Seeing a need for faculty support, a generous alumnus steps up.

Edward S. Price ’90 is a longtime UMass Amherst supporter as both a donor and a volunteer. His reasons for supporting the university are simple: he credits his time on campus as the start of the personal and professional successes in his life.

“There’s no question that the Department of Chemical Engineering at UMass Amherst is the genesis of my career and everything that transpired afterward,” says Price. “I feel an obligation to support it in any way that I can, either through volunteering or philanthropy.”

Price founded PCI Synthesis, a pharmaceutical chemical company, in 1996 and served as the company’s president and CEO until retiring in 2022. He currently splits his time between Boston, Massachusetts, and Savannah, Georgia.

A dedicated UMass Amherst volunteer, Price is a member of the College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council and the Department of Chemical Engineering Industry Advisory Board. Through these roles he noticed that the Department of Chemical Engineering faced a significant challenge: excellent faculty were leaving the department for other universities.

“I really saw how the department struggled when, over and over again, faculty left,” Price says. “It was apparent that was the main reason the department was losing ground in the national rankings.”

A candid conversation with Professor John Klier, the department head at the time, inspired Price to take action.

“He said, ‘It’s the lack of faculty support. We don’t have the endowed chairs or the fellowships other departments have,’” Price explains. 

“It’s unfortunate that for a university of its size and prestige, this department is very limited compared to its peers in this regard. This motivated me to do something, and I felt that faculty support would be the most impactful.”

EDWARD S. PRICE ’90

In 2020, Price established the Edward S. Price Faculty Fellowship in Chemical Engineering, which supports efforts to recruit new faculty and retain outstanding current faculty in the Department of Chemical Engineering.

There have been two fellows to date, and the fellowship has enabled both to conduct innovative research that has the potential to impact the greater community and the world. Wei Fan, professor of chemical engineering and the first fellow, focused his research in the areas of materials and nanotechnology and energy, environment, and water. 

Newly appointed fellow Ashish Kulkarni, associate professor of chemical engineering, is conducting research related to biomaterials, immunoengineering, drug delivery, nanotechnology, and cancer therapy. Learn more about Kulkarni and his work.

Price’s support is deeply appreciated, says College of Engineering Dean Sanjay Raman.

“I am deeply grateful for Ed’s dedication to the College of Engineering and his visionary thinking in support of the Department of Chemical Engineering,” Raman says. “Ed’s faculty fellowship is not only impactful in terms of recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty members, but it also makes it possible for the fellows to conduct potentially revolutionary research with real-world implications to serve the common good.”

Price encourages other alumni to think about meaningful ways to give back, noting that when the university’s rankings and reputation improve, everyone benefits.

“Whether you’re a new grad or an old grad, your career is helped [by the university and department rankings]. When you have on your resume that you went to UMass Amherst, that means more,” he says. “In today’s environment, college and department rankings are looked upon favorably, and as an alumnus, you can help maintain that.”

Interested in supporting current and future generations of engineers and the communities they serve? Make a gift to the College of Engineering today.