AMHERST — Kate Westafer, a special education teacher who guides the Intensive Learning Center at Wildwood Elementary School, is the recipient of this year’s Roger L. Wallace Excellence in Teaching Award.
Named after a retired Fort River School teacher, the award, established in 2012, honors an elementary school educator in Amherst or Pelham for showing a commitment to
social justice, equity and academic excellence. The award includes a $1,000 stipend.
Through her leadership, the learning center has become a place where difference is embraced and celebrated.
“Within our spaces, students engage with both academic and social peers, as well
as others who share their communication and physical abilities,” Westafer said in a statement. “It is just as meaningful for students to connect with those who reflect their own lived experiences as it is to learn alongside those who move, communicate and learn differently.”
Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman calls Westafer an example of leading with heart, intellect and unwavering commitment. “She brings compassion and clarity to her classroom each day, ensuring that every learner is seen, supported and challenged to grow,” Herman said.
Westafer will be recognized at the 2025 district-wide opening day convocation.
A+ Awards nominations
Nominations for the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce’s A+ Awards are open to honor individuals and organizations that enrich the life of the community through their work in education, business and civic engagement.
“The A+ Awards are a powerful platform for sharing the inspiring stories of leaders, businesses and organizations who shape our community through innovation, creativity and impactful solutions,” Jacob Robinson, the chamber’s executive director, said in a statement
The awards ceremony on Nov. 18 at the Student Union Ballroom at the University of Massachusetts will feature various categories, including the Legacy Award, the Leader in Innovation Award and the Leader in Sustainability Award.
Nominations should be submitted online at amherstarea.com/awards by Aug. 29 at 5 p.m. Everyone who submits a nomination will be entered into a raffle to win one free ticket to the dinner.
Salsa in the Park
The fourth Salsa in the Park Amherst takes place Saturday at Mill River Recreation Area in North Amherst.
Starting at 6 p.m., people should gather under the pavilion for outdoor dancing and music, with food available for purchase from the Thai Chili food truck.
The free salsa lesson with Ray and Rebeccah from Salsa Worcester begins the evening, followed at 7 p.m. with the free Latin dance social, with salsa, bachata and merengue, with DJ Picu.
UMass researcher
NASA recently awarded UMass microbiologist James Holden $621,000 to spend the next three years using his expertise to help predict what life on Jupiter’s moon Europa might look like by examining volcanoes a mile beneath Earth’s oceans.
“We think, based on our own planet, that Europa may have conditions that can support life,” Holden said. NASA recently launched Europa Clipper to determine if Europa is habitable.
Holden’s academic career, beginning in 1988, has involved studying the deep-sea vents that could be key to alien life.
“To get our microbes from them, we use submarines, sometimes human-occupied, sometime robotic, to dive a mile below the surface and bring the samples ashore and back into my lab at UMass Amherst,” he said.
