UMass Amherst begins the new academic year with a stellar incoming first-year class and a renewed commitment to its mission, the campus and the greater community, Chancellor Javier A. Reyes told business leaders, state and local government officials, college presidents, UMass leadership, and community members at the university’s 59^th community breakfast.

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“We begin the academic year at a time of continued uncertainty for higher education,” said Reyes. “Despite a challenging environment, UMass stands strong and remains committed to its mission of excellence in teaching, research and service to the common good in partnership with our community.”

After announcing that approximately 5,300 new, outstanding first-year students will join campus this week, Reyes shared updates about the university in several areas, as outlined below.
 

Research Funding and Fundraising

• In 2025–2026, UMass researchers were awarded $235 million in sponsored projects. In the previous four fiscal years, the campus was awarded a total of $954 million in sponsored projects.
• Last year, UMass researchers received grants in support of research that spans everything from assessing the use of AI for elder care to supporting safe drinking water standards. In addition, UMass researchers are exploring how art and creativity support well-being; developing wearable sensors that monitor a range of health metrics, and, among others, teaching educators how to support students’ social and emotional learning.
• In January 2026, the university exceeded its $600 million Accelerate campaign fundraising goal 18 months ahead of schedule. As of last week, the campaign had raised more than $693 million. “This represents a big vote of confidence in the work that we do at UMass,” said Reyes.
   

Deepening Community Engagement

Since last year’s breakfast when the Economic Development Initiative (EDI) was launched to better connect the campus with the ecosystem of Western Massachusetts, the EDI team has been meeting with business leaders, entrepreneurs, economic development groups, community organizations and other stakeholders to identify ways the university can align its strengths with the needs of the community and be a catalyst for growth across the region. This work is ongoing, he said.

The chancellor also provided updates on UMass Downtown, which he announced in 2024 as a vehicle to connect the campus with the local community. Last year, UMass Downtown hosted 87 events, ranging from musical performances to academic lectures to nonprofit volunteer matching activities that were attended by more than 2,200 people aged two to 90 years old.
 

Capital Improvements

The university continues to find ways to improve its physical infrastructure with projects including:

• The new School of Public Health and Health Sciences Hub along Eastman Lane.
• The new Computer Sciences Laboratories, which is the first building on our campus to earn LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of achievement in the green building rating system. A ribbon cutting will be held next week.
• The new Sustainable Engineering Laboratories, which will open in the coming months.
• The university has embarked on a public-private partnership, P3, to collaborate on a comprehensive, long-range plan to modernize campus housing with a focus on affordability.

“Whether it’s modernizing our academic facilities or residential housing, these projects will be critical to maintaining enrollment, which has been steady over the past five years,” said Reyes.