 Archaeological Services Surveys Bring in Large Contracts
UMass Archaeological Services (UMAS), part of the Anthropology Department of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, is a key leader in cultural resource management. “Any construction that uses federal or state funds or permits is required by law to conduct an archaeological review that inventories—and avoids damage to—significant archaeological and historical sites,” says Mitch Mulholland, founding director of the program. Sponsors include the National Park Service, MassHighway, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Massachusetts Historical Commission, and municipalities across the state. Last fall a substantial contract came to UMAS from Northeast Utilities for which Mulholland has orchestrated several energy related projects. This spring they landed a $374,000 contract with Vermont Electric to survey a line near Burlington, as well as a not-to-exceed $160,000 statewide contract with New Hampshire Department of Transportation. "It's going to be a busy summer!" Mulholland declares. Read expanded article.
 Educational Opportunities, Intellectual Challenges Made Possible with Scholarships
For Tessa Simonds ’08, winning an Ansin Study Abroad Fellowship to support her time in England at Trinity College, Oxford University during junior year, is helping make a dream come-true. Read more....
 Microsoft Grant to Help Students Learn More About IT and its Uses
Microsoft Corp. has announced that it is giving UMass Amherst a gift of nearly $600,000 in software to help support the Learning Commons in the W.E.B. Du Bois Library. Jay Schafer, library director, says the Learning Commons will be expanded and the new software will help students learn more about information technology and its uses. Anthony D. Salcito, a Microsoft official, and Emily Silverman, the library’s director of development and communication, offer comments. Read more...
 Fulbright Grant Awarded to Mednicoff
David Mednicoff, assistant professor of legal studies and public policy, has been awarded a Fulbright research and teaching grant to Qatar for the entire 2006-07 academic year. "I'll be continuing my research for a book on the rule of law and Arab politics," says Mednicoff, who will be lecturing on international politics, international law and US foreign policy at the University of Qatar. He is the first American Fulbright scholar to teach in Qatar in the field of international politics, and the first non-Muslim to receive a grant related to international law and Arab politics. Read expanded article.
 Folbre Co-authors Article on Nursing Pay
Nurses who are well paid for their skills and performance provide higher quality healthcare, according to an article in the journal Nursing Economic$ co-authored by Economics professor Nancy Folbre and Julie A. Nelson of the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University. Read more...
 Psychological Services Center Offers Affordable Assessments and More to Community
When education and the needs of the community intersect, the situation is definitely win-win. Such is the case with the Psychological Services Center, a community mental health clinic operated by the Clinical Division of the Department of Psychology in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Read more...
 Smoothing Things Out: Alum Helps Settle Arguments for a Living
An article in the Boston Globe (5/28/06) by Susan Chaityn Lebovits featured Josh Hoch ’98, director of court and divorce mediation at Mediation Works Inc. where he supervises 80 mediators in 13 Massachusetts district courts, including Newton and Wrentham. "Was he a born peacekeeper?" Leibovits asks. ``You could say that," Hoch responds. "but I might have also been the troublemaker." Read the article.
 Economics Student Receives Fulbright to Study Fair Trade Coffee in Peru
Noah Enelow, a graduate student in Economics, has been awarded a Fulbright grant to conduct research on the economics of the Peruvian coffee sector. Read more...
Tenure Awarded to SBS Faculty
The Board of Trustees voted to award tenure to 23 Amherst campus faculty members. Among them are eight from SBS departments: Benjamin Bailey (communication); Gianpaolo Baiocchi (sociology); Michelle Budig (sociology); Nilanjana Dasgupta (psychology); Linda Isbell (psychology); Elizabeth Krause (anthropology); Mari Castañeda Paredes (communication); and Srirupa Roy (political science). Be watching for more information about these outstanding individuals in future eletters and on the SBS website (www.umass.edu/sbs).
 Professor Publishes Book on Environmental Governance
Professor Peter M. Haas (political science) is co-author of the newly published Global Environmental Governance, part of the Foundations of Contemporary Environmental Studies series by Island Press. Written with James Gustave Speth, dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the book explains how societies addressed global environmental problems in the past and what needs to be done in the future. It also presents essential concepts in international environmental law and regime formation, and includes helpful key terms and study questions. Other recent books by Haas, who is director of the Political Science Graduate Program, include
Emerging Forces in Environmental Governance (UNU Press, 2004, coedited with
Norichika Kanie) and The International Environment in the New Global Economy (2 volumes, Edward Elgar, 2003, editor). He has been a consultant to the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Commission on Global Governance, and the United Nations Environment Program, and his work has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, German Marshall Fund, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Institute for the Study of World Politics, and the Gallatin Foundation.
 Conference to Address New Methods for the Analysis of Family and Dyadic Processes
If you are a substantive researcher in social and relationship research and family science interested in learning about and applying new methodologies, the Center for Research on Families is sponsoring a conference this fall that you shouldn't miss. From
October 13-15, 2006, CRF will bring together experts in psychology, sociology, education, and biostatistics to examine state-of-the art statistical methods that address special issues that arise in research on processes within families and small groups. "New Methods for the Analysis of Family and Dyadic Processes" will focus on discussion of recent innovations in an accessible format and also feature a forum for students and postdoctoral researchers to share their current work through a poster session.
For details, click here.
In the News
Yakima Herald-Republic [Washington], 6/11/06: In the article "Getting Back to Work" by MaiI Hoang, Eve Weinbaum (Labor Relations and Research Center) says retraining workers who lose their jobs often leaves them with lower-paying jobs. She says the job market is changing quickly for many workers. Read the article.
A Word from SBS
This e-letter has been created for alumni and friends of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. SBS includes the departments and programs of Anthropology, Communication, Economics, Journalism, Labor Studies, Legal Studies, Neuroscience and Behavior, Political Science, Psychology, Public Policy and Administration, Social Thought and Political Economy (STPEC), and Sociology. With 38,000 alumni, 5,000 undergraduate majors, and 500 graduate students, SBS is the largest of UMass Amherst’s colleges. In addition to its departments, it is home to numerous programs and research institutions. Through the general education courses that SBS offers, the College’s 150 faculty members teach one quarter of the 17,000 undergraduates on campus.
Gifts from alumni and friends are vital to the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Your investment allows us to create remarkable opportunities for today’s students. If you are already a donor, please accept our sincere thanks. If not, please consider a donation to SBS for your department, financial aid, or a purpose that speaks to your personal experiences and priorities. To make a gift online, click here. Questions? Contact:
Eric Yates, Director of Development
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
University of Massachusetts Amherst
202 South College
150 Hicks Way
Amherst, MA 01003-9274
(413) 577-1700
We welcome feedback related to this newsletter, the college in general, or specific concerns. If you wish to add your name to the mailing list, or if you wish to unsubscribe, please write to the SBS Newsletter. If you have had a change of address, email or other personal information, you can update it online. The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences respects your privacy. Your contact information will not be shared with anyone unrelated to the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
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