In Memoriam: Virginia ‘Ginny’ Greiman
It is with great regret that Metropolitan College announces the passing of Administrative Sciences Assistant Professor Virginia Greiman (SED’70, LAW’03), who passed away peacefully on November 15, 2024, at Mass General Hospital in Boston.
“Ginny” to her friends and colleagues, Professor Greiman’s connections to Boston University run deep, touching many in the community. She earned both her Master of Education and her Master of Laws in Taxation at BU, serving as a lecturer at LAW since 2004. She joined MET in 2008 as an assistant professor in the Administrative Sciences department, bringing vast experience to the courses she taught.
Over the course of her remarkable career, Professor Greiman held several high-level appointments for the United States government, including as United States Trustee for the US Department of Justice in Washington, DC, and international legal counsel to the US Department of State and the US Agency for International Development on privatization projects in Eastern and Central Europe. She advised on London’s Crossrail project (Europe’s largest mega-project) and mega-projects in India, Africa, and Southeast Asia, and served as chief of party for a State Department Delegation to Liberia on post-conflict reconstruction and institutional reform. She also managed the successful reorganizations of Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant and the Bank of New England, which was the first bank holding company to file for chapter 11 relief.
A certified Project Management Professional, it was Professor Greiman’s role as deputy chief counsel and risk manager for Boston’s Central Artery Project, or “Big Dig,” that contributed great depth to the development of MET’s project management graduate programs. Her experience with the largest inner-city engineering project in the United States animated the courses she taught. She believed that to be an effective teacher, you had to excite the students and share the passion you had for the subject. It was her commitment to bringing knowledge to life using firsthand experience, and her love of helping learners find new perspectives, that brought her to BU.
“I first met Ginny in 2009 when I was interviewing for a faculty position at MET, and I will always remember her warmth and encouragement” Administrative Sciences Chair Irena Vodenska recalled. “At that time, she was the only female faculty member in our department—a fact she acknowledged with a gentle yet determined resolve to improve the gender balance. Her words of support and advocacy for inclusivity left a lasting impression on me and underscored her commitment to fostering a more equitable academic environment.”
Director of Project Management Vijay Kanabar underscored the impact Greiman made on both the PM program and its students. “Her extensive Big Dig experience—America’s largest construction project—made her invaluable to our project management curriculum, particularly in risk analysis and management.,” he said. “Students consistently praised her teaching and professional expertise in the domain of mega-projects through exceptional course evaluations … Having our offices next door meant daily conversations and collaboration, making her loss deeply felt.”
“Beyond her academic achievements, she cared deeply for her students, offering guidance on their career aspirations and delivering lectures that resonated profoundly with them,” Professor Vodenska said. “We will miss Ginny’s brilliance, kindness, and unwavering dedication. Her legacy will live on in the countless students, colleagues, and friends whose lives she enriched.”
The entire Metropolitan College community extends its deepest condolences to Ginny’s family, friends, and colleagues.