As a UMass Amherst student, you'll engage with bold new ideas in meaningful ways, both through your coursework and through experiences that connect what you’re learning to the world around you. You'll work alongside world-class faculty—asking questions, testing concepts, and contributing to projects that address real-world challenges. Across disciplines, you’ll build knowledge, confidence, and perspective as you begin to shape what comes next.

After witnessing the challenges faced by people with visual impairments in his hometown in Gujarat, India, Shiven Patel came to UMass Amherst to turn ideas into solutions. Today, he researches robotic guide dogs in the Dynamic and Autonomous Robotics Systems Laboratory—technology that could help people who are blind navigate the world more independently.

English major Mia Klotz turned her Honors Thesis into real-world impact. She helped connect a school in the Bolivian community her family comes from to the World Librarians Club, expanding access to educational resources for students.

Growing up on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, Raul Vera III developed a deep appreciation for natural water systems. At UMass Amherst, he now researches how organic matter enters drinking water supplies—work that could help reduce harmful contaminants and make drinking water safer for millions of people.

By combining linguistics and theater at UMass Amherst, Lindsay Forauer studies how accents shape storytelling. Her work as a dialect coach helps actors bring authentic voices and cultural understanding to their performances.