The first in her family to go to college, Sophia Chiodo arrived at UMass Amherst ready to work hard—but she wasn’t prepared for the unspoken institutional rules that shape who gets ahead. After taking IDS’ new Negotiation for Career Success course, Sophia learned to identify systemic barriers, navigate them with confidence, and begin building a more equitable path for the students coming after her.
Beyond classroom learning, success in college and the workforce requires knowing how to navigate the “hidden curriculum”: negotiation, self-advocacy, and unspoken professional norms. IDS’ new Negotiation for Career Success course turns those often-untaught skills into something students can actually learn—offering a research-backed and sustainable model for expanding opportunity at UMass Amherst and beyond.
Black mothers face some of the starkest maternal health inequities in the United States, yet the role of work in shaping those outcomes is often overlooked. With IDS support, one interdisciplinary team is combining data and lived experience to understand how workplace conditions affect Black mother’s mental health—and modeling a research culture grounded in care, respect, and community.
From environmental justice to accessible education, IDS-funded researchers are tackling urgent social challenges and helping students find their place in STEM. Now, they’re telling their stories. Hear directly from faculty and students as they reflect on what it means to do science with purpose, build confidence, and find belonging in their fields.
Dangerous chemicals are turning up across the Massachusetts water supply—but are some communities more impacted than others? With support from an IDS research grant, one team of scientists, economists, and students is uncovering how water contamination intersects with social disparities. Their work is generating data, informing policy, and advancing academic careers—including one undergraduate student whose lab manual is now department standard.
From alumni gatherings to cross-sector partnerships, IDS Director Buju Dasgupta’s recent trip to Seattle showed how IDS’ ideas are resonating far beyond Amherst—and building towards a nationwide movement for social change. In this personal reflection, Buju shares key takeaways from her book tour, the potent connections she built, and why the path to systemic change begins with the spaces we shape every day.