MCLA, BIC Partner for MBA Program

08:06AM / Thursday, July 13, 2023Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.—Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) and Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) are partnering on the Masters in Business Administration (MBA) program to enhance and expand experiences and career connections to prepare graduates for innovation-driven careers in the Berkshires and beyond.

"It's incredible to see two major Berkshire County institutions come together to leverage the growth of MCLA's programming with the BIC advancement opportunities," said James Birge, MCLA President, and BIC Board Member. "I'm looking forward to the networking and educational opportunities this will provide for our MBA students and the collaborations with industry leaders at the BIC."

Through this partnership, MCLA will contribute to the BIC's efforts to foster growth within the life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and all regional technology and innovation-based sectors by being a collaborative-synergistic shaper of the student experience.

Starting this fall, BIC will host students for 10 Saturdays through the spring for MBA students. The classes will be taught online and on-site at BIC in a hybrid format. Applications for the Fall 2023 program are due by August 18.

"To explain an MBA influenced by innovation… you could substitute the word innovation for creativity. What we're able to do by having the classes at the BIC is that we're allowing students to be adjacent to the creative process," said Dr. Dennis Rebelo, Chief Learning Officer at the BIC. "To be able to spark additional thinking that conjures up new ideas that can also be socially responsible is a big win. You may think about technology as anti-human but we think about it as really serving humanity.. we think about things more from a humanitarian standpoint."

"The possibilities are really limitless for our students to embrace and be a part of the future of advanced technologies," said Dr. Joshua Mendel, Associate Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education. at MCLA.

This partnership allows MCLA to fulfill the critical needs of the manufacturing industry in Berkshire County on both the undergraduate and graduate level to grow and enhance the future of the county's workforce.

An MBA information session is scheduled for July 18 at 5 p.m. at BIC in the Milltown Board Room on the second floor. To register visit mcla.edu/mba.

Tags: BIC, MCLA,

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North Adams Students Taste Test for Input on Lunches

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
08:00AM / Sunday, January 18, 2026

Chef Kyle Zegel talks to the children about the food they will be trying on Friday. He will be bringing recipes each month for them to try.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Pupils at Brayton Elementary got to taste test a new side dish as chef Kyle Zegel passed out cups cider-glazed carrots on Friday for the children to try.

Zegel, a food literacy facilitator, said his goal is teach children about farms and how to grow food, and to have a deeper relationship with their food system.

"There's this increasing separation between the natural world and ourselves, and there's this increasing separation between the food system and ourselves," he said. "And we really see that with our students, and with the increasing prevalence of technology and ways that just separate us from interacting with how our food grows. ...

"I think it's just really important to make sure that we're giving students accessible opportunities for experiential learning."

Zegel will be highlighting a "Harvest of the Month" in the North Adams Public Schools through the Massachusetts Farm to School program.

The district last year received a state-funded MA FRESH (Farming Reinforces Education and Student Health) grant toward scratch cooking with more local ingredients. A little less than $7,000 of the $30,000 grant the district received in December will go to Harvest of the Month program.

Director of Food Services Thomas Lark said it was important to connect the children to food that is grown locally. The district is sourcing through Marty's Local in Deerfield.

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