Dean's Welcome

“Connect to your world” is the mantra of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at UMass Amherst. As the largest college on campus, we educate thousands of students in matters related to culture, society, and individual behavior. Our departments and degree granting programs (Anthropology, Communication, Economics, Journalism, Labor Studies, Legal Studies, Neuroscience and Behavior, Political Science, Psychology, Public Policy, Social Thought and Political Economy, and Sociology) are internationally recognized for their commitment to and achievements in teaching, research and academic outreach. The stature of graduate programs, among the best nationally, continues to grow. Each year faculty are honored with prestigious awards, election to high office in their disciplines, and appointment to editor positions for top professional journals.

Dramatic changes throughout the world have impacted the way we teach and work. Faculty in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences have developed an innovative cross-curricular program that emphasizes community service and internships, along with study abroad and courses that provide international perspectives, so essential in today’s global community. Aided by generous alumni, this initiative has helped make internships and study abroad possible for many students. I am delighted to report that more students in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences do internships than in any other division at UMass Amherst. In addition, the number of our students studying abroad has increased dramatically in the past five years.

The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences also has exceptional research centers and institutes. The Labor Center, the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), the Center for Research on the Family, the Center for the Study of Communication, the Social and Demographic Research Institute (SADRI), and the Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies are highly respected for their outreach activities and for their multidisciplinary orientations. And with the arrival of Dr. Jane Fountain, the National Center for Digital Government is now housed in the Center for Public Policy and Administration. This effort makes UMass Amherst a central node in a national leadership network for longitudinal, cross-disciplinary, and problem-oriented research and practice that advances the social sciences and an understanding of digital government.

The College’s commitment to integrating learning, research and outreach helps faculty, students and alumni make a difference in society. Our academic environment offers contagious excitement. Connect to your world through the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Dean Janet Rifkin

To read a Q & A with the dean, which appeared in Foundations, the newsletter of the UMass Amherst Foundation (winter 2006), click here.