UMass Boston Gala Honors James T. Brett Chair in Disability and Workforce Development William Kiernan, PhD

October 3, 2013

Gail Grossman and William Kiernan with Ashley Wolfe at the UMass Boston Gala

The 9th Annual UMass Boston Gala was held September 16th at the Seaport World Trade Center to honor the James T. Brett Chair in Disability and Workforce Development. This was an evening to remember for nearly 900 attendees. Through the generosity of those in attendance and many others, more than $1.4 million has been raised to fund the chair.

The endowed chair is named for James T. Brett, a long-time civic leader for people with disabilities. The chair provides an annual, interest-bearing source of revenue that will fund projects and provide support to students and faculty in the areas of employment and workforce development for people with disabilities.

The chair will be held by the ICI's director, William Kiernan. With the establishment of the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD), Kiernan is now SGISD's founding dean as well as the director of the ICI.

"I am grateful for the incredible gesture of support that recognizes the important work the ICI has done over the years," said Kiernan. "The chair's unwavering foundation will only expand our inclusive efforts and help merge the resources of the ICI, SGISD, and UMass Boston. Together, we will foster important collaborations and support progress in the area of workforce and disability here in the U.S. and beyond."

The event included a keynote address given by Ashley Wolfe, an ICI researcher with an intellectual disability who told the powerful story of her own journey through employment, as well as a short film highlighting Jim Brett's life story.