Alums Give Back and Pay it Forward

Graduates Give Back to their Alma Mater for Generations to Come

Two young women smile in Days of Giving frame

06/03/2022

No matter what they studied, many alumni share a sense of gratitude for the opportunities they got as a result of their UML education. In recent months, several of them have stepped up with generous gifts to the university to help create even more opportunities for students now and in the years ahead.

Android co-founder Rich Miner ’86, ’89, ’97 at Google corporate headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., in 2017

Android Co-Founder Gift Supports Computer Science School

UMass Lowell will launch a new school of computer science to be named in honor of distinguished alumnus Rich Miner ’86, ’89, ’97, co-founder of Android, the company and mobile operating system which was acquired and launched by Google. The UMass Board of Trustees approved establishing the Richard A. Miner School of Computer & Information Sciences at UMass Lowell through a $5 million donation from Miner as well as a $2 million matching contribution from the state. Read more on Miner's gift.

Moloney Student Fellowship Fund Pays for Internships

Supporters of UMass Lowell have donated $2 million to benefit the new Moloney Student Fellowship Fund, established by Chancellor Jacquie Moloney, ’75, ’92. The fund, created by Moloney and her husband, Edward, earlier this year, will award stipends to UMass Lowell students so they are able to earn money while participating in internships with nonprofit organizations, campus programs, entrepreneurial ventures and other opportunities they might not otherwise be able to pursue for financial reasons. Learn more about the fellowships.

Rist Family Foundation Endows Dean of the Manning School of Business

Alumnus and longtime UMass Lowell philanthropist Brian Rist ’77, '22, '22 (H), and his wife Kim, '22 (H) have again bestowed their generosity on the university – this time by endowing the Robert J. Manning School of Business’s deanship – a first for the university. The endowment helps those struggling with financial hardship to stay in school and connect Manning School of Business students with a vast array of industry services and opportunities. Read more about the deanship.

Mannings Support Future of Business Education with $10M Gift

A $10 million gift from UMass Lowell alumni Robert J. ’84, ’11 (H) and Donna M. ’85, ’91 ’11 (H) will endow five new faculty chairs in the Manning School of Business and the home of much of the university’s health educational efforts will be renamed the Donna M. Manning Health and Social Sciences Building. Read more about gift.

Leaders in Massachusetts Support UMass Lowell, too

Alumni aren't the only ones who see the value in a UMass Lowell education. State and federal elected officials and community supporters all recognize what a valuable contribution the university and its students make to the Merrimack Valley.