The History Department at UMass Lowell provides a broad introduction to civilizations of the past and present, including those of antiquity, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Read more...

UMass Lowell History Alum Spotlight: Neil Oliveria ('19)

As we resume classes, we are reminded of alum Neil Oliveria's passion for teaching history to high school and middle school students. In 2020-2021, he taught "World History" at Woburn High School. The following academic year, he taught "Ancient History" and "Civics" at Haverhill's Consentino Middle School.

Since January 2023, he has worked full-time at Lawrence High School, where he teaches eleventh graders "US History II." Neil loves working with the students in Lawrence. Among the subjects he finds most rewarding to teach is the Civil Rights Movement, since so many of his students can relate to it.

A white haired man in a shirt & tie, sitting at a table talking to a teen female student in a classroom or office.

Neil Oliveria working with a student at Lawrence High School.

Meet Our Students and Alumni

Neil Oliveria pictured with his family after being inducted into history honors society, Phi Alpha Theta
Neil Oliveria '18, '19
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.

Coming to UMass Lowell is the best decision I’ve made in the past 20 years.
Read More About Neil Oliveria 
Deirdre standing holding poster of project
Deirdre Hutchison '23
History

Deirdre Hutchison was ‘terrified’ when she began college at 47.

UMass Lowell gave me all these amazing opportunities, including study abroad.
Read More About Deirdre Hutchison 
Kady Phelps with Kim Cosgrove in front of an exhibit they recently completed about St. Joseph’s Hospital, which was located where University Crossing now stands
Kady Phelps '17, '18
History

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

I feel really blessed to be in Massachusetts and here in Lowell in particular, with all the history.
Read More About Kady Phelps 
UMass Lowell history student Jaden Belizaire
Jaden Belizaire '22
History

A class in archival methods and a directed study, working in the Lawrence History Center, led Jaden Belizaire to pursue graduate schools for archiving.

My experience in that class made me look more into archiving as a viable career.
Read More About Jaden Belizaire 
Maritza Grooms interviews UMass Lowell Prof. Robert Forrant and Emerging Scholar Sophie Combs about research being done on immigration topics on an episode of History in Lowell
Sophie Combs '20
History

Sophie Combs knows her research is going somewhere: into the online Library of New England Immigration.

Small class sizes and getting to know my professors personally was important to me.
Read More About Sophie Combs 
  • Book Party 1

    History Professor Helps Second Graders Become Published Authors

    Distinguished University Prof. Robert Forrant held a “book party” to culminate a monthslong collaboration with a second grade class from Lowell’s McAuliffe Elementary School in which he helped the students write and publish their own books.
    Featured Story
  • From left to right in this 1988 black and white photo: then-U.S. Rep. Chester Atkins, the late Massachusetts Sen. Paul Tsongas, and the first director of the Tsongas Industrial History Center, the late Ed Pershey.

    Tsongas Industrial History Center Celebrates 30 Years of Hands-On Learning

    The Tsongas Industrial History Center, a partnership between the university’s School of Education and Lowell National Historical Park, has welcomed more than 1.4 million students and teachers from around New England for hands-on lessons about Lowell’s history, technology and environment since its founding in 1991. 
    Featured Story
  • A student walks past an educational sign about Indigenous peoples

    New Campus Signs Tell History of Lowell’s Indigenous Peoples

    A group of UMass Lowell students and faculty created educational signs across campus to spread community awareness and knowledge of Indigenous peoples who were originally settled on the local land.
    Featured Story
  • Chris Carlsmith and Deirdre Hutchison

    Pieces of the Past: Students Dig Up History in Lowell

    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.
    Featured Story

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