Dean’s Message – August 2026
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Welcome back! We have been busy planning for the new academic year over the summer. You will notice some new faces and changes in titles among our faculty, which represent promotions that we are delighted to celebrate.
First and foremost, we congratulate Katherine Reeves, our former associate dean for graduate and professional studies, who has been named dean of the UMass Amherst Graduate School. Congratulations Dr. Reeves!
New to our SPHHS community this fall are:
- Jay Patruno Nutrition, Lecturer, Didactic Program in Dietetics & Undergraduate Program Director
- Sarah Byrne, Director of Finance and Operations
- Bettina Stevens, Associate Dean for Administration, Finance, and Operations
Among the faculty, the following have successfully been promoted, and we applaud their outstanding achievements.
- Daniel Goldstein, Health Promotion and Policy, Senior Lecturer II
- Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, Health Promotion and Policy, Associate Professor
- Dana Hoover, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Senior Lecturer
- Jacquie Kurland, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Professor
- Daniel Lopez Cevallos, Health Promotion and Policy, Professor
- Jennifer Mack, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Associate Professor
- Zhengqing Ouyang, Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Professor
- John Sirard, Kinesiology, Professor
- Michael Starr, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Senior Lecturer
- Heather Wemhoener, Nutrition, Senior Lecturer
- Lorie Woodson, Kinesiology, Senior Lecturer
Second, we have installed the first art exhibit on the second floor of the Hub. The work, by recent alumna Mira Weil ‘26PhD, was part of her dissertation project. In her words: “The collection expresses findings from a Photovoice project with 12 UMass students and staff who explored what health and wellbeing at UMass means to them. The exhibition highlights the creativity and diversity of our community's perspectives and experiences related to health and wellbeing and is a visually compelling invitation for viewers to consider their own health and wellbeing.” I am grateful to Mira for lending us this exhibit.
The school was also gifted a painting by artist Saleem Nasrullah, mother of kinesiology alumnus Imran Nasrullah ‘87. She has been painting for many decades now, mostly scenes from East Africa where she was born and lived before marriage. It graciously resides in room 213 of the Hub. Meeting with her this past month was a highlight of my summer.
More artwork is coming in September as part of our NeuroArts campaign to make connections between the arts and wellbeing. Take time to enjoy these exhibits.
Speaking of wellbeing, I encourage you to attend the campus screening of Richard Gere’s documentary film, Wisdom of Happiness, being held at the Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall at the Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts at 6:15 PM on September 9th. Yes, the famous Hollywood actor in Pretty Woman who attended UMass before taking off for California, will be joining a post-screening panel discussion moderated by radio personality Monte Belmonte along with Congressman Jim McGovern and Tencho Gyatso, President of the International Campaign for Tibet. Tickets are free!
There are several other events within the school that we encourage you to attend. The first dean’s seminar of the season will be given by Dr. Perry Halkitis, Dean of Public Health at Rutgers University, on September 25th at noon in the Hub. His talk, entitled "More Than Disease: Reclaiming the Human Side of Public Health," is based on his recent book, Humanizing Public Health: How Disease-Centered Approaches Have Failed Us. A special book signing will occur at 11 am.
We also encourage you to help welcome our new students on September 4th, join us for our annual Pops & Hops social on September 18th, and attend the many other events being hosted within our departments and programs.
We look forward to seeing you around campus!