2025 Newsletter

When I arrived on campus in the spring of 2025, I was thrilled to work with the BDIC program. I came to UMass Amherst by way of West Virginia University, where I was the director of a multidisciplinary studies program that, just like BDIC, gave students the unique opportunity to design their own degrees. While I have been involved with interdisciplinary learning for a long time, the distinguished 55-year history of BDIC and the accomplishments of our alumni are truly inspiring. 

That said, the BDIC approach to learning is all the more pertinent today. The answers to the world's great challenges don't reside in any single discipline; they are far too complex. Today's challenges require the resources of many different disciplines, drawing from different ways of knowing and areas of expertise. This reality is reinforced in BDIC every day. Our instructors and advisors inspire students to see the big picture, connect their learning, and develop their own innovative approaches to our world's most pressing issues, such as climate change, global inequality, and technological change, to name only a few.

It's a tremendous honor to be able to work with our faculty, staff, students, and alumni to advance the legacy of the BDIC program at UMass Amherst.

-Scott Davidson, Associate Provost for Interdisciplinary Programs

As we wrap up another busy year, I’m reminded of the generosity of our community’s support for the innovative work done by BDIC students. I welcome this opportunity to share a few student accomplishments from the past year, including an impressive Commonwealth Honors College thesis written by a BDIC senior, who compared early institutional responses to the AIDS pandemic in the United States and the United Kingdom. This timely interdisciplinary study demonstrates the popularity of health-related concentrations; yet our capacious program is also home to creatives whose degrees are rooted in the humanities. That is the case for the student project, “Boredom,” exhibited this spring in a UMass Studio Arts gallery. The solo exhibition visually demonstrated how boredom can catalyze creativity and suggests the power of art to provide new lenses through which to view the world. Our program’s commitment to experiential learning was also apparent in the number of students who took advantage of highly competitive internships this year, with the London Stock Exchange, Mayo Clinic, and other influential organizations. All of these student efforts reflect a long tradition of curiosity, imagination, and rigor that has distinguished BDIC on the UMass Amherst campus. 

This year has also presented challenges, however. Like many of our peer institutions, we continue to navigate the demands of a rapidly changing higher education landscape. Our commitment to individualized interdisciplinary learning has not flagged, and we encourage alumni to join us by serving as student sponsors, volunteering to participate in our alumni speaker series, or contributing to the program during our annual fundraising campaigns. Please be in touch with me at @email if you have questions or suggestions for how you can contribute! If your organization ever needs an intern, you can also contact Joanna Miles at @email to connect with our students. 

Congratulations graduates! A reminder you still have career support through your career center(s) as you settle into your First Destination post college.  Whether you are considering graduate school, working on your design portfolio, or feeling lost where to go with your BDIC degree, reach out to Joanna Miles, either by email at [email protected] or through Handshake to get some guidance on next steps. 

Your network at UMASS is a conduit to opportunities you may not find online! Join the UMASS Alumni Database and build connections to learn more about your intended fields and maybe even help you land the first interview. Career Services remains committed to supporting recent alumni. Revive your career, job or graduate school search today by connecting with your Career Advisor(s) today.

-Joanna Miles, Associate Director, Professional Transitions