Director of Community Relations and Strategic Impact Meredith Feltus works to strengthen the college’s partnerships
By Mahidhar Sai Lakkavaram
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Staff Spotlight: Meredith Feltus
Meredith Feltus is the director of community relations and strategic impact at Commonwealth Honors College (CHC). In her role Feltus works with internal and external partners on initiatives that will strengthen the college, and is part of the team that administers the college’s donor-funded scholarships.
She also examines the strategic impact the college’s initiatives have: "We're convening a college-wide data team to examine, prioritize, and analyze the data we are already collecting and that we need to collect to continually assess our effectiveness and impact,” she said.
Feltus joined the college when it was just the Honors Program and was on its way to becoming CHC. She had already worked at a couple of small private colleges and served as the Honors College's first director of development.
“UMass Amherst’s public mission aligns with my values and I was very excited to be part of building a new college,” she said. “In my case, that meant creating a fundraising operation from the ground up – and seeing the impact in scholarships and new facilities that our students benefit from.”
Feltus cited the people and culture at CHC as her favorite reason for working here: “I so appreciate working with people who strive to have a positive impact in the world, are student-focused, and are continually thinking about how we can do better,” she said.
As for the future, she highlighted how CHC has been earning a national reputation as a model in public universities. She added, “I expect it to keep innovating and showing what is possible.”
She explained how many initiatives started in CHC have been adapted for the benefit of all UMass undergraduates over the years. “As an integral part of the campus, CHC maintains partnerships that cross disciplinary and functional boundaries which makes the college a great testing ground for good ideas,” she said.
Feltus added, “I’d like CHC to be known for working with our partners both to deepen students’ UMass experiences and to share out what works for the benefit of all.”
The Honors College is headed into its 25 year anniversary in 2024. She said it's “extraordinary” to see how the college has developed, stating that everyone should expect great things from CHC in the next 25 years as well.
“We have an amazing team in place. I am lucky to collaborate with such a dedicated and forward-thinking group,” said Feltus.
Meredith Feltus is one of many staff being highlighted through this series. Learn more about the Honors College Team online.