UMass Amherst is the Flagship Campus of the public University system of Massachusetts. Located in the rural western part of the state, the campus is close to farms and forests, rivers and lakes. UMass Amherst has a vibrant research community, a long-standing School of Agriculture (Stockbridge) and a vigorous interdepartmental program in Plant Biology (https://gpls.cns.umass.edu/pb), hosting labs carrying out innovative research and fostering a flourishing community.