This Month at the McCormack Graduate School
August 2020
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It seems like a day does not pass when we are not challenged and pushed. We succeeded in going remote. We are striving to stay healthy and are preparing for a fall semester unlike any that we have had. And through all of this, we know public service never stops. While our campus is still locked down, and we are still struggling with the isolating effects of COVID-19, the McCormack Graduate School -- which is defined, after all, by its people, not its offices -- is pulsing with life, with activities, and events of all sorts. Likewise, the Fall semester promises to be packed with teaching, learning, research, programming, and civic activity.
And even socializing, which, we now know, can be accomplished brilliantly online. At McCormack, I'm impressed at how we are learning to work, teach, learn, and socialize anywhere and everywhere. This newsletter contains numerous accounts of students, faculty and staff who have risen to the challenge of making remote learning, research and engagement real and powerful. But while we celebrate the successes of these individuals, we at McCormack know that very little progress is made here that does not involve a teacher, a mentor, a colleague, a collaborator -- some sort of a partner.
To this end, as this month's quotation from Speaker McCormack illustrates, people who arrive at MGS do not enter just a school, they join a community, one in which a high value is placed on understanding each other's hopes and dreams and helping them reach them.
So to McCormack veterans, as we have said often this year, despite the continuing challenges and adversities, let me commend you for responding so effectively to this unprecedented challenge. And to those who will be joining the McCormack community this Fall: welcome, we are eager to help you achieve your dreams, and to embrace you, one way or another.
Warmly,
David W. Cash
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McCormack Making A Difference |
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Student Success
Students of McCormack Graduate School: Osagie Ihegie (left), Mario Ramirez (center), and Namesh Killemsetty (right) rise to the occasion to face the challenges of COVID-19 and adapt to the current learning environment.
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Faculty Accomplishments
As preparations for the fall semester begin in earnest, faculty in all departments of the McCormack Graduate School are making important decisions on how to formally adapt their curriculums for virtual learning.
(Top Row: Aroon Manoharan, Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson, and Ellen Birchander. Bottom Row: Michael Ahn, Karen Ross, Rita Kiki Edozie, Edward Miller.)
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Staff and Virtual Support
COVID-19 has changed classroom life for professors and students, but McCormack staff have also adjusted to a new normal. Here, staff from different departments reflect on how they’ve adapted to supporting students, faculty, and each other in a virtual world.
Top Row: Rashelle Straker (left), Simon Haile (center), and Muna Killingback (right). Bottom Row: Martin Hansen-Verma (left), Leigh Murphy & Kelly Ward Mason (right).
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Events and Engagement
UMass Boston's John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, WBUR 90.9 FM, The Boston Globe and WCVB Channel 5 Boston invite you to watch the final primary debate between the two Democratic candidates for the United States Senate. Join us on Tuesday, August 18, 7-9pm. for a Zoom watch party while streaming live on umb.edu.
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Centers Delivering Impact
The Gerontology Institute Blog recently talked with James Hermelbracht, the director of UMass Boston’s OLLI program, about how the pandemic has dramatically altered the ways education takes place. In this interview, they talk about how that experience is shaping plans for the fall semester and beyond.
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McCormack Speaks
Stephanie Haynes gives her perspective on why we should raise the minimum wage and how doing so can provide long-term benefits to underpaid workers. In her eyes, we must consider using the minimum wage as an essential tool to close the equity gap.
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McCormack Speaks
Jeney Zhang reminds us that the physiological impacts of COVID-19 shouldn't be overlooked. During these trying times, UMass Boston and the Massachusetts government have been creating resources to improve mental health and support those who have been affected.
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Media Hits
A snapshot of recent McCormack news items.
(Top Row: Professor Christian Weller, PhD Candidate Jean-Pierre Murray, Director of PAC Anna-Marie Tabor, and Clinical Professor Marc Cohen. Bottom Row: PhD Candidate Candace Famiglietti, Associate Professor Maria Ivanova, John Joseph Moakley Distinguished Professor of Peace and Reconciliation Padraig O'Malley, and Director of Collins Center Michael Ward.)
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Check out the
eMcCormack Fall 2020 Resource Center
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John W. McCormack Graduate School
of Policy and Global Studies
University of Massachusetts Boston
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