Bay Path University Recognizes Alumnae at Reunion Awards Ceremony
Longmeadow, MA— Bay Path honored three remarkable alumnae and one respected and admired supporter of the University at the recent annual Alumni Reunion. Jada Furlow ’19, Stephanie Huckel ’04 G’10, Donna Chapin ’69, Jane Roulier ’89, and Noel Leary were recognized for their significant contributions to leadership and community building, as well as their value as ambassadors who represent the philosophy and mission of Bay Path.
The Recent Alumni Award is given to an alumna of the University who graduated within the last 10 years and shows great promise as a leader. For 2019, the University recognized Jada Furlow ’19, who recently received a bachelor of science in business with a major in communications. As an undergraduate, Furlow co-founded the Bay Path University Newsroom which generated the online publication Network News, and was the president of the communications club. For her efforts in communications, Furlow has been recognized with several awards including the 2018 Communications Leadership Award for excellence in media (social and broadcast) communication and the 2019 Young Rising Leader in Journalism Award presented by the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications.
Stephanie Huckel, class of 2004, and a 2010 graduate from Bay Path’s Master of Science in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy program, was given the University’s Bold Woman Award, established to recognize women who have dedicated their lives to being bold, taking risks, and striving to achieve their goals with dignity and passion. Huckel is a passionate and authentic leader with over ten years of experience in the area of diversity and inclusion. She has held full-time strategic diversity and inclusion positions in nonprofit and for-profit environments, including Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Baystate Health, and her current employer IGT, or international Gaming Technologies, as a senior global program manager. A speaker and presenter who is in constant demand, she is also the president of Huckel Inclusive, a diversity and inclusion consulting company providing educational and consulting services to educational institutions, for-profit, nonprofit, and government agencies.
The Power of One Award, an honor established to acknowledge an individual, who, through outstanding philanthropy and service to the University, has carved a path for others to follow, was given to Donna Chapin ’69. Over the years, Chapin has been a strong supporter of Bay Path and is a member of the Legacy Society. She has also contributed to underwriting the University’s annual Capitals of the World Trip, a spring break program open to Bay Path students, alumni and friends. In the past 20 years, hundreds of students have visited such cultural and historic gems as London, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Beijing, Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna, and Athens, to name a few.
The James McGill Carpe Diem Award recognizes an alumna who’s educational, employment and civic contributions truly epitomize the University’s Motto—Carpe Diem…Seize the Day! It is named in honor of Bay Path graduate James McGill, class of 1935. This year’s distinction went to Jane Roulier, class of 1989. When the University launched the Charting New Paths campaign, Jane and her husband, Dan, stepped forward to become co-chairs, and established the Dan and Jane Roulier Endowed Scholarship for students in the One Day program. This was their second scholarship, having established the Roulier Endowed Scholarship several years earlier. Both scholarships provide financial assistance for high-need, single mothers pursuing a college degree. Active in the community on many levels, Jane and Dan were recognized for the unflagging generosity with the 2009 Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year Award by the Association of Fund Raising Professionals, Western Massachusetts chapter. As an alumna, Jane was a member of the Bay Path Board of Trustees, and in 2018 she retired from her role after serving for 12 years. Currently, she sits on the Board of Directors of Girls, Inc. of the Valley.
The President’s Award is given to a non-alumni who has done much to serve the University and the community, and has been an inspiration to Bay Path’s president. In 2019, the recipient was Noel Leary. President Leary, who will be retiring in 2020, recognized his unwavering support and wise counsel during her tenure, and his dedication to the students and mission of Bay Path. “For his compassionate, caring interactions with students and alumni to his attendance at almost every student and community events, there is no one more deserving of this award. He has been a steadfast proponent of women’s education, and through the challenges and triumphs, he has always been there for me.” Leary is a retired real estate association executive and the principal for Noel Leary Associates.
About Bay Path University
Bay Path University was founded in 1897. With locations in Longmeadow (main), East Longmeadow (Philip H. Ryan Health Science Center), Springfield (MA), Sturbridge (MA), and Concord (MA), Bay Path’s innovative program offerings include traditional undergraduate degrees for women, The American Women's College on-ground and online, the first all-women, all-online accredited bachelor’s degree programs in the country; over 30 master’s and doctoral programs for women and men; and Strategic Alliances, offering professional development courses for individuals and organizations. Bay Path’s goal is to give students confidence in the fundamentals of their chosen field, the curiosity to question the ordinary, the leadership to show initiative, and the desire to make a difference.