Recent News

Building a Community of Dignity and Respect

The University of Massachusetts Amherst believes that a culturally diverse campus is integral to academic excellence and that our students, faculty, and staff should reflect the diverse world in which we live. Recognizing and valuing the wide range of voices and perspectives in all spheres of the academic enterprise, we are committed to policies that promote inclusiveness, social justice, and respect for all.

“Fostering an environment that protects intellectual exploration, advances mutual respect, and promotes inclusivity is critical to the mission of the university.” — Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy

The UMass Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion supports these efforts with resources, events, campus climate initiatives, podcasts, and more.

Antiracism Resources - Books, podcasts, movies, and programs for adults and children.
Fight Hate - Our community must stand united in the face of hate.

Building Bridges is a campus initiative that seeks to draw on the power of solidarity and creative expression to bring people together across race, religion, class, immigration status, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, nationality and more.

ACS Bridge Program Makes Positive Impact

UMass Amherst Chemistry participates in the ACS Bridge Program which aims to diversify the graduate student population in the chemical sciences. The mentorship program, part of the NSF INCLUDES Alliance: Inclusive Graduate Education Network (IGEN), provides additional pathways for Black, Latino, and Indigenous students to receive doctoral degrees.

Prospective students are considered by all of the 22 participating institutions by submitting one application.

Prof. Michael Knapp, ACS Bridge Program leader for UMass Amherst Chemistry, commented on the success of the program, “I think we’ve all worked with people where they really don’t need or don’t want a lot of hand-holding. But making sure that the trampoline is there when you’re on the high wire is really important so that if you fall off, you can bounce back.”

Take Charge of Your Virtual Learning

You might not be on-campus or in a classroom, but you are not alone! We are here to help you be successful in your remote learning courses.

Preparing your Mind & Space to Learn. We’ve all heard the quote by Benjamin Franklin “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Explore strategies and tools to assist you in preparing for success. Topics include: Mindset Matters, Developing a Growth Mindset A Set-up for Success, and My Learning Environment My Remote Learning Checklist.
Quick links to tools to help you get started: Mindset Matters, Reframing my Challenges, My Learning Environment, and My Remote Learning Checklist

Make your Learning Meaningful. Strive for higher levels of learning and create your learning routines. Strategies and tools to assist you in meaningful learning. Topics include: Higher Levels of Learning, A Learning Routine for Success, and My Study Cycle. Quick links to tools to help you get started: Levels of Learning and The Study Cycle.

Master the Content. As you strive for higher levels of learning, it is important to have a toolbox of strategies to reply on. Your approach to learning will vary by course and change as you progress in your major. Expand your learning toolbox with the following resources on academic success strategies: Concept Maps, Active Reading Strategies, Note Taking Strategies, Study & Review Strategies, and Explore how your academic habits may impact test taking. You are not alone. Connect with resources to support your content mastery. Success Toolkit Series, Learning Resource Center, Writing Center, and talk to your Academic Advisor about college/major specific academic support services.

Make the Most of your Time. Effectively utilizing your time is a life long skill. Learning to prioritize assignments, studying and other commitments is a personal journey. Explore these tips to discuss tools and strategies that may help you make the most of your time. Topics include: Finding a Routine & Tools, Time Management, and Tools Managing Procrastination. Quick link to tools to help you get started: Student Success Planner, Managing your Procrastination, and Where does my time go?

 

Spring 2021 Operating Plan

The operational posture of the UMass Amherst campus is currently at "Elevated." For more information, go to www.umass.edu/spring.

The campus’s strategic focus is on advancing students’ academic progress toward degree completion while providing a campus environment that meets federal and state health and safety protocols for mitigating COVID-19. Guided by these principles, the university has determined that in-person, face-to-face instruction for undergraduate and graduate students will be offered on campus this spring in certain classes, labs and studios identified as requiring in-person instruction.

Timely information regarding various aspects of our spring plan can be found at umass.edu/spring, and the administration will also keep you updated via email and other communication channels.

In the weeks and months ahead, the campus will continue to monitor the progress of the pandemic, and should worsening conditions warrant re-evaluation of our plan, we will act accordingly to ensure that the health and wellbeing of our community remains paramount

Upcoming Events

Prof. Evangelos Miliordos
Auburn University
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

"Transition metal chemistry: Catalytic methane hydroxylation and formation of expanded metals”
Host:
Rick Metz
11:30 am
zoom
Prof. Qian Cui
Boston University
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Department of Chemistry
Host:
Jianhan Chen
11:30 am
zoom
Prof. Raffaella Buonsanti
EPFL
Thursday, April 29, 2021
Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering

"Colloidal chemistry to design well-defined and tunable nanomaterials for energy applications"
Host:
Joe DuChene
11:30 am
zoom
.Manisha
Dissertation Defense
Friday, April 30, 2021

"Design of responsive oligomeric and polymeric interfaces for sensing and controlled release applications"
1:30 pm
zoom
Research Adviser:
S. Thayumanavan
Rausch Seminar
Prof. Karen Goldberg
Univ. of Pennsylvania
Thursday, May 6, 2021
Department of Chemistry
Host:
Joe DuChene
11:30 am
zoom