Annual Research Report 2025

Message from the Chancellor

At the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, research is a central pillar of our academic mission and a defining feature of our institutional identity. We are proud to be among the 97 public universities nationwide with the Carnegie R2 designation, which recognizes our high level of research activity.

What distinguishes UMass Dartmouth, however, is our scale. According to U.S. News & World Report, the University ranks among the top 15 public research institutions in the nation with fewer than 10,000 students. Our unique combination of research excellence within an intimate academic environment enables students to work alongside accomplished faculty who are internationally recognized for their cutting-edge work.

UMass Dartmouth’s commitment to research excellence, innovation, and educational enrichment is evident in the nearly 20% growth in active research awards year over year for the past 5 years—a 112% increase since fiscal year 2020. While the University continues to grow its research enterprise, we stay true to our mission as a catalyst for socioeconomic mobility and intellectual advancement. UMass Dartmouth equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to excel in an evolving world.

This annual report highlights UMass Dartmouth’s remarkable research achievements and the pivotal role they play in advancing knowledge, innovation, and societal impact. Through meaningful research engagement and hands-on learning—in the classroom, laboratory, studio, and field— students develop the confidence and skills to transform their ideas into reality. Their journey at UMass Dartmouth shapes them into emerging scholars, leaders, and innovative problem solvers dedicated to creating extraordinary impact.

Sincerely,

Mark A. Fuller, PhD
Chancellor

A letter from the Chief Research Officer

It is with immense pride that I present this Annual Report on Research, Scholarship, and Innovation. This report celebrates the extraordinary contributions of UMass Dartmouth researchers, which have been instrumental in solidifying our status as a Doctoral Research University with high research activity. Our robust research enterprise remains a cornerstone of our overall success. This growth is directly attributable to our world-class faculty, who consistently drive discoveries and innovation.

In FY25, UMass Dartmouth’s research portfolio surpassed $127 million, a solid 10% increase from FY24 and more than double the volume of FY20. We secured nearly $27 million in new awards, while our research expenditures soared to an all-time high of over $27 million, marking a 19% increase over the previous year.

We have made significant internal strides to promote, recognize, and invest in scholarship across all disciplines, from STEM and Business to the Arts and Humanities. This includes investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in internal seed programs and optimizing research operations by standardizing procedures, streamlining core facilities management, and modernizing our sponsored program management systems.

At UMass Dartmouth, we are excited to address global challenges, harness emerging technologies, cultivate a sustainable future, and ensure a healthier community for the SouthCoast, the Commonwealth, and the world.

Sincerely,

Yanlai Chen, PhD
Chief Research Officer

Extraordinary Momentum

Active Awards (FY2020-2025)

112%

Increase in research awards over the last six years

Faculty Recognition

Seven faculty listed among the 2025 World's Top 2% of Scientists

Mark Altabet, Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

Steve Cadrin, Fisheries

Changsheng Chen, Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

Sigal Gottlieb, Numerical & Computational Mathematics

Jefferson Turner, Marine Biology & Hydrobiology

Cheng Wang, Numerical & Computational Mathematics

Liudong Xing, Strategic Defense & Security Studies

Three faculty listed among the Top .05% Highly Ranked Scholars

Further elevating UMass Dartmouth’s research distinction, three faculty members have been named among the Top 0.05% Highly Ranked Scholars™ by ScholarGPS™.

Jefferson Turner

Jefferson Turner holds a Lifetime ranking of #1 in Zooplankton.

Liudong Xing

Liudong Xing ranks prominently across multiple engineering and reliability disciplines over the past five years.

Mohammad Karim

Mohammad Karim is ranked #18 Lifetime in Optical Engineering.

Rose Mary Botti-Salitsky, Design

2024 Design awards, New England Chapter of American Society of Interior Design.

Vijaya Chalivendra, Mechanical Engineering

2025 recipient of the M.M. Frocht Award from the Society for Experimental Mechanics.

Jennifer Mammen, Adult Nursing

Excellence in Nursing Research from the American Nurses Association Massachusetts.

Kristen Sethares, Adult Nursing

Class of 2025 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

Extraordinary Research Enterprise

Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research status renewed

Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Research designation renewed

The National Security Agency has renewed UMass Dartmouth's designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research through the academic year 2029.

Learn more about UMD's Cyber Research Designation

Three UMass Dartmouth students win highly competitive SMART scholarship

UMass Dartmouth produces the highest number of SMART Scholars

Three UMass Dartmouth students were awarded prestigious SMART scholarships from the Department of Defense in support of their research in underwater acoustics, machine learning, and cybersecurity. UMass Dartmouth leads the entire UMass system in producing SMART Scholars and is among the top 20% of institutions nationwide for SMART Scholar awardees.

Learn more about our SMART Scholars

Ocean research in top 5% nationwide

In the Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey released in November 2024, UMass Dartmouth ranks 240th among 914 universities nationwide for total research expenditures, placing it in the top quarter of U.S. research institutions. Most notably, UMass Dartmouth ranks #25 nationally, or in the top 5% for ocean research expenditures. These numbers confirm UMass Dartmouth as a national leader in ocean and coastal research, underscoring its critical role in advancing knowledge of the marine environment and supporting the region’s blue economy.

Cosmic Discoveries

UMass Dartmouth faculty involved in discovery of the largest-ever black hole merger

UMass Dartmouth faculty help LIGO uncover signal that upends black hole formation theories

UMass Dartmouth Assistant Professors Sarah Caudill (Physics) and Vijay Varma (Data Science & Mathematics) helped the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detect the largest-ever black hole merger, challenging existing theories of black hole growth.

"At UMass Dartmouth, students can join one of the world's largest gravitational-wave research teams," said Associate Professor Scott Field. "By blending physics, computational mathematics, and machine learning, our interdisciplinary group is driving the next wave of discoveries in both ground- and space-based gravitational-wave astronomy."

Learn more about the LIGO Discovery

Machine Learning

Scott Field receives $189K NSF grant using machine learning to improve gravitational wave models

Grant funds project titled: Collaborative Research: CDS&E: Data-Driven Discovery of Neural ODE Dynamics, Astrophysical Models, and Orbits (Neural ODE DynAMO)

Scientists recently detected gravitational waves from black holes and neutron stars orbiting each other. These waves—ripples in space-time first predicted by Einstein—are caused by massive objects moving in distant galaxies. Current models focus on two-body systems like pairs of black holes, but don’t account for the complex environments around them. This project will fund a team of researchers using new machine learning tools to improve these models by including environmental effects.

The team previously developed gravitational waveform inversion (GWI), a machine-learning method that uncovers orbital models from wave data without considering outside influences. Now, they aim to advance GWI by adding those effects, creating new models that include features like dark matter halos and disk-embedded systems. These improvements could help scientists learn more from next-generation detectors like LISA, offering deeper insights into black hole collisions and their surroundings. Professor Field has 3 active NSF grants with total value of $745,000.

PhD student Agata Piffer Braga '24 working on an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) at SMAST.

Closeup of live scallop in someone's hand.

Blue Economy

$8M deployed to support Blue Economy Initiatives

In collaboration with Senator Michael Rodrigues and the local legislative delegation, UMass Dartmouth secured $8M in state funding to support the University’s Blue Economy core research facilities, education and workforce development, and technology development and commercialization initiatives.

Learn more about Blue Economy initiatives

Marine and Undersea Technology (MUST) Research Program receives an additional $4.2M in funding

The Marine and Undersea Technology (MUST) program at UMass Dartmouth
received an additional $4,280,001 in funding from the Office of Naval Research. This marks the sixth round of MUST funding to date for research in sensing, materials, and AI-driven ocean technologies.

Learn more about MUST research projects

SMAST researchers secure major funding to advance sustainable fisheries

The awards fund work on innovative fishing technologies, climate-informed fisheries management, and collaborative scallop research programs that connect scientists with the commercial fishing industry.

Learn more about SMAST's fisheries research

Micheline Labrie PhD ‘21 receives research funding for Coastal Systems Program

Labrie received 23 grants totaling more than $1.2M

A proud UMass Dartmouth/SMAST alumna, Micheline Labrie was named Director of the Coastal Systems Program (CSP) after her longtime mentor Brian Howes passed away in 2022. Continuing Howes’s legacy, Labrie leads the CSP in conducting water-quality testing and research across Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts. This year, she received 23 research grants totaling more than $1.2M. Labrie also helped establish the Biodegradability Lab at SMAST, a state-of-the-art testing facility that supports the development of biodegradable and ocean-safe plastics and other materials.

Adam Delargy receives funding for fisheries research

Delargy received two grants in his first year as a faculty member totaling more than $339K

Adam Delargy’s research focuses on statistical and mathematical analyses of fisheries data. His other areas of research interest include scallop fishery catch rates, survey design, stock assessment modeling, crab, lobster, whelk, groundfish, and coral reef fisheries, as well as the impacts of bottom-towed gears and offshore wind farm development. Delargy received 2 research grants in his first year as a faculty member, totaling more than $339K.

Changsheng Chen receives grant from NERACOOS

The grant is part of a two-year project totaling $458K and titled "Modernizing IOOS in the Northeast to Build Equity and Resilience in a Changing Climate"

Commonwealth and Montgomery Charter Chair Professor Changsheng Chen received $214,085 from the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS) for the project "Modernizing IOOS in the Northeast to Build Equity and Resilience in a Changing Climate." Led by Dr. Changsheng Chen, a joint UMass Dartmouth–WHOI team will advance the Northeast Coastal Ocean Forecast System (NECOFS), a 24/7 operational model in place since 2007. NECOFS delivers real-time forecasts of weather, waves, water levels, ocean conditions, and storm-driven coastal flooding across the Northeast.

Highway Sustainability

Walaa Mogawer receives subaward from the National Academy of Sciences National Cooperative Highway Research Program

Dr. Walaa Mogawer, Commonwealth Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the UMass Dartmouth Highway Sustainability Research Center (HSRC), recently received a $649,942 grant from the National Academy of Sciences National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). The grant will fund research to develop a framework for the design, production, and placement of balanced asphalt mixtures.

Learn more about Dr. Mogawer's grant

STEM4Girls participants working on a project

Students practicing Gyotaku, the Japanese art of fish printing, during an anatomy workshop with STEM4Girls

STEM Education

Kaput Center receives $1.6M grant from the National Science Foundation

UMass Dartmouth's Kaput Center for Research and Innovation in STEM Education and Principal Investigator Shakhnoza Kayumova have been awarded a $1.6M grant from the National Science Foundation.

This grant will fund a four-year professional development program, “Teaching for the Anthropocene,” for middle and high school science teachers. The program investigates how to best support local STEM teachers in addressing social and environmental justice issues with their students. This grant will equip teachers with the tools they need to integrate complex environmental topics into their science curriculum. It also examines local socioenvironmental conditions to help teachers address real-world challenges that their students face.

Learn more about the Kaput Center NSF Grant

Kaput Center hosts STEM4Girls event

The Kaput Center continues to bridge the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through their signature event: STEM4Girls. Now in its thirteenth year, the annual event introduces girls in grades 3-8 from across the SouthCoast to careers in STEM through keynote speakers and hands-on learning activities. STEM4Girls is made possible by contributions from The Jacobs Family Foundation and the Blue Economy Initiative.

Learn more about the STEM4Girls event

NO STIGMA Nursing team hols campus conference.

Prioritizing Health

NO STIGMA Nursing team unveils findings, impact of $591K opioid research grant

Opioid use disorder care research funded by The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts

Professors Mary McCurry, Monika Schuler, Mirinda Tyo, and Jennifer Viveiros recently completed a three-year project funded by a 2022 grant from the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) to advance nursing education focused on compassionate, stigma-free care for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD).

Through the Novel Organizational Simulation Training to Improve Graduate’s Mastery & Attitudes (NO STIGMA) Nursing initiative, the team developed an evidence-based toolkit for nursing students featuring six high-fidelity simulations designed to reduce stigma and promote equitable care. The simulations significantly improved student attitudes toward patients with OUD, and the project concluded with a campus conference highlighting the team’s findings and impact.

Books and Press Features

Faculty scholarship is reflected in published books and media engagement. The examples below highlight selected works and press features. See more faculty in the press.

Associate Professor Lucas Mann’s (English & Communication) fourth book, Attachments: Essays on Fatherhood and Other Performances was named one of the best books of 2024 by The New Yorker, NPR, and Literary Hub. (lists published in January 2025)

Associate Professor Laurel Hankins (English & Communication) The Art of Retreat published May 2025

South Asia, the British Empire, and the Rise of Classical Legal Thought: Towards a Historical Ontology of the Law book cover art

Assistant Professor Faisal Chaudhry (Law) published South Asia, the British Empire, and the Rise of Classical Legal Thought: Towards a Historical Ontology of the Law. The book considers the legal history of colonial rule in South Asia from 1757 to the early twentieth century

Business Analytics & Data Mining with R: Practical Applications book cover

Professor Bharatendra Rai (Decision and Information Sciences) published Business Analytics & Data Mining with R: Practical Applications. The book is an essential guide for students and professionals looking to use the power of data to make informed business decisions.

Professor Timothy Walker (History) was interviewed about how his research on whaling-ship logs can help us understand our changing climate. His research was also featured on PBS news.

Professor Brian Williams (History) was interviewed on the evolving nature of ISIS threats and how the Trump administration could impact FBI investigations.

Professor Brian Williams (History) was featured in an NPR story about Crimea.

Professor Mahzad Hojjat (Psychology) was interviewed by the Sydney Morning Herald regarding the nature of female friendship triangles, inspired by one of the storylines in The White Lotus.

Emeritus Professor Fahri Karakaya (Management & Marketing) was interviewed in an article about airline credit cards.

Associate Teaching Professor Christopher Jacobsen (Accounting & Finance) was interviewed for an article about personal finance, what a budget is, and how to create one.

Creative scholarship and recognition

Brutalist architecture

This year UMassBRUT, a multidisciplinary campaign designed to reshape perceptions of the Brutalist architecture of the University of Massachusetts system was one of the recipients of the 2024 Boston Society of Architects (BSA) Commonwealth Award.

This included the following members from UMass Dartmouth on the Executive Committee:

Rose Mary Botti-Salitsky, Interior Architecture & Design

Allison Cywin, Librarian

Anna Dempsey, Art History

Viera Levitt, Art Gallery Director

Stephanie McGoldrick, Interior Architecture & Design

Anthony Fisher, Art

Solo Exhibition: Anthony Fisher: ReVisions, Provincetown Art Association and Museum, MA.
5/2/25 – 7/20/25

A Way to Get Out of My Way, oil and mixed media on cardboard panel

A Way to Get Out of My Way, oil and mixed media on cardboard panel

Elena Peteva, Art

Solo Exhibition: Elena Peteva: Of Ash and Light, Daura Museum of Art, Lynchburg, VA. 8/29 – 10/31/24. International juried exhibition: Visual Culture 2024, CICA Museum, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
9/11/24 – 9/29/24

Of Smoke and Ash II, charcoal on paper

Of Smoke and Ash II, charcoal on paper

Sarah Malakoff, Media Arts

Invitational Exhibition: The Paula Tognarelli Collection, Maine Museum of Photographic Arts, Portland, ME. Curated by Denise Froelich, Director of Maine Museum of Photographic Art.

Bear rug, digital C print

Bear rug, digital C print

UMass Dartmouth Research Metrics

A snapshot of the data, benchmarks, and performance indicators defining institutional excellence.

New Awards FY21–FY25 (000’S)

Federal Awards by Agency FY 2025

Federal research funding by agency
Agency name	Amount
Department of Defense	$6,752,451
Department of Commerce (NOAA)	$4,805,870
National Science Foundation	$2,858,259
Department of Health & Human Services	$1,516,470
Department of Transportation	$756,344
Department of Education	$584,060
Other federal sponsors	$610,047
Grand total	$17,883,501

Awards by Unit FY 2025

Research funding and awards by unit
Unit name	Amount	Awards
School for Marine Science & Technology	$8,753,494	65
College of Engineering	$5,683,331	29
College of Arts & Sciences	$4,826,764	25
MUST	$4,280,001	1
Other	$3,157,051	22
Total	$26,700,641	142

Top 10 Grant Award Recipients FY25

Top 10 grant award recipients, FY25
PI name	Sponsor	Amount
Balasubramanian, Ramprasad	Office of Naval Research	$4,606,764
PI subtotal		$4,606,764
Stokesbury, Kevin D.E.	Clearwater Seafoods	$302,733
	Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation	$118,990
	MA Division of Marine Fisheries	$350,000
	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	$1,057,804
	The Schmidt Family Foundation	$550,000
PI subtotal		$2,379,527
Chen, Changsheng	Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance	$16,000
	Coonamessett Farm Foundation, Inc.	$160,584
	MA Division of Marine Fisheries	$100,000
	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	$481,850
	NE Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems	$936,240
	University of New Hampshire	$30,000
PI subtotal		$1,724,674
Mogawer, Walaa S.	MA Department of Transportation	$741,033
Mogawer, Walaa S.	National Academy of Sciences	$649,942
PI subtotal		$1,390,975
Labrie, Micheline S.	CDM Smith	$7,432
	City of Brockton	$2,070
	GHD, Inc.	$154,526
	Horsley Witten Group Inc.	$21,781
	MA Department of Conservation and Recreation	$125,660
	MA Division of Marine Fisheries	$3,905
	Martha's Vineyard Commission	$59,650
	Marthas Vineyard Land Bank Commission	$2,250
	Nantucket Conservation Foundation	$7,360
	Restore America's Estuaries	$7,896
	SE Regional Planning Econ Dev District	$9,992
	Terra Systems of Delaware LLC	$20,500
	Town of Barnstable	$210,839
	Town of Brewster	$6,035
	Town of Chatham	$168,207
	Town of Dartmouth	$21,204
	Town of Dennis	$19,510
	Town of Harwich	$6,685
	Town of Mashpee	$150,000
	Town of Nantucket	$52,045
	Town of Orleans	$183,298
	Town of Plymouth	$20,568
	Town of Yarmouth	$9,880
PI subtotal		$1,271,293
Fay, Gavin	Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council	$345,395
	University of Maine	$156,761
	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	$353,016
	Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution	$303,969
PI subtotal		$1,159,141
Fiondella, Lance Nicholas	Alion Science and Technology	$15,850
Fiondella, Lance Nicholas	National Science Foundation	$1,001,883
PI subtotal		$1,017,733
Kayumova, Shakhnoza	National Science Foundation	$804,337
PI subtotal		$804,337
Brigham, Christopher John	Massachusetts Life Sciences Center	$737,449
PI subtotal		$737,449
He, Pingguo	Revolution Wind, LLC	$239,587
He, Pingguo	Sunrise Wind LLC	$383,219
PI subtotal		$622,806
Grand total		$15,714,699