A former UMass Amherst associate provost was fined $10,000 for hiring her brother to a temporary position in violation of state conflict of interest law, the State Ethics Commission announced Wednesday.

“A public employee’s unlawful participation in the hiring and compensation of their family member erodes public confidence in the fairness of public employee hiring and pay,” said State Ethics Commission Executive Director David Wilson.

Heather Sharpes-Smith, a former Associate Provost for Instructional Design and Technology at UMass Amherst, admitted in a Disposition Agreement to participating in her brother’s hiring to a position in her department and waived her right to a public hearing, the commission said.

In May 2023, Sharpes-Smith emailed her department’s Human Resources Departmen

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