ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst
We are now able to accept submissions directly in ScholarWorks. For submissions that are not doctoral dissertations or masters theses, please log in with your NetID, click the + (plus) in to the top left corner, and select the Submit Research option.
Graduate students filing for February 2025 degrees: We are now accepting submissions directly to ScholarWorks. Directions for submissions can be found in this guide. Please email scholarworks@library.umass.edu if you have any questions.
Request forms are functional. If you do not receive a reply to a submitted request, please email scholarworks@library.umass.edu.
This site is still under construction, please see our ScholarWorks guide for updates.
Recent Submissions
Publication Out of confinement: adaptive agency and dynamic meaning-making in accounts of pandemic campus restrictions(2025)Purpose In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, US post-secondary institutions enacted policies that imposed spatial restrictions in order to reduce viral spread. Acting quickly to impose restrictions on campus environments often designed to foster interaction, decision-makers knew little about how student experience of learning and of community would be impacted. In this study, analysis and interpretation of interview data from young adults undergoing spatial confinement are considered, as well as interviewees’ dynamic meaning-making and resilient responses to evolving environmental conditions. Design/methodology/approach This empirical qualitative study comprised two phases of in-depth interviews with on-campus residential students. Phase I was conducted during a period of campus restrictions (Spring 2021); Phase II was conducted one year later when restrictions were lifted (Spring 2022). Findings Findings show that spatial restrictions negatively impacted student well-being resulting in a blurring of time and space, dysregulation, and mental health declines. Further, the lack of spatial differentiation and spatial transitions between activities contributed to decreases in energy, motivation and productivity. However, students demonstrated resilience by engaging in purposeful routines, seeking out varied environmental stimuli and expanding their networks through novel activities to contend with spatial and social isolation. Originality/value This study compares initial and follow-up interviews to find that agency plays a fundamental role in dynamic constructions of place-meaning. The findings suggest the importance of spatial flexibility and agency in maintaining well-being, and calls for greater sensitivity to the importance of spatial and sensory variety in human environments.Publication Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change Research to Practice Paper: Climate-Smart Gardening 2.0(2025)Gardening with native and near-native plants can help gardens and nearby ecosystems adapt to our changing climate, supporting their future biodiversity and resilience. Here, we provide updated and expanded state lists of “climate-smart” commercially available native and near-native plants that are expected to grow in the Northeast with continued climate change.Publication CIE Retreat - 2008(Center for International Education, UMass Amherst, 2008-10)Publication Data and Code for "Self-limiting states of polar misfits: frustrated assembly of warped-jigsaw particles"(2025-05-15)Data and code for paper "Self-limiting states of polar misfits: frustrated assembly of warped-jigsaw particles"Publication Semiotic Analysis of a Science Library: Inclusion and Messaging(Association of College and Research Libraries, 2023-07-07)The purpose of this study is to investigate what semiotic analysis can reveal about how welcoming and inclusive a science library space is for patrons. A space was examined in terms of its messaging to patrons of various genders, abilities, races, ethnicities, nationalities, and disciplines. Findings are presented about the space’s messaging regarding the disciplines it serves, inclusion of patrons from minoritized demographics, and general expectations of visitors. Recommendations for library practice and future research are discussed.
Communities in ScholarWorks
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