Graduate Students

Learn about students pursuing advanced degrees at UMass Lowell.

Graduate Student Profiles

Mehmet Yavuz

Peace and Conflict Studies

It’s a small world: Mehmet Yavuz came to campus from Turkey because he read an article written by a UMass Lowell professor in peace and conflict studies.
Kyleigh Clark-Moorman

Criminology

Kyleigh Clark-Moorman is interested in how best to prepare inmates to rejoin their communities. She’s gotten a broad range of research and teaching experiences in the doctoral program in criminology.
Sean Perry

Criminal Justice

After earning a master's degree in criminal justice, Sean Perry plans to pursue a Ph.D. in criminology with the ultimate goal of becoming a professor or private sector or government researcher whose studies could help improve police departments or criminal justice systems.
Joshua Santana

Music Education

When music education major Joshua Santana teaches local grade-schoolers to play violin through the university’s String Project, he connects with them because he was once in their shoes.
Bridget McSherry

Accounting

Bridget McSherry seized every opportunity she could while earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting at UMass Lowell, and now she’s ready to begin her career at Moody, Famiglietti & Andronico.
Devon White

Psychology and Disability Studies & Autism Studies

Devon White, a recent graduate of the Autism Studies program, is helping to run a new, affordable and comprehensive autism treatment center in Kuwait. She says great faculty mentors and all the research opportunities she got, starting as an undergraduate, prepared her for the post.
John Kilgo

Computer Science

John Kilgo VI began working at MITRE Corporation more than three years ago as an intern, when he was a UMass Lowell undergraduate. Now, he’s employed there full time as a software systems engineer, while enrolled part time in the master’s program in computer science.
Lauren Gary

Psychology & Autism Studies

Lauren Gary transferred to UMass Lowell to study psychology and work with people with disabilities. Thanks to faculty advice, she entered the bachelor’s-to-master’s program in autism studies – and found a job in her field before finishing her undergraduate degree.
Covington Bien-Aimé

Business Administration

Manning School of Business MBA coursework provided service learning opportunities to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, native Covington Bien-Aimé. He improved his team management skills, while working with students from many countries to give help to communities in need.
Atthaphon Mumi

Entrepreneurship

With a dissertation on social media’s role in the entrepreneurial process, Thailand’s Atthaphon Mumi became the first graduate of the Manning School of Business’ Ph.D. in entrepreneurship program.
Aaron Stella

Nutritional Sciences & Clinical Laboratory Sciences

Before Aaron Stella graduated from the medical laboratory science program, he had more job offers than he knew what to do with.
Rimonda Maroun

Criminal Justice & Criminology

Rimonda Maroun is doubling up on research and teaching experience as she pursues her Ph.D. in criminology and criminal justice.
Matthew Olson

Education

Matthew Olson, dean of humanities and social science at Middlesex Community College, says there is a direct connection between the doctorate he earned in Leadership in Schooling and his current job.
Dean Kennedy

Mechanical Engineering

Dean Kennedy always dreamed of a career at Disney. The experience he gained and connections he made while earning his bachelor’s and master’s in mechanical engineering helped make that dream come true.
Rohann Nair

Engineering Management

Rohann Nair was torn about whether to pursue a master of science degree or an MBA. Instead of choosing, he opted for both by enrolling in UMass Lowell’s master’s degree in engineering management.
Moiz Khan

Business Analytics

Already on track for a successful marketing career in Pakistan, Moiz Khan has shifted gears to pursue a master’s in business analytics from the Manning School of Business.
Lisa Dana

Education

Superintendent Lisa Dana's length of service in the Danver's public school system is among the longest in the state.
Daniel Parravano

Finance

Manning School of Business MBA student Daniel Parravano began working as a real estate agent as an undergraduate to help pay his way through school. Now he is ready to make his mark in the world of commercial real estate.
Juan Boungou

Global Studies

Juan Boungou, a former Fulbright Fellow, started a nonprofit for underprivileged youth in the Republic of the Congo. Now he’s earning his Ph.D. in global studies to expand his learning and his impact.
Christine Vaudo

Business Analytics

Christine Vaudo returned to school after a long gap to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Manning School of Business and then decided to pursue her master’s degree in business analytics.
Cassie Harding

Public Health

Cassie Harding’s internship experiences as a public health student inspired her to tackle the big health and wellness challenges facing people in the cities and towns around her.
Kripa Joseph

Peace and Conflict Studies

Honors student Kripa Joseph is earning her B.A. and M.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies in four years, while minoring in music and pursuing internships that promote diversity and respect among cultures.
Frank Stegnar

Business Administration

Toronto native Frank Stegnar excelled in the classroom and on the ice as an undergrad at UMass Lowell, so he chose to get his MBA online from the Manning School of Business.
Tugba Metinyurt

Community Social Psychology & Applied Psychology and Prevention Science

Tugba Metinyurt came to UML to study community social psychology and learn how to be a force for positive social change in her native Turkey.
Edina Hirt

Psychology, Autism Studies

Honors student Edina Hirt faced hurdles from learning English to battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma while working toward her degree. Still, she won an award for her dedication to community service.
Rianna Grissom

Applied Psychology & Prevention Science

Rianna Grissom does research on how stereotypes and prejudices affect biracial and multiracial people.
Kelechi Adejumo

Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology

Kelechi Adejumo is looking for ways to improve health in the workplace and at home, combining her scholarly research into musculoskeletal injuries to nursing aides and her hands-on work for the Healthy Homes project.
Cora Casteel

Mathematics

Cora Casteel says mathematics will help her with a career in policing and criminal justice policy.
Edgardo Pomales-Feliciano

Pharmaceutical Sciences

Edgardo Pomales-Feliciano is an inaugural member in the new Pharmaceutical Science Master's program at UMass Lowell.
Jyotik Savaj

Energy Engineering/Solar

Jyotik Savaj, who is enrolled in the Master of Science in Energy Engineering/Solar Program, aims to help fulfill the need for solar power and has a paid co-op job at Exyte, an engineering and project management company specializing in high-tech facilities.
Mindasari Daniar

Nutritional Sciences & Public Health

Mindasari Daniar's upbringing in Indonesia inspired her to study nutrition. She now works at Massachusetts General Hospital in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and is pursing her Master of Public Health degree.
Mike Taskoski

Business Administration

As a technical program manager with the U.S. Navy, Mike Taskoski had his pick of MBA programs. He chose UMass Lowell based on the reputation of its online program.
Erin Monahan

Public Administration

Erin Monahan finds value in learning principles applicable to a wide range of arts and humanities-based organizations. She is getting professional experience as an archivist through an internship at the Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods.
Sarah Golding

Human Services Administration

Sarah Golding works with young people transitioning to adulthood while coping with mental illness. She says the Master of Public Administration program is giving her the right balance of core administrative skills and deep knowledge to help her advocate for her clients.
Marcus Lithander

Applied Psychology and Prevention Science

Marcus Lithander was already designing online courses when he heard Asst. Prof. Yana Weinstein, co-founder of The Learning Scientists, speak at a conference in Stockholm. Six months later he arrived in the U.S. to pursue his Ph.D. with her and do research on effective learning strategies.
Kevin Copson

Peace and Conflict Studies

Kevin Copson is using his policy and data analysis skills to help local nonprofits while working at a university-based startup.
Zachary Zuber

Exercise Physiology & Physical Therapy

Even though many of Zack Zuber’s family members attended UMass Lowell, he wasn’t convinced that it was the place for him – that is, until he visited the campus.
Ron Pannell

Human Services Management

In the Master of Public Administration program, Ron Pannell is learning skills he can apply to his job in the Office of Student Engagement at Middlesex Community College – and later, in a housing agency.
Gabrielle Davis

Peace and Conflict Studies

Gabby Davis is learning to make peace through community building and putting her studies into practice by organizing events for Made in Lowell, a community nonprofit.
Tyler McMillan

Public Administration

Tyler McMillan teaches guitar and plays in a band. He’s earning his M.P.A. degree in public arts and humanities so he can start a nonprofit recording studio – and more.
Abigail Giarrosso

Chemistry

Honors chemistry major Abigail Giarrosso helped develop a safer paint-stripper at her work-study job at the Toxics Use Reduction Institute. She stayed to pursue her master's and has taken on her next research challenge: finding an alternative to acetone-based removers for gel manicures.
Patrick Martin

Political Science & Public Administration

Honors student Patrick Martin is studying political science to change drug policy.
Gackson Wheeler

Political Science & Security Studies: Homeland Defense

Gackson Wheeler found his path to the crossroads of politics and the possibilities the Air Force offered at UMass Lowell, and he calls it one of the best decisions he’s ever made.
Haylee Dussault

Nutritional Sciences, Public Health

Haylee Dussault was a part of the first class of students in the Master of Public Heath Dietetics program. Shortly after graduation, she passed the registered dietitian exam and landed her dream job.
Kevin Huang

Biology, Public Health

Kevin Huang is turning his passion for health and fitness into a career in medicine after internships with hospital administrators.
Qurat Ann

Criminal Justice & Criminology

A chance encounter with a professor led to an amazing research opportunity. Now Qurat Ann is researching the pros and cons of sex offender registration laws as she pursues a Ph.D.
Sean Patterson

Sound Recording Technology

For this sound recording technology grad, it’s all between the ears.
Daniel Howell

Public Health

When Daniel Howell interned at the City of Lowell Health Department, he helped run a forum addressing opioid abuse.
Dic Donohue

Criminal Justice & Criminology

Retired MBTA Transit Police Sgt. Dic Donohue finished his master’s degree in 2012. Less than a year later, he was shot during a police firefight with the Boston Marathon bombers. After earning his Ph.D. in criminology, he’s taking a job with the RAND Corp.
Michelle Palladino

Nutritional Sciences & Public Health

Once Michelle Palladino started taking courses in nutrition as an undergraduate, she knew right away that she wanted a career in the field of nutrition and dietetics.
Peter Larsen

Biology & Biotechnology

The Honors College offered Peter Larsen a chance to explore outside his major, giving him a true liberal arts education and changing his career plans. Then DifferenceMaker helped him realize his dream of providing unique and inexpensive prosthetic hands to kids.
Maureen Kelly

Civil & Environmental Engineering, Structural Engineering

A service-learning capstone in Lowell and Haiti transformed Maureen Kelly’s civil engineering education — and her life. She now works for a firm that supports her ongoing volunteer work in Haiti and her mentoring of current students.
Neil Oliveria

History & Education

Neil Oliveria, already a grandfather, is pursuing degrees in history and education so he can embark on a new career as a teacher.
Haley LaFreniere

Exercise Physiology, Physical Therapy

Motivated to help patients regain strength to live their best possible lives, Haley LaFreniere was inspired early on by her mom to pursue a health-related field.
Tara Lynch

Psychology, Public Health

Tara Lynch's experience during her undergraduate psychology program practicum working with a community agency to improve outcomes for rape survivors led her to pursue a Master of Public Health.
Kady Phelps

History

Kady Phelps came to UMass Lowell to major in education, but history caught up with her. She is working toward her master’s degree in history and earned the Excellence in Students Cultural Heritage Award for her work on an exhibit about Portuguese immigration to Lowell.
Liz Ejaife

Community Social Psychology

A research assistantship helped Liz Ejaife continue into the Master’s program in Community Social Psychology – and gave her valuable research experience.
Karina Cruz

Public Administration

Karina Cruz appreciates the flexibility, small classes and in-depth administrative skills she’s learning, from how to change public policy to managing a diverse workforce.
Andrew Farkas

Health Informatics

Andrew Farkas, chief operating officer at Boston MedFlight, returned to college after 35 years to complete his M.S. in health informatics, with a specialization in management.