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UMass Amherst Information Technology (UMass IT) is marking Identity Management Day on April 9 by publishing new “I AM at UMass Amherst” community stories and sharing them on social media throughout the month of April. The campaign will highlight the importance of Identity Access Management (IAM) for security, personalization and reliability of personal profiles.

“Identity is key to building a community that is both safe and welcoming. We always feel better, and more like we belong, if we are recognized for who we are,” says Matthew Dalton, chief information security officer. “By helping IT systems understand who people are in a more consistent and complete way, we create an environment where people can do what they need to do without the unnecessary barriers that technology often presents, whether for work, studies, research or creative pursuits.”

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Identity Management Day is a global initiative launched in 2021 by the Identity Defined Security Alliance (IDSA) in partnership with the National Cybersecurity Alliance. The day was established to underscore the critical importance of identity management with the goal of engaging individuals and organizations in the management of their digital identities to promote a safer online world for all.

Through UMass IT’s I AM at UMass Amherst community stories, faculty, staff, students and alumni share their experiences with technology, addressing questions about the way technology helps them achieve their goals, the types of technology they use every day, the importance of privacy and security and how they view the future of technology.

Many of the stories touch directly on IAM topics, including the safeguarding digital identities, protecting sensitive data and ensuring the integrity of research data streams.

Recent additions to the UMass Amherst I AM Community Stories series include:

• Nilanjana (Buju) Dasgupta, Provost Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences and director of the Institute of Diversity Sciences 
• Garnett Martin, information risk and compliance analyst, Office of Research Compliance & UMass IT
• Adam Smith, student in computer science (B.S., 2025)

To explore the full collection of I AM community stories, visit umass.edu/it/security/IAM/stories.