College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

UMass Community to Honor Rep. John Olver During Symposium
UMass will host the campus community and area organizations, elected officials and residents while honoring retiring Rep. John Olver during a symposium on Nov. 19. M.V. Lee Badgett (economics), director of the Center for Public Policy and Administration (CPPA), will speak about Olver’s strong record at home and abroad in fighting for social justice and defending human rights. CPPA faculty Jane Fountain (political science), Michael Ash (economics) and Charles Schweik (environmental conservation) will serve as moderators. To attend, please register by November 13. Read more...

Election Media Coverage for UMass Poll
Election season brought UMass Poll, which combines Internet polling technology with leading expertise, extensive media coverage. "The students were so excited that the media were so interested in this," says Brian Schaffner, director of UMassPoll and chair of the Political Science Department. "I think the news interest underscored for them the importance of this activity, so it has enriched the experience. I also think it was great exposure for UMass and the awesome things students have the opportunity to do here!" Read more...

Following the Fight
Dan Lamothe '04 (journalism) is an award-winning senior writer with the independent Military Times newspaper chain. To date he has spent about three months in Afghanistan, analyzing where things stand and telling the troops' stories. Stateside in Northern Virginia, Lamothe regularly covers the Pentagon and Marine Corps Base Quantico to seek details about shifts in policy, new equipment, and what senior leaders want to change about the Marine Corps. Read more in his own words.

The Violent Truth
With a ground-breaking open-access journal and a one-of-a-kind archaeological field school to his credit, Ventura Pérez (anthropology) is pioneering new ways to investigate violence. While his forensic skills are important, Pérez has made an anthropologic name for himself through his insistent pursuit to see the person behind a crime and the greater societal messages that go along with it. Read more...

SBS to Celebrate ISSR Inaugural Event
On Friday, October 26, 2012 at 3:30 pm the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) at UMass Amherst will be hosting the inaugural event for the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR). The event will take place in the Massachusetts Room at the Mullins Center. ISSR serves as a general resource and a research incubator for social scientists across campus. Besides supporting faculty initiated interdisciplinary research, methods consulting and instruction, ISSR offers faculty grant mentorship and support. Read more... Update 11/1/12: Watch the summary of the event, put together by Amy Chaunt '13 (journalism) and UVC-TV 19, the student-run campus television station.