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Nearly 50 graduate students from UMass Amherst recently attended the 12th biannual Teaching at Teaching Intensive Institutions (TTII) conference at Worcester State University. 

Among the 49 UMass graduate students who attended the Oct. 2 event was Marissa Hanley, a plant and soil sciences doctoral student and previous conference attendee, who assisted in moderating the panel “Community College Careers,” which invited representatives from several local community colleges to chat about their unique work landscape, and the challenges they often face.

As a former community college student and an aspiring community college faculty member, Hanley was passionate about leading a lively conversation with her guests and shared firsthand how the experience impacted her career.

“The Teaching at Teaching Intensive Institutions Conference is a wonderfully eye-opening experience,” Hanley says. “From networking directly with faculty, attending panels, and leading a panel myself, I feel that I have achieved a clearer vision of my goals and learned concrete steps I can take as I finish up my Ph.D.”

The UMass Amherst delegation’s attendance was sponsored through the Graduate School’s Office of Professional Development.

More information about the 2026 conference can be found on the Graduate School’s website.