News Highlights

Brady Bell and Alaska, An Innovative Combination

Brady knee deep in the vegetation

There is no doubt that UMass’ sphere of influence spreads far beyond the Pioneer Valley. Alumni, understandably, live and work all over the world. The same is true for the research interests of the current students. One may not expect that research to spread as far north as the Arctic, but indeed it does. Our highlight is on one Brady Bell. A civil and environmental engineering major currently in their junior year and on the Renewable Energy track in iCons, Brady took part in a five-year-long research project funded by the National Science Foundation, along with a helping hand from Dr. Colin Gleason (Civil and Environmental Engineer, UMass Amherst).

Research Reports iCons Supports Student Independence

iCons students looking over case study materials

A research team reported on the effectiveness of the UMass iCons Program, an interdisciplinary certificate in real-world problem-solving for undergraduates in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and business majors. The article – published in the Journal of College Science Teaching – was co-authored by Martina Nieswandt, the associate vice chancellor for research and engagement and a professor in the College of Education at UMass Amherst, and by Stephanie Purington, a former Ph.D. student at UMass Amherst and now a lecturer in the education department at Marist College.

Light`s iCons Journey Continues

Photo of UMass iCons instructor and alumna, Erica Light

As both an iCons graduate, the most recent recipient of the Mahoney Alumni Award for iCons, and an instructor of the new iCons course, ICONS 390BH Integrated Discovery Lab in Biomedicine, Erica Light has made a name for herself in the program.

Students Create Tech Company to Turn Startup Business Into a Reality

Vishesh Gupta | Techrupt Innovations

iCons sophomore, Vishesh Gupta (Computer Engineering), is co-founder of a new business venture, Techrupt Innovations, a student-run technology partner that bridges the gap between entrepreneurial ideas and expert solutions.

Healey to Moderate Pathways to Leadership Panel

UMass iCons | Christiane Healey

Christiane Healey, senior lecturer in Biology, ICONS 189H instructor, and recipient of the Mahoney Teaching Award for the iCons Program, will moderate Pathways to Leadership: A Panel with Non-Tenure Track Faculty Leaders on Friday, March 4.

Triggering Entrepreneurship With Case Studies Linking Core STEM and Business Principles

Sherman and Auerbach

The UMass Integrated Concentration in Science Program (iCons) and the Isenberg School of Management have received funding from VentureWell to boost innovation output from UMass Amherst students. The team, led by Scott Auerbach, Mahoney Family Executive Director and professor of chemistry, and Mila Getmansky Sherman, Judith Wilkinson O’Connell Faculty Fellow and professor of finance, will develop a new case-study curriculum for iCons that links business and STEM principles.

iCons Program and Biomedical Engineering Form Partnership

ICONS 390BH instructors Erica Light and Martin Hunter

The UMass Amherst iCons Program is proud to announce a new collaboration with the UMass Amherst Biomedical Engineering Department (BME) in the College of Engineering to develop an innovative laboratory course open to both iCons and BME students. The effort is being spearheaded by Martin Hunter, senior lecturer in biomedical engineering, and Erica Light, adjunct lecturer in iCons.

UMass and Tufts Research Team Reports on Climate Injustice

UMass iCons | Mila Sherman

On Friday, December 17, 2021, an interdisciplinary team of faculty and undergraduate researchers from UMass Amherst and Tufts University reported their research at the fall online meeting of the American Geophysical Union. The team, which is led by UMass finance professor Mila Getmansky Sherman and Tufts civil and environmental engineering professor Deborah Sunter, focused on social justice in federal flood mitigation funding.

MicrobeBlasters: Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Diversity

UMass iCons | MicrobeBlasters

Occupations in STEM — defined as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — are among the fastest-growing jobs in the United States, accounting for nearly 7% of all occupations or almost 10.8 million jobs.

Benjamin Aaronson, iCons Senior, Receives UMass Rising Researcher Award

UMass iCons | Benjamin Aaronson, Fall 2021 Rising Researcher

We are proud to share that iCons senior, Benjamin (Ben) Aaronson ’22 (iCons Biomedicine/Biosystems track), a Biology and Spanish dual degree candidate, has been selected as a Fall 2021 UMass Rising Researcher.