
Rebecca Hewitt, assistant professor of environmental studies at Amherst College, was the speaker for the Commonwealth Honors College’s annual Daffodil Lecture on Sustainability and the Environment. Hewitt’s research focuses on the environment hidden to the naked eye, meaning the ecology of interactions between below ground soils, microbes, and plant roots. Given the rapidly changing environments of the northern boreal and tundra ecosystems present in Alaska and Siberia, Hewitt focuses her research there, specifically on the mechanisms behind the advancing tree line in Alaska and forest regeneration in eastern Russia.

Before crowds of dancers swarm the Latinx Heritage Month Fiesta and rows of students line up for the annual Daffodil Lecture, Ashley Braziel works tirelessly to plan Commonwealth Honors College events that uplift a sense of community on campus.
"If we can provide programming that helps to support learning outside the classroom just as much as learning inside the classroom, I think that's the goal. It's a different kind of learning, but it's very valuable," she says.

Lorraine Cordeiro, associate professor in nutrition, will be hosting this semester’s Pizza & Prof lecture. As the director of the Center for Research on Families, Cordeiro’s work dives deep into the relationship between food insecurity, high risk-health behaviors, and nutritional outcomes among adolescents and women in a variety of social and cultural settings. So, who is Lorraine Cordeiro? And why Pizza & Prof? Read on to find out more!

Photos by Rob Skinner
Renowned art historian and Provost Professor of Art History Charmaine A. Nelson delivered the keynote address for the annual Black Heritage Month Celebration this year at the Honors College. Nelson’s lecture unearthed the history of enslaved Black people in Canada and dived deep into how they continuously resisted their enslavers.
Nelson began her lecture with a quote and a fugitive slave advertisement from Quebec to provide commonplace examples of enslaver control, and how enslavers had power over both the inner and outer worlds of enslaved people.

Almost everyone has some type of story or motivation of why they chose their major. Whether it be due to basic interest, future prospects, or pursuing their passions. With the multitude of options, I can easily see how it can be difficult to choose. However, I hope that by sharing why I chose my major, those exploring majors can draw insights to find their own path, while those already declared can reflect on why they chose their field.

From researching enslaved Black people in Canada to emphasizing the importance of understanding creolization, Charmaine A. Nelson’s highly anticipated Black Heritage Month Lecture dives deep into Black history and the parts of it that are often misunderstood. So, what is the lecture about? What can the audience expect? All your questions answered, right here.
News
The spring of your junior year is always such a strange time as an Honors student. You have to start thinking about your thesis but also not? There’s not much you can do right now, but you also have to use this time to prepare for everything that’s right around the corner as you start senior year.
So, for all my fellow juniors who aren’t sure exactly what to do about their thesis right now, here’s what I’ve been doing to plan it out!
Commonwealth Honors College alumni met with current Honors students on Thursday, April 7 to share how they adapted to life post-graduation. Gathering on Zoom, CHC graduates from the Class of 2021 offered attendees personal and heartfelt advice as many students prepare to take flight from the University of Massachusetts.
Three Commonwealth Honors College students have been awarded scholarships from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.
On Thursday Feb. 17, the Commonwealth Honors College at UMass Amherst welcomed costume design visionary Ruth E. Carter to present “From Honoring Culture to Creating Marvel’s Worlds" in celebration of Black Heritage Month.
Family, faculty, and donors gathered in the Honors College Events Hall on Saturday, November 6 to celebrate Honors students receiving over $350,000 in scholarship awards.
The 2021 Commonwealth Honors College Plenary lecture was a soulful event made even more special for being the first in-person, collective experience of art many participants have been able to share since the beginning of the pandemic.
Announcements
Dean Mari Castañeda welcomes Commonwealth Honors College students to the 2021-22 academic year on behalf of all Honors faculty and staff. "We are so excited to be back in person and to engage with everyone"
Nef A. Walker, PhD, Vice Chancellor & Chief Diversity Officer, acknowledges the distress and angst felt by our community, especially our Black community members who are living through the very public and all-too-common assault against their humanity, and urges us all to take good care of ourselves, and continue to support and lift each other.
If you’re considering an internship in the Boston area, as a UMass Amherst student you can take advantage of our Mount Ida Campus in Newton, Mass.
Student Blog
By Xavier Aparicio and Caelyn Nordman
Welcome to the new recurring blog series, ‘A Student’s Guide to CHC!’ In this blog series, our writers will highlight the key elements of the Honors College, including helpful resources, academic opportunities, places to eat and study, fun events, and more! We hope this guide will help any incoming or prospective Honors students as they start their journey at CHC.
It's no secret that UMass has one of the best on-campus dining programs in the world. The collection of Worcester (Woo), Franklin (Frank), Hampshire (Hamp), and Berkshire (Berk) Dining Commons, along with all the cafes and restaurants (like Roots Café, Blue Wall & People’s Organic) is what truly puts this campus on the map. So, if you just got here, how do you navigate this food cornucopia? Well, here’s my way of getting the ultimate dining experience here, and making sure you get the best of the best from each dining hall. Warning: I may be biased towards Frank (just a little bit), but nonetheless, this should be a perfect guide to the halls.
In this final installment of his study abroad series, Mahi recounts his final thoughts on his student exchange program in London and what he's looking forward to as he makes his way back to UMass.