Current Grant Awardees

HackHer413

Each year, we host an annual hackathon in the spring. A hackathon is an exciting, collaborative event where participants come together to design, develop, and present innovative projects over a weekend. Participants attend workshops (tech, engineering, and business), network with mentors and employers, and gain valuable experience that supports their academic and professional growth. It is a low-stakes competitive environment to showcase skills and grow knowledge and experience. Faculty from UMass and professionals from the industry serve as a panel of judges for the projects that participants build during the weekend. We also provide meals and snacks to keep the participants motivated and offer sleeping accommodations at the venue to those who want them. In addition to this, we organize a career fair during the hackathon so that participants can meet with recruiters and gain insights into the employment process.

This hackathon is significant since tech is a male-dominated field, and it is important to foster a positive environment for women and non-binary people to develop their professional skills and build their network while still in college.

Birds

Bird-window collisions are a leading cause of anthropogenically-driven bird mortality in the U.S. and Canada. Studies reveal that up to 1 billion bird mortalities are a result of birds colliding with various anthropogenic structures. The "Make UMass Bird Friendly" project is a student-led, interdisciplinary initiative aimed at raising awareness about bird-window collisions and finding solutions to alleviate the issue on the UMass Amherst campus. For the last two years during spring and fall, we have engaged over 200 students to conduct daily surveys of 23 buildings on campus in an effort to identify buildings that are the greatest threat. Now, we have seven seasons of data, and have collected nearly 100 bird specimens to expand outreach of the program and educate UMass community about the viable solutions.

In March of 2026, we will curate an interactive exhibit to share the results of our project with the community. It will include preserved bird specimens collected from campus, large-scale migration maps highlighting collision sites, and educational materials on the architectural history of glass and its environmental impact. This exhibit will feature six bird species that are at high risk of bird-window collisions on campus, and the context around these mortalities. We will display large wall maps which outline the migration route of the birds which were passing through UMass before colliding with a building here, and feature cases of preserved birds prepared by undergraduate students. 3D models of some of the birds whose bodies were badly damaged will hang as mobiles above the cases, ghostly vestiges of birds in flight. Printed text will give an overview of the history of glass in architecture, the reasons for its popularity and the problems it poses for our bird populations, and examples of window-sticker designs that improve building safety.

The curation of this exhibit will be an interdisciplinary effort, led by students, faculty, and staff from Environmental Conservation, History of Art and Architecture, Studio Arts, and Building and Construction Technology. We have reserved a space in the gallery in the Olver Design Building and have support from the relevant departments in the building.

AWIS

We plan to host out first annual Alumni Career Panel for women in science at UMass. We are inviting panelists who are alumni of UMass Amherst. These accomplished women are in fields such as BioTech, Computer Science, Engineering, and Medicine. The talented panelists will share their career journeys, challenges and successes. Students will gain the opportunity to engage in open conversation, ask questions, and gather insights on navigating a career in industry. These industries tend to be male-dominated, so having these experienced women discuss their journey can ease the transition between college and industry. It is difficult to establish meaningful connections with alumni in industry, especially if you have no professional experience. Blindly reaching out on LinkedIn may not always yield results. This panel offers a rare and supportive space to build real, lasting connections. This allows us to break down barriers, and promote mentorship and community across generations of UMass Amherst women in science. Ultimately, the AWIS Alumni Career Panel is more than just a networking event, it is a step toward a stronger and more empowered community at UMass.

Women in Construction

Our project, Women in Construction Day, is a campus-wide event designed to celebrate and support women pursuing careers in nontraditional fields such as building and construction technology, architecture, and engineering. These industries have historically been male-dominated, and women often face unique challenges in navigating their education and professional growth. This event seeks to address these challenges by providing a space for learning, networking, and empowerment. The event will bring together 100–250 students and 25–50 faculty, staff, alumni, and volunteers for a day filled with workshops, mentorship opportunities, and skill-building activities. Participants will have access to professional headshots for their LinkedIn profiles, hands-on workshops, and the guidance of a guest speaker who will share insights, experiences, and strategies for success in construction-related fields. By creating opportunities for meaningful interactions between students and professionals, the event helps women build confidence, develop practical skills, and envision themselves thriving in careers where they are underrepresented. Women in Construction Day is significant not only for the individual development of participants but also for fostering a supportive community on campus. It highlights the achievements of women in these fields, provides role models for younger students, and strengthens connections among peers and mentors. By increasing visibility, building networks, and offering practical resources, this event empowers women to navigate their education and careers with confidence and resilience. Ultimately, it cultivates a sense of belonging and encourages more women to pursue and persist in construction-related industries, contributing to a more diverse and inclusive professional landscape.

Rebirth Project

The Rebirth Project was a revival of the Drum and was created directly in response to the first Trump Presidency. Our founder, Ramona, realized that students of color, especially women of color on campus, felt increasingly silenced and as if they did not have a safe space on campus to express themselves. In the decade since, the Rebirth Project has built a home for student journalists to share their writing and art with the world, building a safe space to share what they believe in. By hosting an event to celebrate our ten year anniversary, we would be able to commemorate the work that has been put into Rebirth from dozens of UMass students, along with the continued work that female journalists of color put into telling their stories every single day. Our event would host three speakers in a panel discussion, talking about the field of journalism and their experiences being female journalists of color to current UMass students who might want to follow in their footsteps.

Tech Fusion

Tech Fusion is an innovative professional development initiative designed to democratize access to cutting edge technology for all UMass students. By providing cross disciplinary, hands-on learning experiences with advanced tools and resources available directly on campus, Tech Fusion ensures that every student, regardless of their academic background can gain meaningful exposure to emerging technologies and develop essential technological skills.

The program responds to a growing need for technological literacy across all fields. In today’s rapidly evolving job market, the ability to understand, adapt to, and apply technology is critical not only for technical majors but for students across business, arts, humanities, and sciences. Through structured workshops, guided labs, and experiential learning modules, students explore tools such as 3D printing, VR, and robotics, developing practical skills while cultivating creativity, problem-solving abilities, and confidence in using technology to address real world challenges. Beyond individual skill building, Tech Fusion serves as a catalyst for interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. Students from diverse majors are brought together to share perspectives, exchange ideas, and co-create solutions that integrate technology with their unique fields. This collaborative environment fosters innovation and mirrors the team oriented dynamics of modern workplaces, preparing students to work effectively in diverse professional settings.

Ultimately, Tech Fusion enhances the career readiness of graduates by equipping them with hands-on experience, cross disciplinary knowledge and practical technical skills. It cultivates a mindset of adaptability, creativity, and confidence, qualities essential for leadership in a technology driven world. By breaking down barriers to access, Tech Fusion empowers students to not only keep pace with technological change but to actively lead it, positioning UMass as a campus where innovation, collaboration, and technology converge to shape the next generation of leaders and problem solvers.