MSRB (Massachusetts State Retirement Board) Member Statements coming in July, The MA State Board of Retirement will be mailing out member statements during the month of July. The statement reflects the balance of a member’s accumulated retirement contributions plus any interest the member’s account has accrued as of the end of last year. More information will be available on the MSRB website soon.
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On June 18, 2025, the Administration & Finance (A&F) team gathered for a vibrant and informative Town Hall that highlighted the division’s resilience, innovation, and commitment to service. Hosted by Kelly Gregory, the event brought together voices from across the system to reflect on recent achievements, share critical updates, and chart the path forward. , Federal Funding in Focus , Directors Monica Jackson and Deirdre Delaney delivered a timely update on the evolving federal grants landscape. Despite a turbulent start to 2025—with delays, new justification requirements, and increased scrutiny, UMass responded with agility. A revamped draw request strategy helped reduce payment delays, and credit ratings remained stable thanks to strong financial oversight. , Accessibility Takes Center Stage, Digital accessibility was a key theme, with Claudia Cortes outlining the University’s commitment to ADA compliance. With a compliance deadline of April 2026, A&F is actively reviewing websites, third-party tools, procurement processes, and employee training to ensure equitable access for all., By the Numbers: Departmental Highlights , Eight departments shared impressive metrics and milestones, presented by some of A&F’s best and brightest: , Budget Office, – Presented by Sara MacKenzie Managing a $4.3B budget, producing over 1,200 pages of reports, and tracking $2.1B in capital project spending., Employee Services Team (Payroll & Travel/Expense), – Presented by Caitrin Merrill & Erika O’Malley Processed 42K+ W-2s, $2B in gross pay, and 76K+ expense reports, with 25K active employees supported., Application Specialists (EST), – Presented by Elijah Collins Maintains 200+ PeopleSoft programs, supports $168M/month in payroll, and manages 150+ system interfaces., Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), – Presented by Samantha Wallace Tracks 31 systemwide risks and 133 mitigation strategies, with national recognition for the MATRX tool., Human Resources , – Presented by Diane Pelletier Processed 18.5K+ HR transactions and managed 40 union contracts across all campuses., Innovation & Operational Services, – Presented by Jacob Sturtz & Andrew Buroni Delivered 12 roadmap projects and supported 13 enterprise applications with 1,751 cases closed in FY25., Treasury & Operations, – Presented by Ben Johnson & Molly Lynch Managed $141M in investment income, 163K credit card transactions/month, and filed $10.5M in energy credits., Unified Procurement Services Team (UPST) , – Presented by Jazemine Belkin, Ashley Tejada & Evanthia Tully Oversaw $1.07B in spend, processed 275K invoices, and created 2,000+ contracts annually. , Evolving for Impact: The Access Team, David Nero introduced the new A&F Support Services Access Team, launching July 1. This team will centralize customer service across A&F, offering a single point of contact and a new Customer Service Rotation Program for staff development. It’s a bold step toward a more unified, responsive A&F. , Roadmap 6.5: Strategic Vision Ahead , Amy Ryan shared updates on the A&F Roadmap, which continues to guide strategic initiatives across the division. With 21 projects on track for completion by the end of FY25, Roadmap 6.5 will build on this momentum with a renewed focus on leadership, shared services, and ERP strategy. , Closing Reflections , Senior Vice President Lisa Calise closed the event with gratitude and encouragement, highlighting the collective achievements of the A&F team and the importance of staying connected to our mission. , Photos from the Town Hall
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By Kate Carroll, Sr. Applications Specialist, UITS UMass Dartmouth MSTM Graduate - Class of 2025 In addition to my current role supporting international applications here in UITS, I’ve also been pursuing a master’s degree in technology management through UMass Dartmouth’s online program. This spring—just before (finally) walking across a rainy stage to collect my symbolic diploma jacket (…
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The IT Conference held at UMass Dartmouth on June 5, 2025 was attended by over 200 UMass Information Technology employees across all campuses. This was an annual event prior to Covid and our Dartmouth contemporaries celebrated the opportunity to reboot this important occasion to gather, network and learn amongst campus colleagues. Vala Afshar was the keynote speaker and gave a lively discussion…, CIO Fireside Chat, , moderated by Peggy Dias of UMD, included rapid-fire questions, along with one uniquely specific question posed to each of our six UMass CIOs. Rapid-Fire Questions/Answers: There are now 25 hours in a day, what do you do with that last hour…In 3 words or less? Michael Milligan (UMPO) – Sleep, Eat, Drink Michael Cipriano (Lowell) – Definitely Recreational Ray Lefebvre (Boston) – Time with Family…, UMass Boston, will host the IT Conference next year, so be on the lookout for your invitation to participate and attend the 2026 IT Conference at UMB. Thank you to UMass Dartmouth for hosting and to the 2025 IT Conference Committee:
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The 50th anniversary of Cabo Verde’s independence, July 5, 1975, celebrates the day in which Cape Verde officially declared its independence from Portugal. Approximately 70,000 Cape Verdeans live in Massachusetts. Historically, one of the major factors that brought Cape Verdeans to Massachusetts was the whaling industry. Each year, Boston and New Bedford hold festivities for Cabo Verde’s…, Ways to Celebrate , Cabo Verde Independence Day Festival, Friday, July 4, 2:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Boston City Hall Plaza The Cape Verdean Association of Boston hosts the annual Independence Celebration at Boston City Hall Plaza on the date of July 4. The festival environment helps to showcase Cape Verdean culture, art, music, and food in a family friendly environment. , Celebrate All Month Long in New Bedford , Various dates and locations Celebrate the food, music, history, and cultural pride of New Bedford’s Cabo Verdean community during Cabo Verdean Heritage Month. We have spotlighted a few of the events below. Check out the Cabo Verdean Heritage Month calendar for a full list of events. Casting a Wider Net Traveling Exhibit Wednesday, July 2 – Friday, August 1 Cape Verdean Veterans Memorial Hall…
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Join the DEIA Team for a Film Screening of “Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act”, Date: Friday, July 25, 2025 Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Location: Virtual Zoom Viewing “Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act” tells the story of the decades-long push for equality and accessibility that led to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. Told through the voices of key participants and witnesses, the film highlights the determined people…, About Disability Pride Month and the Disability Rights Movement , Disability Pride has been celebrated by the disability community since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. The first Disability Pride Day was held in Boston, Massachusetts in July 1990. In 2015, on the 25th anniversary of the ADA, the disability community decided to establish Disability Pride Month to recognize the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the…
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New Hires, Name Hire Date Title Department Colin Foley 8/1/25 Sr. Contracts Specialist UPST Erin Walker 8/1/25 Assoc Counsel, IT & Data Priv Office of General Counsel Evgeny Vorobyev 8/4/25 Internal Auditor, IT, Sr. Internal Audit Lori Randall 8/26/25 Contracts Specialist UPST
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DEIA Calendar, The DEIA Communications team keeps a calendar of upcoming diversity awareness months and days recognized either nationally or internationally due to their cultural, historical, or religious significance., Month-Long Events, Monday, September 1, 2025 – Tuesday, September 30, 2025: National Guide Dog Month Monday, September 15, 2025 - Wednesday, October 15, 2025: Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx Heritage Month , Date-Specific Events, Monday, September 1: Labor Day Thursday, September 4 – Friday, September 5: Eid Milad ul-Nabi (Islam) Sunday, September 7: Brazil’s Independence Day Tuesday, September 16: Mexican Independence Day Thursday, September 18: Air Force Birthday Thursday, September 18: National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day Sunday, September 21: International Day of Peace Monday, September 22 – Sunday, September 28…, Additional Awareness Communications this Month, The DEIA Communications team is sending out individual communications around the following awareness events this month: UMass Cancer Walk Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx Heritage Month Air Force Birthday
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Elbows and grease - Is what is needed to help keep 50 Washington looking fresh and dressed to impress. Which is what happened on Wednesday, August 13th, as a dedicated team lead by Jillian Warren, oversaw by Lucas Carter, and like the mythical goddess Athena springing forth from Zeus’s mind, came into existence by Amy Thompson as “Operation Clean and Shine”. With the help of Jade Yacino, Sara…
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