The Vanguard » Professor Profile

Professor Profile: Karen Osterheld

gavanguard — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:00:21 +0000

By Sindhu Palaniappan

I had the opportunity to sit down with Professor Karen Osterheld this week to learn more about her and her time here at Bentley.

Tell us about yourself.

“I have a husband who is a CPA and an artist daughter. She made this ring, and this necklace!” she said, pointing excitedly at what appeared to be a professionally made pendant around her neck. “I like to travel – the last place I went to was Florida, to see my dad. The last international trip I took was to Buenos Aires.” After pushing her about accolades from Bentley, she pointed to a Falcon Award on her desk, which she received when she was named Faculty Member of the Year. Prior to this, she was also named Advisor of the Year.

Where were you before Bentley?

“I came out of graduate school and went into public accounting at Arthur Young, before moving to Analog Devices, where I basically worked on their accounting policy manual, and then I went to The Ohio State University for a doctoral program because I wanted to become a professor – but after a year I went back to the corporate world,” she said. Osterheld had worked in the financial services industry right before making the switch to Bentley.

How long have you been here at this school?

“Well, I’m going to my 20th anniversary service dinner next week,” she said. Osterheld came here originally as a full-time lecturer after working in corporate America. Over time, she took on the accounting internship program, now serving as a key link between students and different recruiters at major name companies in the country. “It entails spending a lot of time building relationships with companies, and being aware of their needs and the students’ abilities. I love helping students think about specific areas to work in, making calls and finding out more about firms for the students,” she said. She also recently became the coordinator of the GB 112 course. She jokes about working “ten times as much” now, as opposed to her earlier years at Bentley.

Why Bentley over another school?

“I was talking to a colleague from Ernst & Young who knew a department chair at Bentley 20 years ago. I had taught as an adjunct, and he made the connection, and I never needed to go any further,” said Osterheld.

What’s your favorite course to teach?

“I can’t tell you my favorite – but I can tell you what I teach,” she said with a laugh. GB 112, Tools and Concepts in Accounting and Finance, is taught to freshmen, and as the course coordinator it’s easy to say that Osterheld has put a lot of hard work into this course. The switch from 201 and 202 to 112 and 212 includes two big changes – moving it to the freshman year and adding finance to an originally purely accounting class. Freshmen at business schools around the country aren’t getting the advantage that 112 and 212 provide the freshmen with here.

“They’re a strong class of students that can handle this material early on, and I think it’s been a great change,” said Osterheld. “It will help students secure internships and take major classes early on.”

The other course she teaches is ID 306, The Role of Community Service in a For-Profit Organization. In this course, students come back to school one week early in the fall for an externship with various companies in order to learn about corporate social responsibility. They then engage in a Service Learning project and teach ethics and responsibility at a local high school.

What are your best and worst parts of teaching?

“My favorite part is the interaction with the students – I just really like teaching and I like helping them shape their career paths. Worst? Oh, that’s easy: Grading,” she said.

Professor Profile: Jeff Stern

gavanguard — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 12:00:41 +0000

Written By: Angela Diaco

Media and Culture, at Bentley? Yes, it exists, and it boasts some of the most underrated professors on campus. Jeff Stern, who teaches Introduction to Video Production and Producing Media, agreed to chat with The Vanguard’s Professor Profile.

Angela Diaco: Where are you from?
Jeff Stern: I grew up in Ohio and moved around quite a bit. I’ve lived in Pittsburg, New Jersey, Olympia, Washington and now I’m here.

AD: Where did you get your degree?
JS: I got a degree in English from Bucknell, and an MFA in Film Production from Boston University.

AD: Cats or dogs?
JS: Dogs.

AD: Coffee or tea?
JS: Coffee.

AD: Favorite color?
JS: Blue. But I always wear brown so I guess that, too.

AD: Childhood dream?
JS: I was going to be in advertising. I even had a portfolio! I also wanted to be a stand-up comedian.

AD: Top three favorite films?
JS: The Thin Red Line, Me and You and Everyone We Know and Simple Men.

AD: Favorite band or singer?
JS: Right now? Spoon, but it usually changes.

AD: What is your hope for Bentley?
JS: Ultimately for the Media & Culture Department to have its own building. It’s growing, and I really hope that we put Bentley on the map. We have a great media program that also focuses on the business side of the industry.

AD: Any projects you’re working on?
JS: I have a film coming out actually, called Party Like It’s a Verb, which I co-produced and starred in. I’m also working on spending as much time as I can with my son Leo, whose first birthday was August 29. For more information about PLIAV, check out partylikeitsaverb.com.

AD: What do you do in your spare time?
JS: Family is big for me. I love spending time with my son and my wife.
I sometimes play basketball and guitar, and had been watching the baseball playoffs. Acting is another pursuit of mine – I was involved in theatre in high school, and I still love to do that.
I also host Open Screen, which is a monthly “open mike night” for filmmakers at the Somerville Theatre.
Those interested can go to bostonopenscreen.com. I also manage my site, called TheGoodOldFuture.com.
AD: Where do you see yourself in five years?
JS: Still teaching. Next semester I’m teaching a new course called Introduction to Directing which is an advanced course in film, so I want that to take off.
I also want to put out some successful films, which I’m almost always working on – I have Party Like It’s a Verb and a ton of short films.
I want to try out a few music videos, and I’d look forward to doing more film projects.
Most recently, I did the 48-hour film project where my team was given a prop, genre and character for a movie to be made in two days.
That was a lot of fun, and I’d encourage any other up and coming filmmakers to try it out
The new course is an “Advanced Production course in Directing.” I have recently made two music videos, and one was for the record label Asthmatic Kitty (the band is the Castanets).
Here is a link to the video: vimeo.com/6487776.

Professor Profile: Alicia Amaral

gavanguard — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 21:00:52 +0000

Written by: Derek Smith

When it comes to being busy, Professor Alicia Amaral definitely fits the bill.

She is a new professor here at Bentley University, and she teaches two sections of GB-112, Tools and Concepts in Accounting and Finance.

In addition to teaching here as well as at Tufts University, Professor Amaral is also the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group of Reading, MA.

While this is Amaral’s first semester teaching at Bentley, she is definitely not new to the campus since she is also an alumna.

“I always loved Bentley as a student, and I always wanted to teach here,” stated Amaral.

When she was offered a position here she was thrilled and began trying to fit teaching here into her already busy schedule.

“So far I love the support that I get from the faculty, and it is also my first time teaching freshmen classes and I am really enjoying it,” she said.

GB-112 is a newer class taken by mostly freshmen. The course was created in part by Ernst & Young, and it focuses on the many important concepts in accounting and finance.

“It is a great class and I wish that I had the chance to take a class like this when I was an undergraduate student,” said Amaral.

Amaral teaches here on campus on Tuesdays and Fridays.

When she is not at Bentley, she can also be found at Tufts University in Medford where she teaches graduate students on evenings and weekends.

At Tufts, Amaral manages the Master of Science and Engineering Management program.

This program is for Engineering students who want to learn more about the business aspect.

This may already seem like an overwhelming workload for most people, but Amaral still has her important responsibility as a CFO.

Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group is a business that does benefit administration for 401K plans and health insurance, as well as wealth management.

“I really like the real-world aspect at Sentinel,” commented Amaral.

“It gives me the experience that I need to teach my students.” Amaral has worked at Sentinel for the past three years, and when the opportunity to teach at Bentley presented itself she discussed some options with her supervisor.

Amaral now works part-time as the CFO so that she can fulfill her passion for teaching both here and at Tufts University.

Teaching both at Bentley University and at Tufts University while maintaining her position as a CFO at the same time definitely takes up a lot of her free time.

However, when she is not working she enjoys activities such as yoga, hiking, and being in the outdoors.

Amaral also really enjoys traveling. She recently took a trip to South Africa where she visited her daughter.

It’s quite a delicate balance to be able to do so much, but Amaral does it impressively well.

Professor Profile: John Tommasi

Staff — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:02:27 +0000

Written by: Sindhu Palaniappan

Name:
John Richard Tommasi

What field does he teach?
Mainly economics, for freshmen through seniors. He also used to teach GB 101 until the curriculum changed.

Why did he choose teaching?
Because it’s really fun and he genuinely enjoys it. He even tells his students than when he “gets up in the morning, [he] looks forward to going to work. That means it’s not work.” Tommasi started teaching part time in 1981, while working as a full time cop in Salem, NH.
He retired in 2003 and switched to being a full time professor here at Bentley.

Why Bentley?
Tommasi taught at four different colleges, including UNH, his alma mater, but chose to stick with Bentley for a few reasons. The facilities, the other teachers and faculty, and especially the students, he stressed, make Bentley different from the other schools. He really feels like he can have a “one-on-one basis” with students here, something rare at a university.

Something interesting about his past?
The wildest answer received so far: Tommasi used to be an undercover cop who specialized in busting drug deals. He was assigned to the state for two years. He was also a pilot, and he owned a flight school and a charter business. He integrated the two by making his undercover cop persona a pilot. Slightly different than the average university professor.

Where did he do his undergraduate and graduate school work?
Both were done at the University of New Hampshire. Tommasi also worked at UNH for some time before coming to Bentley.

Best part of teaching?
“The interaction with the students and the fact that [he teaches] freshmen through seniors,” he said. He gets to see students up until graduation, something he has never missed during his time here, so expect to see him there this year and for the years to follow!

Worst part of teaching?
The 45-mile commute from New Hampshire, but luckily his classes are around noon time. He does bring an extra set of clothes, though, because of the unpredictable snow. “The couches are really comfortable,” he says, humorously joking about sleeping over at Bentley.

Professor Profile: David Carhart

Staff — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:00:59 +0000

Written by: Sindhu Palaniappan

As I walked into his office on Thursday morning, Professor David Carhart was having a discussion with two students about Bentley being changed from a college to a university.

One student stayed for math help, and I had the pleasure of witnessing Carhart’s eyes light up when the student experienced a moment of clarity regarding a graphing problem. Needless to say, he’s quite the educator.

Why teaching?

“I really enjoy the learning process – learning for learning’s sake,” Carhart said with a smile. When he became a teaching assistant, he discovered his love for the profession, and paired with the good feedback he received, his calling seemed clear. He also took a moment to gush about how flexible his hours are. He has to put in a certain amount of work, but he loves that he can choose when to do it. This always allowed him to “be home in time for the school bus,” as he quaintly put it. “Why leave?” I love being a student all my life,” he concluded. Otherwise, he would have been an actuary. Wise decision.

Why Bentley?

As an undergraduate student of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a graduate student of George Washington University, Carhart is used to big cities. He initially flew to Massachusetts to explore opportunities of teaching at Suffolk, but hesitated when he saw its big city location. A friend suggested that he try Bentley, to which he responded, “What’s that? An accounting school?”

In January 1981, Carhart turned down five other offers and began his career here because he was genuinely “impressed with the people, facilities, and overall lifestyle.”

Almost thirty years later, he looks back and laughs in agreement with his choice. “You’ll notice one thing,” he said. “The Bentley faculty members are all getting older because they all love it here, and want to stay,” he finished.

Tell us about your family.

Carhart is married with one daughter, Jennifer. She was a chemistry major at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and is now married. He told me about her as he buzzed around his office grabbing various photos of her, both past and present.

Back to teaching; worst part?

“Being evaluative, instead of developmental,” said Carhart. With firm resolution, he expanded upon this, saying that he would like to be purely developmental by encouraging students as opposed to labeling them with grades and scores.

Best part of teaching?

“The interaction with the students and the faculty alike,” Carhart said. He makes it clear that being a professor is like no other career in the world because the day-to-day interaction with the students and the faculty is incomparable.

Finally, will you ever tire of teaching?

“No, the motor runs on fourth gear!” Carhart responded enthusiastically. He never expects to stop because “teaching is too much fun.” He makes it clear that “Bentley really is a good place,” and that he never wants to leave.

When I left his office, the clock read 11:15 a.m., the end of his office hours. As I walked out, two students walked in with textbooks, and Carhart welcomed them into his office, not phased by the time and ready for a few more lessons.
TV shows go over well with Bentley, and I expect it to be pretty full,” said Penley.

The 40-year-old Friedlander has been pursuing standup for 18-years, and according to Punchline Magazine, he “effectively works the crowd with his laugh-out-loud-worthy retorts.”

According to his biography, Friedlander is “a great athlete, gets tons of chicks & is a role model to children. And he’s better than you at everything.”

CAB will also be promoting this comedy show under the guidelines of the new Green Initiative that the organization is taking up.

“We won’t actually be using professional posters for this event,” said Penley. “We will be using Facebook, Twitter and also A-Frame boards around campus,“ he finished.

Aside from his work in front of the camera, Friedlander is recognized by his witty, homemade trucker hats. He makes up all the sayings on the hats, which are sold on his website and include phrases like, “Champion of the World,” “World Runner-Up,” and “Regional Semifinalist.”

In addition to hats on his website, Friedlander sells a spaceship for $10,000,000 that will, “make you cool and popular,” as well as a Judah-Bot, “a full life-size robot of Judah… Great for lying around the house and doing nothing” for $1,000,000. Friedlander also sells a nude picture of himself for $500; however, the website states, “SOLD OUT! Sorry ladies.”

During the interview, Penley spent some time looking around Judah’s website and laughed-out-loud when he saw some of the goods he was selling.

“I would imagine that anything he does in his life has some humor in it,” said Penley.

Friedlander is the second NBC comedy writer to come to Bentley in the last three comedy shows.

Past shows have included Patton Oswalt in the fall of 2009, B.J. Novak, a writer for NBC’s The Office, in the spring of 2009, and Stephen Lynch in the fall of 2008.

The show will be held in Koumantzelis Auditorium on Thursday, February 18. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show will start at 7:30 p.m.

Admission is free with a Bentley ID and five dollars without a Bentley ID.