An avid volunteer at UMass Lowell, Richard Juknavorian ’98 enjoys mentoring students to make an impact.
“UMass Lowell students are spirited, curious and driven,” says Juknavorian, who earned a Master of Science in health information management. “I love being around them and appreciate their gratitude and humility.”
Juknavorian is a limited partner and advisor at Suncoast Ventures, a venture capital firm that funds health care startups. He’s also a board member for BetterMeal AI, a seed-stage company that applies artificial intelligence to the gut microbiome.
He says it’s easy to volunteer at the university.
“The administration is very receptive to alumni getting involved, and I enjoy it because I feel that I’m making an impact on students’ lives,” says Juknavorian, who sees his younger self in a lot of the students.
“Many are first-generation students with tremendous drive, pulling themselves up,” says Juknavorian, who was also a first-generation college student. “I am happy to impart whatever advice or experience I can to help them in bringing their creativity forward to make a difference for others.”
Juknavorian judges competitions like the DifferenceMaker Idea Challenge and the Student Research and Community Engagement Symposium oral presentations. He serves as chair of the advisory board for the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, participates on campus at the Days of Giving fundraising event and meets new students on Welcome Day and prospective students at open houses.
“Every time I interact with students, it’s such a phenomenal experience,” says Juknavorian. “UMass Lowell provides tremendous opportunities for real-world learning, and these students make the most of it. The reason why I give monthly to the university is because I have faith that the funds will get directly into the hands of students and build upon the university’s success.”
When time is tight, he can still make an impact with students and alumni online. Juknavorian signed up for UML Connect, an online community of UMass Lowell alumni, faculty, staff and students who help each other with their career journeys.
“I answer questions from students about my career path and offer suggestions for people they may want to talk to,” he says. ”UML Connect is also where I find opportunities to volunteer.”
After earning a master’s degree, Juknavorian launched his decades-long career in the health care industry. He has held executive positions leading product management and strategy, business development, and launches of digital health commercial solutions.
“I received a great education at UMass Lowell that covered everything from marketing to planning to technology,” he says. “And, like many UML students, I completed a practicum experience that provided me an opportunity to work on real problems with people in the industry.”