GSA Hosts Award Night

The Regional Economic and Social Development Club was named GSA Club of the year. They are shown with Interim Provost Donald Pierson, top row right, and club adviser Prof. Chris Tilly, front row center.

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The Department of Regional Economic and Social Development (RESD) earned accolades at the Graduate Student Association (GSA) spring awards banquet in May. The department’s student club was chosen as club of the year and one of its faculty members, Prof. Chris Tilly, was named faculty member of the year.

These awards were among a dozen that recognized academic and service excellence.  Other award categories were Graduate Research Scholars, named in each doctoral-granting college, the Paul E. Tsongas Memorial and Graduate Student Association Scholarship and the GSA Member of the Year.

The RESD Club was recognized for outstanding contributions and service to the graduate student community. Club members helped students outside their department, worked on service projects in the city of Lowell and sponsored events and speakers on campus. Each club member volunteered in the planning and execution of the two-day Lowell Film Festival.

Each year’s GSA Faculty Member of the Year demonstrates excellence in teaching and research, dedication to and support of students and service to the University and surrounding community. Tilly is the faculty graduate coordinator for RESD and has served on numerous University committees, including the transformation team. He actively engages in efforts to build international partnerships through study abroad and international research opportunities. 

In addition to being dedicated to the success of his students, Tilly conducts research in labor markets and inequality, urban development and public policy related to employment. Most of his research has focused on the U.S. but he has written about development issues and social movements in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Graduate Research Scholar Awards are presented to students demonstrating academic excellence, leadership and research skills through a combination of teaching, publications, presentations, performances, compositions, patents, community service and membership in honor societies. The award comes with a full teaching assistantship, stipend and a $5,000 scholarship.

Those selected as Research Scholars were Mary D. Kelly, nursing, School of Health and Environment; Kate Tsui, computer science, College of Arts and Sciences, Division of Science; Rahul Deshpande, civil and environment engineering, College of Engineering, and Sachiko Tosa of the Graduate School of Education.

The Paul E. Tsongas Memorial and Graduate Student Association Scholarship was awarded to Charles Addae from the Graduate School of Education.

The GSA Member of the Year, chosen for commitment to excellence and service to the University and the graduate student community, was Abhishek Kumar, a doctoral candidate from the Department of Physics, Division of Science.