Our amazing students, our dedicated faculty, our legions of loyal alumni, our historic hometown. We're 125 years proud at UMass Lowell and in keeping with that theme, here are 125 things for which we are grateful.

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  • Daphne Shakira Naut posing on a mountain during study abroad with views of rocky, snowy mountains in the background
    OUR INCREDIBLE STUDENTS
    Like Honors College student Daphne Shakira Naut, who was already fluent in two languages and had started on two more by the time she finished high school. Here at UML, she’s picked up a fifth language and studied abroad three times – all while supporting herself.
  • Brian Rist laughing with Chancellor Jacquie Moloney in front of posters of past UML Magazine covers
    OUR DONORS
    More than 32,000 donors have stepped forward to support Our Legacy, Our Place, raising over $150 million to support student scholarships, faculty recruitment and research, campus improvements and the Division I athletics program.
  • UMass Lowell student works in the library on a laptop covered in colorful stickers
    AWARD-WINNING ONLINE PROGRAMS
    UMass Lowell's online education programs rank among the top in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. UMass Lowell's online graduate programs in criminal justice and information technology are ranked in the top 10 in the country and No. 1 among those offered by all public institutions in New England.
  • A sheep stands in long, green grass on a hill on UMass Lowell's North campus
    GOING GREENER
    UMass Lowell announced it is establishing the Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy to bring together the university’s numerous efforts in areas from clean energy and energy resiliency to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and water use. The university is already ranked No. 1 among Massachusetts colleges and universities in sustainability by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
  • UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacqueline Moloney
    CHANCELLOR JACQUIE MOLONEY
    The first woman chancellor of the university is one of us. Not only did Jacquie Moloney earn two of her degrees here – in 1975 and 1992 – but she also perfectly embodies our pioneering spirit of hard work, gratitude and making a difference. UMass Lowell was ranked among the top 15 organizations on the Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts list and the highest-ranked college or university for the third consecutive year.
  • Students cheer a goal at the UML hockey game Photo by Ed Brennen
    INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
    Enrollment by international students has more than doubled since 2010, increasing from 454 to 1,175.
  • Students
    OUR DIVERSE STUDENT BODY
    Diversity matters. Students from underrepresented and minority groups have increased by 79 percent since 2007. In the fall of 2018, 36 percent of undergraduate students identified themselves as being from diverse backgrounds.
  • female student with guide dog at elevator
    ACCESS FOR ALL
    UMass Lowell is committed to accessibility. Recent improvements include the elevator and building support additions to the North Quad, the regrading of the South Campus Quad, and the ongoing Coburn Renovation and Addition project that will make the entire building accessible.
  • Man and woman looking at output from a machine
    GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH
    We’re bridging the gap between research and solutions that change lives. Research expenditures totaled $72.3 million in 2018, up from $36 million in 2007.
  • Closeup picture of water droplets on a golden colored waterproof fabric
    SMART FABRIC
    Shirts and shoes with wearable electronics embedded in them to measure vital signs. Building materials with built-in sensors that can detect unseen structural flaws or damage. Medical textiles that can help heal wounds. Those are some of the innovations that could come to fruition at UMass Lowell’s Fabric Discovery Center, a research and development facility that brings together researchers, industry and public agencies to develop and manufacture 21st-century materials.
  • An honors student sitting in O'Leary Library holding a whiteboard that says "I love the Honors College #loveuml" with hearts on it
    HONORABLE STUDENTS
    The Honors College challenges, encourages, and celebrates undergraduate students who pursue academic excellence while deepening and broadening their scholarship and creativity. More than 1,700 students are enrolled in the Honors College.
  • Fans at the Tsongas Center cheer on the UMass Lowell hockey team.
    OUR FANS
    UMass Lowell ranks No. 14 in the NCAA for annual hockey attendance and averages more than 4,600 fans per game.
  • photo of the solar system Photo by Boston Globe/ESO/M. Kornmesser
    THE NEW ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY
    Students will get a chance to embark on a visual tour of our solar system and beyond when a new astronomical observatory opens on South Campus.
  • Student working at the Cyber Range
    CYBER RANGE
    UMass Lowell’s new center for cybersecurity education, research and workforce development uses real-world scenarios to prepare people for careers in the growing field, which is expected to see more than 3 million job openings by 2021.
  • Erin Keaney holding a prosethic with Jack Wilson, UMass president emeritus and UMass Lowell distinguished professor of higher education, emerging technologies and innovation; and Manning School of Business faculty members Yi Yang and Ashwin Mehta.
    SUCCESS STORIES
    Alum Erin Keaney of Nonspec is on a mission to make prosthetics affordable around the world. She’s raised $1 million to make prosthetic legs out of medical-grade plastic.
  • Hydrogel in the lab
    LIFE-SAVING TECHNOLOGY
    A research team led by Asst. Prof. Gulden Camci-Unal of the Department of Chemical Engineering is developing new “breathable” biomaterials that can repair heart muscle damaged by disease or heart attack. The work is supported by a three-year grant worth nearly $300,000 from the American Heart Association.
  • Marty Meehan stands with students Bridget Provost and Daniel Russell Photo by Ed Brennen
    MARTY MEEHAN
    A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Meehan is the 27th president and the first undergraduate alumnus to lead the five-campus University of Massachusetts system. He was elected to the presidency after eight successful years as chancellor of his alma mater, UMass Lowell, during which he led the university to top-tier national status.
  • Image of Oprah sitting at UML during Master Class Photo by Tory Wesnofske
    OPRAH
    During her visit to campus in November 2018, Oprah Winfrey brought in more than $3 million for student scholarships through "A Conversation with Oprah Winfrey" with Chancellor Jacquie Moloney, matching a raised $1.5 million with her own on-the-spot donation.
  • From left Bob Kilmartin, Salvatore DeFranco, Dana DeFranco, Jacquie Moloney, William O'Donnell, James Carabello and Janine Wert
    VETERANS
    Five new inductees joined the UMass Lowell Military Alumni Veterans Hall of Fame on Nov. 1, each bringing an array of service to the nation, with 115 years in uniform among them. The event was organized by the university’s Veterans Services office, which serves more than 1,000 student veterans, the largest veteran population of any university in Massachusetts.
  • Architectural photo of the interior of the Pulichino Tong Business Center Photo by Cambridge Seven
    AMAZING ROI
    The university ranks 29th among public research universities in the U.S. for graduates’ return on investment (ROI) and No. 1 among New England public research universities for 20-year ROI.
  • Twin brothers Bhavan and Bhuvan Somayanda at the Career Fair Photo by Ed Brennen
    ALUMNI WHO STAY TRUE TO THEIR SCHOOL
    UMass Lowell is fortunate to have so many alumni who stay connected, whether they are packing the stands at the Tsongas Center to cheer on the hockey team, serving on college advisory boards, offering job advice through career panels or at campus career fairs or serving as judges in pitch contests and DifferenceMaker competitions. Their involvement strengthens the university in so many ways.

    Pictured here, twin brothers Bhavan (left) and Bhuvan Somayanda, who both earned master's degrees in plastics engineering in 2015, recruited for their company, Applied Medical, at the Career Fair.
  • UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney signs the Universal Declaration of Humankind Rights and Duties Photo by Tory Wesnofske
    INCLUSIVITY
    UMass Lowell is committed to supporting students, faculty and staff in developing more effective inclusive practices and behaviors. One small example is the 40+ gender-neutral restrooms on campus.
  • Incoming UMass Lowell engineering students Natalie Battle, Nyna Pendkar, isabella Manago and Annie Kelley made friends at RAMP camp Photo by K. Webster
    WOMEN IN STEM
    Making WAVES is a campuswide effort to address barriers to professional advancement for women and minority faculty in STEM fields. A five-year, $3.5 million National Science Foundation grant is supporting the research initiative.
  • Canal at night
    OUR CITY
    Lowell today is a creative and diverse city that’s easy to navigate and full of locally owned shops and restaurants. It’s steeped in history while offering a forward-looking vibrancy that includes a thriving business community and cultural scene, with museums and annual outdoor concerts and festivals.
  • Two softball players celebrate on the field
    ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE
    We love our River Hawks, and we show it. All 16 of our teams – including our national powerhouse ice hockey team – compete in the NCAA’s Division I.
  • A Student Alumni Ambassador poses with an alum at the UMass Lowell 125th Anniversary Celebration gala
    STUDENT AMBASSADORS
    If you want to know what’s happening at the university, who better to ask than the students? Our students are our best ambassadors, and that’s why we established a formal Student Alumni Ambassador program to foster relationships between alumni and the entire university community.
  • From left, current WUML station maganer Chris Romano, "Live from the Fallout Shelter" co-founder Chris Porter and veteran station Operations Manager Tom Tiger in the Fallout Shelter studio, where live music broadcasts have survived since April 1, 1985. Photo by Ed Brennen
    OUR FREQUENCY
    WUML 91.5 is one of the longest-running, 100 percent student-run college radio stations in the nation. Founded in a dorm room by Ed Bonacci ’54, it’s played the best in “underground music” – and provided a voice for emerging artists and the Lowell community – since 1952.
  • Advocates of Tomorrow students socialize at a program on designing an inclusive residential community. Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) provide students the opportunity to explore common interests with other students in their living environment. Through living and participating in an LLC, students will be provided with intentional and meaningful opportunities that will help them to make purposeful links between the academic and co-curricular components of their college experience.
    LIVING-LEARNING COMMUNITIES
    UMass Lowell offers over 20 Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) in which more than 1,700 students participate. LLCs provide students with the chance to live in an engaged, like-minded community of students and fellow scholars.
  • A student takes a selfie with Rowdy Photo by Ed Brennen
    OUR BIRD
    UMass Lowell’s teams and mascot, Rowdy, have been known as River Hawks since the 1990s. The name pays tribute to the birds of various species who, like the university, call the banks of the Merrimack River home.
  • UMass Lowell Image
    OUR REAL-LIFE AVIAN MASCOTS
    High above the University, perched atop 18-story Fox Hall, lives the fastest, wildest couple on campus. Two endangered peregrine falcons selected Fox Hall’s roof for their love nest, and thanks to help from the University and the U.S. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, their romance has flourished, with the birth of several offspring.
  • A student takes a test in class
    WE'VE GOT CRED
    All of the university’s academic programs for which accreditation exists have been accredited by the most prestigious organization in each field.
  • LeLacheur Park in Lowell
    KNOCKING IT OUT OF THE PARK
    A partnership between the City of Lowell and the university, Edward A. LeLacheur Park is home to the River Hawks baseball team and has been the long-time home field for the Lowell Spinners, a minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. It’s also just a short fly ball from the Campus Recreation Center and several residence halls.
  • A large group of students and professors looking at artwork from a gallery at UML's Graphic Design Show.
    FINE EXHIBITS
    UMass Lowell is home to two art galleries that host a variety of exhibits throughout the year. University Gallery hosts four to six major exhibitions every year, displaying the work of both emerging artists and seasoned practitioners with global reputations. Mahoney Gallery showcases artwork by students in the B.F.A. program as well as selected alumni exhibitions.
  • Andre Dubus III is Professor of English at UMass Lowell. Andre Dubus III is the author of six books: The Cage Keeper and Other Stories, Bluesman, and the New York Times bestsellers, House of Sand and Fog, The Garden of Last Days (soon to be a major motion picture) and his memoir, Townie, a #4 New York Times bestseller and a New York Times "Editors Choice".
    ACCLAIMED WRITERS
    Our expanding and dynamic creative writing faculty – including poets Sandra Lim and Maggie Dietz and authors Andre Dubus III and Maureen Stanton – enrich students’ lives daily while preparing them for careers in writing and teaching.
  • A large group of RHSA students wearing the same RHSA t-shirt in a big lecture hall standing and smiling
    HARDWORKING FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS
    UMass Lowell has been recognized as a national leader in preparing students who are the first in their families to attend college for success on campus and beyond. The Center for First-Generation Student Success has named UMass Lowell a First Forward Institution. The honor shines a light on UMass Lowell’s River Hawk Scholars Academy, which helps first-year, first-generation students start their college careers on solid ground.
  • Assoc. Prof. of Education Iman Chahine won a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to do ethnomathematical research in South Africa Photo by Katharine Webster
    TEACHERS WHO GO BEYOND THE CALL
    Assoc. Prof. of Education Iman Chahine has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to do research in ethno-mathematics. She will spend nine months in South Africa training teachers and evaluating math lessons and materials she developed, based on Zulu and Ndebele arts and culture.
  • Manning School of Business student Keviana-Joy George works with disaster relief nonprofit All Hands Volunteers in Louisiana to help flood victims rebuild their homes
    GIVING BACK
    UMass Lowell students, faculty and staff annually record 214,700 hours of academic and non-academic service in the community.
  • Headshot of Sofia Savoca outside Perry Hall
    OPPORTUNITY
    Sofia Savoca chose UMass Lowell for the opportunity to be in the Honors College and to study civil engineering. She's found a dozen new opportunities since arriving on campus, such a paid internship at a multinational engineering and architectural firm and working as a research assistant on an intersection analysis project for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
  • Full band camp photo. The Mary Jo Leahey Symphonic Band Camp is a week long immersion into music, held each year in July. This residential program introduces students to a taste of college life and provides a window in to opportunities in music, from Concert Band and Jazz Ensembles to Sound for Movies and Music, Conducting, Music Theory and more. Performance and learning opportunities abound. Photo by Kevin Harkins
    SYMPHONIC BAND CAMP
    The Mary Jo Leahey Symphonic Band Camp has been around for 23 years, reaching into the community and making kids’ lives better through music. Named for founding visionary Mary Jo Leahey ’37, who passed away in 2011, the weeklong summer camp brings students from around the region to campus. UMass Lowell music majors have an opportunity to work, alongside faculty and staff, with 130 students in grades 8-12 from across New England. It’s all there for the university’s future music educators – teaching, conducting, logistics, classroom management.
  • Gerry Devlin and his wife Pixie at Commencement Photo by Ed Brennen
    NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS
    Six decades after dropping out of South Boston High School, 78-year-old Gerry Devlin earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UMass Lowell.
  • The design for the U.S. Mint's 2019 Massachusetts quarter in the America the Beautiful series, which features Lowell National Historical Park Photo by U.S. Mint
    OUR QUARTER
    Lowell is among the newest quarters in the U.S. Mint’s America the Beautiful series. Featuring an early 1900s mill girl and loom, the coin came to be thanks to UMass Lowell employee and alumna Ellen Anstey.
  • A study abroad student looks over Barcelona from a balcony
    TRAVELING
    UMass Lowell offers more than 300 traditional study abroad opportunities on six continents, and there are dozens of faculty-led programs and structured exchanges with partner universities. Professional staff members in the Office of Study Abroad and International Experiences have helped thousands of students have life-changing experiences across the globe.
  • A student holds up his Convocation T-shirt in the stands Photo by Tory Wesnofske
    GROWTH
    For the third year in a row, UMass Lowell’s total enrollment topped 18,000, an increase of more than 57 percent since 2007. The Chronicle of Higher Education has ranked UMass Lowell in the top 10 fastest-growing public doctoral institutions in the nation for the last four years.
  • Research Prof. David Turcotte presents the health needs assessment results to the Non-Profit Alliance of Greater Lowell Photo by Katharine Webster
    OUR COMMUNITY
    Research Prof. David Turcotte has devoted years of work to helping Lowell residents live healthier lives through research on asthma. His most recent project focuses on bringing asthma education and interventions to low-income, elderly residents of the city. The project, conducted with the help of community partners, evaluated possible triggers of asthma and provided residents with vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters, mattress and pillow protectors, and less toxic cleaning products.
  • UMass Lowell students sit in front of a fireplace at University Dining Commons in Fox Hall
    NEW SPACES
    UMass Lowell has opened 14 new properties since 2009, including state-of-the-art academic and research buildings, new residence halls and student centers.
  • Manning School Dean Sandra Richtermeyer addresses the students Photo by Ed Brennen
    OUR FABULOUS DEANS
    Over a dessert of gooey s’mores and rich hot chocolate, the Manning School of Business recognized nearly 60 freshmen and first-year transfer students who made the fall semester Dean’s List at a recent reception at University Crossing’s Moloney Ballroom. Hosting the event for the first time as dean of the Manning School, Sandra Richtermeyer invited the students and their families to campus to celebrate.
  • Bradley Sherwood helps a child weave on a loom at summer camp at the Tsongas Industrial History Center
    TSONGAS INDUSTRIAL HISTORY CENTER
    A partnership between the university’s College of Education and the Lowell National Historical Park, the Tsongas Industrial History Center offers grade school students the opportunity for hands-on learning about the American Industrial Revolution through activities and tours where history – and science – happened.
  • Love of the Game President Allyson Dillon dances with Jocelyn McCormack Photo by Ed Brennen
    MAKING A DIFFERENCE
    UMass Lowell DifferenceMaker students are engaged in creative problem solving, innovation and entrepreneurship. Love of the Game, a student-run community outreach program, began as a DifferenceMaker project and is now in its fifth year of hosting sports clinics on campus for people with developmental disabilities.
  • A view of the exterior of Cumnock Hall on North Campus
    ICONIC BUILDINGS
    The fancy new ones are nice and all, but there’s nothing like Coburn, Southwick, Falmouth, Kitson, Cumnock and Alumni halls.
  • Timothy Roberts, Natalie Melconian, Rebecca Gonsalves-Lamontagne, and Zachary Morris paddle UMass Lowell's concrete canoe during the 2014 regional competition.
    WE CAN MAKE CONCRETE FLOAT
    For more than 30 years, our students have kicked butt at the annual American Society of Civil Engineers’ regional concrete canoe competition. UMass Lowell competes against dozens of universities from around North America in the quest to design, build and race concrete canoes weighing over 100 pounds.
  • UMass Lowell graduate Tehila Nahum
    PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS
    The UMass system is 13th in the United States for intellectual property generated in the system.
  • Seth Bailin and others with rheir instruments in the Cambodian Ensemble.
    MUSIC
    Ours was the nation’s first public music education school. Our alumni win Grammys and Emmy Awards and widespread respect for their talent.
  • Sunset-Behind-Allen-House-UMass-Lowell-South-Campus
    OUR VIEW
    A glistening river bouncing over rocks and around bends. Historic red brick buildings framed by a deep blue sky. Mountain ranges to the north. A small-city landscape of steeples, mansard roofs and the crenelated towers of public and cultural buildings.
  • A group of student award winners gathers before processing into the Saturday morning ceremony. Photo by Tory Wesnofske
    COMMENCEMENT
    This May, for the first time in university history, UMass Lowell held three Commencement ceremonies to help accommodate UML’s largest graduating class ever – more than 4,500 students. There is no more joyful day on campus. Even Rowdy weeps.
  • iRobot engineer Sandy Firestone laughs during the panel discussion Photo by Ed Brennen
    RISING RANKINGS
    The better-positioned UMass Lowell is in the marketplace, the more valuable your degree is – no matter when you graduated.
  • Manning School of Business students celebrate the grand opening of the Pulichino Tong Business Center in 2017, one of several game-changing facilities the campaign has helped make possible
    ENDOWMENTS
    Gifts to UMass Lowell’s Our Legacy, Our Place campaign have more than doubled campus's endowment to $84.7 million and increased the number of endowed scholarships and faculty research funds to more than 520.
  • North, South, and East Umass Lowell, all of Umass Lowell as a whole.
    WE PUT OUR MONEY WHERE WE LIVE
    UMass Lowell delivers $921.9 million in positive economic impact to the region and supports more than 7,000 jobs on and off campus, according to the Donahue Institute.
  • Four female students wearing blue lipstick pose in a handmade frame decorated with musical notes at the UMass Lowell Club Fair
    STUDENT ACTIVITIES
    Students have an awesome time here. Hard not to, with more than 250 clubs and organizations to choose from.
  • Park visitors wait as a yellow trolley tour arrives in Lowell Photo by Lowell National Park
    LOWELL NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
    Not many schools share locations with a national park, but UMass Lowell does. The park preserves and celebrates Lowell’s legacy as a hub of the U.S. Industrial Revolution. Walking tours, canal boat rides, hands-on exhibits and talks are all on offer for those interested in exploring the city’s roots.
  • headshot of Sean Flaherty in cap and gown outside of the Tsongas Center after UMass Lowell's 2019 Commencement
    SECOND CHANCES
    After a life-changing health scare, Sean Flaherty recommitted himself to academics. He graduated from the Manning School of Business with a perfect 4.0 GPA and landed his "dream job" at a water sustainability company in New York.
  • A map of the tunnel system at UMass Lowell
    OUR UNDERWORLD
    Ah, yes, the tunnels – those popular subterranean passageways on North Campus that for decades have been the route of choice between buildings on cold, snowy or rainy days.
  • Female students seated at desks in classroom at Lowell Normal School in the 1900s
    THE WAY(S) WE WERE
    Massachusetts State Normal School at Lowell (1894-1932), Lowell Textile School (1895-1928), Lowell Textile Institute (1928-1953), State Teachers College at Lowell (1932-1960), Lowell Technological Institute (1953-1975), Massachusetts State College at Lowell (1960-1968), Lowell State College (1968-1975), University of Lowell (1975-1991), University of Massachusetts Lowell (1991. uml.edu/125
  • students and staff pose for a photo at the vape pen exchange table Photo by Ed Brennen
    GOOD HEALTH
    Students traded in their vape pens for UML gear donated by the university bookstore during “Escape the Vape,” a two-day event hosted by the peer health education student group Healthy H.A.W.K.S.
  • View of sculpture in front of Olsen Hall on North Campus
    OUR BUILDING NAMES
    Olsen and Olney. Dugan and Durgin. Confusing? Sometimes. Ours? Always.
  • Male student adjusting machine Photo by Imelda Joson
    WE'RE CENTERED
    UMass Lowell is home to 23 research centers and institutes where cutting-edge exploration is taking place.
  • Hands holding a bowl full of mussels and 4 slices of bread from Sizzling Kitchen in Lowell Photo by Tory Germann
    GREAT RESTAURANTS
    Lowell’s population is a rich ethnic stew – and so are its eateries. Thanks to the various communities who call Lowell home, the city has off-the charts Greek, pho, Hawaiian poké, vegan, brick-oven pizza, sushi, Mexican and BBQ spots, just to name a few.
  • UML students Nurshafiquah Shahirah Mohd Ghazali and Richa Gotecha consult with Carol Towle. Coordinator of Student Success for the Manning School of Business. Photo by K. Webster
    ACADEMIC SUPPORT
    Faculty and academic support staff are here for students from day one through graduation day, and numerous programs like UMass Lowell’s new advising system, Early Alert and academic boot camp help students stay on track. Centers for Learning and Academic Support Services offers tutoring in-person or online, writing help, study groups and more.
  • Exterior of Tsongas Center
    THE TSONGAS CENTER
    Since the University acquired the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell in 2010, it’s transformed the facility into a premier venue for sports and entertainment in the region.
  • Music Prof. William Moylan is named 2019 Distinguished University Professor
    OUR UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS
    The highest distinction bestowed on a UMass Lowell faculty member, the title recognizes exemplary contributions to teaching, research and service. The 2019 Distinguished University Professor is Music Prof. William Moylan, architect of UMass Lowell’s nationally acclaimed Sound Recording Technology program.
  • Kelly Dankese outside of iRobot in Bedford, MA
    PROFESSIONAL CO-OPS
    This year, the Professional Cooperative Education program is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The program has grown to provide co-op work experiences at 566 companies around the country to 2,665 students from 16 majors and concentrations.
  • UMass Lowell boathouse from river
    THE BELLEGARDE BOATHOUSE
    After more than $1 million in renovations, the UMass Lowell Bellegarde Boathouse became the home of university and community boating programs. Situated on the north bank of the Merrimack River, the boathouse provides one of the region’s most spectacular views of the waterfront and sunsets.
  • Three female students at the homecoming festival smiling wearing matching Kappa Delta Phi sweatshirts
    GREEK LIFE
    Greek life at UMass Lowell is made up of four sororities and six fraternities. These organizations make up about 300 undergraduate students across all majors and years.
  • two hands extended, palms up, painted blue and green as the world
    THE WORLD IN YOUR HANDS
    UMass Lowell has international partnerships with 38 educational institutions in 23 nations. Between team-taught courses, student exchanges and research partnerships, we’re building bridges and advancing the public good. And we’re not doing all the traveling: A growing number of international students are making UMass Lowell their destination.
  • A student and her family talk with a financial planning advisor Photo by Ed Brennen
    FINANCIAL AID
    We meet more than 90 percent of student need (but our goal is 100). In 2018, UMass Lowell awarded more than $192 million in financial aid, with an average of $15,400 per award.
  • UMass Lowell marching band members play trumpets
    UMASS LOWELL MARCHING BAND
    They marshal precision and master the sounds of everything from Souza to Sabbath. Basketball and hockey games wouldn’t be the same without them. They celebrate new beginnings and provide a sense of pomp, circumstance and solemnity at campus events. UMass Lowell’s marching band brings together students from every college who want to share their musical talents and school spirit.
  • David Chieh III - Verizon corporate recruiter looks over Jonathan Campelli's resume at the Career Fair at the Tsongas Center.
    SOLID SALARIES
    UMass Lowell is ranked No. 1 among public research institutions in New England and No. 24 in the nation for starting salaries for its graduates.
  • Rajia-Abdelaziz-Env
    STARTUPS
    The UMass Lowell Innovation Hub, or iHub, has locations in both Lowell and Haverhill and connects the region’s technology startups and entrepreneurs to campus resources that facilitate the development, manufacturing and commercialization of their innovations.
  • A view of the interior of Coffee & Cotton in Mill No. 5 Photo by Colleen Gordon
    MILL NO. 5
    Live music, yoga, movies, coffee, vinyl records, an apothecary, a cheesemonger and even an occasional farmer’s market. Mill No. 5, located in a renovated factory downtown, is a haven of hip.
  • Aaron Wilson wearing a lab coat and safety glasses does testing in a lab in the Toxics Use Reduction Institute under the supervision of Laboratory Director, Jason Marshall
    LEARNING BY DOING
    At UMass Lowell, we engage students early in their college career to participate in meaningful, practical research experiences that enrich learning in campus research labs, at community organizations and with local startups, to name a few. The result? Our students are way ahead of the game when they graduate.
  • UML students bowl inside University Crossing at the annual After Dark event
    BOWLING
    During Opening Week every fall semester, the campus hosts dozens of fun events for students – including bowling in the lobby of the University Crossing student center.
  • Ashley Austin talks with her mentee Deion Lightfoot-Taylor Photo by Ed Brennen
    MENTORS
    The River Hawk Scholars Academy is piloting a new mentorship program that matches 20 first-generation college students with local employees from Salesforce, the cloud computing and customer relationship management software giant.
  • Andrew Fournier '19 returned to campus recently for the dedication of his art piece "River" in the front hallway of the Pulichino Tong Business Center.
    ART ON CAMPUS
    Increasingly, student art is enlivening buildings across the UML campus. Recently, Andrew Fournier '19 saw his "River" installed in the Pulichino Tong Business Center.
  • A view from inside of University Crossing of people working at the rooftop vegetable garden outside the second floor landing
    ROOFTOP GARDENS
    Rows of kale, Swiss chard and collard greens are growing on the new Green Roof vegetable garden at University Crossing, a collaboration between Mill City Grows and UML’s Urban Agriculture Program, Student Government Association and Office of Sustainability.
  • The floating trash collector in water Photo by courtesy
    INNOVATION
    Rover the River Hawk, an Industrial Capstone Senior Design project that engineering students are building to clean debris from the city’s canals, received a Green Design award from the Lowell Sustainability Council and a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan.
  • The UMass Lowell hockey team and coaches celebrate on the ice with Rowdy the River Hawk as Hockey East champs in 2013
    OUR CHAMPIONS
    UMass Lowell athletic teams have won 15 NCAA national championships.
  • Noelle Lambert celebrates her goal with teammates Photo by Bob Ellis
    MAKING STRIDES
    UMass Lowell alum Noelle Lambert was a star on the UML women’s lacrosse team when a moped accident severed her leg and almost took her life. Noelle inspired so many with her triumphant return to lacrosse. She created the Born to Run foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing child amputees with the specialty prosthetics to allow them to run again.
  • One female student sits at her desk in her room in her residence hall and her roommate sits on a bed, smiling at the camera
    OUR SUITE LIFE
    Our rooms, suites, apartments and Living-Learning Communities (on East Campus, South Campus and in downtown Lowell) make our students feel right at home. Everything on campus is a short walk, shuttle bus or bike ride away.
  • Purple flowers against the back of snow-covered Coburn Hall
    COBURN HALL
    The College of Education will return in 2020 to its historic home in the earliest academic building on campus – after a top-to-bottom expansion and renovation, complete with updates that will help train the educators of tomorrow.
  • Faculty learn how to use a TEAL classroom Photo by Ed Brennen
    SMART CLASSROOMS
    Inside the new Technology Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) classrooms on the renovated third floor of Olsen Hall, there are no desks facing a professor’s podium at the front of the room. Instead, the rooms are equipped with tables for six (referred to as “pods”) along the room’s perimeter, each centered around a 55-inch touchscreen monitor. Students wirelessly connect their laptops, tablets or phones to their group’s pod to collaborate on work.
  • Rowdy the River Hawk hoding a coffee cup and wearing a green apron behind the cash register at Starbucks on North campus
    COFFEE
    Starbucks. Brew'd Awakening. Einstein Bros. Coffee and Cotton. There are no shortages of places to get your caffeine fix in Lowell.
  • Two UMass Lowell students play ultimate frisbee on the new Campus Rec Complex on East Campus
    CLUB SPORTS
    In addition to Division l competition, UMass Lowell is home to more than 30 club sports teams drawing nearly 1,000 participants. From ballroom dancing to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, there are teams for just about every interest. And if you don’t see one you like, you can start your own with the help of Campus Recreation staff.
  • Rethink Robotics Baxter
    ROBOTS
    With funding from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI), robotics experts from UML, Carnegie Mellon University, Brigham Young University and Tufts University are working together to give humanoid robots and other autonomous systems the ability to assess themselves in terms of how well they can perform a given task or why they cannot complete the job.
  • Tippy the dog with smiling student
    PUPPIES
    Tippy is the Honors College mascot. Tippy holds #TippyTime for stress relief and just plain fun. She's a regular visitor to the library and hangs out in the Honors College with her "uncle" Julian Zabalbeascoa, communications and study abroad coordinator for the college. You can follow Tippy on Instagram: @honorscollegeuml.
  • UMass Lowell Police Sergeant Frank Sullivan inside a UML PD cruiser
    CAMPUS SAFETY
    Our 34-officer police department patrols the university and nearby neighborhoods 24/7. A university-wide alert system updates the community in real time on their mobile devices and email. The campus is equipped with a complex digital system that includes
    815 security cameras, 1,550 card readers, 850 panic alarms, 100 intrusion alarms and 253 emergency phones. Seminars are available to educate students on self-defense and how to stay safe and make healthy decisions.
  • UML students hike at the Grand Canyon
    OUTDOOR ADVENTURE PROGRAM
    If you’re looking for a safe, organized and affordable way to enjoy the great outdoors – be it on a day or weekend trip around New England or a longer excursion to another part of the country – the Outdoor Adventure Program provides the experience and resources to make it happen.
  • Fang Zhang
    AMBITIOUS GRADUATE STUDENTS
    Like Fang Zhang. Since coming to UMass Lowell from China, he has joined, founded and/or led numerous student organizations, including the Pair-Up Program, a multicultural organization that pairs U.S. and international students; the Graduate Student Association; and the Student Alumni Ambassador program, among others. He’s a diversity peer educator, and last year, he won both the MLK Distinguished Service Award and the Graduate Student of the Year Award. He was recently elected vice president and COO of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students. And he just got his U.S. citizenship!
  • OMA Staff
    STAFF
    1,150 staff members keep things running smoothly at UMass Lowell.
  • BAE executive Ray Brousseau ’86 speaks to students in the UML graduate certificate course in microwave engineering, taught on the BAE Systems campus.
    CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS
    BAE Systems is one of UMass Lowell’s many corporate partners. The partnership runs deep: Whether it’s a question of employment opportunities, resource donations or joint-project collaborations, the interests of the university and the Nashua-based company are well-aligned.
  • Assoc. Prof. Josh Dyck looks at a polling map
    WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING
    We are a research university, and the Center for Public Opinion is just one of the ways in which we flex our cross-disciplinary muscle. The Center polls on political and public opinion trends, and it all enhances our students’ experiences. Thanks to the rigor and integrity with which we conduct our polls, the results are widely reported and respected.
  • Sunset Paddle Tours. On this guided tour we will meet you at the Boathouse at 7 p.m. and paddle upstream on the Merrimack River. We will enjoy the sunset while floating on the water before heading back to the Boathouse in the twilight. Please come 15 minutes early to check in and prepare. Appropriate for adults and children. All tours include equipment rental and safety/paddling instructions.
    MERRIMACK RIVER
    The UMass Lowell Kayak Center is open to the public as well as the university community. We offer rentals, instruction, tours and fun with kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards on the Merrimac River.
  • Larry Siegel stands in front of a bulletin board covered in $1 bills
    OUR SENSE OF HUMOR
    Larry Siegel, vice chancellor for student affairs and university events, keeps a collection of $5 bills and a couple of higher denominations – in all, 41 bills totaling $134 – mounted on the back of a cabinet door. All the bills are signed by people at the university who lost bets to Siegel. “I don’t care about the money. It’s just fun,” he says.
  • UMass Lowell students play in the snow on South Campus
    WINTER BREAK
    Need to rest and recharge? Winter break is right around the corner.
  • Allen House, also known historically as The Terraces, is an historic house at 2 Solomont Way on the South Campus of the University of Massachusetts Lowell in Lowell, Massachusetts. Built about 1854, it is one of the city's finest early examples of Italianate architecture. In the early 20th century, it was the home of Charles Herbert Allen, a prominent local politician. Since 1957, it has been owned by the University of Massachusetts Lowell; restored in the 2000s, it houses a gallery and event space used for university programs. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
    ALLEN HOUSE
    The oldest (and maybe most beautiful) building on campus – and the only one listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some of Jack Kerouac’s most precious possessions – including rudimentary handmade cat carriers he constructed for his beloved felines, travel souvenirs and his writing desk – have found a home as part of the Kerouac Retrieved exhibit at the Allen House.
  • Charlie, Max and Harry Rider Photo by K. Webster
    FAMILY TIES
    For many River Hawks, attending UMass Lowell is all in the family. Take Harry Rider ’19, who was the fourth generation of his family to graduate from UML.
  • Male student inspecting a bat in the baseball lab. Photo by Tory Germann
    THE BAT LAB
    At the Baseball Research Center, students are engaged in sports engineering research and equipment testing. They are investigating ways to reduce bat breakage, uncovering new testing methods for examining the properties of baseballs and researching impact mechanics to improve helmet performance. More than 100 students have contributed to research projects that have been funded by Major League Baseball and sporting goods manufacturers.
  • James Nehring
    UNFORGETTABLE PROFESSORS
    Jim Nehring, an associate professor of education, won the Manning Prize for Teaching Excellence at UMass Lowell this year. Nehring is a strong advocate for public education that couples academic rigor with inquiry-based, student-centered learning.
  • Supriya Chakrabarti, Assoc. Prof. Timothy Cook and LoCSST Scientist Christopher Mendillo test the PICTURE-C telescope’s primary mirror Photo by Edwin Aguirre
    WE SHOOT FOR THE STARS
    UMass Lowell will have a planet-finding telescope soaring to the edge of the atmosphere. The telescope is being built and tested at the university’s Lowell Center for Space Science and Technology (LoCSST) by teams of UML students, faculty researchers, scientists and engineers.
  • The UMass Lowell Pep Band, also known as the Jazz Rock Big Band, is under the direction of Dan Lutz, and Deb Huber. Established in 1995, the ensemble maintains a demanding schedule, performing at local festivals, state finals, and championships within the United States. The band also serves the University as a source of entertainment, performing at Division I hockey games and other campus events.
    UMASS LOWELL FIGHT SONG
    “River Hawk Pride,” which debuted in 2014, is the university’s first-ever fight song. Written by long-time Director of University Bands Dan Lutz (music) and Associate Director Deb Huber (lyrics), the song sums up the River Hawk spirit: “UMass Lowell we will always be, a team of strength in unity!”
  • Students pat a baby goat as part of UML's Wellness Center's stress relief events during finals
    STRESS RELIEF
    Massages, baby animals, group fitness classes, arts and crafts – we offer all of these things during exam periods to help students relieve stress.
  • An MSBA grad student explains his project to a guest at the capstone presentation ceremony Photo by Ed Brennen
    SERIOUS BUSINESS
    Dell wanted to analyze 2 million records from its supply chain to maximize computer sales efficiency. Enterprise Bank wanted to know which mobile banking services its customers use and why. Those were among the eight industry-partner capstone projects that the first cohort of Master of Science in Business Analytics students completed before graduating from the Manning School of Business last spring.
  • UMass Lowell Image
    APPS
    UMass Lowell has convenient apps like Parking Spaces and Roadster Routes designed to save time and provide quick access to the information you need, like where to park, bus routes and more.
  • Nursing bus lab
    THE MOBILE LAB
    With our high-tech mobile simulation lab, students in the Solomont School of Nursing can visit area schools and demonstrate what it’s like to work in the profession.
  • Steinel with student in the fish lab
    WE PUSH THE BOUNDARIES
    UMass Lowell researchers are breaking new ground by taking fresh approaches to longstanding problems. For instance, a research team led by Asst. Prof. Natalie Steinel of the Department of Biological Sciences is studying fish with tapeworm parasites with the goal of improving our knowledge of the human immune system. The researchers are studying the interactions between the host and parasites in fish to understand how the fish’s immune system can be manipulated. If they can determine how a parasite can modify the host’s immune response, they could potentially target those same pathways to design new immunosuppressive drugs for humans, Steinel says.
  • Tomoe Yashida holds her daughter as Dean Sandra Richtermeyer placed a ceremonial hood over her head Photo by Ed Brennen
    GOING THE EXTRA MILE
    This year, more than three dozen Japanese students who completed online courses flew to campus for commencement – the largest group yet to make the trip.
  • Bicycles in bike rack
    BICYCLES
    UMass Lowell’s Outdoor Center and Bike Shop keeps up with the university’s growth as a bicycle-friendly campus and with students’ growing interest in outdoor programs. As of October 2019, UMass Lowell has been awarded an upgraded Silver Designation as a Bicycle Friendly University from the League of American Bicyclists.
  • Chancellor Jacquie Moloney celebrates with students
    PHILANTHROPY
    During the third annual Days of Giving, 3,302 members of the UML community – including students, faculty, staff, alumni, family members and friends – made contributions online and at regional events, raising a record $420,500 for their favorite programs, colleges, clubs and sports teams.
  • A view of Fox Hall, Campus Rec and University Suites from the Campus Recreation Complex fields
    RECREATION
    The Campus Recreation Center is always abuzz with activity between basketball and racquetball courts, studios that host group fitness classes and a gym complete with free weights, benches, spinning bikes, rowing machines and more.
  • <p>Since 1997, UMass Lowell has been participating in a Village Empowerment project with the communities surrounding the city of Huarmey, in the Andes Mountains of Peru. &#160;The project has included the installation of solar PV power stations in several mountain communities. The electricity has been used to power vaccine refrigerators, lights in the medical posts, and radios for communication.</p>
    BEING OF SERVICE
    Service learning gives students the opportunity to work with community organizations, tackling real life issues and gaining course credit in the process. Projects range from developing a business plan for a local not-for-profit and working with foster children to creating energy solutions for a village in Peru.
  • UMass Lowell student Kelly Skelton presents to a class
    OUR WORK ETHIC
    UMass Lowell students are known for being hard-working. Like Kelly Skelton, who plans to earn his undergraduate and MBA degrees in just four years – and with zero debt – while juggling multiple jobs and extracurricular activities.
  • MentalHealthScreening
    WELL-BEING
    UMass Lowell is proud to be a JED Campus Program member. Working with mental health experts, our counseling staff developed a customized support plan and strives for engagement to strengthen the community well-being.
  • Concert at Lowell's Boarding House Park
    LOWELL FOLK FEST
    The Lowell Folk Festival is a three-day spectacular in late July filled with performers from around the world and a bounty of food offerings.
  • UMass Lowell alumni Tyler Cote
    STUDENTS WHO LEAD
    Student-founded counterterrorism project Operation250 won a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. Pictured here is honors graduate Tyler Cote '17, the first full-time employee of Operation250.
  • UMass Lowell business major Andre Difilippo presents the results of the December 2017 SGA student survey to the Chancellor's executive team Photo by Sergio Velazquez
    OUR TOBACCO-FREE CAMPUS
    UMass Lowell’s campus has been tobacco-free since September 2014, following a yearlong, student-driven campaign to clear the air.
  • Simthyrearch Dy poses holding a scale model of SPACE HAUC, UMass Lowell’s first student-built satellite
    SPACE HAUC
    SPACE HAUC (pronounced “Space Hawk”), is UMass Lowell’s first student-built satellite. A team of 100 students from physics, math, computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer engineering have been working on the satellite, which is funded with a two-year, $200,000 grant from NASA. The team is building and testing the satellite’s components at the university’s Lowell Center for Space Science and Technology.
  • String Project concert
    THE STRING PROJECT
    Founded in 2001, the UMass Lowell String Project is a music education and community engagement initiative that provides music instruction to K-12 students from the Merrimack Valley. While learning to play string instruments, students discover how music can build positive relationships with their peers and within the community.