Front and Center: Phyllis Alberici, MSM '07

Phyllis Alberici Photo by David Austin

We're proud of all our graduates who are making a difference in their fields. This month, though, we think you'll agree that Phyllis Alberici deserves special recognition for the exceptionally good work she is doing. Phyllis is working "flat out" for the soldiers as the Project Director for the Veterans Defense Project. This is part of the New York State coalition of federal and state agencies and the military working together to create a unified statewide system of care for returning active duty military, Guard and Reserve with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Before being appointed to this office, Phyllis was project director for a federal grant that is developing a statewide system of care for returning combat troops with traumatic brain injury. Now she is dovetailing that work with her efforts for those with PTSD.

"I'd have to recommend the GC to any adult learner interested in a really proactive graduate degree program."

In her position, Phyllis directs the criminal justice side of the operation and develops collaborative partnerships between organizations which have very distinct and often conflicting missions. This requires developing an organizational structure that has many levels, but one that is unified in its focus on wounded soldiers. Her work takes her to military installations, the NYS Assembly, meetings and conferences, and talking to the media.

Phyllis credits the Grad Center with helping her prepare for her new duties. She notes: "The Master of Science in Management I earned at the GC, and especially my focus on organizations and their structure, have given me some new tools to use in directing this immense project. One of the great strengths of the GC is being able to work with your instructors to create projects that can be straight on translated into your professional work. I'd have to recommend the GC to any adult learner interested in a really proactive graduate degree program."

While we're delighted to spotlight her here, Phyllis will be getting even bigger press soon as she has been interviewed by the New York Times for a five-part series slated for the end of the year.

Thank you, Phyllis for all you are doing for our veterans and for representing the Grad Center so well. We are proud to say, "We salute you."

Winter Trimester Begins January 4

Kick off the new year right with a course at the Grad Center. There's still time to apply by going to www.gradcenter.marlboro.edu while Joe Heslin and Don Parker are working to finalize the applications as we look toward the start of the winter term.

Also, if you know of someone who is thinking about taking a course this winter, please recommend that the Admissions Office, 1-888-258-5665, be contacted immediately.

PMP® Certification Preparation Class

Marlboro Graduate Center is pleased to announce that we will be hosting this PMP® Certification class in collaboration with the Greater Monadnock Region PMI chapter.

The PMP® examination is a four-hour intensive test of the PMBOK®. Passing the examination takes more than project management experience. Understanding both the material and the style of question used on the examination is critical to your success. This class is structured to help you prepare and study with the support of instructors from the PMI Keene Chapter as well as your classmates.

When:
The class is eight weeks. It will begin Wednesday, January 16 and will be held every Wednesday evening through March 5. Class time 6 - 9 pm

Where:
Marlboro College Graduate Center 28 Vernon Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301

Who:
Individuals who have met the PMI criteria for sitting for the examination and who want to take the examination in March or April of 2008 should consider taking this class to structure their final preparation. Class sizes will he held to 30.

Materials:
Each student will receive a binder with the materials used in class. The class materials were developed by the PMI MN Chapter and have been used successfully the material in classes they run four times a year since 2002. Students will also need a copy of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) - Third Edition. It is also highly recommended that students purchase a PMP prep study guide.

Instructors:
The class will be taught by at least four PMP certified members of the PMI Keene NH Chapter, including Lisa Sieverts, Carol Forsythe (both Faculty members of the Marlboro Graduate Center), Jon Novak (a Graduate Center Alumnus) and Patrick Healey.

Cost:
The cost of the class is $450. A $100 dollar discount is given to PMI Keene NH chapter members and to students of Marlboro College Graduate Center. A deposit of $150 is required for registration. The balance is due by January 30.

How to register:
Provide the following information: Name, Address, Telephone number.
Include a check made out to: PMI Keene NH Chapter® and Send to:
PMI Keene NH Chapter
P.O. Box 304
Keene, NH 03431-0300
For More information Contact: Carol Forsythe info@pmi-keene.org
Or visit www.pmi-keene.org

Class Notes

Swapna Vuyyuru, MSM '07, updated us: I am so glad to here from you. Now I got the portability to work for any employee in the US. So I am busy job hunting. I am looking for a job in our surrounding areas like VT,MA,CT,NH,etc, a commutable distance, because my husband works in Keene. Hope you enjoy the holidays.

Tim Flesher, BSMIS '03, passed along this good news: I will send out more soon as time permits. I have just accepted a new position with AT&T Alascom. Moving to Anchorage. Start work 12/3 as Manager in RF for a WiMax deployment in many of the towns and villages of Alaska. Way Excited!!!!!!

Andrew Jackson, ISM '99, sent this along: In my new role as an independent consultant (www.sensible-strategies.com), I have just completed a CSS makeover of the Vermont Life Magazine site at www.VermontLife.com along with new winter issue content. One article will be of particular interest to the Grad Center and Marlboro folks generally. Go to VermontLife.com, click on "View Magazine Pages" and look for "Learning: Iconoclastic Marlboro College celebrates 60 years." The full article is available as text (HTML) or as a .pdf of the magazine pages. Happy holidays.

Elaine Young, ISM '99, shared great news: On November 16th I successfully defended my dissertation and am now officially a Doctor! My Ph.D. is in Organizational Management from Capella University. My dissertation topic is: "Does One Size Fit All: Investigating a Student-Centered Model for Teaching Technology. "

Mark Madison, MSIT '06, wrote to us: I was pleased to read that your meeting in Manchester went well. Keep me posted on future developments. If there's anything I can do as a "native" to the region, please let me know. Since my graduation a year ago I have developed 3 websites as building a web development agency is a slow process but certainly part of my continuing education. What I learned at the Gradcenter provided a great foundation and context with which to approach the "business" of web development. I have also been able to work with instructors and former classmates and this continuing network of friends and colleagues has been a great bonus. The three sites:

www.xmasdays.com
www.gnat-tv.org
and the work in progress about to launch in a couple of weeks: www.adirondackarearugs.com/home.html. Don't try to buy anything yet. :) I have also kept busy with my help desk business: www.compkeys.com and I'm teaching computer classes and the Career Development Center in Bennington. All the best to you and yours for the holidays.

Jacqueline Gens, MAT '06, sent the following: In September, I travelled to Tuscany for two weeks visiting lots of interesting sites including the Rome Protestant Cemetery where I paid homage to the graves of Keats, Shelly, and Beat poet, Gregory Corso on my way home. Back in Brattleboro, this fall I inaugurated a Poetry Series at the Hooker Duhnam Theater that I'm curating along with forming a non-profit, Brattleboro Center for the Literary Arts. Check out the site http://www.brattleboroliteraryarts.blogspot.com/ for the schedule and some news about my visit with poet, Louise Landes Levi in Italy who will read in the series on December 8, 2007.

Aziz Bharmal, MBA '04, let us know: How are you? Here things are going well in Bombay. The climate is getting cold. American schools and colleges are setting up their campuses in India. I am in touch with my classmates they are all doing fine with work and social life. I am planning to move to Dubai. I am getting a good job over there. The quality of life is good in Dubai I shall keep you posted once I migrate to Dubai.

Anil Anand, Former Faculty, sent his regards: Wishing you and all at the Graduate Center a Happy Holiday.

Erika Connor, MAT '07, brought us up-to-date: I miss the grad center so badly!!! Here goes a little summary of what I have been up to until now at Eaglebrook School. After much nagging and pestering our director of studies, I'm beginning to see some changes at the school in regards to technology integration. The school has purchased 500 lic. for EasyGrade Pro (software that records student grades); the school is now looking into outfitting all the classrooms with projectors; we have two Promethean Interactive Boards; a few of my language teachers are using blogs; the school was able to create their A-Z book (a student handbook of rules) using a wiki...we have other wiki's in play. The biggest accomplishment so far has been the discussions we have had about Second Life and how it could be useful in the classroom. Maybe one of these days we too shall have a piece of land in Second Life. We are also talking a lot with the technology director at my school about integrating Moodle. So you see technology integration is still my focus. I've planted the seed, we shall see if they continue working on this in the future.

Adrian Koenig, MSIE '06, e-mailed us: We do have the occasional snow and are preparing our snowboards and skis. We roasted a Turkey a couple of weeks ago as our daughter likes to celebrate Thanksgiving. Apart from that, I am busy with the BSMIS, much harder than I originally thought. Professionally, I am doing a project as an IT-Architect.

Career Opportunities

Director of Information Technology
College of Humanities and Fine Arts
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA

Primary responsibilities include: the management of information technology in support of instruction, advising, research and administration for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts (CHFA); providing advanced systems design, development, programming and technical expertise to the CHFA Dean's Office and the departments of the College; providing technical skill and leadership in activities supporting the automation of business and administrative processes including planning, designing, programming, troubleshooting, deploying, maintaining, and documenting user supports of software and databases for both custom developed and vendor supplied systems. Serves as a College advocate and liaison with the Office of Information Technology (OIT. Provides technical leadership on the College's student tracking initiative to improve student time-to-degree. Serves as the technology advisor to the Dean and the CHFA' executives on management, policy, and budget issues related to information technology and digital learning. Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in information systems, computer science or related field and 5-7 years of experience. Knowledge and experience related to educational, research and administrative technologies and the capabilities necessary to deploy them in a complex networked academic environment. Knowledge and experience in developing, implementing and assessing short- and long-range information technology plans. Demonstrated effective supervisory skills with commitment to mentoring, training and student intern development. Ability to communicate and to work collaboratively with diverse constituents throughout the College. Demonstrated effectiveness in technology and budget planning, operation and project management. Knowledge and extensive experience with Microsoft, Mac and Unix operating systems, LAN, Internet, Intranet, firewall, client-server computing, NT/Unix server administration, and information security management. Knowledge and experience in development and maintenance of web site. Experience with complex mission critical computing application design and development. Proficient in web technology; HTML, Java Script, Java, and PHP programming languages; J2EE environment and Java Framework; database modeling and management.
Preferred Qualifications: Proficient in .net, ASP programming, MySQL, Access, and Oracle database management. Advanced academic preparation in computer science, information technology or equivalent experience. Extensive knowledge and experience with complex E-Business strategies, infrastructures and applications development Experience in proposal writing. See http://www.umass.edu/hfa/ for full ad. Hiring Salary Range: $60,700-$73,800; Normal starting salary between $60,700-$67,200.
To Apply: Send letter of application, resume and three letters of reference. Priority deadline is January 14, 2008. Search will remain open until position is filled. Send application materials to: Search #31645, Employment Office, 167 Whitmore Administration Building, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-8170.

Moodle Instructor
Oak Meadow School
Brattleboro, VT

Oak Meadow School is looking for someone who is knowledgeable on how to use Moodle, a course management system, to help instruct them on how to set up online courses. They will pay for this consultation. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Contact:
Jerry L. Baker
Director of Operations
Oak Meadow School
jerry@oakmeadow.com
(802) 251-7250

Web Developer
WGBH
Boston, MA

WGBH Interactive, the creator of award-winning web sites like NOVA Online (http://www.pbs.org/nova") and Curious George (http://pbskids.org/curiousgeorge), is looking for talented web developers at all levels. If you are passionate about quality work, user experience and the future of public media, we would like to talk to you.

Web developers at WGBH work closely with interactive designers and content producers to produce high traffic, user friendly, engaging and educational web sites and new media. Developers also work with each other to share skills, develop new ideas and hone their craft.

We are a Mac shop, producing for LAMP environments, with a significant amount of Flash, QuickTime and Windows Media mixed in. Meanwhile we are experimenting with AJAX, JSON, and open content and user-generated content. Also, if you have any experience with metadata exchange, we have many projects integrating our work with other public media and educational institutions.

To find out more about the position, and to apply online, go to http://careers.wgbh.org, requisition number 4201.

Web Designer
Channing Bete Company
South Deerfield, MA

The Channing Bete Company has been publishing educational materials for over 50 years, and while most people know us for our booklets, we also create interactive computer-based programs that help people live healthier and safer lives.

You must be able to develop user-friendly sites and pages, design clear-cut navigation, create eye-catching graphics, and find solutions to pesky project-stopping technical problems (while under the supervision of the Managing Art Director). You'll help create products in Flash, employing its advanced design/drawing and ActionScript programming to combine text, images, sound, and video assets into both Flash projector and .swf files. You may also be called upon to develop and revise a substantial number of HTML e-mails, HTML e-newsletters, and promotional Web pages on tight deadlines.

To qualify, you'll need in-depth knowledge of Macintosh OS X computers, Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe Photoshop/ImageReady, Adobe Flash, Adobe FreeHand, Microsoft PowerPoint, audio capture and compression tools, video editing software, BBEdit, TextWrangler and QuarkXPress, as well as HTML, JavaScripting, cascading style sheets, usability principles, and Web fundamentals. You'll need to understand middleware functionality and be able to quickly pick up new software techniques and processes in the rapidly changing field of Web design.

A bachelor's degree in graphic design and three to five years of Web design experience are required. The position will primarily involve deadline-driven work, so excellent time-management skills are mandatory.

We offer a competitive starting salary and benefits package, including employee ownership, profit sharing, and health and dental plans.

If you have the skills and talents we're looking for, and want to take this opportunity to join our team, please submit your resume with at least three URLs of Web sites and at least three Flash presentations you've designed to:
Human Resources -- Box MC
Channing Bete Company
One Community Place
South Deerfield, MA 01373-0200
Fax: (413) 665-6397
E-mail: employ@channing-bete.com

Product Manager, Internet Project Manager
CyberCoders
Cambridge, MA
Base Pay: $75,000.00 - $80,000.00 /Year
Work for a leader in Business to Business E-Commerce. A growing E-Commerce firm needs you to assist in launching new products and businesses. This is a great position that will lead to management opportunities.

What you need:

• 3+ years marketing and product / project management experience
• Bachelors degree in Business or related field
• Experience with online search marketing
• You thrive on a fast paced entrepreneurial environment
• A passion for the internet and a complete understanding of its capabilities

You will be:

• P&L responsibility for online advertising business
• Strategise on new product launches
• Executing online search marketing
• Managing advertisers
• Working with sales team to support clients

You will be rewarded with a competitive salary. Work with a great team that is motivated to make you succeed. Get on a direct path to management.

Required Skills: Product Manager, Internet Project Manager, Marketing, Online Search Marketing
Contact: Randy.Kallick@CyberCoders.com

Technical Project Implementation Manager
Volt
Acton, MA
Base Pay: $105,000.00 /Year
20% TRAVEL REQUIRED, MAINLY TO THE PORTLAND, OREGON OFFICE
A web portal that provides credible health information on the Internet is seeking to hire a Technical Project Implementation Manager ASAP. Growth and new product implementation have created the need for this position, which will involve some supervision of less senior staff, and some time spent working independently.
Duties and Responsibilities:

• Trains clients on tool usage, and provides ongoing support to clients.
• Manages the relationship with clients on an ongoing basis.
• Supervises less senior staff, especially on technical matters related to data and database structure.
• Assesses potential for up-sale opportunities with assigned clients, and coordinates with Account Management and Sales.
• Provides successful implementation and management of assigned accounts, coordinating among Sales, Product Management, and Technology/Development.

About Volt
This is an organization that fulfills the promise of credible health information on the Internet. Additionally, they provide supportive communities and in-depth reference material about pertinent health subjects. This organization is a source for original and timely health information as well as material from well-known content providers. Their web site offers credible and in-depth medical news, features, reference material, and online community programs. Others in the fields of media and health have recognized their efforts. The most recent example is the Consumer Directed Health Care Conference in 2006, where their site was recognized as Best Web Site for Consumer Health Information and Best of Show.

Contact: Volt Services Group (Technical)
Volt Services Group
400 Unicorn Park Dr. First Floor
Woburn, MA 01801
PH: 781/932-4280
FX: 781/932-2404

Programmer/Analyst
Unica Corp

Description:
Work with Unica's IT department to develop and design SQL backend data flow (DTS, SSIS, & T-SQL or SQL programming), develop new reports using SQL reporting services and Crystal Reports, and enhance and support existing line-of-business applications, including Microsoft Great Plains, Microsoft Sharepoint Server, Softrax, OutlookSoft, Spectrum's iVantage, Kronos and Compuware's ChangePoint.
Responsibilities

• Work with the IT project lead to define business logic, technical specifications and development standards for the company's business processes.
• Create, modify, and maintain reports using SQL reporting and Crystal Reports.
• Support and maintain applications through patches/upgrades, maintenance plans, and 2nd level help desk responses.
• Develop and maintain DTS and ETL solutions to move data between applications.
• Create and execute extensive testing methodology on all technical processes
• Create and maintain complete, concise and clear technical documentation for all projects.

Technical Experience:
Experience developing in and managing a Microsoft environment, particularly:

• Demonstrated experience programming (T-SQL) for databases
• Experience developing DTS and SSIS packages in SQL 2000 & 2005.
• Experience supporting and developing sites for Microsoft Sharepoint (2003 & MOSS preferred)
• Experience developing reports for Microsoft SQL Reporting Services
• Experience configuring and maintaining Windows Servers, MS SQL Server and IIS
• Experience with Crystal Reports and Cognos reports is desirable

Minimum 7 - 10 years of experience .NET VB/C# development skills with an emphasis on middle tier architecture, Microsoft Office development experience, HTML, XML, and javascript experience are all plusses.
Contact: Michael Lyman (mlyman@unica.com)