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Interim UMass Lowell chancellor recommended for permanent post

Jacqueline Moloney, UMass Lowell’s executive vice chancellor, is an alumna of the school.Adrien Bisson

A search committee on Monday recommended University of Massachusetts Lowell’s second-in-command to lead the campus and fill the vacancy left when Martin Meehan became the university system’s president this month.

After interviewing five semifinalists, the search committee forwarded just one name to trustees to confirm, that of Jacqueline Moloney, the campus’s executive vice chancellor. Moloney has served as interim chancellor since Meehan left.

In many college searches, committees recommend three finalists and trustees interview them in a public meeting. In the case of UMass Lowell, the two other would-be finalists dropped out, according to two sources close to the search. Trustees have scheduled a meeting next week where they are set to confirm Moloney.

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Search committee cochairman R. Norman Peters said semifinalists had included an international candidate and others from around the United States. Moloney’s experience in Lowell put her “head and heels” above the others, he said.

“She was more qualified by far. There’s no comparison,” said Peters, who is also a UMass Lowell trustee.

Peters denied that other finalists withdrew. He said the committee forwarded only one name because members believe she is best for the job and did not want to publicize the names of finalists who were unlikely to be chosen.

Because UMass is a public entity, it must abide by the state’s Open Meeting Law. The law stipulates that the names of finalists must be made public.

Moloney, a UMass Lowell graduate, was tapped in 2007 by Meehan to be executive vice chancellor. She is also a tenured faculty in the campus’s graduate school of education and has served as dean of its online and continuing education program. In her current role, she has overseen UMass Lowell’s long-term master plan.

The campus in recent years has boosted enrollment and selectivity, and added many new buildings. “The committee felt it wanted to keep this momentum going,” Peters said.

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UMass hired the search firm Isaacson Miller to conduct the search. Moloney made $324,940 last year, according to state data. Meehan made $459,000 as Lowell chancellor.


Laura Krantz can be reached at laura.krantz@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurakrantz.