Dean’s Message – May 2023
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The academic year has ended, and with it comes bittersweet feelings as we say goodbye at the end of a momentous era while also feeling tremendous pride in our achievements. We watched Chancellor Subbaswamy give his last speeches at various commencement activities across campus, at times becoming very emotional, illustrating both his passion for UMass and his personal humility. We will all miss his steadfast leadership, vision for the growth of the university, and his stewardship to the people of the Commonwealth, as well as his compassion towards and high regard for the students, staff, and faculty at UMass. We have been truly fortunate to have had such an exemplary leader at the helm for 11 years. Thank you, Chancellor. We all wish you well.
Graduation is a momentous time in which we celebrate the numerous achievements of our students. In SPHHS we had 600 undergraduate, 182 masters and 24 doctoral students earn their diplomas with the support of significant others, parents, families, and friends as well as our faculty and staff. Congratulations graduates, we are so proud of you!
The school is so very proud to have among its graduating seniors three 21st Century Leaders: Audrey Gabriel, Darya Iranmanesh, and Clare Sheedy, all Public Health Sciences majors. They are each amazing individuals who are innovators, leaders of social justice and equity, and have already achieved great things. Ms. Iranmanesh was our inaugural student speaker at our Senior Recognition Ceremony, and her speech reflected on her success of overcoming several personal challenges and how she led efforts to raise awareness of the struggles of Iranian women seeking. They are an inspiration to all of us and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them. Please read more about them here.
Earlier this month, we celebrated over 50 of students who received scholarships and awards at a lovely event in the Student Ballroom. These students exemplify the outstanding work being conducted in the classroom, in research labs, and through service to community. Additionally, we congratulate Amrita Adak '23 and Emily Nguyen '21, who are two of the twelve University of Massachusetts Amherst students awarded Fulbright grants for 2023-2024. Adak served as an undergraduate intern on the Holyoke Early Access to Recovery and Treatment (HEART) program led by Professor Elizabeth Evans. She's been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to South Korea. Nguyen earned bachelor's degrees in Communication Disorders (now Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences), Spanish and linguistics in 2021. She received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Vietnam.
Lastly, I want to thank the staff and faculty who have contributed to the success of our students through their teaching, research, and advising, and by providing a positive climate where we can all flourish. The many events we held throughout the year could not be possible without their support and presence. I was extremely grateful to see so many of our faculty attend graduation this year – so much so that we had to scramble to find extra seats on the platform! Thank you, and to all, enjoy the beauty and respite of the summer months.