Deans, Directors, and Support Staff

For a complete and most current list of EMCON faculty and staff, please visit our directory. If this page needs updating, contact our nursing [at] UMass [dot] edu (communications team) and include the page URL.

Deans

  • Dean of the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing:
    Allison Vorderstrasse. BS in Nursing, Mount Saint Mary College; MS in Nursing, Adult Nurse Practitioner - Diabetes Specialty Concentration, Yale University School of Nursing; DNSc, (Chronic Illness Self-Management), Yale University School of Nursing; NIH/NINR Summer Genetics Institute Certificate, Certified APRN (Diabetes Specialty); Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, Professor. Research Interests: Diabetes, chronic illness. 
  • Associate Dean for Academic Affairs:
    Laura Dzurec. BS in Nursing, University of Connecticut; MS in Nursing, The Ohio State University; PhD in Nursing, Case Western Reserve University; Clinical Specialist in Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing.
  • Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion:
    Jess Dillard-Wright. BS Science Technology & Culture, Georgia Institute of Technology; MA, Women’s History, Sarah Lawrence College; MSN, Clinical Nurse Leader, Medical College of Georgia; MSN, Community Based Nurse Midwifery Program, Frontier Nursing University; PhD, Augusta University. 
  • Associate Dean for Research:
    Michael Lepore. BA Philosophy & Psychology, Assumption University; Graduate Certificate, Gerontology, Georgia State University; MA, Sociology, Georgia State University; PhD, Sociology, Georgia State University. Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (FGSA).

  • Assistant Dean of Finance and Administration:
    Bill Kilbride. MS, Accounting. 

  • Assistant Dean of Strategic Partnerships:
    Olivia Frazier. 

Program Directors

  • Director of Master's and Graduate Certificate Programs and Psychiatric Mental Health Specialty:
    Gabrielle P. Abelard. BS in Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Amherst College of Nursing; MS in Mental Health Nursing, Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist, University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Nursing; Post Masters Certificate in Nursing, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Regis College Richard and Sheila Young School of Nursing; DNP (Integrative Health), Regis College Richard and Sheila Young School of Nursing. Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP), Fellow of the National Academies of Practice (FNAP), Clinical Professor. Clinical interest in Mental Wellness, Simulation, and Psychiatric Mental Health.
  • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program Director:
    Terrie Black. BS in Nursing, Pennsylvania State University; MBA, concentration in Healthcare Administration, Western New England University, DNP, concentration in Public Health Nurse Leader, University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Nursing. Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN),  Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA), Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), Clinical Professor. Clinical interest in Quality outcomes, stroke systems of care, reimbursement models and public health. 
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program Director:
    Carrie-Ellen Briere. BS, MS, PhD in Nursing, University of Connecticut; MS in Clinical and Translational Research, University of Connecticut Health Center, Postdoctoral Fellowship, Connecticut Children’s and University of Connecticut. Associate Professor. Research Interests: Neonatal care, biology of human milk and its involvement with infant health, growth, and development, and implementation of translational research. 

Graduate Support Staff

Office of Research

Donor Relations

  • Chief Development Officer, University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation:
    Crystal Neuhauser
  • Associate Director, Donor Relations, University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation:
    Benjamin Monat