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UMass Dartmouth is the predominant center of education and research on the Southcoast. Through special laboratories and centers as well as the campus’s educational programs and facilities, we realize our mission to engage in innovative research and act as an intellectual catalyst for regional economic, social, and cultural development.
A variety of departments, centers, institutes, and special programs demonstrate UMass Dartmouth’s commitment to the well-being of this region and its people. The work in pure and applied research and artistic expression expands knowledge and human perceptivity and bolsters economic development, while programs and projects inform, inspire, and entertain.
The university plays a singularly important role in the community as a cultural, social, political, and economic resource.
The following are profiles of those arms of the university that extend into the community, and help UMass Dartmouth serve its diverse constituencies. The listing is by no means exhaustive, but presents some key programs and offices that help the institution fulfill its broader purposes.
Laboratories, Centers, and Special Programs
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Centers, institutes, laboratories, and special programs enable the university to realize the goals it has set in a variety of areas.
These special components of UMass Dartmouth play many roles. They:
- encourage and facilitate education that is multidisciplinary and collaborative;
- support and assist faculty from different disciplines in their research work;
- explore and expedite ways to incorporate modern technology into learning;
- develop initiatives and activities to bolster the economy;
- bring cultural and artistic events to both students and the surrounding communities.
Listed here are some of the laboratories, centers, and special programs that demonstrate the university’s commitment in the areas of education, research, and public service. Other examples can be found throughout this catalogue.
The School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST), an academic unit of UMass Dartmouth, is a major center of education, research, and economic development for this campus and the entire UMass system. It hosts interdisciplinary programs and research ventures in marine science, oceanography, and engineering and technology development and policy.
The SMAST faculty consists of about twenty faculty members, half of whom hold joint appointments in one of UMass Dartmouth’s colleges. SMAST’s academic program, which is one of the important components of the emerging, innovative University of Massachusetts Intercampus Graduate School of Marine Sciences and Technology, provides access to upper level undergraduates.
Faculty and staff engage in both basic and applied interdisciplinary marine research including ocean predicting and monitoring systems; coastal zone systems; and fisheries assessment management systems. SMAST/IGS has an Educational Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center.
While SMAST research tends to concentrate on the waters of Massachusetts and New England, and the adjacent U.S. continental shelf, with its diversity of natural and anthropogenic environmental variability, there is focus on remote regions of the global ocean as well.
SMAST is located in New Bedford on Buzzards Bay. With 32,000 square feet, the facility features 14 research laboratories, including a freestanding acousto/optic tank. It incorporates a 300 gallon/minute flow-through sea water system which provides ambient Buzzards Bay sea water to all laboratories and a large sea water tank room. It also contains: space to store and maintain marine organisms for use in research and teaching; a radionuclide laboratory; a greenhouse for growth and maintenance of aquatic photosynthetic organisms under natural light; three temperature control rooms for long-term behavioral and physiological experiments and acclimation of marine organisms for culture and reproduction; a 50-foot coastal research vessel, the R/V Lucky Lady; and a dock for temporary mooring and off-loading of research vessels. Support areas include a machine shop, computer room, a conference room with state-of-the-art visual display capabilities and distance learning hardware, and a library/chart room.
The facility’s proximity to Buzzards Bay, New Bedford’s fishing fleet, and numerous marine-oriented commercial, research, and educational institutions offers unique resources and opportunities, and fosters development of strong links with industry, government agencies, and research and academic institutions. Those interested may contact Dr. Stephen Lohrenz, Dean of the School for Marine Science and Technology, at 508 999-8925, or visit www.cmast.umassd.edu
As one of only eight members of the National Textile Center (NTC) the university has received research funding to enable faculty to undertake fundamental research on developing and/or improving the many technologies involved in textiles, soft materials, and fibers. The National Textile Center (NTC) is a research consortium of eight universities—including UMass Dartmouth, Auburn University, Clemson University, Cornell University, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, University of California Davis, and Philadelphia University—that seeks to be an agent leading change in the industry’s vision and in education for global competitiveness. The center conducts research to discover, design, and develop new materials, innovative and improved manufacturing and integrated systems essential to the success of a modern US textile enterprise and trains personnel, establishes industrial partnerships, and creates transfer mechanisms to ensure the utilization of technologies developed. Contact the Department of Bioengineering for details.
The Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center (ATMC) teams with industries to develop and refine sophisticated technology-based responses to the current and future needs of the workplace. Through the center, faculty and students are offered significant high technology research opportunities. For students, the center provides a real-world learning experience that makes them particularly appealing to prospective employers. For industry and the southeastern region, the center offers creative yet practical paths toward technological and economic growth.
The ATMC is approximately seven miles from the main campus, on Route 6 in Fall River, near the intersection of Routes 24 and 195.
It has research and incubator facilities for new and emerging firms, as well as conference areas and rental space for technology companies that wish to be near the university.
Through its “Research and Partnering” component, the center becomes involved in projects and contracts that are funded by industry, government agencies, and other academic institutions. Faculty and students provide the bulk of the technical expertise, with labor supplied by undergraduate and graduate students. The full-time staff provides the coordination and oversight to assure schedule, budget, and contract compliance.
For the students working there, the center replicates the technological business environment of the actual workplace. Qualified students can work in areas such as acoustics, optics, telecommunications, textiles, materials, environmental engineering, manufacturing, transportation systems, and health care technology. Individualized labs feature specialized equipment, and there are core labs for computer software development and mechanical and electrical equipment prototyping.
Incubator areas use an open format to provide flexible facilities for start-up companies, who receive management and marketing advice and administrative support from the university’s Commercial Ventures and Intellectual Properties organization.
Conference space features moveable walls so groups of 20 to 200 can meet at any one time. A wide variety of presentation technologies, video and teleconference, and internet access are available.
For more information, contact the center at 508 999-9116; its website is www.umassd.edu/advtechctr/.
The Center for Policy Analysis is a multidisciplinary research unit which provides research, information, and technical assistance to government, nonprofit, and educational agencies. The center’s guiding mission is betterment of the economic and social well-being of citizens. The center, striving to remove the walls between education and research, spearheads a number of university and community-based education programs. Students have the chance to work at the center and so become familiar with applied social science techniques. For more information, call 508-990-9660.
The Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture is a multidisciplinary international studies and outreach unit dedicated to the study of the language, literatures, and cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world. The center hosts comprehensive summer institutes and sponsors a wide range of educational activities and social events to which the public is invited. Support for its work has come from the Luso-American Foundation, the Portuguese Government, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Camöes Institute, the Gulbenkian Foundation, and local businesses and friends of Portugal and UMass Dartmouth. For more information, call 508-999-8255.
The Center for Marketing Research has a mission to facilitate the economic development of the region by providing an affordable, high-quality economic alternative to meeting business needs for research, training, and consulting in any and all aspects of Marketing. The center offers to businesses research, training, and consulting in the areas of accounting, finance, information systems, management, and marketing. Recently, the center has expanded its marketing offerings to include branding, packaging, logo development, creation of promotional materials, and most recently, customer service training and television commercial production. Businesses are able to draw on the university’s resources, including the expertise of the Charlton faculty and assistance from students who are guided by their professors. For more information, call 508-999-8756.
The Center for University, School, and Community Partnerships offers professional and educational services, consultation, and leadership development programs.For more information, call 774-929-3002 or visit www.umassd.edu/cusp/
Established in 1984 as the Massachusetts Field Center for Teaching and Learning, the Center for University, School, and Community Partnerships provides high quality professional learning experiences for beginning and experienced K-12 teachers to strengthen their content knowledge, broaden their teaching practices and curricula, and acquire leadership skills necessary to improve schools and student achievement. The center offers opportunities for the professional growth of teachers by organizing mentoring and induction institutes; sponsoring conferences, forums, grant programs, and publications on current educational issues; promoting teacher leadership and professional collaboration through networks; and serving as a clearinghouse of educational resources and research. The center draws on the expertise and experience of outstanding teachers to inform its programs, school reform initiatives and educational policy. The center also supports special initiatives to help schools implement mathematics and science programs, like Project Impact, the Science Partnerships Program, and the Southcoast Regional Math Network. The Center is the site of the Buzzards Bay Writing Project.
The Center for Rehabilitation Engineering helps to improve the quality of life of disabled individuals through creative use of engineering knowledge and technology. The center develops innovative rehabilitation equipment, techniques, and services, and makes them available to agencies and individuals with disabilities. Volunteers—students, university staff, and community members—are critical to the continuing success of the organization, which has received regional and nationwide acclaim. For more information, call 508-999-8482.
The Center for Indic Studies fosters education about, and understanding of, the arts, philosophy, culture, societal values, and customs of India. The programs and special events promote the study of issues of contemporary Indian society and their place within a multicultural global society. The center also seeks to increase Americans’ knowledge of contemporary India and its diversity in the 21st century. For more information, call 508-910-6630.
The Omer E. and Laurette M. Boivin Center for French Language and Culture promotes and supports teaching of, research about, and the appreciation and preservation of the French language and culture. Among its many projects are a certificate program in International Business/French, a cultural series of speakers and entertainers, and the annual Boivin Center Scholarship. For more information, call 508-999-8235.
The Center for Jewish Culture, through its educational and cultural programs, aims to increase understanding and communication between Jewish and non-Jewish people of southeastern Massachusetts. The center, which often collaborates with other groups, sponsors workshops, lectures, seminars, and institutes that explore aspects of Jewish culture. It works to expand the Judaica collection in the library, including an archive on the history of Jewish organizations and individuals in the southeastern area. The center also contributes to the support of the campus chapter of Hillel, the international Jewish student organization. For more information, call 508-910-6551.
The Arnold M Dubin Labor Education Center was established in 1975 to meet the educational needs of workers as members and leaders in the labor movement and promote understanding and cooperation between labor and business, religious, environmental, and other civic and community organizations. The center provides credit and non-credit courses, seminars and special programs, offers support and consultation to the educational programs of labor organizations; provides workers and unions with technical and informational resources; serves as liaison between the university and labor organizations on many levels including worker literacy, training, and economic development activity; and offers a minor and a certificate in Labor Studies and job-related training through the Workers Education Program. For more information, call 508-999-8007.
The Gerontology Center is a multidisciplinary venture, which develops and coordinates programs and courses on gerontology, the study of aging. The center maintains ties with the community through its educational and research-based activities. It has a close relationship with the university’s academic offerings, which include a certificate program and a minor in gerontology. For more information, call 508-999-8376.
The Robert F Kennedy Assassination Archive is an unparalleled, extensive collection of police and FBI reports, audio and video tapes, transcripts, and private papers relating to the assassination of Democratic presidential candidate and New York senator Robert F Kennedy. A project of Political Science Professor Philip H Melanson, PhD, with the UMass Dartmouth library, the archive has been recognized nationally and internationally both for its contents and as an important testament to fundamental rights to information. Located in the library, the archive can be reached at 508 999-8686.
The International Student Leadership Institute (ISLI) is a program sponsored by the University of Notre Dame and offered annually by UMass Dartmouth to New England high school students. The Institute develops the leadership skills of the participants, and encourages the students to seek opportunities for personal advancement in the service of others. UMass Dartmouth students are group leaders. Persons interested can contact John Fernandes, Science and Engineering Center director, at 508 999-8718.
The Spotlight Program is a cultural enrichment program in which area high school students come to the UMass Dartmouth campus for a series of lectures, workshops, courses, and field trips during the academic year. The director is English Professor William Nelles, PhD, 508 999-8278; for information, contact the Program Coordinator, Trace Holmes, at 617 417-5328.
The Upward Bound Program is a college preparatory program for high school students, designed to provide academic, informational, and motivational support to students as they prepare for a college career. The program provides services for students who attend New Bedford High School, Greater New Bedford Vocational High School, New Bedford Global Learning Charter Public School, and Wareham High School. Upward Bound attempts to ensure that every student applies to, is admitted to, and succeeds in college. The program seeks to strengthen students’ academic skills; instill an attitude of ambition and disciplined commitment to hard work; and to provide guidance in the selection of educational and career goals.
the Upward Bound Program recognizes that scholars are most likely to succeed in college if they are given key fundamental skills relevant to academic progress and personal growth and development. The Program’s educational aim focuses on reinforcing scholars’ basic academic skills; engaging them in critical thinking; assisting them in studying through the aid of tutorials, and preparing them for SAT and MCAS examinations. In addition, the Program addresses other issues critical to success in high school and college such as time management, self-discipline, responsibility, self-esteem, and multicultural sensitivity and respect. The program offers a six week summer residential component on the UMass Dartmouth campus. Students attend classes in a variety of subjects, and many are offered a tuition-free college credit course. Academic activities are paired with a host of other activities and trips, culminating in a student-developed production at the end of the program.
The Upward Bound Program’s offices are located at the UMass Dartmouth campus on the ground floor of LARTS, Room 024. For further information please call 508-999-8713.
A number of offices at UMass Dartmouth provide services of special interest to the surrounding region and beyond and are sources of information and assistance.
UMass Dartmouth Office of Institutional Advancement
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The UMass Dartmouth Office of Institutional Advancement develops and directs the university’s fund-raising and alumni relations activities. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Foundation is the non-profit entity that receives gifts on behalf of the campus. It is the mission of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Foundation to secure and steward a broad array of resources to support the scholarly development and personal growth of UMass Dartmouth students, and to promote the graduation of thoughtful citizens who will contribute to the intellectual capital of the region.
UMass Dartmouth Office of Alumni Relations
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The Office of Alumni Relations serves as the liaison between the university and its 50,000 graduates. Alumni Relations works to enhance the lifelong relationship between alums and their alma mater through various programs and activities both on campus and in their community.
Represented by their own Alumni Relations Boards, the University and the School of Law sponsor a number of professional development, continuing education, and general events that provide opportunities to reconnect, to network and to engage with our students, the “next generation of alumni.”
Office of Research Administration
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This office helps the university realize one of its key goals: supporting and fostering research, scholarship, and creative productions by faculty and staff. It does so by providing:
- Assistance in identifying funding opportunities; maintaining up-to-date information on sources likely to be most responsive to the university’s needs; and lending administrative support for faculty research projects;
- Assistance and guidance in all aspects of development and submission of a proposal;
- Negotiation and administration of contracts for awards, on behalf of the university.
- Assistance and guidance in post-award management.
The Office of Research Administration is located in Room 001, Foster Administration Building, 508 999-8953.
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
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Institutional Research and Assessment designs and manages the programs and processes that enable UMass Dartmouth to look at itself and determine if it is fulfilling its mission. The office researches data and produces information and analyses; does strategic planning, with a focus on outcomes assessment; studies specific issues and implements the recommended course of action; conceptualizes and manages data systems; analyzes and recommends on program and policy issues; and advises on planning and management of resources.
The office oversees preparation of the many reports which the UMass system, state and federal governments, and public and private groups require. It works with the academic community on evaluating and implementing actions that aim to enhance students’ education and university experience. It also offers consultation and implementation assistance on institutional surveys. For further information on learning outcomes assessment, call 508.999.8486. The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment is located on the second floor of the Foster Administration Building.
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