Dear UMPI Community,
It is my distinct pleasure to announce that UMPI is the recipient of the largest awarded grant in its history following the U.S. Department of Education’s announcement that the University was selected for a 2019 Title III Strengthening Institutions Program grant worth nearly $2.25 million over a five-year cycle. The grant will allow UMPI to expand access to two new career pathways—in Computer Science and Health Administration—and develop stronger career readiness and experiential learning offerings for students. UMPI is one of only 64 institutions across the nation to receive this award.
My special thanks to Deborah Roark, our Executive Director of University Advancement , who identified, coordinated, and will administer the grant for the next five years. My great thanks to Deans Jason Johnston and Barbara Blackstone, who helped provide the framework for and determined our programmatic capacity (Computer Science will be housed within the College of Arts and Sciences and Health Administration within the College of Professional Programs), as well as Jason Towers, our Executive Director of Enrollment Management, whose expertise provided the workforce data supporting our proposal. And, finally, my thanks to all whose work made this grant possible. It is truly a reflection of, and reward for, the tireless efforts of faculty and staff each and every day and the achievements of our students who work so hard to ensure not just a better future for themselves but for their communities and, indeed, our world. And all of this success is made possible through innovation—an innovation that responds to the challenges that confront us, identifies the means to overcome those challenges, and provides the creativity to forge the pathways to success that meet the needs of each and every individual learner. This is truly a great achievement that will provide even greater opportunities for our students.
The full press release is attached below; look for more details to follow in the upcoming weeks and months! Again, my thanks to everyone’s efforts, both those directly connected to this grant and the opportunities that stem from it, and to those who daily efforts helped make it possible.