Inside UMassD October 15, 2026

Campus Community Accomplishments

The Leduc Center for Civic Engagement held its annual Civic Leadership Awards, honoring members of the UMass Dartmouth community and external partners for their service to the SouthCoast region.

Professor Hillary Farber (Law) was featured in a Boston Globe article about Amazon's plan to introduce delivery drones in Massachusetts and the legal ramifications of this new technology.

Professor Nikolay Anguelov (Public Policy) co-published "Term limits and the unfunded pension debt crisis" in the Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management. This study examines whether states with term-limit legislation contribute more effectively to pension funds' debt ratios, a proxy for long-term fiscal health.

Professor Satyanarayana Parayitam (Management & Marketing) co-published "AI in hospitality and tourism service marketing: a systematic literature review and conceptual framework" in Research in Hospitality Management. This study uses a systematic literature review (SLR) to explore AI applications in service industries, focusing on hospitality and tourism. 

Associate Professor Michael Sheriff (Biology) co-published "Knowledge gaps and areas for synthesis in experimental studies of context-dependent predation risk" in Ecology. The paper reviewed three decades of experimental research to identify knowledge gaps in how environmental and biological conditions influence the effects of predation risk, emphasizing the need for integrated research approaches to advance ecological theory.

Assistant Research Professor Adam Delargy (Fisheries Oceanography), Senior Technical Associate Craig Lego, Research Associate Amber Delargy, and the Donna M. and Robert J. Manning Dean of SMAST Kevin Stokesbury co-published "The influence of localized scallop aggregations on survey estimates and fisheries management" in Marine Ecology Progress Series. The study characterized scallop aggregations using high-resolution survey data and projected biomass derived from juvenile aggregations, comparing scenarios with and without a spatial closure. The results show that localized aggregation events can significantly affect short-term commercial fishing behavior and management outcomes.

Assistant Teaching Professor Basil H. Aboul-Enein (Health & Society) recently co-published "Unseen and underserved: A scoping review of perinatal mental health interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa" in PLOS Mental Health. This scoping review examines interventions targeting mental health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women across Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on intervention types, populations served, implementation contexts, and reported outcomes. 

Most Israt Jahan Mili (Doctoral Candidate) and Professor Emeritus Steven Lohrenz (Estuarine & Ocean Sciences) co-published "Absorption-Based Wavelength-Resolved Hyperspectral Primary Productivity Algorithm for the Northern Gulf of Mexico" in JGR Oceans. The paper describes a regionally tuned, wavelength-resolved, absorption-based PP algorithm for the northern Gulf of Mexico, which includes a representation of how light is utilized by phytoplankton across the spectrum. 

Chancellor Professor Sigal Gottlieb (Mathematics) received $289,108 from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research for "Toward Efficient High Fidelity Simulations Using Mixed Precision Numerical Methods". This grant aims to make computer simulations of complex physical phenomena faster and more energy-efficient without sacrificing accuracy. Researchers will develop methods that use highly precise calculations when necessary and faster, less precise calculations when appropriate, while monitoring and controlling numerical errors to ensure reliable results.

Professor Miles Sundermeyer (Estuarine & Ocean Sciences) received $249,969.00 from the U.S. Geological Survey for "Use and Validation of Micro-Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles (Micro-UUVs) for Sampling Biologically Relevant Variables in Water Observing Systems". The project will conduct field validation tests of the JaiaBot-BIO system, a micro-uncrewed underwater vehicle for sampling biologically relevant variables in water observing systems. 

Assistant Professor Martha Whitfield (Nursing) was appointed to the Editorial Board of the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Whitfield was chosen for her expertise in evidence-based research, qualitative methods, publishing, peer review, and grant writing, combined with research on substance use and HIV/AIDS.

Assistant Professor Micheline Labrie '21 (Estuarine & Ocean Sciences) received $129,358 from the Town of Harwich for "Hinckleys Pond Diagnostic Assessment". The project will evaluate water quality, determine management next steps, and guide future preservation efforts for Hinckleys Pond in Harwich, Massachusetts.

Brianna Babineau (Doctoral Candidate) was selected as a Jonas Scholar for the program's 2026-2028 cohort. The program aims to improve health care by expanding the pool of PhD- and DNP-prepared nurses needed to educate the next generation of nurse leaders. Babineau joins a select group of 80 doctoral nursing students from across the country, chosen for their commitment to teaching, academic excellence, and research