As part of the university’s commitment to changing the campus climate by working to prevent and correct sexual violence, harassment and assault; and in conjunction with the university’s leadership and membership on the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s (NASEM) Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education, Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy has created a UMass Task Force on Sexual Harassment and Assault. John McCarthy, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, and Tricia Serio, dean of the College of Natural Sciences, will serve as the co-chairs.
Members of the task force include: Rolanda Burney, chief of staff, Office of the Chancellor; Genevieve Chandler, professor, College of Nursing; Carey Dougan, doctoral candidate, College of Engineering; Michael Eagen, associate provost for academic personnel, Office of the Provost; Neil Immerman, professor, College of Information and Computer Sciences; Barbara Krauthamer, dean of the Graduate School and senior vice provost for interdisciplinary programs & innovation; Ethel Mickey, postdoctoral research associate, UMass Amherst ADVANCE; Tegemea Mwalingo, RN, Ph.D. candidate and teaching assistant, College of Nursing; Jennifer Normanly, professor and head, department of biochemistry and molecular biology; Shelly Peyton, associate professor, department of chemical engineering; Anna Maria Siega-Riz, dean, School of Public Health and Health Sciences; Libby Sharrow, assistant professor, departments of history and political science; S. Thai Thayumanavan, professor, department of chemistry; and Nefertiti Walker, interim associate chancellor for diversity, equity, and inclusion and associate dean, Isenberg School of Management. The task force will be staffed by Erica White, chief of staff, Office of the Provost.
The task force will initially focus its work on graduate students and post docs. The committee will connect the university’s national and local work on preventing sexual harassment and assault to the NASEM Action Collaborative and will be charged with making recommendations for improving campus services, policies, and practices relating to the prevention and remediation of sexual violence, harassment and assault. The committee will meet twice per semester and receive feedback on its work through a dedicated email address: TaskforceSHA@umass.edu.