Kate Hudson
Senior Lecturer II and Director of Academic and Organizational Innovation
Department of Educational Policy, Research, and Administration
College of Education
The ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentoring Award for the College of Education goes to Dr. Kate Hudson, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Educational Policy, Research, and Administration. Nominators praised Dr. Hudson’s mentoring of adjunct faculty and lecturers at all career stages. She launched the Faculty Development Unit that supports faculty on-boarding in the College and works with the MSP to develop workshops on promotion process for lecturers all across campus. Many faculty members credit her mentorship as pivotal to their professional development. One faculty member noted, “Kate weaves humility, empathy, and a commitment to empowering others into the fabric of the college. She makes us all stronger so that we can serve our students more effectively.”
Frank Sup
Professor and Co-Director, Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation
Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
Riccio College of Engineering
The ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentoring Award for the Riccio College of Engineering goes to Dr. Frank Sup, Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering. As Director of the Mechatronics and Robotics Research Lab and Co-Director of the Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation, Dr. Sup’s generous mentoring supports colleagues across the Nursing and Engineering disciplines. One nominator says, he “truly exemplifies the qualities of an exceptional mentor through his dedication, knowledge, and unwavering support for our junior colleagues.” Beyond his formal role as official faculty mentor for junior faculty, Dr. Sup is heralded as “a leader in fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive environment within the department.”
Haivan Hoang
Associate Professor and Associate Director, Junior Year Writing Program
Department of English
College of Humanities & Fine Arts
The ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentoring Award for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts goes to Dr. Haivan V. Hoang, Associate Professor in the Department of English. Dr. Hoang’s mentorship has profoundly shaped the Junior Year Writing (JYW) program, guiding faculty through complex pedagogical issues with a focus on diversity and inclusion. She has established ongoing faculty mentoring groups and led several Mutual Mentoring Grants, including the 2020 Grant that had a significant impact on remote writing pedagogy during the challenging transition to online teaching. Her nominators describe her as a tireless mentor and advocate for many students, graduate students, teachers, and faculty, and note her particular commitment to turning "any pedagogical concerns…into an opportunity for outreach and mentorship for faculty.”
Allison Roy
Research Associate Professor
Department of Environmental Conservation
College of Natural Sciences
The ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentoring Award for the College of Natural Sciences goes to Dr. Allison Roy, Research Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Conservation. Dr. Roy is a dedicated mentor who tailors her support to each faculty member’s needs and goals, fostering professional growth across ranks and lived experiences in her department. Her coworkers know her as someone who consistently uses her own leadership roles and resources to uplift and open doors for others. Her peers described her as a “sounding board for discussing tricky situations.” Her mentoring creates lasting and widespread change: One of her coworkers described her work as “like tossing pebbles in a pond, with rippling positive effects in our graduate and undergraduate programs.”
Libby A. Sharrow
Associate Professor
Department of History and School of Public Policy
College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
The ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentoring Award for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences goes to Dr. Libby A. Sharrow, Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy and Department of History. As Director of Faculty Research at the Institute for Social Science Research, Dr. Sharrow creates structures and settings that foster faculty networks for individual and collective growth. The nomination letters illustrated Dr. Sharrow’s contributions to a strong sense of belonging for faculty from underrepresented backgrounds, helping new faculty acclimate, providing research mentoring, supporting their academic success, and exemplifying leadership qualities, among many other practices. The review panel was especially impressed by the message of her consistency in this regard: “She is invited into faculty spaces, learns from them, and then gives back exponentially, strengthening those communities.”
Rae K. Walker
Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Center for Personalized Health Monitoring
Elaine Marieb College of Nursing
The ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentoring Award for the College of Nursing goes to Dr. Rae Walker, Associate Professor in the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing. Dr. Walker’s colleagues celebrate their highly impactful mentoring of faculty within EMCON and across the profession. They strive for equity in faculty advancement through direct mentoring, actively nominating faculty for awards, and applying ADVANCE tools to their work on the CPC. They also create national opportunities for faculty peers, from the chance to serve on expert panels to promoting the induction of Fellows in their professional society. Multiple faculty members contributed testimonials, noting Dr. Walker’s valuable advice on career development, research opportunities, and personal growth.
E. Nicole Melton
Professor and Department Chair
Department of Sport Management
Isenberg School of Management
The ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentoring Award for the Isenberg School of Management goes to Dr. E. Nicole Melton, Professor and Chair in the Department of Sport Management. Dr. Melton’s colleagues credit her leadership with “fostering a collaborative and inclusive academic environment” where diverse faculty thrive – including women, faculty of color, and queer faculty. She has promoted peer networks and mentoring teams that connect faculty across disciplines, which her nominators describe as “invaluable forums for intellectual exchange, feedback on publications, and cross-disciplinary collaborations.” As Chair, Dr. Melton fosters equitable evaluations by advocating for fair recognition of faculty contributions, including service, public engagement, and teaching and research practices that reflect diverse perspectives. She has served as an ADVANCE Faculty Fellow, was lead author on the department’s Diversity Action Plan, and is a member of the Isenberg DEI Leadership Council, as well as an advocate of mentoring and inclusiveness in the National Association for the Study of Sports Management.
Neena Thota
Senior Teaching Faculty and Associate Chair of Teaching Development
Manning College of Information & Computer Sciences
The ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentoring Award for the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences goes to Dr. Neena Thota, senior teaching faculty member and Associate Chair of Teaching Development. Nominators describe Dr. Thota as a wonderful colleague whose energetic support has professionally benefited her colleagues. From one-on-one mentoring to leading discussions in mentoring meetings for junior faculty, Dr. Thota helps new faculty hone their teaching skills and tackle challenges with confidence. Her leadership of two undergraduate research programs is described as a game changer for both the students and for faculty to learn how to include undergraduates in their own research projects. Junior faculty especially value her leadership in promoting the holistic evaluation of teaching within the college. Dr. Thota is described as tireless and fierce in her dedication to supporting other teachers, making their work environment not only welcoming, but empowering.
Lindiwe Sibeko
Professor and Department Chair
Department of Nutrition
School of Public Health & Health Sciences
The ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentoring Award for the School of Public Health and Health Sciences goes to Dr. Lindiwe Sibeko, Professor and Chair in the Department of Nutrition. Faculty from across ranks and colleges celebrate Professor Sibeko’s “gift for mentoring” that centers equity as it uplifts and empowers others. “Lindi has not only mentored me through the research process, she has also been a mentor in navigating life as a faculty of color,” writes one peer from outside of the School of Public Health, while four SPHHS colleague credit her “exceptional mentorship and leadership” with helping them overcome barriers to advancement as women of color. “Her support in this area is invaluable, fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all faculty members, and especially of women of color and Black faculty on the UMass campus and at institutions across the nation.”
Past Winners
Nominations for the 2025-2026 Faculty Peer Mentoring Awards are now open. Learn more about this opportunity to honor faculty colleagues with this important recognition of their service.