UMass Downtown

News & Events

Upcoming Events

Visit the UMass Amherst Events Calendar to explore more upcoming UMass Downtown events!

UMass HR is Here for You

First Tuesdays, 10am-4pm

Looking for job opportunities at UMass Amherst? Need help with your application or have questions about the hiring process? Are you a new employee with questions about onboarding? UMass Amherst Human Resources is here to help!

The UMass HR team offers monthly community office hours at UMass Downtown to provide application assistance and interview guidance for prospective employees and CORI verifications and onboarding support for new hires.

No appointment necessary. Just stop by during UMass HR's community office hours!

MASSive Desk Concert Series - Spring 2026

First Thursdays, 7-8pm

Get to know some MASSively talented up-and-coming UMass musicicans in this chill monthly concert series. Spring 2026 dates are February 5, March 5, April 9 (new date), and May 7. Check back monthly for artist line-ups.

February 5: Keira Doyle and Judd Kozuch
March 5: Brielle, Raina, and Caramia
April 9: Voidgirl, Juliana, Jarou, and Cheez

Presented in partnership with the UMass Songwriting and Production Club, the MASSive Desk Concert Series is free and open to all.

The Translated Book Club

The Translated Book Club promotes the reading of literature translated into English and recognizes and supports translators and their publishers. Each meeting is hosted by a UMass Amherst faculty member or graduate student and designed for readers of diverse backgrounds with no specific language requirement other than English. Sponsored by the Genzler Translation Center, the club is free and open to community members from high school students to retirees, with a maximum of 15 readers per meeting. Advanced sign-up is required at the link below. The first eight readers to sign up for each meeting receive a free copy of the translated book.

Register Here

April 14, 2026

Title: Neighbours (Apollo, 2023)

Author: Lília Momplé

Translators: Richard Bartlett and Isaura de Oliveira

Language: Portuguese > English

Host: Emily Barber, Comparative Literature Program

May 5, 2026

Title: Heart Lamp (Penguin Random House, 2025)

Author: Banu Mushtaq

Translator: Deepa Bhasthi

Language: Kannada > English

Host: Safia Mahmood, English Department

Past Meetings

December 9, 2025

Title: Unremembering Me (Tagus Press, 2018)

Author: Luiz Ruffato

Translator: Marguerite Itamar Harrison

Language: Portuguese > English

Host: Robinson Alvarado-Vargas, Spanish and Portuguese Studies Program

February 10, 2026

Title: Human Acts (Hogarth Books, 2017)

Author: Han Kang Translator: Deborah Smith

Language: Korean > English

Host: Toki Lee, English Department

March 10, 2026

Title: Trash (Deep Vellum Publishing, 2023)

Author: Sylvia Aguilar Zéleny

Translator: J.D. Pluecker

Language: Spanish > English

Host: Ilse Meiler, Comparative Literature Program

In the News

UMass Downtown to Host HeART Work Wellbeing Event on April 22

The public event, from 5:30-7 p.m., will feature live music and the cooperative creation of a community arts mural with UMass creative arts therapist Cathe Bruso.

UMACC, UMass Downtown and UWFH to Host Volunteer Match Night April 15

Attendees at the event, scheduled for 6:30-8 p.m. at UMass Downtown, will learn about various volunteer opportunities and discover ways to contribute their time and skills to support local organizations and strengthen our community.

Chancellor Javier Reyes presents Xin Hu with a certificate after she won the 2026 Three Minute Thesis Community Day Contest at UMass Downtown on March 28

Xin Hu Wins the 2026 Three Minute Thesis Community Day Contest at UMass Downtown

The doctoral student in polymer science and engineering in the College of Natural Sciences won the March 28 event, a follow-up from the 3MT finals held earlier this month, during which the contest’s finalists deliver ed their presentations again, this time in front of an audience made up of local community members including Chancellor Javier Reyes.