UMass Lowell Launches $125 Million Fundraising Campaign

04/15/2016

Media contacts: Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu and Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu

LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell today launches its first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, a bold effort that aims to raise $125 million by 2020.

Building on the tremendous growth in size, scope and reputation that UMass Lowell has experienced in the past decade, “Our Legacy, Our Place” will provide support for student scholarships, faculty recruitment and research, campus improvements and the new Division I athletics program. It will support the goals of UMass Lowell’s 2020 Strategic Plan, which are guiding the university on its path to becoming one of the leading public research institutions in the country while providing a world-class student experience on a vibrant campus.

“This campaign will enable us to change lives,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney. “By providing more support for student scholarships, it will enable students for years to come to experience the transformational education that UMass Lowell provides. By supporting research and economic development, it will have an impact that will be felt not only in our region, but throughout the Commonwealth and the rest of the country.”

Moloney is expected to announce at an event today that the campaign has already raised $78.5 million from advance donations that include a new $1 million gift from a prominent alumnus. The campaign opening event for students, faculty and staff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at the University Crossing student-engagement center and will feature an “Opening Day” theme.

“The essence of UMass Lowell is in the people. This campaign will provide support for those who make us great – our outstanding students and our amazing faculty,” said John Feudo, vice chancellor for advancement.

“Our Legacy, Our Place” reflects UMass Lowell’s entrepreneurial approach to growth. Two decades ago, 70 percent of the university’s budget was supported by the state and today, that figure stands at 21 percent. Despite such challenges, UMass Lowell has successfully increased enrollment by 50 percent since 2007 while making significant gains in student success; opened 12 new buildings, including academic and research facilities, residence halls and student centers; and launched a host of new academic and applied learning programs such as expanded co-op and internship opportunities.

“‘Our Legacy, Our Place’ will enable us to provide more support for student scholarships while maintaining our fundamental commitment to high-quality, affordable education,” said Moloney.

Moloney introduced the campaign, which also focuses on alumni engagement, last night at the annual University Alumni Awards celebration. She also announced a new $1 million gift from campaign chairman and alumnus Robert J. Manning, chairman and co-CEO of MFS Investment Management and a UMass trustee.

“My wife, Donna and I are both graduates of UMass Lowell. We know firsthand that the university truly does deliver a transformational education. We are proud to support the ‘Our Legacy, Our Place’ campaign to help ensure UMass Lowell can offer the best to future generations of students while preserving the traditions that mean so much to us and fellow alumni,” said Manning.

The University Alumni Awards honor graduates for their outstanding personal and professional accomplishments. The 2016 recipients are: 

• Ciana Abdollahian ’09 of Nashua, N.H. (Recent Alumna Award), the new customer programs manager at Zerto, a Boston-based high-tech company, and an inaugural member of the new UMass Lowell Young Alumni Council, which ensures recent graduates stay connected to their alma mater. She holds a degree in business administration from UMass Lowell and has supported the Manning School of Business and several scholarship funds. During her time as a student, she interned with Empirix and Kronos and since graduating, has held positions with Oracle and SumTotal Systems, where she launched and led the company’s Customer Advocacy Program.
• Stephen Burke Driscoll ’66, ’72 of Stoneham (Francis College of Engineering), a Department of Plastics Engineering faculty member since 1968 who has demonstrated unwavering commitment to alumni engagement and student success. The recipient of bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Lowell Technological Institute, one of UMass Lowell’s predecessor institutions, he has encouraged fellow alumni and faculty to support student scholarships and established the Stephen Burke Driscoll Plastics Engineering Endowed Scholarship Fund. An early advocate for online education, he has taught hundreds of classes to students around the world and his numerous professional honors include serving as a consulting fellow to the United Nations.
• Edward Gallagher ’84 of Windham, N.H. (Manning School of Business), who is senior vice president and general manager of sales for Comcast’s Northeast Division, which serves 7.8 million customers across 14 states, and served in management roles with Raytheon, Sprint, WinStar Wireless, TelCove and Level 3 Communications. He is involved in organizations including the Mass. Technology Leadership Council and the Windham Economic Development Council. The recipient of a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Lowell, one of UMass Lowell’s predecessors, he serves on the Manning School of Business Advisory Board and supports students through the Edward S. Gallagher Endowed Scholarship Fund. 
• Amy Hoey ’88 of Groton (College of Health Sciences), executive vice president and chief operating officer of Lowell General Hospital and Circle Health. She previously served as vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer and was part of the clinical management of Lowell General projects including the Heart and Vascular Center. She is a supporter of the College of Health Sciences, a Health Sciences Advisory Board member and DifferenceMaker Idea Challenge judge. A board member for the Lowell Five, D’Youville Senior Care, New England Life Care and professional organizations, she has a bachelor’s degree in health education from the University of Lowell, a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Salem State University and a master’s degree in administration from Central Michigan University. 
• Kazeem “Dayo” Ibraheem ’02 of Lowell (Athletics), who is in his 14th year as a volunteer coach with the UMass Lowell River Hawks track and field team, during which time he has helped 23 jumpers and hurdlers qualify for the NCAA championships, three of whom were named All-Americans. He was an accomplished student-athlete in track and field and is a member of UMass Lowell’s Athletics Hall of Fame Committee and the Track and Field Volunteer Committee. He has supported the track and field program and the George Davis Endowed Scholarship Fund for student-athletes. Ibraheem, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Manning School of Business, is a solutions supervisor with United Parcel Service.
• Patrick Kaplo ’04 of Bedford, N.H. (Graduate School of Education), an award-winning physics teacher at Windham (N.H.) High School who engages students through hands-on learning and more than 200 instructional videos on YouTube. He founded a program that encourages women to study science and a club that uses high-altitude balloons to collect data and photograph Earth from the edge of space. He is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, which he used to teach physics in India, and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. He mentors UMass Lowell graduate students preparing to become science teachers. Kaplo earned a bachelor’s degree at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction at UMass Lowell.
• Paul Marion ’76, ’05 of Lowell (College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences), a member of the UMass Lowell community for more than 40 years, most recently as executive director of community relations. Also well-known as a poet, author, archivist and historian, Marion has served as a vital connection to the local cultural scene, historic preservation community, neighborhood groups and economic development leaders. He secured a $500,000 endowment for the Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies, which brings internationally respected peace activists to UMass Lowell, including the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner, and has worked on projects such as UMass Lowell’s 9-11 Memorial and the Nelson Mandela Overlook. Prior to joining the university, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in community social psychology, his work for the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission included the Lowell Folk Festival, the Lowell Cultural Plan and the Jack Kerouac Commemorative. He was the editor of Kerouac’s “Atop an Underwood: Early Stories and Other Writings,” and has worked on efforts including bringing the original “On the Road” scroll to the city.
• William G. Rhodes III ’82 of Placitas, N.M. (Kennedy College of Sciences), senior manager of the Interdependencies and Consequences Effects Group at Sandia National Labs, which addresses national security issues. He has 30 years of experience in applying radiation protection, emergency response and physical security to national security challenges and has served as a member of the American Board of Health Physics, is a diplomat of the American Academy of Health Physics and is president of the board of the Children’s Grief Center in Albuquerque, N.M. The chairman of UMass Lowell’s Kennedy College of Sciences Advisory Board, he has supported the Edward Lawson Alexander Endowment Fund and founded the William G. Rhodes III Scholarship Fund for radiological sciences students. He has an undergraduate degree from Wittenberg University and a master’s degree in radiological sciences from the University of Lowell.

“Our more than 80,000 alumni are the living legacy of UMass Lowell and our eight predecessor institutions,” said Moloney. “We are who we are today because of the power of their example and their faith in our future, as demonstrated by their strong support during the quiet phase of our campaign.”

More information about the “Our Legacy, Our Place” campaign is available at www.uml.edu/ourlegacy-ourplace.

UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its 17,500 students bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be ready for work, for life and for all the world offers. www.uml.edu