From Here to Career
Coffee & Chat with HFA Alumni
From Here to Career: Coffee & Chat with HFA Alumni
Friday, October 3
1:30-3 p.m.
South College Commons
About the Event
What might your career look like after graduating from the College of Humanities and Fine Arts (HFA)?
Join us Friday, October 3, from 1:30-3 p.m. in South College Commons for a homecoming networking event, “From Here to Career,” that connects students with established alumni who can provide a road map for what comes next!
Distinguished HFA alumni will be there to discuss finding meaningful work after graduation.
As you prepare to navigate the professional world, tap into the expertise of alumni who are established in their careers, learn from their experience and advice, and build networks.
Featured Alumni
Laura Bailey
In 2003, Laura Bailey received a BA in Theater and English with minors in Psychology and Political Science. After receiving a Master’s degree in film, she went on to work in production in a variety of roles. She is currently a Script Supervisor with credits in film and television.
Gregory Boover
Gregory Boover is an actor, musician, educator, writer and visual artist based in the Berkshires. He has worked in many theaters across the east coast, primarily in the northeast. Greg is a company artist and educator at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA, serves on the faculty at Community Access to The Arts in Great Barrington, MA and produces independent artwork across mediums. His first short film Notification was an official selection in the 2025 Berkshire International Film Festival, LAVA Film Festival and Lift-Off New York. He’s a proud alum of UMass Amherst and a member of Actors Equity Association.
Emily Brewster
Emily Brewster graduated from UMass Amherst in 1999 with a degree in linguistics and philosophy. She’s a Senior Editor and lexicographer at Merriam-Webster, where she covers all kinds of vocabulary, from prepositions to politics to slang. In addition to defining, she writes regularly about grammar, usage, and language change at Merriam-Webster.com, and speaks to audiences about lexicography and language in person and as a regular guest on New England Public Media. She's also a mother of two and co-owner of The Rendezvous, a pub and entertainment venue in Turners Falls, Mass.
Eddie Clifford
Edward Clifford graduated from UMass Amherst in 2019 with his BA in English. He is currently an associate editor of the Massachusetts Review and is a first-year student in the MFA program here at UMass.
Jacob Cohen
Jacob Cheyette Cohen graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the UMass Amherst Commonwealth Honors College in 2017, with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Philosophy, and a Minor in Latin. He completed an interdisciplinary honors thesis on the Philosophy of Tragedy with UMass professors Yehudit Heller, Vanessa DeHarven, and Ernesto Garcia. In early 2021, Jacob graduated from the Harvard University Extension School with a Master of Liberal Arts in Sustainability, which included a corporate consulting capstone. Jacob has nearly five years of experience in the financial services industry, serving as an Investment Research Analyst, and now as an Associate Wealth Advisor for a national registered investment advisory firm (“RIA”). Jacob lives in Manchester, CT, with his wife, Mira, and his rescue Roborovski hamster, Orpheus.
Dave Connelly
Dave Connelly is a 1992 History graduate and Berkshire County native. Dave attended UMass on the GI Bill, and understands the utility of a liberal arts education. Dave spent the next 30 years in the Army and found great value leveraging the knowledge, skills and relationships fostered in Herter Hall.
Dave went on to study business management at Michigan, graduating with an MBA in 2004. He found the curriculum of organizational behavior, operations management, statistics and accounting critical elements assisting complex decision making. This component of his academic learning would prove critical in roles of greater responsibility.
In 2011, Dave attended the Army War College and became a Strategist. Following completion of his studies at Carlilse, Dave would go to serve as strategic advisor to the senior leadership of DoD for the next ten years. Dave was responsible for briefing leadership on complex problems, developing holistic solutions, strategy, its resourcing, in addition to policy development.
His assignments spanned the globe, ranging from the platoon to strategic advisor in the Pentagon. Following his retirement from the Army he continues to serve the nation supporting the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community.
Ellie Costello
Ellie Costello graduated in Spring 2023 with a B.A. in History and a minor in Economics, with a primary focus on Latin American history. She was an Editor in Chief for the 2022 and 2023 editions of the UMass Undergraduate History Journal, and worked with Professor Joel Wolfe on her honors thesis, which examined the intersection of domestic banking and politics in early neoliberal Mexico. Outside of the classroom, she was a defenseman on the Mount Holyoke College club ice hockey team. Ellie is now working as a housing paralegal at Northeast Legal Aid in Lynn, through the AmeriCorps Legal Advocates of Massachusetts program, while she prepares for grad school.
Jacob Dyer Spiegel
Jacob Dyer Spiegel holds a PhD in English from UMass Amherst, an MA in Sociolinguistics from Universidad de la Habana in Cuba, and a BA in Comparative Literature from UMass Amherst. He has taught writing, literature, and cultural studies courses in the U.S., Brazil, Cuba, and The Bahamas and was both a Gilman and Fulbright Scholar to Brazil where he designed and led an experiential learning school for college students. While teaching Junior Year Writing courses across the UMass Amherst curriculum, Jacob writes about Kamau Brathwaite’s philosophy of Nation Language as a decolonial, multilingual teaching approach.
Glorimar Estevez
Glorimar Estevez majored in Sociology and Portuguese and graduated in 2020. She went on to get her Master’s Degree in Education from UMass Amherst in 2023. She is a Gilman, Fulbright, Boren Recipient. During her time at UMass Amherst, she studied abroad in Brazil, Portugal, and Tanzania. She currently works at the Northampton VA Medical Center as a Contract Specialist.
Alexandra Groff
Alexandra Groff is a seasoned fundraising and arts administration professional with over a decade of leadership experience across cultural institutions in Western Massachusetts. She currently serves as Director of Development at the UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center, where she leads major gift strategy, annual campaigns, and signature events such as the Fine Arts Center Gala. Previously, Alexandra held senior development roles at the Williams College Museum of Art, Jacob’s Pillow Dance, and other organizations, focusing on strategic philanthropy, capital campaigns, and donor engagement. She earned her undergraduate degrees in Arts Management (BDIC) and Art History and holds a Master’s in Strategic Fundraising and Philanthropy from Bay Path University.
Benjamin Kaplan
Benjamin Kaplan is a New York City-based actor, writer, video producer, and comedian. Most recently, Ben has been making advertisements for Birddogs athleticwear, is a writer and cast member for That's Our Show!, and returned to UMass this Fall to music direct the Theater Department's Next To Normal.
Rebecca Kennedy
Rebecca (Becca) Kennedy has over 20 years of experience recruiting leaders in higher education and nonprofit organizations. She specializes in administrative and operational leadership positions, including research administration, technology transfer and commercialization, compliance and privacy, finance, human resources, and equity and inclusion. She particularly enjoys recruiting individuals into newly created positions. Prior to joining Isaacson, Miller in 2015, Becca was a Principal with Brill Neumann Associates. Her early experience as a teacher, counselor, and in administrative support strengthens her understanding of the field of higher education. Becca has attended and presented at the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and is a regular attendee of the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics Higher Education Compliance Conference.
Robert LaRussa
Robert S. LaRussa is a Washington D.C.-based international trade and national-security attorney who worked for two decades at the global law firm Shearman & Sterling and now runs his own law and consulting business. Prior to practicing at Shearman, Mr. LaRussa spent eight years in the Clinton Administration as an international trade official, including as Commerce Undersecretary for International Trade, one of the country’s highest-ranking international trade positions. He held two earlier positions in the Clinton Administration, as Assistant Secretary of Commerce in charge of administering US trade laws, and as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the US Government’s global export promotion network. Prior to that, he was an international trade counsel in the US House of Representatives; he is an attorney and former journalist and a UMASS graduate of the History Department. Over the course of his career, he has negotiated numerous international trade agreements for the United States and for private parties. He worked on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as a Commerce Department official, the Uruguay Round of international trade talks as a congressional attorney and negotiated trade and antidumping agreements with Russia, Ukraine, Mexico, China, and Brazil, among others. Mr. LaRussa teaches seminars on international trade and national security at UMASS, is a member of the HFA Dean's Advisory Council, and regularly counsels students on how to pursue policy positions in government and the private sector.
Bill Noland
Bill Noland grew up in Amherst as his father was a Professor of English at UMass from 1965–2004. Bill received a BA in Psychology from UMass Amherst in 1986 and an MBA from Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management in 1992. He has worked in Human Resources for several nonprofit organizations in Boston and spent 17 years in the financial services industry where he became a subject matter expert in the Advent line of software products and their implementation and application in financial advisory firms. Bill retired in 2021 but has turned his attention to music, playing in a variety of local bands, and to writing an award-winning series of historically inspired supernatural thrillers, Uncommon Bonds.
Jared Pearson
Jared Pearson is a Gaffer and Set Lighting Technician in the film and television industry who graduated from UMass in 2017 with a BFA in Art. As a member of the local union for the past four years, he has worked on a variety of feature films, TV shows, and commercials, collaborating closely with Directors of Photography to craft the visual look of each project through lighting. Jared credits his time at UMass for sparking his passion for filmmaking and giving him the hands-on experience and creative community to develop his artistic eye and the teamwork skills that are essential on set.
Michael Phillips
Michael Phillips graduated from UMass with his BA in Art (class of 2001). He is a creative leader with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of art, design, and emerging technology. He spent seven years at Meta’s Reality Labs leading design operations for the Quest VR platform, AR, and social VR/metaverse products. He has also produced large-scale immersive installations and interactive experiences for brands including Apple, Adobe, IBM, and Nintendo, through agencies such as Goodby Silverstein & Partners, AKQA, and Publicis Sapient. Michael is passionate about helping the next generation of creative thinkers and makers explore how emerging tools like AI, AR/VR/MR, and spatial computing can open new creative possibilities and career paths.
Natalie Richards Jasmin
Natalie Richards Jasmin completed the BA in History of Art & Architecture in 2020. Since graduation, Natalie has worked extensively at cultural institutions in western Massachusetts, including serving as Development Associate at Old Sturbridge Village and Adult Education Coordinator and Archivist & Historian at Eastern States Exposition. Natalie is currently Education Coordinator at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
Zach Schlappi
Zach Schläppi is a veteran art director who has lent his talents to acclaimed video game franchises like Age of Empires, Just Cause, Medal of Honor, and Far Cry. Before games, he worked on animated films like Ice Age and Jonah: A Veggietales' Movie as a technical director in lighting and compositing after earning his MFA from the School of Visual Arts. Zach has also consulted on independent and mobile games, including the Apple "Best of App Store" winner Super Senso in 2016 and speaks at various schools and conferences. His multifaceted career has spanned AAA studios like Electronic Arts, Ubisoft Entertainment, and Avalanche Studios as well as experience in advertising and visual effects. Zach is currently the Studio Art Director at Demiurge Studios, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
Rongbing Shen
Rongbing Shen, clarinetist and music educator, is currently excelling as the Elementary Music Teacher at the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School. Her contributions extend beyond the classroom as she serves on the board of the New England Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA) and as the International Clarinet Association (ICA) ClarinetFest® Program Book Editor.
A passionate education advocate, Rongbing has invested significant time and energy into organizing educational events, including the prestigious Harvard China Education Symposium and the MicroDistance conference. She is deeply committed to addressing issues of educational access and equity and aspires to make a meaningful impact on the integration of Music and AI.
Linda Tardif
Linda Tardif is a proud Alum who graduated from UMass Amherst with her BA in Theater. She is a Western Massachusetts based performer who has toured internationally with Serious Play!, nationally with FoodPlay Productions, and regionally as a puppeteer for Shadow Box Theater. Some of her New York credits include MARCELLUS SHALE and HOT LUNCH APOSTLES at La MaMa Etc., and Punchdrunk's INFERNO/SLEEP NO MORE. She often performs locally and recently appeared as the title role in Eggtooth Productions' ORLANDO at the Academy of Music and also as Lady Macbeth in the Montague Shakespeare Festival's MACBETH, directed by Nia Lynn of the Royal Shakespeare Company, UK. Other area credits include: Plays in Place, Silverthorne Theater, Real Live Theatre, and PaintBox Theatre. When not on stage, she is the Managing Director of the Shea Theater Arts Center, a vibrant cultural hub, welcoming an array of artistic expressions, from internationally acclaimed artists to local community events. Proud UMass Amherst Department of Theater Alum.
Ellen Williams
Ellen Williams is a PhD student in Language, Literacy, and Culture at the College of Education at UMass. She earned her MS in Library Science from Simmons University in 2016 and her BA in Art History from UMass Amherst in 2011. She has nine years of experience as a children’s librarian in rural, suburban, and urban public libraries, and has also instructed courses on multicultural children's literature, multicultural education, and young adult literature. Williams' work involves using Critical Multicultural Analysis and the Whole Book Approach to examine and make meaning from picture books. Her current research focuses on applying sociocultural and critical lenses to early literacy practices in informal learning environments.