Recognition Salutes Exemplary Teaching, Research and Service to the University
Image by Ed Brennen
12/09/2025
Media Contacts: David Joyner, executive director of communications and digital media, David_Joyner@uml.edu and Nancy Cicco, associate director of media relations, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
LOWELL, Massachusetts – Political scientist Ardeth Thawnghmung, whose internationally recognized work has shaped global understanding of governance and conflict in Myanmar, has been named UMass Lowell’s 2025 Distinguished University Professor.
The award is presented annually to a tenured full professor for outstanding contributions to research, education and service to the university community. It is the highest accolade bestowed by UMass Lowell on a faculty member.
Thawnghmung was surprised by the award, walking into a reception held on campus and quickly realizing the event had been organized in her honor.
“I’m just doing the things I love doing. I have great colleagues and great superiors, and I really enjoy learning from them. I’m grateful to the university for letting me pursue my passion. I enjoy every second of being here,” she said.
A Lowell resident, Thawnghmung is one of the world’s leading scholars of politics in her native Myanmar (formerly Burma). Her work explores how social, political and economic forces have shaped the country, including how people respond to conflict and political change.
Since joining UMass Lowell in 2004, she has received two Fulbright research fellowships, a grant from the United States Institute of Peace and dozens of invitations to speak around the world. She has also been elected twice to the Southeast Asia Council of the Association for Asian Studies and has served as a consultant for several international organizations.
Beyond campus, Thawnghmung has become a leader in Lowell’s Southeast Asian and refugee communities. She founded the SayDaNar Community Development Center, a nonprofit that supports Burmese refugees, and has supervised dozens of UMass Lowell students as interns and volunteers.
“The opportunities you have created for students from Myanmar, and the work you do both in the community and here at UMass Lowell, show how one person truly can make the world better,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen of Thawnghmung, who was joined by several colleagues at the event.
Sue Kim, dean of the university’s College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, noted that in addition to being “an excellent scholar, teacher and mentor,” Thawnghmung was a unifying force as chair of the Political Science Department from 2013 to 2021.
Political Science Associate Professor Angélica Durán-Martínez nominated Thawnghmung for the award. In the nomination package, Durán-Martínez described her as “a scholar whose research has fundamentally reshaped the field and expanded our understanding of how people navigate violence, insecurity and political transition.”
“You never look for the spotlight or seek recognition, and it’s humbling to see you do that,” Durán-Martínez said to Thawnghmung at the reception.
Alongside her teaching duties, Thawnghmung mentors a growing cohort of UMass Lowell doctoral students from Myanmar in the university’s Global Studies program. One such student, Myat Su Tin, shared how the professor has influenced her education.
“From her, I’ve learned that being a strong student isn’t just about academic performance, it’s also about being a thoughtful, grounded human being,” Tin wrote in Thawnghmung’s nomination. “Ardeth teaches us how to navigate life with integrity and resilience, not just how to conduct research. I consider it one of my greatest privileges to have known and learned from her.”
Thawnghmung, who holds a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, is the 18th professor to receive the UMass Lowell award since its inception in 2008. Her three-year term as Distinguished University Professor will run through 2028. Other current honorees include UMass Lowell professors Supriya Chakrabarti (physics, 2004-2027), Sandra Lim (English, 2023-2026) and Ramaswamy Nagarajan (plastics engineering, 2022-2025). She will deliver the annual UMass Lowell Distinguished University Professor Lecture next semester.