UMass Lowell Psychology

09/04/2026

🎉 A warm welcome to our Fall 2026 ABAAS cohort!

We were excited to welcome our newest M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis & Autism Studies students to the UMass Lowell Department of Psychology during orientation! 💙🎓

We’re so glad to have you as part of the UML Psychology community and can’t wait to see what you accomplish. Here’s to a great start to the semester!

Learn more about the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis & Autism Studies:
https://www.uml.edu/fahss/psychology/programs/graduate/autism-studies.aspx

09/03/2026

https://www.uml.edu/news/department-news/2026/psychology-s-master-s-program.aspx

We have some exciting news to share from UMass Lowell Psychology!

Our Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Studies (ABAAS) program has earned accreditation from the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI)!

This milestone recognizes the strength of the ABAAS program and the high-quality education and training it provides to students.

Through coursework, research and hands-on experience, students build the knowledge and skills they need to pursue careers in behavior analysis and make a difference in the communities they serve.

This achievement wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of our faculty, students, alumni and community partners who have helped the program grow and thrive.

Congratulations to the entire ABAAS community on this well-deserved accomplishment! 👏🎓

09/02/2026

🎓💙 Welcome to our Fall 2026 Psychology Ph.D. cohort!

The UMass Lowell Department of Psychology recently welcomed our newest doctoral students at orientation! 🎉

Please join us in welcoming Alec Sweatman, Alexandria (Lexi) Crank, Kathryn Duff, Sharmila Bhandari, and Allie Farone as they begin their Ph.D. journey at UMass Lowell.

We’re excited to have them as part of the UML Psychology community and look forward to seeing all they accomplish through their research, scholarship, and experiences in the years ahead.

Learn more about the Ph.D. in Psychology https://www.uml.edu/fahss/psychology/programs/graduate/phd-psychology/

Welcome to UMass Lowell! 💙

08/05/2026

🌟 See psychology making a difference—right here in Lowell.

This summer, Professor Andy Hostetler has been busy with AgeAction Lowell, the advocacy and resource group for older adults that he co-founded through the Age-Friendly Lowell initiative. Recent projects include:

🪑 Establishing Lowell's first Happy to Chat Bench downtown
🏘️ Bringing "mobile senior center" events to senior housing communities
🎉 Helping celebrate this year's Lower Highlands National Night Out

Want to learn more about the psychology of adulthood and aging from someone actively shaping our community?

Join PSYC.3600: Adult Development and Aging this Fall 2026! You'll explore adult development across the lifespan, examine current issues in aging, and learn how psychological science can help build healthier, more age-friendly communities.

📚 Register today and discover how psychology connects the classroom with real-world impact.

05/26/2026

What an amazing week at the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) 52nd Annual Convention in San Francisco! 🎉

This year, SEVEN students from our PhD and Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Studies (ABAAS) programs attended and presented their research.

🎤 PhD student Jack Blake presented his talk on productivity analyses in a medical data entry task using different break schedules and was awarded the D. Chris Anderson Student Research Grant!

🎤 ABAAS student Jonathan Labrie delivered his very first conference presentation on distributed vs. accumulated breaks and impulsivity.

We also had:
📌 ABAAS student Tien Pham presenting his thesis
📌 ABAAS student Henry Champey and Jack Blake co-presenting Jack’s qualifying paper at the poster symposium
📌 PhD student Gloria Leyla Fanning Tacoaman presenting her work on language of instruction and culturally/linguistically diverse learners, with PhD student Karen Salazar chairing the symposium

And a special shout-out to our faculty member, Dr. Anita Li, who was announced as president-elect of the Organizational Behavior Management Network (OBMN) and received the organization’s Early Career Award. 👏

We are incredibly proud of all our students and faculty for representing the Department of Psychology so well at this year’s convention. Congratulations to everyone on an inspiring and successful week of scholarship, collaboration, and professional achievement — we can’t wait to see what next year brings!

05/19/2026

🎓 Congratulations to the Psychology Class of 2026! 🎓
This past weekend, the Department of Psychology at University of Massachusetts Lowell proudly celebrated our graduating students during the university’s Commencement festivities at the Tsongas Center.

We honored the accomplishments of students across our undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs — graduates whose dedication, compassion and intellectual curiosity exemplify the values of our department.

We congratulate our Ph.D. graduates for their years of rigorous research and scholarship that contribute to advancing psychological science and improving lives through discovery, advocacy and applied practice.

We also celebrate the graduates of the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Studies, who are prepared to make meaningful impacts in the lives of individuals, families and communities through evidence-based practice and compassionate care.

To our undergraduate Psychology graduates: congratulations on this important milestone. Your resilience, leadership and commitment to understanding human behavior have strengthened our campus community, and we are excited to see where your journeys take you next.

We were especially proud to see Psychology represented by student speaker Nokomis Bramantecohen, whose interdisciplinary studies reflect the curiosity and engagement shared by so many members of this graduating class.

Commencement weekend was filled with celebration, reflection and pride as graduates crossed the stage surrounded by family, friends, faculty and mentors. We are honored to have been part of your journey and look forward to all that you will accomplish in the years ahead.
Congratulations again to the Psychology Class of 2026 — once a River Hawk, always a River Hawk! 💙🐦

05/15/2026

05/15/2026

The Department of Psychology at University of Massachusetts Lowell was proud to celebrate student achievement, scholarship and leadership at our 2026 Psi Chi Induction and Student Awards Ceremony on May 12! 🎉

The event brought together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, families and guests to recognize academic excellence, research accomplishments and service to the psychology community.

This year, we welcomed 22 new members into Psi Chi in recognition of their academic excellence and commitment to the field of psychology: Nayeli Almanzar, Logan Augustus Biedermann, Nokomis Bramantecohen, Krystianna Cabral, Emily DeLuca, Emily Diaz, Neala Duffy, Emily Dunbury, Mariela Sofia Giraldo, Chloe Marie Hardy, Dylan Michael Hubbard, Samantha Emma Lyons, Valerie Maffeo, Alexandra Magdalena Nicholls-Millen, Dhanvi Patel, Damien Pecquex, Sherlyn Quezada, Diego Rosa Silva, Owen Schultz, Adria Thistlewood, Olivia Grace Vaccari and Amber Williams. 👏

We also recognized students across our undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs for excellence in academics, research, clinical practice, leadership and service. Congratulations to all award recipients, including:
🏆 Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award: Henry Champey and Rory Kangiser
🏆 Kunzendorf Award for Excellence in Research: Hallie Moeller and Jesus Santiago
🏆 Award for Excellence in Community Leadership and Service: Jeremiah Adames and Gordon Wachira

Additional Excellence Awards were presented to Cameron Bartlett, Logan Augustus Biedermann, Liam Burne, Elyssia De La Rosa, Richelly Dos Santos, Paige Jurkevich, Jasmine Lopez, Emily Lindtveit, Jane Mumo, Jack Oppen, Dhanvi Patel and Adria Thistlewood.

Students in the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Studies program were also honored for their accomplishments, and doctoral students Jack Blake and Angelina Davis received the PhD in Psychology Research Award for their outstanding scholarly contributions.

A special thank you to our faculty and program leaders for their mentorship and dedication to student success throughout the academic year. 💙

Congratulations again to all of our students and families. We are proud to celebrate your hard work, achievements and continued impact in the field of psychology!

05/15/2026

The Department of Psychology in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at UMass Lowell at University of Massachusetts Lowell is proud to celebrate several faculty members recognized during the 2026 university awards cycle! 🎉

Please join us in congratulating:
• Ashleigh Hillier and Anita Li, recipients of the 2026 Department Teaching Awards, for their outstanding commitment to teaching and student success.
• Sarah Merrill, recipient of the 2026 Faculty Excellence Award for Excellence in Online Teaching, recognized for her innovative and impactful work in online education.

These awards reflect the dedication, mentorship and excellence our faculty bring to the Psychology community every day. We are proud to see FAHSS faculty recognized for the meaningful difference they make in the lives of students and across the university.

Congratulations to all! 👏