UMass Boston John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy & Global Studies

Congratulations to Buket Altınçelep, Ph.D. Candidate in Global Governance and Human Security at UMass Boston, on her new piece in The Conversation, “Efforts to combat climate change often exclude Indigenous People — and they may not have any recourse.” 🌎🌿

Read here: https://theconversation.com/efforts-to-combat-climate-change-often-exclude-indigenous-people-and-they-may-not-have-any-recourse-283954

Title: Belonging in More Than One World

Afsana Alam recently spoke at the TEDx UMass Boston event, delivering a talk titled “Belonging in More Than One World.” Drawing from her personal journey as a woman of color, the talk explored what it means to navigate multiple identities, cultures, and spaces while searching for a sense of belonging.

Through storytelling and reflection, Afsana shared how experiences of living between worlds can become a source of strength, connection, and purpose. The talk encouraged audiences to rethink belonging not as fitting into a single space, but as embracing the richness of multiple identities and experiences while creating spaces where others can feel seen, valued, and included.

Congratulations Afsana👏✨🎉

🎙️ CPDD’s second episode of PaxGlobal Voices is now available!

“Increasing Impact and Communicating Research and Science from PBS to the U.S. Senate” features Dr. Sheril Kirshenbaum, an Emmy Award-winning scientist and author whose work bridges science, policy, and public communication.

Listen now and subscribe to PaxGlobal Voices so you don’t miss these engaging talks!🌍

🔗https://open.spotify.com/show/3zTTmkSuAoDmuZfTAjRQVm

Congratulations to all of our award recipients and graduates! 🎉🎓

Thank you to everyone who joined us on May 13th for the McCormack Graduate School Awards Ceremony as we celebrated the hard work, achievements, and dedication of our students. We are proud of all that you have accomplished and look forward to seeing what comes next. Congratulations again to all of this year's honorees and graduates!👏

More photos to come✨

Congratulations to Charla M. Burnett on the recent publication of Global Land-Ocean Geospatial Applications: Mapping and Surveying with Remote Sensing and GIS! 🌍📘

Published through CRC Press / Taylor & Francis, the book explores GIS and remote sensing applications across six continents, featuring topics including biodiversity mapping, ocean planning, AI integration, participatory mapping, and more. Designed for both students and experienced practitioners, it offers valuable insight into the evolving world of geospatial technology.

Congratulations Charla👏🎉

🔗 https://www.routledge.com/Global-Land-Ocean-Geospatial-Applications-Mapping-and-Surveying-with-Remote-Sensing-and-GIS/Burnett-Pradhan/p/book/9781032728612

Save the date! Join us for the 2026 Robert C. Wood Visiting Professorship on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at University of Massachusetts Boston.

In a time when the future of America’s pluralist democracy feels uncertain, Reverend Dr. Ray Hammond, Reverend Dr. Gloria White-Hammond, and Reverend Mariama White-Hammond will lead a powerful conversation on civic responsibility, moral leadership, and how we can realize a true “City on a Hill” in Boston and beyond.

🗓 Wednesday, September 23, 2026
🕔 5:00 PM | Lecture & Discussion
📍 Ballroom, Campus Center, UMass Boston
🥂 6:45 PM | Reception
📍 Alumni Lounge, Campus Center, UMass Boston

Free and open to the public. We hope you’ll join us for this important evening of dialogue, reflection, and community.

Applications are now open for the 2026 Wood Student Internship in Public & Urban Affairs! 🌟

This summer internship, supervised by Rev. Dr. Ray Hammond in partnership with the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO), offers students the opportunity to engage in meaningful public policy and community-centered work.

The selected student will receive a $4,000 internship award for approximately 140 hours of work between June and early September 2026. Undergraduate and graduate students from all relevant disciplines are encouraged to apply.

🗓️ Apply by May 22, 2026 at 5 PM
📍 Hybrid format
⏰ Approx. 10 hours/week

Apply here: 🔗

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Celebrating excellence, resilience, and community at the 8th Annual Ubuntu Graduation & Awards Ceremony hosted by the Africa Scholars Forum at the McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies on Friday, May 8, 2026.

This year, we proudly honored James Kintu, graduating PhD student in Global Governance and Human Security (May 2026), with the African Scholars Student Research Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to African affairs and his inspiring spirit of perseverance and excellence.

As part of the Kente stole tradition, we also celebrated UMass Boston graduate students who have remained actively engaged in African studies throughout their academic journey. Congratulations to all our graduates and award recipients — your impact and leadership continue to embody the spirit of Ubuntu: “I am because we are.”🎓👏📚✨

Congratulations to our March 2026 Essay Competition winners, Elham Hesari and Sampurna Basu! 🎉

As part of the McCormack Graduate School’s monthly essay competition, graduate students across the College of Liberal Arts were invited to share their ideas on “How I Would Fix Massachusetts/Boston.”

Each winner receives a $1,000 prize and certificate in recognition of their thoughtful and impactful work!

Congratulations🎉👏📚

Congratulations to Beth McHugh, MPA candidate at the McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, for earning this year’s Best Capstone title at the annual New England ASPA Capstone Competition! 🎉

Hosted by the New England Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration, the competition brings together top MPA and MPP students from programs across the region to present their capstone research. Representing UMass Boston among six participating universities, Beth impressed the faculty panel with her research on improving early childhood literacy, showcasing exceptional research design, methodology, and professional presentation skills. This year, UMass Boston proudly claimed the overall Best Capstone award!

Congratulations Beth!👏✨📚