UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Unix Administrator and Programmer
Aaron Kupec joined the News and Media Relations Office in May 2023. Before coming to UMass, he was director of communications for the City of Greenfield. Prior to that, Aaron worked as a radio news anchor/reporter for CBS Radio and Audacy. His work has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Connecticut Associated Press Broadcasters Association, including twice for personal excellence in radio news reporting. Aaron has also worked in media relations and government affairs for AAA. He holds a B.A. in political science from Eastern Connecticut State University.
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- Library System Coordinator - Five Colleges Consortium
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- Head, Special Collections and University Archives
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- Assistant Director of W.E.B. Du Bois Center
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- Digital Media Lab Desk Supervisor
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- Business and Entrepreneurship Librarian
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- Windows System Administrator
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- Systems Platform Administrator
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- Associate News Editor / Social Media
Andrew Gooding-Call (he/they) holds a bachelor's degree in English from Binghamton University, where he was a reader for the Harpur Palate, and a master's degree in library science from Syracuse University. After graduating from Syracuse in 2010, he performed reference, event, and communication services for public and research libraries. Now he's part of the UMass social media team and focuses on promoting student experience, campus events, and the fun of learning and working at UMass Amherst. He has writing credits at several media outlets, including Book Riot. Andy is an avid environmentalist and enjoys spending time outside with his family.
Job Titles:
- Associate News Editor / Social Media
Angelyn Thornton joined the News and Media Relations team in 2022 as Associate News Editor/Social Media. Before coming to UMass, Angelyn worked in marketing and outreach at Icahn School of Medicine's Levy Library. Prior to that, she was a freelance social media specialist and held administrative positions at New York University and New York Film Academy. She graduated from The Catholic University of America with a B.A. in Drama.
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- Science and Engineering Librarian
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- Student Success & Outreach Librarian
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- Building Operations & Information Services Specialist
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- Circulation and Fulfillment Operations Supervisor
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- Digital Reserves Administrative Specialist
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- Meet and Greet Supervisor
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- Archives and Manuscript Librarian
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- Meet and Greet Supervisor
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- Head, Digital Scholarship Center
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- Anthropology & Area Studies Librarian
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- Stacks Management Assistant
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- Archives and Manuscript Librarian
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- Library Business Office Assistant
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- Scholarly Communications Librarian
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- Superintendent of Maintenance
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- Associate News Editor, Science
Daegan Miller joined the News and Media Relations Office in February, 2021 as the associate news editor for science. Before coming to UMass, Daegan was the outreach and communications manager for the NASA Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team headquartered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He holds a Ph.D. in environmental history and the history of science from Cornell University.
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- Research Services Librarian
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- Safety and Training Coordinator
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- Executive Director of Strategic Communications and Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor
Ed Blaguszewski has more than three decades of professional communications experience and since 2004 has directed the News and Media Relations Office at UMass Amherst, one of the nation's leading research institutions and the Commonwealth's flagship public university. His portfolio includes promotion of groundbreaking discoveries and major events, emergency management and crisis communications, and video storytelling. A native of Cambridge, Mass., and a graduate of Boston University, he worked for 13 years as a journalist, including stints as weekend news editor of the Sunday Republican in Springfield, Mass., and editor-in-chief of a New Hampshire weekly, The Monadnock Ledger. He has done award-winning work in feature writing and page design, and staff under his direction have earned honors for spot news and investigative coverage. His career in higher education began as a national media relations consultant, representing leading public and private colleges including The College of William and Mary, Texas A&M University, Bucknell University, and the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. Subsequently, he worked in Pennsylvania at Allegheny College as director of public information and at Penn State Erie as director of university relations. He is a past president of the College and University Public Relations Association of Pennsylvania.
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- Health Sciences Librarian
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- Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Human Resources
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- Director, Administrative Services
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- Transportation Services Director
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- Open Access and Institutional Repository Librarian
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- Coordinator of Digital Curriculum, Reserve, and Media
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- Discovery Resources Specialist
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- SEL Public Services Day Supervisor
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- Science & Engineering Librarian
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- Humanities Research Services Librarian
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- Associate Director of News Content
Jared Sharpe joined the News and Media Relations Office in November 2012. Previously, he spent nearly a decade as a literary publicist for Media Connect (formerly Planned Television Arts), a division of The Ruder Finn Group, securing national media interviews for best-selling authors, Hall of Fame athletes and coaches, and corporate executives. He graduated from Boston University in 2000 with a B.S. In communication.
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- Exec Dir of Development Libraries
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- Associate Dean for Research & Learning
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- Building Monitor Supervisor
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- Daniel Ellsberg Archivist
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- Interlibrary Loan Assistant
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- Learning Commons Supervisor & Technology Specialist
Julia Westbrook joined the News and Media Relations team in 2023 as the associate news editor for the College of Engineering. She has a decade of journalism experience across various national publications, specializing in science writing. Her most notable role was that of associate nutrition editor of EatingWell Magazine. She graduated from Lehigh University with a B.A. in English and in Psychology.
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- SEL Public Services Evening Supervisor
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- Metadata & Processing Specialist
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- History and Graduate Student Services Librarian
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- Head, Information Resources Management
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- Sport Innovation Archivist
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- Building Monitor Supervisor
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- Copyright and Information Policy Librarian
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- Associate Editor, Digital Content
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- Integrated Service Desk Specialist
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- Communication Program Coordinator
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- Materials Processing Specialist
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- Law and Public Policy Librarian
Louise Coburn has over two decades of professional communications and marketing experience with 10+ years dedicated to directing social media strategy in higher education. Louise joined the News and Media Relations Office in September 2022 as the Director of Social Media. She was a recipient of the Maine Broderson gold award for content creation and is a national conference speaker on reputation management on social media. Louise is a native of Ireland and is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine.
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- Research Services Librarian
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- Materials Processing Specialist
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- Humanities Research Services Librarian
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- Circulation Assistant / Billing Supervisor
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- Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator
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- Science and Engineering Librarian
Melinda Rose joined the News and Media Relations Office in August 2021 as the associate news editor for engineering. Before coming to UMass, Melinda worked in the marketing department at Elms College in Chicopee for nearly eight years. Prior to that, she worked as senior editor for Photonics Media, a publisher of magazines covering optics, lasers, imaging, and other light-based technologies in industries ranging from communications and information processing to aerospace, manufacturing, transportation, biomedicine and agriculture in the US and Europe. Melinda has experience in webinar and video production, graphic design, public relations, and newspaper journalism. She was the recipient of a Maine Press Association award for investigative journalism and a PBS Advertising and Promotions award for publicizing a science-based educational series as a PR professional at Maine Public Broadcasting. She earned her B.A. in journalism at the University of Maine at Orono and her MBA in management at Elms College.
Job Titles:
- Stacks Collection Configuration Specialist
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- Interim Director of Communications, Executive Assistant
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- Building Monitor Supervisor
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- Shipping and Receiving Supervisor
A member of the New and Media Relations Office since October 2017, Nancy began her university service in 1986 with the UMass President's Office, where she worked for 20 years in the Information Technology Services department as a desktop support specialist. Since then she has worked as a graphic arts technician in Telecommunications, and a technical writer and trainer in IT Student Systems.
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- Science & Engineering Librarian
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- Analytics and Digital Content Specialist
Nina Sossen joined the News and Media Relations Office in 2014 after 11 years managing the UMass Amherst homepage and other campus websites. She previously worked as an interactive media producer at the Hiebing Group , a marketing, advertising and public relations agency in Madison, Wisconsin. Previously, she held dual appointment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and at Wisconsin Public Television where she developed the network's online presence and won the PBS award for best national website, and led the broadcast graphics team. She earned a B.A. in history from Reed College and an M.B.A. from UMass Amherst.
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- Assistant Manager for Transportation Services
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- Accessible Van Service Supervisor
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- Video Producer / Director
Kyle joined the News and Media Relations Office in May 2020. Previously, she worked at UMass Amherst IT. A multimedia content producer, strategic communicator and media consultant, Olga has a background in video production and post-production, motion graphics design, content marketing, interactive media production, audience engagement and monetization strategies. She is also an Apple and Adobe Certified Trainer and a media educator with years of teaching and consulting experience. Prior to UMass, Olga worked at the Missouri School of Journalism and the Reynolds Journalism Institute, produced a video program for PBS, worked as a producer for CNN International and several TV stations in the U.S. and Europe. Olga continues to put her graduate and post-graduate degrees in Journalism (Missouri School of Journalism) and Marketing (Cornell University) to use by teaching part-time at the UMass Journalism program and consulting for several European Union programs and foundations.
Job Titles:
- Collections Analysis Librarian
Patty Shillington joined the News and Media Relations Office in January 2019. A seasoned journalist and corporate communicator, she worked as a staff writer and editor for The Miami Herald for more than 20 years. She received the Educational Press Association of America's Distinguished Achievement Award for her reporting on book-banning and censorship, and the Florida School Board Association's Media Award for Excellence in Education Reporting, among other honors. After leaving The Herald, she served as the senior writer and editor for the largest not-for-profit healthcare organization in South Florida, specializing in medical content. In the decade before joining UMass Amherst, she ran her own writing/editing and communications business, serving a broad range of clients with a diverse set of needs. She earned a B.S. in journalism from the University of Florida.
Job Titles:
- Science and Engineering Librarian
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- Integrated Service Desk Specialist
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- Head, Academic Engagement
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- Monographic Acquisitions Specialist
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- Head, Science and Engineering Library
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- Geospatial Information Librarian
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- Special Collections & University Archives Research Center
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- Learning Commons Supervisor
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- Assessment and Planning Librarian
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- Acquisitions Unit Coordinator
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- Assistant Director, Facilities
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- Associate
- News Editor
- Associate News Editor Covering University Academic Initiatives
Signe Dugger joined the News and Media Relations Office in early June 2023 as associate news editor covering university academic initiatives, Commonwealth Honors College, the Graduate School, University Without Walls, and is also a co-editor for Inside UMass. For four years prior to the News Office, she was the communications project coordinator in Undergraduate Admissions Communications and Events and staff copyeditor for the University MarCom Group.
Before joining UMass Amherst, Dugger worked in public relations and development for the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, Mass., where she wrote, edited and co-designed publications for its main campus and its four extension schools. She also worked at the Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Co., in Chicopee, Mass., as a proofreader, at Marshall Color Studios in Belchertown, Mass., as a production artist editor and was a freelance copywriter for Yankee Candle Corporation in So. Deerfield, Mass.
After receiving her bachelor's degree in English/journalism and a minor in studio art from the University of New Hampshire, Dugger began her editorial career as a staff reporter for daily newspapers in New Hampshire and Massachusetts including The Beverly/Peabody Times, Laconia Citizen, the Union-News/Sunday Republican and The Nashua Telegraph.
Job Titles:
- Strategic Business Planning Analyst
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- Social Sciences Research Services Librarian
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- Senior Special Collections & University Archives Assistant
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- Coordinator, Digital Media Lab
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- Research Data and Digital Scholarship Librarian
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- Interlibrary Loan Assistant
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- Student Success and Open Education Librarian
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- UX & Web Services Librarian
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- Manager of Circulation Services
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- Library Business Office Assistant
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- Transportation Specialist
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- Asst Manager of Operations
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- Director of W.E.B. Du Bois Center
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- Programmer Database Analyst