Campus Community Accomplishments
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UMass Dartmouth celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2026 during four Commencement ceremonies held on May 21 and May 22, honoring over 1,800 graduates whose academic journeys reflect the resilience, determination, and success needed to thrive in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.
Jeanne's Cupboard was profiled for the tremendous work it does to help address food insecurity amongst UMassD students and members of the surrounding community.
Professor Ken Manning (Political Science) gave a political commentary and analysis on France TV about President Donald Trump.
Associate Professor Gavin Fay (Fisheries Oceanography) co-published "An investigation of factors affecting inferences from and reliability of state-space age-structured assessment models" in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. The article simulated operating models that varied fishing pressure, the magnitude of observation error, and sources of process error to understand the next generation of fisheries stock assessments.
Assistant Professor Kristen McHenry published "Petropatriarchy and the price of water: gendered consequences" in Environmental Sociology. The article examines fracking in Pennsylvania as a threat to human health and the environment, focusing on how water contamination reproduces gender inequity.
Assistant Teaching Professor Basil H. Aboul-Enein (Health & Society) recently co-published "A Scoping Review of Creative Art-Based Interventions, Campaigns, and Strategies to Address Gender-Based Violence" in Art Therapy. The article aims to systematically explore, map, synthesize, and assess how visual arts-based approaches are being utilized globally to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.
Assistant Teaching Professor Tobias Stapleton (Decision & Information Sciences) was interviewed by Forbes about a Rhode Island-based start-up developing Uncrewed Surface Vehicles for the U.S. Navy.
Postdoctoral Researcher and Part-Time Lecturer Alanna Mnich (Fisheries Oceanography) and Professor Mark Altabet (Estuarine & Ocean Sciences) co-published "BGC-Argo float reveals shifts in nitrogen carbon cycling in an oxygen-deficient zone" in Communications Earth & Environment. The piece discusses hotspots of marine fixed-nitrogen loss and greenhouse gas production in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific.
A faculty team spanning the School for Marine Science and Technology, the College of Engineering, and the Charlton College of Business received a $1.4M grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to create a "digital twin" for the Massachusetts shellfish aquaculture industry.
Professor Sukalyan Sengupta (Civil & Environmental Engineering) received the 2026 Manning Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Sengupta exemplifies the very best of UMass Dartmouth's teaching mission through his application of evidence-based pedagogy with practical assessment to deepen engineering learning.
Assistant Professor Kristin Magan (Nursing) was selected as an ASCENT Program Fellow. The ASCENT Consortium works to increase the number of palliative care investigators, expand the range of institutions conducting palliative care research, and develop scientific and leadership capabilities.
The Softball team made history by tying the program record for wins during an incredible season that saw the Corsairs win the Little East Championship (LEC) and reach the 2026 NCAA Division III Super Regional round. Along the way, third baseman RaeLynn Perregaux (Nursing) became the first player in program history to be named LEC Player of the Year, while the coaching staff, led by Head Coach Rachael Powers, was named LEC Coaching Staff of the Year.
Shalyn Peterbark (Juris Doctorate Candidate) was elected as the 2026-2027 Student Trustee to represent the Dartmouth campus on the University of Massachusetts System Board of Trustees.
Wyatt Carlton (Interior Architecture + Design) was named to the 2026 Metropolis Future 100, an annual list of exceptional graduating architecture and interior design students. Carlton is one of 33 students across the U.S. and Canada recognized in the Undergraduate Interior Design category.
Ancil Alexander (Crime & Justice Studies) earned Second Team All-America honors at the 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Alexander is now a four-time All-American and has competed and excelled at three straight NCAA Championships.