Staff Spotlight: Michael Riley

Mike Riley is a custodian at the college who most often works in the Science Center. In this interview, Riley shared stories from his life before Amherst and reflected on how he has learned and used the kindness that so many know him for.

Staff Spotlight: Jason Williams

Jason Williams is the Director of Chemical and Laboratory Safety. He spoke about his work with chemicals from “cradle to grave” and his journey to this “niche” field of science.

Staff Spotlight: Bilal A. Muhammad ’99

Bilal A. Muhammad ’99 works in Frost Library as the evening circulation student supervisor and specialist. He spoke with The Student about his role at Amherst, his podcast, and returning to the Pioneer Valley.

Staff Spotlight: Michelle Phillips

Michelle Phillips is a Cash Operations Supervisor who currently works at Grab-n-Go. She spoke on her 30 years working at Amherst, Pride, birdhouses, coaching sports, and her advice for Amherst students.

Staff Spotlight: Jane Kungu

Jane Kungu is the new assistant director of the Multicultural Resource Center (MRC). In this interview, Kungu reflects on the strengths of the MRC, her plans to deepen its community presence, and her own educational journey.

Staff Spotlight: David Ke

David Ke is a CDC responsible for supervising the CA's in Appleton, South, North, and Williston Halls. David is perhaps most known on campus for his Instagram-famous dog, Potato, who provides joy and delight to countless members of the campus community.

Staff Spotlight: Reneé Alvarez

Reneé Alvarez is a Meal Checker at Valentine Dining Hall. She is beloved on campus for her warm and enthusiastic greetings. Alvarez previously worked as a business manager at the University of Missouri, but moved to Amherst with her husband, Professor of Mathematics Ryan Alvarado.

Staff Spotlight: Kevin Weinman

Kevin Weinman became Amherst’s Chief Financial Officer in 2013, overseeing the college’s financial planning, investments and Covid response. Weinman recently announced that he will be departing in early September to serve as president of Marist College.

Staff Spotlight: Laura Fredette and Brittney Clapp

Laura Fredette is a staff member at the Covid-19 Testing Center. A travel nurse, she started working at Amherst in August of 2020, and has enjoyed telling jokes to students as they get tested, as well as admiring the beauty of the college. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family and is also completing a degree in forensic psychology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Q: Around campus, you are known for telling jokes to students while they wait in the Covid-19 testing l

Staff Spotlight: Larissa Hopkins

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: What initially got you interested in this work and where were you before Amherst? A: My experience at Hamilton College as an undergraduate student really opened me up to the world of power, privilege and oppression, individual identities, the complexities of those identities and the ways in which we have very different lived experiences and realities. I ended up transitioning from being pre-med to being what was called then a women’s st

Staff Spotlight: Victoria Wilson

Victoria M. Wilson is the associate director for internship programs at the Loeb Center. She specializes in career exploration and coaching students through the internship applicant process. Before joining the Loeb Center, Wilson worked at Paul Quinn College as the special assistant to the president and then as the dean of the work program. She received a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s in public policy from Duke University. Q: W

Staff Spotlight: Andy Anderson

This week’s Staff Spotlight, published in a celebration of election day, features Andy Anderson, an academic technology specialist at the college and an advocate for Massachusetts Question 2, Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative [https://www.yeson2rcv.com/]. The initiative aims to enact ranked-choice voting for primary and general elections for state executive officials, state legislators, federal congressional and senate seats, and certain county offices in Massachusetts beginning in 2022. Q: What

Staff Spotlight: Allison Tanguay

Allison Tanguay is the math associate at the Moss Quantitative Center. This semester, her work involves meeting with students one-on-one and in groups over Zoom to assist with math work. Tanguay has previously taught at Central Connecticut State University, Carleton College, the University of Massachusetts and the University of Tübingen, Germany. Q: What did you do before you came to Amherst College? A: I started at Boston University. But I dropped out after the first year. I took a year off

Staff Spotlight: Billy McBride

Billy McBride is the assistant athletic director of diversity and inclusion, the director of club sports and a senior coach from Syracuse, New York. McBride has been a coach at the college for 30 years, before which he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, played professional football in the Canadian Football League and worked at a school in New York City. During the pandemic, he has been learning how to play guitar. Q: Where are you from? A: I’m from Syracuse, New York. When I think of hom

Staff Spotlight: Stephanie Capsuto

Stephanie Capsuto is a science librarian. In her role, she helps students with research projects and hopes to get more STEM students into the archives and special collections. Capsuto began working at the college in May. Q: Where are you from? A: I grew up in Westchester, New York — so about an hour north of New York City. I did my undergrad at Smith College, then I spent two years doing grad school at the University of Michigan where I studied library science. I just moved back to Massachuset