Seven Faculty, Six Staff Selected to Attend HERS Institutes

“A Celebration of Women Leaders” reception was held on May 17 in Old Chapel to honor the accomplishments of women leaders on campus. The program included the announcement of the new and largest cohort of HERS (Higher Education Resource Services) Institute participants. HERS is an organization focused on leadership development of women in higher education, which holds annual trainings throughout the country. 

Provost John McCarthy spoke of the important contributions of many women leaders on campus and the university’s significant investment in the HERS program. UMass Amherst has been sponsoring women to participate at a HERS Institute since 2009. This support will continue to ensure that HERS training is widely available. As Provost McCarthy commented, “HERS has a stunning record of preparing women to advance into leadership positions, contributing to a pipeline of future leaders for our campus.”

Vice Provost for Faculty Development and HERS alumna of 2018-19, Michelle Budig, spoke about the remarkable success of this program. “UMass has considerable talent and clearly a strong desire among rising faculty and staff to step up to the plate and lead. The high participation in HERS is a testament to this rich pool of talent and ambition, and to our campus commitment to investing in the future women leaders of UMass and the broader higher education industry.”

Budig went on to announce this new cohort for 2019-20. The diverse group is comprised of seven faculty members and six professional staff members, representing six colleges and four administrative branches across our campus: 

Attending the Bryn Mawr Institute:

  • Cheryl Brooks, incoming associate provost for career and professional development
  • Rebecca Dingo, director of the University Writing Program and associate professor of English
  • Marla Miller, director of the Public History Program, associate department chair and professor of history

Attending the Denver Institute:

  • Teri Delude, executive financial officer for Information Technology
  • Lynne McLandsborough, undergraduate program director and professor of food science

Attending the Wellesley Institute:

  • Sonja Atalay, undergraduate program director and associate professor of anthropology
  • Elizabeth Connor, associate dean for undergraduate education and development in the College of Natural Sciences and associate professor of biology
  • Jennifer Donais, assistant vice chancellor for compliance and support services
  • Donna Falcetti, assistant dean of finance and administration, College of Information and Computer Science
  • Deb Gould, associate provost for administration and finance
  • Traci Hess, PhD coordinator and Berthiaume Professor of Systems Operation and Information Management
  • Shelly Perdomo, assistant vice chancellor for advocacy, inclusion and support
  • Melissa Wooten, associate professor of sociology and Chancellor’s Leadership Fellow