MCLA Welcomes Three New Faculty Members for the 2024-2025 Academic Year

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) is pleased to announce that three new faculty members will be joining the Trailblazer community for the College’s fall semester: Dr. Normadeane Armstrong, Dr. Mohsen Danesh, and Dr. Laura Hancock.

Read more about our new faculty members: 

Dr. Normadeane Armstrong joins MCLA’s Nursing/Biology Department as a professor. She is a nurse practitioner specializing in global/public health and epidemiology, with more than 30 years of experience in academia and four decades in nursing. Her extensive career includes volunteering as a medical professional in clinics worldwide and presenting research at national and international conferences such as the International Council on Infectious Diseases and the Mayo Clinic. She has authored articles in respected journals, including The Lancet, The Journal of The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Educator, and the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. Dr. Armstrong earned her Ph.D. in international health from Touro University, holds an Adult Nurse Practitioner certification from SUNY Stony Brook, and is recognized as a Fulbright Specialist Roster Member. Outside of her professional pursuits, she enjoys fishing and hiking.

Dr. Mohsen Danesh joins MCLA’s Business Department as an assistant professor. He obtained his Ph.D. in finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. He has a deep passion for education and helping students understand the intricacies of the field of finance. He takes a personal approach to teaching, catering and adapting his material to meet his students’ needs. Dr. Danesh’s goal is to help his students realize the utmost from their investment in higher education. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, exercise, and reading.

Dr. Laura Hancock joins MCLA’s Biology Department as a visiting assistant professor. She is an ecological and wildlife researcher and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass). Her research interests focus on the population ecology of wildlife, specifically, the drivers of population structuring, resource use, and distribution patterns seen across multiple spatial scales. Her work spans taxa, from invasive New England plants to threatened bats in the intermountain western U.S. In addition to research and implementing ecological conservation initiatives through work with regional nonprofits, Dr. Hancock is passionate about teaching, science policy, and science communication; she has designed and taught courses within the UMass College of Natural Sciences and has co-founded, led, and/or written award-winning pieces for science communication and science policy platforms and social media accounts. She holds an M.S. from UMass and a B.S. from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. She interned with the NASA DEVELOP program, served as a Biology Fellow with the National Park Service and as chief financial officer and executive leader for the UMass Amherst Graduate Student Senate, and was a 2023 National Academy of Sciences Science and Technology Policy Fellow.

About MCLA
At MCLA, we’re here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive on every level of their lives. In nearly every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully empowered to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 129-year commitment to public education, we have fortified our commitment to equitable academic excellence. MCLA has appeared on U.S. News’ list of Top Ten Public Colleges for nine consecutive years, ranking No. 7 for Liberal Arts Schools in the nation for a third year. The College's continued commitment to affordable education and economic prosperity is reflected in its inclusion on U.S. News' list of National Liberal Arts Colleges for Social Mobility since the organization adopted this ranking in 2019; MCLA is No. 1 in the state, No. 2 in the country, and No. 22 for National Liberal Arts Colleges. These rankings measure how well schools graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants. Learn more at www.mcla.edu.