Meet the Leadership Team

Monica Parker-James joined the Feld Center for Career & Alumni Engagement in June, 2022 as Associate Dean.

Prior to joining the Feld Center, Monica was a Director in Institutional Planning and Policy at Harvard Medical School, where she set strategy and drove decision-making related to accreditation and continuous quality improvement. Monica previously served as Executive Director for Industry Engagement at the Feld Center, where she initiated, stewarded, and advanced relationships with industry partners and alumni locally, nationally, and globally. Monica spent the first twenty years of her career at the Museum of Science, Boston, in roles in marketing, educational programming, and exhibits project management.

As Associate Dean, Monica leads the industry engagement, career services, career operations, experiential learning administration, and alumni engagement teams at Questrom. Monica holds a BS and an MS in Mass Communication and a Graduate Certificate in Fundraising Management, all from BU. She earned her Doctor of Education degree with a concentration in Organizational Leadership from Northeastern University in 2023. Monica is a mom of four – Rhys (BU Class of 2034), Caroline (BU Class of 2030), Libby (BU CAS and KHC 2020) and Maggie (BU COM 2018). Monica loves BU so much that she rescued her dogs Ella and Mabel because they were advertised as a 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.

Misty Start joined the Feld Center for Career & Alumni Engagement in November 2022 as the Senior Director of Career Services and Strategy. In this role, Misty leads a talented team of career educators by developing and implementing career education strategy that will allow undergraduate and graduate students to thrive in an evolving business landscape.

Prior to joining the Feld Center, Misty served in career leadership positions at Babson College and Franklin Pierce University where she similarly set career strategy, supervised dynamic teams, and successfully delivered numerous high-impact programs and initiatives. As a first-generation college student and job seeker in global markets, she appreciates the unique bridges and barriers each student will navigate throughout their career journey. Misty takes a collaborative approach to career development in which students’ identities, backgrounds, and experiences are honored, valued, and celebrated.

Misty earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education from Franklin Pierce University, and she is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership program at Regis College. Beyond academic and professional endeavors, Misty is deeply committed to philanthropic initiatives that empower underprivileged communities and promote diversity and inclusion. In her leisure, she enjoys international travel, adventure-based recreation, and exploring the city of Boston with her dogs, Bay and Beacon.

Questions? Email Misty at startm@bu.edu

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.