New Greenspace is Latest in Campus Improvements
10/17/2019
Contacts for media: Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu or Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell today dedicated Perry Hall Plaza, a new greenspace that is the latest step in the university’s work to further enhance the beauty and sustainability of the campus.
The new plaza is named for alumnus Barry Perry and his wife, Janice, who have been generous supporters of UMass Lowell and its students through establishing scholarships and helping to fund the renovation of the university’s main engineering building. That building, which dates back to the 1950s, was named for Barry Perry in 2012. Last spring, after $50 million in renovations, Perry Hall was reopened as a state-of-the-art home for biomedical, chemical and environmental engineering, and clean energy education, research and industry collaboration.
But while Perry Hall boasts a new, modern exterior, its surroundings consisted of a former parking lot that was demolished during the renovation project. Rather than replacing it with pavement, UMass Lowell created Perry Hall Plaza, thanks in part to a new gift from the Perrys – who met and married while students at the university – that also includes additional support for their scholarship fund for engineering majors. On Oct. 17, UMass Lowell dedicated the completed Perry Hall Plaza, an expanse of greenspace, walkways and granite benches that links Perry Hall to surrounding academic and research buildings on the university’s North Campus.
“This new greenspace is just one example of the work that we have done to modernize and beautify the university to provide our students with the best possible places to study, engage in research and participate in campus life,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney. “The transformation of this plaza and Perry Hall would not have been possible without the generosity of Barry and Janice Perry, who have also been strong supporters of student scholarships.”
During the ceremony, Barry Perry reflected on when he was a student at UMass Lowell and the dreams he had for his future.
“The education I was able to get here and the experiences Janice and I had here made those aspirations and dreams possible. We are thrilled our life has given us the opportunity to help fulfill the dreams and aspirations of other students so they can become all they can be,” he said.
The event was also attended by UMass President Marty Meehan, Provost Joseph Hartman and James Sherwood, interim dean of the Francis College of Engineering, along with UMass Lowell faculty, staff, alumni and students.
Peter Perez, who graduated from UMass Lowell in May with a bachelor’s degree in plastics engineering and is now working toward a graduate degree, also spoke at the event.
“Mr. and Mrs. Perry, on behalf of the student body, and most especially, Plastics and the Francis College of Engineering, I would like to thank you for your continued support of our great university,” said Perez, who is from Attleboro. “Each and every student aspires to have the impact you have had on UMass Lowell and to give back to the university that has given them so much to them. We all look forward to utilizing this amazing space, and your altruism will be known by generations of UMass Lowell students to come.”
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 18,000 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 leaders in their communities and around the globe. www.uml.edu