Mary Regina Thomann (formerly Sullivan) graduated from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Transportation as part of the Academy’s first class of women. Mary was inspired to attend the Academy by her love of the sea and by the accomplishments of her two paternal Aunts, Captains Elinor and Mary Rose Sullivan, U.S. Navy. In 1992, she received a Master of Business Administration degree from Rivier College in Nashua, N.H.
Since 1983, Mary has worked in the Human Resources field gaining diverse global business experience in both corporate and manufacturing environments. She has a track record of successfully recruiting highly skilled technical staff, improving staff morale, and coaching and partnering effectively with senior executives. Since 2011, Mary has been providing Human Resources Consulting Services.
In 2014, inspired by the registered nurses in her life, including her mother, grandmother, and aunts, Mary earned her Associate’s Degree in Nursing at the now Rivier University in Nashua, N.H. and obtained her Registered Nurse Certification. She currently works part-time as a per diem R.N. at a Long-Term Care skilled nursing facility.
In December of 2016, together with the other women from the Class of 1981, Mary was honored to receive the Emery Rice medal in recognition of having graduated in the first class of women at the Academy. Mary is a Member of the Society for Human Resources Management and the American Association of Nurses. She volunteers at Nevins Farm MSPCA in Methuen, MA.
Mary grew up in Roslindale, Massachusetts as the oldest of 12 children and daughter of Mr. & Mrs. James E. Sullivan. She now resides in Dracut, Massachusetts with husband Gary, a Sales Engineer, and dog Bilbo. They enjoy spending time on and around the North Atlantic Ocean whenever possible.
- Bachelor of Arts in Microbiology Engineering from Shandong University, China
- Master of Science in Finance from Sam Houston State University
- Master of Science and Ph.D. in Financial Economics from University of New Orleans
- Dr. Shu Tian is an associate professor of Finance in the department of International Maritime Business. She started teaching at the Academy in 2010. Her teaching interests lie in Investment, International Finance, Corporate Finance, Options and Futures, and Personal Finance. She has taught various business courses, such as Principles of Finance, Accounting, Macro/Microeconomics, Business Computation, and Statistics for Managers. Dr. Tian’s research focuses on Investment, International Finance, Market Microstructure, and Behavioral Finance.
- LT, USNR (Ret.)
- Bachelor of Science from Massachusetts Maritime Academy
- Marine License - Chief Engineer, Motor and Gas Turbine, Unlimited Horsepower
Eric Turkington is a retired attorney living in Falmouth. He served 20 years in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1989 to 2009 representing Falmouth, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. He served as chairman of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development. He was the lead sponsor of the Cape Cod Land Bank legislation, which provided $150 million for the Cape towns to acquire 4500 acres of protected open space. He was also the lead sponsor of legislation creating the Upper Cape Regional Water Supply Cooperative, which supplied drinking water to the four Upper Cape towns.
He is a founder and former president of the 300 Committee, Falmouth’s land trust, which has preserved 2600 acres of conservation land in Falmouth; former chairman and president of the Cape Cod United Way; founder and first chairman of the Falmouth Economic Development and Industrial Corporation; a corporator of Cape Cod Healthcare; and former Selectman of the town of Falmouth.
He currently serves as chairman of Falmouth’s Water Quality Management Committee; treasurer of the Falmouth Housing Corporation; board member of the Woods Hole Community Association; and board member of the Cape Cod Conservation District. He is a past recipient of the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year award and the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s Guardian Award. He lives in Woods Hole with his wife Nancy and dog Juneo.
Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation, Mass Maritime Academy, 2000
USCG Unlimited Master
Professional experience includes working on supply boats for Tidewater Marine and on research vessels for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Sailed as Third, Second, and Chief Mate on the TS Kennedy
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Bridgewater State University
- Master of Arts in Political Science from University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- Ph.D. in Political Science from University of Connecticut
- Dr. Valla joined Massachusetts Maritime Academy's Emergency Management Department in 2016 after completing a career with the FBI as an intelligence analyst. During his tenure with the FBI, Dr. Valla provided intelligence analysis on most of the major terrorism investigations conducted by the FBI's Boston Field Office which included the 9/11 attacks and the Boston Marathon Bombing. Dr. Valla also served as a military intelligence officer with the U.S. Army Reserve and retired as a Major in 2004. His final assignment before retiring was as an instructor at the Joint Military Intelligence College - now the National Intelligence University. While there, he taught graduate courses in intelligence analysis, terrorism, and analytic methodology, as well as other national security topics.
- When not teaching, Dr. Valla enjoys running, hiking, working out, white-water rafting, and foreign language study. He is an avid science fiction fan. A lifelong resident of Massachusetts, he grew up in Kingston and now resides in Taunton.
- Courses Taught:
- FM-5060: Legal & Regulatory Issues
- Education:
- J.D. Law, Suffolk University Law School, 1984
- M.S. Environmental Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 1979
- B.S. Biology, Fordham University, 1974
- Experience:
- Previous to his position at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, he served as Environmental Counsel and Worldwide Director of the Environmental, Safety & Health Department for Sensata Technologies, Inc. (formerly Texas Instruments Incorporated, Sensors & Controls Group). He holds a law degree from Suffolk University and is admitted to practice before the Massachusetts Bar, Federal District Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. Professor Veale’s main interests have been involved in developing environmental infrastructure throughout the world and believes that industry, government, and academia play a vital role in the world environmental movement.
- Chairman of the International Environmental Law Committee for the Boston Bar Association
- Served as an Air Force Officer for over 24 years
A baptized non-denominational Christian
Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering from Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies from Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
Master of Science in Disaster Science and Management from University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with direction of Societal Risk Management from University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
Postdoc at Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and Chapman University, Orange, California
Dr. Wang is currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Emergency Management at the Academy. His research topics include social vulnerability, hazard modeling, risk assessment, loss prediction, equivalency of hazard intensity, nowcasting of weather events, and media coverage of disasters. His methodological tools involve data science, machine learning, geographic information science, remote sensing, and qualitative approaches. Dr. Wang has been working on earthquake, flood, heavy rainfall, lightning, tropical cyclone, wildfire, and extraterrestrial hazard; as well as disaster risks within a multi-hazard context.
