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HIGHER TECH
“Boston College has a commitment to preparing students for life after graduation, and it has the opportunity to continue to build upon this tradition in the future,” says Bell. He wants to make sure that each management major leaves Boston College with an intimate awareness of the relationship between business and technology—and with the real-world tools to land a job. That’s why Bell and his wife, Marilee Denelle Bell ’87, who met when they were dormitory advisors at Boston College, have decided to dedicate their recent gift—one of the largest ever from 1980s alumni—to creating a program that will enhance business and technology education at the University. Marilee Bell, a former assistant district attorney for Middlesex County who received her J.D. from the Catholic University of America, says, “The education I received at Boston College was the foundation for my career. Supporting the University is also important to me as I want our children to have the same benefits of a BC education.”
The Bells understand that business schools must strike a careful balance between theory and practice, and that the practical will be enhanced by luring alumni into the classroom. “There’s a big misconception in business that things like sales are not academic and that you can’t really teach them. That’s completely false,” Peter Bell says. “There has to be a certain skill set we can teach. There’s an opportunity to better prepare students for the real world.” One of the most important skills—clinching the job interview—is often overlooked in academia, something Peter Bell has seen firsthand. He recalls a round of job interviews he conducted for the data storage company he founded. Many applicants were bright and had degrees from good colleges, but they asked lackluster questions, knew little about the company, and seemed generally unprepared. Then one young man marched in with a full presentation about the industry and explained how he would make the company grow. He got the position. Carroll School graduates are already strong contenders in the business and technology marketplace. Peter Bell, who received an M.B.A. from Harvard, wants to develop more students who are as well prepared as that young man. “BC has a niche in the intersection of business and technology,” he says. “With additional resources, it could be a leading university in this field.” Photo at top of page: The Carroll School of Management. Inset photo: Marilee Denelle Bell and Peter W. Bell. |
