Alumni, parents, and friends in Seattle and San Carlos, California networked and learned how faculty and students at UMass Amherst are advancing the common good.

Following a highly successful regional event kickoff in Boston in December, the UMass Amherst Foundation brought the Accelerate campaign to the West Coast in January.

Stopping in Seattle on January 21 and San Carlos, California on January 23, these celebratory events brought together alumni, parents, and friends of UMass Amherst living on the west coast to learn more about the exciting teaching, research, and service happening on campus and how the campaign can expand the impact of this work.
 

While there was ample opportunity for guests to mingle with one another and UMass Amherst representatives throughout the night, the event also featured a short speaking program. Attendees heard from deans, faculty, and researchers from the College of Education, the College of Engineering, and the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences. All stressed the importance of knowledge sharing and translating research into solutions that benefit society.

“One of the things I love about the university is the spirit of collaboration,” said Laura Haas, dean of the Manning College.

“Everyone is united in trying to advance the common good with their work. That is important because the challenges we face as a society will not be solved by just one person or in just one discipline. Interdisciplinary cooperation is essential for enacting sustainable change.”  

—Laura Haas, dean of Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences

Gabriela Richard, an associate professor in the College of Education spoke about designing effective technology education programs for high school students in underserved communities. Banu Abdikadirova, a doctoral candidate from the College of Engineering gave attendees a snapshot of research happening in the Human Robot Systems Laboratory. And Ben Marlin, professor of computer science, detailed the ways in which his work with machine learning can support healthy aging and the care of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in their homes.
 

Chancellor Javier Reyes closed the program by reinforcing the university’s potential to have an even greater impact on the world in the future.

“As a land-grant university, UMass Amherst is rooted in teaching, research, and service that benefits our communities and our world,” he said. “But we can do more. This is what the Accelerate campaign is all about.”

View the photo albums from the Seattle and San Carlos events and check out the Campaign Event Schedule to learn more about where the Accelerate campaign is heading next.