Posts in the Brandeis GPS Events Category at Brandeis GPS Blog

Category: Brandeis GPS Events (page 1 of 3)

Brandeis GPS Sponsors Events at Boston Fintech Week 2022

Two men smile and shake hands with a screen reading "Brandeis" in the background

Panelist Sasidhar Sista and Professor Ahmad Namini greet one another before the panel “Global Fintech Spotlight.” Photo by Ashley McCabe.

Last week, Brandeis University Graduate Professional Studies sponsored Boston Fintech Week, hosted by Fintech Sandbox. The three-day event centered on panels and keynote speakers exploring the intersection of finance, technology, and various other industries like healthcare, education, banking, and more.

Brandeis GPS hosted two events in partnership with Brandeis International Business School. The first was a panel, Global Fintech Spotlight, moderated by Ahmad Namini, Professor of the Practice of Business Analytics at Brandeis University’s International Business School. Panelists engaged about the current state of the industry and where they see potential for growth. The panelists included:

Tal Sharon, Managing Partner at Equitech Ventures and President at FinTech-Aviv, the Israeli FinTech Association
Micah Sabovik, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Marketing at MentorWorks Education Capital
Sasidhar Sista, Co-Founder of GradRight Inc.
Amitabha Sinha, Pentation Analytics

Two men sit in front of an audience having a conversation

Eric Rosengren and Stephen Cecchetti speak to a full audience during their event “A Conversation on Central Bank Digital Currencies.” Photo by Ashley McCabe.

The second sponsored event was A Conversation on Central Bank Digital Currencies, featuring Eric Rosengren, Visiting Professor at the MIT Golub Center for Finance and Policy and the former President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, and Stephen Cecchetti, the Rosen Family Chair in International Finance at Brandeis International Business School. The pair discussed personal and economic benefits of using a digital currency.

Brandeis University hosted a reception to cap off a successful week. The events presented opportunities to make valuable connections with others in the industry, and many fruitful discussions were had.

For more information on the Digital Innovation for FinTech program or any other GPS programs, visit our website.

2022 UXPA Boston Fair

June 15, 2022 / msirois / 0 Comments

On May 25th, Brandeis University was pleased to sponsor the annual UXPA Boston Fair. The event, held virtually on Zoom and Kumospace, offered students and career changers the opportunity to receive mentorship and guidance around career paths in the fields of user experience design, research, development, information architecture, and content strategy.

The fair was especially useful to students currently enrolled in Brandeis GPS’s User-Centered Design program. The online master’s program, which offers both full-time and part-time options, allows students to study at the intersection of psychology, creativity and technology, thus enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of user experience (UX) and engagement principles.

It is clear from student testimonials that the UXPA Fair was a success on multiple fronts, offering students a wide range of learning experiences to complement their studies at Brandeis GPS.

Student Crystable Rangel found the career panel to be particularly interesting, stating that “each panelist had a diverse background and brought a unique perspective.” Rangel walked away from the panel with a new understanding of the importance of mentorship, saying that, “while I am learning a lot in my program, it has become very clear to me that I will also need a mentor to help with my growth and transition.”

Aashish Maskey, who attended the event from her home in Hawaii, also gained valuable insight from the career panel. She says, “It was great to have some of my questions answered in the group mentoring. I am transitioning into UX with previous experience with healthcare, clinical applications and background in art. It was good to know that some of the skills and knowledge that I already have could be my advantage in breaking into the field of UX.”

According to Gabriele Burke, breakout sessions were “the highlight” of the event, with “very knowledgeable instructors and very interactive sessions.” She says, “Instructors answered all my questions and took a lot of time, which was good for the small group sizes.” This helped Burke to gain useful information about preparing “specialized and tactical resumes.”

Other GPS students made valuable connections during the networking part of the fair. Student Abigail Grinberg stated, “I found it to be valuable to connect with others in the UX industry and hear about their varying experiences. Especially since I am new to the field, I appreciated hearing advice on how others went about finding their first UX jobs. It also was interesting to learn about the types of projects people are working on and the many applications of UX/UI.”

To read more about the learning and networking opportunities offered by Brandeis GPS, visit our website.

Rabb School 2021 Commencement Ceremony Celebrates Communication, Helping Others, and Growth

June 9, 2021 / BrandeisGPS / 0 Comments

The Rabb School of Continuing Studies awarded diplomas to 108 Graduate Professional Studies (GPS) students at its 2021 commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 23. Although a virtual experience will never be able to replace the gravitas of an in-person ceremony, we do sincerely hope everyone enjoyed the stream, and we are very proud of all of our graduates for their tremendous accomplishments!

Rabb School of Continuing Studies is one of the four schools at Brandeis University. Dedicated to providing working professionals a world class education, Rabb continuously innovates its approach to teaching. The GPS students who have earned their master of science degrees today have done so fully online, with many of them working full-time jobs.

Arthur Harvey, this year’s commencement keynote speaker, is an alumni of Brandeis GPS graduating with an MS in Information Technology Management degree. For the past 35 years, Harvey has worked in healthcare informatics with expertise building high-performing teams at provider organizations. He currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Boston Medical Center Health System, and is on the Brandeis GPS Health Informatics advisory boards.

“The most valuable lessons I took from my time as a graduate student were not really about specifics, they were about general principles: communication, deep analysis, data-driven decision-making, and how to work with all kinds of people in all situations,” Harvey said. Quoting Justice Brandeis, he added, “Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done.”

Harvey continued on to say, “I have three things I would ask you to consider as you return to the industry. First off, what is my organization trying to accomplish and how can I help? Does my team know this as well? Next, what new skills have I acquired or practiced lately? Growth is good. Lastly, what have I done recently to help along the career of one of my team members or a colleague? In my experience, we learn a lot about ourselves when we help others.”

The full breakdown of diplomas awarded is as follows:

MS in Bioinformatics (8 graduates)
MS in Digital Innovation for FinTech (3 graduates)
MS in Digital Marketing and Design (9 graduates)
MS in Health and Medical Informatics (7 graduates)
MS in Health Informatics (6 graduates)
MS in Information Security (1 graduate)
MS in Information Security Leadership (6 graduates)
MS in Information Technology Management (1 graduate)
Graduate Certificate in Learning Analytics (1 graduate)
MS in Learning Experience Design (1 graduate)
MS in Project and Program Management (36 graduates)
MS in Robotic Software Engineering (2 graduates)
Master of Software Engineering (6 graduates)
MS in Strategic Analytics (12 graduates)
MS in Technology Management (4 graduates)
MS in User-Centered Design (5 graduates)

View a recording of the commencement ceremony here. Congratulations again to our graduates!

Open source micro-courses that provide the foundation you need to give back to the community

June 12, 2020 / zwalsh / 0 Comments

One of the biggest benefits of this partnership is that while the OSI ensures access to open source technology leaders who design and facilitate each course, Brandeis University provides years of experience ensuring that the courses are designed to their standards and that each facilitator is prepared as a teacher as well as an OSS expert. – Ken Udas, program chair of the Open Source Technology Management program

The online Open Source Technology Management program at Brandeis is dedicated to enhancing and supporting the OSS community through content that is founded in the principles of software freedom and collaborative development. The program, a partnership between Brandeis University and the Open Source Initiative (OSI), provides the foundation for open source professionals to expand their skills and give back to the open source community and beyond.

Watch Ken Udas, program chair, explain why the OSI/Brandeis partnership is unique and how professionals benefit from the micro-courses experience.

As program chair, Ken oversees course content and helps ensure that the courses and program remain relevant. He has served in a variety of teaching and management roles at a number of esteemed universities. Ken is also the co-founder of the Educause Constituency Group on Openness and the Jasig 2-3-98 project that are focused on the emergence and adoption of open and agile practices, policies, and initiatives.

When you sign up for one of the program’s offerings, which consists of micro-courses, digital badges, a certificate, or graduate credit, you’ll benefit from Ken’s expertise as well as from leading experts in the field. You will also receive top-notch instruction from known leaders in the open source industry. In addition, you’ll engage with a curriculum that has been influenced and shaped by instrumental advisory board members. Ultimately, the micro-courses and program provide a rewarding experience as you meet, collaborate with, and learn from fellow open source professionals who will impact how you decide to give back to your community.

Join Ken in a live chat on Thursday, June 18 at 12 p.m. EST. He will be available to answer questions pertaining to the upcoming micro-course, Cultivate an Open Source Community (starts July 6), and the other program offerings. Please register for this free online chat.

UPDATE (6/25/20): Join Ken for another live chat on Monday, June 29 at 12 p.m. EST. Again, he will be available to answer questions pertaining to the upcoming micro-course, Cultivate an Open Source Community (starts July 6), and the other program offerings. Please register for this free online chat.

Brandeis GPS Class of 2020 celebrates graduation virtually

May 28, 2020 / zwalsh / 0 Comments

“Over the past 70 years, the university has remained committed to providing access to competent and curious students from all walks of life, including those who could not give up their careers and families and come to campus full time.” – Dr. Lynne Rosansky, Interim Vice President for the Rabb School of Continuing Studies, in her opening address.

The Rabb School of Continuing Studies honored 111 Graduate Professional Studies (GPS) graduates with a virtual celebration on May 26, 2020. Student speaker, Charlie D’Angelo, a graduate of the MS in Digital Marketing and Design program, addressed the Class of 2020, along with guest speaker, Sarah McEneaney, Partner and Digital Talent Leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers.

In her opening address, Rosansky congratulated graduates on their hard work and dedication during their master’s degree programs. “It’s a great accomplishment, and you should be very proud of your success,” said Rosansky.

She went on to add, “I would like to note that for most of you who have reached this milestone, you have not done so without support and encouragement of others. So, for family and friends who have stood by you over the years of your graduate studies, here’s a tribute to them.” She looks forward to when the community can come together in-person to celebrate and greet graduates, their family, and friends.

Rosansky honored Project and Program Management instructor Nadeem Malik as the recipient of this year’s Rabb School Outstanding Teacher Award. “Nadeem has a reputation for going above and beyond for students and for being responsive to the changing needs of the PPM program,” she said.

Dedicated instructors, such as Malik, shape the learning experience for GPS students. D’Angelo talked about the various benefits of studying at Brandeis GPS, including his appreciation for the faculty.

“I can honestly say every class I took I applied what I learned, and often immediately at my job; and the knowledge has helped me immeasurably to succeed.”

The direct correlation between D’Angelo’s coursework and his job, his insightful classmates, and learning from outstanding faculty, provided opportunities for him to excel in his professional life.

D’Angelo went on to encourage his fellow classmates to be lifelong learners: “Don’t lose your curiosity for learning.”

Similarly, McEneaney stressed the importance of continuing to learn. “A continuous learning mindset removes barriers and perceived constraints from where your potential and opportunities overlap. And, developing varied approaches to problem-solving and gathering rich experiences, those are the capabilities that make you unstoppable.”

“Each of you can be a force in leveling the opportunity field for so many others,” McEneaney informed graduates, “by helping out others who don’t look like us; who don’t think like us. Those that don’t have natural connections or relationships opening doors for them.”

“The most successful and effective leaders in the future are the inclusive ones,” said McEneaney.

Graduates’ names were read by the chairs of each program. The full breakdown of diplomas awarded is as follows:

MS in Bioinformatics (8 graduates)
MS in Digital Innovation for FinTech (1 graduate)
MS in Digital Marketing and Design (10 graduates)
MS in Health and Medical Informatics (16 graduates)
MS in Information Security (2 graduates)
MS in Information Security Leadership (3 graduates)
MS in Information Technology Management (3 graduates)
MS in Instructional Design and Technology (1 graduate)
MS in Project and Program Management (30 graduates)
Master of Software Engineering (8 graduates)
MS in Strategic Analytics (17 graduates)
MS in Technology Management (6 graduates)
MS in User-Centered Design (6 graduates)

You can view our virtual graduate celebration until June 8, 2020. Congratulations to our graduates!

Rabb School 2019 commencement ceremony celebrates commitment to having it all

May 19, 2019 / memiller / 0 Comments

The Rabb School of Continuing Studies awarded diplomas to 117 Graduate Professional Studies (GPS) students at its 2019 commencement ceremony this morning. Approximately one-third of the graduating class attended the event, which took place from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Faculty Club on campus.

One of four schools at Brandeis University, the Rabb School is dedicated to developing innovative ways to deliver a Brandeis education to non-traditional communities. The GPS students graduating today have earned their masters of science degrees fully online, often while holding down full-time jobs and balancing other professional and personal obligations.

“You embody the larger mission of Brandeis, which is distinguished by academic excellence and the pursuit of truth and knowledge,” said Karen Muncaster, Vice President of the Rabb School, in her opening address. “The entire University community has great respect for what you have accomplished and how you have done it.”

Keishalee Shaw, a graduate of the Strategic Analytics program and this year’s student speaker, encouraged 2019 graduates to embrace life’s curveballs.

“Today we celebrate our success … and remind ourselves that our desire to learn was and will always be greater than any obstacle we have faced along this journey or will face in the future,” said Shaw.

Commencement speaker Michael Figueroa, president and executive director of the Advanced Cyber Security Center, challenged the graduating class to consider the value their advanced degrees can bring to situations beyond individual professional accomplishments.

“Go ahead, dream big,” Figueroa said. “Perhaps your dream is about literacy, providing people with the education they need to overcome poverty. Or, perhaps you’re concerned about global health, preventing the spread of virulent diseases and providing basic healthcare services to underprivileged peoples. Maybe climate change drives you. Whatever it is, hold on to it.You have already invested in your degree. Now, put that investment to good use.”

The full breakdown of diplomas awarded this morning is as follows:

Master of Software Engineering (11 graduates)
MS in Bioinformatics (7 graduates)
MS in Digital Marketing and Design (8 graduates)
MS in Health and Medical Informatics (12 graduates)
MS in Information Security (6 graduates)
MS in Information Security Leadership (2 graduates)
MS in Information Technology Management (5 graduates)
MS in Instructional Design & Technology (6 graduates)
MS in Project and Program Management (31 graduates)
MS in Technology Management ( 2 graduates)
MS in Strategic Analytics (26 graduates)
MS in User-Centered Design (1 graduate)

View a recording of the commencement ceremony here. Congratulations to our graduates!

Countdown to Commencement 2019

May 14, 2019 / kaplane / 0 Comments

It’s that time of the year! A new set of students from Brandeis University’s division of Graduate Professional Studies (GPS) are gathering their friends and family and preparing to travel to Waltham, MA to walk across the stage and receive the master’s degrees they so diligently worked toward. This year’s Rabb School of Continuing Studies commencement ceremony will take place on the Brandeis University campus on May 19, 2019. Graduates and their families unable to attend in person can stream the ceremony on Facebook or here: http://www.brandeis.edu/streaming/rabb.html

The ceremony will feature the following speakers:

GPS Commencement Speaker: Michael Figueroa

Michael Figueroa, CISSP, is President and Executive Director of the Advanced Cyber Security Center, a Boston-based nonprofit that organizes the private and public sectors to operationalize collaborative defense, strengthening each member’s cybersecurity posture and preparing the region’s response to large-scale cyber threats. Michael has a diverse IT background, serving at times as an executive technology strategist, chief architect, product manager, and disruptive technology champion. His past work has spanned a broad spectrum: preparing cyber technologies for transition, managing research and development, applying non-security emerging technologies such as deep learning and human analytics to security problems, and serving as the Principal Investigator for a DARPA-funded effort to design and develop an innovative secure network and communications platform for cloud and mobile applications. Michael has served as a CISO for a late-stage financial services startup, was a strategic program advisor for CISOs at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the World Bank Group, and has managed consulting teams securing large-scale systems integration efforts at DHS. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Brain and Cognitive Sciences and received his masters degree from the George Washington University (GWU) in Forensic Sciences, concentrating on High Tech Crime Investigations.

Student Speaker: Keishalee Shaw

Keishalee Shaw is a native of St. Ann, Jamaica, and was raised in Maryland.

Her passion for healthcare began at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. where she shadowed the Hospital’s CEO and learned what it takes to run such a large operation. Soon after completing her graduate studies, she worked as a technical program assistant at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD. In 2006, she worked as an analyst for New York State’s Bureau of Medicaid Statistics and Program Analysis in Albany, NY. In 2008, she was selected to be the reimbursement system senior policy analyst at Massachusetts Division of Health Care Finance and Policy in Boston. In 2011, she accepted a technical program leader position at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, where she was eventually selected for one of Blue Cross’s competitive leadership program. There, she spent four years receiving executive mentorship and training throughout different departments within Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA.

Keishalee holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in English and Literature with a minor in Political Science from the University of Maryland College Park; a Masters of Science in Healthcare Administration Management from the University of Maryland University College; a Masters in International Healthcare Management, Economics and Policy from Bocconi School of Management in Milan, Italy; and a Certificate in Public Sector Management from Cornell’s School of Industrial ad Labor Relations in Albany, New York.

Keishalee resides in Milton, Massachusetts with her husband Steven and her children, Katherine, Kristianna, William, and Alexander.

Congratulations to all of our graduates, we can’t wait to celebrate your accomplishments with you! For more commencement-related updates, follow along with us here on the blog and at #GPSClassof2019.

Brandeis Innovation Showcase 2018

November 14, 2018 / kaplane / 0 Comments

Discover the innovative ways the Brandeis community is changing the world at the Brandeis Innovation Showcase on Thursday, November 15. Held as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, the Showcase will include presentations and a reception featuring startups, inventions, social entrepreneurship, and scientific discoveries born out of the labs and classrooms at Brandeis University.

Participants can network with the researchers, students, faculty and staff who are impacting business, sciences, technology and social sectors. Some of Boston’s leading innovation organizations will have booths that provide more information about their work.

Attendees will have the opportunity to join the entrepreneurial action and vote for a crowd favorite by “investing” in projects. They will experience the Brandeisian innovative spirit while networking with Boston’s innovation community.

Get your tickets for the event here and make sure to use the hashtags #DeisInno18 and #BrandeisInnovates on social media so we can follow along.

Brandeis GPS congratulates a new cohort of “storytellers” in 2018 commencement ceremony

May 13, 2018 / memiller / 0 Comments

The Rabb School of Continuing Studies awarded diplomas to 131 Brandeis GPS students at its 2018 commencement ceremony this morning. Approximately half of the graduating class attended the event, which took place on campus from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Faculty Club.

“Not only have you mastered a rigorous curriculum, most of you have done this while working full-time,” said Karen Muncaster, Vice President of the Rabb School, in her opening address. “Your academic achievements are made even more noteworthy because they were made in the midst of ‘real life.’ I want you to know that the entire University community has great respect for what you have accomplished and how you have done it.”

Commencement speaker Tom Gerace, author and founder/CEO of the content marketing firm Skyword, urged the graduating class to use storytelling to drive change, both professionally and personally.

“You have the opportunity to act differently, to shape how your companies act and what they value, and to make a real difference in the world when you do,” said Gerace. “I hope that when you retire and your grandkids crawl into your lap and ask what you did for a living, instead of telling them that you helped a company make more stuff or sell more stuff, you can tell them a story about how you made the world a better place.”

As GPS master’s degrees are fully online, many of today’s diploma recipients and their families are first-time visitors to the Brandeis campus. Some students traveled from as far as Ontario, Canada, and throughout the U.S., including California, Michigan, Illinois and Georgia.

“The last couple of years have been a very edifying, challenging, rewarding and sometimes exhausting

endeavor,” said Steve Boardman, student speaker and a graduate of the MS in Strategic Analytics program. “Now having completed my program with GPS, it has proven to be a great fit for me as a busy adult with a family and has exceeded my expectations in the value I have gained from its coursework.”

GPS extends an extra congratulations to the inaugural class of graduates from the Digital Marketing and Design and User-Centered Design programs, both of which launched in 2015.

The full breakdown of diplomas awarded this morning is as follows:

Master of Software Engineering (13 graduates)
MS in Bioinformatics (9 graduates)
MS in Digital Marketing and Design (4 graduates)
MS in Health and Medical Informatics (17 graduates)
MS in Information Security (10)
MS in Information Technology Management (15 graduates)
MS in Instructional Design & Technology (2 graduates)
MS in Project and Program Management (35 graduates)
MS in Strategic Analytics (24 graduates)
MS in User-Centered Design (3 graduates)

Congratulations to our graduates!

Countdown to Commencement 2018

April 23, 2018 / memiller / 0 Comments

It’s that time of year again! A new set of students from Brandeis University’s division of Graduate Professional Studies (GPS) are preparing to walk across the stage in front of 275 friends and family members and receive the master’s degrees they so diligently worked toward.

GPS is thrilled to see our soon-to-be alums progress to the next phase of their professional development and career advancement. We extend an additional congratulations to the inaugural class of graduates from the Digital Marketing and Design and User-Centered Design programs, both of which launched in 2015.

This year’s commencement ceremony will take place on the Brandeis University campus on May 13, 2018, and will feature the following speakers/honors:

Tom Gerace, commencement speaker. Tom is the founder and CEO of Skyword, a Boston-based content marketing firm. An expert in strategic storytelling, Tom recently co-authored the best-selling book Storynomics and leads Storynomics Seminars in cities throughout the world. Early in his career, Tom served as a senior business analyst at the Harvard Business School, where he wrote the first case studies on the emergence of the internet in 1995.
Steve Boardman, student speaker. Strategic Analytics graduate Steve Boardman is a senior technology consultant for iDoxSolutions, Inc. Based in Charleston, South Carolina, Steve has more than 25 years of experience implementing, delivering and supporting enterprise IT solutions for a wide variety of industries. He currently focuses on cloud-based application architectures and business intelligence and analytics solutions.
Meredith Bazzell, Rabb School Outstanding Teacher Award recipient. An instructor in the Digital Marketing and Design program, Meredith has more than 13 years of marketing experience in healthcare, construction, higher education, retail, manufacturing, and technology. Meredith currently serves as the manager of customer experience for global communications at Asurion in Nashville, Tennessee.

We look forward to sharing more commencement-related updates as the day gets closer. Follow along with us here on the blog and at #GPSclassof2018.

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