UMass Lowell is on a roll.

Named the No. 1 public school in the Commonwealth by the Wall Street Journal, research and development expenditures at UMass Lowell have more than doubled in the past decade to $117 million. The university is leading a $4.3 million project to establish a first-of-its-kind advanced manufacturing technologist training program to support Massachusetts’ aerospace and defense workforce needs.

And, just last month, the university announced an historic development initiative called the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor, or LINC, that will bring thousands of jobs, new housing units and student opportunities to the mill city.

Not only is the university’s impact felt locally, as students intern at Lowell-based organizations and engage with the community on multiple levels, its achievements reach far and wide. For example, the Lowell Center for Space, Science and Technology examines the frontiers of space searching for other Earth-like planets that can support life.

These accomplishments are just some of the reasons UMass Lowell has been named recipient of the 2024 John Gould Education and Workforce Training Award from Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM).

“Massachusetts employers desperately need people with the knowledge and skills to fuel economic growth and UMass Lowell is setting the standard for identifying and meeting those needs,” said Brooke Thomson, President and CEO of AIM. “From the aerospace and defense initiative to collaborations with the Lowell Public Schools, Chancellor Julie Chen and her team have made UMass Lowell an integral part of the Massachusetts economy.”

The John Gould Education and Workforce Training Award was established in 1998 to recognize the contributions of individuals, employers, and institutions to the quality of public education and to the advancement, employability, and productivity of residents of the Commonwealth. In 2000, the award was named after the late John Gould, upon his retirement as President and CEO of AIM, to recognize his work to improve the quality of public education and workforce training in Massachusetts.

“As the top public university in the state for student outcomes, UMass Lowell is proud to educate and prepare the next generation of workers across multiple industries,” said Chancellor Julie Chen. “I am especially honored the university’s efforts are being recognized with the 2024 AIM Gould award. Our faculty experts and researchers are dedicated to making progress that improves quality of life and advances our understanding of the universe.”

Chen, who was named Chancellor in May 2022 after serving as vice chancellor for research and economic development, has built numerous innovative models that brought together industry, government and academia, including the Fabric Discovery Center, the nation’s first center to integrate three Manufacturing USA Institutes.

“Just as important as the top-tier education we provide our students is helping them to apply that classroom knowledge to a professional setting,” said Chen. “By connecting students with these opportunities and exposing them to real-life workplaces, we create student outcomes that make our alumni highly sought by employers.”

Previous recipients of the Gould Award include Worcester Technical High School; Putnam Vocational Technical Academy, the late Jack Rennie, Chairman and Founder of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education; William Edgerly, Chairman Emeritus, State Street Corporation; Northeastern University; The Davis Family Foundation; Intel Massachusetts; State Street Corporation and Year UP Boston; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership; the Manufacturing Advancement Center – MACWIC Program; Christo Rey Boston High School; CVS and Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission; Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries; the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership; SnapChef; The Base; and Pioneer Valley Books.

About AIM

AIM is the statewide business association in Massachusetts. The association collaborates with its 3,400 members on public-policy issues that matter to their businesses so that these companies can provide economic opportunity across the commonwealth. AIM also empowers businesses with the information and tools to successfully navigate a fast-paced business world.