Trailblazers in Tech and Infrastructure Headline Summer Commencement Ceremonies
Longtime Wentworth Board member Jerome Casey to receive honorary degree
Both Shereen Shermak and Luciana Burdi have demonstrated significant leadership in their respective fields, leading innovative projects and teams. They have also shown a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, and both have received numerous accolades and awards for their contributions to their respective fields.
And on August 17, both will speak to Wentworth Institute of Technology graduates as keynote speakers for Summer Commencement 2024.
Morning Ceremony Speaker
Dr. Luciana Burdi is the director for Capital Programs and Environmental Affairs for the Massachusetts Port Authority. As director, she is responsible for the development, administration, and execution of the CIP (Capital Investment Program) for all Massport facilities, which includes Logan International Airport, Worcester Regional Airport, Hanscom Field, Conley Container Terminal, Flynn Cruiseport Terminal, and other Real Estate properties.
She leads the Authority’s environmental permitting and management, safety program, utilities management and the in-house design and design technologies integration teams. In her role, Burdi is leading the shift of capital programs toward a more innovative, progressive, data and design technology-driven department. She is also committed to creating a culture of continuous improvement by fostering growth through comprehensive workforce development plans and nurturing her team’s talents to maximize their full potential.
Prior to joining Massport, Burdi held several positions at the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She is a member of the NIBS (National Institute of Building Sciences) BIM Program Steering Committee, the IAB (Industrial Advisory Board) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northeastern University, and a board member for the Lean Construction Institute (LCI).
In 2024, Burdi received the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) – New England Person of the Year Award for her long-term commitment to the latest construction management practices and stalwart leadership and management skills. In addition, she received the 2024 Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section (BSCES) of the American Society of Civil Engineers Honorary Member Award for providing leadership and promoting innovation in execution of the Capital Investment Program for Massport.
In 2023, Burdi was inducted into the National Academy of Construction (NAC), contributing to the efforts of the Academy and continuing to improve the design and construction industry. In 2022, she participated in the Civil Action Project (CAP) Collaborative as an executive fellow. In 2019 Burdi received the Women in Design Award from the AIA-BSA (Boston Society of Architects), in 2018 she received the National Chair’s Innovation Award and the National Sustainability Award by the CMAA. And in 2015, she received the CMAA National Award in New Technologies Techniques in CM for advancing the use of valuable new technologies in construction management.
Burdi received her doctorate from Harvard Graduate School of Design. Previously, she was a SPURS Fellow (Special Program in Urban and Regional Studies) at MIT and she holds a master's degree from the Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia (IUAV) in Venice, Italy.
Afternoon Ceremony Speaker
Shereen Shermak is a founder of multiple Boston-based startups, most recently Dannce.ai, Nth Party (acq. MGNI) and Atlantic Quantum. She was previously a Boston-based venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and active angel investor.
Previously, Shereen served as a fund manager and CEO at Launch Angels, a Boston-based seed stage VC firm, where she managed the Where Funds investments in 13 early-stage companies. Shermak co-founded BuysideFX, where she led product and was a member of the management team. She additionally held a similar role at Boston-based Currensee (acq. Oanda).
Shermak’s early career consisted of launching internal fintech ventures for large financial services firms, after joining the technology strategy firm DiamondCluster (acq. PWC) in its early days. She also spent six years working as an environmental engineer after graduating from Duke University with a degree in civil engineering.
Shermak received her M.B.A. from Sloan School at MIT and holds an M.P.A. from Harvard Kennedy School.
Honorary Degree
Jerome H. Casey is the former president and chief operating officer of Sekisui Diagnostics, where his responsibilities included leadership of the global cross-functional organization, development and execution of the business strategy, and meeting the company’s short and long-term financial objectives.
Prior to the acquisition of Sekisui Diagnostics (formerly Genzyme Diagnostics) by Sekisui Chemical in 2011, Casey had worked at Genzyme Diagnostics for 21 years in various roles of increasing responsibility and held the position of senior vice president of global sales and marketing since 2003. Before joining Genzyme, he worked at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods as assistant vice president in fixed income sales and trading. He began his career at Abbott Laboratories as a sales representative.
Casey is currently active in several life sciences ventures, serving as an advisor and board member. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. He previously was a board member at Wide Horizons for Children, an international adoption agency based in Waltham, MA, and AdvaMed Dx, a Washington, D.C. based industry advocacy organization.
Casey was elected to Wentworth’s Board of Trustees in 2012. He will be recognized during the morning ceremony.
Find more information about Summer Commencement at wit.edu/commencement.