UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences

05/08/2026

This year, the School of Public Health and Health Sciences held its 29th annual Research Day on May 1, 2026, in conjunction with the school's Hub Opening Celebration. It included four separate sessions in which nearly 100 students - spanning all departments and academic levels - presented their work and served to highlight the depth and breadth of SPHHS student research to UMass’ leadership, the school’s donors and community partners and alumni.

“This year’s Research Day was truly inspiring,” says Dean Anna Maria Siega-Riz. “The incredible turnout from our students and faculty surpassed all expectations, showcasing the extraordinary depth and diversity of research happening within our school. It’s clear that the dedication to mentorship and the pursuit of excellence is alive and thriving. This kind of passion doesn’t just fuel groundbreaking discoveries — it builds a vibrant community committed to shaping the future of public health and health sciences. It’s this shared commitment that makes our school such a powerful place to grow, innovate, and lead in the Commonwealth.”

New this year, student presenters were invited to submit a pre-recorded video to be judged by a faculty jury for prize consideration, with the winning entries announced at the conclusion of Research Day. Presentations were limited to three minutes in length and a maximum of four slides.

The SPHHS awarded a total of eight prizes: travel awards for best presentation in health sciences and in public health; three graduate student research awards; and three undergraduate student research awards.

Read more at the link >> https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/news/2026-research-day-award-winners

05/05/2026

Last Friday, we celebrated the opening of our new UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences Hub!

For the first time, all six departments are united under one roof, creating more opportunities for collaboration, learning, and innovation. The building features beautiful natural light, modern classrooms, and welcoming spaces for students to connect and grow.

“This new space reflects how we learn, teach and work together as a public health community,” said Dean Anna Maria Siega-Riz. “By uniting our departments in one collaborative, light-filled environment, we are creating the conditions for innovation, interdisciplinary discovery and student success—while reinforcing our shared commitment to improving health and well-being for populations in Massachusetts and beyond.”

Photo credit: Thom Kendall

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04/30/2026

Community health education's Saharra Dixon is co-Principal Investigator on 1 of 10 teams of artists and early career researchers named 2026 Renée Fleming Neuroarts Investigator Awards recipients. Each team will receive a grant of $25,000 to support an interdisciplinary research project whose results will contribute to the growing body of scientific evidence underpinning the field of neuroarts. The awards program, established by the Renée Fleming Foundation in 2024, is administered through the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative, a partnership between Johns Hopkins University and the Aspen Institute.

Dixon, who will graduate in May, will partner with Zoe Smith from the University of Denver. The team’s project, titled “Evaluating Theatre and Storytelling as a Neuroarts-Informed Health Coaching Intervention for Young Adults Living with Obsessive-Compulsive Related Disorders (OCRDs) and Complex Trauma,” will examine how arts-based, communal practices influence mental health outcomes among adults with Obsessive-Compulsive Related Disorders like BFRBs and body dysmorphic disorder.

Dixon is an arts in health practitioner and public health storyteller whose work advances understandings of the biopsychosocial mechanisms linking structural violence to stress embodiment, neurological patterns in habit formation, and health behaviors through a neuroarts praxis. Her dissertation employed a mixed-methods approach to understanding Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors among Black women using digital storytelling.

Congratulations, Saharra!

Doctoral candidate Saharra Dixon is on 1 of 10 teams of artists and early career researchers named 2026 Renée Fleming Neuroarts Investigator Awards recipients.

04/28/2026

This month, Dean Anna Maria Siega-Riz highlights faculty members who are being recognized for their teaching excellence and mentorship, as well as news of her research on protecting maternal heart health.

"Thank you to everyone who teaches, researches, and serves with passion and purpose. Your work transforms lives," she writes.

Read her monthly message at the link.

Dean Siega-Riz provides her monthly newsletter message for April 2026.

04/24/2026

In two weeks, the SPHHS will gather in a memorial to our beloved colleague, Dr. Daniel Ge**er. We invite all those who knew him to join us in remembrance on Friday, May 8th, from 3-5 p.m. in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences Hub building. A virtual option will also be available.

Registration is requested for either the in-person or virtual event. Please let us know if you'll be joining us by May 1, 2026.

Learn more and register here at the link.

The SPHHS will host a memorial for Dr. Daniel Ge**er on May 8, 2026, from 3-5 pm in the SPHHS Hub building, with a virtual option available.

04/23/2026

👏👏👏 Let's give a big hand for Judi Labranche! 🎉🙌

She has been named UMass Amherst’s recipient of the 2026 Manning Prize for Excellence in Teaching by the University of Massachusetts Foundation. Characterized by a philosophy she describes as “sustained, inclusive, high-impact practice,” LaBranche brings the community into her teaching and her students into the community.

"As an educator, Judi had the ability to unlock my passion in the field of kinesiology; as a person, Judi has changed my life in more ways imaginable,” said one of her students.

Way to go, Judi!

Judi LaBranche has been named UMass Amherst’s recipient of the 2026 Manning Prize for Excellence in Teaching by the University of Massachusetts Foundation.

04/21/2026

Congratulations to public health sciences major Louis Herman Waibel V on being named a 2026 Gerald F. Scanlon Student Employees of the Year Award winner! He was recognized for his work in the university's Office of Equity and Inclusion during a ceremony for Chancellor's Citation and Scanlon award winners held April 2 at the Old Chapel. Instituted in the 1987-88 academic year, the Gerald F. Scanlon Student Employee of the Year Award honors students who have demonstrated exceptional performance by contributing their time and skills to help the university achieve its goals and objectives.

Public Health Sciences major Louis Herman Waibel V has been named a winner of the 2026 Gerald F. Scanlon Student Employees of the Year Award.

04/16/2026

Congratulations to Kinesiology major Marie Fandy on being named a UMass Amherst ! Marie, who works under the supervision of Christine St. Laurent in the Moove and Snooze Lab, studies links between physical activity and cognitive outcomes in preschool-aged children. See her full profile at the link.

Marie Fandy ’26 studies links between physical activity and cognitive outcomes in preschool-aged children.

04/14/2026

A new study led by Assistant Professor of Community Health Education Krystal Kittle sheds light on the community of bi+ dementia caregivers that has been described as the "invisible majority." Caregivers of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias (ADRD) have been characterized as invisible second patients due to the substantial physical, emotional, and social demands placed on them. Taken together, the researchers suggest that bi+ ADRD caregivers can be viewed as a twice hidden population.

A new study led by Assistant Professor of Community Health Education Krystal Kittle sheds light on the community of bi+ dementia caregivers.

04/10/2026

Congratulations to doctoral candidate Brittany Ciullo! She has been awarded the 2026 Council for Academic Programs in Communication Science and Disorders (CAPCSD) PhD Scholarship. CAPCSD is a membership organization with over 350 programs across the world with the mission of supporting, promoting, and advancing higher education programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders. The organization funds up to ten $12,000 scholarships to support PhD students in the dissertation phase of their doctoral program.

“In many ways, this award is a reflection of my mentors' guidance and support," says Ciullo. "My collaborators, dissertation committee, and especially my advisor, Dr. Jill Hoover, have provided invaluable guidance on every aspect of my research. My hope is that this project, in turn, contributes meaningfully to school-based practice and children with communication disorders.”

SLHS doctoral candidate Brittany Ciullo has been awarded the 2026 Council for Academic Programs in Communication Science and Disorders (CAPCSD) PhD Scholarship.

04/09/2026

Three UMass Amherst research centers will work alongside youth researchers to prevent to***co and ni****ne use by children and young adults, thanks to $800,000 from the state. The work will be led by the Center for Community Health Equity Research (CCHER), in collaboration with the Center for Program Evaluation, both in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, and the Center of Racial Justice and Youth Engagement (CRJ) in the College of Education.

The project is funded through a settlement the state Attorney General’s Office reached with Juul Labs Inc. in 2023, holding the company accountable for its role in fueling the youth va**ng epidemic.

Three UMass research centers will evaluate to***co and ni****ne prevention and cessation strategies for young people through an $800,000 award from Mass DPH.