What Is an Ally?
Allies include staff, faculty, and students at UMass Amherst who display an "Ally" placard outside their office or residence hall room. This sign identifies them as individuals who are willing to provide a safe haven, a listening ear, and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people or anyone dealing with sexual orientation and/or gender identity issues.
All allies have attended a training workshop through the Stonewall Center to learn about the benefits and responsibilities of being an ally to LGBT people in our community. Every ally has signed an ally contract before posting their placard.
Allies are committed to educating others and themselves about the oppression of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender people and to combat heterosexism and genderism personally and institutionally. They are committed to providing support to members of the LGBT and Ally community.
Our Allies
Center for Student Development
Center for Student Businesses
- Dana Griffin, Undergraduate Business Consultant
- Devon Long, Business Development Coordinator
- Ian Miller, Financial Consultant
- Rosemary Schmidt, Director
- Laura Valente, Undergraduate Business Consultant
- Donna Vanasse, Administrative Coordinator
Craft Center
- Nonye Brown-West, Student Employee
- Paula Hodecker, Director
- Nathan Okun, Student Employee
- Marjorie Valdivia, Graduate Student Assistant Director
- Leslie Vigeant, Student Employee
- Rachael Wallis, Student Employee
Office of Programs and Services for ALANA Students
- Hind Mari, Director, Women of Color Leadership Network
- Linda Olf, Associate Director, United Asia Learning Resource Center
- Jacqueline Pinn, Director
- Joyce Tuten, Office Manager
- Joyce White Vincent, Associate Director, Native American Student Services
Student Center for Educational Research and Advocacy - Student Bridges Program
- Ayla Bailey, Student Bridges Staff
- Elizabeth Corcoran, Student Bridges Staff
- Mishy Leiblum, Student Bridges Coordinator
- Vanessa Snow, Student Bridges Staff
Student Legal Services Office
- Corey Carvalho, Administrative Coordinator
- Pamela Dutta, Outreach Coordinator
- Jean Fenalon, Legal Assistant
- Shaun Gariepy, Legal Assistant
- Victoria Legris, Legal Assistant
Union Video Center - TV 19
- Susan Allen, Assistant Station Manager
- Darol Bishop, Technician
- Michael Dennis, Web Designer/IT Director
- Dustin Devlin, Production Assistant
- Jennifer Jean-Baptiste, Station Manager
- Peter Marvin, General Manager
- Fallon Mercedes, News Producer
- Dave Sondrini, Production Coordinator
- Emily Ward, Student Employee
- Jennifer Wilmot, President
Everywoman's Center
- Nicole Fernald, Educator Advocate
- Nicholas Gooler, Educator Advocate
- Kerianne Haar, Educator Advocate
- Tanya Kachuaha, Director of Community Education
- Jennifer Snyder, Educator Advocate
Residence Life
- Ronald Trunzo, Recruitment and Staff Development Director, Berkshire House
Northeast Residential Area
Thatcher, Lewis, Johnson
- Sangeetha Bhattar, RA
- Sara Fatemi, RA
- Tristan Imhof, RA
- Julia Mohala, RD
- Marc Santos, RA
- Yuichi Watanabe, RA
Orchard Hill Residential Area
Grayson and Field
- Ashley Benton, RA
- Derrick Bessaoud, RA
- Kristen DiMarzio, RA
- Christine Dunn, RA
- Erin Flaherty, RA
- Noga Flory, RD
- Kirby Fortin, RA
- Diana Franco, RA
- Maureen Gallagher, ARD
- Michael Gula, RA
- Ashley Han, RA
- Brendan Kemp, RA
- Jennifer Lane, Cluster Office Manager
- Justine Lynch, RA
- Pearline Ngauv, RA
- Emma Pfordresher, RA
- Matthew Sloan, RA
- Max Wyneken, RA
Sylvan Residential Area
- Dana Alhaffar, ARD, Brown Hall
Student Allies
- Sara Bernardo
- Kathleen Capuras
- Julian Chalek
- Steven Coletti
- Brieana Garner
- Katie Sherman
- Kim Sherman
