Professor Laura Briggs, chair of the Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies Department, has been awarded the James A. Rawley Prize, given annually by the Organization of American Historians to the author of the best book dealing with the history of race relations in the United States. Her book, "Somebody's Children: The Politics of Transracial and Transnational Adoption," was published last year by Duke University Press.
The prize is given in memory of James A. Rawley, Carl Adolph Happold Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
The award will be presented in April at
When the nearly 300-member Bands of America Honors Band marched in the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day, the percussion section was under the watchful eye of Thom Hannum, associate director of the Minuteman Marching Band, who wrote their music and prepped them for the national spotlight.
Professor Jane Fountain of Political Science and Public Policy has published a new report that spells out the recipe for successful working relationships across government agencies. The report, titled 
Nicholas Reich, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, is the lead biostatistician for a team of researchers who recently reported results of one of the largest infection prevention trials ever conducted in children, that daily baths with an antiseptic soap can reduce the risk of bloodstream infection in critically ill hospitalized children. Investigators at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center led the work at five pediatric hospitals. Findings were reported in a recent issue of the prestigious journal, The Lancet.
After bringing more than 60 Pakistani students to the UMass Amherst campus for the past three summers as participants of the Pakistani Young Leaders program, Mike Hannahan, visiting scholar in Political Science, traveled to Islamabad in January, where he oversaw a reunion of the program’s alumni before embarking on a speaking tour of the country—a trip that coincided with President Obama’s second term inauguration and provided ample opportunity to discuss the U.S. government’s policies and practices.