The Boston University women’s basketball community and alumnae base is a cornerstone of the program. Over several sessions this summer, student-athletes were exposed to and were able to connect with distinguished alumnae from our women’s basketball program who each possessed unique lived experiences cross-industry and cross-country.

Topics covered ranged from personal branding, job search and interview materials preparation recommendations as well as tips for entering the workforce. Each alumna spoke to their professional progressions and personal backgrounds, and all panelists exhibited a willingness to engage authentically and share their favorite moments from their days at BU, such as team meals at T Anthony’s, game-winning buzzer beaters, and reflect on what they wish they would have done. A question and answer session at the end of each panel allowed student-athletes to begin their networking and apply the skillset’s they possess and direct questions of interest to them.

Thoughts from Coach Moseley and Maren Durant (SAR’23), Mackenzie Miers (SHA’21) and Ashley Sieper (CGS’22):

Head coach Marisa Moseley (CAS’04): “This summer’s alumnae panels were a fantastic opportunity for our current team and former Terriers to connect. It illuminated the need for cross-generational interactions more than ever at a time like this. I am grateful to our incredible alumnae who took the time to meet and share with our team their experiences and expertise. This program epitomizes our mantra of ‘once a Terrier, always a Terrier’.”

Maren Durant (SAR’23): “It was so rewarding to connect with our alumnae during the panel sessions. I particularly loved hearing from the women currently in the professions related to the healthcare field. It was interesting to learn about the various paths taken, ranging from medical device sales to biostatistics.”

Mackenzie Miers (SHA’21): “The alumnae panels were a fantastic learning experience that the coaching staff provided for us. It allowed us to connect with alumnae and learn more about potential career paths we may like. I’ve even been able to email with one about the possibility of an interview with her company post-graduation within the field of hospitality management!”

Ashley Sieper (CGS’22): “The alumnae panels helped to provide me with insight into the work world. I not only learned about interesting career paths I had not been exposed to prior, but I also learned valuable lessons from our panelists. I’m very thankful to the alumni who were willing to share their time with use and give us advice as we move forward after college.”

Sessions were focused on specific industries with a breakdown of sessions and panelists below:

Panel 1: Basketball Beyond BU

Becky Bonner (COM ’05) is a member of the Orlando Magic’s front office as the director of player development and quality control. Previous stops have included an overseas career in Europe, as well as at the NBA league office working to create the women’s division of Basketball without Borders

Charles Lee (Bucknell ’06) graduated from Bucknell and is a former conference player of the year. Currently, Lee is an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks with previous coaching stops with the Atlanta Hawks and Bucknell men’s program. Additionally, Lee played professionally for four years.

Maggie McKemie-Lee (Questrom ’10) played overseas for several seasons, including a stop in Switzerland, and currently works at Simulmedia in New York City as a senior account executive. 

Panel 2: Education—Teaching—Coaching—Athletic Administration

Howie Landau (CAS ’12, SED ’13) was the head student manager for his four years on Comm. Ave. and is currently a middle school health education teacher at Newton public schools and is the varsity girls basketball coach at Lincoln Sudbury High School.

Danielle Callahan (CAS ’13, SED ’14) is a 4th grade elementary school teacher and the varsity girls basketball coach at the St. Patrick School in San Diego.

Kerry Cashman (SHA ’11) is the assistant athletic director at Andover High School. In addition to coaching the unified basketball and track teams, she is an assistant for the girls varsity basketball team.

Panel 3: Government—Law—Corporate Relations

Kelly J. Gallagher (CAS ’98) was a four-year starter and is an attorney and owner of her law office in Watertown, Massachusetts where she focuses upon real estate law. She earned her JD from Suffolk Law School.

Ashley Carr-Merritt (CAS ’04) is senior counsel, global director of contracts management for Brand industrial Services Inc. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a current focus on the oversight of all customer related transactions, the contracts review process and management of the US and international contracts team. She earned her JD from Marquette University Law School.

Panel 4: Media—Communications—Radio—TV—Public Relations

Alex Young (COM ’12) works in Chicago, Illinois for Evolution Marketing as a supervisor of integrated client services where she is involved in helping brands connect with their fans through sports platforms, sponsorship and activation. 

Barbara Barr (COM ’79) serves as a reporter and anchor for WGAL-TV in central Pennsylvania, where she covers news and sports, and in previous roles has been awarded the Walter Cronkite Award for political coverage. She holds a master’s in journalism and public affairs from American University.

Kristen Sims (COM ’13) resides in Chicago, Illinois and works for MERGE as the associate producer, where she is responsible for managing timelines and budgets for her teams and works with all teams across the agency to ensure all projects are completed within scope and on time. 

Panel 5: Business— Finance—Marketing

Troi Melton (COM ’15, MET ’16) is based in Cambridge working at Agilent Technologies as an enterprise program manager where she manages day-to-day laboratory operations and oversees a team of administrators and engineers. 

Gina M. LaPlante (CAS ’99) received her JD from Case Western Reserve University and is currently the Head of Global EPMO, Health Products & platforms at Wipro Ltd/SVP HealthPlan Services. In this position, she is accountable for the project management organization’s strategic direction and delivery activities with her offices and staff.

Kasie Carbacio (SHA ’12) is currently the managing partner and VP of operations at the My Neighbor Felix, a Pan-American restaurant infused with the gracious spirit of Mexico, in Denver, Colorado.

Panel 6: Health Professions—Medical—Research

Erin Bayram (SHA ’18) works at Stryker Sports Medicine as an associate sales representative in Manchester, New Hampshire. Previously, Bayram work for Marriott International in Nashville.

Amarachi Umez-Eronini (CAS ’09, SPH ’11) is the associate director of statistical programming and Biostatistics at AVROBI Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is an experienced biostatistician/statistical programmer in the combined fields of medicine, mathematics, statistics and science. 

Payton Hauck (ENG ’19) is a software engineer at John Hancock Financial Services in Boston, participating in a rotation program where she is presented with the opportunity to join a new business unit within the company. 

Rachel Woodruff (Sargent ’03) is the lead occupational therapist at encompass health valley of the Sun in Glendale, Arizona. Additionally, she is neuro dynamic therapy certified, allowing her to work with stroke and spinal cord injured patients. 

Panel 7: BUWBB with Dave Morgan (Penn State ’85, Dickinson JD’88)

Coordinated by Maggie McKemie-Lee (Questrom ’10), the team was able to engage with Dave Morgan, CEO of Simulmedia, and ask questions surrounding leadership, establishing your values in addition to workplace culture.