03/24/2020
By David Perry

Paulette Renault-Caragianes offers a clear, steady voice for uncertain times.

As associate dean of student affairs for health and wellness, Renault-Caragianes’ primary responsibility is overseeing the campus Wellness Center, which brings together counseling services, disability services, health services and health education and promotion. 

As part of the university’s fast-moving response to COVID-19, Renault-Caragianes has stepped up to offer guidance in dealing with the virus and is working with Wellness Center staff to adapt services to support students remotely.

“We are working to provide accurate information to students about how to manage in this ever-changing environment. Health Services is going to begin offering telephone consultations to support student health. Counseling Services will be announcing some new options for Zoom meetings to reach students trying to manage the expected stresses during this unexpected time,” she says.

Prior to joining UMass Lowell in 2015, Renault-Caragianes served as chief public health officer for the city of Somerville.

Her deep background in public health also includes her experience working as director of adolescent programs at Lowell Community Health Center and as director of human services for the city of Lowell. She has also worked as a registered nurse, specializing in maternal child health.

She was named a distinguished alumna of Suffolk University and is a member of UMass Lowell’s chapters of Sigma Theta Tau and Alpha Sigma Lambda.