UMass ADVANCE is delighted to announce the outstanding recipients of the 2024 ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentor Awards and the Equitable Practices in Collaboration (EPiC) group winners. These esteemed individuals and groups were honored at the ADVANCE annual distinguished lecture featuring keynote speaker Dr. Danielle Holley, president of Mount Holyoke College. In her address, President Holley called for unwavering leadership to deepen evidence-based strategies for advancing inclusive academic excellence. Dr. Holley emphasized that “Ecosystems are the healthiest when they offer a diversity of views and backgrounds. Communities are the same way, and communities that are made up of people from many different backgrounds whose members can give lots of different perspectives on the same problem, help define solutions. And that's what we want to be: communities that help find solutions, communities that lead.”
The ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentor Awards for each college recognize the invaluable contributions of faculty members in mentoring and supporting their colleagues' professional development. The winners, selected from a competitive pool of nominees, were honored by Wilmore Webley, Senior Vice Provost for Equity & Inclusion, and Michael Malone, Interim Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
Additionally, the event marked a significant transition for UMass ADVANCE from a federally funded research project to a permanent faculty equity initiative embedded in the campus. UMass ADVANCE had been funded by a five-year (2018-2023) $3.1 million National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant, titled "Collaboration and Equity: The Resources, Relationships, and Recognition (R3) Model for Advancing Women and Underrepresented Faculty in Science and Engineering." With support from this grant, UMass ADVANCE has become a unit that provides knowledge-driven research and solutions for faculty equity. UMass ADVANCE has made substantial strides in providing our university and the greater higher education community with guidance and research in pursuit of intersectional gender equity goals.
ADVANCE research shows that faculty peer mentoring is key to greater inclusion and equity, and as such, UMass ADVANCE recognizes that vital work of mentoring colleagues. Let's applaud this year's winners:
- Alexandra Meliou, Associate Chair of Faculty Development & Associate Professor, Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences
- Alexandra Pope, Professor of Astronomy, College of Natural Sciences
- Torrey Trust, Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies, College of Education
- Chaitra Gopalappa, Associate Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering
- Rebecca Dingo, Professor of English, College of Humanities and Fine Arts
- Bruce Skaggs, Professor, Isenberg School of Management
- Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar, Associate Professor, College of Nursing
- Lauren McCarthy, Associate Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Eliza Frechette, Senior Lecturer II, Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences
Additionally, UMass ADVANCE acknowledges two EPiC group winners for their exemplary equitable collaboration practices:
Bandwidth, the chamber music ensemble, is celebrated for its collaborative decision-making approach, commitment to diverse perspectives in music commissioning, and fostering a supportive environment where every member's input is honored.
Black Women United, recognized for its efforts in advancing Black women faculty and creating inclusive environments through mentoring, networking, and collaboration opportunities, building a supportive community on campus.
Visit UMass ADVANCE for additional information on this year’s award recipients, and join us in congratulating all the winners for their exceptional contributions to mentorship and equitable collaboration, embodying the values of UMass Amherst. Let's continue to support and celebrate such endeavors across our academic community.
The ADVANCE Faculty Peer Mentor Awards for each college recognize the invaluable contributions of faculty members in mentoring and supporting their colleagues' professional development. The winners, selected from a competitive pool of nominees, were honored by Wilmore Webley, Senior Vice Provost for Equity & Inclusion, and Michael Malone, Interim Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Additionally, UMass ADVANCE celebrated two EPiC group winners for their exemplary equitable collaboration practices.