Graphic design students Annalee Barbar and Oumaima Attioui applied their animation skills during a summer internship with MassBay Community College’s Institute for Trauma, Adversity, and Resilience in Higher Education, creating videos about barriers to college success.

A two-day economic development workshop for cities and towns last June and a similar offering in Springfield next month are the first offerings from the university’s Municipal Leadership Academy, which aims to help local governments and boost student careers.

In an effort to expand access to the STEM field for underrepresented middle school and high school students, UMass Lowell and The Calculus Project hosted a summer mathematics program at which UMass Lowell math students and recent alumni were given the opportunity to explore teaching.

Two UMass Lowell doctoral students were among 12 researchers selected for the InnovAGE fellowship, in which they received entrepreneurship training and mentorship to help bring their AI-powered innovations for rehabilitation and dementia detection closer to market.

Computer science graduate Jessica Vu ’26 created Hawk Advisor, an AI-powered website that helps UMass Lowell students explore career paths and choose electives that align with their professional goals.

Miner School of Computer and Information Sciences faculty are advancing the field of cyberscience through research, while students gain career-connected experiences.

UMass Lowell students from majors spanning computer science, engineering, economics and business are gaining hands-on experience through co-ops at Fresenius Medical Care, contributing to the development of home dialysis technology.

For their senior capstone project, four mechanical engineering majors redesigned and installed a more reliable oil skimmer in the North Campus power plant, solving a longstanding maintenance issue while gaining real-world engineering experience.

Kennedy College of Sciences juniors Branae Craveiro and Sam Morgan have won prestigious Goldwater Scholarships.

UMass Lowell students excelled at the Manning School of Business’ growing Competitive Sales Challenge, earning top finishes against dozens of students from six universities.

Bridge Operations, a software platform designed to help organizations manage facilities and maintenance, won the top prize at the Rist DifferenceMaker Institute’s $50,000 Idea Challenge.

The new KCS Science Masters program provides graduate students with funded summer research opportunities that help them build experience, continue their work between degrees and advance toward careers in science.

Assistant Professor Daniel Glasscock got a National Science Foundation grant to study Ramsey theory, a branch of mathematics focused on the persistence of patterns. The most surprising results for Glasscock were not in discovering new mathematical principles, but in learning how undergraduate students could be true collaborators in theoretical mathematical research.

Public health students not only gain valuable skills during their internships, they also fill much-needed roles in health and community organizations.

UMass Lowell’s new Business Professionals of America chapter has qualified all 10 of its members to compete at the organization’s national conference in Nashville this May.

Computer science major Owen O’Brien created Love Letter, a WiFi-connected device that turns everyday text messages into more meaningful, tangible experiences.

Research Assistant Angela Consentino ’17 of the Center for Population Health at UMass Lowell is partnering with the Greater Lowell Health Alliance and the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association to better understand how cultural background, migration history, age and socioeconomic factors shape substance use attitudes, beliefs and behaviors.

Forty students from the Manning School of Business and the Francis College of Engineering competed in UML’s first 60-Second Pitch Competition, earning cash prizes and professional feedback from alumni and industry leaders.

Miner School Assistant Professor Anitha Gollamudi and her lab group are developing a framework that automatically places sensitive data into highly secure areas of computer systems.

A team of engineering and physical therapy faculty and students is collaborating to on research to evaluate the accuracy of how augmented reality technology tracks joint motion and hand gestures.

A new Honors College program pairs students with Lowell nonprofits for paid, yearlong internships. The “City-ships” give students valuable career and leadership experience while helping community organizations.

Students from the Manning School of Business spent the semester developing detailed plans to help the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lowell expand its services and increase membership.

Psychology Assistant Professor Sarah Merrill studies the tags that trauma and other adverse experiences can leave on children’s genes – and whether interventions can buffer the effects of stress. Her research is part of the rapidly expanding field of epigenetics.

A talk on ancient coins by History Assistant Professor Jane Sancinito for the American Numismatic Society inspired New York doctor David Menchell to buy a collection of ancient Roman and Greek coins for students at UMass Lowell to study.

Assistant Professor of Biology Sarah Gignoux-Wolfsohn and her students are studying the genetics, microbiomes and resilience of wild and farmed oysters on the North Shore of Massachusetts to understand how climate change and disease affect coastal ecosystems and aquaculture.

Two Computer Science students studied in France this summer as part of a larger effort to provide opportunities for students in the Kennedy College of Sciences to experience international learning in preparation for today’s global workplaces.

The Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences Department received a $750,000 Workforce Development Grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to build two specialized teaching and research facilities: mammalian cell culture and histology laboratories.

Assistant Professor of Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Joy Winbourne has joined forces with two engineering professors to advance research into sustainable mulch.

From Silicon Valley to Armenia, UMass Lowell students spent the summer building skills, earning income and exploring career paths through paid professional experiences.

Mechanical engineering majors Andrew Bonczek, Zachary Muniz and Ethan Norton landed summer internships as product definition engineers at GE Aerospace, following the flight plan of fellow UMass Lowell Rocketry Club member Alinna Hanna ’25.

UMass Lowell’s Global Entrepreneurship Exchange (GE2) program returned in person on campus for the first time since the pandemic, offering 25 students the chance to collaborate on a real-world challenge: how to turn a faculty-designed space technology into a viable business.

Sixteen Kennedy College of Sciences students explored evolution and development firsthand during a two-week study abroad course in the Galápagos Islands, combining classroom learning with immersive field research and cultural experiences.

Four recent graduates from the Kennedy College of Sciences' master’s program in mathematics who have landed their dream jobs as math teachers in high schools around the region.

Visiting Lecturer Matthew Beyranevand ’03, ’10 aims to improve students’ understanding of higher mathematics – and to make precalculus classes more fun. Two undergraduate students are helping him while gaining research experience.

The UMass Lowell team of Matthew Ruggiero ’25, Emily Lauretano ’25 and Kaylee Estevao ’25 beat 19 colleges in the fall to earn the regional College Bowl title. At the national competition in May, the team placed fourth among 11 colleges.

To bring care directly to children in Lowell, the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences has partnered with Lowell Public Schools and the Lowell Community Health Center to launch a Mobile Health Unit.

A panel of recent political science alumni returned to UMass Lowell to tell students about what they’ve done since graduation and how UML prepared them for everything from policy and polling jobs to working for the president’s advance team.

Peer leaders from the Office of Multicultural Affairs are now supported with scholarships and mentorship from workforce management software company UKG, a longtime industry partner of UMass Lowell.

UMass Lowell student teams, including Mock Trial, a cyber security team, Model United Nations (U.N.) and an investment class, are on a winning streak this year.

History majors at UMass Lowell take advantage of its historic location and a range of opportunities for internships, research with faculty and experiences abroad.

The university’s Mock Trial team is off to a great start this year, with a win at a Bryant University tournament and strong showings at two more as they head into regionals in early 2025. Students say it’s fun – and that the skills they learn are great preparation for law school or life.

Three students attended COP29 in Azerbaijan, thanks to funding from the Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy.

Chemistry Asst. Prof. Michael Ross and Prof. Matthew Gage are looking to combine proteins with gold nanoparticles to be used in pH sensors.

As an intern with Facilities Management, computer science graduate student Neha Miryala has built new energy dashboards to raise student awareness of their carbon footprint and developed a data warehouse to help improve the university’s operational efficiency.

Business alum Jeurys Santiago ’23 and computer science alum Nuno Mestre ’24 were named to the Boston Business Journal’s annual BostInno 25 Under 25 list, thanks in part to their winning DifferenceMaker projects at UML.

UMass Lowell recognized more than 130 corporate partners that help support faculty research, provide internships and co-ops to students and give philanthropically at the annual “Celebration of Industry Partnerships.”

The UMass Lowell Weather Station is officially online, providing data on air temperature, precipitation and other weather observations.

The Nuclear Recruitment Through Undergraduate Research (NURTURE) program provides paid experience in the field to minority community college students.

Now in its 10th year, the Manning School of Business’ Global Entrepreneurship Exchange (GE2) virtual summer workshop drew 270 students from 10 countries, culminating in a 27-team venture pitch competition.

UTeach alumni welcome current UTeach students into their classrooms so they can gain practical teaching experience.

Climate scientist Juliette Rooney-Varga and environmental studies master’s student Lucia Cheney recently presented to local lawmakers at the Massachusetts State House.

The food forest on South Campus is being used for research, in academic courses and as a place for the community to gather.

Asst. Prof. Yun-Ju Lai of the Solomont School of Nursing is leading a study that uses virtual reality to help UMass Lowell students improve health and well-being.

Forty-seven students graduated with River Hawk Experience Distinction (RHED) cords this year, the most in the program’s six-year history. Students can earn a RHED credential in leadership, entrepreneurship, global engagement, community engagement or sustainability.

The MassRobotics Jumpstart Fellowship Program in Lowell and Boston provides opportunities for high school girls to learn about STEM careers in robotics.

Students in the Radiation Safety and Control course received practical experience assessing, measuring and evaluating simulated radioactive contamination in a controlled environment.

In partnership with the Radiation Safety Office, Radiological Sciences in the Department of Physics and Applied Physics and Art & Design Assoc. Prof. Yuko Oda’s Sculpture III class, students competed in a radiation-themed sculpture contest.

Billerica Assistant Town Manager Clancy Main ’13, ’16 reached out to the Department of Public Health for advice on how to develop an effective plan that will help residents who suffer with substance use disorders.

UMass Lowell’s Model U.N. team won the award for best delegation at a Model U.N. conference in Scotland over spring break. The team also went to the national competition for Model Arab League a week later and brought home several delegate awards.

Nine Manning School of Business students are preparing taxes for low-income people as part of a three-credit internship with Community Teamwork, a Lowell-based nonprofit organization that supports the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

UMass Lowell was recognized as a silver-level EMS Ready Campus, its highest designation ever, at the National Collegiate EMS Foundation’s annual conference in Baltimore, where 10 student EMTs expanded their emergency response skills.

A three-year, $140,000 grant from the Theodore Edson Parker Foundation is paying up to 12 students each semester to provide support to Lowell nonprofits – and paying for staff from 60 nonprofits to take an intensive UML class on grant-writing.

The Department of Physical Therapy and Kinesiology opened a pro bono clinic to provide opportunities for students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program to gain more clinical experiences on campus.

Students represented UMass Lowell in Dubai at COP28, the annual United Nations climate summit.

Intralox, a leading conveyor belt manufacturer based in New Orleans, has developed a strong relationship with UMass Lowell’s plastics engineering program. More than 20 students have worked as interns or co-ops at the company since 2016, and there are seven alumni now working there full time.

UMass Lowell students, from a range of majors, share what they learned during their recent paid internships, co-ops and research experiences – and how it’s given them new perspectives on their coursework.

Married couple Samia Binta Rahman and Tanimul Islam, who are trained doctors from Bangladesh, are graduating from the Master of Public Health program together.

In an effort to get children engaged with artificial intelligence, UML students created computer games for kids to play at the Bartlett Community Partnership School in Lowell.

The River Hawk Scholars Academy is expanding its programs for first-generation college students, including adding a study abroad course and a conference organized by students, thanks to federal aid and grants from nonprofits.

The new River Hawk Experience Distinction in sustainability helps students expand their sustainability knowledge through courses and experiential learning.

Students in health sciences are gaining research experience in Lowell, working alongside an adult advisory group and local agencies to help make the city an “age-friendly” community.

During a class field trip to the State House, public health majors learned how advocates can impact policies that effect health.

Members of Computer Science Prof. Fred Martin’s lab traveled to Sweden to present their research projects at an international conference.

Racial equity and inclusion are the focus of a new concentration for sociology majors. It’s supported by several recently hired faculty who study race and ethnicity, opening up new research opportunities for students.

Chemistry Asst. Prof. Manos Gkikas and his former student, Frances Skinner ’19, developed new anti-microbial drugs to fight multidrug-resistant bacteria that can cause infections in critically ill patients.

A new study led by Prof. of Public Health Wenjun Li, with funding from a $4 million, five-year grant from the National Institute on Aging, will analyze how older people move and use the outdoor space in their communities.

When students arrived back on campus, they were greeted by two colorful murals: a “chrome” hermit crab by internationally known artist “Bikismo” and six endangered species painted by New England muralist Sophy Tuttle. The murals were sponsored by ArtUp Lowell, a citywide coalition that brought nine muralists to the city in August.

At a dig site at 509 Market St. in Lowell, students from UMass Lowell, UMass Boston and Queen’s University Belfast searched for artifacts from a grocery store and dwelling that was operated by Irish immigrant Patrick Keyes in the mid-1800s.

Field experience courses offered during the summer allowed students to explore New England, Montana and Idaho while gaining new skills in ecology and geology.

Students developed the skills needed to run a successful club during the second annual Summester Leadership Academy.

Sixteen students joined Visiting Lecturer Lauren Fogle for the History Department’s first study abroad course, “Topics in History,” a two-week trip to England and Scotland.

Professors in music and psychology are running EcoSonic Playground music camps for children with autism spectrum disorder. UMass Lowell students are getting hands-on teaching. experience, too.

The Honors College expanded its study abroad options this year with new courses on Shakespeare’s London and the history of Madrid. Honors College Dean Jenifer Whitten-Woodring is looking for faculty partners to offer even more.

Doctor of physical therapy students solve complex patient cases during their final clinical rotations.

Music students in the Contemporary Electronic Ensemble and Technology in Music Education class created music videos in Minecraft – and even invented their own instruments. They performed on Twitch and displayed their work in the UMass Lowell “building” at the 2022 Maker Music Festival.

Students in the UTeach program who are getting early teaching experience in high school math, science and engineering classrooms hosted their high school students on North Campus for a day of hands-on activities.

With mixers that follow a speed-dating format, the Honors College is matching more honors students with faculty mentors for research opportunities and final honors theses and projects. The college offers $1,500 fellowships to support student researchers, who may also be paid through faculty grants.

Sixteen student EMTs from UMass Lowell Emergency Medical Services recently traveled to Pittsburgh for the National Collegiate EMS Foundation’s annual conference, where they learned the latest in medical and trauma response and networked with peers from across the country.

The Spring Career Fair returned to the Tsongas Center, where 1,300 students and alumni found 187 employers eager to offer them internships, co-ops and full-time positions in a promising job market.

Four Manning School of Business students are preparing taxes for low-income families as part of a new internship program with Community Teamwork, a Lowell-based nonprofit organization that supports the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

Students in a sociology research methods class collaborated with the Student Government Association on a survey of undergraduates. The sociology majors got real-world experience – and the SGA is using the results to assess and advocate for student needs.

A competition-based initiative to get students thinking about their residence hall energy usage won the third annual Rist Institute for Sustainability & Energy Climate Mitigation Challenge, which asks students to find ways to reduce CO2 emissions by 10,000 pounds in 10 weeks.

Students gain professional experience and expert education through UMass Lowell’s close partnership with The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars.

Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences worked with faculty to study metabolic dysfunction and the effects of toxins on breast cells.

The Office of National Scholarships, run by Associate Director of Honors Scholarship and Curriculum Rae Mansfield, encourages students to apply for external scholarships for research, academic and international experiences.

For many students, a bond with a professor, an advisor, a coach or another person on campus can make all the difference in their college experience and set them up for future success. We checked in with several River Hawks who talked about their mentors on campus and the impact they’ve had.

Sociology Asst. Prof. Teresa Gonzales is studying how people of color use public parks and other urban spaces for leisure – and to assert their cultures. Her “Joyful Cities” project, supported by a Ford Foundation fellowship, is teaching students about ethnographic research.

The Manning School of Business continues to provide a pipeline of talent to MFS Investment Management in Boston, where nearly 90 UML students have worked in a variety of co-op positions.

As part of his internship with local startup company Tertill, mechanical engineering major Max Prescott tested its solar-powered weeding robot at the Rist Urban Agriculture Farm on East Campus.

A device to assess the body’s core alignment and an app for buying and selling stock opinions took home top prizes at their respective Rist DifferenceMaker Institute engineering and business pitch contests at University Crossing.

Six Manning School of Business finance students learned about potential commercial real estate career paths through Project Destined, an eight-week virtual internship program designed to boost diversity in the industry.

UML students, alumni and faculty have documented the pandemic experiences of Lowell and Lawrence residents for an oral history project and some of those stories will be published as a book next year.

The Manning School of Business team of senior Thomas Stranberg and juniors Raj Aurora and Prabakar Adithya earned two first-place finishes at the 24th International Business Ethics Case Competition.

More than 100 students in the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences have volunteered to help out at Lowell General Hospital’s COVID-19 vaccination clinic, which gives about 2,000 shots each day. In addition, some nursing students are earning clinical hours while giving vaccinations.

The Pedroso Tutors program is providing valuable, paid classroom experience to UML education students as they help elementary school students in Lowell. The program is funded by Luis Pedroso, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who is a graduate of the Lowell Public Schools.