UMassBoston is among218 “Bestin the Northeast2010" chosenbyThePrinceton Review, basedon its reputationforexcellent academic programs andstudentsurvey Momentum Building responses. DearFriends, Iampleasedtotakethisopportunitytosharewithyousomeofthehighlightsand accomplishmentsattheUniversityofMassachusettsBostonaswecontinueourprogress towardbeingthestudent-centeredurbanpublicresearchuniversityofthe21stcentury. UMASS Itisanexcitingtimetobepartoftheuniversitycommunity,particularlyaswecelebratethe BOSTON milestoneswereachedduringthe2009-2010academicyear.Weconcludedourthree-year strategicplanlaunchedin2007,beganimplementingourmasterplan,andarenowlooking aheadtoournextstrategicplan. UMassBostonexperiencedunprecedentedgrowthinenrollmentaswemetourstrategicgoal of15,000studentsby2010.Facultyresearchfundingincreasedby18percentoverlastyear, reachingS50million.Eveninaverydifficulteconomicclimate,weprotectedandadvanced oureducationalcapacities.Wemovedforwardwithphysicalimprovementstoourcampus, includinganewIntegratedSciencesComplex,ageneralacademicbuilding,andtheEdward M.KennedyInstitutefortheUnitedStatesSenate.And,inwhatwillbeaboonforthefuture, wealsoacquiredthe20-acreformerBaysideExpositionCenterproperty. Ouruniversityisingoodhands,withateamoffaculty,staff,andstudentscommittedto excellenceandtostrengtheningtheeffectiveness,reach,andstatureofUMassBoston.In thisreport,Iinviteyouintotheacademic,operational,andstudentlifeofthisoutstanding university,rankedasoneofthebestuniversitiesinthenortheastbyThePrincetonReview, andpartofauniversitysystemthatisamongthebestintheworld,accordingtoTheTimes ofLondon. Iencourageyoutogettoknowourworld-classfacultyandtherelevant,groundbreaking researchtheyareconductingtoenhancetheirbrilliantteaching.Ibelievethatyouwillcome toappreciatemorefullywhyUMassBostonisbecomingafirstchoiceforstudents,faculty, researchpartners,andcommunitiesseekingtofindsolutionsforcomplexproblemslocally, statewide,andaroundtheglobe. UniversityofMassachusettsBoston FrontCover:Arenderingoftheentranceand walkwaytothenewIntegratedSciencesComplex. “Some universities are known for their great We research; others, for great teaching. shall be known for both, with our expertise in both areas contributing in an interdisciplinary way to serve our local, national, and global constituencies. We are—and will be—the research university with a teaching soul.” J. Keith Motley, PhD InauguralAddress, November2007 0 The University: Building Distinction “What we do here matters Distinction is Multi-Dimensional iheuniversity’sacademiclifewasstrengthenedand energizedbytheappointmentofWinstonLangley We IheUniversityofMassachusettsBostonmeasures greatly. have been truedistinctioninthetangibleimpactitspeoplemake asprovostandvicechancellorforacademicaffairs. called to lead, and we eanvasetuirsoytnadaailyn,peudabnludipcwnaatoirwodnistt.rpeDrniodsutdiinlnycftoairdomdnaslgtrrooetwchosigsfnirditosimtointnhciention oPrefrlohivguoimosnta,nLaanrnidgghpltoesl,iyt—ailactsed—rinscattaiinmvgeeumitsoohdleeldlMssacsohsfolBwaoorsrtlinodntohriednefri,elds must respond to the call. In relationshipsbetweenfacultyandstudentsandfrom 1982,andhassinceheldanumberofacademicand administrativepositions;heofficiallyassumedhis allthewaysthoserelationshipsextendtocommunities this intensely competitive latestpositioninJuly2009afterservingasprovostad worldwide.Distinctionisfedandsustainedbythe interimduringthepreviousyear.Inannouncingthe global engagement, the bprreoagdrtahmsanadstthheeyquraelaicthyaocfrtohsesudniisvceirpsliityn’essaacnaddemic appointment.ChancellorJ.KeithMotleysaid.“Inhis manyrolesatUMassBoston,hehashelpeddefineour geographicalborders. University of Massachusetts identityasastudent-centeredurbanpublicresearch university,andheisuniquelyqualifiedtohelpusmove Boston has a vital and forwardonthatjourney.” indispensable role to play.” Greatercampusinternationalizationisjustoneof thechangesarisingfromthisjourney.Anotherisa strongerresearchagendaresultinginnewgraduate programs,especiallyatthedoctorallevel,andincloser workingrelationshipsbetweencentersandinstitutes J. Keith Motley, PhD andtheacademicunits. Ihemanysignsofprogress ConvocationAddress, September2009 includenewundergraduatemajors,there-focusingof academicprograms,andtherenamingoftwocolleges tobetterreflecttheirofferings:theGraduateCollegeof EducationisnowtheCollegeofEducationandHuman Development,whiletheMcCormackGraduateSchool ofPolicyStudieshasbecometheMcCormackGraduate SchoolofPolicyandGlobalStudies.Finally,anewculture ofassessmentoncampushasbornefruitwithrespectto higherretentionandgraduationrates,strongerfaculty development,andasuccessfulinterimreporttotheNew EnglandAssociationofSchoolsandColleges. WinstonLangley,appointedprovostand vicechancellorforacademicaffairs. e and more UMass Boston dentsare participating tudy-abroadexchange grams. The numberdoubled ween 2007 and 2010. e. CollegeofNursingand ilth Sciences studentAlia :Pherson participates inthe iual Kenya Heart and Sole gram, which helpsdeliver icmedical servicesinrural imunrties inthecentral part hecountry. The University: Building Distinction International,Transnational, The Office of International and Interdisciplinary, Innovative Transnational Affairs — Conceptslikethesehaveincreasingly Thisnewenterprise “OITA"for — cometocharacterizeUMassBoston’s short wascreatedin2009by academicprogramming.Theperiod ChancellorMotleyandProvostLang between2008and2010sawahostof itpromotesinternationalization newinitiativesacrosstheuniversity. (preparingaworkforceforaglobal Amongthem:theVisionRehabilitation economy)andtransnationalization TherapyCertificatePrograminthe (outreachtohelpcloseeconomicg;: newlycreatedUniversityCollege betweenglobalnorthandglobalsoi (describedtotheright);theBAProgram AssociateProvostandOITADirectc inEarlyEducationandCareinInclusive EunsookHyunseesherresponsibili SettingsintheCollegeofEducation as“makingsurethisvisionbecomes andHumanDevelopment,theAsian ateaching,learning,andborderless StudiesBAProgram(launchedwithan humanengagementexperience—ai EastAsiaTrack)andthePublicHistory experienceorganicallylived.”Throu TrackintheMAHistoryProgramin itsrevenue-generatingInternationa theCollegeofLiberalArts;andnew VisitingScholarAcademy,OITAwil concentrationsfocusedonpopulation bothattractvisitingscholarsand healthandhealthpolicyintheCollege providefacultygrantsandstudy-abi ofNursingandHealthSciences’Nursing scholarshipsforstudents. PhDprogram. Ihefollowingpagesoffer insightsintotheseandotherrecent,far- reachingchangesthathavetakenplace inUMassBoston'sacademicprograms. ExperiencingCultures Firsthand A NewCollege—UniversityCollege BoostingSuccess in Science ThinkingOne’sWayAround ProfessorDonnaDeGennarois ApprovedbytheBoardofTrusteesin “Thisprogramgivesyouahugewebof Afirst-ever,UMass-system-wide usingherOITAgrantforeducational June2010,UniversityCollegesignals friends,plusolder,moreexperienced summerhonorscourse,theMultiple research,startingwiththeDominican UMassBoston’scommitmentto studentsthatcreatedasupportsystem andInterdisciplinarySignificances Republic.TheDominicanpopulation academicinnovationandstrengthens forusfromthestart,”saysPhilip ofCitiesandTowns:Boston,“wasan hasgrownrapidlyinBostonsschools, theuniversity’scontributionstolifelong I.aguerreT3oftheFreshmanSuccess eye-openerforme,”sayshonorsstudent but,sheexplains,“whenourexposure learning.Thenewcollegeexpandsthe Community(FSC),establishedin AlexaHatzopoulos’ll.“You’dthinkas toacultureisbasedinBoston,we university’scapacitytorespondnimbly 2009bytheCollegeofScienceand anativeofthecity'thatI’dknowmy can’tnecessarilyunderstanditvery tomarketdemand,particularlyamong Mathematics(CSM).“Comingintoyear wayaround,butthisclassallowedme well.Ifwecanexperiencefirsthand adultlearners,andembarkonnew' twoIfeelw'ellprepared.1w'asreally togainsuchagreaterappreciation theneighborhoodswherethefamilies venturesindistancelearning.Itwill excitedtocomebackbecauseIknow forthespacethat Icallmyhome."Led havecomefrom,wecanbetterinform developitsowndegreeprogramswhile Ihavethetoolstodowell."TheFSC’s byUMassBostonfaculty,thecourse — ourteachingpractices."Through continuingandgrowingprograms mission toimprovethesuccessrates introducedstudentstointerdisciplinary — localafterschoolprograms,shehopes oftheformerDivisionofCorporate, ofenteringsciencestudents hasshown methodsusedtostudyacity—in tocreateaspaceforteachersto Continuing,andDistanceEducation. earlyresults:nearly60percentofCSM thiscase,Boston.“Welookedat it experiencethedifferentlearningstyles Theseincludeinternationalofferings freshmencompleted30ormorecredits fromsomanydifferentperspectives: amongchildrenofdifferentcultures. suchastheChinaProgramCenter, lastyear,anequalpercentagefinished literary,historical,archeological,even whoseprogramsservebothChinese withaGPAof3.0orhigher,andnearly ecological,”saysAlexa.TheUniversity andAmericanaudiences. 90percentpre-enrolledforfall2010. HonorsProgram,directedbyRajini Srikanth,w'orksinotherwaysaswellto ensurethatstudentsarecomfortable crossingdisciplines.Forexample, Distinction is fed and sustained by the breadth and the itsJuniorColloquium,launchedin spring2010.encouragesstudentsto quality of the university’s academic programs as they balancediscipline-specificfocuswith interdisciplinaryvisionintheirresearch. reach across disciplines and geographical borders. — The University: Building Distinction Science in a ChangingWorld intheuniquegrant-fundedTransnational DualBachelor’sDegreePrograminInformation “IfIdigcriticallyintotheconceptsandmethods Systems.Withfinancialsupport,thestudents ofascienceandaskwhypeopleareaskingthese questionsandnotthose,orwhytheyareaccepting spendonesemesterateachschoolaftertaking certainanswers,thatusuallyleadsmetoexamine foundationcoursesontheirhomecampuses. Eachwillearntwobachelor’sdegrees,onefrom thesocialcontextinwhichthescienceisdone,” thehomeinstitutionandonefromapartner saysPeterTaylor,professorofcriticalandcreative university.Thecurriculum,jointlycreatedbythe thinking(CCT).“Conversely,ifIexaminethesocial context,scientificinquirycanbeopenedup.”A partners,emphasizeseachschool’sparticular newinterdisciplinarytrackinthecross-college strengths.ZephPhillips’12,oneoftwoUMass CCTmaster’sprogramparallelsthatinquiry. Bostonstudentsinthefirstcohort,ravesabout this“amazinggroupofpeople”andhowwellthey Institutedinfall2009,theScienceinaChanging getalong.Thefactthatthegroupstudiestogether WorldTrackservesarangeofprofessionals, oneachcampuswillgivehimabuilt-ingroup includingteacherslookingtoextendscience offriendswhenhegoestoEurope. Ihis,hesays, teachingbeyonditstraditionalboundaries. “istrulythefutureofstudyabroad." The FutureofStudyAbroad? TheybeganatUMassDartmouthlastspringand cametoUMassBoston’sCollegeofManagement thisfall.Nextstops:FachhochschuleFrankfurtin GermanyandKemi-TornioUniversityofApplied SciencesinFinland.Whoarethey?A12-student — cohort representingthesepartneruniversities “We begin where Students: Building a Future students are-students Beyond the Numbers ButbroadcategoriesmaskthetruediversityinUMass who bring with them a A15,000-strongstudentbodyisasubstantial Boston'sstudents,who,takentogether,createa tapestryof140countriesand90languages.Among milestone,reachedforthefirsttimein2009.Themost wealth of experience interestingstoriesabouttheUMassBostonstudent justthestudentsspotlightedinthisbookonecanfind nativespeakersofRussian,Japanese,Vietnamese, and who want to be part body,however,arenotaboutitssize:demographic CapeVerdeanCreole.HaitianCreole,Khmer,Swahili. shiftsprovideinsightsintodynamictrendsin Luhya,and—yes—English. composition.Whiletheoverallpercentageofminority of original research, not studentshasslightlydeclinedsince2005,theHispanic Onemorestatisticaboutthisextraordinarystudent merely imbibers of facts studentpopulationhasrisenfromunder11percentto bodybearsnoting:it’satributetoacultureofservice morethan 14percent.Theuniversityhasalsoseenan andgivingback.In2009,3,425UMassBostonstudents and the ideas of others.” upwardtrendinthepercentageofdegreesgrantedto engagedinsomeformofcommunityservice,logging minoritygraduates:from26percentofallbachelor’s inanimpressive263,049servicehours.Ofthose,77 degreesin2004-05tomorethan34percentin2008-09, percentengagedinatleast20hoursofcommunity andfrom12.6percentofallmastersdegreesin2004- servicepersemester. OStomorethan 17percentin2008-09. J. Keith Motley, PhD UMass BostonStrategicPlan 2007-2010 — BrillianceandDetermination mra ThaoXuanDo.whospokehardlyawordofEnglishwhensheemigrated fromVietnamin2004.receivedthe2010JohnF.KennedyAwardfor Students: Building a Future I AcademicExcellenceanddeliveredthestudentaddresstoherclassmatesat Commencement2010.Herdeterminationtobecomeadoctorandworktoward HW solutionstoglobalhealthproblemscamefromwitnessingtheimpactof andAIDSfirsthandgrowingup.Achemistrymajor. ThaoXuanwasoneofjust 16peopleselectedfrom600applicantsnationwidetoreceivetheprestigious NationalInstitutesofHealth(N1H)Academyfellowship. Thisyearsheis workingside-by-sidewithN1Hscientistsengagedinbiomedicalresearch. What Does It Mean to Be a A PhilosophyGroupforTeens? ParticipationinSAGroups,the UMass Boston Student? Twoyearsago.Philosophy onlinehomeofstudentclubs, alsobenefitedfromimproved Thatwasthechallengegivento ClubpresidentJesseWalshTO outreachbyStudentAffairs,risir thestudentbodylastyearinthe approachedProfessorJoanArches 62percentbetween2008and201 formofthefirstannual“MyUMass withastartlingproposal.Jesses Thenumberofrecognizedstude Boston”studentvideocontest. high-schoolcourseonbioethics organizationsalsoroseby50 Firstplace(andS400prize)winner hadbeenlife-changing,andshe percentoverthesametimeperk AnastasiaKarelina,aFulbright wantedtoofferurbanteensa scholarfromRussiamajoringin similarexperience.Archeshelped Americanstudies,createdavideo Jesselaunchthegroupthrough FiguringOut “ExactlyWhat's montageusingkeywordselicited theHarborPointOutreach GoingOn” fromclassmates.Anastasia'sfriend Partnership,orHPOP(“hip-hop"), ChiakiIto,anexchangestudent aservice-learningandcommunity- TakingpsychologyprofessorEril fromJapanwhomshedescribes outreachprogram.Queenette Blaser’scourseincognitivescien as“unitedwithmyideasandthe Santos,directoroftheDorchester honorsstudentAmeliaBrownT faceofUMassBoston,"appearsin BoysandGirlsClubattheWalter drawn—tothefield’sinterdisciplir thevideo.Itskeywords—“dreams," DenneyYouthCenter,suppliedthe nature switchedmajorsfrom “future,”“friends,"“opportunities,” youths.Todaythisthrivingweekly anthropologytopsychology,witI “choice”—allhavespecialmeaning discussiongroupcoverssocial, aminorincognitivescience.She forAnastasia.Whenshegotthe historical,ethical,andexistential nowaresearchassistantforBias letterinformingherthatshewas topicsinaforumthat,Jessewrites, visualperceptionproject,inwhi goingtoUMassBoston,herfirst giveskids“permissionandastage participantsviewimagesofrock choiceforherFulbrightstudy,she tothink." cliffsandestimatetheirdistance says,“1wasabsolutelyhappy;this “Peoplecandothiswell,telling wasmydream!”Aftergraduatingin usthatthebrainfollowsaspecie spring2011,shewillreturnhometo IntotheSwim 'rule'tofigureoutthedistancetc teach.(Seeallthewinningvideoson “Intenseproactiveandcreative acertainkindofnaturalsurface,’ UMassBoston'sYouTubechannel strategiesatwork"iswhat saysAmelia.“It’sjustamatterof keywords,“MyUMassBoston.”) ChancellorMotleysawduring teasingitout.”Settinghersights onaresearchcareerincognitive studentsenatecampaignslast science,shenowknowsmuchm April.Theresult:afourfoldincrease abouttheresearchlife:“There’sa inundergraduatevoterturnout. ofpuzzle-solving,sittingwithvoi The most interesting stories about the UMass Boston student body, however, are not about its size.