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Wait a minute... *checks calendar* ...it's already October? If you're anything like us, you can't believe that we've already ticked over from September. Either way, check out some of the headlines that came out of SPP from last month!

#umass #umassspp #umassdacss #legalstudies #publicpolicy

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This past Friday, students from the MS in DACSS, MPP, and MPPA programs traveled to the Charles River Campus in Boston for a career exploration and networking event! It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn directly from SPP's alumni working in the field. A huge thank you to the alumni who shared their valuable experience, wisdom, and advice - we appreciate you making this event so special!

#umass #umassspp #umassdacss #publicpolicy

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Last Friday, the School of Public Policy began the 2026 academic year with our annual kickoff! The event brought together incoming graduate and undergraduate students across our Data Analytics and Computational Social Science (DACSS), Legal Studies, and Public Policy programs. We were honored to hear from State Senator Jo Comerford, Chancellor Javier Reyes, and SBS Dean Karl Rethemeyer, who spoke on this year’s theme of Democracy at Work: Policy, Law, and Data and its importance at this time. We were also thrilled to welcome a group of outstanding alumni – Ayla Thorntona, MPP, Debora Ferreira, Theresa Szczepanski, and Maxwell Solie – who touched on both the event’s theme and their career journeys.

Thank you to everyone for contributing to a strong start to the 2026 school year! We ran out of food, so it must have been good 😊
#umass #umassspp #2026kickoff

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UMass 4+1 Accelerated Master’s Programs allow you to begin your graduate coursework as a senior, earning both your bachelor’s and master’s degrees in as few as five years. No GRE or application fee is required, creating a seamless transition to graduate school and allowing students to save time and money.

At this Open House, learn about 4+1 programs including:
🗳️ Political Science - @umasspolisci
🏛️ Public Policy - @spp_umass
🌇 Regional Planning - @umasslarp
🌾 Resource Economics - @resec_umass
📊 Data Analytics & Computational Social Science - @umassdacss
and more programs from across @umass!

Reps from each participating UMass 4+1 Accelerated Master’s Program will be on hand to answer your questions and provide information on program requirements.

This event is co-sponsored by the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (@sbs_umass) and the School of Public Health and Health Sciences (@umasssphhs) 🤝 4+1 Accelerated Master’s Programs Open House
Weds., Sept 23, 2026 from 1 to 3 pm
Campus Center Auditorium
UMass Amherst

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Mark your calendars for next Friday, 9/18 for SPP's Fall 2026 Kickoff! We'll be welcoming MA State Senator Jo Comerford as our keynote speaker as well as an expert alumni panel consisting of Ayla Thorntona (Legislative Director for
MA State Senator DiDomenico), Maxwell Solie (Lead Tax Attorney for MassMutual), Theresa Szczepanski (Academic Dean at Rising Tide Charter Public School), and Debora Ferreira, (Associate Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, UMass Amherst). The theme of the kickoff will be Making Democracy Work: Policy, Law, and Data.

This event is open to entire SPP community - see you there!

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With the new academic year approaching fast, there's no better time to take a look at what our faculty have been up to this August.

Check our link in bio for links to these articles and more.
#umass #umassspp #legalstudies #umassdacss

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This summer, School of Public Policy graduate students Diego Nieto, Mia Galvam, Bisma Nawaz Tarar, and Gregory Boisvert participated in ten week fellowships paired with hands-on training through the The Civic Action Project (CAP). A huge congratulations to the students and a huge thank you to their hosts, including the Amherst Survival Center, the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), the office of MA State Senator Liz Miranda, and the MA Broadband Institute (part of Massachusetts Technology Collaborative)!

#umass #umassspp #umassdacss

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Summer may be here, but there's still plenty going on at SPP! Take a look at what our faculty have been up to since the end of last semester, and read all of these articles and more at our link in bio.
#umass #umassspp #legalstudies #dacss #publicpolicy

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SPP recently held our annual celebration of graduates and awards ceremony for the MS in DACSS, MPP, and MPPA programs. With the state of the world today, it gives us all so much hope and happiness to celebrate such brilliant and passionate leaders as they begin the next phase of their careers and education!

We also want to highlight the fantastic award winners across our programs:
MS in Data Analytics and Computational Social Science:
Outstanding Student Award:
Jocelyn Canton
Venkat Dasari

Doing Good with Data Award:
Niranjan Prakash
Sumedha

Master of Public Policy and Master of Public Policy and Administration:

M.V. Lee Badgett Social Justice Award:
Nurah Jaradat
Anaamika Nair

Phillip Hertz Award:
Dinda Rolobessy
Ellisha Walker

Congratulations to the SPP class of 2026!
#umass #umassspp #publicpolicy #dataanalytics #graduate

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April was a busy month for our faculty, students, and alumni! Check out some of the news from last month and visit our link in bio to read these stories and more.
#umass #umassspp #legalstudies #dacss #publicpolicy

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SPP headed to Boston last week for a day of career exploration and networking across the legal, data, and policy worlds! We were fortunate to spend time and learn from a wide range of public service professionals, including members of the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Department of Energy Resources, Massachusetts Municipal Association, the City of Boston, and several statehouse staffers.

A sincere thank you to all our hosts and the incredible public servants who spent their day sharing their knowledge and wisdom with our students. Also, an extra special acknowledgement to the SPP alumni who joined us! Seeing our alumni pass their knowledge onto the next generation represents everything this School is about - thank you!
#umass #umassspp #legalstudies #dataanalytics #alumni

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