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  3. Practice Your Skills and Expand Your Possibilities

Public Writing Fellows

Are you interested in improving your writing for non-expert audiences? Or maybe you want to pursue a career in public relations, communication, or outreach?  Be a Graduate School Public Writing Fellow!

In this program, graduate students work over the summer with a peer mentor group under the direction of the Office of Professional Development to write, revise, and polish a research communication news story. Participants also learn strategies to effectively communicate about their own research with non-experts. 

2025 Public Writing Fellows and their profiled student researcher include:

  • Marissa Hanley, PhD student in Plant and Soil Sciences, writing about Walid Abdelrahman Hanafy (Computer Science)
  • Namrata Masli, PhD student in Chemical Engineering, writing about Kathleen Mahoney (Teacher Education & Curriculum Studies)
  • Ruth Appiah Kubi, PhD student in Health Promotion & Policy, writing about Rozy Bathrick (Organismic and Evolutionary Biology)
  • Julia P. Mohanty, PhD student in Political Science, writing about Bo Kim (Studio Art)
  • Emefa Adawudu, PhD student in Nursing, writing about Raphael Nnachi (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
  • Makhai Dickerson-Pells, PhD student in Afro-American Studies, writing about Jaeye Baek (Political Science)
  • Kimberly McIntee, PhD student in Research, Educational Measurement, & Psychometrics, writing about Sabriye Abban (Nursing)
  • Meenakshi Nair, PhD student in English, writing about Marcus Smith (American Studies)

Public Writing Fellows

Dr. Walid A. Hanafy
How One Computer Scientist Is Rethinking Sustainable Computing at Scale

Dr. Walid Abdelrahman Hanafy’s Journey Through PhD and Postdoctoral Research at UMass Amherst to Advance Sustainable Computing.

Kathleen Mahoney
Can Playing in the Woods Help Kids Learn Science Better?

Graduate student Kathleen Mahoney investigates whether outdoor learning outperforms traditional early-childhood models

Rozy Bathrick
Mapping the Skies: Rozy Bathrick’s Work Toward Migratory Bird Conservation

UMass Amherst PhD student blends fieldwork, research and grassroots collaboration to protect migratory birds.

Bo Kim
Beyond the Canvas: Using Art to Transcend Borders

 How UMass Amherst Visual Arts Researcher Boram Kim Communicates Through Art

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Practice Your Skills and Expand Your Possibilities
Public Writing Fellows
Previous Public Writing Fellows

Contact

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Heidi Bauer Clapp

Heidi Bauer-Clapp

Associate Director, Office of Professional Development
Email: hbauerclapp [at] grad [dot] umass [dot] edu
Phone: (413) 545-0669

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