Who we are

Junior graphic designer
samuella.akaab@umassmed.edu

Samuella Akaab joined UMass Chan in early 2022. Prior to that, Samuella was a graphic design intern at the Nigerian-American fashion company Femi Aina New York. She received her Bachelor of Arts in marketing and graphic design from Assumption University. Outside the office, she enjoys exploring new TV shows and music and is a foodie.

Web communications content manager
joanna.alizio@umassmed.edu

Joanna Alizio has more than a decade of experience in higher education as a writer for language-learning textbooks, an editor for a health and wellness magazine, and as a classroom Spanish teacher. In her role as web communications manager, Joanna manages the creation and maintanance of high-visiblity websites for the Office of Communications, and was part of the team that developed UMass Chan's first web governance policy. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish language and literature from the University of New Hampshire.

Executive assistant
lisa.barry@umassmed.edu

For more than a decade Lisa Barry has provided high-level administrative support for a wide range of projects within the Office of the Chancellor and the Office of Communications at UMass Chan Medical School. Immediately prior to joining UMass Chan, Lisa managed the office of a former president of a major security technology company. She has a degree in machine and tool design and began her career as a draftsman at Digital.

Senior director, editorial
508-856-2669
ellie.castano@umassmed.edu

Ellie Castano brings more than 25 years of experience to her role as senior director, editorial. In this role, Ellie works to ensure that all content produced by the Office of Communications is aligned with institutional style, brand, standards and goals. She maintains the UMass Chan editorial style guide, oversees web project and content team members, and serves on the Branding Committee. She is also managing editor of @umasschan magazine. Prior to her current role in the Office of Communications, she contributed stories to the news website and various publications at UMass Chan as well as coordinated production of numerous print pieces. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she also began her career in higher ed communications. She joined the Medical School in 2005.

Senior science writer
james.fessenden@umassmed.edu

Jim Fessenden writes about the exciting and groundbreaking basic and translational research taking place at UMass Chan Medical School. Some of Jim's areas of interest include molecular and cellular physiology, genetics, RNA biology, gene therapy, rare disease research, stem cell biology, and systems biology. He collaborates between external science media and UMass Chan faculty and staff to promote UMass Chan science. Prior to joining UMass Chan in 2008, he worked in journalism and public relations.

Video and digital media director
bryan.goodchild@umassmed.edu

Bryan Goodchild directs, drives and oversees the development and production of professionally high quality and engaging videography, photography, podcasts and multimedia content to highlight and amplify the mission and accomplishments of UMass Chan. Prior to joining UMass Chan, Bryan worked for several years in broadcast television in Vermont after graduating from St. Michael’s College, and in Boston for WFXT and WBZ.

Brand director
dan.lambert@umassmed.edu

Dan Lambert leads the UMass Chan visual branding strategy and produces a wide range of graphic design pieces in support of the school’s strategic goals. Dan’s design work includes templates and graphics distributed through the Brand Toolkit, presentation material for the Office of the Chancellor, social media graphics, an assortment of admissions and events collateral, and @umasschan magazine. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art education/sculpture and a professional certificate in graphic design from MassArt. Prior to joining UMass Chan, Dan was senior graphic designer for the MIT Alumni Association.  

Marketing content coordinator
hallie.leo@umassmed.edu

Hallie Leo is thrilled to capture the brilliant and diverse stories that UMass Chan Medical School students offer to the world. With a professional background in both radio news reporting and digital marketing, Hallie enjoys finding creative solutions and contributing to collaborative work. She graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Dickinson College. When out of the office, you might find her laughing at a comedy show, scouting out the best places to eat or singing karaoke. 

Digital marketing director
colleen.locke@umassmed.edu

Using data to direct strategy, Colleen Locke writes and produces content for the institutional social media accounts. Colleen also manages the office’s weekly newsletter and writes stories for the UMass Chan News website and @umasschan magazine. She is available to advise colleagues across UMass Chan on social media best practices and guidelines. She came to UMass Chan from UMass Boston, where she served as digital communications editor in its Office of Communications. Prior to that, she was a three-time Emmy-winning television and web producer. Colleen does community theater for fun and is a Buffalo Bills, Syracuse Orange and NASCAR fan.

Media relations specialist
hayley.mignacca@umassmed.edu

Hayley Mignacca joined the UMass Chan Office of Communications in late 2022. Hayley supports the media relations director in promoting the Medical School's faculty, staff and students through media outreach. She leads the production of the weekly UMass Chan 'In the News' newsletter, she also supports the production of the Voices of UMass Chan podcast and writes for UMass Chan News. Prior to joining UMass Chan, Hayley worked for nearly four years in broadcast journalism and news production, most recently as the 6 p.m. producer at Spectrum News 1 Worcester. She got her start working as an associate producer on the sunrise shows at WJAR Providence.

She graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Providence with a Bachelor of Science in media and communications. Hayley is a Rhode Island native. When she’s not working, she likes to spend time with her family and her cat, Leela, and go to the gym and travel.

Communications writer
patrick.sargent@umassmed.edu

Patrick Sargent joined the UMass Chan Medical School Communications team in 2022 as a communications writer, covering government and community relations stories, campus events, and more for UMass Chan's online news and print publications. Before coming to UMass Chan, Pat was a journalist in the Worcester area for nearly a decade. A lifelong Worcester resident, he grew up just over a mile away from the UMass Chan campus. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from Worcester State University. Off campus, he is the showrunner for a pair of podcasts: "Unsolved: Worcester," a true-crime podcast, and the upcoming "The United States of U.F.Os," which will explore the historical context of UFO sightings in America. He enjoys sports radio, hot coffee and reading.

Senior writer and editor
susan.spencer1@umassmed.edu

Susan Spencer brings decades of print journalism and public health experience to shape major medical science stories for UMass Chan's online news and magazine publications. While a reporter for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Susan covered health, investigative stories and local news. Before she fell in love with journalism, she worked in health policy and nonprofit organizations. Susan holds a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College, where she majored in psychology, and a Master of Science in health policy and management from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. A longtime avid distance runner, she returned to running marathons after becoming an empty nester. 

Media relations director
508-856-1253
sarah.willey@umassmed.edu

Sarah Willey identifies stories to help promote the incredible work of UMass Chan’s faculty, staff and students. Prior to working in public relations, Sarah spent the first half of her career in broadcast journalism as a producer and writer in fast-paced newsrooms around Boston. Both fields require her to be forward thinking, nimble and organized. As a media relations director at UMass Chan, she works to build strong mutual relationships with reporters who cover health, medicine and science and inform them about news at UMass Chan. When she is not working, she spends her time with her family, including husband Aron, teenage daughters, Samantha and Molly, and their 10-pound Shih Tzu/Chihuahua, Snickers. If she could retire anywhere, it would be Croatia. She loves to listen to podcasts and music, works out every day and couldn’t live without peanut butter or coffee.