket: $25/person
The Lowell Spinners are the Class A
affiliate and tickets will be distributed
on a first come, first served bases.

September 2007
Sunday, September 9
4th Annual Executive MBA
Family Clambake
Steep Hill Beach on the Crane Estate
Ipswich, MA
Contact: Priscilla Rosati,
617.573.8660 or prosati@suffolk.edu

Sunday, September 16
9th Annual 5K Road Race and
Family Walk
Hatch Memorial Shell
Storrow Drive, Boston, MA
Contact: Rebecca Coyne,
617.994.4231 or rcoyne@suffolk.edu

October 2007
Friday, October 19
MBA Networking Reception
for MBA Alumni & Current MBA
Students
7:45pm, Omni Parker House Hotel
60 School Street, Boston
Contact: Rebecca Coyne,
617.994.4231 or rcoyne@suffolk.edu

Contact: Rebecca Coyne,
617.994.4231 or rcoyne@suffolk.edu

Sunday, August 12
2:30pm Mozart & Haydn
Boston Symphony Orchestra/
Tanglewood
Mozart, Overture to The Marriage of Figaro
Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat,
K.271, Jeunehomme,
Haydn, Mass in Time of War
4:30pm Reception in Highwood Manor
Performance and Reception: $50/person
Performance, round trip coach transportation from Boston Area, boxed lunch en
route, reception: $75/person
Contact: Rebecca Coyne,
617.994.4231 or rcoyne@suffolk.edu
38 Suffolk Business Alumni Magazine ~ Spring 2007

8 Ashburton Place
Boston, Massachusetts
02108-2770

To Be Announced
MSF Networking Reception
for MSF Alumni & Current MSF
Students
Contact: Mary Jane Walker,
617.573.8044 or mwalker@suffolk.edu
To Be Announced
Doing Business Lecture Series
5:00pm – 8:00pm
Contact: Teri Malionek
tmalione@suffolk.edu

November 2007
Friday, November 2
2nd Annual New Product
Innovation Award Ceremony
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Contact: Professor Sushil Bhatia
sbhatia@suffolk.edu

December 2007
Saturday, December 1
5th Annual Alumni Bus Trip to
New York City
Contact: Rebecca Coyne,
617.994.4231 or rcoyne@suffolk.edu

January 2008
SAVE THE DATE:
Thursday, January 24
Doing Business in China and
Chinese New Year Celebration
5:00pm – 8:00pm