IMPACT! Staff

Core staff

Katja Hahn d’Errico, Lead Instructor
Dr. Katja Hahn d’Errico is particularly interested in the interconnections of spirituality and social justice work.  She is from Germany and has lived in the Amherst community for much of her life.  She worked with the student businesses at UMass for many years, and is now a lecturer in Commonwealth College and an adjunct faculty member in the Social Justice Education program.  Katja has been working with IMPACT! since Fall 2005.

Carrie Hutnick, Program Manager
Carrie Hutnick is Master's student in the Higher Education program and has worked in Providence, DC, and Baltimore with college students doing community service and learning about social justice issues in the community. Her role as IMPACT! program manager involves many components, including IMPACT! administration, instructor and student support, and running program events. She also focuses on aspects of program development, including student recruitment. This is her first year working with IMPACT!.

ADDITIONAL TEACHING STAFF

Ben Bull, Course Assistant, American Diversity
Ben Bull is a sophomore student and an alumnus of IMPACT! He is a double major in Political Science and Russian. He loves reading, playing any and all sports, writing, and is an avid supporter of West Ham United Football Club. In his role as course assistant to the American Diversity class, he will support students in connecting service experiences to course content through reflection. He will also provide assistance to students on any assignment. Ben works as an RA in Washington and can be found in room 408 for any questions.

Mark Koyama, College Writing
Mark Koyama is an MFA candidate in fiction writing at UMass. He received a master's degree in Theology from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York and went on to work for 10 years in Academic Computing at Columbia and Harvard. Mark is the father of three children, a singer in a rock band, and an earnest believer in the power of the written word. He has taught in the Writing Program at UMass for four years, and mentored incoming teachers for three years. This is his second year working with IMPACT!.

Nicole Nemec, Honors Seminar
Nicole Nemec is from Texas, has studied philosophy and poetry/fiction writing and film, and is an adjunct lecturer in the Commonwealth College. She is especially interested in dialogue, democracy and class; cross-disciplinary studies between art and science; and the role of art and improvisation in community building. She is a member of WMUA, UMass' radio station. She is excited to work with IMPACT! students for a third year.

FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE AND RESIDENCE LIFE STAFF

Melanie Keyes, Peer Mentor
Melanie Keyes is a sophomore student and an alumna of IMPACT!. She is a Spanish major who spends the majority of her time studying Chinese. She loves reading, learning about other cultures and communities, and archery. In her role as peer mentor, she will support IMPACT! students in their transition to college life and in dealing with academic situations, as well as anything else that may come up. She will also organize team-building activities, such as one-day service projects, and other fun events.

Kelly Gray, First Year Experience Specialist

Resident Assistant (RA)
RAs are live-in, part-time, student staff.  They are selected based upon demonstrated and potential peer counseling, leadership and communication skills.  Students should seek out their RA if they need support, have questions, or are having problems with their roommate.  If a problem seems too big for the RA to handle, the student should contact the assistant residence directors (ARDs), or the residence director (RD).