Elizabeth Alicea-Torres, OT, OTD, OTR/L, assistant professor of Occupational Therapy and doctoral capstone coordinator, was appointed in March 2025 to a three-year term to the Springfield (Mass.) Public Health Council. The Public Health Council advises the mayor on health matters for the city of Springfield.
Laurel R. Davis-Delano, PhD, professor of Sociology, served as a member of the Awards Committee for the Indigenous Peoples and Native Nations Section of the American Sociological Association from 2024-present.
Ian Delahanty, PhD, associate professor of History, was appointed in February 2025 by Gov. Maura Healey to the Massachusetts-Ireland Trade Commission. This body was commissioned by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2024 to “evaluate the economic interests of, and review ways to strengthen the relationship between, the commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland.”
Melih Elcin, MD, assistant dean for Interprofessional Education in the School of Health Sciences, was appointed as a member of the Accreditation in Human Simulation Sub-Committee for the Association of SP Educators in the 2025-26 term. The committee evaluates the applications of SP programs for accreditation.
Jasmin Hutchinson, PhD, professor of Exercise Science, was selected as a Visiting Fellow at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland as part of the highly competitive JYU Visiting Fellow Program 2025. During her fellowship, Hutchinson will collaborate with the Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain and the Department of Music, Art, and Culture Studies on cutting-edge research at the intersection of psychology, movement, and music. She will also co-teach for the Interdisciplinary Topics in Music Science Summer School, sponsored by the European Union, and give a keynote address at the International Seminar on “Music, Sport, and Health.”
Fadia Nordtveit, PhD, assistant professor of Communications and Business, was appointed in the fall of 2024 to a three-year term on the board of directors for the Hitchcock Center for the Environment in Amherst, Mass.
Mara Simon, EdD, associate professor of Physical Education and Health Education, was appointed in January 2025 to a three-year term as editor-in-chief for Quest, a premier journal for kinesiology in higher education, after serving as an associate editor for three years.
Brian Thompson, PhD, professor of Exercise Science and director of Sports Performance, was appointed as advisor/content contributor for the Unleash Health® Scientific Council starting in August 2024. Unleash Health® is a longevity science and artificial intelligence company.
Jasmin Hutchinson
Fadia Nordtveit
Brian Thompson
