More than 300 alumni, friends, faculty, and students attended the campaign’s first regional event, sharing an evening of connection and inspiration at the State Room in Boston.

Against the backdrop of a stunning view of Boston’s skyline, members of the UMass Amherst community came together on December 3—GivingTuesday—to celebrate the strength of the university’s flagship campus and kick off regional events for Accelerate: The Campaign for UMass Amherst.

More than 300 attendees packed the State Room, an exclusive venue high above Boston’s Government Center. Welcoming alumni ranging from graduates of the last decade to the 1950s, and other dedicated UMass supporters, the event illuminated the university’s academic excellence, innovations, and contributions to the common good that will serve humanity for years to come.

Provost Fouad Abd-El-Khalick and leadership representing UMass Amherst’s 11 schools and colleges also attended, giving alumni and friends the opportunity to learn more about what’s happening on campus.  

“I wanted to come tonight because every time I go to a UMass event, I feel such a great sense of community, and I feel so proud of where I chose to do my undergraduate degree. And I think everyone else here also feels that way.”

— Amelia Wright ’20

During the speaking program, emceed by Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life Shelly Perdomo-Ahmed ’03 MEd, ’12 EdD, attendees heard from Campaign Co-Chair Karen Peters ’87, Commonwealth Honors College Dean Mari Castañeda, Commonwealth Honors College graduate Michael Nicholson ’16, ’17 MPP, College of Natural Sciences Dean Michael Fox, Professor Lynne McLandsborough, and Chancellor Javier Reyes.

All emphasized UMass’s power to change lives and impact the world through its work.

“As a land-grant university, UMass Amherst has a unique responsibility to serve the commonwealth through education, innovation, and engagement,” said Chancellor Reyes. “You know us as the University of Massachusetts, but we are also the university for Massachusetts.”  

Nicholson, whose personal story touched on the campaign’s commitment to revolutionizing access to education, told the crowd about the people and programs that opened doors for him at UMass Amherst and helped pave the way for him to become mayor of his hometown of Gardner, Massachusetts just three years after his graduation.

“Every scholarship, every mentorship program, every resource, every connection removes a barrier. Through the Accelerate campaign, we can ensure that every student, regardless of the hurdles they may face, can pursue their dreams.”

— Michael Nicholson ’16, ’17 MPP

Professor McLandsborough detailed how investment in various forms of research support helped advance her pursuit of more accurate and efficient methods of killing bacteria in the processing of chocolate and peanut butter. Earlier this year, McLandsborough won the donor-funded Mahoney Life Sciences Prize, which is helping her test out her lab’s promising method in large chocolate and peanut butter processing plants.

But UMass’s impact on the common good was the overarching theme of the night, aligning perfectly with the purpose of GivingTuesday. Chancellor Reyes stressed that whether the university is educating the future workforce, addressing society’s biggest challenges, or working in collaboration with the communities it serves, the common good is the “reason we do what we do.”

The Chancellor then announced that the UMass Amherst Alumni Association Board of Directors had issued a $150,000 match for gifts made to the campaign that evening—a challenge that was quickly met with hundreds of GivingTuesday gifts.

The program closed with a rousing performance by the UMass Minuteman Marching Band, whose pride and spirit were reflected in return by the crowd.

“I have been a lover and supporter of all things UMass since I graduated,” said Howie Breslau ’86. “I’m excited that we have the opportunity to engage the alumni who have never been asked to support the university before...and to help the university educate and nourish so many students in Massachusetts and beyond.”

Browse photos from the Boston event and see where the campaign is headed next at accelerateumass.org.