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UMass Dartmouth Honors College

Latest News

Please join the Honors College in welcoming the Class of 2026!

During the next four years our students will learn about and help address contemporary societal challenges from the perspective of their chosen discipline. These challenges may range from sustainability to equality and social justice. Through engaging with class material, developing discipline-specific expertise, and applying their skills in conducting individual scholarly pursuits, we have no doubt that Honors students will play an integral part in making the world a better place. Along the way, our students will have fun with like-minded peers, interact with the community, and hopefully develop life-long friendships!

Student News

Check out these Commencement Spotlights: 

Congratulations to Sophia Baxendale (Psychology, '22) who was recently hired by the UMass Donahue Institute as a Research Analyst.

During this year's Honors Convocation, the Jennifer W. Mulnix University Honors Program Service Award was presented to Cameron McAlpine. Each year, this award is presented to a student who has provided outstanding service to the Honors College during the academic year. Thank you, Cameron, and congratulations! 

Congrats to Sal Balkus (Data Science, '22), who was awarded a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF)! He is the first UMassD student in the Mathematical Sciences to win this award, which recognizes and supports the most outstanding graduate students in STEM. Sal will be pursuing his PhD in Biostatistics at Harvard University. Read his story: Salvador Balkus '22: A Data-Driven Mindset.
 
Congratulations to Vanessa Barreto (Nursing, '23) and Zachary Pereira (Bioengineering, '25) for being two of only a handful of students chosen for an Office of Undergraduate Research 2022 Summer Stipend award. Vanessa is being supervised by Professor Emily Gesner on her study, "The Effect of Stress on the Cardiovascular System in Nurses." Zachary is being supervised by Professor Milana Vasudev in studying the "Development of Genetic Engineering Tools for the Iricent Bacteria Cellulophaga lytica." 
 
Kudos to Olivia Aguiar ('22) and Bella Mancini ('22), who presented their research at the Benthic Ecology Meeting. The meeting brings together promising young biologists to share their research regarding rocky intertidal and coral reef ecosystems.

Kudos to Christian Fall (Computer Engineering,'24), who was awarded a Department of Defense SMART Scholarship. The award is given to students pursuing STEM degrees who are conducting complex research to further the DoD's mission and create a lasting impact.
 
Kudos to Efe Oboh-Idahosa on being awarded the Dukakis Public Service Internship! Governor Michael Dukakis endowed a public service internship at UMass Dartmouth in 1996 to provide students with experience in government service and to encourage them to consider a future career in public service.
 
Congratulations to McKenzie Ferrari for being named a 2022 Goldwater Scholar! McKenzie is the first recipient of this prestigious recognition in UMassD history. The award is given to students who show exceptional promise of becoming America's next generation of research leaders.
 
Congrats to McCord Murray (Data Science, '24), who has been accepted into the Summer Training Institute in Biostatistics and Data Science at Columbia University!
 
Kudos to Daniela Tishchenko (Interior Architecture + Design, ’23), who won second place in the IESNA Boston Student Scholarship Design Competition 2020-21. Tishchenko’s project “Ebb and Flow Chandelier” was displayed and acknowledged at the 2021 Illuminations Awards Gala at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront.
 
Kudos to Brooke DeSimone (Bioengineering, ’22), who was awarded a 2021 Joel Goldenberg Memorial Scholarship by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering.

Honors Faculty News

Chosen by the Honors Student Council, Professor Brian Ayotte was awarded the Robert G. Darst University Honors Program Service Award during this year's Honors Convocation. This award is given to a faculty member in recognition of outstanding service to the Honors College during the academic year. Thank you, Dr. Ayotte, and congratulations!

Congratulations to Professors Brian Ayotte, Anna E Schierber-Scherr, and Marni Kellogg for their recent publication, “Treating Patients with COVID-19: PTSD Symptoms and Functional Impairment among Nurses.” This publication explores the probable PTSD symptoms and work/non-work-related functional impairment of nurses working with COVID-19 patients. Their research highlights the importance of developing interventions that help these essential workers address vulnerabilities associated with working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kudos to Honors student, Chris McGuire, and Professors Brian Ayotte, Anna E Schierber-Scherr, and Marni Kellogg, who were invited to present "Self-Care Behaviors as a Moderator of the Relationship between Treating Patients with COVID-19 and Health Anxiety among Nurses." Their presentation discusses the significant difference in health anxiety between nurses who treated patients with COVID-19 versus those who did not. This study demonstrates the importance of self-care behaviors for nurses managing mental health outcomes.

Honors Student Blog

The Honors Newspaper has gone virtual! Check out the Honors Council Blog.