Paul Katz, Luke Remage-Healey, and Kirby Deater-Deckard clowning around.

What a fantastic academic year this is shaping up to be. There are so many exciting events coming up and so much great neuroscience research happening at UMass. Registration is now open for the Center for Neuroendocrine Studies Symposium on Gregarious Hormones: Steroids and Social Behavior.  The line up for the 2019-2020 Neurosciences Distinguished Lectures is phenomenal The first speaker is Larry Young from Emory University. In addition, check out the list of great Wednesday seminars in the Neuroscience and Behavior program.

The Neuroscience and Behavior (NSB) graduate program is welcoming one of its largest incoming classes of graduate students. NSB held its annual retreat in Vermont, which was a great bonding experience. Kirby Deater-Deckard takes over as the NSB Graduate Director and Luke Remage-Healey is the new Associate Director. I have been serving in that post for over a year and have really enjoyed getting to know the students and working with them and faculty to improve the graduate experience. We instituted several changes to the program, including On-Ramp, which offered students the opportunity to ease into graduate school a month early. As I step down from graduate director, I will devote more of my time towards campus-wide initiatives in neuroscience. Stay tuned to hear more.

-Paul Katz
Director of Neurosciences