Dr. Ahmed Abdelal

Ahmed Abdelal, who has served as Northeastern University’s provost since 2002, has been named the new provost of UMass Lowell. He brings to the post a track record of success in higher education management as well as expertise in science and research.

Prior to joining Northeastern, Abdelal was dean of arts and sciences at Georgia State University from 1992 to 2002 and before that, chair of Biology at Georgia State for more than a decade. He holds a bachelor’s degree in food science from Cairo University, a doctorate in microbiology from the University of California, Davis and has completed post-doctoral work at UC Davis and at the Institute for Microbiology at the University of Gottingen, Germany.

“It is an exciting opportunity to work with the UMass Lowell community under the visionary leadership of Chancellor Marty Meehan to further this urban-oriented university as a vibrant center for arts and culture that prepares graduates and the workforce for the global marketplace and serves as an engine for economic development in partnership with industry and business,” said Abdelal, who is expected to start in early June.

In his leadership roles at Northeastern and Georgia State, Abdelal improved student retention rates and strengthened graduate and research programs. He shaped strategies for investments in research, including expanding faculty and upgrading facilities, including key areas like nanomanufacturing and engineering. At Northeastern, his work with the senior leadership team culminated with advancing the school’s U.S. News and World Report ranking from 150 in 2001 to 98 in 2006.

“Dr. Abdelal will bring a proven track record of enabling students, faculty and administrators to pursue excellence in education to UMass Lowell, as evidenced by his many accomplishments at Northeastern University and Georgia State University,” said Meehan. “He has been steadfast in his commitment to building quality academic programs that meet the needs of students and employers. His commitment to truly interdisciplinary programs will enable him to build upon the work pioneered by many of the UMass Lowell faculty in this important area.”

Following a national search for candidates, Abdelal was selected by a committee of community leaders and faculty members from across disciplines at UMass Lowell. The process included interviews with the committee, as well as open forums with participation from any interested members of the University community.

“As Northeastern’s provost, Dr. Abdelal has led that institution through a period of major growth, achieving excellence in engineering and science research, including nanomanufacturing, strong university-industry and international partnerships, interdisciplinary social sciences research, and P-16 education,” said Prof. Julie Chen, co-chair of the Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence and co-chair of the provost search committee. “In addition, he has successfully championed efforts to increase student retention and graduation rates. We look forward to the energy and experience he will bring to our campus.” 

Abdelal is a member of the American Academy for Microbiology, the American Society for Biological Chemists and the American Society for Industrial Microbiology, and has published 62 scientific papers and made presentations at national meetings on science and higher education. His research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy and the Georgia Research Alliance.

Northeastern University President Emeritus Richard Freeland says Abdelal’s commitment to research and science does not come at the expense of humanities or other programs.

“He has a balanced view where arts and sciences are involved,” says Freeland. “Most disciplines at Northeastern will tell you he is a balanced provost on the different aspects of the curriculum.”

Abdelal led both Northeastern and Georgia State in building partnerships across academic disciplines around the world to help prepare students to enter the global workforce and support the interests of faculty and the community. His collaborative approach to leadership has been featured in a case study by the Harvard Institutes of Higher Education.

“Dr. Abdelal is strongly committed to a collaborative leadership style that is critical to my vision of how we will all work together as a community to build the University into a nationally renowned institution,” said Meehan.