Voices of UMass Chan

Voices of UMass Chan is a collection of short interviews with faculty who are near retirement, transitioning through retirement or retired. The goal of the project is to collect the wisdom and experience of our faculty through time and also collect perspectives on the institution through oral history. The resulting videos will reside both on the OFA website and the Lamar Soutter Library website/ archives to create a living history for UMass Chan.

Current Collection

Dr. Marianne Felice, Professor of Pediatrics and former Department of Pediatrics and former Interim CEO of UMMHC was interviewed in 2016.  View three video clips from this interview:

• Deciding to Retire
• What to do in retirement
• What do you hope for the future of this institution

Dr. Mai-Lan Rogoff, Professor of Psychiatry and former Associate Dean for Student Services was interviewed in 2016.  View the full-length video or the following three clips from this interview:

• Advice to Faculty for their careers
• Advice on Leading Successfully
• What makes you most proud of UMMS

How do you get involved?

We want to have your experience and reflections included in our ongoing history at University of Massachusetts Medical Center. You can get involved by calling us at 508-856-3433 or e mail (Joanna.cain@umassmemorial.org) to let us know you are interested and how to connect with you. We will also be reaching out to faculty suggested by Departments or Peers.

What is the interview like?

When an interview is scheduled, you will be told where (likely within Information Technology in a recording room) and how to get there. There is a consent form that allows us to share it on the OFA and Library web sites. If there are specific objects (books, instruments, etc.) or pictures you would like to include in the interview, please bring them with you. We will use them as visuals in the edited interview. We will then sit together and discuss questions that you have picked from the list below or added and agreed upon before the interview for about 15 minutes. We will also likely ask follow up questions to be sure we understand. There will be some editing for length (sorry) and for content, but we will try to keep this minimal.

Here are some questions to think about and reflect on what is particularly meaningful to you.

Please pick several (2 to 3) from each category and think of additional questions you would like to respond to in each category.

About you:

1. Name, title, Department, date
2. When did you start at UMass Chan Medical School?
3. Why did you come to UMass Chan?
4. What roles have you played at UMass Chan?
5. Who was the most influential person in your career? Why?
6. How did you navigate the changes in medicine/ science and the demands of the profession to get to where you are now?
7. What was the most challenging project, research, or patient care issue you faced during your career?
8. What advice would you give a new faculty member to build their resilience and success?
9. What are you most proud of?
10. How did you know that you wanted to transition to retirement?

About the institution:

1. How has the institution changed and grown over the time you have been here?
2. Who do you think has been influential in the changes you have seen in the institution?
3. Were there any significant research groups, policies, programs or changes you were part of while you were here? If so, tell us about it: What was it? Why is it significant? What do you remember about how it happened, the work of the committee or other parts of the work?
4. What has made you the most proud about our institution?
5. What are your hopes for the institution moving into the future?

We look forward to having you participate in this important program.

Here is a checklist for participation.

• Call the Office of Faculty Affairs at 508.856.3433 or e mail Joanna.cain@umassmemorial.org to let us know you are interested.
• Set a date for filming with the office
• Review the list of questions and select any articles/ books/ instruments that you want to include in the video. 
• Send the list of questions that you would like to cover to Dr. Cain
• Arrive on time for the video
  • Bring the objects you want to include
  • Sign the consent form
  • Enjoy a 15 to 20 minute conversation about your thoughts and history.

We will send you the url for your video as well as send on to the Library for inclusion in the video archives.