LGBTQIA+ Staff & Faculty Directory

Associate Professor

Public Policy
Liberal Arts 326

508-910-6979

Gay

Nick Anguelov teaches the capstone sequence of courses at the Master of Public Policy Program and directs the Public Management concentration. His research is on social and environmental justice with a focus on international trade and diplomacy. He is best known for his work on sustainable fashion, economic sanctions, and marijuana reform. He is on several national association advisory boards dedicated to creative class and queer place-based cultural needs of faculty and college students. If it's a beach day, you can find him running and swimming at Horseneck beach. Nick lives in New Bedford, MA.

Kevin Barnett he/him/his

Senior Regional Admissions Counselor

Admissions
Auditorium Annex 003

508-910-6036

kbarnett1@umassd.edu

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Bisexual

I joined the admissions team in the fall of 2022, and believe I have found my passion. I graduated from Western Connecticut State University in 2019 with a degree in political science. I am working towards a masters degree at UMass Dartmouth in Public Policy with a focus on Education. which I believe will benefit me as I grow in my career!

Mary Beckwith

Deputy Director/Senior Investigator

Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Foster Administration 307

508-999-8618

mbeckwith@umassd.edu

Lesbian

Mary Beckwith joined the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in 2020 as their Title IX Investigator/Compliance Coordinator after having served as both Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Conduct and Dispute Resolution in the Division of Student Affairs. She is a longtime higher education professional in such areas as housing and residence life, new student orientation, and student conduct/judicial affairs. A first-generation college student and a product of the UMass system, she holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UMass Amherst. Prior to coming to UMass Dartmouth, Ms. Beckwith worked at UMass Amherst, Franklin Pierce College, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Drexel University, Muhlenberg College, and the Marine Biological Laboratory. Born in Worcester, she makes her home in Dartmouth with her wife and son.

Laura Franz she/her

Professor

Art & Design
College of Visual & Performing Arts 204A

508-999-9285

lfranz@umassd.edu

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Lesbian

Laura Franz is Chair of the Art & Design Department. She has a BFA from Western Michigan University and a Master’s in Design from Carnegie Mellon University. Her research interests include how we can use theory from established media to inform our understanding of new media and contemporary messages. She writes, presents, and makes art related to typography, how and why people read, and art/design history. She and her wife Samantha live in RI with their teenage daughters, their dog (Daphne), and a cat (Lou). They are usually in negotiations over getting a second dog.

Beth-Anne Vieira, MPH she/her/hers

Associate Director of Student Care & Advocacy / Victim Advocate

Center for Women, Gender & Sexuality
MacLean Campus Center 207

508-910-6965

bethanne.guthrie@umassd.edu

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Bisexual

Beth-Anne Guthrie received her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, English, and Women’s Studies from Lehigh University in 1994 and her Master’s Degree in Public Health (MPH) from Boston University in 1996. She worked at the Boston Visiting Nurse Association and Boston HealthNet for several years before joining the UMass Dartmouth community in 2004 as the Health Educator. Her professional areas of interest include: social justice and its relationship to health care access, delivery, quality and outcomes; comprehensive sex education; mental health promotion and suicide prevention; and women’s health. Beth-Anne has been strongly influenced by her volunteer work at various non-profit organizations, including: Health House (a now defunct women’s health resource center). Planned Parenthood, Boston G.L.A.S.S. (Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services), F.I.N.E.X. House (a shelter for women and children escaping abuse), and Fenway Health. Beth-Anne has two children, two cats, and spends many nights browsing Petfinder for her next fur baby and searching the internet for her dream home.

Kevin Hamilton, EdD he/him/his

Associate Vice Chancellor / Dean of Student Belonging

Student Affairs
MacLean Campus Center 224B

508-999-8657

khamilton5@umassd.edu

Gay

Originally from Memphis, Tennessee (where the best barbecue in the world is found), Dr. Kevin B. Hamilton (he, him, his) has worked in higher education for over 20 years, holding administrative positions at the DePauw University, University of Central Arkansas, Texas Tech University, and Hendrix College. As a first-generation college student, he aspired to become a television newscaster. Having loved his time as a resident assistant, he took a pivotal step into a career in higher education.

In addition to his Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas, Dr. Hamilton holds a Master of Education in College Student Personnel and a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. As part of his doctoral dissertation, Dr. Hamilton examined high-achieving African American male college student success at dominantly white institutions.

He is the father of three beautiful, intelligent, and active daughters. A television enthusiast, his frequently watched shows include 9-1-1, Stranger Things, The Good Doctor, Home Town, Beat Bobby Flay, and The Great British Baking Show. Kevin is a foodie who loves cooking, baking, grilling, and eating! Aside from hiking, listening to podcasts, and traveling, other leisure activities include listening to music and playing card games and board games.

Jenny Howe, PhD

Associate Teaching Professor

English & Communication
Liberal Arts 216

508-910-6548

jhowe1@umassd.edu

Bisexual

Dr. Jenny L. Howe (she/her) is an associate teaching professor in the Department of English and Communication. She teaches ENL101, ENL102, ENL200, and creative writing courses. Professor Howe received her PhD in English Literature from Tufts University. Her current research explores representation in children’s media, with specific focuses on Disney, fairy tales, YA literature, and fatphobia. She is also the author of three adult romances. The latest, How to Get a Life in Ten Dates, released in December 2024, and her first young adult romance, Love at Full Tilt, will be available in July 2025.

Kristopher Jackson, PhD he/him

Assistant Professor

College of Nursing & Health Sciences / Community
Modular Unit #5 005

508-910-6120

kjackson10@umassd.edu

Gay

Kristopher Jackson is a nurse practitioner and joined UMassD as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Nursing in 2025 after completing his training at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Center for AIDS Prevention Studies. With over a decade of experience as an acute care nurse practitioner, Dr. Jackson also leads a growing research program focused on HIV prevention, sexual health, and the provision of healthcare services to sexual and gender minority communities. His current projects examine the healthcare needs of marginalized LGBTQIA+ groups, including sex workers, and explores how societal expectations of masculinity, sexual behavior stigma, and other individual factors influence the adoption of HIV prevention methods (such as PrEP) and the use of substances in the context of commercial sexual encounters. Kristopher is a fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (FAANP) and holds national certifications as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP-BC) and as a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE).

Richard Legault '91 he/him/his

Senior Technical & Training Specialist

CITS / Instructional Development
Claire T. Carney Library 415

508-999-8799

rich.legault@umassd.edu

Gay

Rich Legault graduated from UMass Dartmouth (then SMU) in 1991 with highest honors in Electrical Engineering. During graduate school, he started working for CITS on campus. He was hired as a full-time IT staff member in the Summer of 1993, and has been a Senior Technical and Training Specialist since 2005. He has been involved with different campus organizations including the student LGBT Alliance, the Gaming Society, and the Office of Campus Sustainability. He received the staff Sustainability Award in 2008 for his work on the Sustainability Film Series and other initiatives. In his spare time, Rich enjoys gardening, gaming, cycling, reading, music, and dancing. He, his husband, and their furry four-footed children have lived in Dighton since 1994.

Jason Loete he/him/his

Director of Recruitment, Retention & Student Success

College of Visual & Performing Arts
College of Visual & Performing Arts 155

508-910-6635

jloete@umassd.edu

Gay

Jason Loete serves as the Director of Recruitment, Retention, and Student Success for the College of Visual and Performing Arts. His background is heavily based in the theatre, where he worked as an actor, director, educator and administrator for 27 years before coming to UMass Dartmouth. He lives in Providence with his two rescued cats, previously sang with the Rhode Island Gay Men’s Chorus, and performed in shows at Ocean State Theatre Company, and the Wilbury Theatre Group.

James March Mistler '14, PhD he/they

Associate Teaching Professor / Program Director

Medical Laboratory Science
Dion 216E

508-999-8944

jmarchmistler@umassd.edu

Gay

James March Mistler is a Medical Laboratory Scientist and current Program Director in the Medical Laboratory Science Department at UMass Dartmouth. He met his husband, Keith, while attending UMassD as an undergraduate. After 6 years of dating they married in 2009. James and Keith are still happily married and currently live outside Boston with their dog Phinn. James received his BS in Clinical Laboratory Science and his MS degree in Biomedical Engineering/Biotechnology from UMassD in 2006 and 2014, respectively. He holds national certification as a Medical Laboratory Scientist and previously worked at MIT and currently works part-time at Norwood Hospital. James is active in the professional laboratory society, ASCLS, serving on regional and national committees as well as being active in the society’s Diversity Advocacy Council as Scholarship Chair and regional liaison.

Victoria Milhomens she/her

Assistant Director of First-Year and Transfer Admissions

Admissions
Auditorium Annex 010

508-999-9106

vmilhomens@umassd.edu

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Lesbian

Victoria Milhomens (she/her) joined the Admissions Office at UMass Dartmouth as an Admissions Counselor in February of 2021. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Sacred Heart University and is currently working on her master’s degree in Higher Education-Leadership at Bridgewater State University. She has been working in Admissions since 2017 and believes to have found her passion in higher education. She hopes to help prospective (and current) students find their home-away-from-home at UMass Dartmouth. She lives with her partner Kate, and their two dogs, Bristol and McGuire in Rhode Island. Her hobbies include spending time with family and friends, singing, and playing fetch with her dogs.

Toniqua Mikell, PhD

Assistant Professor

Crime & Justice Studies
Liberal Arts 399C

508-999-8624

tmikell@umassd.edu

Pansexual

Dr. Toniqua Mikell is a Black feminist and intersectional criminologist. She joined UMass Dartmouth in 2019 as an Assistant Professor of Crime & Justice Studies. Her work applies Black feminist criminology to understand the role of interlocking systems of oppression in explaining victimization and social control of Black women. Her other research interests include queer criminology, prisoner reentry, sexual offending and victimization, and social justice implications of carceral state contact. A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Dr. Mikell earned her PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of South Carolina in 2019. She also completed her MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice at USC in 2014 and earned her BA from Winthrop University in 2012 in both Political Science and Sociology with a concentration in Criminology. She loves animals and is usually cuddled up with her fur babies, Bailey (dog), Louie (cat), and Luther (cat); her other hobbies include eating, dabbling in landscape photography, and traveling to eat and take pictures.

Michael Murgo, PhD he/him

Psychologist

Counseling & Student Development Center
Auditorium Annex 108

508-999-8648

mmurgo@umassd.edu

Gay

Michael Murgo, PhD is a warm and compassionate psychotherapist who joined the UMass Dartmouth Counseling Center in Fall, 2024. Dr. Murgo earned his PhD in Counseling Psychology from University of Miami in 2023 and has trained in a variety of clinical settings. His clinical interests include anxiety, LGBTQ+ mental health, minority stress, relationship concerns, attachment, stress and coping, self-esteem, masculinities, and life adjustment issues. Dr. Murgo is especially passionate about helping clients navigate concerns related to sexual orientation, gender identity, relationships, and coping with stigma and discrimination. His integrative approach draws upon cognitive behavioral therapy, emotion-focused therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and relational-cultural therapy to facilitate growth and change. Fostering a strong therapeutic relationship in a warm, supportive, non-judgmental environment is a cornerstone of Dr. Murgo’s treatment.

Michelle Oleary

Human Resources Information Systems Specialist

Human Resources
Foster Administration 313

508-999-8049

moleary5@umassd.edu

Queer

Michelle O’Leary is a member of the Human Resources Department since 2018 handling Time & Labor for the campus. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and Architecture from the New England Institute of Art. Prior to working at UMass Dartmouth, she worked with International High School Students in Rhode Island. Outside of work she enjoys crafting and sewing, performance arts and live concerts, traveling for vegan food with her best friend, as well as hiking, kayaking and camping in warmer weather. She is also involved with Activism in regards to Black Lives Matter, Women’s Rights, and LGBTQA+ rights.

Juli Parker she/her/hers

Assistant Dean of Students / Director

Center for Women, Gender & Sexuality
MacLean Campus Center 207

508-910-4582

juli.parker@umassd.edu

Bisexual

Juli L. Parker, PhD has been at UMass Dartmouth since 1995. She has a BA in Theatre/Dance from the University of Maine and an M.A. in Women’s Studies from the University of Alabama. She received her PhD in Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences with a focus in Theatre and Women’s Studies from the Union Institute & University in 2006. She lives in Swansea, MA with two rescue dogs, Stella and Louise, two cats and her husband of 28 years. She is a founding member of WomensWork Theatre Collaborative in Rhode Island. In her free time, she likes to act and direct at local theatres, re-hab vintage trailers, ski, garden, and golf.

Rekha Rosha, PhD

Program Manager of Student Support & Success

College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Modular Unit #3 110

508-999-8321

rekha.rosha@umassd.edu

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Lesbian

LGBTQIA+ Staff & Faculty Directory

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