Dana Greenberg still remembers when Nan Langowitz came to visit.
This happened many years ago, when Greenberg had just had her second child. At the time, Professor Babson was only a sophomore at the university, and there weren’t many other female professors at the school.
But it was Langowitz, one of the few female professors and a leader in the university community, who stopped by Greenberg’s home. As Babson’s colleagues sat with Greenberg’s six-week-old newborn, the young professor felt supported, she said.
At that moment, Greenberg knew that with Langowitz by her side, she could thrive in the dual roles of mother and professor. Additionally, she knew she needed to pursue her academic passions, such as studying working motherhood and work-life balance.
“She taught me that I could be my whole self at Babson College,” said Greenberg, who is now Babson College’s chair of administration, associate dean, and Walter H. Carpenter Professor. To tell. “She taught me that I could be a leader.”
Such is the impact Langowitz, a professor of business administration, has had on many of his Babson College colleagues since arriving on campus in 1993. She has held a number of key roles at the college over the years, including her Frank & Eileen™ founding director of the college. Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (F&E CWEL). “She shaped Babson,” Greenberg said. “She shaped us.”
Now, after 33 years at the university, Langowitz is retiring. She is one of four professors resigning this year. Their collective legacy is one of decades of dedication to the institution and its students.
Over a century of service
In addition to Langowitz, the university’s retiring professors include Sam Hariharan, associate professor of management practice, who worked at Babson for 22 years. Brian Seitz, Professor of Philosophy, has been at Babson College for 29 years. and Virginia Soibel, associate professor of accounting practice, who has also been at Babson for 29 years.
Together, the four represent 113 years of service to the university. It is the result of years of research, leadership, and education. Greenberg estimates that Langowitz alone taught about 5,000 students in Babson classes.
At last weekend’s graduation ceremony, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean Ken Matsuno praised the experience of the four retiring professors and the impact they have had on the university.
“On behalf of the entire Babson community, I am proud to extend a special thank you to our retired faculty and staff who have served us as educators, colleagues, mentors, and friends for decades,” Matsuno said at the graduation ceremony. He spoke to the audience gathered at. “You will be missed as an exemplary colleague.”
The influence of one professor
Looking at Langowitz’s career at Babson College means understanding the impact just one faculty member can have on a school. Mr. Langowitz has served twice as chair of the Department of Administration, is a former associate dean of the Graduate School, and is the first faculty director of the Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching (CELT).
“She shows great leadership,” says information systems professor Stephen Gordon. He was one of her many colleagues at Langowitz and recently attended her retirement party on campus. “She seems knowledgeable about all aspects of the university.”
One person who particularly appreciates Langowitz’s accomplishments at Babson is Shakena Williams ’94, executive director of F&E CWEL. Langowitz is the center’s founding director, and Williams calls her a trailblazer and champion of change.
“She is a visionary leader whose commitment to empowering women’s entrepreneurship has left an indelible mark on the world of business and leadership, and on me,” Williams says. . “I am honored to carry on her legacy.”
Reflecting on her rich experience at Babson, Langowitz remembers her work at F&E CWEL and CELT, as well as her colleagues and collaborators. “I can imagine myself in those meeting spaces and feel the energy of collaboration as we worked to overcome exciting challenges and difficult challenges,” she says.
Most importantly, she is thinking about the students she has taught. “I hope I can make a difference in the lives of my students,” she says.
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