Associate Dean Ann Marie Russell Pioneers the Honors Student Experience

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Staff Spotlight: Associate Dean Ann Marie Russell 

Meet Ann Marie Russell, the associate dean of student recruitment, inclusion, and success here at Commonwealth Honors College. Russell plays a large role in enriching the Honors student experience, and is one of many CHC staff members that works behind the scenes to keep the college running.  

“Up until five or so years ago, I did not know that this would be my dream career. I was in a different career within higher ed and I never thought an Associate Deanship was in the cards for me – not because I didn’t think myself capable, but because I barely knew what it was,” she said. 

Associate Dean Russell had always felt a calling to leadership and was passionate to work with students, which she thought, at the time, could only be done as a professor. However, while training to be a faculty member in graduate school, she did not want a career where she had to “publish or perish”, and wasn’t fond of the pressures of making tenure-track. 

She decided to pursue an alternative academic (“alt-ac”) career, which is a path that’s outside of a professorship, but, in her case, was still within higher education. 

“I initially worked in leadership roles within another higher ed sub-field called institutional research, which I adored, but was not student-facing. So, when I voiced my interest in a role that more intentionally interfaced with students, this position was brought to my attention and I thought it was a brilliant match,” she explained.

The position was “the best of all possible worlds” for the associate dean. She could pursue a leadership position in a student-facing role that was part of an institution she’s deeply connected and familiar with — the Honors College at UMass Amherst! 

“The fact that I credit UMass and CHC with giving me my start in life makes being here feel like life has meaningfully come full circle. It’s a deeply fulfilling feeling.”

Russell got her bachelor's in psychology here at UMass Amherst. She was also a part of what was then called the Honors Program at the university.

“I had a really fantastic undergraduate experience at UMass. To this day I still view it as one of the highlights of my life and the starting point from which all good things came,” she said.

Associate Dean Russell always wanted to come back to UMass, she felt strongly about the transformative experience the institution fosters and wanted to pay forward the opportunities she benefited from. She just didn’t realize it would happen this early in her career!

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“The experience of coming back to a place two decades later is interesting. There’s a part  of you that comes back expecting to see the same faces and places, but a lot changes in  that window of time. I was surprised to find a lot of my favorite faculty and staff were  retired, some of my familiar haunts were renovated or replaced, and some of the inner  workings of the institution were restructured, but I was also happy to find that much of what I loved about the culture, look, and feeling of this place has stayed the same," she explains. 

Her only fears with coming back were that her undergraduate experience could potentially be tainted. However, that turned out not to be the case. Working under the previous and current chancellor’s leadership helped reinforce and strengthen her appreciation and respect for the university.  

“It still all speaks to me and I find it exciting to be here,” she added. 

In her role, associate dean Russell puts on many different hats. Her work primarily includes events and programming, recruitment and outreach, the Emerging Scholars program, and the Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference. 

“The most visible part of my role is overseeing CHC programming. Our programming is very intentional and is designed to enrich the CHC experience both intellectually and personally,” she explained. 

CHC implements “co-curricular programming”, which is hosting events that are intended to complement the academic experience – like the Latinx Heritage month dance fiesta, the Daffodil Planting and the Fall Festival talent showcase. Russell’s team hopes that these events “build and reinforce community as well as nurture a sense of belonging among all CHC students.”

She also oversees recruitment and outreach work, running the student ambassadors team (led by Ashley Braziel), and is in charge of the Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference as well (led by Alice Feldman).

“Near and dear to my heart is also the Emerging Scholars program which is a very special RAP community for historically underrepresented students,” she added.  

She also manages on-campus admissions, where her team reviews and admits hundreds of applicants each year.

With all these different aspects to her job, associate dean Russell’s favorite part about working at CHC is the work she does directly with students: 

“There has always been a special place in my heart for college students. I have a reverent respect for where students are in their life journey. They’re at a point in life where they are coming into their own, most for the first time and figuring out who they are, what their values and goals are, and who they want to be. Students are on a pedestal with me. I adore them and am passionate about doing all I can to support their success,” she explained. 

One of the ways she works with students is through advocacy: “Students and sometimes their families have come to CHC in varying states of crisis and I’m usually the lead on advocating for them.”

She believes that everyone hopes to make a positive impact in the lives of others and is fortunate to do work that she knows “truly matters”.

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“I don’t have to wonder if I’m making an impact or a difference. I get feedback about that on a regular basis from the people I advocate for,” she explained. 

As for the future of Commonwealth Honors College, she said: “I want us to be viewed as a national model for inclusive excellence. We have an executive leadership team that is all in with regard to diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. And we’re currently living in a time when those very values are being explicitly challenged, which means organizations will get pulled in one direction or another.” 

“This is a moment for colleges and other organizations to clarify their values and then stand in the courage of their convictions. CHC, with its current leadership, is poised to rise to the occasion in that domain,” she added. 

Associate dean Russell is one of many staff being highlighted through this series. Learn more about the Honors College Team online.