Dedication to Alumnus Honors Support for Students, University
Image by Tory Germann
05/18/2017
Media contacts: Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu and Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell today officially dedicated its College of Health Sciences to alumnus Roy Zuckerberg in recognition of his support for the university and its students.
The Roy J. Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences was renamed at a ceremony attended by more than 100 UMass Lowell students, faculty, staff and alumni. The dedication is the sixth event on campus honoring the generosity and accomplishments of graduates of the university in just a month’s time. Since mid-April, UMass Lowell has dedicated the Lawrence Lin Makerspace, presented the University Alumni Awards, opened the Pulichino Tong Business Center, named the Solomont School of Nursing and presented the Distinguished Alumni Award and honorary degrees at Commencement.
“We are so honored that our friend Roy Zuckerberg of the Class of 1958 has chosen to continually give back to his alma mater. His generosity spans decades and it includes Roy’s time and talents as well as his tremendous financial support,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney, who is also a graduate of the university. “Roy is committed to making a difference in people’s lives, a value that we feel very strongly about here at UMass Lowell.”
Zuckerberg – who studied textile sales and management at UMass Lowell’s predecessor institution, Lowell Technological Institute – graduated in 1958 and served in the Army before starting a 30-year career in finance that saw him rise to become the longest-serving partner in Goldman Sachs’ history. Today, he is senior partner with Samson Investment Partners whose philanthropy extends to health-care, education and cultural institutions in the U.S. and abroad.
“Roy Zuckerberg is a shining example of how the engaged philanthropy of our most successful alumni benefits our students, faculty and campus communities,” said UMass President Marty Meehan, a UMass Lowell alumnus. “We are proud to call him one of our own and to honor him with this special recognition, for which he is so deserving.”
Zuckerberg’s philanthropy has extended to UMass Lowell and the entire UMass system. He has supported the College of Health Sciences and UMass Lowell Athletics, as well as student scholarships and initiatives including the Francis College of Engineering’s Assistive Technology Program. He has also served as the chairman of the UMass Foundation’s investment committee and established the Zuckerberg Endowed Leadership Chair/Prize, which recognizes faculty and staff across the UMass system for leadership in helping the university accomplish its goals.
“This is a person who came from UMass Lowell and went out into the world and helped people,” UMass Board of Trustees Chairman Robert Manning said in his introduction of Zuckerberg, whom he called “a remarkable person.” Manning, a UMass Lowell graduate who is the chairman and co-CEO of MFS Investment Management, added, “The impact he had on the financial world around the globe is really indelible.”
Zuckerberg shared how his determination and ingenuity got him from Lowell Tech to Wall Street and the experience he gained in finance has been put to use on behalf of institutions from hospitals to universities. “There’s nothing better in life than helping people,” he said.
“If you love what you do and do it well, and you have the heart and the drive, you can do anything,” he told the many students at the event, adding that with the growth of the health-care industry and the quality of their UMass Lowell education, “You’re not going to have a problem getting a job, ever.”
More than 1,300 undergraduate and 530 graduate students are enrolled in the college in programs in the Solomont School of Nursing, the Department of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy and Department of Public Health. In addition to classroom studies, students in the college participate in experiential education through co-ops, internships, clinical placements and service-learning across the health-care field.
“Roy Zuckerberg’s support will change the future of health care for our region, our state and our country. His commitment will strengthen signature programs like our master of public health degree, our first-in-the-nation gerontological nurse practitioner master of science program and our physical therapy graduate program, the only such program offered by a public university in Massachusetts,” said Shortie McKinney, the college’s dean.
Kathryn Coughlin, an exercise physiology major and Honors College student from Auburn, shared her gratitude for Zuckerberg’s support for scholarships and other initiatives.
“The Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences and all of its faculty, staff and students have been a big part of my success here at UMass Lowell. From the second I stepped through the door, I have been given the opportunity to participate in interactive, hands-on learning in all of my health science classes,” said Coughlin. “Through this experiential learning, I have gained real-world, practical skills that I will be able to apply in my future career.”
Coughlin, who thanked Zuckerberg for graciously providing so many scholarships to students, added that she is “excited to be able to help people with the experience” she has earned at UMass Lowell.
“The Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences has helped shape me over the past three years into the caring student I am today,” said Coughlin, who presented Zuckerberg with a watercolor by artist Mark Waitkus of UMass Lowell’s South Campus, home of the new Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences.
UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its more than 17,750 students bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be ready for work, for life and for all the world offers. www.uml.edu