01/20/2026
By Noureddine Melikechi


It is with sadness that I share news that Professor Arthur Mittler, 82, longtime member of the UMass Lowell faculty, died unexpectedly on Thursday, Jan. 15.

Professor Mittler earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, and his master’s and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Kentucky. His areas of interest were experimental nuclear physics and physics education, in which he was an active researcher and collaborator.

Art was known by colleagues and students as deeply committed to UMass Lowell, and his research and dedication in the classroom improved the lives and careers of so many over his decades of service. He will be fondly remembered among his many friends in the Department of Physics & Applied Physics, the Kennedy College of Sciences and throughout the university.

Though Art “retired” as chair of the Department of Physics & Applied Physics last August after a 56-year career at the university, he continued to teach at UMass Lowell and was working to assist the incoming chair, Professor Christopher Groppi, during the transition.

At UMass Lowell his tenure demonstrated a commitment to student success, including oversight of the undergraduate physics programs and laboratories. He was a founder of the Lowell Regional Physics Alliance that connected university professors with high school physics teachers to share ideas.

And his teaching extended beyond the classroom. His obituary notes he was a longtime volunteer in youth athletics in Chelmsford, where he lived prior to moving to Methuen.

On behalf of the Kennedy College of Sciences and UMass Lowell, I extend our deepest condolences to Art’s wife, Marcia, his family, and all his many friends, colleagues and students.

Calling hours for Professor Mittler will be from 2 to 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 23, at the John Breen Memorial Funeral Home, 122 Amesbury St., Lawrence. His funeral will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 24, at the Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Lawrence, following a gathering at the funeral home at 10 a.m. Please refer to his obituary for further details.

Please note the resources available to those who may need mental health support in coping with this or other losses — for students as well as faculty and staff.