OEI Newsletter - April 2026 : Elaine Marieb College of Nursing : UMass Amherst

By Jess Dillard-Wright
Associate Dean of Equity & Inclusion
Elaine Marieb College of Nursing

Celebrating Arab History and Earth Day

We celebrate National Arab-American Heritage Month this month. Through the work of early nurse and woman surgeon Rufaida al Aslamia, our collective nursing history reaches back to the 7th century, who blazed a path for Islamic women in healthcare. In April, we also celebrate Earth Day on April 22.

For robust discussion on reproductive healthcare, the Black Feminist Reproductive Justice, Equity & HIV/AIDS Activism (BREHA) Collective at Amherst College, in partnership with the Massachusetts AGO Reproductive Justice Unit, is presenting "Withheld Care In Uncertain Times: Reproductive Justice and Future Access" on Friday, April 17. Register to attend.

Learn:

Check out offerings from the UMass Arab Cultural Association, including events throughout April.
Visit the traveling exhibit “Arab Massachusetts: Building Community in the Commonwealth” hosted by the National Arab American Museum.
Reflect on the influence of Rufiada al Aslamia in the ethics of care in this scholarly article in the Rufaida Al-Aslamia Journal.

Resources:

For questions or concerns related to immigration and international travel, please reach out to the UMass Office of Global Affairs.
For guidance related to student legal matters, please refer to Student Legal Services.
For information on federal actions, please refer to the UMass Federal Actions webpage.
Students can seek emotional and psychological support through the UMass Center for Counseling and Psychological Health, while staff and faculty can make use of the Employee Counseling and Consultation Office.
We are approaching the April 26, 2026 deadline for compliance with ADA Title II changes which apply to digital accessibility. UMass IDEAS hosts a wide variety of resources from drop-in office hours to 1:1 appointments to self-service information provided in bite-sized chunks.

Upcoming Events

Our fourth annual Wellness Fair takes place on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Campus Center Auditorium. No cost to attend! Designed to help you recharge and thrive!
UMass School of Earth and Sustainability will host Earth Day Extravaganza on Friday, April 24 from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Goodell Lawn.

Be sure to also check out the UMass Office of Equity and Inclusion events page and the UMass Events Calendar for offerings this month.

Connect with EMCON OEI

Please reach out if I can assist support, brainstorm, or connect. jdillardwrig [at] umass [dot] edu (Email me) or feel free to drop by my office in Skinner Hall, rm. 130. You can also share your feedback through this form. And don’t forget— Community + Connection + Conversation meets every Monday from noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom. All are welcome— simply email me for the Zoom link.