DiFulvio and Rost Named 2026-27 Chancellor’s Leadership Fellows

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Gloria DiFulvio (at left) and Gwyneth Rost

Gloria DiFulvio, associate dean of undergraduate academic affairs and senior lecturer II in health promotion and policy, and Gwyneth Rost, department chair and senior lecturer II in speech, language and hearing sciences, are among the six UMass Amherst faculty members named recipients of the 2026-27 Chancellor’s Leadership Fellowship (CLF).

The CLF program seeks to cultivate future campus leaders by offering a half-time, one-year temporary appointment to an administrative area on campus and providing mentoring from the leader of the host unit. In addition, fellows are expected to launch a significant program during their fellowship year.

DiFulvio will work with the Center for Teaching and Learning to identify pedagogical strategies that are engaging and foster belonging and persistence in large foundational classrooms. As part of her fellowship, she will research current course-based successes across the disciplines, identify best practices in teaching in the literature and at peer institutions, and develop campus-wide faculty resources designed to help students thrive.

“I am excited to be able to learn from colleagues across campus and at peer institutions who have successfully integrated strategies in their large classes that have led to student success,” says DiFulvio. “Through this fellowship, I hope to help embed belonging and self-efficacy into gateway courses so that all students can feel connected, supported, and empowered to persist in their academic journey.”

Rost will work with Lin Tang, Senior Assistant Provost of Learning Resources and Undergraduate Research, to pilot and refine a curriculum designed to support the development of academic self-efficacy in early-career undergraduate students. This curriculum is intended to provide deliverable lesson plans and Canvas modules to those instructors who wish to include this type of non-field-specific academic development in their courses.

“I look forward to learning about curriculum development and validation from Lin,” notes Rost. “Also, I am excited to work with the variety of highly talented people who teach first-year students on this campus, to learn about their practices, concerns, and strategies, and to provide them with support in un-hiding the ‘hidden curriculum’ of college.”

The Office of Faculty Development (OFD) administers the award on behalf of the Provost’s Office. Full-time tenured faculty, senior lecturers and librarians on continuing appointments are eligible for the fellowship. The CLF application and nomination process commences annually in December.

More information about this year’s CLF recipients and their projects, as well as a list of past Chancellor's Leadership Fellows by year, can be found on the OFD website.