Advisory Board
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Randy Albelda, Ph.D.
Paula Alexander
Lisa A. Brothers
Julie Chen, Ph.D.
Kristin Esterberg, Ph.D.
Roslyn L. Feldberg, Ph.D.
Joyce Taylor Gibson, Ph.D.
Stacie Hargis
Evelyn Murphy, Ph.D.
Esther Pearson
Judie Post
Jean Pyle
Randy Albelda, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
University of Massachusetts Boston
Dr. Randy Albelda is a professor of economics at University of Massachusetts Boston, where she teaches in the economics department and the department of public policy and public affairs. Her research and teaching covers a broad range of economic policies affecting low-income families. She writes on family well-being, poverty, welfare reform, paid family leave policies, racial and gender divisions in occupations, and the distribution of family income and earnings. Her work includes the edited volume "Lost Ground: Poverty, Welfare Reform, and Beyond" and the books "Economics and Feminism: Disturbances in the Field", "Glass Ceilings and Bottomless Pits", "Women's Work, Women's Poverty", "The War on the Poor: A Defense Manual", and "Unlevel Playing Fields: Understanding Wage Inequality and Discrimination".
Randy is a Vice President of the International Association for Feminist Economics and works with a wide range of state and national community organizations promoting economic access and equality for women and low-income families. Randy received her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Paula Alexander, M.A., M. Div.
Human Resource Director
Eastman Kodak Company
Her major professional accomplishments include:
- Development and implementation of employee teams now functioning in Eastman Gelatine Corporation located in Peabody, MA, a division of Eastman Kodak Company
- Human resource planning
- Work systems redesign
- Church leadership development in a Biblical context
- Black male-female workshops, supervisory development, Deacons Workshops
- Young Adult workshops
- Parents’ Workshops
- Women's workshops
- Couples Ministry
- Strategic planning
- ISO 9000 implementation
- An alternative to violence program for young women in a locked facility
- Development of a career center for transitioning employees out of Kodak
- Development of Human Resource Competencies for Eastman Kodak Company
- Development of Human Resource Transformation Strategy for Kodak.
She also served as a Quality Leadership Process consultant for Eastman Kodak Company and Quality Consultant for Peabody School Department in Peabody, Massachusetts.
Paula has research experience in Manufacturing Process Variables, Quality of Worklife analysis, Organizational Culture Change, Cultural Diversity, Balancing Home and Worklife issues, Impact of Institutional Racism on Black Males, Impact of Afrocentric Education on self-concept of African American Youth, Black Church Culture and Developing an Alternative to Violence for Incarcerated Teenage Girls.
She was awarded the Pastor and Deacon Awards at the St. John’s Baptist Church. She received honorable mentioned in the Working Women’s Magazine for her parents' workshops at Mary McLeod Bethune Institute in Boston. Paula was awarded the Mary Upton Ferrin Award by the Peabody Chamber of Commerce for the outstanding women of the year. Paula also received the Woman of Courage and Conviction Award from the National Council of Negro Women, the Jane Lamphear Award from Eastman Kodak Corporation, and was a CEO Diversity Award Finalist, Eastman Kodak Company.
Paula holds a BS in Personnel and Industrial Relations, an MA in Community Social Psychology from UMass Lowell, and a Master of Divinity from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School
Lisa A. Brothers, P.E.
Vice President & COO
Nitsch Engineering
As one of the owners of Nitsch Engineering, Inc., Lisa Brothers brings more than 20 years of experience in the design, construction, and management of roadway, site development, and infrastructure-related projects to the firm. An extensive background in construction, having started her engineering career working construction for the Massachusetts Highway Department, complements her design and project management background.
Lisa uses her strong technical abilities and management and people skills to make vital contributions within Nitsch Engineering, to clients of Nitsch Engineering, and to the operation of the professional engineering societies she helps lead. As Chief Operating Officer, Lisa is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Nitsch Engineering. As Principal-in-Charge on many of Nitsch Engineering's projects, she deals with contract negotiations, technical review and support, and project tracking to ensure project deliverables are completed on time and within budget.
A registered professional engineer in Massachusetts, Lisa is involved in a wide range of professional activities. She is the Senior Vice President of the American Council of Engineering Companies/Massachusetts (ACEC/MA) and serves on their Membership Committee and Government Affairs Committee. She is the Past President of the Women's Transportation Seminar-Boston Chapter and is also on their Advisory Board. Lisa chairs the College of Engineering/Industrial Advisory Board at UMass Lowell, where she is the youngest and only woman member. She is also a member of UMass Lowell's Center for Women and Work Advisory Board. Lisa was co-chair of the Transportation and Construction Committee for the Massachusetts Government Appointments Project (Mass GAP) in 2006. Lisa was an appointed member of the Town of Wilmington Conservation Commission (1995-2005) and was an Overseer for the Boston Architectural College (2005 to 2008). She is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
Her contributions to her community have been well-recognized by a range of organizations. In 2008, Lisa was named Woman of the Year by the Women's Transportation Seminar-Boston Chapter. The Boston Society of Civil Engineers presented Lisa with its 2004 Citizen Engineer Award. In 2003, UMass Lowell recognized her contributions and presented her with the Francis Academy Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award. She was honored with a 2002 Pinnacle Award as an Emerging Executive from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. In 2001, Lisa received the BSCES Lester Gaynor Award in recognition of her exemplary service as a public official in Wilmington, Massachusetts.
Lisa holds a BSCE from the University Massachusetts Lowell and an M.B.A from Northeastern University. She is also a 2004 graduate of ACEC National's Senior Executive Institute.
Julie Chen, Ph.D.
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Co-Director, UMass Lowell CHN/NCOE Nanomanufacturing Center
Co-Director, UMass Lowell Advanced Composites Materials and Textile Research Laboratory
Dr. Julie Chen is currently one of the three co-directors of the UMass Lowell CHN/NCOE (Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence) Nanomanufacturing Center and the co-director of the Advanced Composite Materials and Textile Research Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where she is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Julie was the Program Director of the Materials Processing and Manufacturing and the Nanomanufacturing Programs in the Division of Design, Manufacture, and Industrial Innovation at the National Science Foundation from 2002-2004.
Julie has been on the faculty at Boston University, a NASA-Langley Summer Faculty Fellow, a visiting researcher at the University of Orleans and Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Arts & Metiers (ENSAM-Paris), and an invited participant in the National Academy of Engineering, Frontiers of Engineering Program (US, 2001, US-Germany, 2005, and Indo-US, 2006). In addition to co-organizing several national and international symposia and workshops on composites manufacturing and nanomanufacturing for NSF, ASME, ASC, and ESAFORM, Dr. Chen has also served on editorial boards, advisory committees, and review panels for several journals and federal agencies, including NSF, NIH, the National Academies, ARL, and AFOSR. Julie has over 20 years of experience in the mechanical behavior and deformation of fiber structures, fiber assemblies, and composite materials, with an emphasis on composites processing. Examples include analytical modeling and novel experimental approaches to forming, energy absorption, and failure of textile reinforcements for structural (biomedical to automotive) applications. Recently, Dr. Chen’s research has also expanded into the area of nanomanufacturing, with a focus in electrospinning and controlled patterning of nanofibers.
Julie received her PhD, MS, and BS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.
Kristin Esterberg, Ph.D.
Provost & Academic Vice President
Salem State College
Dr. Kristin Esterberg is Provost and Academic Vice President at Salem State College. Previously, she was a professor of sociology at University of Massachusetts Lowell, where her work focused on gender and sexuality, social identities, and qualitative methods for social research. Her books include Lesbian and Bisexual Identities: Constructing Communities, Constructing Selves, and Qualitative Methods in Social Research. She has published numerous book chapters and articles and many presentations on gay, lesbian, and bisexual identities and social movements; lesbian parenting; and qualitative research methods.
Dr. Esterberg served as Associate Provost and as Deputy Provost at UMass Lowell from 2004 to 2007. Previously, she served as Chair of the Sociology Department at UMass Lowell and as Director of Women’s Studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she was also an advisory board member of the Women’s Leadership Institute.
Dr. Esterberg received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Cornell University.
Roslyn L. Feldberg, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Division of Labor Action
Massachusetts Nursing Association
Dr. Roslyn Feldberg, is the Associate Director at the Massachusetts Nurses Association, working with nurses to negotiate and administer their union contracts. Prior to her 22 years at MNA, she taught sociology and women’s studies at Boston University. Her research on comparable worth, women’s employment, changing technologies and women’s relationship to unions led her to her work at the MNA.
Dr. Feldberg received her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan.
Joyce Taylor Gibson, Ph.D.
Dean
University of Southern Maine, Lewiston-Auburn College
Dr. Joyce Taylor Gibson is the Dean at the University of Southern Maine, Lewiston-Auburn College. Prior to her position at the University of Southern Maine, Dr. Gibson had been a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Lowell for thirteen years in the Graduate School of Education where she has taught courses in Leadership, Organizational Change, and Managing Diversity. Joyce was appointed Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Services at UMass Lowell in 2004, and was promoted to Interim Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management & Student Services in 2007. Originally from Mississippi, Joyce has lived in Massachusetts for the last 28 years, and hails from a family committed to education and community service. Joyce enjoys reading, yoga, working with plants, and being a grandmother.
Dr. Gibson received her doctorate from the University of Florida with a major in educational leadership and a minor in cultural anthropology.
Stacie Hargis, M.A.
University of Massachusetts Lowell, Regional Economic and Social Development Alumna 2008
Stacie Hargis is the Director of the Lowell Small Business Assistance Center. Stacie works with a wide range of state community organizations promoting women's issues and the creative economy.
As a resident of Lowell since 2006, Stacie gives back to the community by advocating for women and participating in many arts and culture-related activities. She is also a member of the Cultural Organization of Lowell Board of Directors.
Stacie received her Master's degree from the UMass Lowell Department of Regional Economic and Social Development in May 2008. Additionally, Stacie received a Bachelor of Fine Art from Florida Atlantic University and a graduate certificate from the University of Massachusetts focusing on Women in Politics and Public Policy.
Evelyn Murphy, Ph.D.
President, The WAGE Project, Inc.
Resident Scholar, Women's Studies Research Center, Brandeis University
Dr. Evelyn Murphy is the Founder and President of the WAGE Project, Inc., a national organization to end wage discrimination against working women, and Resident Scholar on Leave in the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University, where she researched and authored a book on women's wages entitled, "Getting Even: Why Women Don't Get Paid Like Men and What To Do About It," published by Simon & Schuster in 2005. Today, women in dozens of communities and major metropolitan areas have started their own initiatives to gain equitable treatment at work through grassroots action - a direct outgrowth of the book and her work to empower women to get paid fairly.
Evenly is Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance Company and a Director of Citizens Energy Corporation. In her civic role, she serves as a founding Director of The Commonwealth Institute, a Trustee of Regis College, Honorary Chair of the Lost Coin Women’s Fund, Inc., a Director of The Polaris Project, and on the Advisory Board of Rosie’s Place, a shelter for homeless women in Boston.
Previously, Evelyn served as Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs; the state's Secretary of Economic Affairs; Lt. Governor (the first woman in the state’s 210 year history to hold constitutional office); Managing Director of Brown, Rudnick, Freed & Gesmer, a New England law firm; and corporate director of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Shawmut National Banks of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, Fleet National Bank, Fleet Mortgage Company, and Fleet Credit Card Corporation.Blue Cross named her Executive Vice President to manage all federal and state, media and civic relations; while Executive Vice President, she founded and became President of the health insurer’s HealthCare Policy Institute.
Evelyn is also a member of the International Women’s Forum and the Boston Club; for the last eight years, she has co-chaired the annual fundraiser for Rosie’s Place. She is the recipient of eleven honorary degrees and over one hundred national, state, and local awards. In her spare time, she has run the Boston Marathon many times and can be seen in the bleachers of Fenway Park, cheering for the Boston Red Sox.
Evelyn Murphy earned a BA from Duke University in mathematics; a MA in economics from Columbia University; and a PhD in economics from Duke University.
Esther Pearson, Ed.D
Department of Mathematics
Lasell College
Dr. Esther Pearson has made significant contributions over the past 25 years through corporate industry positions from engineer to engineering senior director. She has authored books, developed curriculum, designed industry programs, and advocated for technology policy both nationally and internationally.
Her academic career includes positions in higher education since 1983 to the present wherein she is presently an Assistant Mathematics Professor for Lasell College. She was also a Mathematics professor for Springfield College in Massachusetts and Rivier College in New Hampshire. Esther has also held positions as an Information System professor for Western New England College and Rivier College.
Her corporate career has spanned significant engineering and management positions with General Motors, American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T), Digital Computer Corporation, 3Com Corporation, and Genuity (acquired by Level 3 Communications). These positions allowed her to apply mathematics, science and technology to solve real world problems. Within these positions she has been an advocate for equity for women.
Esther holds a Doctorate of Education in Mathematics and Science from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, a Masters in Engineering Management from Western New England College, and a Bachelor of Applied Electrical Engineering Technology from Youngstown State University.
Judie Post, M.A.
Independent Consultant
Judie Post has worked for a number of government, non-profit, and corporate entities. As a consultant in fundraising, organizational development, human resources and traning, she has advised all types of businesses, but specializes in working with not-for-profit organizations. Since 1986, Judie has worked almost exclusively in the consulting role, both as owner and manager of Andover Personnel and then as a contract consultant. Prior roles in industry include positions with Hewlett Packard and General Electric as manager of employment and training.
In the non-profit sector, Judie has worked for and with: Mass Home Care as Director of Marketing, Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley as the Director of the Area Agency on Aging, the Town of Carlisle, Massachusetts, as the Director of the Council on Aging, and Gateways Community Services as the Director of Development and Communications. She has also worked for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health as Director of Elder Programs and has been a member of Community Partners, a non-profit consulting firm in Amherst, Massachusetts and Lanzikos and Associates, a consulting firm in Boston.
In order to better understand her work with non-profit agencies, Judie has served on the Boards of Belknap House (Concord, Massachusetts), University of Massachusetts Lowell College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board, Lowell Transitional Living Center, Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Northeast Area Advisory Board, Chelmsford Housing Elderly Partnership, Westford Initiative for Senior Housing, Nashua Senior Activity Center, and the Executive Service Corp of Northern New England. Judie also volunteers as a counselor for SCORE to assist new businesses in Southern New Hampshire and as an Executive Services of Northern New England Consultant, working with non-profit agencies.
A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Master of Arts in Community Social Psychology, Judie has continued to pursue up-to-date information in her field through certification in Human Resource Management from Babson College and Healthcare Risk Management from the New England Health Care Assembly. Current memberships include: the Association for Fundraising Professionals, American Psychological Association, American Society for Training and Development, SCORE and Executive Service Corp.
Jean L. Pyle, Ph.D.
Professor Emerita, Department of Regional Economic and Social Development
Jean L. Pyle is an economist specializing in the overlapping areas of labor, economic development, and policy, with particular focus on gender issues. In 2008-2009 her work addressed "Global Economic Change and the Migration of Asian Women: What Are the Issues?" Multiple trends associated with globalization have resulted in increased migration of Asian women for work over the past few decades. This migration, both internal and international, challenges the goals of national governments, involving them in difficult policy dilemmas. On the one hand, governments seek to find viable employment for their citizens (this often involves strategies that promote emigration) which increases foreign exchange reserves. On the other hand, they are ethically pressed to ensure the well-being of their citizens abroad. These dilemmas have been augmented by recent adverse global economic trends. This research will provide an overview of the issues from multi-level points of view, from that of the individual, her household, and her community to the region, nation, and the international arena.