Staff

Mary Dougherty became the third director of UMass Press in 2014. Before coming to UMass, she worked at both Bedford/St. Martin’s and Houghton Mifflin in Boston. She earned a PhD in American literature from Rutgers.

Mary collaborates with all members of the Press staff, and she manages the Press’s financial and strategic planning, university relations, and fundraising. She also manages the Juniper Literary Contest.

Editorial

Matt Becker started at UMass Press in 2015. He was previously senior acquisitions editor at the University of Nevada Press and also worked at Wayne State University Press and the Minnesota Historical Society Press. He holds a PhD in American studies from the University of Minnesota.

Matt is interested in acquiring scholarly manuscripts in all areas of American history and society, including those with an interdisciplinary or transnational approach, especially projects that deal with social justice and equity. He also acquires regional trade titles on New England topics. He is the in-house editor for the series Activist Studies of Science and Technology, African American Intellectual History, Childhoods: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Children and Youth, Culture and Politics in the Cold War and Beyond, Journalism and Democracy, Public History in Historical Perspective, and Veterans. With all of his projects, he seeks authors who can write in a style accessible to a wide readership.

Brian Halley has long been interested in interdisciplinary work that stretches across multiple humanities fields, and possibly beyond. At the Press, Brian manages the series American Popular Music; Studies in Print Culture and the History of the Book; Environmental History of the Northeast; Page and Screen; and Native Americans of the Northeast. In addition, Brian co-edits the African-American Intellectual History series and acquires in the fields of gender and sexuality studies, environmental studies, and studies in race and ethnicity. A longtime Boston resident, he is also interested in urban studies and books about the Boston region. 

Production & Design

Sally Nichols began her career as a production and design artist in 1982 for the Wing Press in Boston. After several years working in print and production for retail companies, she turned to freelancing for magazine and book publishers throughout New England. She joined the UMass Press in 1995 enjoying every aspect of the book making process from working with authors’ final manuscripts, overseeing the editorial, design, and production department, collaborating on design, typesetting manuscripts, managing the press backlist, and directing a talented bank of freelancers.

Ben Kimball joined UMass Press in 2023. He previously held a Production Editor position at Pearson, and has done freelance writing and editing for numerous regional magazine and book publishers. He is author of three New England trail guidebooks and co-author of The Nature of New Hampshire. He is a graduate of Middlebury College. At UMass Press, Ben guides authors through the production process, copyedits promotional materials, and collaborates with a talented bank of freelance editors.

Business & Marketing 

Linda Bramhall joined UMass in 2017 and became Business Manager for UMass Press in November of 2023.  Prior to joining the press, she worked in many departments within the university including the School of Public Health, Student Legal Services, Veterinary and Animal Sciences,  Facilities & Campus Services, and Central HR.  Before her time at UMass she was the Practice Manager for Adams Animal Hospital for 15 years. She wishes every day that UMass Departments had office puppies.  At UMass Press Linda is responsible for the smooth and efficient functioning of the Press’s financial and business operations.  Reading books is her favorite pastime, and she enjoys being part of a team that creates books.  

Chelsey Harris joined UMass Press in 2023 as the marketing and sales manager. Prior to joining UMass, she was the marketing and sales manager for Southern Illinois University Press and worked with the University of Utah Press and Amherst College Press as an independent marketing specialist. While she was earning her MFA in poetry from Southern Illinois University, Chelsey began her publishing career as an editorial assistant for the Crab Orchard Review and the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry. She is a lifelong book lover and is enthusiastic about coaching authors through marketing, publicity, and sales.