Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal • May 9, 2016 www.wbjournal.com A ssumption College students will soon be able to get a master's degree in engineering from George Washington University's School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) on top of their bachelor's degree from the Worcester school under an agreement the schools reached in early May. The deal is among a slew of articula- tion agreements that allow Assumption students to go on to schools such as Notre Dame, Duke University and New England School of Law where they can get degrees in specialized fields such as forestry and law. However, this is the first agreement that will allow students to complete their undergraduate bachelor's degree at Assumption and then move directly to studying for a master's degree in engineering they can complete in three years at the school in St. Louis. Why engineering? Having access to an engineering pro- gram such as SEAS at Washington University benefits the quantitatively minded students who attend Assumption by allowing them to tran- sition their liberal arts education into a professional path towards engineering, said Louise Carroll Keeley, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Assumption College. The liberal arts education provides a well-rounded base while the SEAS pro- gram will allow the students to acceler- ate along a particular professional path, she said. "We understand the importance that prospective students and parents give to a professional life. We know that's important, but we believe the liberal arts is the best foundation for that," Keeley said. What you end up with is a well- rounded professional who can deal with ethical dilemmas and look at situ- ations from a wider array of perspec- tives, she said. Why a master's? Having a mas- ter's degree moves the student fur- ther along the p r o f e s s i o n a l shoot, Keeley said. Increasingly hav- ing an advanced degree allows a student to get bet- ter job placement when they enter the workforce upon their graduation. "The more education and the better quality education one can earn helps to position a person to realize the goals he or she is seeking in a career and in life," Keeley said. n Worcester named 2nd best N. England city to start a business Worcester has been ranked 33rd in the nation on a list of the 150 best cities in which to start a business, clinching the second highest rank for a New England city behind Boston at 14th. The study from Wallet Hub ranked cities based on the categories of busi- ness environment, access to resources and cost. Worcester's rank, which was higher than other cities such as Denver, Fort Worth, Miami and Memphis, stemmed primarily from a ranking of 19th in the nation when it comes to access to resources. This portion of the ranking covers financing availability, availability of human capital, higher education institutions and a college- educated workforce. Spectrum Health names new presi- dent and CEO Worcester's Spectrum Health Systems has named Kurt Isaacson as the organization's new president and CEO, replacing Charles "Chuck" Faris as he steps into retirement. Isaacson, the addiction services non- profit's current chief operating officer, will take over for Faris in July. Faris joined the organization in 1971 and served as CEO beginning in 2000 dur- ing a period of "significant evolution," according to a release from Spectrum. According to Spectrum, Faris was key in the company evolving from a single long-term residential program to a continuum of care that has helped thousands overcome addiction. Isaacson has been with the company since 2013, spearheading growth initia- tives such as opening six new outpa- tient facilities in the last two and a half years and two new residential treat- ment facilities. WPI grads launch new business A group of Worcester Polytechnic Institute graduates have launched a new business that brings gardening into the home and places it on the wall as living art. The company, dubbed Living Art LLC, was started by college friends David Liston, Omri Flaisher, Anthony Hassan and Andrew Turgeon. Their product -- The Wall Garden -- brings living plants indoors but avoids taking up prime apartment real estate by being placed directly on the wall. Designed to resemble a picture frame, The Wall Garden is an all encompassed unit that can be used to grow herbs, vegetables and flowers on the wall. According to the inventors, the product is as simple as filling it with water, hanging it on the wall and plug- ging it in. The patent-pending inven- tion with a price point around $300 will have a Kickstarter fundraising cam- paign launching on May 2. Wormtown partners with Spencer Brewery Wormtown Brewery has contracted with Spencer Brewery to brew seasonal beers as the Worcester company pushes to meet strong demand. Wormtown officialswill partner with the Trappist monks of Spencer who have brewed beer since 2014. Managing partner David Fields explained that the decision to contract out a portion of the company's brewing was made due to huge demand for the company's beer. In the last year the company has gone from a 6,500 barrel capacity to 18,000 barrels with plans to expand even more in the coming year. Contracting out what will equate to approximately 5 percent of Wormtown's brewing capacity will allow the brewery to meet demand for its staple beers. Central Mass. biopharmas hiring at record rate The biopharma industry in Central Massachusetts is hiring at a record rate, with job listings throughout Worcester and the 495 more than doubling in the first quarter of 2016, according to the MassBioEd Foundation. The quarterly report from the orga- nization tracks online job listings for the industry. The latest report found that job listings for Central Massachusetts grew from 504 in the first quarter of 2015 to 1,104. Sanofi Genzyme led in the region in total list- ings in the period, followed by Quest Diagnostics, according to MassBioEd. Although nearly every region saw growth, Central Massachusetts saw the greatest growth in job listings in Massachusetts. A notable exception is the Route 128 corridor and suburbs area, which saw a decline in job listings. Hopkinton architects create high- est LEED building in Massachusetts The firm of Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects announced that its recently completed project for Subaru of New England in Norwood has achieved the LEED Platinum rating with 86 points, making it the highest rated LEED building in Massachusetts and highest in its class in New England. The project consists of a 75,000-square-foot office building and a 90,000-square-foot distribution facil- ity to accommodate the Subaru of New England Corporate offices, as well as training facilities, dealer distribution offices and advertising centers. The Norwood building was designed by the Hopkinton architects with effi- ciency and energy consciousness in mind. It includes a solar array; a super efficient HVAC system and insulation. REGIONAL BRIEFS Verbatim "I do not think that we should say to the 18, 19, 20-year-old who is serving on our behalf, wearing the uniform, picking up a gun, doing what they need to do and obeying orders to protect us that, you know what, you can't smoke today." Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry (D-Boston), on raising the state smoking age to 21 >> "Kinder Morgan's decision to suspend the Northeast Energy Direct project is a game changer. This allows us to have a broader discussion about how to meet Massachusetts' energy needs." Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, on a halt to the construction of a natural gas pipeline into the state >> "The many luxury units coming online in Greater Boston have clearly had an outsize effect on the market ... It's certain- ly good news for the condo developers currently in permitting or under con- struction." Timothy Warren Jr., CEO of The Warren Group, about condo prices exceeding single- family home prices in Massachusetts >> In Review CENTRALMASS >> Continued on next page Assumption College launches engineering degree BY SAM BONACCI Worcester Business Journal Digital Editor Louise Carroll Keeley, provost and vice presi- dent for academic affairs at Assumption College

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