Staff Directory

Edward F. Blaguszewski, Executive Director
Telephone: 413/545-2986

Ed Blaguszewski has three decades of professional communications experience, having worked as a journalist, national media relations consultant and on three college campuses. He joined UMass Amherst in March 2004. Previously, he served as director of university relations at Penn State Erie and director of public information at Allegheny College. He is a past president of the College and University Public Relations Association of Pennsylvania. His journalism career included positions as an editor at The Republican in Springfield and The Recorder in Greenfield. A native of Cambridge, Mass., he is a 1977 graduate of Boston University with a B.S. in journalism.

Wesley Blixt, Associate News Editor for Internal Communications
Telephone: 413/545-2500

Wesley Blixt spent 12 years as a daily newspaper reporter,including as an investigative reporter for The Republican in Springfield. He taught writing and journalism at UMass Amherst, both on campus and in the state prison system, and worked as public policy advocate. He was hired by UMass Extension communications in 1999, went on to work in Outreach communications and joined News and Media Relations in 2010. He earned a B.A. in Political Science at Drew University, and a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction as part of the UMass Amherst MFA Program for Poets and Writers.

Patrick J. Callahan, Associate News Editor
Telephone: 413/545-0496

Patrick Callahan joined the news office in November 1996, where he has reported and written on a wide variety of subjects, with a special interest in business, public policy and public health. He previously spent 11 years as political reporter and analyst for the Daily Hampshire Gazette, where he covered state and congressional politics. He is a 1976 UMass Amherst graduate with a B.A. in political science.

Christine A. Davies, Office Manager
Telephone: 413/545-0445

Christine Davies coordinates daily operations of the office, including distribution of the Daily News Summary and news releases, telecommunications service, billing, and ordering. She previously served as office manager for The Campus Chronicle.

Daniel J. Fitzgibbons, Associate Director
Telephone: 413/545-2997

Daniel Fitzgibbons served on the staff of The Campus Chronicle, UMass Amherst's faculty-staff newspaper, from 1986 to 2004, including 13 years as editor until the weekly ceased publication in favor of the online publication In the Loop. In 2010, he has named associate director. He graduated from UMass Amherst in 1978 with a B.A. in political science.

Janet Lathrop, Associate News Editor/Science Writer
Telephone: 413/545-2989

Before joining UMass Amherst, Janet Lathrop was a science writer and managing editor for two environmental communication firms reporting on international health effects research, and a staff writer for the University of New Hampshire News Bureau. Her newsroom experience includes general assignment reporting for newspapers in Arizona and Michigan. She has a B.A. in journalism and an M.S. in agricultural journalism (now life sciences communication) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Jared Sharpe, Associate News Editor
Telephone: 413/545-3809

Jared Sharpe joined the news office in November 2012.  Previously, he spent nearly a decade as a literary publicist for Media Connect (formerly Planned Television Arts), a division of The Ruder Finn Group, securing national media interviews for best-selling authors, Hall of Fame athletes and coaches, and corporate executives.  He graduated from Boston University in 2000 with a B.S. In Communication.