08/25/2023
By Kerry Donohoe
Sheila's remarkable journey with UMass Lowell commenced after she earned her B.A. in Psychology in 1980. She embarked on her university career as a part-time member of the O’Leary Library Media Center, where her interactions with students and faculty kindled a love for higher education. In 1986, she took on the role of Student Loan Coordinator in Financial Aid, and this was the start of many years of helping and supporting students.
It was later that year that Sheila truly found her calling. She joined the newly established Freshman Center, a visionary initiative founded by our former Chancellor Jacquie Moloney, who, much like Sheila, dedicated her career to student success. Working with Jacquie Moloney and a committed team, Sheila contributed to extending the vision beyond first-year support. In fact, it was the students who were pushing for support across all four years. This was an early foreshadowing of how listening to students and understanding their needs would come to guide the way we supported them. Sheila's leadership during this time was instrumental in shaping the student-centric approach that defines our UMass Lowell community.
In 1988, Sheila became the Assistant Director and Coordinator of Tutoring Services within the newly created Centers for Learning and Academic Support Services (CLASS). In the same year she received her Master's of Education Administration making her what we now refer to as a double River Hawk. This period marked a significant blossoming of services and programs, and Sheila served as the Executive Director of Centers for Learning and Academic Support Services for over a decade. During this time Sheila played a key role on the PeopleSoft Implementation and served as a campus lead for student records and academic advisement and chaired many university-wide committees including the Council for Teaching and Learning.
Not only did Sheila excel in administrative roles, but she also found joy and fulfillment in the classroom. Teaching the Freshman Seminar for Project Restart and the Values and Creative Thinking course allowed her to connect with the undergraduate population on a personal level. These experiences became some of the most cherished moments of her career. Many of her former students have stayed connected over the years.
In recent years, Sheila continued to lead expansion and development of the Centers for Learning, Advising and Student Success (CLASS), overseeing a move to Cumnock Hall's Garden Level in 2020 and being promoted to Associate Dean for Academic Services in 2022. In this role, she continued to oversee essential programs such as professional advising, Testing Centers, the accredited tutoring programs, transfer student supports, Academic Success Coaching, and the Exploratory program.
Sheila has been a collaborative leader who brings people together, centering students in all that we do. She has been a strong mentor and friend to many and will be missed incredibly by her team in the centers, within the colleges, and across campus.
As Abraham Lincoln aptly said, "The best way to predict the future is to create it." Sheila Riley-Callahan's legacy will continue to shape UMass Lowell for generations to come. Her passion for education, unwavering dedication to students, transformative leadership, and authentic approach have left an enduring impact on our campus community. As she embarks on this new chapter of her life, please join me in celebrating her remarkable career and wishing her the most fulfilling retirement. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work side-by-side with such a student-centered, collaborative leader who, I believe, made us all better.
Please stay tuned for details about a retirement celebration in Sheila's honor, where we can express our gratitude and celebrate a lasting and impactful legacy.
In a separate announcement we will be sharing our interim plan for this transition.