02/12/2024
By bec rollins
“Luis’s leadership of FAHSS has been transformational,” said Joseph Hartman, provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs. “From the creation of new programs, to the growth of research and establishment of new research centers, to the recruitment of more than half of FAHSS’s 200 faculty members — Luis has elevated UMass Lowell.”
During his leadership of the university’s largest college, Falcón led the establishment of new academic programs such as Composition for New Media, Digital Media, Graphic Design, and the Ph.D. in Psychology, as well as new interdisciplinary graduate programs in coordination with colleges and schools across campus. The number and diversity of faculty and students has increased significantly.
Experiential learning surged in the last decade as the number of faculty-led study-abroad trips jumped from one or two a year to more than a dozen. And many students participate in opportunities like Model United Nations, Mock Trial and the Washington Center.
FAHSS research funding has nearly tripled since 2012, and new research and engagement centers include the Center for Terrorism and Security Studies, the Saab Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture, and the Center for Asian American Studies.
“As technological change accelerates, the humanities, arts and social sciences are more central than ever to create the future we want to live in,” Falcón said. “I’m honored to have had the opportunity to work with outstanding colleagues to create programs and experiences that have prepared our students for successful careers and transformational achievements. And I can’t wait to spend more of my time working directly with those students.
“During the last 12 years I am proud of the work we have done to organize and centralize FAHSS departments and set the college on a path of growth. The time is right for me professionally and personally to return to the classroom, and I know this college has great years ahead,” he said.
Falcón will continue to serve in his role until August and prepare to return to the classroom in January, Hartman said, adding that the university is in the process of identifying a search firm that will assist with an imminent search process. Noureddine Melikechi, dean of the Kennedy College of Sciences, and Julie Nash, vice provost for academic affairs, will serve as search committee co-chairs.
A social demographer, Falcón’s research interests and publications are in the role of social and environmental factors in generating disparities — social, economic or health. Current research is on health disparities with a particular focus on social support and psychosocial stress in the Hispanic population.
Falcón has served on the national Council of College of Arts and Sciences, including as 2021-22 president, on numerous New England Commission of Higher Education reaccreditation teams and on federal committees and panels for organizations such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
Prior to joining UMass Lowell, Falcón was a member of the faculty at Northeastern University where he, most recently, served as vice provost for graduate education. Prior to that, he served as associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and as chair of the department of Sociology and Anthropology. He received B.A. and M.S degrees from the University of Puerto Rico and a Ph.D. in sociology from Cornell University.