BOSTON — The state’s total unemployment rate remained at 3.6% in September, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ preliminary job estimates indicate Massachusetts lost 6,200 jobs in September. Over the month, the private sector lost 6,000 jobs, although gains occurred in trade, transportation, and utilities; education and health services; professional, scientific, and business services; construction; and financial activities. The jobs level for other services remained unchanged over the month.

From September 2017 to September 2018, BLS estimates Massachusetts has added 63,400 jobs. 

The September unemployment rate was one-tenth of a percentage point lower than the national rate of 3.7% reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Last month, preliminary data indicates that there were 17,500 more employed residents and 1,500 fewer unemployed in the Commonwealth. The continued labor-force gains and an estimated addition of 48,800 jobs year-to-date are signs that our economy is attracting more residents to enter and gain employment in Massachusetts,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta.

The labor force increased by 16,100 from 3,806,000 in August, as 17,500 more residents were employed and 1,500 fewer residents were unemployed over the month. Over the year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.6%.

The state’s labor-force participation rate — the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks — is up two-tenths of a percentage point over the month at 67.8%. Compared to September 2017, the labor-force participation rate is up 2.4%. 

The largest private-sector percentage job gains over the year were in construction; professional, scientific, and business services; other services; and manufacturing.

SPRINGFIELD — Comcast announced it is the nation’s largest provider of gigabit broadband, with the ultra-fast Xfinity Gigabit Internet and Comcast Business Gigabit services now available to nearly all of the company’s 58 million homes and businesses in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

This availability includes nearly 100% of Comcast Internet serviceable households in Western Mass., including the communities of Agawam, Amherst, Bernardston, Buckland, Chester, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Granby, Granville, Greenfield, Hatfield, Hardwick, Holyoke, Huntington, Longmeadow, Monson, Montague, Northfield, Northampton, Palmer, Pelham, Shelburne, South Hadley, Southwick, Springfield, Sunderland, Ware, West Springfield, Westfield, Westhampton, Whately, and Williamsburg. 

This national deployment represents the fastest rollout of gigabit speeds to the most homes in the country. Comcast has increased speeds 17 times in 17 years and doubles the capacity of its broadband network every 18 to 24 months.

Comcast’s residential broadband service is powered and controlled by Xfinity xFi, a digital dashboard that personalizes, monitors, and manages wi-fi-connected devices in the home. Consumers now can add xFi Pods, which are small, easy-to-install extenders that plug into any electrical outlet, pair with xFi Wireless Gateways, and help customers create a mesh network that extends coverage to hard-to-reach areas of their home.

Outside the home, Xfinity Internet customers also have access to more than 19 million WiFi hotspots, so they can stay connected on the go at no additional cost.

Comcast’s residential Xfinity Gigabit internet service uses the existing network connections that are already in most customers’ homes. Installation is easy and requires no special construction or digging up lawns, the company notes. In many cases, customers don’t need a service visit, as the broadband equipment comes with a simple self-installation kit.

SPRINGFIELD — The second annual class of Healthcare Heroes will be honored at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Healthcare Heroes, a recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched last spring by HCN and BusinessWest. The program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and people providing that care.

This year’s honorees include Mary Paquette, director of Health Services and nurse practitioner, American International College; Celeste Surreira, assistant director of Nursing, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke; Peter DePergola II, director of Clinical Ethics, Baystate Health; Dr. Matthew Sadof, pediatrician, Baystate Children’s Hospital; TechSpring; the Consortium and the Opioid Task Force; and Robert Fazzi, founder, Fazzi Associates. The seven winners were profiled in the Sept. 4 issue of BusinessWest and the September issue of HCN, and will be feted at the Oct. 25 gala.

Tickets cost $90, and tables of 10 are available. To order tickets, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com. Healthcare Heroes sponsors include American International College (presenting sponsor), Baystate Health/Health New England (presenting sponsor), National Grid (partner), and supporting sponsors Renew.Calm, the Elms College MBA program, Bay Path University, and Mercy Medical Center/Trinity Health Of New England.

AMHERST — Professor Ramesh Sitaraman of UMass Amherst’s College of Information and Computer Sciences is one of a large team of scientists and engineers who have been honored by the Assoc. for Computing Machinery with its SIGCOMM Networking Systems Award for work that “has had a significant impact on the world of computer networking,” the association said.

Sitaraman and colleagues are credited with building the Akamai content-delivery network (CDN), the world’s first major CDN and now one of the largest ever built, and for pioneering the concept of internet content delivery. The Akamai CDN currently consists of 240,000 servers in 130 countries and serves about one-quarter of all internet traffic.

CDNs deliver a majority of internet traffic today, including much of the world’s e-commerce, news, media, entertainment, social networks, and online applications. Two decades after their creation, Sitaraman noted, CDNs have completely transformed the internet as we know it while simultaneously spawning a business sector valued at tens of billions of dollars.

“CDNs may be the most important technical breakthrough you have never heard of,” he noted. “That’s because CDNs work unnoticed, under the cover of your browser, video player, or application. But CDNs are what make your web pages load faster, make your videos play continuously without freezes, and enable billions of people around the world to watch a live soccer game on the internet.”

CDN creators accomplished this using algorithms that continuously monitor the state of the global internet, balance server load, map users to the nearest server, cache content requested by the user, and reliably transport content to billions of users.

Sitaraman, who helped build Akamai and left academia to translate his research into practice there, observed that “the future looks even more exciting since much foundational scientific research is needed to make the internet much more secure and more sustainable than what it is today. CDNs are a good example of how academic research can fundamentally change the world.”

He now directs the CICS Laboratory for Internet-Scale Distributed Systems and is a member of its Theoretical Computer Science group. His research involves all aspects of internet-scale distributed systems, including algorithms, architectures, performance, and energy efficiency. He is currently focused on the next-generation internet. Sitaraman received also 2014 College Outstanding Teacher Award.

SPRINGFIELD — Invesco Ltd. and MassMutual announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement, whereby Invesco will acquire MassMutual asset-management affiliate OppenheimerFunds Inc. In turn, MassMutual and OppenheimerFunds employee shareholders will receive a combination of common and preferred equity consideration, and MassMutual will become a significant shareholder in Invesco, with an approximate 15.5% stake.

This strategic transaction will bring Invesco’s total assets under management to more than $1.2 trillion, making it the 13th-largest global investment manager and sixth- largest U.S. retail investment manager, further enhancing the company’s ability to meet client needs through its comprehensive range of high-conviction active, passive, and alternative capabilities.

“The combination with OppenheimerFunds and the strategic partnership with MassMutual will meaningfully enhance our ability to meet client needs, accelerate growth, and strengthen our business over the long term,” said Martin Flanagan, president and CEO of Invesco. “This is a compelling, highly strategic and accretive transaction for Invesco that will help us achieve a number of objectives: enhance our leadership in the U.S. and global markets, deliver the outcomes clients seek, broaden our relevance among top clients, deliver strong financial results, and continue attracting the best talent in the industry.”

“We have long held OppenheimerFunds’ people and strong investment performance track record in high regard,” Flanagan continued. “OppenheimerFunds’ culture and commitment to high-conviction investing complement our own, and the combination will create significant opportunities for the talented professionals of both companies.”

MassMutual Chairman, President, and CEO Roger Crandall added that “MassMutual is excited for the next chapter in our successful asset-management strategy. Invesco is a highly regarded asset manager, and OppenheimerFunds has been an incredibly successful affiliate of MassMutual for the past 28 years. We look forward to participating in the future growth of the combined entity as a long-term partner and shareholder. This strategic combination positions us well to continue to benefit from a strong, diversified, global asset-management business, which will further strengthen our financial position and support our ability to invest in the long term, provide increased value to our policy owners and customers, and help us deliver on our purpose to help people secure their future and protect the ones they love.”

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) is offering two one-day seminars aimed at teaching people how to better manage difficult conversations, both in their professional and personal lives.

“Facilitating Difficult Conversations” will run on Friday, Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and again on Saturday, Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in HCC’s Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development on the main HCC campus at 303 Homestead Ave.

“Poor or ineffective communication is the biggest impediment to success at work and happiness in one’s private life,” said Ken White, HCC dean of Community Services. “In these seminars, people will learn the skills necessary to achieve both.”

White said the seminars, led by Debbie Lynangale, director of the Mediation & Training Collaborative in Greenfield, are appropriate for managers, public officials, educators, parents, customer-service personnel, law-enforcement professionals, or anyone else who wants to learn techniques for setting up and preparing for difficult conversations, conveying tough messages, receiving challenging feedback, and harnessing the creative energy that conflict can bring. Participants will practice de-escalation techniques and ways to develop better listening skills to support problem solving.

The cost of each one-day seminar is $125. For more information or to register, visit hcc.edu/bce or call HCC Community Services at (413) 552-2123.

SPRINGFIELD — Pathlight, a Valley leader in residential and community services for people with intellectual disabilities or autism, has been awarded $23,000 in funding from the Westfield Bank Future Fund and the Chicopee Savings Bank Charitable Foundation to support a sex-education and relationships program that gives people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism the skills to build and maintain healthy relationships throughout their lives.

The program, called Whole Selves, is the result of 10 years of teaching the social skills of relationships to adolescents, teens, and adults with a variety of disabilities at Pathlight’s Whole Children program. Whole Selves is flexible and individualized, uses explicit instruction, and has proven to be successful in local high schools where it is taught. Pathlight is developing the program to be available online to middle and high schools nationally.

“Whole Selves is a game changer for people with disabilities,” said Pathlight Executive Director Ruth Banta. “We are so grateful to the Westfield Bank Future Fund and the Chicopee Savings Bank Charitable Foundation for supporting our vision for people with intellectual disabilities.”

One goal of the Whole Selves project is to prevent the staggering rate of sexual abuse among people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (ID/DD). According to a recent report by NPR, people with ID/DD are sexually assaulted at a rate seven times higher than those without disabilities.

A robust and accessible education is one solution to preventing abuse and isolation, and Whole Selves is developed specifically for this population. Pathlight is piloting the program in several schools this fall, with an eye toward releasing it nationally in 2019.

“The foundation couldn’t be more pleased to lend its support to Pathlight’s successful Whole Selves Program,” said Bill Wagner, president of the Chicopee Savings Bank Charitable Foundation. “It’s truly unfortunate that persons with intellectual disabilities are often victims of abuse, and we are grateful to have such an innovative thinker in Pathlight, who had the foresight to develop an educational program designed specifically to reduce that risk and enhance the quality of their lives.”

Added Kevin O’Connor, executive vice president and chief banking officer at Westfield Bank, “every person deserves the opportunity to live a whole life, and to achieve their potential free from abuse. We’re proud to stand with the people of Pathlight who are working to make life better for people in our communities with intellectual disabilites or autism, through education, communication, and support.”

CHICOPEE — Elms College promoted Brother Michael Duffy, conventual Franciscan friar, to the position of associate dean of the School of Nursing. In this role, he will have primary responsibility for the School of Nursing’s undergraduate programs, service learning programs, and international studies.

Duffy most recently served as coordinator of the accelerated second degree in Nursing program, assistant professor of Nursing, and director of the Elms College caRe vaN, a free health clinic on wheels that serves homeless and underserved people of Chicopee while affording clinical experience to pre-licensure students.

Duffy has extensive experience as an adult nurse practitioner and a nurse educator, teaching at Elms from 1988 through 1997, and again since 2011. He has practiced in healthcare in homeless settings in Massachusetts, Philadelphia, and Baltimore for years. In 2011, he returned from a six-year assignment in Jamaica, where he managed a rural clinic, to serve as the coordinator of the accelerated second degree program in Nursing.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from American International College, his master’s degree from the University of Lowell, and his doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree from Regis College in Weston, where his caRe vaN vision came to fruition as his doctoral project.

Today, the caRe vaN is staffed with pre-licensure students, RN-to-BS students, clinical faculty, and DNP students, and provides free healthcare to the homeless and underserved in Chicopee. The caRe vaN started in a renovated RV and is now housed in a larger, up-to-date unit that is towed from site to site.

Duffy returns to Jamaica each winter with second degree accelerated nursing students who fulfill their population-health and community-nursing experience through a broad range of patient care and clinical experiences, which the students have described as “transformative” to their professional identity and future practice as nurses.

“Since Br. Michael joined the Elms nursing faculty, his strong dedication and commitment to the college, students, the School of Nursing, and the community have been evident in all of his work, earning him the tremendous respect of all,” said Kathleen Scoble, dean of the School of Nursing. “His leadership has been integral to the growth of the School of Nursing through the development of the accelerated second degree program, service learning on the local and international levels, and instruction in the DNP program. We are extremely fortunate to have Brother Michael assume this important position.”

Duffy received the Paul Harris tribute by the Rotary Club of Chicopee in 2013. The Paul Harris tribute is the highest recognition the Rotary gives to an individual who lives by the slogan “service above self.”

“There is little doubt that Brother Michael Duffy will make a significant contribution to the college and the School of Nursing in his new position,” Scoble said. “He is simply a very special person who has in many ways positively impacted all those around him.”

SPRINGFIELD — The second annual class of Healthcare Heroes will be honored at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Healthcare Heroes, a recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched last spring by HCN and BusinessWest. The program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and people providing that care.

This year’s honorees include Mary Paquette, director of Health Services and nurse practitioner, American International College; Celeste Surreira, assistant director of Nursing, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke; Peter DePergola II, director of Clinical Ethics, Baystate Health; Dr. Matthew Sadof, pediatrician, Baystate Children’s Hospital; TechSpring; the Consortium and the Opioid Task Force; and Robert Fazzi, founder, Fazzi Associates. The seven winners were profiled in the Sept. 4 issue of BusinessWest and the September issue of HCN, and will be feted at the Oct. 25 gala.

Tickets cost $90, and tables of 10 are available. To order tickets, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com. Healthcare Heroes sponsors include American International College (presenting sponsor), Baystate Health/Health New England (presenting sponsor), National Grid (partner), and supporting sponsors Renew.Calm, the Elms College MBA program, Bay Path University, and Mercy Medical Center/Trinity Health Of New England.

HOLYOKE — Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), the statewide employer association, will honor three distinguished Western Mass. businesses today, Oct. 18, for unique contributions to the state economy.

AIM will present Next Century awards to Six Flags New England of Agawam and United Personnel of Springfield. The association will also present the 2018 Sustainability Award to brush manufacturer Sanderson-MacLeod of Palmer. The awards will be presented at a celebration of Western Mass. employers from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke.

Next Century awards honor employers, community organizations, and individuals who have made seminal contributions to the Massachusetts economy and the well-being of the people who live here. The Sustainability Award recognizes excellence in environmental stewardship, promotion of social well-being, and contributions to economic prosperity.

The economic footprint of Six Flags New England is every bit as unmistakable as the Superman roller coaster that rises along the Connecticut River above the largest amusement park in New England.

Six Flags, which began to operate the former Riverside Park in 1998, has spent millions of dollars over two decades to expand its lineup of 100 rides, shows, and attractions, along with the largest water park in the Northeast. The company is the region’s largest seasonal employer, hiring more than 3,000 people each year during a nine-month season that stretches from the spring through the summer to the holidays.

The 235-acre park is also a linchpin of the tourism economy both for Western Mass. and the entire Commonwealth. The organization’s 13 roller coasters draw thousands of visitors to the region and provide national media exposure for Massachusetts as a destination.

At a time when finding qualified employees remains a defining challenge for Massachusetts companies, United Personnel of Springfield connects more than 700 people each day to good jobs throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut.

It’s been that way for 35 years, since Mary Ellen Scott and her late husband, Jay Canavan, started the company with the goal of providing employment opportunities to match the skills and aspirations of a range of Western Mass. residents. The company has thrived during the intervening decades by deftly weaving itself into the fabric of a regional economy that operates to a unique degree on personal contact and trust.

United Personnel recently created a scholarship fund in the company’s name that will help deserving students from the Gateway Cities of the Pioneer Valley continue their educations. The fund will be administered by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

Many manufacturing companies have adopted continuous-improvement initiatives, but few small employers have adopted them as comprehensively as Sanderson MacLeod. The company initiated a continuous-improvement effort while establishing a lean culture under which employee teams identified waste. Sanderson MacLeod says involving the work force in improving the company created a rewarding experience.

Sanderson MacLeod says the move to lean manufacturing has made the company measurably more efficient, producing more parts in a shorter amount of time. On-time shipping metrics improved, and lead times decreased. As a result, the company has brought in additional business based upon its ability to produce quality parts delivered on time. Employment has increased 23% since the process began.

EAST LONGMEADOW — Epstein Financial Services recently announced the hiring of Carla Maurer as chief financial officer. Maurer brings nearly a decade of financial experience to the role and will be responsible for all accounting activities, including cash flow, budgeting, and financial planning.

“We are thrilled to have Carla join our team,” said Charlie Epstein, founder and CEO of Epstein Financial Services. “She possesses a tremendous financial background across a variety of sectors, including healthcare and education, and we are excited to get her involved in our day-to-day operations.”

Previously, Maurer served as director of Administrative Services for Lincoln Tech, where she handled fiscal matters for the post-secondary vocational school. She helped facilitate the annual preparation of operating budgets, reviewed month-end profit and loss statements, and prepared monthly and quarterly forecasts for the corporate executive team.

For nearly four years, Maurer held the position of financial and administrative director for Pioneer Continuing Care Providers, where she oversaw payroll, human resources, and day-to-day business activities. Prior to that, she worked as an accounting manager for Hampden County Physicians, where she held managerial responsibility for a multi-specialty group practice with more than 70 providers and 14 locations.

Maurer has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in accounting and taxation from American International College.

SPRINGFIELD — Beginning Monday, Nov. 5, the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley will sponsor a 40-hour, 14-class sales licensing course to help individuals prepare for the Massachusetts real-estate salesperson license exam. The course will be completed on Dec. 12.

Tuition is $379 and includes the book and materials. For more information and an application, call the Realtor Assoc. of Pioneer Valley at (413) 785-1328.

CHICOPEE — Elms College announced that class of 2018 graduates from its School of Nursing achieved a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses). This means every one of the college’s 2018 bachelor’s-degree graduates passed the licensure exam.

“We are very proud of the 100% pass rate of our 2018 graduates on the NCLEX-RN,” said Kathleen Scoble, dean of the School of Nursing. “A perfect NCLEX-RN pass rate is challenging to achieve and a distinguishing outcome for a nursing program. I believe this reflects the quality of our nursing program, the culture of excellence we have worked to create in the Elms School of Nursing, and the quality and commitment of our community of nurses, across the continuum of healthcare sites, who contribute every day to the education of our students in their clinical learning.”

In 2017, the Massachusetts pass rate for the NCLEX-RN was 86%, and the national rate was 87%; Elms College 2017 graduates achieved a pass rate of 96%. To date, the national 2018 NCLEX-RN pass rate for U.S. undergraduate nurses is 92%, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Inc.

SPRINGFIELD — The second annual class of Healthcare Heroes will be honored at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Healthcare Heroes, a recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched last spring by HCN and BusinessWest. The program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and people providing that care.

This year’s honorees include Mary Paquette, director of Health Services and nurse practitioner, American International College; Celeste Surreira, assistant director of Nursing, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke; Peter DePergola II, director of Clinical Ethics, Baystate Health; Dr. Matthew Sadof, pediatrician, Baystate Children’s Hospital; TechSpring; the Consortium and the Opioid Task Force; and Robert Fazzi, founder, Fazzi Associates. The seven winners were profiled in the Sept. 4 issue of BusinessWest and the September issue of HCN, and will be feted at the Oct. 25 gala.

Tickets cost $90, and tables of 10 are available. To order tickets, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com. Healthcare Heroes sponsors include American International College (presenting sponsor), Baystate Health/Health New England (presenting sponsor), National Grid (partner), and supporting sponsors Renew.Calm, the Elms College MBA program, Bay Path University, and Mercy Medical Center/Trinity Health Of New England.

HOLYOKE — Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. recently welcomed Lisa White, CPA as its newest tax manager.

White comes to MBK with nearly 20 years of public accounting experience with a focus in taxation. She has worked for large and regional firms throughout the Eastern U.S. and carries significant technical knowledge and best practices from a variety of firms and industries. At MBK, she focuses primarily on federal and state income-tax compliance and planning within the construction and real-estate industries.

As a tax manager, White will have the opportunity to coach and mentor staff as well as manage the delivery of services directly to many clients. “I believe in developing partnerships with clients, ensuring they have access to the materials, information, and business acumen they need to make and implement the best financial decisions on a short- and long-term basis,” she noted.

White holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Middle Tennessee State University and is a member of the American Institute of Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Public Accountants. She is a certified public accountant licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. In 2011, she was named among the 40 Under 40: Members to Watch by the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs.

“We’re very happy that talented individuals like Lisa are being drawn to our firm and to the quality of life and business culture in Western Massachusetts,” said MBK Partner James Barrett. “She brings a high level of expertise and a strong technical tax background while maintaining energy and passion for the profession. We’re very excited to welcome her here at MBK.”

HOLYOKE — The Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce (GHCC) will host Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito at its fall Governmental Affairs Luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 18 at the Wherehouse?, located at 109 Lyman St. in Holyoke. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m.

Polito plans to speak to the Greater Holyoke business community on what the administration’s plans are to promote economic and commercial growth in this area. Additionally, she will touch on the topics of manufacturing and STEM education, both of which are relevant to Holyoke and Western Mass.

GHCC President Barry Feingold will welcome guests and then turn it over to Vice Chairman Michael Filomeno, general manager of Marcotte Ford, who will introduce Polito. The chamber will recognize the Dowd Agencies on 120 years of service to Greater Holyoke, and Polito will honor Dowd’s President and CEO John Dowd with a citation marking this milestone.

The luncheon is sponsored by Checkwriters Payroll, Marcotte Ford, Health New England, and Holyoke Community College. Admission is $40 for chamber members and Holyoke Taxpayers Assoc. members, and $55 for all other guests. Tables of eight cost $275 for members and $375 for non-members. Reservations can be made  at holyokechamer.com or by calling (413) 534-3376.

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Johnson & Hill Staffing received the top honor in the 2018 American Staffing Assoc. (ASA) Genius Grand Award program, which recognizes the best and most innovative communications and marketing campaigns among ASA staffing agency members across the U.S.

Johnson & Hill Staffing was honored for its innovative new website, marketing video, and social-media endeavors.

“Johnson & Hill has always prided itself on staying ahead of the curve not only with recruitment methods but also with branding and marketing,” said Andrea Hill-Cataldo, president. “When it came to this project, we partnered with only the best to make sure the end result was what we needed. We’re excited and proud to be recognized for these wonderful outcomes.”

A panel of communications and marketing experts selected the honorees based on the overall quality of their campaigns’ messaging, design and visual appeal, originality of approach, and outcomes.

AMHERST — The College of Engineering at UMass Amherst has established a new department of Biomedical Engineering, which will offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. It is the fifth department within the college.

Biomedical engineering (BME) integrates engineering science, biology, and medicine into a cross-disciplinary field focused on improving human health and solving problems in the delivery of healthcare. Its key principle is that, by looking at the human body through the lens of engineering, one can apply the concepts of design, optimization, and programming to complex biological systems in order to detect, repair, and treat disease and to create diagnostic and therapeutic tools. 

The new program will be the core of biomedical-engineering research and teaching at UMass Amherst working within the College of Engineering and with the Institute of Applied Life Sciences. The institute was established in 2014 with $150 million from the Massachusetts Life Science Center and the university.

An example of current research in the new department has the potential to revolutionize new materials. The skulls and horns of male bighorn sheep undergo massive impact loads during ramming, suggesting their structure and material constituents have been evolutionarily adapted to sustain very large impact forces while preventing catastrophic failure and brain injury. In fact, it has been suggested that similar impacts in humans would be severely traumatic if not lethal.

The micro-architecture of the bighorn sheep skull and horns is being used to develop novel bio-inspired material designs for creating new lightweight, high-energy-absorbing materials. It is anticipated that the new materials could be used to fabricate a broad range of products, including athletic and military footwear, helmets and other protective gear, packaging and other protective devices such as cell-phone cases, and crashworthy military and civilian vehicle panels and components.

Timothy Anderson, dean of the College of Engineering, noted that adding the new department strengthens the college and promotes collaborative research and teaching across other disciplines on campus. “The close proximity to the biomedical and life-sciences industry in Boston makes the UMass Amherst BME program attractive to students across the nation. Additionally, the BME program is expected to draw a large number of female students into the College of Engineering. Close connections with the UMass Medical School in Worcester will provide excellent translational activities for both graduate and undergraduate students in the program.”

Professor Tammy Haut Donahue, the founding department head, will lead the emerging program. Her research work is in the area of analytical and experimental biomechanics with a focus on the musculoskeletal system. She comes to UMass Amherst from Colorado State University (CSU), where she was a professor and associate department head for undergraduate studies in the department of Mechanical Engineering. Haut Donahue was also a core faculty member in CSU’s School of Biomedical Engineering.

Also joining the department is professor Seth Donahue, whose research focuses on evolutionary biomechanics, tissue regeneration, and physiology. He taught previously at Colorado State University and Michigan Technological University. In 2007-08, he was an honorary research fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons and a visiting academic at Trinity College, both in Dublin, Ireland.

The college will eventually hire 12 full-time, tenure-track faculty members for the department by fall 2022.

Graduates of the Biomedical Engineering undergraduate-degree program will be prepared for a broad range of careers, including medical equipment design and manufacturing, scientific research and development services, pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing, and work with medical professionals.

SPRINGFIELD — The second annual class of Healthcare Heroes will be honored at the Starting Gate at GreatHorse in Hampden on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Healthcare Heroes, a recognition program involving the Western Mass. healthcare sector, was launched last spring by HCN and BusinessWest. The program was created to shed a bright light on the outstanding work being done across the broad spectrum of health and wellness services, and the institutions and people providing that care.

This year’s honorees include Mary Paquette, director of Health Services and nurse practitioner, American International College; Celeste Surreira, assistant director of Nursing, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke; Peter DePergola II, director of Clinical Ethics, Baystate Health; Dr. Matthew Sadof, pediatrician, Baystate Children’s Hospital; TechSpring; the Consortium and the Opioid Task Force; and Robert Fazzi, founder, Fazzi Associates. The seven winners were profiled in the Sept. 4 issue of BusinessWest and the September issue of HCN, and will be feted at the Oct. 25 gala.

Tickets cost $90, and tables of 10 are available. To order tickets, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 100, or visit www.businesswest.com. Healthcare Heroes sponsors include American International College (presenting sponsor), Baystate Health/Health New England (presenting sponsor), National Grid (partner), and supporting sponsors Renew.Calm, the Elms College MBA program, Bay Path University, and Mercy Medical Center/Trinity Health Of New England.

AMHERST — The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) has released a comprehensive study that evaluates the potential of developing a network of water-testing demonstration centers in the Commonwealth, including one at UMass Amherst. The centers would pilot new water technologies to position Massachusetts as a global leader in the water-innovation and energy-efficiency sector, providing significant business and employment opportunities. 

The report was released at the Innovations and Opportunities in Water Technologies Conference held at the Life Sciences Laboratories at UMass Amherst. The conference was sponsored by MassCEC and the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Western Massachusetts. Speakers included Martin Suuberg, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection; Stephen Pike, CEO of MassCEC; Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Western Mass. EDC; and Kumble Subbaswamy, chancellor of UMass Amherst. 

The report calls for creating a network of three demonstration centers around the state. They would be located at the Wastewater Pilot Plant at UMass Amherst, the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center in Barnstable, and a pilot plant located at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s Deer Island Treatment Plant in Boston Harbor.

Establishing this network of water-technology demonstration centers could create jobs, lower energy costs, and optimize municipal operations in addition to supporting water-technology research, the study says. A successfully established test-bed network could serve existing Massachusetts-based water-technology companies, help attract new companies to the Commonwealth, advance new solutions to both local and global water challenges, and provide a strong foundation for innovation.

The Amherst site is ideal for this work, Sullivan said. “UMass Amherst is already a leader in this sector. The campus is positioned to undertake further research and development that will support industry growth and help grow a talented workforce for related industries.”

Authorization for an investment in water technologies was approved as part of the state’s 2014 environmental bond bill. Release of state capital funds for such an investment must be evaluated and approved by the administration of Gov. Charlie Baker.

NORTHAMPTON — Curran and Keegan Financial has added a new client service associate, Heather Cahill. She joins with a focus on helping clients and advisors during the financial-planning and investment process. 

Cahill joined Curran & Keegan after nearly two decades of executive-level roles at a multi-million-dollar international corporation located in the Pioneer Valley. Passionate about community, education, and environment, she serves as vice chair of the Hatfield District School Committee and is a founding member of the Hatfield Community Garden.

CHICOPEE — Joe Phillips, president of Phillips Insurance Agency Inc., recently delivered a $5,000 check to John Freedman, president of Joseph Freedman Co., for the seventh annual Joseph Freedman Bowl-a-Thon being held Wednesday, Nov. 7 at AMF Lanes in Chicopee. The proceeds go to Camphill Village, a community for adults with developmental disabilities who live together and work together, caring for each other.

Phillips Insurance Agency was established in 1953 and is a full-service risk-management firm with a staff of 27 professionals. The agency handles the personal and commercial insurance needs for thousands of individuals and businesses throughout New England.

HOLYOKE — The Western Mass Employment Collaborative (WMEC), which partners with employers and various agencies to help individuals with disabilities find jobs, will sponsor its annual Job EXPO on Thursday, Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Holyoke Community College’s Kittredge Center, Rooms 301 and 303. The purpose of the event is for businesses to meet qualified candidates for their hiring needs and for job seekers to have multiple opportunities to speak to employers about job openings.

Employers attending the event include Auxiliary Enterprises at UMass Amherst, Balise, Baystate Health, Big Y, Cartamundi, CVS Health, Elite Logistics, FedEx Ground, MGM Springfield, MHA, Pelican, and United Personnel.

WMEC community partners attending the job fair include Dress for Success, Holyoke Community College, HCC Career Closet, MassHire Holyoke (formerly CareerPoint), MassHire Springfield (formerly Futureworks), ServiceNet, Sunshine Village, and Viability Inc.

HOLYOKE — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and Massachusetts Secretary of Education James Peyser will be the featured speakers at a ribbon cutting and grand-opening celebration for the new $4.55 million Center for Life Sciences at Holyoke Community College (HCC) on Wednesday, Oct. 24, during Mass STEM Week. 

The celebration will run from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Center for Life Sciences, located on the lower level of HCC’s Marieb Building. Refreshments will be served, and the public is welcome to attend.

The 13,000-square-foot facility features a suite of biotechnology labs and classrooms and what is believed to be the only ISO-certified cleanroom at any Massachusetts community college and one of very few at any college or university in Western Mass.

“These state-of-the-art facilities and new equipment will allow us to train our students in laboratory settings similar to what they will experience in industry, making them more competitive for the biotech job market,” said HCC professor Emily Rabinsky, biotechnology program coordinator.

The Oct. 24 celebration will include tours of the facility, lab demonstrations by Rabinsky and her students, refreshments, and a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at 10:45 a.m. Also expected to attend are state Reps. Aaron Vega, Brian Ashe, and Angelo Puppolo, as well as representatives from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, which awarded HCC a $3.8 million grant for the project.

The new labs will be used primarily for biotechnology, genetics, and microbiology classes, and as needed for other biology courses. 

Once it’s fully operational, the cleanroom in the Center for Life Sciences will have a certification rating of ISO 8 (air quality of no more than 100,000 particles per cubic foot). Inside the cleanroom will be a hooded biosafety cabinet where the sterility will increase to ISO 7 (no more than 10,000 particles per cubic foot). 

Cleanroom operations are being incorporated into biotechnology classes for degree-seeking students, and HCC also plans to offer a non-credit, professional-development course called “Introduction to Cleanroom Technology” for people who want to learn cleanroom operations.  

Grant funds and donations also paid for new equipment, including a high-end, research-grade fluorescent microscope, like those used in the pharmaceutical industry; a micro volume spectrophotometer (used to measure small amounts of genetic material); and an electroporator (for genetic engineering).

GREENFIELD — In the midst of the opioid crisis, and in a world in which many other diseases can be traced to addictive behavior, PBS’s NOVA investigates how addiction works, and how to resolve this dire social and medical issue, in Addiction, a film airing on PBS on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 9 p.m.

Prior to the national premiere broadcast, local public television station WGBY will present a free public advance screening today, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield. The screening is free and open to the public, and is being conducted in partnership with the college and the Franklin County Opioid Task Force. Details are available at wgby.org/addiction.

NOVA joins scientists and sufferers alike as they probe the mysteries of addiction. They are discovering that addiction is not simply a lack of willpower; drug abuse produces significant chemical changes in the brain — changes that are hard to control and hard to reverse. And it is not just drugs; alcohol, sugar, caffeine, and even exercise can incite addictive behaviors.

Julia Cort, NOVA’s deputy executive director will moderate a community conversation with panelists following the film. Panelists include Franklin County Sheriff Christopher Donelan, internist Dr. Paul Carlan of Valley Medical Group in Greenfield, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Re-entry Coordinator Ken Chartrand, and Julia Crawford, co-producer of Addiction.

BOSTON — Richard Lord, who built Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) into one of the most far-reaching business associations in the commonwealth, will retire next year after leading the organization for almost 20 years.

Lord, a North Adams native and Williams College graduate who took the top job at AIM in 1999, will remain as president and CEO while the AIM board of directors chooses a successor.

“Rick Lord has built AIM into an organization of more than 4,000 employers from all sectors of the economy who believe that business should be a positive force for creating a better, more prosperous world. He has led the organization through a period of unprecedented growth and change, and created tremendous upward momentum for our next leader,” said Dan Kenary, chair of the AIM board of directors and CEO of Harpoon Brewery in Boston.

Lord made the 103-year-old former manufacturing association the voice of all Massachusetts employers on generational economic issues such as the cost of health insurance, taxation, education, worker training, and energy. At the same time, he expanded the membership of AIM into developing areas of the state economy such as services, technology, biosciences, and robotics.

His accomplishments range from representing the views of employers during the landmark 2006 Massachusetts Health Care Reform Law and subsequent 2012 Health Cost-Containment Law to expanding the AIM HR Solutions business to help employers both large and small manage complicated human-resources issues.

“It has been an honor and privilege to serve as president and CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts for almost two decades. It’s now time for me to set out on a new adventure while AIM finds a leader who will build on this strong foundation for the future,” Lord said. “I’m most proud of leaving AIM with the most talented team of professionals I have ever had the opportunity to work with. The primary asset of a business association is its people, and the staff of AIM enjoys an enviable level of credibility and respect among employers, elected officials, and key decision makers.”

Inquiries about the CEO position should, for the moment, be made to Christopher Geehern, AIM’s executive vice president of Public Affairs and Communications, at [email protected] or (617) 834-4414.

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University students joined Girls Inc. of Holyoke at the university’s Empsall Hall last week to launch public service announcements (PSAs) in honor of International Day of the Girl Child, a celebration designated by the United Nations on Oct. 11. The PSAs, created by students in the Communications program, reflected different perspectives on how to encourage and empower girls of all ages and backgrounds.

“By creating PSAs for International Day of the Girl Child that they really believe in, our students are not only building their skills in communication, they’re using curiosity to solve problems and inspire others, and it speaks volumes to their commitment to being strong, smart, and bold,” said Janine Fondon, chair of Undergraduate Communications. “In the Communications program, we are celebrating our ability to join together as a community to raise our positive voices for change, challenge, and opportunity. We’re glad that we had this opportunity with leaders and guests from the community to have the conversation needed for girls and women to be inspired, engaged, and curious.”

The event featured a ‘COMMversation,’ where university students and local panelists, including Girls Inc. Executive Director Suzanne Parker, Women’s Fund of Western Mass CEO Donna Haghighat, Springfield School Committee member LaTonia Monroe Naylor, Open Pixel Studios co-founder and animator Kathryn Taccone, and author and Bay Path Professor Maria Luisa Arroyo, engaged in conversations about how to create a world where girls can feel safe as they explore their individual paths to success. Bay Path students of all disciplines used their storytelling skills to focus on what they feel are currently the biggest challenges, as well as opportunities for girls and women. A walk-through gallery of their PSAs was displayed, prompting discussion among guests, faculty, staff, and other students.

“To be among Bay Path University students, staff, and faculty, and other panelists from the community, was a wonderful way to start International Day of the Girl Child,” Parker said. “Talking about women’s leadership is something we are passionate about at Girls Inc., where we work to inspire girls to be strong, smart, and bold, so it was an honor to be here.”

Naomi Naylor, daughter of LaTonia Monroe Naylor, attended the event as a local student ambassador. She showcased and described a work of art she painted called “Colors of Acceptance.” Following the event, she donated this piece to Bay Path University through Fondon. Arroyo, who was Springfield’s inaugural poet laureate, signed her book at the event. The ongoing partnership between Girls Inc. and Bay Path University for International Day of the Girl Child was further highlighted in the afternoon as Fondon offered a presentation of her research for “The Intersection: Women of Color On the Move.”