Senior Associate Director of Admissions and Coordinator of Campus Events
Originally from: Newton, Massachusetts
Degree: BA, St. John's College; MSW, Boston University; MPH, Boston University
Email: lmelbin-diniz@hampshire.edu

Reason I love working at Hampshire:
The tremendous creativity and enthusiasm of the students, the support for intellectual freedom, the feeling of a real community, the natural beauty of the area, and, of course, the proximity to the town of Amherst.

Piece of advice for prospects in the college search process:
Be yourself. Write honestly and authentically. You can’t anticipate what admissions counselors want to see, or know the preferences or bias of individuals, so your only real option is to be true to yourself.

Three things to take to that desert island:
One Hundred Years of Solitude (in English), a cell phone for takeout, and John Locke.

Favorite TV Shows:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Sopranos, LOST, Mad Men.

Favorite way to procrastinate:
I never procrastinate. I do spend a lot of time in my garden, but I feel that it is a productive and meaningful way to spend my time.

Favorite place to spend time in Northampton:
I love the Haymarket Café for the food and ambiance, and I could while away many a happy hour shopping at Faces or window-shopping in Thorne’s. But if it’s a real meal, nothing beats Lhasa Café (Tibetan food).

Favorite Book or Author
This just isn’t possible to answer. I read almost every genre with the exception of westerns, and have been in love with different books too many times to count. The Phantom Tollbooth, and I might put Moby Dick near the top of the list, with the whaling parts crossed out.

A random fact about me:
I don’t really like sandwiches.