At its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. this spring, the American Association of Geographers adopted a resolution on climate change submitted by Rutherford “Rud” Platt, emeritus professor of geography, and six colleagues.

M.V. Lee Badgett, professor of economics and public policy, has been tapped to co-chair the American Economic Association's newly formed Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Economics Profession. The new standing committee will monitor the status and support the advancement of LBGTQ people in the economics profession, through mentoring and other activities. AEA President Ben Bernanke announced the appointment in a June 27 letter to the association's membership.

Four UMass Amherst students have been awarded $5,000 scholarships from the James J. Karam Scholarship Fund in recognition of their academic achievements and campus involvement. They are among eight students in the University of Massachusetts system to receive the award.

John Stoffolano, professor of entomology in the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, spent May 24 to June 2 in Foggia, Italy, at the virology unit of medical and veterinary entomology in the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata.