UNH MAC SMAC Celebrates a Decade of Connections

Prior to the first Summit for Marketing & Advertising Careers (MAC SMAC), Diane Devine already had a major impact on Julia Pelosi’s ’17 college experience.  

Pelosi arrived at UNH as a political science major but switched to marketing after taking one of Devine’s classes. A later course, New Product Development, helped her identify a career direction, and on the eve of the inaugural MAC SMAC, Devine offered a simple tip.  

“She told me that I should introduce myself to Michael Barker,” Pelosi says. “I attended the event and met Michael, which turned into a conversation about a job opportunity in new product development at Momenta, the company his family founded and where he was CEO. I later presented a project analyzing the new product landscape in the arts and crafts industry, and from there I was given my first-ever job offer.”  

Stories like Pelosi’s — conversations that evolve into careers — have become synonymous with MAC SMAC, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary March 6.  

“MAC SMAC made the conversation easier because there were built-in topics to talk about, so it felt natural,” Pelosi says.  

After graduation, Pelosi joined Momenta’s product development team in Portsmouth. Today, she works at Chewy as a sponsored ads manager, helping brands develop and execute retail media advertising strategies.  

Making UNH a Destination for Marketing  

Devine, a marketing industry veteran and longtime senior lecturer, created MAC SMAC in 2017 through the UNH Marketing and Advertising Club to connect students with leading brands while giving them hands-on experience organizing a large-scale professional event.  

“I saw an opportunity for Paul College, our students, and the broader business community,” Devine said. “I wanted to bring top-notch companies with well-established brands to campus — companies and brands our students didn’t typically have direct access to.”  

Over the past decade, MAC SMAC has evolved into a full-day professional experience featuring a Real-World Business Challenge, a marketing and advertising career fair, and keynote speakers, industry panels, and networking opportunities. The summit has also attracted global brands and industry leaders spanning technology, consumer goods, sports, entertainment, and advertising, including Google, Nike, Fidelity Investments, Nickelodeon, the New England Patriots, Boston Beer Company, and leading agencies such as Ogilvy and Digitas.  

The 2019 summit even included a musical performance when keynote speaker Jeff Tuerff, SVP of Curb Records, brought along artist Jackson Michelson.  

“The summit creates a rare opportunity to bring high-level industry leaders to Paul College for immersive interaction with our community,” Devine says. “By offering real-world perspectives in this fast-paced, ever-evolving discipline, MAC SMAC delivers a behind-the-scenes look at how top global companies operate.”    

An Opportunity to Launch Careers  

Skyler North ’25 says MAC SMAC was an important first step toward landing a job as an account coordinator at Area 23, a healthcare marketing and advertising agency in New York City. She first learned about the company by attending a panel discussion featuring UNH alum Kristen Kouloheras ’13, VP, account director at Area 23.  

“I ended up speaking with Kristen at lunch; it was just a casual conversation,” North says. “Later in the semester, when I was looking for jobs, I messaged her on LinkedIn, and we spoke on the phone. I used that connection and another connection to my advantage.”  

North says students should remember that industry professionals attend MAC SMAC because they genuinely want to help.  

“Make the rounds, be yourself, and create organic conversations with people, because they’re there to help you,” North says. “If you make an effort, they’re going to make an effort back.”  

Brady Marchewka ’18 says even brief interactions at MAC SMAC can open doors. While staffing a student booth, he struck up a conversation with an attendee from IBM, later following up on LinkedIn — a connection that helped him land a role with the company after graduation.  

“Even if you only met someone briefly, the chances of them opening or responding to your message are much higher. Think about it — if someone you’ve met, even for five seconds, reaches out, you’re more likely to prioritize that message than one from a stranger,” Marchewka says.  

While not every interaction leads to a job opportunity, Mike Proulx ’95 says students and industry professionals both benefit from the exchange.  

“Any time I have the chance to talk with students, what matters most to me is being a resource they can learn from — drawing on my experiences at UNH and throughout my career,” Proulx says. “I want to address what’s really on their minds — what they’re worried about, what’s keeping them up at night, and how I can help. I don’t want to just be someone they connect with on LinkedIn while job hunting. It has to be more meaningful than that.”  

Proulx currently leads the business-to-consumer CMO research practice at Forrester, where he and his team guide marketing executives on strategy, consumer insights, industry trends, and emerging technologies. He says events like MAC SMAC are especially valuable because opportunities for students to interact directly with industry professionals outside internships can be rare.  

“I’ve always believed that education is one part classroom and another part experience,” Proulx says. “Connections between students and alumni allow the next generation of marketing leaders to better understand what life is like beyond the university’s doors.”  

Pelosi has also returned to MAC SMAC multiple times as a panelist and has been impressed by the expanded networking opportunities now available to students.  

Diane Devine

“I think MAC SMAC was where that energy around networking really began,” Pelosi says. “I’ve been fortunate to return to speak with the Marketing and Advertising Club, visit classes, and serve as a panelist, and it’s clear that networking has become a much bigger part of Paul College today. It’s a testament to the community they’ve built. Every student I’ve interacted with has been well-spoken and poised, and it makes me proud to be part of the Wildcat alumni network,” she says.  

Devine retired from teaching in 2025 and was granted emeritus status at UNH, while continuing her work through a strategic marketing consulting business. MAC SMAC, meanwhile, continues to be carried forward by students and Dana Gierka, lecturer of marketing and advisor to the UNH Marketing and Advertising Club.  

“When I launched MAC SMAC, I set out to create a signature UNH event where industry professionals could meaningfully connect with our students and faculty. Today, it has grown into that vision and more — opening doors, fostering the exchange of ideas, and sparking inspiration that extends well beyond the event itself,” Devine says. “I’m incredibly grateful to my students and the entire UNH Paul College community for their support and belief in what MAC SMAC has become. I’m excited to see it continue to grow, deepen its impact, and inspire the next generation of marketers for years to come.”