Thank you for your interest in the Rudd Adoption Research Program. In light of the current circumstances surrounding travel restrictions and Coronavirus (COVID-19), we regret to inform you that the conference has been canceled. 

All registrations for the conference will be automatically canceled, and full refunds will be issued without penalty or fees. You are not required to contact us to cancel your registration. Refunds will be issued in the method in which payment was received. Please understand that it will take some time for our event staff to process all the reimbursements and we are grateful for your patience. If you have already completed a registration, please check your email for further information about the cancellation. 

Preliminary Program - Friday, April 17, 2020

8AM - Registration and Coffee
Campus Center Auditorium, 1st Floor

8:15AM - Poster Presentations
Campus Center Auditorium, 1st Floor

9:00AM - Welcome and Introductions
Campus Center Auditorium, 1st Floor

9:15 - 10:15AM - Keynote Presentation
Campus Center Auditorium, 1st Floor
Keynote Speaker: Gina E. Miranda Samuels, Associate Professor at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration, Faculty Affiliate at the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture

10:30 - 11:45AM - Panel Discussion
Campus Center Auditorium, 1st Floor

12 - 1:15PM - Lunch and Poster Session
Campus Center Auditorium, 1st Floor

1:30 - 3PM - Afternoon Concurrent Sessions I
Campus Center, Various Locations (1st Floor and 8th Floor)
Please visit the " Concurrent Sessions" tab above for session titles and descriptions

3:30 - 5PM - Afternoon Concurrent Sessions II
Campus Center, Various Locations (1st Floor and 8th Floor)
Please visit the " Concurrent Sessions" tab above for session titles and descriptions

5PM - Program Conclusion

Thank you for your interest in the Rudd Adoption Research Program. In light of the current circumstances surrounding travel restrictions and Coronavirus (COVID-19), we regret to inform you that the conference has been canceled. 

All registrations for the conference will be automatically canceled, and full refunds will be issued without penalty or fees. You are not required to contact us to cancel your registration. Refunds will be issued in the method in which payment was received. Please understand that it will take some time for our event staff to process all the reimbursements and we are grateful for your patience. If you have already completed a registration, please check your email for further information about the cancellation. 

Afternoon Concurrent Sessions
Below are the titles and descriptions of the concurrent afternoon sessions being held in a variety of locations on the 1st and 8th floor of the UMass Campus Center from 1:30 - 3PM and from 3:30 - 5PM. Additional information regarding these sessions will be posted shortly.

• LONGITUDINAL STUDIES OF ADOPTED & FOSTERED PERSONS INTO ADULTHOOD
  
  Leslie Leve, University of Oregon, Ruth Sellers, University of Sussex
  Longitudinal Studies of Adopted and Fostered Persons into Adulthood: The Importance of Neurobiology and the Social Context
  This session will include an overview of the evidence base and recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report on The Promise of Adolescence, and use this as a framework for the importance of focusing attention on adopted and fostered persons as they transition from adolescence to young adulthood. Findings from a longitudinal study of young women who were formerly in foster care and from an intergenerational study of adopted persons and their birth and adoptive parents will be presented.

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• ADULTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED FOSTER CARE
  
  Chris Downs, The Downs Group LLC
  Strategic Supports During Care May Produce Benefits for Adult Foster Care Alumni
  A vast body of research documents the generally harmful effects of entering and remaining in US foster care. Research from the Casey Family Alumni studies and extensive research with LGBTQ+ youth and alumni of care indicate that there are specific factors that blunt negative effects during care and appear linked to long-term benefits for adult alumni of care. This talk focuses on those substantiated factors that seem to produce some of the greatest benefits.
  
  April Curtis, National Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice Consultant
  Centering Lived Experiences: Foster Care Alumni Association of America
  As a person who experienced the foster care system, April Curtis co-founded the Foster Care Alumni Association of America to center the lived experiences and advocate for change. Presenters will reflect on thier experience and that of other foster alumni in their efforts to organize, as well as the opportunities, challenges, and future needs of foster youth and alumni into adulthood.
  
  Sharon Vandivere, Child Trends
  Findings from the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Post-Adoption Study
  This presentation will describe findings from a study involving young adults adopted from foster care at age 8 or older through the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids(WWK) adoption recruitment program. A prior evaluation showed that WWK increases a child’s likelihood of being adopted but was not able to explore outcomes post-adoption. During in-person interviews in the present study, 129 individuals (ages 18-21) answered questions about how they are faring as young adults, about their relationships with their adoptive and birth families, and about their experiences post-adoption, among other topics.      

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• ADOPTED & FOSTERED ADULTS & THEIR FAMILIES: INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS - RESEARCH
  
  JaeRan Kim, University of Washington Tacoma
  Adoptees as parents: Intergenerationality of ethnic, racial and adoption socialization
  Many Korean adoptees are now parents, but little is known about this experience. The study sought to understand the ethnic, racial, and adoptive socialization practices of 51Korean adoptee parents. It found Korean transnational adoptee parents are grappling with the intergenerational impact of transracial, transnational adoption as they consider race, culture and adoption with their children.
  
  Julia Rimmer, University of East Anglia
  The Later Lives of Adoptive Families: When Adopted People become Parents and Adopters become Grandparents
  In this talk we share emerging findings from a narrative analysis project with adoptive families exploring the arrival of the next generation: when adoptees become parents and adopters grandparents. Our research focuses on adoptions within the last 30 years in England and Wales - predominantly adoptions from the care system.
  
  Addie Wyman Battalen, Boston College
  Birth Mothers as Grandmothers
  Voices of birth mothers (and the birth/first family) are often overlooked in the adoption kinshipnetwork. As adoptions increasingly include at least some degree of openness, more guidance is needed for family members and practitioners to support communication and relationships. This presentation will explore how some birth mothers navigate relationships with their birth children following the milestone or adult adoptees becoming parents themselves.     

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• ADOPTED & FOSTERED ADULTS & THEIR FAMILIES: INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS - LIVED EXPERIENCES
  
  Rebecca Ricardo, C2 Adopt
  When Worlds Collide: Navigating Family Relationships as an Adoptee and Birthparent
  Rebecca Ricardo will reflect on how her identity as an adoptee and birth parent collided and has evolved into complex intergenerational relationships. Becoming“whole” by searching for her birth family and being found by her son seemed vitally important as she entered her late 20’s and married. While she had decided I was not going to have kids, a full 10 plus years after search and reunion with her birth family and son, she decided to be a parenting parent. She will share how she chose/had to navigate her own birth family relationships, but also her relationship with her adult birth son.
  
  April Curtis, National Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice Consultant
  The Tangled Web of Family: Navigating Foster, Adoptive, and Birth Family Relationships
  April Curtis was placed in foster care with some of her siblings, while others were adopted or raised with birth family. In this presentation, she will reflect on her family's experience of navigating multiple families and familial relationships both as children and now as adults who are parenting, the intergenerational implications of adoption and foster care, and how professionals can develop a "long view" of adoption and foster care.
  
  Joe Kroll, Executive Director Emeritus, North American Council on Adoptable Children
  Parenting is a Life-Time Commitment, and Grand Parenting is the Icing on the cake
  The father of a Korean Adoptee and grandfather of Korean-Americans, Joe Kroll finds that Embracing diversity contributes to the celebration of multiculturalism in his family. He will share the parenting strategies his family used to create a culturally blended family     

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• ADOPTED: GENETIC TESTING & HEALTH DISPARITIES (PART I)
  
  Tom May, Washington State University
  Differing benefits and risks of genetic testing in the context of ancestry testing versus health
  Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) genetic testing has long been used for ancestry purposes, such as filling in a family tree or identifying potential relatives. Recently, DTC companies have begun offering health related genetic testing to the options available to consumers. This session will explore the different benefits and risks posed by each type of testing.
  
  Heewon Lee, University of Minnesota
  Am I at Risk? Limitations of Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing for Adoptees’ Health Information
  Direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTC-GT) has eliminated many of the roadblocks adoptees have encountered in locating birth family. But as adoptees age and have children, how are they using DTC-GT for their health? Heewon Lee will present findings from a quantitative study of DTC-GT use by adult domestic and intercountry adoptees,address the changing landscape of DTC-GT for health information, and discuss how adoptees can benefit from genetic counseling and clinical genetic testing.      

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• ADOPTED: GENETIC TESTING & BIRTH SEARCH (PART II)
  
  Richard Lee, University of Minnesota
  Psychological Correlates of Genetic Testing Interest among Adoptees and Adoptive Parents
  What leads adoptees and adoptive parents to pursue genetic testing? This talk will discuss whether adoptees' interest in genetic testing is related to being unhappy, ungrateful, and angry and how interest in genetic testing is a way to enact one's interest in ethnic heritage and birth family. However, adoptive parents' interest in genetic testing is related to other psychological factors.
  
  Kirby Deater-Deckard, University of Massachusetts
  Direct to Consumer DNA Testing and Databases:Opportunities and Pitfalls
  With current technologies and population-based databases of DNA, it is now inexpensive to receive your own personal genotyping and genetic ancestry information directly from companies. Adult adoptees are able to receive potentially life-changing and health-impacting information, and DNA testing will be an increasingly common aspect of life for adoptees and non-adoptees alike. This presentation will provide an overview of the methods and rationale, methods, and strengths/weaknesses of the data that such DNA companies provide.
  
  Katherine Kim, President, 325Kamra, Inc.
  Reuniting Korean Adoptees and Birth Families through DNA Testing
  Brief Description: In 2015, the organization 325Kamra was established to help reunite overseas Korean adoptees and birth families through the distribution of DNAtesting kits. Katherine Kim, President of 325Kamra, will discuss how the organization got established, the successes and challenges of DNA testing as an approach for search, particularly how the inclusion of birth families, and recommendations for adoption professionals and triad members.      

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• PUSHING FOR CHANGE: ADOPTED/FOSTERED ADULTS & ACTIVISM 
  
  Pamela Hasegawa, New Jersey Coalition for Adoption Reform and Education, and Tim Monti-Wohlpart, American Adoption Congress, National Legislative Chair and New York State Representative
  A Tale of Two States: Reflections on Adoptee-Led Activism to Open Birth Records in New York and New Jersey
  New York and New Jersey sealed adopted citizens’ original birth certificates in 1936 and 1940 respectively. In both states, legislation to reestablish access to adult adoptees was first introduced in 1980. New Jersey’s bill, which had been conditionally vetoed, was signed by Governor Christie in 2014 after 34 years of activism by adoptees in that state. Access with a restriction was implemented in 2017. On November 14, 2019, a newly passed New York bill restoring unrestricted access to original birth certificates (“clean” reform) was signed into law by Governor Cuomo. The effective date is January 15, 2020. In this presentation, two adoptees, Pam Hasegawa (NJ) and Tim Monti-Wohlpart (NY), each deeply involved in their own state’s efforts to restore adoptee rights and unseal original birth certificates, will reflect on their experiences, how their efforts shaped their own experiences as adoptees, and implications for future adoptee rights / adoption reform activism and efforts to restore unrestricted access to original birth certificates for adoptees.
  
  JaeRan Kim, University of Washington Tacoma, and Kris Larsen, Adoptees for Justice
  Fighting for Citizenship for All Adoptees: Adoptees for Justice
  Intercountry adoptees in the USA have been working to ensure the protection of citizenship for all adoptees, but particularly those who entered prior to 1982 who were excluded from the 2000 Child Citizenship Act and are at risk of deportation. Dr. JaeRan Kim and Kris Larsen, an adoptee impacted by current policies, will discuss their efforts to establish the group Adoptees for Justice and their efforts to lobby for the Adoptee Citizenship Act in 2018 and 2019, as well as reflect on the impact and role of adoptee activism.      

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• BUILDING COMMUNITY: ADOPTEE GATHERINGS & ORGANIZING
  
  Susan Cox, Holt International
  Looking Back: Creation and Impact of the 1999 First Gathering of the First Generation of Korean Adoptee
  Today, the Korean adoptee community can meet online and in person through various venues including formal and informal organizations and at larger national and international “Gatherings”. These are part of a legacy that started with the First Gathering organized in 1999 by Holt International Children Services, the Korea Society, and the adoptee organization Also-Known-As, Inc. Susan Cox, VP., will reflect on the vision for the Gathering, it’s impact on the adoption community, and legacy.
  
  Tatiana Neiman, Columbia University School of Social Work
  Connecting Russian Adoptees in the U.S.A.: Challenges and Opportunities
  Adoptions from Russian and former Soviet Union countries have been ongoing, but efforts by adoptees to connect are more recent. Tatiana Neiman, a Russian adoptee and social worker, will reflect on the opportunities and challenges of connecting with Russian adoptees she experienced conducting her research and experiences with a Russian adoptee organization.
  
  Alex Gilbert, I'm Adopted, Worldwide Adoption Project
  I’m Adopted - The Importance of Connecting with Other Adoptees
  Alex Gilbert will discuss his personal story as well as the stories of others to emphasize the importance of connecting with other adoptees. This talk does not emphasize finding one’s birth parents but rather finding connection amongst the community of adoptees. He is the originator of the "I'm Adopted" global web community.
  
  Grace O'Neil, University of Massachusetts Amherst
  Grace will speak on how UMass is dedicated to being an adoption friendly campus and the many resources available to students and the wider UMass community. Included in her discussion will be information about the Adoption Mentoring Partnership, Adopted Student Advisory Panel, and support groups for adoptive parents, as well as undergraduate courses both in-person and online.    

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• MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS FOR ADOPTED & FOSTERED YOUTH
  
  Barbara Best, Silver Lining Mentoring
  The Power of Mentoring
  This discussion will explore the power of mentoring for young people who are DCF involved and / or have experienced trauma. We will explore promising approaches and best practices to build long-term relationships that support resilience, healthy interconnectedness, and interdependence.
  
  Joy Lieberthal-Rho, LCSW Private Practice
  Adoptee Mentee-Mentorship and Community Building
  The international transracial adoptee community has been formally organizing for over 20 years. The speaker will share how an international adoptee led organization created the first adoptee mentorship program to build a foundation for a multi generational community for adoptees. Such programs and the proliferation of adoptee led organizations nationally, underscores the necessity of creating a space where the narrative begins with being adopted and not having adopted, and the importance of having elders in the adoptee community who can share the wisdom of what it means to cultivate a sense of identity around being adopted.
  
  Albert Lo, University of Massachusetts, and Dongwei Wang, University of Massachusetts
  Evaluation of the Adoption Mentoring Partnership
  The Adoption Mentoring Partnership is a collaboration between the Rudd Family Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County in which adopted college-age students are matched with adopted youths from the community. In this presentation, we will discuss current findings on how the program impacts its participants. Areas of future direction will also be presented.      

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• GIVING EXPRESSION TO LIVED EXPERIENCES: ADOPTED VOICES & THE ARTS -- Performance and Discussion with the Artists
  
  Liz DeBetta, doctoral student, Interdisciplinary Studies, Union Institute & University
  Performing the Self: “Un-M-Othered: An Autoethnographic Performance Narrative of Adoption & Patriarchy”
  Writing and performing my own adoption story is a way to elevate adoptee voices which have been historically silenced and underrepresented in research and literature. Using poetry, spoken word, movement, and personal narrative to highlight the lived experience of what it means to be adopted is both a pathway to healing and a way to open up dialogue around the complexity of adoption and the resultant trauma. Embodied storytelling helps to create space for empathy as a path toward social justice in the culture of adoption.
  
  Glenn Morey, Side by Side
  Side by Side: The filming of 100 first-person narratives of adoption and aging out of Korean Orphanages
  The producer and co-director of Side by Side, Glenn Morey, will present an overview of this documentary film-based project, including a rationale for the expanse of the project and its presentation in multiple iterations; description of the recruitment and preparation of interviewees; and details of the interviewing methods used in the filming of 100 stories in 7 countries, 6 languages, and 16 cities with adopted and aged out interviewees born 1945–1995 in South Korea. Glenn will also present excerpts from the full Side by Side interviews, and discuss the most consistently occurring themes in the interviews—alienation within family and community, identity formation and evolution, and coming to terms with the complexities and conflictive nature of adoption-related experiences.      

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• CLINICAL APPROACHES: THERAPIES FOR TEENS, EARLY ADULTHOOD AND BEYOND
  
  Karin Garber, Pacific University
  Navigating Identity, Attachment, and systems with Emerging Adult Adoptees: A Clinical Case Study
  This presentation will emphasize the translation of research and theory into clinical practice by examining the course of treatment in a case study with a transracial emerging adult adoptee. Relevant research and theoretical frameworks will be provided as the underpinnings for navigating treatment. Furthermore, how I conceptualized my own positionality and identities as a therapist in the therapeutic alliance will be discussed to underscore the relational, multicultural, and feminism aspects of my work.
  
  Susan Branco, Family Institute, Northwestern University
  Counseling Emergent, Young, and Middle Adult Adoptees: Data from Clinical Practice
  Adult adoptees are often overlooked in post-adoption and mental health counseling services. The panel presentation addresses this gap in services sharing common presenting concerns and counseling interventions gleaned through research and clinical practice. Counseling competencies for working with transracial adult adoptees will also be discussed. Lastly, implications for future research on adult adopted persons to inform ethical adoption and counseling practice will be discussed.

Debbie Riley, Center for Adoption Support and Education, Maryland 
Inclusion of Family Therapy in Building an Adoptive Identity: From adolescence to emerging adulthood
This discussion will focus upon the efficacy of family -based treatment in mitigating disruptions in identity development using the “six stuck spots” as a clinical framework to building positive identity , strong family ties and easier transition to emerging adulthood.      

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• CHANGE FROM WITHIN: ADOPTEE LEADERSHIP & WORK IN ADOPTION
  
  Rebecca Ricardo, C2 Adopt
  Reflections on Infiltrating the Adoption System
  As an adopted person and birth mother, Rebecca Ricardo sometimes feel like a “spy” working from the inside in her multiple roles and current position as the executive director of an adoption agency. In this presentation, she shares how she had a career goal to work in adoptions without really understanding what that would mean for her personally or professionally. The risks, vulnerability, positive and negative feedback have been both a minefield and an opportunity for all of the nearly 30 years in which she has worked in the field.    
  
  Cameron Tomlinson, doctoral student, Virgina Commonwealth University
  Navigating the boundaries and balance of being an adoptee within the child welfare field. As an intercountry adoptee and sibling to both a domestic infant adoptee and foster care adoptees, my work as a social worker within a public child welfare adoption unit was a mixture of navigating using personal experience anecdotes and maintaining professional boundaries. This presentation will include discussion about the ways my personal adoption experience served as both a source of rapport-building with foster/adoptive parents and foster youth and a source of potential bias and additional emotional/psychological stress. Through this discussion, the goal is to explore the role of lived experience in adoption work and the need for self-reflection and self-care.     
  
  Susan Cox, Holt International
  AWorking for Change : Trials, Triumphs, and Opportunities
  Susan Cox, adopted from South Korea, has worked at Holt International for decades. In this presentation, she will reflect on her experiences as an adoptee, particularly during a time before there were adoptee organizations and community, to elevate adoptee experiences within the organization, as well as in her work advocating for adoption policy.    

Thank you for your interest in the Rudd Adoption Research Program. In light of the current circumstances surrounding travel restrictions and Coronavirus (COVID-19), we regret to inform you that the conference has been canceled. 

All registrations for the conference will be automatically canceled, and full refunds will be issued without penalty or fees. You are not required to contact us to cancel your registration. Refunds will be issued in the method in which payment was received. Please understand that it will take some time for our event staff to process all the reimbursements and we are grateful for your patience. If you have already completed a registration, please check your email for further information about the cancellation. 

Conference Location
The conference will be held at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Conference sessions will be held in the Campus Center, with meeting spaces on the 1st and 8th floors. On-campus lodging is available at Hotel UMass (located in the Campus Center) and discounted parking is available in the attached Campus Center Parking Garage. Click here to take a look at a campus map.

The Campus Center, including Hotel UMass and the Campus Center Parking Garage, are located at 1 Campus Center Way, Amherst MA 01003. Click here to obtain turn-by-turn directions to the Campus Center Parking Garage. 

Traveling by Air
If you are traveling to Amherst by plane, the closest airport is Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut (near Hartford). This airport is approximately 45 miles from the UMass campus. Another option is Logan International Airport in Boston, located approximately 90 miles from the UMass campus. While more flight options are typically available into Logan, please remember to account for extra travel time to campus. Please also be sure to organize transportation to/from the airport to campus in advance of your arrival. 

Transportation Services 
Shuttle services and/or rental cars should be arranged prior to your travel. Please note there are no standing shuttles that run each day between Bradley/Logan and the UMass campus so additional arrangements must be made.
     •  Valley Transporter, 800-872-8752
     •  Seemo Shuttle, 800-908-2829 
     •  Exclusive Car Service, 877-695-4665
     •  Bluebird Transportation, 413-221-4512
     •  Enterprise

Driving to Campus

From the South, via I-91 North
Take Exit 19 in Northampton. From the exit ramp, stay to the right to merge onto Route 9. Travel approximately 4.5 miles to Route 116 North. Turn left onto 116 and go one mile to the UMass Exit. Stay to the right as you exit to merge onto Massachusetts Avenue. Take a left at the second set of lights onto Commonwealth Avenue. Continue on Commonwealth Avenue until you reach a set of traffic lights. Turn right onto Campus Center Way. Stay to the left to go up the hill - you will see the garage entrance up the hill on your right. 

From the North, via I-91 South
Take Exit 25 in Deerfield. At the end of the ramp turn left onto Routes U.S. 5/10/116. Follow until the lights and then turn right to stay on 5/10/116. Go one mile and turn left onto Route 116 South. Follow Route 116 South for eight miles to the UMass exit. Turn left at the stop sign. Take a left at the second set of lights onto Commonwealth Avenue. Continue on Commonwealth Avenue until you reach a set of traffic lights. Turn right onto Campus Center Way. Stay to the left to go up the hill - you will see the garage entrance up the hill on your right.

From the North, via I-93 South
Follow I-93 to I-495 South. Follow to Route 2 West. Continue on Route 2 to U.S. 202 South. Follow for about 15 miles to the blinking light at the Pelham exit marked “Route 9 and 116 Amherst.” Turn right and follow for seven miles to Amherst center. Turn right onto North Pleasant Street. Stay on North Pleasant Street (you will need to turn left twice to remain on North Pleasant Street, - follow signs to the UMass Campus). As you enter campus you will come to a set of lights. Stay to the left to turn onto Massachusetts Avenue. Follow Massachusetts Avenue through campus until you come to a set of lights. At the lights take a right onto Commonwealth Avenue. Continue on Commonwealth Avenue until you reach a set of traffic lights. Turn right onto Campus Center Way. Stay to the left and go up the hill - you will see the garage entrance up the hill on your right. 

From the East or West, via I-90
Travelers have a choice of four routes:

Transportation Services 
Shuttle services and/or rental cars should be arranged prior to your travel. Please note there are no standing shuttles that run each day between Bradley/Logan and the UMass campus so additional arrangements must be made.
     •  Off Exit 8 (Palmer/Ware): Follow Route 32 South to Palmer; take Route 20 West to Route I-81 North into Belchertown, and then Route 9 West to Amherst. Follow signs to UMass.
     •  Off Exit 7 (Ludlow): Follow Route 21 North to U.S. 202 North to Route 9 West to Amherst center. Follow signs to UMass. 
     •  Off Exit 5 (Chicopee): Follow Route 33 North to Route 116 North to Amherst center. Turn left at the light onto Route 9 West. Follow signs to UMass. 
     •  Off Exit 4 (West Springfield): I-91 North to Exit 19 to Route 9 East to Amherst. Follow signs to UMass.

Traveling by Bus
The Amherst area is serviced by Greyhound, Peter Pan Bus Lines and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority. Based on the service you select and route availabilities you should take a bus to Amherst UMass if at all possible instead of Amherst Center (Amherst Center is about 1.5 miles from the UMass Campus). Please be sure to review bus schedules and campus maps prior to your arrival.

Traveling by Train
Amtrak provides passenger rail service to nearby Northampton, MA, located a 20 minute drive from the UMass campus, and Springfield, MA, located a 30 minute drive from the UMass campus. For schedule information and to purchase tickets, visit Amtrak's website and select "Northampton, MA (NHT)" or "Springfield, MA (SPG)" as your arrival destination.

If you take a train to Northampton, MA, you will then need to take either a bus or taxi to the UMass campus. Both PVTA and Peter Pan buses service the area, but the bus stops are not located at the train platform and will require about a 7 minute walk. If you prefer, you may use one of the many local taxi services or Uber/Lyft. We encourage you to carefully plan your trip - including bus or taxi services - prior to your arrival as the Northampton train platform is not a train station and phone access, area maps, bus schedules, and bus tickets will not be available once you arrive. If you decide to take a train out of Northampton, remember to purchase your return ticket online prior to arriving at the platform. The train platform is located at 170 Pleasant Street in Northampton, MA.

If you take a train to Springfield, MA, we recommend booking a shuttle service, such as Valley Transporter, to get you from Springfield to Amherst. Bus services, including Peter Pan, are also available, but will require about a 15 minute walk from the train station to the bus stop. The train will arrive at the Springfield station building, located at 66 Lyman Street in Springfield, MA. This station building does have a waiting room, ticket office, quik-trak kiosk, and payphone, but we do still encourage you to plan your trip, including services from the train station to campus, prior to your arrival. 

Thank you for your interest in the Rudd Adoption Research Program. In light of the current circumstances surrounding travel restrictions and Coronavirus (COVID-19), we regret to inform you that the conference has been canceled. 

All registrations for the conference will be automatically canceled, and full refunds will be issued without penalty or fees. You are not required to contact us to cancel your registration. Refunds will be issued in the method in which payment was received. Please understand that it will take some time for our event staff to process all the reimbursements and we are grateful for your patience. If you have already completed a registration, please check your email for further information about the cancellation. 

Parking
For Attendees Staying Off-campus/Commuting
Attendees not staying at Hotel UMass should park in the Campus Center Parking Garage, located at 1 Campus Center Way in Amherst, MA 01003. Parking coupons for the garage will be provided upon your arrival at the registration desk. As you pull into the garage you will take a gate ticket. Prior to leaving for the day, but before you get to your car, take your gate ticket and the parking coupon to one of the garage paystations (paystations are located on levels 2, 3, and 4). Enter your gate ticket and, when prompted, scan the parking coupon. This will offer you a discounted rate of $6.50/day, valid for one exit. Once your coupon has been applied you will submit payment and your now validated gate ticket will be returned to you. Return to your car and drive the garage exit. Insert your validated gate ticket to lift the exit gate as you drive out of the garage. This process will need to be repeated each day you attend the conference.

For Hotel UMass Guests
Guests staying at Hotel UMass will receive a discounted parking pass to the Campus Center Parking Garage at hotel check-in. The Campus Center Parking Garage is located at 1 Campus Center Way in Amherst MA 01003. Follow the signs down to park on Level 2. Take your gate with you and enter the Campus Center using the marked hallway. Stay to the left to walk through the main concourse. Take the elevators to the hotel lobby, located on the 3rd floor, to check-in (available after 3PM on your date of arrival). Provide your garage gate ticket to the hotel desk clerk to receive a discounted parking pass.

Accessible Parking 
Attendees with a valid state-issued reserved accessible license plate or placard may park in any marked Handicap Space or any nonrestricted, nonreserved space or lot, at no charge, as long as your plate or placard is clearly displayed at all times during your stay. To locate reserved accessible parking, visit the UMass Parking Map, select the blue parking icon on the right, and click the "Handicapped Parking" option. You may also click here to view a complete campus accessibility map.

Local Transportation
There are multiple transportation options to get you from campus to amenities and attractions in the surrounding area. Amherst center, with local shops, restaurants, and small convenience stores, is a 15-20 minute walk or 5 minute drive from campus. If you find you need to visit a grocery store, large retail store, or pharmacy during your stay, numerous options are located on University Drive and Russell Street (also known as Route 9) in neighboring Hadley, about a 5-10 minute trip from campus by car or bus. Retailers include CVS, Big Y, Stop and Shop, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Target, Walmart, JC Penney, Marshalls, and more. 

Local buses, operated by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, run regularly between Amherst center and the University, with additional services traveling throughout the Pioneer Valley, including Northampton, Springfield, and Greenfield. If you'd rather take a car, UMass has partnered with Zipcar to bring on-demand car sharing services right to campus. The area is also serviced by a variety of cab companies, including Uber, Lyft, Celebrity Cab Company, Tik Tok Taxi and Taxi Express. There are also a number of bicycle rentals around campus, including Laughing Dog Bicycles, Hampshire Bicycle Exchange, and ValleyBike Share.

Thank you for your interest in the Rudd Adoption Research Program. In light of the current circumstances surrounding travel restrictions and Coronavirus (COVID-19), we regret to inform you that the conference has been canceled. 

All registrations for the conference will be automatically canceled, and full refunds will be issued without penalty or fees. You are not required to contact us to cancel your registration. Refunds will be issued in the method in which payment was received. Please understand that it will take some time for our event staff to process all the reimbursements and we are grateful for your patience. If you have already completed a registration, please check your email for further information about the cancellation. 

On-Campus Lodging
Hotel UMass
Rated the best hotel in Amherst and seated in the center of the picturesque UMass Amherst campus, Hotel UMass blends a tranquil countryside escape with the bustling energy of campus life, making it your ideal destination when staying in the area. Located in the Campus Center just an elevator ride from many meeting spaces and amenities, including the University Store and several newly renovated dining options, Hotel UMass offers unbeatable convenience for a discounted conference rate of $149.00/room for the night of Thursday, April 16th, and $179.00/room for the night of Friday, April 17th (plus applicable fees, currently 6% plus $1.00 per room, per night).  Click here or call 877-822-2110 to complete a reservation. Reference group code RAC20C to receive the discounted group rate.  Reservations will be available at this discounted rate until March 19th, 2020, or until space fills, so book early! 

Rooms are available at the discounted group rate for the night of Thursday, April 16th, and the night of Friday April 17th. Guests wishing to book outside of these dates should call the hotel to inquire about availability. Any rooms not reserved on or before March 19th, 2020 will be released into general inventory and be available for sale to the general public. Conferees may continue to call in for a reservation after this date, however rooms and rates will not be guaranteed.

Off-Campus Lodging
The Amherst area is full of many hotels, motels and bed & breakfasts. A variety of hotel chains offer their familiar comforts just a short 5 - 10 minute drive from the UMass Campus on Route 9/Russell Street in neighboring Hadley, while charming independent inns and B&Bs dot the area, offering a true taste of Pioneer Valley living. Below are some popular lodging options, including the estimated drive time to the Campus Center.

Amherst
    Allen House Inn - 413-253-5000 (9 minutes)
    Amherst Airbnb
    Black Walnut Inn - 413-549-5649
    Lord Jeffrey Inn - 413-253-2576 (10 minutes)
    University Lodge - 413-256-8111 (6 minutes)

Hadley
    Courtyard Marriott - 413-256-5454 (8 minutes) 
    Econo Lodge - 413-582-7077 (9 minutes)
    Hampton Inn - 413-586-4851 (16 minutes)
    Holiday Inn Express - 413-582-0002 (7 minutes)
    Howard Johnson - 413-586-0114 (10 minutes)

Deerfield
    Deerfield Inn - 413-774-5587 (27 minutes)
    Red Roof Inn - 413-665-7161 (19 minutes)

Northampton
    Hotel Northampton - 413-584-7660 (21 minutes)
    Quality Inn & Suites - 413-586-1500 (21 minutes)

Lodging is not included in the cost of registration but there are many convenient on-campus and local options. If you have any questions about the area or lodging options below, please don't hesitate to contact the UMass Conference Services Registration Office at registration@umass.edu or 413-577-8102.

Thank you for your interest in the Rudd Adoption Research Program. In light of the current circumstances surrounding travel restrictions and Coronavirus (COVID-19), we regret to inform you that the conference has been canceled. 

All registrations for the conference will be automatically canceled, and full refunds will be issued without penalty or fees. You are not required to contact us to cancel your registration. Refunds will be issued in the method in which payment was received. Please understand that it will take some time for our event staff to process all the reimbursements and we are grateful for your patience. If you have already completed a registration, please check your email for further information about the cancellation. 

UMass Dining
Recently named "Best Campus Food in America" by the Princeton Review for the fourth year in a row, UMass Dining invites you to join our table! Our campus guests can find UMass Dining at every corner of campus. With dining commons, retail cafes, food trucks, and more, we welcome you to enjoy all that the UMass Dining experience has to offer. Note: registration includes a continental breakfast, lunch and breaks prepared by UMass catering. 

Dining Commons
Served all-you-care-to-eat style, breakfast, lunch and dinner will be available from at least 7 a.m. - 8 p.m each day in our award winning Dining Commons. At each meal you will find a variety of cuisines, often including sushi, pho noodles, create-your-own stir-fry, pizza, dim sum brunch, pasta and salad bars, deli sandwiches, American fare, Halal dining, vegan and vegetarian options, a range of desserts, ice cream, and more. Daily menus will be available as your stay approaches on the UMass Dining website. Guests can pay for each meal by cash or card right at Dining Commons entrance.

Campus Center Eateries
The Blue Wall, located in the Campus Center, is one of the most popular and convenient dining options on campus. The Blue Wall has 10 different stations served a-la-carte. Offerings include pizza, salads, wraps, deli sandwiches, sushi, burgers, burritos, gelato, and more, ensuring that the Blue Wall has something to satisfy every craving. Harvest Market, located on the main concourse of the Campus Center, is a full service market serving healthy, sustainable, and delicious fare for our on the go customers. The hot bar often features Indian, Ethiopian, traditional American, and many other world cuisines, and the salad bar is always stocked with in-season ingredients and freshly prepared composed salads. Additional highlights include a Chobani yogurt bar, all natural and organic snacks, local cheeses and deli meats, grab-and-go salads and sandwiches, and a made-to-order juice and smoothie bar. Need a quick pick-me-up or caffeine fix? People's Organic Coffee, located on the main concourse of the Campus Center across from Harvest Market, serves People's Organic Fair Trade coffees, as well as a variety of specialty coffee beverages, organic teas, locally baked pastries, fresh cookies, salads and paninis.

University Club and Restaurant
The University Club and Restaurant, more fondly referred to as The UClub, is the eminent fine dining establishment at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Housed in two colonial era New England farmhouses, the University Club and Restaurant offers a contemporary dining experience steeped in historic charm. Long established as a private faculty and alumni club, the University Club offers the public and campus community a full-service restaurant & lounge featuring local beer, wine, and farm-fresh ingredients. Call 413-545-2551 to make your reservation.

Food Trucks
Our food trucks, Baby Berk and Baby Berk 2, are great options for a quick and convenient meal. Serving freshly prepared food truck fare, including burgers, wasabi steak tacos, grilled cheeses, tater tots and sweet potato fries, you are sure to leave satisfied. Checkout @UMassBabyBerk and @UMassBabyBerk2 on Twitter to find daily schedules and location updates, and look for the trucks around campus during your stay!

On-Campus Attractions
You don't need to travel far to find something to do - there are numerous attractions located right here on campus! 

• The UMass Fine Arts Center seeks to engage audiences in the arts, embrace diversity, and uphold the highest standards for arts education. Comprehensive in scope, the Center offers the region's only mix of classical music, dance, theater, jazz, Broadway, special events, and gallery exhibitions. The Fine Arts Center is also home to the University Museum of Contemporary Arts.
• The Mullins Center, our state-of-the-art, multi-purpose facility, hosts diverse events from hockey and basketball to concerts and popular touring performance groups. 
• The Augusta Savage Gallery, located in New Africa House, is a multicultural and multiarts facility that seeks to promote artistic works from a broad spectrum of cultures
• The Durfee Conservatory and Garden, established in 1867, is a historic plant conservatory that offers a sanctuary of calm and serenity among the hustle and bustle of campus.
• The Rausch Mineral Gallery, located in the Department of Geosciences in the Morrill Science Center, includes more than 250 large mineral specimens from around the world from the mineral collection of the late Dr. Marvin Rausch.
  

Libraries
The W.E.B. Du Bois Library and the Science and Engineering Library offer technology and space to work for our community guests, including printing/copying services, collections, and book stacks.

Thank you for your interest in the Rudd Adoption Research Program. In light of the current circumstances surrounding travel restrictions and Coronavirus (COVID-19), we regret to inform you that the conference has been canceled. 

All registrations for the conference will be automatically canceled, and full refunds will be issued without penalty or fees. You are not required to contact us to cancel your registration. Refunds will be issued in the method in which payment was received. Please understand that it will take some time for our event staff to process all the reimbursements and we are grateful for your patience. If you have already completed a registration, please check your email for further information about the cancellation. 

Local Transportation
There are multiple transportation options to get you from campus to amenities and attractions in the surrounding area. Amherst center, with local shops, restaurants, and small convenience stores, is a quick 10-15 minute walk from campus. Local buses, operated by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, run regularly between Amherst center and the University, with additional services traveling throughout the Pioneer Valley, including Northampton, Springfield, and Greenfield. If you'd rather take a car, UMass has partnered with Zipcar to bring on-demand car sharing services right to campus. A variety of bike rental options are also available, including Laughing Dog Bicycles, Hampshire Bicycle Exchange and ValleyBike. 

Dining
Looking to head off-campus for a meal? There are so many wonderful and convenient options! Downtown Amherst, located about a 5 minute drive/25 minute walk from campus, has many unique restaurants, with fare ranging from Thai, Chinese, Italian, American, Indian and more. Some longstanding downtown favorites include Antonio's pizza by the slice, Judie's (try a popover), Bueno Y Sano, and Johnny's Tavern. About 5 minutes in the other direction, heading down University Drive, you will find some more popular local spots including The Hangar Pub and Grill, Rafters and Ginger Garden. Travel just a bit further (7 - 10 minutes from campus) and you will reach the Route 9/Russell Street area of Hadley, which is replete with familiar chains and fast-food spots including Friendly's, Panara, Chili's, Wendy's, Chipotle, Texas Roadhouse and more. Have a little more time on your hands? Visit downtown Northampton, about a 25 minute drive from campus, to explore the many restaurants and shops that make up this artistic, academic and countercultural hub. Click the links below for some more information on off-campus dining options, and be sure to take a look at the bus services offered by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority to help you get where you need to go! 

• Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce: http://www.amherstarea.com/list/category/restaurants-281
• Visit Hampshire County: https://visithampshirecounty.com/eat/restaurants/
• Area Restaurant Guide (PDF)

Shopping
If you find you need to visit a grocery store, large retail store, or pharmacy during your stay, numerous options are located 5 - 10 minutes from campus in downtown Amherst, as well as on University Drive in Amherst and Russell Street (also known as Route 9) in neighboring Hadley. These locations are also serviced by PVTA buses.

• Downtown Amherst
• Amherst Shopping Center - retail/grocery stores and dining, including Big Y, Dunkin Donuts, CVS and Wings Over Amherst. Located at 181 University Drive in Amherst, MA.
• Hampshire Mall - retail/grocery stores, dining, and entertainment, including Target, Trader Joe's, J. C. Penney, Cinemark, Pinz Bowling, Autobahn Indoor Speedway, LaserBlast, and Planet Fitness Gym. Located at 367 Russell Street in Hadley, MA.
• Campus Farms Mall - retail/grocery stores and dining, including TJ Maxx, Super Stop & Shop, Dollar Tree, Liquors 44 and Johnny's Roadside Diner. Located at 440-454 Russell Street in Hadley, MA.
• Mountain Farms Mall - retail/grocery stores and dining, including Wal-Mart, Barnes & Noble, Bed Bath & Beyond, Old Navy, Panera Bread and Whole Foots Market. Located at 335 Russell Street in Hadley, MA

Area Attractions

• Amherst is known for its rural charm and big city appeal. With many restaurants, bars and local shops, visitors get lost exploring our downtown. Located just a few minutes drive from the campus, it is a convenient and popular destination. 
• The city of Northampton is a blend of historic, contemporary, intellectual, artsy, athletic and entrepreneurial. With cafes, bars, restaurants, clubs, shops, museums, rivers, parks and spas, Northampton is a place to be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of budget.
• The Emily Dickinson Homestead, located right in downtown Amherst, was mentioned frequently in her intensely idiosyncratic and strikingly modern poetry. Devoted Dickinson readers visit the Homestead and The Evergreens, the Italianate home built next door by Emily's brother Austin Dickinson, to walk today where Emily walked and to see what Emily saw.
• The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, located in Amherst, looks to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books, just a short 15 minute drive from campus. Founded by Eric Carle and his wife Barbara, the Museum is for visitors of all ages: children and families, teachers and librarians, scholars, and everyone interested in the art of the picture book.
• The Yiddish Book Center is a nonprofit organization working to tell the whole Jewish story by rescuing, translating, and disseminating Yiddish books and presenting innovative educational programs that broaden understanding of modern Jewish identity. The Yiddish Book Center is located on the Hampshire College campus, about a 15 minute drive from UMass.
• The Amherst College Beneski Museum of Natural History, located about 5 minutes from the UMass campus, is one of New England’s largest natural history museums, boasting three floors of exhibits with more than 1,700 specimens on display, and tens of thousands of specimens available for use by scholars and researchers from across campus and around the world. 
• Yankee Candle, located about 15 minutes away in South Deerfield, offers an enchanting mix of shopping and entertainment. You'll find 400,000 candles in over 200 different famous Yankee scents, but there are more than just candles at this flagship Village Store. It's a unique, entertaining world of New England charm, fairy tale fantasies, and hands-on, interactive candlemaking that's fun for every age.
• Historic Deerfield is an authentic 18th-century New England village. Tour beautifully restored museum houses with period architecture and furnishings, see yankee ingenuity at work in demonstrations of colonial-era trades, and explore the world-famous collection of early American crafts, ceramics, furniture, textiles and metalwork. 
• The Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens is a 14,400 square foot facility that includes a 4,000 sq. ft. glass conservatory filled with butterflies, moths and tropical vegetation, about a 20 minute drive from campus in neighboring South Deerfield.
• Home to more than three hundred inductees and more than 40,000 square feet of basketball history, the Basketball Hall of Fame stirs the spirits of basketball fans everywhere. Hundreds of interactive exhibits share the spotlight with skills challenges, live clinics, shooting contests and enough basketball history to impress the world’s most avid sports fans. 
• The Springfield Museums grant visitors access to the Springfield Science Museum, George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, Michele and Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Springfield History and the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden and Museum, all under a single admission. The museums are located in the heart of downtown Springfield, about a 40 minute drive from UMass.
• Six Flags New England is home to many rides and attractions, from pulse-pounding roller coasters to gentler options for the youngest of thrill seekers. With some of the fastest, tallest, wildest, most gut-wrenching rides in the country (including a few record breakers), as well as family rides, kid rides, entertaining shows and the Hurricane Harbor Water Park, Six Flags New England has fun for everyone.

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Interested in learning about more things to do in the Pioneer Valley? Click here!

Thank you for your interest in the Rudd Adoption Research Program. In light of the current circumstances surrounding travel restrictions and Coronavirus (COVID-19), we regret to inform you that the conference has been canceled. 

All registrations for the conference will be automatically canceled, and full refunds will be issued without penalty or fees. You are not required to contact us to cancel your registration. Refunds will be issued in the method in which payment was received. Please understand that it will take some time for our event staff to process all the reimbursements and we are grateful for your patience. If you have already completed a registration, please check your email for further information about the cancellation. 

Questions? Contact Us!

For questions regarding registration, payment, travel or the UMass campus, please contact the UMass Conference Services Registration Office by calling 413-577-8102, Monday - Friday from 9 a.m - 5:00 p.m. (EST) or by email at registration@umass.edu. For additional conference information please visit the conference website.

UMass Conference Services 
810 Campus Center
1 Campus Center Way
Amherst, MA 01003
t: 413-577-8102
e: registration@umass.edu