New concentrations in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, a newly renovated Wellness Center, and Competitive Dance, Cheer and Women’s Flag Football teams?
Welcome to the first AMCAT Recap of 2026, highlighting what happened at Anna Maria this past winter.
Health and Counseling Opens New Mary Lou Retelle Wellness Center
The Health and Counseling department had quite the busy winter, kicking it off with a relocation to Foundress Hall. This move centralizes the department to make their services more available to people throughout campus. The new Wellness Center is named after former Anna Maria College President Mary Lou Retelle. The space is much more spacious and is a calming and serene environment. President Retelle’s tenure as Anna Maria’s President was marked by a strong consideration of the student body’s wellbeing. This commitment is now cemented in our campus with the Mary Lou Retelle Wellness Center.
The Health and Counseling department recently hosted an open house for the grand opening. The department’s newest employee also made an appearance, more on him soon!
New Athletic Programs Mark a Time of Growth
The Athletics Department saw their fair share of growth. It was announced that Anna Maria College will be fielding both Competitive Dance and Cheer teams, as well as a Women’s Flag Football team, set to debut in the 2026-2027 academic year. These new teams represent a response to growing interest, as well as carrying out a promise to create meaningful co-curricular competitive opportunities.
The AMCAT Dance team will have quite the presence at Anna Maria. They will be performing at rallies, sports games, and community gatherings while also competing on the regional and national stages. With search for a head coach completed, the Anna Maria College Dance Team will be ready to blend art, AMCAT pride, and athleticism starting next year under the leadership of Emma Wilburn.
Along with the Dance Team, the Cheer Team will perform at many events. They will be highlighted during rallies and sports games, as well as competing at regional and national levels under head coach Dr. Erin Blette. Anna Maria College joins a number of colleges recognizing Cheer as an extremely fast-growing collegiate sport. And just like the Dance Team, they’ll be ready to make their debut next year.
The last cornerstone of this monumental initiative from Anna Maria’s Athletics Department is a Women’s Flag Football team. Anna Maria College announced Bridget D’Amelio has been appointed as the inaugural head coach. D’Amelio comes from a background filled with women’s sports. Her experience includes serving Wachusett Regional High School as their conference-winning Women’s Flag Football head coach.
Calling D’Amelio’s appointment as Anna Maria’s Women’s Flag Football head coach “historic” would be an understatement. She’s the first ever female coach of a collegiate women’s flag football team in the New England area. Her level of expertise in women’s sports, and years of experience make her the perfect choice to lead our Women’s Flag Football team next academic year.
New Concentrations in Accelerated MBA Program; Addressing Demand for Expertise in Fields
The Business School at Anna Maria College launched three new concentrations, which are embedded into their one-year MBA program. These programs are Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Business Analytics. These programs respond to a demand from employers for people with expertise in advanced technology, setting up Anna Maria College students for success in the future.
As mentioned before, these programs are embedded into the Accelerated MBA program, meaning they can be completed without extending their time to degree completion. The programs can be completed in as little as one year’s time, twice as fast as traditional MBA programs offered at other colleges.
One of the core aspects of these programs is flexibility. The programs allow students to take classes on campus in a hybrid format, or completely asynchronous online, through Anna Maria’s partnership with Rize Education. Qualified professionals in the field looking to further their education through these programs may also waive courses, based on their work experience. This furthers the amount of flexibility within the program.
Ben Milgate, Communications ‘29
