University of Massachusetts Amherst | Research

Why choose to do research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst as an undergraduate? For civil and environmental engineering major Raul Vera, participating in research gave him a chance to dive deep on a topic of importance to him: understanding changes to water resources. Raul grew up on the Eastern shore of Virginia, where his family worked in the fishing industry and aquaculture. He chose to study in the College of Engineering, UMass Amherst because of its strong reputation in research. “I thought it would be a really good opportunity to go in-depth on what I wanted to do,” he says. Learn more in this video and at: https://bit.ly/3CQFajg #UMassAmherst #UMassAmherstResearch #UndergraduateResearch #WaterResources

Do you find yourself frequently staying up later than planned, only to struggle when your alarm goes off in the morning? Many people are naturally "night owls," and there's thought to be an innate biological basis for one's preference for late nights or early mornings. Thankfully, as Rebecca Spencer, University of Massachusetts Amherst professor of psychological and brain sciences, tells Women's Health, most of us fall somewhere in the middle. But if you are wanting (or needing) to move your own sleep schedule earlier for any reason, Spencer has some advice: *Keep your body temperature low at night by moving workouts to earlier in the day, limiting hot showers at night, and lowering the temperature in your bedroom. *Limit your nighttime exposure to light, including electronics; on the flip side, light is important to help you wake up in the morning. *Find ways to avoid stressful stimuli and keep yourself calm. *Melatonin may help you, as a last resort, to regulate sleep. *Stick with it—switching your sleep schedule takes time. Learn more in Women's Health: https://bit.ly/4hSIvh1

Happy #TriviaTuesday and happy #NoSmokingDay tomorrow! Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, an assistant professor of health policy and management at UMass Amherst, has conducted extensive research on smoking and vaping. ? This year, she was part of a team of researchers that published surprising findings in the journal Addiction that contradict a commonly held belief about the relationship between nicotine vaping and cigarette smoking in young people. ? Learn more about this research and see the answer: https://bit.ly/3F9d17J

For undergraduate biomedical engineering students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Bridging Engineering and Medicine (BEAM) program offers a unique opportunity to engage with real-world medical problems through research in an experiential setting. Students in the program are paired with researchers at UMass Chan Medical School and work to develop engineering technologies that will benefit patient care. Senior Mia Bennett in College of Engineering, UMass Amherst decided to participate in the BEAM program in order to prepare for a future career in clinical research alongside clinical practice. “The environment in a medical school graduate program is completely different than the environment in an undergraduate program,” she says. “It was very intimidating at first, but BEAM really helps demystify graduate research." In addition to working on research projects in two different UMass Chan labs through BEAM, Bennett also benefited from weekly didactic sessions, addressing topics such as responsible research conduct, data display, research funding opportunities, scientific storytelling, and career pathways. "It was a great learning experience on those things that aren’t necessarily focused on in an undergraduate setting,” says Bennett. “And having the experience of working in a professional environment was really invaluable in gaining transferable skills that will stick with me.” Learn more about the BEAM program: https://bit.ly/3DkArGM #UMassAmherst #UMassChan #UMassAmherstResearch #UndergraduateResearch #BiomedicalEngineeringResearch

It’s not every day that we get to celebrate a career as influential as #UMassAmherst Professor Emeritus Andrew Barto, who was awarded the 2024 ACM A.M. Turing Award for developing the conceptual and algorithmic foundations of a branch of artificial intelligence known as reinforcement learning (RL). Hear Barto share what this milestone means to him, insights on his career journey, and the impact of his research. After learning that Barton was bestowed the Turing, Rob Manning, UMass Foundation Chair Robert Manning, for whom, along with his wife Donna, the College of Information and Computer Science is named, said "As a pioneer of reinforcement learning, Professor Barto is the cornerstone of UMass Amherst’s legacy and an inspiration for ensuring that AI works for the common good. Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences, UMass Amherst, University of Massachusetts

Concerned about the price of housing? You're not alone. A recent University of Massachusetts Amherst/ WCVB Poll found that housing is far and away the most important issue on the minds of Massachusetts voters, who also express deep concerns about the nation’s economy and their own economic situations. In fact, the poll found that just 30% of respondents believe the national economy is in “excellent” or “good” condition, the lowest mark since April 2023 and 10 points lower than an October 2024 UMass/WCVB Poll. “In 2024, Donald Trump rode a wave of economic discontent straight to the White House. Voters tired of rising costs and stagnant wages voted for Trump, who promised a return to the economic prosperity seen in his first term in office,” says Tatishe Nteta, provost professor of political science at UMass Amherst and director of the poll. “One month into the second Trump administration, residents of the state remain pessimistic about the national economy. With the threat of tariffs, the potential return of high inflation and a declining stock market, it is no wonder that assessments of the nation’s economic well-being in the Bay State are declining.” Learn more about the poll's findings: https://bit.ly/41j7PW8 #UMassAmherst #UMassAmherstResearch #UMassPoll #Housing #Economy

Want to get a taste for what University of Massachusetts Amherst graduate students are working on in their research, and learn something new in the process? Members of the campus and surrounding Amherst community are invited to attend the Graduate School's ninth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition tomorrow, Friday, March 7, from 2-3:30 p.m. in Old Chapel. The competition will feature engaging presentations from 10 contestants who advanced from the preliminary rounds. The final winner will receive $1,000, and the runner-up and People’s Choice winners will each receive $500. Learn more and see the list of finalists presenting: https://bit.ly/4hWexsr

What an incredible morning celebrating Andrew G. Barto, UMass Amherst professor emeritus, being named co-recipient of the 2024 ACM A.M. Turing Award! In keeping with Barto’s humble personality, an intimate event was held at the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) bringing together his family, colleagues and current and former students to celebrate Barto’s foundational contributions to AI technology. “Today I constantly hear him while doing research,” said Philip Thomas, co-director of the Autonomous Learning Lab, which was founded by Barto. “I hear myself taking his advice and passing it down to my own students.” CICS Dean Laura Haas said, “Andy’s seminal research and leadership at a pivotal time helped build computer sciences at UMass Amherst into the artificial intelligence powerhouse that it is today. Andy, you are the heart and soul of computer science at UMass Amherst."

Very exciting news to share today out of Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences, UMass Amherst!

Howdy ho, it's #TriviaTuesday. University of Massachusetts Amherst food scientist?Hang Xiao is tackling a new challenge in his ongoing aim to develop tasty, nutritious and sustainable plant-based alternatives to animal meat. He is studying this highly nutritious, fermented plant-based food to optimize its taste and health benefits. Preliminary research suggests that this food may even help offset the health risks of the Western diet, such as obesity, fatty liver, hyperlipidemia and diabetes. Learn more about this research and see the answer: https://bit.ly/4h1wDIf