07/07/2023
By Julie Chen

I am encouraged by the progress we’ve already made toward objectives outlined in our new Strategic Plan, and I am excited to share with you some important developments that will further enhance UMass Lowell’s research standing and the experience of our graduate students.

Today we are creating a new School of Graduate Studies, to be led on an interim basis by Prof. Partha Chowdhury, chair of the department of physics and applied physics, until more permanent leadership is appointed this fall. The new school will be represented in the Senior Cabinet, reporting through Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Anne Maglia.

Over the next few days, Vice Chancellor Maglia and Provost Joe Hartman will select a transition team to analyze structure and processes, and make recommendations for how the School of Graduate Studies integrates within the university, including with the existing Division of Graduate, Online and Professional Studies. Over the next couple of months, a separate committee will conduct an internal search for leadership of the new school.

This is an important milestone for UMass Lowell.

This development signals our commitment to providing specialized attention and resources to graduate students, and it helps to cement our leadership in graduate education.

This school will better align our graduate programs with our research enterprise, leading to more collaboration, innovation and groundbreaking discoveries. And it will create opportunities for consistency and efficiencies that ultimately lead to stronger, more effective graduate programs.

This is also an important step on the path to Research 1 status, as we build on an already strong reputation to draw top faculty, students and research partners to UMass Lowell.

It’s important to note our enormous pride in UMass Lowell’s graduate programs, which have been fostered by talented faculty and hard-working, dedicated GPS staff, and continue to attract ambitious students seeking to further their professional and academic careers.

It is clear to me, and many others, that a new School of Graduate Studies can ensure continued growth of our programs, increasing their stature and putting them in a better position for growth.

I am grateful to the work of the R1 Commission whose research has engaged many people across the university and pointed to the need for a centralized School of Graduate Studies. I look forward to the work of our transition team and the leadership search committee, both of which will include perspectives of graduate students and faculty.

Finally, I want everyone to know how thankful I am for your excellent work on behalf of our students and our university community, and for your continued support as we work to create a vibrant, inclusive, public Research 1 university in the Gateway City of Lowell.