bryant graduate school of arts and sciences newsletter

Volume I

April 2015 Volume 1, Issue 1

@BRYANTgrad

Inside this issue:

Welcome to Bryant,

Dr. Donoyan!

1,

4

MSGES Investigates 1,

3

Spotlight On: Masters

in Communication

2,

5

MAT Students Give

Back

3

A&S at the Degree

Exploration Fair

6

A&S Alumni News 7-

10

Get in Touch! 11

Welcome to Bryant, Dr. Donoyan!

Giovanna, “Vanna,” Donoyan, the newly appointed

director of Bryant University’s Masters in Teaching

program, has a story for me. Across the desk, Vanna’s

eyes light up as she describes the gorgeous view of fall

foliage she observed from a classroom window as she

spoke in a psychology course earlier that day. As Van-

na paints a picture of the trees, which, though beautiful,

are the ones that separate the classroom from the not-so

-beautiful parking lot, I am silently doing math in my

head. If Vanna was teaching at 8:30 this morning, and

will be teaching a night class until 9:15 tonight, that’s a

thirteen hour workday. Fall foliage or no, thirteen

hours is grueling. Yet in that moment, I captured the

true Vanna. Donoyan’s unwavering warmth, enthusi-

asm, and appreciation for her work and her students in

Bryant’s Masters in Teaching program

truly radiate from her being. Her passion

for teaching is utterly contagious.

Donoyan began her career in the banking

industry, and received her MBA during

this time. After several years in a more

corporate setting, the birth of Donoyan’s

children changed the course of her work-

ing life forever. She began volunteering in

her children’s schools, and through this

volunteer experience, Donoyan “became

aware of the absolute, vital importance of

education.” This passion blossomed into a

career. Donoyan studied to become a

board-certified teacher, then moved into

an administrative position, and finally

grew into a role as the superintendent of a

local district. (Continued on Page 4)

MSGES Investigates Weed Control in Worcester Region

Nicole Cournoyer of Bryant’s Masters

is Global Environmental Sciences pro-

gram, is embarking on a one-year re-

search project of the increasingly dam-

aging weeds affecting lakes and ponds

in New England: the fanwort. And

though its name has an amusing ring to

it, the plant itself, Nicole explains, is a

decidedly harmful organism. First

discovered in the 1930’s, this invasive

pond species has traveled up the coast

and now grows in many nonnative still

-water habitats throughout southern

New England. Nicole is focusing her

research on lakes and ponds affected

by the parasite in the Worcester region.

Nicole’s investigative research is

grounded in the twofold implications

of the growth of the weed: its detri-

mental effect on local aquatic ecosys-

tems, and the impact of this damage on

community economies. Her research

on the biology and ecology of the plant

has shown a wide breadth of problemat-

ic features (Continued on Page 3)

Gaytha Langlois,

graduate director of

Bryant’s MSGES Program

2

@BRYANTgrad

Communication

students meet

with Professor

Berkos in the

Rotunda.

Spotlight on: Masters in Communication

The director of Bryant’s Master’s

in Communication program,

Christopher Morse, warned me

that he might have to miss our

meeting. It was Monday, Novem-

ber 10th, and his firstborn child

was due at any moment. Yet when

I showed up a few days later,

Morse was sitting in his office just

as we had planned, hospital brace-

let and all: it was a girl! Despite

the busyness of Morse’s week, he

was excited to talk about his stu-

dents and Bryant’s growing mas-

ters in communication program.

Morse highlights the accomplish-

ments of two of last year’s gradu-

ates, both of whom are working in

health communication fields. One

graduate joined a healthcare firm

that designs presentations and oth-

er communication materials to

streamline the dissemination of

health information materials from

medical practitioners to corpora-

tions and businesses with whom

they work.

The second graduate is working at

a pharmaceutical company in a

sales role that combines his

knowledge of both health and or-

ganizational communication, two

of the three tracks available to stu-

dents pursuing their masters in

communication here at Bryant.

The organizational communica-

tion track, one of the three path-

ways available to prospective

graduate students, gives candi-

dates “the ability to better under-

stand how organizations work,

how people in organizations work,

how culture is developed in the

workplace, and how conflict is

handled,” according to Morse.

While Morse acknowledges that

this track pairs well with market-

ing and management undergradu-

ate coursework, he also sees the

potential for this focus to differen-

tiate students pursuing work in

any organization or setting. Pursu-

ing a master’s degree with a focus

on organizational communication

will “set the student apart from

other students graduating from

other colleges who have a similar

set of skills,” (Continued Page 5)

3

Volume 1, Issue 1

MSGES Investigates, Continued

Not only is this a highly competi-

tive, rapidly growing weed, but it

is also able to tolerate a wide

range of conditions and water

temperatures, allowing it to easily

displace native still-water species.

In lakes and ponds, this displace-

ment can result in a decline in bio-

diversity of native ecosystems. As

the weed decays, with it comes a

depletion of oxygen in the water

that is essential to the wellbeing of

other inhabitants. As if that was

not reason enough to look into the

eradication of the fanwort, consid-

er this: the plant is huge. As Ni-

cole describes from her own spec-

imen residing in the Microbial

Ecology Laboratory, the fanwort

can grow up to six feet long, and

has a matted texture that eclipses

any native vegetation over which

it grows. The hostile nature of the

weed calls for a variety of chemi-

cal and physical eradication strate-

gies. The Hickory Hills Lake

Management Group has been

studying eradication since 2011,

and has engaged in a variety of

practices, including harvesting and

drawdowns. They’ve even sent

scuba divers to the bottom of in-

fested bodies of water to suction

the plant.

Nicole’s research will also focus

on a comprehensive analysis of

the Hickory Hills Lake Group and

other environmental groups’ strat-

egies in fighting the fanwort. She

plans to engage residents in the

Lunenburg region by designing a

survey about the weed, with the

end goal of “determining the best

practices for eradication and con-

trol of the weed.” These findings

could be applied to a wide range

of environmental service organi-

zations in their maintenance of

native ecosystems, especially in

the New England region.

Throughout the research process,

Nicole has enjoyed the benefits of

the personalized nature of Bry-

ant’s MSGES graduate program.

Nicole chose Bryant because the

coursework focus on environmen-

tal policy, green technology, and

sustainability “has a lot of rele-

vance” to what she hopes to do in

her career. The nature of many of

her assignments has also given

Nicole the independence to re-

search and present on topics she

finds personally meaningful. As

she explains, “while my profes-

sors are an excellent resource and

are there to give me guidance

whenever I need it, the freedom

this program allows is preparing

me to be an independent thinker

and a problem solver which will

benefit me in my future career.”

MAT Students Give Back in Turkey Basket Contest

On November 19, Bryant hosted its annual Turkey Basket

Contest. Participating groups were required to put together a

Thanksgiving-themed basket of dinner and dessert items to

give to a local food pantry or family in need. Baskets were

creatively designed with a holiday theme, stuffed with

Thanksgiving favorites, then displayed in the Rotunda for

judging and viewing. Students in Bryant’s Masters in Teach-

ing Program, led by the efforts of graduate student Cindy

Zdravkovic, an aspiring English and Language Arts teacher,

joined together to contribute their own basket to a local fami-

ly. As Zdravkovic explained, “I’m always looking for ways to

create community” among Arts and Sciences graduate pro-

grams. Zdravkovic’s team spirit, coupled with Bryant’s many

community service initiatives, embody a tenet on which the

university prides itself: cultivating a global awareness among

students that extends beyond the scope of academia.

MAT Students with their

Turkey Basket

4

@BRYANTgrad

Dr. Donoyan, Continued

Donoyan never lost sight of her

love of teaching, explaining that

even as a superintendent, “I saw

challenges in terms of how I could

help teachers move student learn-

ing forward, how I could ensure

my decisions would trickle down

to the kid in that classroom.”

Donoyan thus comes to the Bryant

MAT program equipped with both

her innate passion for the art of

teaching, and an intensive under-

standing of the complexities of

school politics, law, and systems.

Donoyan’s breadth of knowledge

and years of that experience have

allowed her to cultivate a graduate

path that is purposeful, respon-

sive, and flexible.

The masters in teaching at Bryant

is a three-semester program that

provides a degree rivaled by insti-

tutions that can sometimes take up

to three years to award students a

teaching degree and certification.

Students are required to take core

education classes, taught by Do-

noyan, as well as select a specific

content area that they would like

to teach.

Donoyan stresses that what differ-

entiates the Bryant MAT from

others is the active shaping of new

and multiple pathways. As

Donoyan explains, teaching is “a

set of skills that anyone and eve-

ryone should have. It’s a matter of

learning to move individuals from

point A to point B so that their

human condition, and the human

condition of the society they live

in, improves.”

This philosophy has materialized

in a transformation of the MAT

program under Donoyan’s direc-

tion in just six short months. Do-

noyan and Bryant colleagues

“started to learn of ways that

teaching and learning can be facil-

itated in other environments,”

and, consequently, “want to see

the MAT grow.”

Inspired by individual student in-

terest and the demands of an ever-

changing, global society, Do-

noyan has created a curriculum

that satisfies careers in both tradi-

tional teaching and corporate or

administrative educational roles.

Because of the responsiveness and

flexibility of the program, each

MAT candidate is able to hone his

or her unique skill set for the ex-

act environment in which they

wish to work.

Individualized curricula, course-

work planning done directly be-

tween students and program direc-

tor Donoyan, and small class sizes

are just some of the things that

make the Bryant MAT a valuable

opportunity for undergraduate stu-

dents, alumni, and working pro-

fessionals. Donoyan agrees that

the Bryant MAT is “not a cookie-

cutter program. The purposeful-

ness, organization, professional-

ism, and culture of Bryant perme-

ate this program.”

The innovative pathways that al-

low students to teach in places

outside the classroom offer a

unique take on a more traditional

masters in teaching degree that is

cognizant of a vastly changing

world. Donoyan’s quickness to

respond to both societal and stu-

dent needs as she develops new

pathways are consistent with the

values of Bryant University, and a

world in which, at some point, we

are all students. But the reach of

Donoyan’s contributions extends

beyond the program structure.

To undergraduates considering the

Bryant MAT, Donoyan has a sim-

ple message: “We’re ready for

you, and you’re ready for it.”

Welcome to Bryant, Dr. Donoyan.

We are ready for you, too.

5

Volume 1, Issue 1

Wendy Samter, newly appointed Dean

of the Bryant College of Arts & Sciences,

and professor of communication

Masters in Communication

Spotlight, Continued

(Continued from Page 2) uniting both their undergradu-

ate education and personal strengths into a marketable

package that is strategically distinct from job-seeking

competitors. A second pathway, health communication, is

focused on “designing campaigns that impact health be-

havior” and “understanding how providers and patients

interact and how that influences our health.” Students in

this track learn the intricacies of communicating “health

information between those who do it and those who need

it.” This path of study also lends itself to a wide variety of

positions in healthcare, advertising, and pharmaceutical

companies, among others. Anticipating the upcoming

physician assistant program for the fall semester of 2015,

Morse also alluded to the possibility of working with as-

piring physician assistant students as part of health com-

munication coursework.

While the benefits of pursuing a master’s degree in a

smaller, more personalized program like Bryant’s are in-

numerable, Morse highlights what is arguably one of Bry-

ant’s Communication department’s strongest selling

point: the third track, which consists of coursework tai-

lored specifically to the career and personal goals of the

student. Morse and his colleagues work with students

with particular careers goals to “develop a program that

fits with the interests they have.” Historically, these per-

sonal tracks have been geared toward public relations

work and family consulting. Developing this individual-

ized track is a joint effort between the student and faculty,

who are able to make course plans and advise students for

an educational track that is laser-focused on the intended

career and enhancement of the individual’s skill set.

Masters in

Communication graduate

students do groupwork.

6

@BRYANTgrad

A&S Graduate Programs Represent Multiple Pathways at Degree Exploration Fair

Each fall, the Bryant University

Office of Undergraduate Advis-

ing holds its annual Degree Ex-

ploration Fair in the heart of the

unistructure. The fair, designed

to give students in all grade lev-

els an opportunity to speak with

faculty representatives about ma-

jors, minors, concentration paths,

and graduate school, is a high-

traffic and highly anticipated

event. This year, the fair hosted

representatives from all three

Bryant Arts and Sciences Gradu-

ate programs to meet with stu-

dents looking to pursue work in

these disciplines. Positioned at a

table at the head of rotunda, pro-

fessors Gaytha Langlois and

Vanna Donoyan, of the Global

Environmental Sciences program

and Masters in Teaching pro-

gram, respectively, offered un-

dergraduate students a unique

perspective on the value of a

graduate degree in these fields

for a wide range of careers.

For students looking to work in

start-up and entrepreneurial envi-

ronments, Langlois highlighted

the marketability of understand-

ing sustainability practices in an

increasingly environmentally-

conscious world. Donoyan in-

formed interested students of the

new pathways offered by the

Bryant MAT program, encourag-

ing those pursuing higher educa-

tion, education administration,

and human resources goals to

consider the value of a graduate

teaching degree. As Donoyan

observed, “the undergraduates I

met presented a mature outlook

about their future plans. present-

ed a mature outlook about their

future plans. They told me they

were exploring opportunities,

career or graduate schools,

as next steps after graduation.

For many, the MAT made a fine

compliment to their plans. I was

impressed by them!”

The fair marked the first of many

hands-on opportunities for under-

graduate students to learn about

the value of an Arts and Sciences

graduate degree.

“The

undergraduates I

met presented a

mature outlook

about their future

plans.”

Degree Exploration

Fair flyers were

posted throughout the

unistructure leading up

to the event.

7

Volume 1, Issue 1

Maniscalco’s success

has come not only

from her own passion

for her work, but also

the “contagious

dedication and

passion” of her

professors at Bryant.

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Alumni News

Jamie

Maniscalco

at her

graduate

ceremony

May 2013

Jamie Maniscalco, MACom ‘13

Jamie Maniscalco, who graduated with a Masters in Communication

from Bryant in 2013, describes her current work as a program coordina-

tor at the Miami Chamber of Commerce as “the perfect storm” of every

skill and interest fostered throughout her time at Bryant. Jamie works

on a variety of projects in her role, including event-planning, app de-

signing, and facilitating grand-openings in the area, all of which require

her to apply the professional and personal skills she cultivated through

the master’s in communication program. As Jamie describes, “I use

strategic communication in creating campaigns that encompass market-

ing, advertising, public relations, and management. I use writing skills

in running our newspaper and various newsletters, and persuasion skills

in sales efforts.” Maniscalco’s success has come not only from her own

passion for her work, but also the “contagious dedication and passion”

her communication professors at Bryant displayed throughout the pro-

gram.

Today, Jamie is continuing to enjoy adjusting to her new life in Miami,

a transition from her home in New Jersey marked by “crystal blue wa-

ter, sunshine, and palm trees.”

8

@BRYANTgrad


Jeanette Ferraro, MACom ‘13 Jeanette Ferraro gives

credit to the Bryant fac-

ulty for sparking her

interest in Health Com-

munication, explaining

“the faculty is outstand-

ing. They helped me

discover my passion

and pushed me to be my

best.” and pushed me to

be my best.” When

Jeannette started her

masters at Bryant, she

pursued the Health

Communication track

via the “4+1 program,”

which allowed her to

start graduate studies

during her senior year

of college, and continue

full-time after gradua-

tion. Upon graduation,

Ferraro took a position

as a Communication

Specialist at Cigna, with

a focus on strategy and

healthcare provider ex-

perience. Ferraro ac-

credits the masters pro-

gram at Bryant for her

ability to “think strategi-

cally when it comes to

insights and data” to

enhance customer expe-

rience. Outside of work,

Ferraro is busy planning

her upcoming marriage,

scheduled for August

2015.

Ferraro at her

graduation, May 2013

Todd Stewart, MACom ‘13

As a Marketing Manager at Bos-

ton-based consulting firm Hour-

lyNerd, masters in communica-

tion alumnus Todd Stewart ap-

plies the critical thinking, evalu-

ating skills, and ambitious work-

ethic he fostered through the

Bryant graduate program in his

daily work. Stewart says his

coursework in Bryant’s graduate

program “has not only improved

the way I approach my every

day of business, but it has also

made me a much more astute

learner when it comes to the life

outside of work. I’m always

questioning and evaluat-

ing.” Stewart pursued his mas-

ters in organizational communi-

cation as “stepping-stone” to his

ultimate goal of teaching at the

university level. He also accred-

its his graduate education for his

current success, expressing the

degree has “opened up doors for

me much faster than I imag-

ined.” Today, Stewart is cultivat-

ing a writing career as the writer

of two eBooks, and is currently

working on a third in conjunc-

tion with analytics firm In-

sightSquared. He is also looking

forward to commuting from his

new home in downtown Boston

back to Bryant as a public speak-

ing professor for the Spring

2015 semester.

Stewart poses with a

company tee.

9

Volume 1, Issue 1


Eric Georgio, MAT ‘14

Georgio proudly represents

the Bulldogs!

Eric Georgio didn’t always want to be a math teacher. Georgio started his coursework at Stonehill Col-

lege in North Easton, MA, with the intention of going into computer science. It wasn’t until his senior

year, when Georgio began a tutoring job, that he realized his passion for teaching. As he cultivated this

new interest, Georgio realized Bryant’s MAT program was a fitting next step to jumpstart this career. He

switched his major, graduated Stonehill with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, and looked to Bryant

since “the focus of the program was not the mathematics that I would be teaching —although their math

courses featured plenty of challenges — but rather how to teach it in a way that students can understand.”

Once Georgio came to Bryant, his education courses supplemented his mathematics background, ensur-

ing he felt ready to enter the classroom. Professors at Bryant encouraged Georgio to consider “a variety

of educational philosophies and ideas from veterans in the field... well-known theorists, the faculty at the

university, or teachers in the area whose classrooms we observed. I was able to take their views, experi-

ences, and mindsets and pull pieces from them to develop my own personal teaching style.” Additional-

ly, this MAT program provided Georgio “with a great toolkit for how to be a teacher.” Today, in his new

role, Georgio explains, “every day at work, I find myself taking this toolkit and using it in various ways.

Certain tricks and techniques work for a particular student or class and others do not, but Bryant has pro-

vided me with a solid foundation for and valuable experience in making these decisions. It seems easy to

talk about material you already know to an audience all day, but the real job of a teacher is to instill pas-

sion, promote growth, foster lifelong learning, and provide opportunities for students to succeed.”

After spending the fall 2014 semester student teach-

ing at Smithfield High School, Georgio was hired as

a full-time math teacher in Cumberland High

School. He now teaches four classes of Algebra 2,

one class of Pre-Calculus, and one class of Numera-

cy. Georgio is fully certified as a highly-qualified

educator for mathematics, grade 7 through 12, in

Rhode Island. In his new role, Georgio “faces the

challenges that Bryant has prepared me for: design-

ing engaging lessons to appeal to a variety of learn-

ing styles, developing assessments that yield quality

data to measure student performance, and establish-

ing positive rapport with students so that they can

feel comfortable approaching me with any questions

they might have.”

Though Georgio walked away from the standard 9 to

5 office job he once considered, he now realizes

“being a teacher is a 24/7 commitment towards see-

ing your students grow and aiding them as much as

possible for their future endeavors.” Georgio’s time

at Bryant gave him the resources to do just that.

10

@BRYANTgrad


Scott Waterman, MAT ‘14

Waterman visits the New York Stock Exchange

for a workshop this past summer.

Scott Waterman, who graduated from Bryant’s

Masters in Teaching Program with a business

concentration in December 2014, is now a dual-

certified business teacher in Rhode Island and

Connecticut. Upon graduation, Waterman was

hired as a Business Education teacher at Parish

Middle School and High School in Chaplin,

CT. He accredits Dr. Langlois and Dr. Holder,

both of Bryant, for inspiring him to join the

MAT program, which he describes was “a great

fit.”

Waterman’s new role as a secondary educator is

a marked departure from his three years of ac-

tive duty in the US Army. Today, Waterman is

the proud step-father of Tyler Silveira, who is

serving his country as a member of the US Ar-

my in Fort Hood, Texas, and keeps busy with

his younger children, Brady, 10, Lincoln, 7, and

Presley, 5.

Waterman is also an avid athletics supporter. He coaches youth baseball for the Connecticut Mustangs,

and is the Vice President of minors baseball in the Killingly, CT Little League. He spends his winters as

a basketball coach, and is an active supporter of the St. James school, St. James athletics, and Deary

Gymnastics.

As he settles into his new role as a business teacher, Waterman hopes his time with Bryant is not over.

He hopes to one day return to the university as an adjunct professor of business to inspire a new genera-

tion of future leaders.

11

Volume I, Issue I

Bryant University

1150 Douglas Pike

Smithfield, RI 02917

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