Collins is by far the longest tenured of any leader in the UMass system. That’s brought stability to UMass Medical School as well as results.
The school regularly tops out its allotment of new students at around 160, and it has become something of a fundraising machine. The school’s endowment has ballooned from $39 million in 2004 to $222 million in 2018, and the school has brought in nearly $1.5 billion in research funding over the past decade from the National Institutes of Health. Site work has begun for a new Veterans Affairs clinic due to open next year at a cost of up to $75 million. The school has an especially important role during the coronavirus pandemic, too. It graduated its Class of 2020 more than a month early to supply the area with the physicians it would need to help fight the crisis. In addition to overseeing institutional advancement, outreach and other efforts, Collins serves on the boards of UMass Memorial Health Care, Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts.
What makes Central Mass. unique? Central Massachusetts is really a model for – and the envy of – so many regions across the United States, given it is home to a mix of world-class higher education institutions, and thriving life sciences research and manufacturing companies, in addition to the lifestyle and cultural organizations and businesses making Central Mass. such a desirable place to live, work, learn and play. We all benefit from the rich, collaborative and diverse business community built and nurtured in Central Massachusetts, and we, at UMass Medical School, are proud and fortunate to be a part of it all.
Paperboy: My first job was delivering newspapers in Walpole, my hometown.
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