Proud to BU

What does it mean for a company to emphasize people over profit? Michael DiSalvo (COM’09) is a self-proclaimed Ogilvy enthusiast having called the company his professional home for the last 9 years. In that time, Michael has quickly climbed the corporate “staircase” as he would call it to become the company’s youngest Senior Vice President and was recently named one of PR Week’s 40 under 40. Michael joined us on the podcast to explore his journey beyond BU, the importance of drinking the free coffee at the office and what he’s learned about creating an authentic, positive, workplace culture.

To connect with Michael, be sure to reach out to him on LinkedIn. For more on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/alumni/podcast.

As you’ll hear, this episode of the podcast is hosted by Dan Gardiner from the Office of Alumni Relations. Our regular host, Jeff Murphy (Questrom ’06) will be back behind the mic for our next episode!

A transcript of this episode is also available. Please note, transcripts may be edited for clarity and do not represent a verbatim record of dialogue.

Listener Survey: We want to hear from you! Complete a 3-minute survey and claim your pair of our custom-made limited edition Proud to BU podcast socks!

As a lifelong educator, Joanne Steinback (Wheelock’66) worked at the forefront of the transformation of special education in the American school system. Her career is centered on implementing innovative strategies to effectively engage children with emotional challenges and learning disabilities. Joanne reflects on the lessons she learned, the challenges she faced, and the role BU played in sparking her life’s passion.

To learn more about the two schools at the center of Joanne’s extensive work in special education, visit oschool.org and hydeparkday.org. For more on the Proud to BU Podcast, visit bu.edu/alumni/podcast. 

A transcript of this episode is also available. Please note, transcripts may be edited for clarity and do not represent a verbatim record of dialogue.

Listener Survey: We want to hear from you! Complete a 3-minute survey and claim your pair of our custom-made limited edition Proud to BU podcast socks!

Takeru Nagayoshi (Wheelock’16) is a high school English teacher in New Bedford and was recently named the 2020 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. He joined us on Proud to BU to explore the ups and downs of his personal educational experience, why he believes teaching made him a better person, and what working in a turnaround school district has taught him about resiliency.

As you’ll hear in this episode, Takeru is also passionate about contributing to the broader dialogue on education policy and practice as an opinion writer. A few of his recent articles include: “Dear Grown-Ups, It’s Time to Let LGBTQ Students Be Our Teachers” in The Nation, “Despite media noise, New Bedford High School is making progress” in South Coast Today, and “How Coming Out as a Gay Teacher Helped My Students” in The Advocate.

This episode is hosted by Dan Gardiner (Questrom’20), a member of the Alumni Career Programs team at BU. Our regular host, Jeff Murphy (Questrom’06), will be back behind the mic for our next episode. For more on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu.

Joe Maruca (Questrom’81) didn’t know what he wanted to do for a living after graduating from BU. His advice for any students who are feeling similarly? "Don’t worry about it!" Joe earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Questrom School of Business in 1981 and went on to become both a practicing attorney and Fire Chief in the West Barnstable district on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. On this episode of the podcast, you’ll hear Joe’s reflections on being in student government during the John Silber era at BU and he shares his unique perspective on leadership forged by his experience wearing many hats in service to his community.

We’d like to extend a special thanks to Chief Maruca and to all those BU alumni who are serving on the front lines of the current coronavirus pandemic. For more information about BU’s response to COVID-19, please visit bu.edu/covid-19-information. 

For more on the Proud to BU podcast, visit bu.edu/proudtobu. If you’d like to learn more about our other online opportunities, visit bu.edu/alumni/webinars where you can find a complete list of upcoming career webinars as well as our on-demand library of past presentations. 

From computer science to classical civilizations, Ferol Vernon's (CAS'03) path to success as an entrepreneur is anything but ordinary. Today, Ferol combines his love of literature with his passion for technology as the Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Written Word Media. His company is focused on connecting readers with their next great book and providing a high-tech platform to help authors and publishers reach new audiences.

To learn more about Ferol and his company, Written Word Media, visit our website - bu.edu/alumni/podcast.

A transcript of this episode is also available. Please note, transcripts may be edited for clarity and do not represent a verbatim record of dialogue.

Listener Survey: We want to hear from you! Complete a 3-minute survey and claim your pair of our custom-made limited edition Proud to BU podcast socks!