Thirteen distinguished leaders named to inaugural UMass Global Board of Regents

IRVINE, Calif. (Dec. 1, 2021) – University of Massachusetts Global (UMass Global), a private, nonprofit affiliate of the five-campus University of Massachusetts, today announced its inaugural 13-member Board of Regents. UMass Global officially launched in September to deliver expanded online education opportunities to adult learners and strengthen talent pipelines for U.S. employers.

“Our inaugural Board of Regents brings together accomplished leaders who have charted successful endeavors in business, education, and public policy,” UMass Global Chancellor Gary Brahm said. “The new regents are joining a forward-facing institution that is stepping up to meet the increasingly complex needs of modern students, millions of whom are balancing school with work, parenting, life in multi-generational households and much more. The regents' collective vision for where higher education is heading will serve our students and employer partners well.”

The 13 regents who will govern UMass Global are:

• Carole A. Cowan – former president, Middlesex Community College (MA)
  
  
• William “Mo” Cowan – former U.S. Senator; chief legal and external affairs officer, Devoted Health
  
  
• Maria D. Furman – retired managing director, Standish Ayer and Wood Asset Management
  
  
• Eddie A. Grier – dean, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University; former president, Disneyland Resorts
  
  
• James R. Julian, Jr. – executive vice president/chief operating officer, University of Massachusetts
  
  
• Stephen R. Karam – trustee, University of Massachusetts; principal, Karam Financial Group
  
  
• Jeffrey J. Keith – operating partner, Sterling Partners and Avathon Capital
  
  
• Donald C. Kilburn – CEO, UMass Online; former president, Pearson North America
  
  
• Gloria Cordes Larson – former president, Bentley University (MA)
  
  
• Robert J. Manning – chairman, University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees; chairman, MFS Investment
  
  
• Vera M. Martinez – former president, Fullerton College (CA)
• Katherine S. Newman – system chancellor for academic programs and senior vice president for economic development, University of Massachusetts
• Victor Woolridge – trustee, University of Massachusetts; managing director, Barings Real Estate Advisers

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ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS GLOBAL

Founded in 1958 and accredited by WSCUC, University of Massachusetts Global (UMass Global) is a nonprofit affiliate of the University of Massachusetts, committed to helping adult learners change their lives through education. We offer over 55 online programs tailored for workplace relevance — associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, along with teaching credentials, stackable certificates, and authorizations. All UMass Global coursework is 100 percent online, which meshes with the busy lives of our non-traditional students. We are known for attentive student support, accommodating transfer policies, high graduation rates, alumni satisfaction, and low student debt loan default rates. For more information, visit the university’s website.