Graduate Excellence
Report of the UMass Amherst Graduate School
April 2023 Graduate Report
Annual
In this Issue:
• Message from the Dean
• Staff Spotlight
• Graduate School by the Numbers
• The Graduate School Creates
Innovative Funding Opportunities
• Office of Inclusion & Engagement News
• OIE Hosts McNair Scholars to Support Graduate Recruitment
• Three Spaulding-Smith Fellows
Selected for Scientist Mentoring & Diversity Program
• UMass to Track Career Paths in the Humanities
• Careers in Teaching
• Support the Graduate School
It gives me great pleasure to extend a warm welcome to our extended network of graduate alumni and friends of the Graduate School. We are launching a newsletter as a way of staying in touch with you and sharing news about the Graduate School. In these pages we hope to share with you some of the programming we are doing, our fundraising efforts, and most especially, celebrate the achievements of our graduate students across campus.
I began serving as Dean in January 2021, as our former Dean, Barbara Krauthamer, moved just a few hundred yards away to South College where she is now serving as Dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. The University was in full pandemic lockdown, operating almost exclusively online as we all joined together to protect the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff. As I write this now, we are back on campus and enjoying seeing each other and students once again.
It has been an exceptional two years of challenges and resilience. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the amazing staff in all the units of the Graduate School that persevered, taking home their computers, and setting up remote work stations so our work could continue. We have also had quite a few changes in our staff, with retirements and departures in virtually every unit of the Graduate School.
I appreciate the service and dedication of everyone that makes the Graduate School an exceptional place to work and I am confident that with the new excellent hires we have made, the Graduate School will continue full steam ahead on its mission of innovation and excellence.
COVID placed serious obstacles to our students’ progress, closing labs and preventing travel to research and conferences. Racial tensions across the country brought a reckoning with systemic inequality and prompted task forces to ask how we can do better. Here at the Graduate School, we have tried to be a beacon of support in all these changes, looking to find meaningful ways to provide the support students needed to get back on track and feel connected to our campus. I hope you will enjoy learning more about the Graduate School and our initiatives for supporting excellence, diversity and equity in graduate education.
Warmly,
Jacqueline Urla Professor of Anthropology Dean, Graduate School
1
Message from the Dean
Joyce is one of our longest serving staff members at the Graduate School where she is the Supervisor of Records. She was born in Woburn, Massachusetts. She knows well the struggle and determination it takes to get an education. As a single parent, she decided to pursue a college degree, going first to Holyoke Community College. While there, she found a wonderful mentor who told her about the Ada Comstock Program at Smith College for older returning students. She applied and spent the next 7 and a half years earning her bachelor’s degree in Psychology, while also working various jobs to support herself and her daughter. She has lived many places --Vermont, Newport, Rhode Island, before settling in Granby 26 years ago with her husband Bob.
“I started working at the Graduate School in September 1997. UMass gave me a fulltime job when I really needed it. Good Lord – I started my UMass tenure here and never left – that must say something!! I deeply enjoy assisting graduate students in their academic endeavors and the ‘hiccups’ that life presents along the way. I like to think we are successful most of the time. Like any area – there is always work to do and improvements to be made – yet I believe we strive to establish a welcoming and caring and ‘we will work with you’ reputation. Our ultimate goal is to help our students graduate – and to assist in paving a helpful path along the way.”
Joyce describes herself as a “pay it forward kind of gal.” “I personally strive to be an empathetic voice/shoulder – to be honest and to always be kind.” And she truly is all of that and more.
GRAD SCHOOL BY THE NUMBERS
27% International Representing 107 Countries
52% Female 31% African American Latinx American Asian American & Native American
7,838 STUDENTS
1,752 Masters Degrees &
395 Doctoral Degrees
Awarded May 2022
2
Joyce Williams-Boisjolie Graduate Records Supervisor Grad School Staff since 1996
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
The Graduate School Creates Innovative Funding Opportunities
In the last two years, the Graduate School has announced three new grant and fellowship programs to help graduate students get back on track with their research. Working with Associate Director of Grants and Fellowships, Graduate Dean Jacqueline Urla has put an emphasis on creating innovative funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as rapidly-changing social, political, and environmental circumstances.
Return to Research Grants
When the global COVID-19 pandemic hit, many graduate students found that their research came to a complete stop. Some, such as those working in labs on campus, were able to resume their work, although at a delayed pace. For others, however, research remains stopped: Archives closed, travel to research sites was not allowed, and research with human subjects became severely limited.
The roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine made it likely that graduate students could resume their research activities. In response, on February 2, 2021, the Graduate School created the Return to Research Grant Program that provided immediate and flexible financial support to graduate students. Grants of up to $5,000 supported activities related to dissertation data collection and analysis, such as travel to field sites, archives, or collections.
Dissertation Completion Fellowship
As part of its multi-year initiative to assist graduate students in recovering from delays prompted by COVID-19, the Graduate School announced a new Dissertation Completion Fellowship for Spring 2022.
The Dissertation Completion Fellowship provided a $12,000 stipend for Spring 2022 for students who needed a work-free semester to complete their writing and defend their dissertation. The Graduate School awarded 18 fellowships to UMass doctoral candidates in campus-based degree programs.
Rapid Research Grants
On September 19, 2022, the Graduate School announced an innovative new grant program that will provide financial support to graduate students conducting time-sensitive, cutting-edge research. Graduate School Rapid Research Grants will award up to $1,000 to doctoral and MFA students for costs associated with data collection.
Dean Urla described the Rapid Research Grant Program as an opportunity for graduate student research to evolve in the face of rapidly-changing social, political, and environmental circumstances. “A single unanticipated event can drastically impact a student’s pre-planned research trajectory. We know our graduate students are nimble, creative, thoughtful researchers and these grants will allow them to respond to opportunities as they arise.”
NSF GRFP Fellowship Awardees since 2018
Luis Aguirre
Rico Charles Angell
Estefany Argueta Herrera
Bridget Benner
Brooke Burrows
Rachel Bell Burten
Stephanie Nicole Call
Seanne Reyes Clemente
Sarah Christine Deckel
Trisha Ann Dehrone
Brennan Falcy
Grazielle Figueredo
Annabelle Flores-Bonilla
Gorana Gonzalez
Helene Grogan
Priscilla Hernandez
Lars Howell
Rebecca Elizabeth Huber
Julian Killingback
Mary Elizabeth deVaux Lee-Trimble
Tailynn Yevette McCarty
Samantha McComb
Joshua Jeffrey Medina
Demi Elana Kristeller Moed
Anissa Nicole Neal
Katherine Shannon Otter
Adrian Rivera-Rodriguez
Tannuja Devi Rozario
Mary Chase Sheehan
Kaitlyn Suarez
Maina Handmaker
3
Office of Inclusion and Engagement News
Arrivals and Departures
In December 2021, Funmi Ayobami accepted a faculty position at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Ayobami was the inaugural Assistant Dean of the Office of Inclusion (OIE) and Engagement when it officially opened its doors in 2018. Dr. Ayobami was a beloved mentor who shepherded the start of our Spaulding-Smith and REAL fellowship programs. Dean Urla took the opportunity to reorganize and expand support for OIE, and in September 2021, invited Dr. Wilmore Webley (Microbiology), to be the new Associate Dean of OIE. Dr. Webley has been a champion of holistic admissions and helped set in place a more robust system of recruitment of underrepresented students. After 18 months of exceptional service, he was promoted to Senior Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion, starting January 2023. We are pleased to welcome Professor Sofiya Alhassan (Kinesiology) as the new Associate Dean
Fellowships Awarded
Since 2018
REAL Fellows: 187
Spaulding-Smith Fellows: 160
Dean Urla said, “I am pleased at the growing support for DEI in Academic Affairs and thrilled to have Dr. Alhassan join the Graduate School as our new Associate Dean of Inclusion and Engagement. Professor Webley had a transformational impact on OIE and we know Professor Alhassan will as well. An experienced Graduate Program Director in Kinesiology, she brings a passionate commitment to the mentoring of graduate students of color that will be of great value to our whole campus.”
4
Scholars Visit Campus 5
McNair
Who was Ronald McNair?
The McNair Scholars Program embraces and honors the legacy and high achievement standards of Dr. Ronald E. McNair, an expert in laser physics, a graduate of MIT and the second African American selected by NASA for the space shuttle program to fly into space on February 3rd, 1984.
Dr. McNair was the mission specialist of the ill-fated U.S. Challenger space shuttle, which exploded one minute, thirteen seconds after launching on January 28th, 1986, killing everyone on board.
Dr. McNair was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and members of Congress provided funding for the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program with the goal of helping college students from underrepresented ethnic or racial groups, low-income, and first-generation college students, pursue an academic career.
The National Names Exchange
In addition to McNair partnerships, we can thank Associate Dean Webley for incorporating UMass Amherst in theNational Name Exchange(NNE). The NNE was founded in 1976 as a consortium of over 50 nationally-recognized universities, which collect and share the names of their talented, underrepresented ethnic minority students in their sophomore, junior, and senior years of college. Being a part of the NNE means that UMass departments will be able to do recruitment outreach to the over 4000 undergraduate students from over 80 colleges and universities who sign up for the NNE.
OIE runs workshops and provides customized guidance for departments on effective recruitment strategies, holistic admissions and retention of URM and firstgeneration students.
6
Three Spaulding-Smith Fellows Selected for Scientist Mentoring & Diversity Program
Three doctoral students participated in the Scientist Mentoring & Diversity Program (SMDP), a year-long career mentoring program that paired ethnically diverse students and early career researchers with industry mentors in the medical technology, biotechnology, and consumer healthcare industries. Organized by the International Center for Professional Development, this comprehensive program included a 5-day SMDP conference, career development coaching, one year of personalized career mentoring and guidance from an industry leader, networking opportunities, and financial support to attend a major industry conference.
Wayne Barnaby, Neuroscience and Behavior, has long been interested in the impact that biopharma has on patients in need. He recalled, “As soon as the program started, I was immersed in a wealth of knowledge about how to navigate the biotech industry something hard to learn from the outside! The most valuable aspect was the network." Leveraging training and connections achieved through SMDP, Wayne secured a summer internship with Genentech before defending his dissertation and accepting a scientist position with Eli Lilly.
Michael Lu-Díaz, Chemistry, chose to join the SMDP MedTech cohort to learn more about careers at the intersection of science and business. Michael created a mentoring plan with his mentor, a Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs, and the pair met monthly to discuss his progress. “Now that I have a clear picture of the industry landscape, I have decided to pursue a career in intellectual property at the intersection of science, business, and law.” In support of these goals, Michael has completed two Technology Specialist internships with Wolf Greenfield & Sacks, a firm that specializes in patent law.
All three students were nominated for SMDP by Shana Passonno, Director of the Graduate School Office of Professional Development (OPD). Having worked in the biopharma industry for a decade herself, Passonno is excited about opportunities that teach students how companies are structured, how the research enterprise operates, and how one’s disciplinary expertise can be applied to a wide array of organizational units and roles. “I am proud of what our students have accomplished during (and after) the program and am delighted that UMass graduate students have been accepted into future SMDP cohorts.”
Ana P. Torres-Ocampo, Molecular and Cellular Biology, joined the SMDP Biotech cohort. Ana had monthly meetings with her mentor, a leader at a top pharmaceutical company, who helped Ana improve her job documents and interview skills. Ana also benefited from the virtual panels organized by SMPD.
“In addition to helping me build my network, they connected me with recruiting managers who could provide insights about the workplace environment and culture of each company, important factors as I consider the right career fit for me.” After completing her Ph.D., Ana accepted a postdoctoral research associate position at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
7
Congratulations to all UMass SMDP participants!
UMass to Track Career Paths in the Humanities
In Fall 2022, the Graduate School begins a three-year project to gather information on the career paths of students with doctorates in the humanities. The research project known as TRaCE, is funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and includes partners from Africa, India, China, Australia, Europe and the Americas. Over the next two years, graduate students will become researchers collecting data and personal stories from PhD students about the variety of possible PhD career pathways. We look forward to using this research as an instrument for improving advising and assisting doctoral students in their individual career advancement, international bridge-building, as well as identifying concrete steps towards improving graduate education. Our hope is that these stories will help us to attract students who might otherwise not consider doctoral education. And it will directly benefit our existing “alt-ac” programs that help students to imagine
The Graduate School’s Office of Professional Development (OPD) is committed to helping graduate students explore the diversity of careers open to them. In fall 2022, we organized the seventh Teaching at Teaching Intensive Institutions (TTII) conference, joining more than 120 graduate students and postdocs from 14 regional doctoral institutions (like UMass!) and faculty from more than a dozen “teaching intensive institutions” (community colleges, state colleges, and liberal arts colleges) for a day of panel discussions, breakout sessions, oneon-one job counseling, and networking opportunities. TTIIs are the real workhorse of higher education in the United States –where over half of the nation’s undergraduates receive their education. Many of our graduate students have found their calling at this conference, attracted to the diversity, commitment to student access, and the value placed on teaching at TTII colleges.
Samantha Scripture, Assistant Professor at Worcester State University, attended the TTII conference while still a PhD student at UMass Amherst. “I am thankful that OPD organized, and continues to organize, the TTII conference! There is more than one type of academic job and TTII helped me find the perfect fit for me at WSU!”
For OPD, the best part is inviting “former attendees” like Samantha to return as faculty presenters, ready to share insights and advice about their career with a room full of potential future colleagues. Your support can help us make this conference free for any student who would like to attend.
Careers in Teaching
8
Support the Graduate School
The Graduate School provides critical support in the form of direct fellowships, grants, mentoring, and professional development that many departments are unable to provide.
When you invest in UMass Amherst graduate students, you make a real difference in the quality of their experience at the University. Your support matters.
Help us help Grad Students succeed at UMass Amherst!
As a land-grant institution and the Commonwealth’s flagship research university, it is our mission to invite and support promising students of all backgrounds into this transformative experience. We do this through our fellowships and our extensive program of professional development trainings. Your gift to either of these programs will go directly to helping all graduate students thrive. We also encourage gifts to our emergency fund for students who find themselves in crisis or in need of a helping hand.
The Graduate School provides critical support in the form of direct fellowships, grants, mentoring, and professional development that many departments are unable to provide.
When you invest in UMass Amherst graduate students, you make a real difference in the quality of their experience at the University. Your support matters.
"This fellowship has provided me with the financial support that a regular teaching assistant would provide but also allowed me to invest more of my time in outreach and community work which I find extremely fulfilling and has aided me in the beginning to balance my time as a student and budding researcher. It also connected me with a number of people who come from similar backgrounds allowing me to feel like I belong in a higher education community."
Mariela Garcia Arredondo PhD Student - Environmental Conservation Spaulding-Smith Fellow
The Spaulding-Smith Fellowship is awarded to outstanding doctoral students from the historically underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The fellowship provides full financial support during the first and final year of graduate school.
The Research Enhancement and Leadership (REAL) Fellowship is awarded to outstanding graduate students from historically underrepresented groups in the humanities and arts, social sciences, education, nursing, and business. The fellowship provides four years of summer support in the form of a $5,000 fellowship each summer (two years for MFA students).
The Office of Professional Development (OPD). Completing a graduate degree takes a wide range of skills. OPD offers more than 400 workshops per year to help students learn those extra-curricular skills they need to thrive both in and outside of academia, whether its writing winning grants, public speaking, job interview strategies, teaching effectively, or leadership. Your gift will help us expand our offerings or pay the registration fee for a student to attend a valuable training event.
The Graduate Student Emergency Fund. Graduate school can present unexpected challenges and sometimes crises emerge. Your gift can help us help students navigate a tough time.
9
University of Massachusetts
140 Hicks Way
514 Goodell Building
Amherst, MA 01003-9333
umass.edu/graduate
poses with 2023 Three Minute Thesis
Winner
Grasshopper
Anderson-Merritt
Dean Urla
