Economics professor Edinaldo Tebaldi takes optimistic view of Rhode Island economic future

May 21st, 2009

In a report released at the New England Economic Partnership (NEEP) Spring Economic Outlook Conference held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston today, Edinaldo Tebaldi, assistant professor of economics, and Edward Mazze, distinguished University professor of business administration at the University of Rhode Island, released a report, "The Rhode Island Economic Outlook and Forecast: Can Rhode Island Afford the Future?"

The report takes an optimistic view of Rhode Island's economic future based on three fundamental assumptions:

  1. Federal stimulus money will be in the state economy by 2010.
  2. The recent foreclosure mitigation plan will help the housing market.
  3. Credit will begin flowing again, especially to small businesses and consumers.

Tebaldi is also quoted in  The Providence Journal that Rhode Island's population losses that began in 2003 have ended.

Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino tells Bryant grads to take risks

May 17th, 2009

Larry Lucchino, president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox, gave the keynote address at Bryant University's Undergraduate Commencement ceremony, held May 16.  In an interview with The Providence Journal, Lucchino said he was honored to receive a degree from Bryant, and added, "I love Rhode Island . . . . I tell everyone it's America's best-kept secret."

187 receive advanced degrees

May 16th, 2009

The Bryant University Graduate School of Business awarded 187 advanced degrees at ceremonies held on May 14.   Lisa Churchville, president and general manager of NBC 10 WJAR, gave the keynote address.

 View an archive of the Graduate School Commencement

Trade builds relationships for R.I. firms

May 16th, 2009

The Providence Business News recounts the history of World Trade Day.  The 24th annual World Trade Day will be May 21 at Bryant University.  For more information, or to register, visit www.worldtradedayri.com

The Bryant MBA One-Year Program - for new or recent college graduates

May 14th, 2009

Smithfield, R.I.  - According to a new study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers expect to hire 22 percent fewer new college grads from the Class of 2009 than they actually hired from the Class of 2008. The job hunt for newly minted college graduates is requiring additional time, patience, and flexibility.

It may be the perfect time to earn the Bryant MBA One-Year degree. This full-time, cohort-based program is specifically designed for students who have just earned their undergraduate degrees and have little or no work experience.

The Bryant MBA One-Year Program is open to all new or recent graduates, regardless of their undergraduate program of study. Prerequisites include earning a strong score on the GMAT exam and the completion of two required courses.

Bryant's program is unique because it focuses on students' career planning and includes a course on the long-term use of the MBA and real-world experience through the MBA practicum. Students learn how to think analytically, develop strategies, make smart decisions, manage finances, understand technology, and work cooperatively in a team environment - skills that benefit any career.

Getting an MBA early in your professional life makes good sense, says Kris Sullivan, assistant dean of Bryant's Graduate School of Business. "Students not only gain in-demand skills, they also get practical, hands-on business experience that sets them apart in a competitive job market," he says. "Graduates also have access to the Bryant MBA alumni network for the rest of their lives."

To find out more, attend an information session on June 10 or July 15. For more information or to register, go to www.bryant.edu/MBAone.

Tomorrow’s bosses: open and accessible

May 11th, 2009

Michael Roberto, associate professor of management, shares his insights on what makes a successful manager, in The Providence Journal.

CEO Town Hall Forum at Bryant features Alan Hassenfeld

May 8th, 2009

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Providence chapter of APICS, "The Association for Operations Management," will host a CEO Town Hall Meeting with Alan Hassenfeld of Hasbro, Inc., on Tuesday, May 19, on the Bryant University campus. The event will begin at 6 p.m. in South Dining Hall, located in the Bryant Center.

There will be a direct discussion with Hassenfeld, chairman of the Executive Committee at Hasbro Inc.and a Bryant trustee, about the economy and current conditions facing corporate officers on a global scale. The former Hasbro CEO has recently traveled through Asia and Europe, meeting with current leaders from corporations and nations.

Dinner will be included. Students and faculty can attend free-of-charge, but all guests must register online at http://www.apicsprov.org/events/100_538001.aspx?PROG=PDMG, or call (401) 223-9711 (leave contact information). Non-APICS members and the public sector will be invoiced $20 or can pay online with a credit card.

Contact: Janet Proulx at (401) 232-6120 or Prof. Sam Beldona at (401) 232-6524

Bryant to hold 146th Undergraduate Commencement on May 16. Larry Lucchino, president/CEO of the Boston Red Sox, will give keynote address.

May 6th, 2009

For information or to request digital photos of the speakers, contact: Janet Proulx (401) 232-6120 or jproulx@bryant.edu

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Bryant University will hold its 146th Undergraduate Commencement on Saturday, May 16, at 10 a.m., with 808 students expected to participate in the graduation ceremony. Graduate School Commencement will be held for 187 students on Thursday, May 14, at 5 p.m. Both ceremonies will take place in the Main Tent adjacent to the Bryant Center and will be broadcast live on the Web.

UNDERGRADUATE COMMENCEMENT, MAY 16, MAIN TENT, 10 A.M.

Lawrence Lucchino, president/CEO of the Boston Red Sox, will deliver the keynote address at Undergraduate Commencement and receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Lucchino manages the franchise on a day-to-day basis with the active involvement of, and in collaboration with, Principal Owner John W. Henry and Chairman Tom Werner. A 30-year veteran of Major League Baseball, Lucchino has served in a variety of capacities with three franchises - the Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, and Boston Red Sox. He has served in the role of president/CEO with each team, and earned a ring with every club, including two that represent World Series titles with the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007. He has been a key driver in the creation of ballparks that have transformed the venue's role in the fan experience, and influenced franchise value and place in the community at Oriole Park at Camden Yards; Petco Park in San Diego; and the successful and well-received infrastructure innovations and improvements at Fenway Park, America's Most Beloved Ballpark. Under his leadership, each franchise has also reinvigorated its philanthropy and community relations to ensure all fans feel welcome. Today, the Red Sox Foundation, which has distributed more than $30 million in grants, is the largest team charity in Major League Baseball. A Pittsburgh native, Lucchino graduated with honors from Princeton University, where he was a part of two Ivy League Championship basketball teams, and received a degree from Yale Law School. Prior to joining the Orioles in 1979, he was a partner at Williams and Connolly, a D.C.-based law firm founded by his mentor and friend, Edward Bennett Williams, and was vice president/general counsel of the Washington Redskins.

Malcom G. "Kim" Chace is chairman of BankRI, a leader among full-service banks in Rhode Island. Chace formed BankRI in 1996 with Merrill Sherman, currently president and CEO of the bank, by winning a bid on 13 Shawmut branches in Rhode Island. Chace's ancestor, Oliver Chace, founded the textile mill Berkshire in 1806 in Providence. His father, Malcolm Chace Jr., Berkshire president, oversaw the merger with Hathaway in 1955. The takeover was completed in 1965 and the last mill closed in the mid-1970s. Kim Chace serves as a director of many companies and organizations. He was a member of Bryant's Board of Trustees from 1999-2008 and served as vice chair of the Campaign Steering Committee. The Bryant University Wellness and Athletic Center is named for Elizabeth and Malcolm Chace. He has served on the boards of Women and Infants Hospital, Trinity Repertory Company, WaterFire Providence, John Hope Settlement House, Brown University, and Rhode Island School of Design, among other organizations. He earned a BA from Yale University in 1956. Chace will receive an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration.

Gretchen Dow Simpson owns and operates the Gretchen Dow Simpson Studio in Pawtucket, R.I. Simpson attended Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) from 1957-1959 and majored in painting, but, after leaving RISD, she did not take up painting again until 1970. She began her distinguished career taking photographs of buildings and worked as a freelance photographer in Boston, New York, Minneapolis, and Scranton from 1962-1970. Her first painting was purchased by The New Yorker magazine in 1974 and 58 paintings were used as covers over a 20-year period. She is best known for her distinctive views of New England architecture. Simpson is the recipient of several prestigious commissions, including assignments from Bostonian, The Atlantic Monthly, Absolut Vodka, and Kirin-Seagram Company. She has held solo shows and group exhibitions in museums and galleries across the country. Her work is held by many private collectors and within the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and TIME, Inc. in New York City, among others nationwide. A member of the Pawtucket Armory Association and the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative, she received the Pell Award in 2005. She will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

GRADUATE SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT, MAY 14, MAIN TENT, 5 P.M.

Lisa Churchville will give the keynote address at Commencement exercises for the Graduate School of Business. She is president and general manager of NBC 10 Providence/New Bedford, which won an Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in local news this year. Churchville came to NBC 10 in Providence in 1997 from WCAU-TV in Philadelphia, where she was vice president of sales. Prior to that, she served in several key positions at WMAQ-TV in Chicago. She began her career in 1986 at NBC in New York and also worked in advertising sales for ABC and WABC-TV in New York City. Churchville's academic involvement includes serving on Brown University's Civic Leadership Council and the Providence College President's Council. She has taught or been a guest lecturer or speaker at colleges and conferences throughout the United States and abroad. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Providence Public Library, is a board member of Women & Infants Hospital, and has served as Chair of the Board of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and Music School, the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, and the Arts & Business Council. Churchville holds a bachelor's degree from Columbia University: Barnard College and an MBA from Harvard University. She will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

Ernest A. Almonte '78, '85 MST, has more than 30 years of experience in the accounting profession. He has been Auditor General for the State of Rhode Island since 1994. Almonte is responsible for the auditing of the $7 billion State Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the $3 billion Federal Single Audit, Municipal Oversight, Performance Audits, Fraud Audits, and oversight of quasi-public agencies. From 1982-1994 he owned a CPA firm in Smithfield, R.I. The recipient of many awards, including The Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, Almonte was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the Accounting Profession by Accounting Today in 2005 and 2008. He served on the Bryant Board of Trustees from 1993 to 2002 and is past chair of Bryant's National Alumni Council. He currently serves as chairman of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Taxation from Bryant University. He will receive an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration.

COMMENCEMENT SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Thursday, May 14

5 p.m. Graduate School Commencement - Main Tent

6 p.m. Graduate School Reception - George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology, Stepan Grand Hall and Patio

Friday, May 15

4 p.m. Baccalaureate Service for the Class of 2009 - Koffler Rotunda

5 p.m. President's Reception for Undergraduates - Salmanson Dining Room

Saturday, May 16

10 a.m. 146th Undergraduate Commencement - Main Tent

12:15 p.m. New Alumni Reception - George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology, Stepan Grand Hall and Patio

“Bryant Goes to War 1941-1945″

April 28th, 2009

The Providence Journal details "Bryant Goes to War 1941-1945," a series of presentations sparked by a cache of letters written to the Bryant Service Club, a student organization formed in 1942 to support service members deployed during World War II.  The Bryant Service Club sent letters, candy, cigarettes and knitted items the soldiers.

Bryant students in an independent study class led by Professor Judy Barrett Litoff gave the presentation in the Stepan Grand Hall.  Earlier this month, they presented their findings at the National Social Science Association annual conference in Las Vegas.

NOTE: Some news sites require registration; some links may expire

24th Annual World Trade Day to be held at Bryant on May 21

April 27th, 2009

Power of Trade

Smithfield, R.I. (April 24, 2009) - Bryant University will host its 24th Annual World Trade Day, "The Power of Trade: Strategies for Growth in the Globe Economy," on Thursday, May 21. More than 500 business people are expected to attend the conference. Participants will benefit from the combination of policy experts, academicians, business leaders, and government officials, who will present the most current information and strategies for conducting business in even the most challenging times.

Keynote speakers include:

The cost is $125 per person and includes all keynote addresses, choice of morning and afternoon workshop sessions, a continental breakfast, luncheon, and an exhibitor showcase/networking reception. For complete information on World Trade Day speakers and activities or to register, go to www.worldtradedayri.com or call (401) 232-6407. The registration deadline is May 8. To display your products/services at the Exhibitor Showcase or to reserve a corporate table, please contact the Chafee Center.

World Trade Day is presented by The John H. Chafee Center for International Business at Bryant University in partnership with the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation and the State of Rhode Island.

Platinum Sponsors for the event are UPS, the RI Economic Development Council, and Taco Inc. Gold Sponsors are Bank of America, RIMES, GEM Plumbing, and Delta Mechanical Contractors, LLC. Silver Sponsors include HB Communications Inc., APC by Schneider Electric, Sperian Protection, and National Grid. Bronze Sponsors are Providence Business News, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.