2026 News 2026: Inside UMassD April 9, 2026

Campus Community Accomplishments

UMass Dartmouth will award honorary degrees to Richard Lafrance, Jacqueline G. Somerville, and Nishita Roy-Pope during the University's 2026 Commencement ceremonies. The honorary degree is the University's highest distinction and recognizes individuals whose professional achievements, leadership, and service reflect the values of UMass Dartmouth and inspire its graduating students.

Associate Dean Jay Zysk (College of Arts and Sciences) published an essay on "Sacraments" in the Routledge Companion to Shakespeare and Religion. This volume surveys new and longstanding critical conversations about the role of religion in Shakespeare's plays and poems.

Commonwealth Professor Changsheng Chen (Fisheries Oceanography), Assistant Research Professor Siqi Li (Fisheries Oceanography), and Lu Wang (Postdoctoral Fellow co-published "Ocean acidification in Massachusetts bay and Boston harbor: Insights from a 1-D modeling approach" in Ecological Modelling. The article focuses on the vulnerability of the Massachusetts Bay and Boston Harbor region ecosystems due to the global rise in atmospheric CO2 and local stressors. 

Commonwealth Professor Amit Tandon (Estuarine & Ocean Sciences) and Siddhant Kerhalkar ('25) co-published "Modulation of diurnal SST and diurnal warm layer variability by salinity-driven stratification in the Bay of Bengal" in the Journal of Physical Oceanography. The article examines how salinity-driven stratification influences diurnal sea surface temperature variability and warm-layer formation, thereby improving understanding of ocean–atmosphere heat exchange processes.

Professor Michael Goodman (Public Policy) was interviewed in an article about the climb of the AIM index from January to February amid the Middle East conflict. 

Professor Brian Williams (History) was interviewed about the ongoing war with Iran.

Associate Professor Lisa Maya Knauer (Sociology/Anthropology) was interviewed for an article about proposed legislation to limit ICE's reach in local communities.

Associate Professor Jennifer Mammen (Nursing) recently co-authored "Three years later: tracking bothersome symptoms and impacts for people with early Parkinson's disease" in the Journal of Neurology. The article examines a three-year study that followed 32 patients with early Parkinson's disease to understand how often symptoms occur, how disruptive they are, and their impact on everyday life.

Assistant Teaching Professor Basil H. Aboul-Enein (Health & Society) co-published "A scoping review of the nature and extent of the use of storytelling as a component of oral health education" in European Archives of Pediatric Dentistry. The article aims to systematically examine and assess the usage of storytelling as an intervention component in oral health education, with a focus on its implications for improving community engagement and oral health outcomes. 

Dean Kevin Stokesbury (SMAST) and Professor Pingguo He (Fisheries Oceanography) received $1,662,014 for "VW1 Post Construction Surveys - Trawl, Ventless Trap & Plankton and Drop Camera" from Vineyard Wind. The project will analyze trawling footage to analyze conditions and species within the Vineyard Wind farm area.

Associate Professor Ilknur Yesilcinar (Nursing) received the Sigma/Rosemary Berkel Crisp Research Award in the amount of $5,000. The award will fund research exploring the use of virtual reality technology to support informed decision-making among expectant mothers during pregnancy.

Assistant Professor Martha Whitfield (Nursing), Assistant Professor Kristopher Jackson (Nursing), and Professor Frank Scarano (Medical Laboratory Science) received $5,000 for "Hidden Risks on the Shelf: An Analysis of Kratom and 7-OH Product Composition and the Role of Nurses in Patient Education and Safety." The project will examine kratom marketing and product safety, including laboratory analysis of kratom and 7-OH products purchased from retail stores in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.