Played Major Role in Sparking Lowell’s Dramatic Rise
07/27/2015
Contacts for media: Jan Brogan, UMass President's Office, 781-467-9900 and Ann Scales, UMass President's Office, 617-287-4084
LOWELL -- Describing her as the top candidate and as possessing a “rare” combination of skills and attributes, the UMass Lowell Chancellor Search Committee today recommended Jacqueline Moloney, a UMass Lowell graduate and the university’s executive vice chancellor, as the sole finalist for the chancellorship.
If approved for the position by the UMass Board of Trustees, Moloney would be the first woman to serve as chancellor of UMass Lowell - or its predecessor institutions - in its 121-year history.
“The expression of confidence that Executive Vice Chancellor Moloney has received from the search committee is appropriate and well deserved, as Jacquie Moloney is a dynamic leader who played a major role in all that has occurred at UMass Lowell in recent years,’’ said UMass President Marty Meehan. “For her to get this far in the search process represents a historic opportunity for UMass Lowell to finally break the glass-ceiling.”
R. Norman Peters, a UMass trustee who co-chaired the Lowell search committee, praised the recommendation of Moloney to lead UMass Lowell and the diligence of the committee that conducted the international search for a replacement for Marty Meehan, who became president of the UMass system July 1.
“I believe the entire committee was impressed with the quality of the candidates that stepped forward to express interest in this position and that reflects the national and international regard for UMass Lowell and the universal belief that this is truly a campus on the move,” Peters said.
Members of the committee also praised the decision
“It is really rare to find in any search process not only the qualifications and fit but also experience on the campus itself. When you find the combination of all three, it’s a really outstanding outcome. The Lowell campus and the UMass system are really fortunate that [Jacquie Moloney] represents not only qualifications, experience, fit, but also thorough knowledge of the campus, love for the campus, full understanding of the system and full understanding of the Commonwealth,” said UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy, a member of the search committee. “I am very pleased to be part of putting her name forward.”
“Jacqueline Moloney was the person who understood academic life, student life and community life. She rose to the top,” said search committee member Anita Greenwood, dean at UMass Lowell’s Graduate School of Education.
“She is an excellent candidate who has done an excellent job advocating for students and for the community,” added Amanda Robinson, UMass Lowell student trustee.
“She was the best candidate. She’s been committed to UMass Lowell and its growth the vast number of years she’s been with the university and I have no doubt that she will make a great chancellor,” said Keith Mitchell, an associate professor of English at UMass Lowell.
President Meehan, who for the past eight years has been chancellor of UMass Lowell, said: “Jacquie Moloney knows UMass Lowell from every perspective – from that of a student, a teacher and an administrator. She knows how to set goals and achieve them. She knows how to establish priorities and create a vision. She knows how to lead and inspire.’’
President Meehan added: “As a UMass Lowell alumnus, as the outgoing chancellor and as the UMass system president, I applaud the search committee’s decision and look forward to a bright future for UMass Lowell and the entire UMass system.”
Over the past eight years, UMass Lowell has experienced extensive expansion and modernization with the opening of 10 new buildings, as well as impressive growth in enrollment, selectivity, diversity, research expenditures and standings in national academic rankings.
In a prepared statement, the search committee’s other co-chair, John Pulichino, a UMass Lowell graduate who is the chairman and CEO of Group III International Ltd, said the committee was diligent in its efforts and conducted a top-flight search.
“As a graduate of UMass Lowell, I am proud of the search we have been able to conduct and am optimistic about the future of this campus that does so much to shape lives, the region, the Commonwealth and the world,” Pulichino said.
The Search Process
A 24-member search committee - made up of UMass students, faculty members, alumni, staff, community representatives and members of the UMass Board of Trustees - was formed last month to help select President Meehan’s successor in Lowell.
To aid the process, the search committee sought input on the qualifications and characteristics considered important in the new chancellor, advertised the position nationally and hired the Boston-based, higher-education executive recruitment firm Isaacson, Miller to assist in the search.
Throughout the course of the process, Isaacson, Miller saw 273 individuals explore the UMass Lowell posting on its website, communicated with 40 actual and prospective candidates, interviewed 20 candidates and presented the credentials of those candidates to the search committee, which chose to interview five candidates. Those interviews were conducted last week in Boston.
As part of the process, the search committee conducted two public forums to seek campus and community input. Peters said the message from those public forums was clear: Internal and external constituencies want a new chancellor with a strong spirit of collaboration and entrepreneurism that has made UMass Lowell a success and allowed it to have such a strong impact on the Merrimack Valley and beyond.
The campus forum, attended by more than 100 members of the UMass Lowell community, found widespread backing for Moloney.
“Everything that Marty has navigated, Jacquie has piloted,” Larry Siegel, associate vice chancellor for student affairs and university events, said at the forum, drawing ringing applause.
In addition to the two public forums, the UMass Lowell Chancellor Search Committee held five formal business meetings.
Search Committee thanked for its work
The UMass Lowell Chancellor Search Committee was established by the Board of Trustees and Board Chairman Victor Woolridge thanked the committee for its hard work and dedication. “I’m deeply appreciative of all of the time, effort and commitment invested by the search committee and its co-chairs during this process.”
President Meehan praised the thoroughness of the search committee’s work and the effort and commitment members displayed: “Under the leadership of Norm Peters and John Pulichino, this committee has displayed diligence and dedication of the highest order. Committee members invested countless hours as well as their experience and expertise in the process.”
About Jacqueline Moloney
Jacqueline Moloney is the executive vice chancellor at UMass Lowell and oversaw a comprehensive restructuring aimed at making the university more student-focused and entrepreneurial. She created UMass Lowell’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, which has attracted more than $10 million in external funding and created partnerships with numerous public and private organizations, including the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. She established the DifferenceMaker Program, which engages more than 6,000 students annually in creative problem-solving through entrepreneurship, and co-chairs the Deshpande Symposium for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education. She was the architect of UMass Lowell’s forerunning online education program and served as dean of the Division of Online and Continuing Education for 13 years. Moloney holds two degrees from UMass Lowell: a bachelor’s in sociology and a doctorate from UMass Lowell’s Graduate School of Education. She also holds a master’s degree in social psychology from Goddard College.