UMass Chan Welcomes New Faculty to iCAP 

On Wednesday, September 18, the Office of Health Equity celebrated the kickoff of the fourth cohort of its Investigator Career Advancement Program (iCAP) with a welcoming event for nine new faculty members. Ten iCAP alumni from previous cohorts also attended the event to share their advice and encouragement with the new faculty.

This diverse cohort, drawn from various departments, is part of the university’s ongoing commitment to support early-career, research-focused faculty through iCAP. 

Over the next year, members of the iCAP cohort will receive comprehensive training designed to enhance their research leadership and professional growth. The program includes workshops on managing grant applications and budgets, effective science communication with the support of a dedicated scientific writer, and strategies for leading and managing research groups, among other essential knowledge and skills. 

The iCAP initiative aims to develop and retain early-career, research-focused faculty at UMass Chan, with all new tenure-track faculty invited to participate upon accepting their offers. This approach is intended to foster an environment where all faculty can thrive and succeed at UMass Chan. 

At the welcome event, a program overview was provided by iCAP leadership, including Mary Munson, PhD, iCAP Co-lead and Associate Vice Provost for Equity in Science, Cynthia Fuhrmann, PhD, iCAP Co-lead and Associate Professor in the RNA Therapeutics Institute, Matthew Schwartz, PhD, iCAP’s Sr. Program Manager, and Justine Pinskey, Ph.D., iCAP’s Sr. Scientific Writer. iCAP faculty also had the opportunity to meet Loretta Opoku, iCAP’s new Administrative Coordinator.  

The Dean and Provost of UMass Chan Medical School, Terence R. Flotte, MD, and Vice Provost for the Office of Health Equity, Milagros C. Rosal, PhD, also welcomed and briefly addressed the new faculty, urging them to fully embrace the opportunities provided by iCAP. Highlighting the benefits and testimonials shared by previous cohorts, Dean Flotte expressed his confidence that iCAP serves as the ideal foundation for their success as faculty members at UMass Chan and in the broader scientific community.