05/11/2026
By Noureddine Melikechi
I am pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 UMass Lowell Faculty Excellence Awards. These awards honor the exceptional achievements of UMass Lowell faculty who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to teaching, mentoring, research and community engagement. Awardees were nominated by their colleagues and students and selected through a competitive review process led by a committee of their peers.
We look forward to formally celebrating our winners at the 2026–27 Faculty Symposium. Please join me in congratulating our extraordinary colleagues!
- Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching:
Padmini Chandrasekaran, Associate Teaching Professor, Art & Design, College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences - Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching:
Samantha Reig, Assistant Professor, Miner School of Computer & Information Sciences, Kennedy College of Sciences - Award for Excellence in Online Teaching:
José-Mauricio Geleilate, Associate Professor, Management, Manning School of Business - Award for Excellence in Teaching for Adjunct Faculty:
Paul King, Senior Adjunct Faculty, Political Science, College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences - Award for Excellence in Mentoring Students:
Raj Kumar Gondle, Associate Teaching Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Francis College of Engineering - Award for Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Faculty:
Mignon Duffy, Professor, Sociology, College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences - Award for Excellence in Community Engagement:
Michael Millner, Associate Professor, English, College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Steven Tello, Professor, Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Manning School of Business - Award for Excellence in Research - Early Career Faculty:
Anhar Bhuiyan, Assistant Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Francis College of Engineering
Sarah Merrill, Assistant Professor, Psychology, College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences - Award for Excellence in Research - Advanced Career Faculty:
Christopher Niezrecki, Professor, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Francis College of Engineering
Hong Yu, Professor, Miner School of Computer & Information Sciences, Kennedy College of Sciences