On April 20, Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy sent the following message to the campus community announcing the appointment of Shelly Perdomo-Ahmed as Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life.

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Dear Campus Community,

I am writing to share the good news that Dr. Shelly Perdomo-Ahmed will be returning to UMass Amherst to serve as Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life.

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She will assume her new role on June 5, following the departure of Dr. Brandi Hephner LaBanc, who has accepted a position at Old Dominion University.

Dr. Perdomo-Ahmed has deep knowledge of the UMass Amherst community and she has served with distinction for more than two decades in a variety of roles to promote student learning and development. As a collaborative partner and strong advocate, she has worked with diverse faculty, staff and community members to improve the student experience and foster access and inclusion while championing student success.

Most recently, Shelly served as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Advocacy, Inclusion and Support Programs at UMass Amherst where she modeled a deep commitment to collaborations between Student Affairs and Academic Affairs, an essential component of student success at UMass Amherst.

In addition to her service at UMass, Shelly also is the recipient of several awards for her leadership, student-centered philosophy and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

In her role as Interim Vice Chancellor, Shelly will provide leadership in many areas, including residential life; wellness, counseling and psychological health; student success; inclusion and belonging; student engagement and leadership; student conduct and community standards; campus police and public safety; and parent and new student orientation and transitions.

She is a proud first generation Dominican-American from Harlem in New York City.  She received her doctorate and master’s degrees in Educational Policy, Research and Administration from UMass Amherst and her bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies and Cultural Anthropology from Mount Holyoke College. She is also an alum of the HERS (Higher Education Resource Services) Institute and has a professional certification from the Global Inclusion Program.

I want to thank Dr. Hephner LaBanc for her service to UMass Amherst during a very demanding period, which included the global pandemic, and we wish her success in her new role as Vice President for Student Engagement and Enrollment Services at Old Dominion.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Shelly Perdomo-Ahmed back to UMass Amherst, as she returns to share her talents with our students, faculty, staff and community partners.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy