News

Dasgupta speaks on how female experts, peers act as ‘social vaccines’ in STEM

Psychology professor Nilanjana Dasgupta will speak on “STEMing the Tide: How Female Experts and Peers Act as ‘Social Vaccines’ for Girls and Women in STEM” on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. in the Campus Center Auditorium.

In her presentation, Dasgupta will propose that individuals’ choice to pursue one career path over another is not really a free choice, but rather is constrained by subtle expectations in achievement environments that send the message some individuals “naturally belong” in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers and others don’t.

Obituary: William K. Price, retired assistant professor of Communication

William K. Price, 82, of South Deerfield, retired assistant professor of Communication, died Feb. 8 at home.
 
Born in Hagerstown, Md., he attended Allegany High School and graduated from the University of Maryland in 1954. He served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force from 1954-57. He received his M.S. and his doctorate at the University of Wisconsin in 1960 and 1964, respectively.
 
He also served as presiding officer of the Faculty Senate in the early 1990s.
 
He joined the faculty in 1963 and retired in 1996. He continued to teach until 2001.

He leaves his wife of 24 years,

Flags lowered for Mansfield National Guard officer

Gov. Deval L. Patrick has ordered that the U.S. and Commonwealth flags be lowered to half-staff at all state buildings from sunrise until sunset on Tuesday, Feb. 19 in honor of Army National Guard Lt. Col. Michael J. Greene of Mansfield, who died of an illness on Feb. 10.

Susan Roberts appointed associate dean of Graduate School

Professor Susan Roberts will assume the half-time position of associate dean of the Graduate School on July 1, according to John McCarthy, vice provost for Graduate Education and dean of the Graduate School. Roberts is a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering and director of the Institute for Cellular Engineering (ICE).

In her role as ICE director, Roberts directs a National Science Foundation-sponsored Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program, which provides funding and training to graduate students to prepare them for a range of careers in

'I Love UMass Amherst Day' activities set for Feb. 28

The Student Alumni Association and the Student Philanthropy Committee are sponsoring “I Love UMass Amherst Day” On Thursday, Feb. 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Campus Center concourse. UMass Amherst is joining nearly 70 educational institutions worldwide for this first-ever Council for Advancement and Support of Education ASAP Student Engagement and Philanthropy Day.

Students are invited to visit the table to write thank you notes to donors, alumni or anyone on campus who has positively affected their UMass experience.

'Du Bois at 50' observance opens in Great Barrington

Arthur E. McFarlane II, the great-grandson of W.E.B. Du Bois, will make his first visit to Great Barrington on Wednesday, Feb. 27 as part of the W.E.B. Du Bois Center’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the civil rights leader’s death.
 
“Du Bois at 50: A Hometown Retrospective,” is part of a year-long series of public events exploring various aspects of civil rights and social justice starting in February and the celebration of Black History Month.
 
At 3:30 p.m., McFarlane will lay a wreath at his family’s plot at Mahaiwe Cemetery.

Kearns to speak on NYC's Exit Art cultural center

Art professor Jerry Kearns, director of the New York Professional Outreach Program, will speak about Exit Art, the Manhattan-based non-profit cultural center, on Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. in the University Museum of Contemporary Art.
 
Founded in 1982 as an alternative exhibition space, Exit Art became know for hosting shows exploring ideas and people outside the political, social, sexual and aesthetic mainstreams.
 
Kearns will examine the workings of Exit Art, its influential role in the New York art world and the accession of the Exit Art portfolios to the UMCA permanent collection.

Shabazz to discuss Springfield's African-American heritage

Amilcar Shabazz, professor of Afro-American Studies and faculty advisor for diversity and excellence in the Chancellor’s Office, will be a panelist on “Discovering Springfield’s African American Heritage” on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. at the Pan African Historical Museum in Springfield.
 
Joining Shabazz in the discussion will be Wayne E. Phaneuf, executive editor of the Republican, and Joseph Carvalho III, retired president and executive director of the Springfield Museums.
 
The Pan African Historical Museum is located at 1500 Main St.  For information, call 733-4823.

Doctoral oral exams for Feb. 25 to March 1

The graduate dean invites all graduate faculty to attend the final oral examinations for the doctoral candidates scheduled as follows:

Robert Herr, Ph.D., Spanish and Portuguese. Wednesday, Feb. 27, 4 p.m., 210 Herter Hall. Dissertation: “Puppets and Proselytizing: Politics and Nation-Building in Post-Revolutionary Mexico’s Didactic Theater.” Luis Marentes, chr.

Elizabeth Harlow, Ph.D., Anthropology. Thursday, Feb. 28, 1:30 p.m., 805-09 Campus Center. Dissertation: “Mind the Gap: Materiality of Gendered Landscapes in Deerfield, Massachusetts, ca. 1870- ca. 1920.” R. Paynter, chr.

Nahir Otaño

MWPHE scholarships and awards

The application deadline for Student Achievement Scholarships, Professional Development Awards and the Phenomenal Woman Awards offered by Massachusetts Women in Public Higher Education, Inc. (MWPHE) is Monday, Feb. 25.

Student Achievement Scholarship Awards
Three $750 Student Achievement Scholarship Awards are given annually. Female students who are enrolled, are matriculated in an academic program, and have completed at least three courses in their major at a Massachusetts public school or university are eligible to apply. Applications must be completed online at www.mwphe.org. An essay,

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