Meet the Leadership Team

Monica Parker-James serves as Associate Dean for the Feld Center for Career & Alumni Engagement, where she provides strategic vision and leadership across industry engagement, career services, career operations, and alumni engagement at Questrom. A seasoned leader with over thirty years of experience spanning formal and informal education, Monica’s expertise includes transforming learner experiences, driving strategic planning and quality improvement, and developing high-impact programs and initiatives for complex, mission-driven organizations. Her career includes senior leadership roles at Boston University, Harvard University, and the Museum of Science, Boston.

Monica holds a Doctor of Education with a concentration in Organizational Leadership from Northeastern University. A proud triple-Terrier, she earned her BS and MS in Mass Communication and a Graduate Certificate in Fundraising Management from BU. Outside of work, Monica is a mom of four — Maggie (BU COM 2018), Libby (BU CAS and KHC 2020), Caroline (BU CAS 2029), and Rhys, who has his sights set on playing hockey for BU in 2030. Her love for BU runs so deep that she adopted her dogs Ella and Mabel after they were advertised as Boston Terriers. (They are, in fact, black-and-white super-mutts.)

Lucy van Beever is the Senior Director of Career Operations at the Feld Center for Career & Alumni Engagement. Lucy directs all operational and logistical support for key employer-engagement activities, career initiatives, recruiting systems, electronic and print career resources, and office administration. She works collaboratively with other BU and Questrom departments to oversee the planning, policymaking, marketing, implementation, and evaluation of the Feld Center’s events, programs, and services. Previously, Lucy served as the Feld Center’s Director of Employer Engagement and Industry Relations Manager (IRM) for the Social Impact MBA program and Energy & Sustainability sector (2019-2022). As an IRM, Lucy cultivated and built recruiting relationships with organizations to connect Questrom students with jobs and internships. She held career-advising meetings with undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni, and led employment data collection and reporting for Questrom. For over a decade, Lucy has worked at Boston University in career development and business operations functions to streamline processes, implement platforms (Handshake, BU Connects), and help hundreds of students & alumni land employment opportunities. She also serves as a mentor for BU’s BPS Community Service Scholars Program. Prior to working at BU, Lucy held leadership roles in a variety of industries including consulting, retail, health & wellness, and hospitality. She holds an M.S. in Administrative Studies (Sustainable Economic Development & Tourism) from Boston University and a B.S. in Hotel Management from Cornell University.

Martha Day Sanford joined the Feld Center for Career & Alumni Engagement in September 2023. Prior to joining the Feld Center, Martha Day was with McKinsey & Company for 25+ years in Talent Attraction. Most recently, Martha Day was leading McKinsey’s relationship-building with top business schools to secure talent for McKinsey’s North American Offices and was splitting time between the Boston and New York offices. Martha Day has had a broad career with McKinsey which also included leading Recruiting for the Asia Pacific offices while based in Shanghai, China, and leading Recruiting for the UK while based in London, England. Martha Day has deep expertise in Assessment and helped launch McKinsey’s global use of a digital gaming exercise to assess capabilities.

At the Feld Center, Martha Day will lead our team of Industry Relationship Managers who are building connections with companies that are excited to hire Questrom students.

Martha Day has a Master of Education from Tufts University. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Trinity College (Hartford, CT) in Religious Studies.

Dee Polat joined the Feld Center for Career & Alumni Engagement in January 2024 as the Director of Alumni Engagement, bringing with her over a decade of experience in the realm of alumni engagement. Her diverse background encompasses a range of skills, including strategic planning, alumni initiatives, fundraising, industry relations, career services, program and events management, CRM expertise, and marketing.

In her most recent position as a Career Counselor and GEL Instructor at California State University, Dee was dedicated to guiding students and alumni in their career exploration and development. She also served as the career liaison to the College of Business Administration and taught the mandatory career readiness course for freshmen students.

During her tenure as the Assistant Director of Alumni Career Engagement at the University of San Diego, Dee played a pivotal role in launching several innovative initiatives aimed at supporting a community of over 65K alumni including a campuswide mentorship program, an alumni job board, and an engaging webcast series. Additionally, she co-led the university’s annual hiring campaign, contributing to its success. In her earlier role as the Associate Director of Alumni Engagement for St. Joseph’s University, Dee managed recent alumni programming, and re-branded and expanded the university’s mentorship and webinar programs for the Brooklyn campus. As a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation, Dee also served as an outplacement coach at the global job search assistance firm IMPACT Group, providing personalized guidance to employees in their job search efforts.

Dee’s educational background includes a BA in international relations from Bilkent University in Turkey, a master’s in public affairs from Indiana University, a Master’s degree in leadership studies from the University of San Diego, and a Diploma in Advanced Coaching from New York University. She is a certified CliftonStrengths, Strong Interest Inventory, and MBTI practitioner. Outside of her professional pursuits, Dee is a mom of three girls who loves baking and ice skating.