University of Massachusetts Lowell

University of Massachusetts Lowell

Former names	Lowell Normal School Lowell State College
Type	Public
Established	1894 (1894)
Endowment	US$82.4 million (2015)
Chancellor	Jacqueline Moloney
Provost	Michael Vayda
Academic staff	1,112 (FT & PT) (2015)
Administrative staff	1,080 (FT & PT) (2015)
Students	18,058 (2016)
Location	Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S. 42°38′34″N 71°20′04″W / 42.642716°N 71.334530°W / 42.642716; -71.334530Coordinates: 42°38′34″N 71°20′04″W / 42.642716°N 71.334530°W / 42.642716; -71.334530
Campus	Urban 150 acres
Colors	Blue and Black
Athletics	NCAA Division I America East, Hockey East
Nickname	River Hawks
Mascot	Rowdy the River Hawk
Affiliations	UMass System
Website	www.uml.edu

The University of Massachusetts Lowell (also known as UMass Lowell) is an urban public research university in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States, and part of the University of Massachusetts system. With nearly 1,150 faculty members and 18,058 students, it is the largest university in the Merrimack Valley and the second-largest public institution in the state behind UMass Amherst.

The university offers 122 bachelor's, 43 master's and 36 doctoral degree programs, including nationally recognized programs in engineering, criminal justice, education, music, science and technology. Academically, UMass Lowell is organized into six schools and colleges: the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; College of Health Sciences; Kennedy College of Sciences; Francis College of Engineering; Graduate School of Education; and the Manning School of Business.

The University of Massachusetts Lowell owes its origins to two institutions founded in the 1890s: Lowell State College on the south side of the Merrimack River and Lowell Technological Institute on the north side. Each would follow its own path of expansion through the 20th century.

Lowell State College got its start as the Lowell Normal School, which was chartered in 1894 as a teacher-training institution for women. The 10th and final normal school to be established in Massachusetts, it opened in 1898 with 108 students and five faculty members. The original classroom building opened the next year at the corner of Broadway and Wilder streets, and quickly became a landmark in the city. Designed by local firm Stickney & Austin, it reflects the fashion of the time: high-style Beaux Arts with classical symmetry, arches, cast-iron lampposts and yellow brick. Its design was influenced in part by Lowell High School, which was also designed by Lowell native Frederick W. Stickney. Frank Coburn, for whom the hall was later named, served as the school's first principal until 1908.