New Hires
Mariah Dudash joined the Chemistry Department as a lab technician in November 2025. "I help support the laboratory courses for General, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry. I attended the College of Our Lady of the Elms, where I received a “best in show” award in 2019 at the annual ENEBC for research on tri-trophic ecological interactions. I graduated in 2020 with a Bachelors in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. I then spent several years working in vector-borne disease research and passive ecological surveillance, which I thoroughly enjoyed, before deciding to seek to broaden my skill set. I’ve always loved to share my enthusiasm for science, so I’m very excited to finally put my chemistry minor to use and to help facilitate the educational journeys of the students here!
In my spare time, I love to read, participate in my local theater group, am an avid bird watcher, and love to take my puppy Goose on hikes!"
Xia Huang has joined our IT Team and writes, "I come from a background in electrical and computer engineering, and automation. Over the past four years in the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) group at the Department of Astronomy, I've grown my coding and IT skills through hands-on work and continuous learning. I love being in an academic environment where technology assists research and collaboration—I've always been curious about how things work behind the scenes.
I'm excited to join Chemistry and BMB to support faculty, staff, and students with their tech needs. Solving problems and making things run smoothly is what I enjoy most. Outside work, I like cooking, baking, playing guitar, watching movies adapted from literature, and cheering on my kids at their sports games."
Marlene Perkins joined the department as our new Event Coordinator. A UMass alum with a degree in Sports Management, Marlene brings extensive experience in event planning, having served as the Event Manager at the Mullins Center for five years.
She later dedicated eight years to raising her two sons and spent twelve years working in the Belchertown Public Schools. Marlene lives in Belchertown with her husband Jerry—who has worked at UMPD for 30 years—and their children. In her free time, she enjoys cheering on her sons at athletic events, including one who pitches for the Framingham State baseball team.
Marlene was excited to return to her alma mater and join the
Chemistry team!
Retirements
Bill Schmitt After 18 years as the acting lab manager of the undergraduate analytical and P-chem labs, Bill Schmitt will be moving into retirement at the end of June this year.
Bill was hired by the chemistry department to help move the undergraduate teaching chemistry labs from Goessmann labs to the newly constructed Integrated Sciences Building in the late summer of 2008. He was a start-up manager who became a lab support manager for the teaching labs of instrumental and physical chemistry.
Over the past 18 years, he has witnessed a full generation of chemistry students master their knowledge of laboratory chemistry, and seen them move on to advanced degrees, with work in industry, pharmaceuticals and public service. He plans to return to post retirement lab support in instrument operations here at UMass. We wish him well, knowing his heart is full with the memories of UMass Chemistry!