Fresh Voice Enhances Multidisciplinary Teaching

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

News Highlights

From Classroom to Climatetech: Marinna Teixeira’s Inspiring Path

In 2016, Marinna Teixeira graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in Environmental Sciences and a minor in French. Having emigrated from Brazil at a young age, Marinna was the first woman in her family to graduate from university and has achieved profound accomplishments since. After joining the UMass iCons Program as a freshman, she befriended peers who dreamed of professional accomplishments like hers. As a member of the third iCons cohort, the Third Axis, her participation in the undergraduate program fell under the Renewable Energy track where she pursued her interest in climate change mitigation.

Heather Bortolussi '24 and Fay Paicos '24, both recent graduates of the Environmental Science program and the UMass iCons Program at UMass Amherst, discovered that an iCons classroom is not just the beginning of a professional toolkit but a gateway to enriching experiences beyond academia. Their journey began in an iCons 2 classroom, where their teamwork sparked a friendship that extended far beyond those four walls, taking them all the way to Thailand for a study abroad adventure.

We are excited to announce the 2024 recipients of the Crowley-Nowick Award for iCons Student Leadership and Philanthropy: Claudia Figeroa-Pabón ’25 (Biomedical Engineering and Commonwealth Honors College) and Shiven Patel ’26 (Computer Science and Commonwealth Honors College).

Fresh Voice Enhances Multidisciplinary Teaching

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