aspireA Report on the Impact of Philanthropy

Meet the First Gens

Nancy Vegathe fearless bibliophile

Dandan (Lilly) Zhengthe resilient future financierIlyssa DeLeon

the emerging humanitarian

Spring 2017

KEEPING THE PROMISE OF ACCESS

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$97The average gift of donors who provided close to $10,000 for student emergency funds. One micro emergency loan program, begun with gifts, helps with food, rent, books, and gap funding for veterans.

S T R E N G T H I N C O M M U N I T Y

UMASS AMHERST MISSION

Figures from July 1, 2016 to February 28, 2017. See page 12 for giving totals for this period.

“This scholarship is an excellent example of how many people can contribute toward the success

of others. I feel very proud to be part of a community as generous and

supportive as this one.”

Jordan Howard ‘20

First recipient of the Commonwealth Honors College Community Scholarship established last year

by 84 alumni and friends through crowdfunding

$3.2MA record amount given by faculty and staff for campus programs and initiatives $4.8M

Donated by alumni and friends for new student aid

To provide an affordable and accessible education of high quality and to conduct programs of research and public service that advance knowledge and improve the lives of the people of the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.

Welcome to the first edition of Aspire, a new biannual report dedicated to the impact of philanthropy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This first issue illustrates how the generosity of alumni and friends carries forward the promise of access and opportunity to the next generation. We hope you are as inspired as we are by the fearless and resilient first-generation college students who shared their stories with us within these pages.

The purpose of Aspire is to convey the impact of philanthropy on the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This publication by the University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation reflects our commitment to transparency as well as our sincere appreciation for those who give generously to the university through their service and philanthropy.

For a PDF version of this publication, see umass.edu/aspire.

EDITORSJudith Cameron ’16G Elizabeth Raffaele

DESIGNERMichelle Sauvé ’84

CONTRIBUTING WRITER Megan Rubiner Zinn

PHOTOGRAPHYJohn Solem Ben Barnhart Matthew Cavanaugh

On the cover: Ilyssa DeLeon, Nancy Vega, and Dandan (Lilly) Zheng, all first-generation college students with generous scholarships, are photographed on the second floor of the Old Chapel, which reopened in 2017 after top-to-bottom renovations financed with campus funds and gifts. Photo by John Solem.

$302,680Raised since 2015 through the MinuteFund, UMass Amherst’s crowdfunding initiative for university projects, including scholarships, internships, research competitions, and others. The largest crowdfunding effort resulted in $100,000 for renovations to a chemical engineering laboratory.

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The Center for International EducationFor more than five decades, the Center for

International Education in the College of

Education has fostered educational reforms

the world over with $97 million in grants for

projects focused on research, policy making,

and leadership. The center has successfully

worked in 39 different countries, from sub-

Saharan Africa to islands in the Caribbean, and

provided opportunities for graduate degrees

to nearly 500 students from 70 different

nations. With generous donations from

anonymous donors and campus contributions,

the center moved last summer from an

aging building across campus into the newly

renovated Montague House. The retrofitted

farmhouse has the charm of an 1840s home

and 21st-century accoutrements and better

serves students with its close proximity to

the headquarters of the education college.

The house, where one of the country’s oldest

international education programs had its

beginnings, has new offices for staff, faculty,

and graduate students, as well as new

conference and smaller meeting rooms.Bridging International Differences

by Judith Cameron ’16G

Eighteen-year-old Dandan (Lilly) Zheng, a first-year student from China studying finance at the Isenberg School of Management, already knows the transformative power of education. Living in an orphanage in Beijing, she won a scholarship to an international high school where she earned top grades and learned about American, European, and different Asian cultures from her classmates. Her high school experience helped Zheng earn the Paul J. Carney Scholarship, created by Carney ’82 as a way to forge mutual understandings and respect between different nations, as well as other scholarships.

“Education is very important because it gives you a broad understanding of the world,” says Zheng. It is also a vehicle for upward social and economic mobility and creates opportunities to contribute to the common good. “Sometimes poverty robs away a lot of valuable things like confidence and positiveness. Education really helps you gain an understanding of your own values and helps you gain self-confidence,” she says.

Zheng has rounded out her grueling academic schedule with extracurricular activities—memberships in a number of Registered Student Organizations, such as the investment club at Isenberg, workouts at the campus recreation center, and trips to Boston. “I feel very lucky to be here on the Carney scholarship,” she says, “but at the same time, I feel a responsibility to try to study harder than anyone else.” JO

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CIE countries from 1968 – 2017

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STEM CoachIn the fall of 2016, graduate students at UMass Amherst launched a program—not only to encourage girls in Holyoke to dream of college and careers—but to dream specifically of careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. With financial support from Women for UMass Amherst, STEM Coach, in partnership with Girls, Inc. of Holyoke, was launched by the UMass student chapter of Boston Women in Transportation. Girls, Inc. is a well-established national organization that aids girls in reaching their full potential, through academic support, college readiness, and leadership training.

Graduate students travel each week to Girls, Inc. to tutor middle and high school girls and establish mentoring relationships. With STEM Coach, graduate students help the girls develop the knowledge, confidence, and skills they need to embark on higher education, connect their classroom learning to careers, and learn to advocate for themselves as they make their career dreams a reality. umass.edu/wfum/

Hear Our StoriesAs the screen scrolls through photos and drawings, the young mother speaks in a voice-over: “If you ask me, ‘Where are you now?’ I will say, ‘I’m getting my GED at The Care Center. . . I’m so excited for what’s to come in my life. My future is still being written.’” The storyteller is Dashira (pictured above), who participated in “Hear Our Stories: Diasporic Youth for Sexual Rights and Justice.” Led by UMass Health Promotion and Policy Professor Aline Gubrium and Anthropology Professor Elizabeth Krause, “Hear Our Stories” examines the social inequality experienced by young mothers in Holyoke through digital storytelling in order to reframe public conversations about teen parenting and to work with women on becoming advocate leaders. The Ford Foundation provided generous support for the program. “Hear Our Stories” shows young parents who are resilient, proud, capable caregivers, and it gives these often silenced women a voice.umass.edu/hearourstories/

Youth Writing AdventureThe Western Massachusetts Writing Project (WMWP) wants youth to call themselves writers. With the support of gifts, WMWP brings 200 students, including those from Holyoke, to UMass Amherst for a Youth Writing Adventure. In this daylong program, students write short stories, collaborative scripts, poetry inspired by injustice, description-focused fiction, narratives for awareness and activism, and songs. Back at school, they polish the writing, and WMWP publishes it in an anthology. Through the program, WMWP hopes the students develop a passion for writing as they imagine themselves attending college.

Research shows that while the formulaic approach to writing that students practice in school helps students pass standardized tests, it doesn’t lead to proficient or advanced-level achievements. When students make choices about their work, write for an audience, and publish the results, they begin to see themselves as writers, which can make a significant difference in their academic success. Equally important: youth love the adventure.umass.edu/wmwp/

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Holyoke’s skyline is reflected in the windows

of the Massachusetts Green High Performance

Computing Center, a state-of-the-art joint research

venture of the University of Massachusetts, Boston

University, Harvard University, MIT, and

Northeastern University.

Holyoke, Massachusetts, is a city facing significant challenges, with high poverty and teen pregnancy rates and struggling public schools. But Holyoke is also a city of optimism and promise, with a young, passionate mayor, drops in crime and unemployment rates, and the expansion of jobs and services in high tech, the arts, entertainment, and higher education. Through these programs, alumni and friends are part of the city’s revitalization.

City ofPromise

by Megan Rubiner Zinn

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H O N O R S - T O - H O N O R S

9 AM Preparing for class from her dorm room in Birch, a residential hall for honors students in the heart of campus.

10:15 AMDiscussing Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel Passing in Ethnic American Literature class.

11 AMShelving books in the archives of the University of Massachusetts Press, where she is an intern.

1:30 PMDropping by the H2H support team office and meeting with mentor Sara Clark ’20G, who helps Nancy effectively navigate UMass Amherst during her two years at the university.

2 PMWorking as an administrative assistant and student supervisor in the Commonwealth Honors College’s Residence Education office.

5 PMChecking out a customer at a nearby Stop & Shop, where she works a second job two nights a week.

Nancy Vega dreams of landing a job as a book editor at a New York City

publishing house.

1 PMReceiving guidance from her advisor Professor Haivan Hoang on her honors thesis, which examines identity from the perspective of Puerto Rican women.m

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The most promising,

in-need students should

have a pathway to higher

education that doesn’t

include a burdensome

amount of debt. That’s the

idea behind the Honors-

to-Honors program.

Focused on academically

promising first-generation

and low-income college

students, the Honors-to-

Honors program provides

extra scholarship support

to honors graduates of

the state’s 15 community

colleges accepted

into UMass Amherst’s

Commonwealth Honors

College. Residential,

academic, and social

services that wrap around

the honors curriculum

help students succeed.

Currently, there are 80

Honors-to-Honors students

on campus. Started with

a financial commitment

from UMass Amherst, the

initiative also is generously

supported by the

Community Foundation

of Western Massachusetts,

the Irene E. & George A.

Davis Foundation, and

Bank of America Charitable

Foundation.

For Nancy Vega ’18, books provided a refuge and sparked an extraordinary academic career. After attending Bunker Hill Community College, the Boston native found in the MassTransfer and Honors-to-Honors programs the most advantageous path to achieving her dreams while obtaining economic stability. The heroine of her own adventure story, the 23-year-old English major is undaunted by a full course load, an internship, two jobs, and, oh yeah, that honors thesis.

Life among Books

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The Power of CommunityCameron Kilcoyne and Ilyssa DeLeon strike up a conversation about all they have in common. Both from Springfield, Massachusetts, they are first-generation college students with siblings who are alumni. They also are recipients of Community Scholarships, a program begun in 2014 for students with financial need, including first-generation students and those from underrepresented groups. Sixty percent of students qualify for need-based aid, and one in four students are eligible for Pell grants, the federal program for students from low-income families.

Cameron Kilcoyne ’17 College of Natural Sciences Age 22

Major Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Most Challenging Course Contemporary Native Americans of the Northeast with Jean Forward

Favorite Diversions Club Swim Team, hikes with the Outing Club, and lectures about diversity

Aspiration PhD in chemistry

“My dad lost two jobs. He is an OR nurse now and just got his RN degree. He always pushed for us to get an education so we would not have to worry as much about jobs.”

Ilyssa DeLeon ’19 School of Public Health and Health Sciences Age 20

Major Public Health

Most Challenging Course Introduction to Linguistic Theory with Alice Harris

Favorite Diversions Volunteering, in particular Alternative Spring Break for flood relief in Louisiana, and Zumba class

Aspiration Merging interests in volunteering and the well-being of others into a career

“My family is from Puerto Rico. At that time, they went straight out of high school to jobs. They’re encouraging me because they want for me what they couldn’t have.”

COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS

204 donors

$879,792 raised

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C.A.M.P. OpportunityWe fostered a more inclusive and diverse workforce through a free, weeklong experience for high school students underrepresented in higher education, which included lectures, hands-on activities, and visits to businesses. The Isenberg School of Management’s Careers in Accounting and Management Program is funded in part by generous leadership gifts from Richard B. and Susan J. Gulman, Margery J. and Mark Piercey, and Scott B. and Melissa Kaplowitch.

Outstanding PerformersAcclaimed actors Rob Corddry ’93 (left), Bill Pullman ’80G, ’08Hon, his wife, Tamara Hurwitz Pullman ’81 (center), and Jeffrey Donovan ’91 created the first endowed scholarship that supports promising careers in acting, named in honor of their mentor, Professor Emeritus Ed Golden (right).

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Provoking MindsA research trip to Quebec, Canada, brought course material to life for students taking a senior seminar on health and health inequality in the United States, offered by Commonwealth Honors College. Political Science Professor Dean Robinson, who led the Quebec trip, is developing and expanding innovative courses with faculty funds made possible by FleetBoston Financial (now Bank of America).

Health Equity We advanced health equity in the four counties. The School of Public Health and Health Sciences’s 2016 Western Massachusetts Health Equity Summit brought more than 250 leaders together to address food insecurity, institutional racism, health literacy, public policies, and community research.

With our donors, we improved public safety during dangerous storms, provided cancer survivors greater control over their health, and overcame a major barrier for students struggling to pay for their textbooks. That’s just the beginning. Here’s a look at how donors had a hand in advancements across campus:

Lifesaving Tool KitWe designed a lifesaving tool kit for breast cancer survivors. The tool kits are under development by an interdisciplinary team led by College of Nursing Professor Rachel Walker with a grant from the Susan G. Komen foundation for breast cancer research.

Jump-Starting SafetyWe improved human safety during severe weather. We jump-started the commercialization of advanced weather sensing networks that provide the public with critical early detection with a successful $1 million challenge fund gift from Jerome Paros ’60 to the Engineering Research Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere, which resulted in $2 million in new resources.

Open Resources We traded in traditional textbooks for free, open resources in 100 courses by helping faculty reimagine teaching materials. Gifts encouraged this UMass Amherst Libraries initiative that removes an obstacle for low- and middle-income students struggling to pay for books.

Like Father Like SonFrom a humble background, the late Wilmer D. Barrett ’34 (above) became an entrepreneur and philanthropist, establishing the Department of Polymer Science and Engineering’s first faculty endowment. Twenty-four years later, in 2016, son Robert K. Barrett expanded this remarkable philanthropic legacy by creating the department’s second professorship.

The Year in Generosity

Migration MysteryWe analyzed more than 150,000 historical radar images to create maps of spring bird migration over the Gulf Coast during a period of eight years. A gift to the College of Information and Computer Sciences supports Daniel Sheldon’s research, which applies novel machine techniques to large-scale environmental data.

B I G I D E A S

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The University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 corporation, leads and supports private fund-raising on behalf of faculty, staff, students, and friends of the Amherst campus.

OfficersRichard M. Kelleher ’73, Chair Chairman, CEO & Founder, Pyramid Advisors, LLC

Patricia Parcellin ’81, Chair-Elect CEO, Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts

Matthew O. Littlefield ’99, Vice Chair Managing Director, UBS Financial Services, Inc. Chair, Committee on Directors & Governance

Shaun Fitzgerald ’71, Vice Chair Owner, Fitzgerald Appraisals

Christine G. Savage ’92, Vice Chair Partner, Choate Hall & Stewart, LLP

George “Trigger” Burke ’56, ’96HON, Clerk Attorney

Andrew Mangels, Treasurer Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Executive DirectorMichael A. Leto Vice Chancellor for Development & Alumni Relations

DirectorsThomas Ackerman ’76 Senior Financial Advisor (retired), Charles River Laboratories

John Armstrong Vice President, Science and Technology (retired), IBM

Caren Arnstein ‘77 Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs (retired), Genzyme Corporation

Douglas Berthiaume ’71, ’05HON Chairman, Waters Corporation

Brent Bottamini ’98 Senior Global Emerging Markets Investor, Equity and Fixed Income

Bob Brack ’60 President (retired), Barker Steel LLC

John Brooks ’72, ’73G CEO, Arete Worldwide, LLC Chair, Development Committee

Stephen D. Buckley ’78 Sports Columnist, Boston Herald

Nissage Cadet, MD ’82 Surgeon, Carney Hospital

Paul J. Carney ’82

Madhura Chacko ’80G Director and Founding Member, Credit Capital Research, LLC

Denise Coll ’75 President (retired), Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. North America Division

Sean Dandley ’85 President & CEO, DSCI

David J. Der Hagopian ’72 Founder/President/CEO (retired), Entec Polymers, Inc.

George R. Ditomassi Jr. ’57, ’96HON CEO (retired), Milton Bradley Co.

Michael Douvadjian, ’68 Senior Vice President, UBS Financial Services, Inc.

Alec Dubrowsky ‘18 Student, UMass Amherst

Robert “Bob” L. Epstein ’67 Co-Chairman, Horizon Beverage Company

Daniel Feder ’84 Managing Director, Washington University Investment Management Company

David Fubini ’76 Director Emeritus, McKinsey & Company, Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School

David H. Gaunt ’67, ’70G Partner, Murray & Gaunt Partners

Gretchen Gerzina Dean, Commonwealth Honors College

Nan Giner ’81 Practice Group Leader, Choate Hall & Stewart LLP/Equity Partner Chair, Planned Giving Committee

Merry Glosband ’68 Consultant to Museums and Nonprofits, Adjunct Instructor, Graduate Professional Studies, Brandeis University

Haohao Guo ’11 Financial Director, Massachusetts International Academy

Rafael Guzman ’88 President, RM Technologies, Inc.

D. Gibson (Gib) Hammond ’77G Partner (retired), Deloitte & Touche LLP

Benjamin Happ ’98 Head of Marketing and Investor Relations, Myriad Asset Management

George Hertz ’69, ’73G Chair, Finance & Audit Committee

Sara Hickey ‘17 Student, UMass Amherst President of the Student Alumni Association

James Hunt DDS ’77 Partner, Amity Street Dental

Elizabeth Anne Husted ’82 Managing Director (retired), Goldman Sachs

Pamela M. Jacobs ’69 Chair, Stewardship and Donor Relations Committee

James “Jess” Kane ’70 Founding Partner, Natick Dental Partners and Dental Associates of Walpole Chair, Athletics Committee

Robert Kaplan Executive Vice President and Head of Global Services Division, State Street Bank & Trust Company

Robert Littleton ’71 CEO & Founder, Evergreen Center, Inc.

Robert M. Mahoney ‘70 President and CEO, Belmont Savings Bank Chair, Boston Committee

Paul Manganaro ‘87 Sole Officer & Owner, Manganaro Bloodstock, Inc.

James P. Palermo ’77 Founding Partner, Breton Capital Management, LLC

Karen Peters ’87 Vice President Business Administration, New England Wire Products Co., Inc.

David Richter ’96 Vice President, Aircraft Management Sales, Jeteffect, Inc.

Charles Robinson ’71 Vice Chairman, Rogers and Gray Insurance

Andrew T. Rudd Chairman & CEO, Advisor Software, Inc.

Charles Sherwood ‘72G, ‘77PhD President/CEO/Director of Anika Therapeutics, Inc.

Edward Shirley ’78 President & CEO (retired), Bacardi Limited

Gregory Thomas ’91 Manufacturing Strategist, Corning Incorporated

Peter Trovato ’05 Co-Founder and Partner, Copley Equity Partners

Patrick J. Veale ’79 Area President, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Mark Winter ‘08 Convexity Capital Management L.P.

Robert L. Woolridge ‘83 General Manager, Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort

Emeriti DirectorsHenry L. Barr ’68 Senior Partner, Barr & Cole Attorneys at Law

Kenneth R. Feinberg ’67, ’02HON Founder/Managing Partner, Feinberg Rozen, LLP

Melvin Howard ’57 Vice Chairman (retired), Xerox Corporation

Gordon N. Oakes Jr. ’63, ’88HON

Ex OfficiosKumble R. Subbaswamy Chancellor

Michael A. Leto Vice Chancellor for Development & Alumni Relations

Andrew Mangels Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance

Michaella Morzuch ‘03, ’08G Health Research Analyst, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. President, UMass Amherst Alumni Association

Katherine Newman Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Charles Pagnam Vice President for Advancement Executive Vice President for the UMass System Foundation, Inc.

U M A S S A M H E R S T F O U N D A T I O N B O A R D

Buildings and Infrastructure

First-Class Faculty

Our Annual Fund

Research and Programs

Talented Students

$5,022,137

$4,625,609

$4,358,923

$11,814,398

$4,815,638

Giving

16+15+14+39+16+w16%

15%

14%39%

16%

$30,636,705July 1, 2016 to February 28, 2017

T R A N S F O R M A T I V E Y E A R

Commitment totals include new pledges, cash, in-kind gifts, and estate giving.

University of Massachusetts Amherst FoundationMemorial HallUniversity of Massachusetts134 Hicks WayAmherst, MA 01003-9270

866-450-UMASS www.umass.edu/giving

NON PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDAMHERST MA PERMIT NO. 2

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During “I Love UMass Day,” held on February 15, 2017, students, including senior Deidre Jocus ’17, penned more than 700 thank-you notes to generous university donors.