Ambassador and Lowell Native James Costos, Hockey Coach Norm Bazin Among Graduates to be Honored
03/13/2017
Media contacts: Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu and Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
LOWELL, Mass. – James Costos, a Lowell native who went on to serve as U.S. ambassador to Spain and Andorra, and Norm Bazin, who has turned UMass Lowell’s ice hockey team into a Division I powerhouse, are among eight distinguished UMass Lowell graduates who will receive this year’s University Alumni Awards.
“Through their professional achievements, public service and personal character, Ambassador Costos, Coach Bazin and our other honorees exemplify the very best of UMass Lowell,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney. “They are all wonderful ambassadors for our university, and a powerful inspiration for our students.”
A ceremony honoring the alumni award recipients will be held Thursday, April 20 at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center. The honorees are selected from graduates of each of UMass Lowell’s six schools and colleges, as well as the university’s athletics program. One recent graduate who is already having a positive impact is also recognized.
Costos, this year’s College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences honoree, grew up in Lowell, a second-generation Greek-American whose father served as a U.S. Marine. The first in his family to graduate from college, Costos earned a degree in political science in 1985 and went on to a successful career as an international corporate leader in the entertainment and retail industries, most notably with HBO and Tod’s. In 2013, President Barack Obama appointed him ambassador to Spain and Andorra, a position Costos held until earlier this year.
Bazin is one of the most-decorated coaches in the history of UMass Lowell’s hockey program. Now in his sixth season as head coach, Bazin has led the River Hawks to four consecutive appearances in the Hockey East championship game and two tournament and regular-season championships, as well as four NCAA Division I tournament bids and the program’s first-ever Frozen Four appearance. In 2013, he was honored with the NCAA Division I Spencer Penrose National Coach of the Year Award. As a UMass Lowell student, the Manitoba native played for the River Hawks from 1990 to 1994. A dean’s list student, Bazin received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 1994 and a master’s degree in education administration in 1999. He is being recognized as this year’s School of Education honoree.
The other 2017 University Alumni Award honorees are Lorna Boucher ’86 of New York, chief marketing officer of Instinet (Manning School of Business); Robert Bushong ’67 of Bluffton, S.C., founder of Bushong Industrials Inc. (Athletics); William C. Geary III ’80 of Andover, an attorney with Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. (Francis College of Engineering); Emmanuel Lamour ’05, ’16 of Canton, a program manager with Raytheon (Young Alumnus); Russell LeClaire ’67, ’74 of Plano, Texas, retired vice president of development, CA Technologies (Kennedy College of Sciences); and Jerry St. Peter ’89 of Fort Worth, Texas, vice president and head of ophthalmic business with Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. (College of Health Sciences).
“We look forward to celebrating these outstanding alumni who have used the education they received at UMass Lowell to make a lasting impact in their professions, for their communities and at the university,” said Executive Director of Alumni and Donor Relations Heather Makrez ’06, ’08.
For more information on this year’s event, including how to purchase tickets, visit www.alumni.uml.edu/AlumniAwards2017.
UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its more than 17,750 students bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be ready for work, for life and for all the world offers. www.uml.edu