Former School of Management academic advisor still active in helping students

When asking School of Management alumni about the people who played influential roles in their success at Binghamton University, most will mention a specific family member, professor or friend. Many will also credit their academic advisor, the person who provided support and guidance year after year as they navigated their education.

Brian Perry, MBA ’84, devoted 30 years to educating Binghamton students and guiding them toward Commencement. A former entrepreneurship course instructor, Perry transitioned into academic advising in 1994 and stayed there until his retirement in 2015.

“The thing I enjoyed most about my job was the contact with the students. The variety of issues that came along always kept me busy and entertained,” he reflects.

To this day, Perry stays connected on Facebook with some of those former students.

“It’s nice seeing them transition from being teenagers to adults. I get to follow their career growth, see them get married, have kids of their own and enjoy their lives,” he says.

Retirement hasn’t kept Perry away from Binghamton University. Each year he is invited back to campus by the School of Management to assist with summer orientation for new students. Perry’s tasks at orientation are all too familiar.

“I help new students with making their schedule for their first semester. I make sure that they are enrolling in the right core courses and electives,” he says.

When summer orientation has come and gone, Perry stays busy.

“I volunteer with Meals on Wheels and my public library. I play a lot of golf, spend a lot of time gardening and [do] lots of reading,” he says.

In the winter months he can be found in Florida with his wife, Betsy Perry, MS ’74, MA ’89, MAT ’91. As the years go on, Perry predicts that their stays in Florida may get longer, but he will always return to Binghamton.