CPPA's Badgett in Spotlight for Gay Rights Work
M.V. Lee Badgett (economics), director of the Center for Public Policy and Administration and research director of the Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at UCLA, has been in the media spotlight this month— first in the New York Times and then on National Public Radio—for the work she does championing the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Read more about Badgett...

Offering Support, Guidance, Sense of Community, Peer Advisors Gain Personal Enrichment
“In a large department like Communication (app. 800 majors), it’s especially important to ensure that students feel well-oriented and receive the support they need to feel both challenged and comfortable,” says Professor Lynn Phillips, chief undergraduate advisor and founder of the Department of Communication Peer Advising Program. “It’s also important to offer upper-level students opportunities to develop a professional repertoire for life beyond college.” Read more...

Study Abroad Scholarship Recipients Selected
Many students—now more than ever—need financial assistance to help turn dreams into reality. And because the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences encourages its students to study abroad for a semester or two—or at least a summer—we are determined to raise more funds to help support this experience. Thanks to the generosity of alumni, particularly Jeffrey Katz ’69 (economics) and Thomas Whitford ’77 (psychology), the College was able to assist 30 students with scholarships up to $1,000 for their spring semester travel abroad experience. Read more...

In Remembrance: Professor Emeritus Gordon Sutton
After a courageous battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Professor Emeritus Gordon F. Sutton (sociology) passed away peacefully Jan. 1, 2012, at home in Washington, D.C. A memorial service was held on Jan. 7 in Amherst, MA. The family requests that donations be made to the Gordon and Dolores Sutton Scholarship Fund at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, in honor of their dedication and lifetime commitment to promote ethnic diversity and economic opportunity. Read obituary.

Hanson on Digital Technology
Prof. Jarice Hanson (communication) is an expert on how digital technologies are shaping new behavior and changing the world by enabling grassroots political movements such as Occupy Wall Street, the Tea Party movement, Democracy movements in the Arab World, and more. Recently she was interviewed on WGBY's "Connecting Point." Watch the discussion.

Happy Holidays from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Dean Robert Feldman wishes all of you a very happy holiday season in his annual e-card. View the card...