Meet McKay Perry, New Undergraduate Academic Advisor

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The Elaine Marieb College of Nursing is pleased to welcome McKay Perry '23MM as our new academic advisor. With a rich background in music and a passion for student connection, McKay brings a unique perspective to advising that emphasizes both academic success and personal growth. In conversation with Chelsie Field '15, our director of communications, McKay shares insights into her journey, advising philosophy, and commitment to supporting UMass Nursing students throughout their college experience.

Q&A with McKay Perry

Question: Can you tell us a little about your background? 
McKay Perry: Absolutely! I grew up in south-central Virginia, so I'm a long way from home. I came up north by way of school. I was a music major all the way through— I did my undergraduate degree in Nashville at Belmont University and I did my graduate degree in music history at UMass Amherst, actually. 

I’ve been playing violin since I was six, and most of my training was in classical music—Beethoven, Bach, Mozart—but I also have some background in Celtic and old-time fiddle styles. More recently, since grad school, I’ve been working in Renaissance and Baroque music. I’m also part of the Musicians in Residence at UMass’s Renaissance Center, where I perform about once a semester. 

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McKay Perry (middle, left) with members of Renaissance JukeBox.

I really enjoyed all of the student-facing TA work that I did during my time as a grad student. I loved meeting individually with students, I loved talking to them about what was going well and what was hard about courses. After graduate school, a transition to advising felt really… natural. I spent a couple years working in advising at Western New England University, and I'm really excited to return to UMass to work with  the Marieb College of Nursing! 

Q: How do you connect your music background to your advising role? 
MP: I feel like music is a great way to connect with my students. This has always been important for me—getting to know students outside of just what they’re doing in classes. I’ll ask, “What are you listening to? What bands do you like? Give me a song recommendation.” It’s such a fun conversation to have, rather than just asking, “Have you gotten your prerequisites done?” 

"Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need support. As an advisor, I’m here to help by answering questions, connecting you to other offices and resources on campus, or just talking through how the semester is going... you’re not expected to know everything!"

—McKay Perry, EMCON Academic Advisor

Q: What’s a key piece of advice you offer students who come to you for guidance? 
MP: Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need support. As an advisor, I’m here to help by answering questions, connecting you to other offices and resources on campus, or just talking through how the semester is going.  Especially for freshmen and sophomores, you’re not expected to know everything! If you have a problem, we don’t expect you to know where to go—if you’re sick, struggling with mental health, or want to get more involved on campus. That’s why I’m here: to be that connection point and support system where you can just swing by my office or drop me an email and say, “Hey.” 

Q: What are you most looking forward to in this new role? 
MP: I'm excited to meet the students, I'm excited to hear about their backgrounds, and I'm excited to learn alongside them. I feel like nursing is such an important profession, and the type of person that's drawn to nursing is the type of person that I would like to get to know. 

Q: Any final thoughts for students? 
MP: Don’t hesitate to come by. Even if I don’t know the answer, I can find the answer.