|
|
|
|
|
|
Building Community in Central!
On Thursday, October 8th, over 250 of our neighbors came out for the first annual Central Area Block Party. Students spent this sunny afternoon relaxing on the lawn listening to the Afro American Studies Reggae Band, enjoying a free BBQ catered by Dining Services, and participating in the many games, crafts and activities that were available. The first 200 students received a "UMass Gets Consent" t-shirt to tie dye. Other activities included: a bouncy house, a photo booth, a "Consensual Selfie" Booth, games, raffles, and more. See more event photos.
We give a big shout out to those who joined to make this community centered event such a success. The event was hosted by CWC and The Department of Afro-American Studies, with participation from the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health (CCPH), Center for Multicultural Advancement and Student Success (CMASS), International Programs Office (IPO), Center for Health Promotion (CHP), Justine White Eagle Cultural Center (JWECC), Residential Education from Central area, and UMPD.
|
|
Susan Mahler
Clinical Director retires after 26+ years at UMass
This past August, we bid farewell to our clinical director Susan Mahler following her 16 years of contributions to the center and 26 years of service to the UMass community.
During her tenure, Susan supervised 45 Bachelor and Master level interns; oversaw 3,200 clients and facilitated over 125 support groups, workshops and trainings. We will greatly miss her supportive style, sharp clinical skills, consistent presence, as well as her bright smile. A counseling room has been dedicated, “The Susan Mahler Room”, in her honor.
|
|
Staff Recognitions
This spring, Maxene Anderson and Nina Brand were recognized by the Mass Office of Victim Assistance for their many years helping survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Maxene has provided services for 10 years and Nina for 15 years. We are grateful to both of them for their dedication and expertise. Read More
Additionally, gisella zuniga, Associate Director of Leadership and Education, received the UMass Student Affairs REDI Award for "Thinking Outside the Box". This appropriately named award was presented to gisella for her innovative efforts supporting Title IX and violence prevention education.
She provided leadership on the development of several of UMass's original contributions including the development of a new online sexual assault prevention course for incoming students and the Student Leaders in Sexual Violence Prevention Training that is being offered again this fall. Thank you gisella!
|
|
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
In honor of those affected by violence, we along with the sisters of Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority, held a candlelight vigil on October 22. The vigil honored all those who are affected by domestic violence and provided an opportunity for the community to unite. The vigil allowed others to take a stand against domestic violence by supporting the survivors who chose to speak out and information was provided for all to learn about key community resources for responding to violence.
|
|
Staff Updates
Congratulations to our many staff who have been promoted this year! Nina Brand, our former Teen Specialist, gained a new position as Clinical Director of Counseling & Rape Crisis Services. Darlene Depina and Matt Jalowy were promoted from volunteer staff to professional positions within our Community Education Services. Jacqui Andrews, a former counseling intern is our new Rape Crisis Training Specialist, overseeing the Counselor Advocates training program. Cassidy Gilmore, also a previous intern, is now one of our Civilian Advocates working in conjunction with the Amherst, Northampton, and UMass police departments. We encourage their continued success moving forward!
We additionally welcome our 45 new volunteers and student staff who are training with us this fall!
|
|
Alumni Spotlight
Priyanka Gopalakrishna
Priyanka served for one year as CWC’s graduate level Information Technology Consultant in 2012. When asked how her experience at CWC impacted her most, Priyanka emphasized how the web and design skills that she acquired in her position were instrumental in securing internships and full-time job opportunities following graduation. She considers CWC to have been a great stepping stone before venturing into the Engineering industry, and is very thankful for the opportunity.
Priyanka graduated with a Master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from UMass and is presently employed within the Graphics Processing Unit at Qualcomm as a System Engineer in California.
In addition to maintaining her career, Priyanka is a part of the Toastmasters International Society, an organization that specializes in public speaking and helping individuals overcome hurdles for communication. Priyanka believes strongly in empowering women to create, invent, and design solutions to complex problems through coding, and her involvement with the organization stems from that.
In her free time, Priyanka enjoys hiking, and backpacking, as she finds the experience both rewarding and extremely fulfilling. In addition, she has a passion for game designing and writing, and maintains her own blog.
Congratulations on all you’ve accomplished, Priyanka!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
