The New England College Personnel Association (NECPA) has named higher education Ph.D. student Patricia (Tita) Feraud-King Graduate Student of the Year and recent graduate of the higher education master's program, Molly Hansen, Emerging Professional of the Year.
Currently the food pantry coordinator at Bunker Hill Community College, Hansen established a focus on food security while pursuing her master's in the UMasss Amherst College of Education.
"When I started my graduate program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I began researching ways in which basic needs insecurity impacted the college student experience. This led me to write my master’s thesis on the creation, management, and sustainability of college food pantries. In my current role, I hope to assist students who are currently facing food insecurity, while also being an advocate for policy change on the state and local level," she explained.
Feraud-King appreciates the social justice focus at the College of Education.
“UMass Amherst supports all my diverse passions and gives me opportunities to do whatever I am interested in. I have been able to supervise student staff, teach within the second semester of working there, work on changing residential curriculum and the teaching lesson plans, sit on very important university committees and present my research. UMass helps me entwine my passion for social justice in every aspect of my professional and academic life,” she said.
NECPA connects diverse higher education professionals from all institution types, functional areas, and experience levels in New England. NECPA supports and develops equitable higher education communities by providing intentional, creative, and accessible opportunities and resources focused on professional and personal growth.