Achievements

Over the past decade, the University has continued to shape itself in the context of its mission. Faculty and staff have sought to adapt and redesign their efforts. Faculty-driven councils for research, teaching and outreach have played an important role and offer a unique model in American higher education. Sustainability requires real-world actions, so here we look to concrete examples to see principles in action.

In research, advances are notable in many areas, including nanotechnology, advanced polymers, radio imaging and radar modeling, math and science learning, and the cell processes in breast cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases. UMass Lowell is small enough that the research must focus on niche strengths; yet the small size is a benefit in encouraging interdisciplinary research. Two faculty research groups further the efforts:

1) The Committee of Federated Centers and Institutes (CFCI) supports innovation and collaboration among some 30 centers, and works collegially to identify and overcome barriers to research;
2) The Committee on Industrial Theory and Assessment (CITA) has developed a scholarly framework within which to discuss sustainable development and a series of annual interdisciplinary conferences to share ideas.

Konarka Technologies, located in Lowell, is an example of an idea that grew from basic research at the University and led to commercialization, job creation and benefit to society. Konarka’s unique technology produces flexible, lightweight and low-cost solar “fabric.” Konarka has secured more than $13.5 million in venture
capital, as well as a $1.5 million loan from the state’s Renewable Energy Trust Fund. The company now has 37 employees and UMass Lowell holds a seven percent equity interest.

Teaching initiatives have included a major revision in General Education requirements, an annual student research symposium and a series of workshops on teaching engineering according to student learning styles. The Council on Teaching, Learning and Research as Scholarship has a high level of faculty participation; it promotes excellence in advising, teaching with technology, improving retention and facultystudent research.

The new School of Health and Environment and the Department of Regional Economic and Social Development (RESD) are dramatic examples of reconfiguring the organization of knowledge and teaching. The new school combines the College of Health Professions with the Department of Work Environment; its mission is to promote human health and development that enables people to live in safe and productive communities and environmentally sustainable economies. RESD is interdisciplinary, drawing from economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology, and urban planning. Most of the RESD courses are team-taught, giving students different perspectives on common problems.

Outreach is a long-standing and vital commitment of UMass Lowell. Extensive, productive relationships with K-12 schools are fostered by the Center for Field Services and Studies (CFSS), with programs as diverse as interactive course broadcasts and a regular forum for superintendents. The Francis College of Engineering has pioneered programs to improve the pipeline of science and engineering majors, such as the summer Design Camp and after-school Design Lab. On campus, the Council on Diversity and Pluralism promotes appreciation for and expression of ethnic, cultural and sexual diversity.

The Center for Family, Work and Community (CFWC) directs many outreach programs and serves as a portal to the city. The recent Scenarios Project is one example of building the informed public discourse that is vital to the social development of a region. CFWC collaborated with the Lowell Planning Department to
hold a series of focus groups in which citizens developed their visions for the future of Lowell. Another example, the Healthy Homes program, is a CFWC partnership with the Lowell Health Department and the UMass Lowell Nursing Department to raise awareness, within Lowell’s diverse communities, of common health hazards in the home.

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