Alumni Career Night 2014

On March 25, 2014, eight Communication alumni returned to campus to share their career experiences and insights with current Communication students. These alumni met with more than 60 students in the Cape Cod Lounge and gave them advice about preparing for their post-UMass professional lives. Read more about these fabulous alums who so graciously gave of their time:

Gregg AlbeeGregg Albee, ’11, supplemented his Communication degree with a film certificate. He currently works as a Delegate Recruitment Associate for TechTarget, an IT media publishing company, where he coordinates events for C-Level/High-Level IT professionals. His post-graduation career experiences include interning at a talent management company in L.A., handling lighting effects in a music video production, production assistance at a high-end handmade leather shoe company, and providing technical and administrative support for an ophthalmologist’s office.

Julia BannisterJulia Bannister, ‘12, began her post-UMass Amherst career by serving as the Marketing Coordinator for WhippleHill Communications, an educational software company in Bedford, NH. She was able to segue from that experience into her current position as Associate Director of Admissions at Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield, MA. Working in international admissions at a boarding school allows her to meet people from all over the world and be a part of an incredible school community.

Laura BunzickLaura Bunzick, ’10, followed a career path that has been a learning experience for her. Initially intent on working within event logistics and planning, she found that her interests and career direction shifted the further from graduation she got, ultimately forcing her to re-examine what exactly she wanted to do next. Laura currently works as an Associate Account Executive at Epsilon and as Editor-In-Chief of MASSEDMC.com at MASS EDMC (Electronic Dance Music Community).

Ed GatelyEd Gately, ‘07, has been employed as a Production Assistant, a Production Secretary, and, most recently, as an Assistant Production Office Coordinator for many film and TV productions, including The Colbert Report, Inside Llewyn Davis, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Person of Interest, Non-Stop, the Amazing Spider-Man films, and Sharknado 2: The Second One. Ed highly suggests that all students settle any outstanding Parking Services debts prior to graduating.

Candace JohnsonCandace Johnson, ‘11, completed an internship with Amherst Media as a Production Assistant during her senior year at UMass Amherst. The following July she returned to Amherst Media as the Government Access Coordinator. This past September she took on the role of Director of Production & Internships with Amherst Media. Ultimately, Candace hopes to become a segment producer for ESPN or NBC Sports.

Victoria LopezVictoria Lopez, ‘12, is an Executive Team Leader for Target. During her junior year at UMass Amherst, she completed her first internship at Target and was soon offered a full-time position as an Executive Team Leader. After graduation, Victoria began her career at the Target store in Bethel, CT, as an ETL Hardlines. Within a year she was eligible for a paygrade promotion. Victoria was recently offered a position promotion to ETL Human Resources, for which she is now in training.

Jessi MillerJessi Miller Bradley, ‘96, double-majored in Communication and Sociology and is currently a special projects producer at WBZ-TV in Boston. She works on daily newscasts, breaking news, and special programming such as the Boston Marathon and the Faneuil Hall Tree Lighting. She is also responsible for producing, shooting, and/or editing a range of technology, health, consumer, and feature stories for the CBS affiliate. Prior to working in Boston she was a producer at WGGB, Channel 40, in Springfield.

Nigel SmithNigel Smith, ‘93, has spent more than 20 years working in healthcare public relations at several leading global firms including Schwartz Communications (now MSLGroup) and Racepoint Group since graduating. He has run practices and managed offices in Boston, San Francisco, and London. Nigel recently started his own firm, Next Step Communications, and is excited to bring traditional PR services along with “storytelling” capabilities across digital platforms. Nigel’s expertise includes medtech, provider services, and healthcare IT. He currently lives in Westwood, MA and is pleased to learn that an Antonio’s is opening in Boston.