UMass President Marty Meehan, a proud UMass Lowell alum who grew up along the Merrimack, is putting serious money back into his home campus: a $1.5 million charitable commitment that will lead to University Crossing being renamed in his honor. The busy student center will be rededicated as the Martin T. Meehan Student Center on May 2, 2026, with the pledge targeted to expand paid internships and other career-connected experiences for students in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
As reported by the Lowell Sun, the $1.5 million commitment comes through the Marty Meehan Educational Foundation and follows earlier donations tied to Meehan. The paper notes that the UMass Board of Trustees signed off on the renaming last fall and that the university will formally dedicate the building on May 2. Reflecting on his hometown roots, Meehan told the Sun that “the river is why this university is here,” tying his gift back to the city that launched his career.
How the gift will be used
UMass Lowell says the pledge will directly support paid internships and other career-connected programs in the arts, humanities and social sciences, lining up with the university’s broader push to turn degrees into real-world jobs. The commitment builds on promises made during UMass Lowell’s “Designing the Future” campaign, which announced Meehan’s earlier $1 million pledge in October 2025, according to UMass Lowell.
Meehan's long ties to Lowell
Meehan graduated from UMass Lowell in 1978, later returning to run the place as chancellor from 2007 to 2015 before stepping up to become president of the UMass system in 2015. His habit of sending money back to his alma mater is not new. The UMass press office noted in a 2016 release that Meehan shut down his congressional campaign committee and directed $1 million to scholarship funds at UMass Lowell, a move that set the tone for the kind of sustained giving on display with this latest commitment, per UMass.
University Crossing's downtown role
University Crossing, a 230,000-square-foot student center on the former site of St. Joseph’s Hospital, was built to knit UMass Lowell’s three campuses more tightly into downtown and to serve as a public-facing hub for student services, according to UMass Lowell. Overlooking the Merrimack River, the building has become a centerpiece of the university’s efforts to drive downtown engagement and open up clearer career pathways for students.
University and community leaders say the new name is meant to recognize Meehan’s role in reshaping the campus and his ongoing support for student opportunity. For a deeper look at the rededication plans and how the funding will be deployed, local coverage in the Lowell Sun breaks down the details.
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