News Highlights

9th Cohort Seeks Scientific Solutions to Societal Challenges

9th Cohort orientation presentation

On December 1, 2018, the UMass iCons program hosted an orientation welcoming their “9th Bit” cohort. The mission was clear: determine what exactly constitutes a “global problem” and teach these new students how to think in terms of these issues.

iCons Workshop: UMass students tackle the future of aquaculture and its impact on food and energy sources

Justin Fermann and Krish Thaigarajan Sharman prompting students to discuss issues in aquacultu

With the human population growing at a steep incline, scientists are putting energy towards developing new ways of maximizing food production for this increasing population. University of Massachusetts Professor and Endowed Chair in Renewable Energy Krish Thaigarajan Sharman presented this issue to the iCons Fall Workshop on October 29th, 2018, focusing on the future of aquaculture and its impact on food and energy sources. And despite the large scale and complexity of these issues, the UMass students provided innovative solutions.

Fresh Voice Enhances Multidisciplinary Teaching

Christiane Healey, UMass Biology, Mahoney iCons Teaching Award Recipient

Christiane Healey, biology, is the first recipient of the newly established Mahoney Teaching Award for the UMass iCons Program, made possible by a gift from the Mahoney family. The award brings in new faculty members who haven’t yet taught in the iCons Program, relying on student nominations to bring great candidates forward.   Read More

iCons Faculty Selected as 2018-19 Sustainability Curriculum Fellow

Jared Starr

UMass iCons Faculty, Jared Starr, was named a 2018-19 UMass Sustainability Curriculum Fellow.  Fellows will meet once a month during the academic year to share knowledge and learn about available resources on campus related to sustainability. They will offer feedback to each other on integrating sustainability into lesson plans.  Jared's primary interest in applying was to meet more faculty on campus that work on sustainability research in order to connect a  broader network of faculty collaborators to iCons 1 students working on case studies that align with faculty interests.

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Kurt Schultz receives inaugural Mahoney Alumni Award

Photo of Kurt Schultz receiving iCons Mahoney Alumni Award

"iCons will always be a way of life for me, and the iCons program will continue to inform my most important career decisions. I will forever see the world through the lens of an iCons student. I have high expectations for myself going forward, and I have high expectations for all those who graduate from the iCons program at UMass Amherst. May our combined efforts be for the benefit of all."  ---- Kurt Schultz

Eric Wuesthoff, iCons Junior, wins Goldwater Scholarship

photo of Eric Wuesthoff

iCons junior and NRC major, Eric Wuesthoff, has been selected as 1 of only 2 UMass Amherst undergraduates to win the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship. Please join us in congratulating him!

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iCons Alumna Fitzgerald focusing on genetic engineering and its potential in society

Lily Fitzgerald and her team - including Ken Oye, professor of public policy at MIT.

iCons graduate Lily Fitzgerald’s passion for science led her to pursue a field atypical for members of the scientific community: public policy.

Fitzgerald graduated University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2014 with an environmental science major and a biochemistry and molecular biology minor. She was also a member of the iCons Biomedicine and Biosystems track.

After graduating, Fitzgerald worked in biotechnology industry for three years, but her desire for enacting change through governmental policy never faded. From here, she applied and was accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Masters’ Program for Technology and Policy.

iCons Alumna hosts Poster Workshop

iCons Alumna hosts Poster Workshop

  iCons students are so lucky to have iCons alumna, Hannah French return to campus on Saturday, April 7th to host a workshop on poster design.  Hannah is an educator herself and she knows the importance of presentation.  In this work session, Hannah will help iCons students think through their layout, choice of graphics, purpose, etc.  There will be a discussion about what makes an effective, beautiful poster and examples will be analyzed.  Read more about Hannah here.

iCons Works at Fall Workshop

A group of iCons students brainstorm at Fall Workshop

About 100 iCons scholars and applicants gathered in the Integrative Learning Center of UMass Amherst on Nov 9, 2017 for the annual iCons Fall Integrative Workshop.  They came to hear Dr. Jonathan Thon tell the story of how his start-up company Platelet Biogenesis came to be. Integrated Concentration in Science (iCons) Program Director Justin Fermann introduced Thon to the crowd, telling the iCons students “we are here because we have work to do, and he’s got some problems we need to solve.”

Annual Mahoney Alumni Award Established for iCons Program Graduates

The College of Natural Sciences (CNS) has announced the establishment of the Mahoney Alumni Award for the iCons Program, an annual award bestowed to one alumna or alumnus of the Integrated Concentration in Science (iCons) Program who demonstrates application of the attitudes, knowledge, and skills developed in the program, and who shows engagement and support of the iCons community since graduation.