UMass Lowell, a pioneer in online education that has been offering its traditional undergraduate and graduate programs online to students all over the world since 1996, has been selected as the recipient of a 2020 Blackboard Catalyst Award for Inclusive Education. Blackboard’s Catalyst Awards recognize and honor innovation and excellence in the Blackboard global online learning community, where millions of educators and learners work every day to redefine what is possible when leveraging technology.
UMass Lowell’s online course development and faculty training team (Lisa Panagopoulos, Carrie Powanda-Croft, Lois Reynolds and Alena Woods) — which is part of UMass Lowell’s Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies — was recognized for utilizing methods that have ensured that the “pedagogy, content, technology and educational services” related to the University’s online program and course offerings are “fully inclusive and supportive of all learners with disabilities.”
Catalyst award winners are selected by a cross-functional team of Blackboard experts. 2020 Catalyst Award honorees from across the globe will be recognized during Bb World, Blackboard’s annual global conference, which will be held virtually on July 21 and 22.
“We’re proud to recognize this year’s Blackboard Catalyst Award winners for their commitment to improving the educational experience for all learners and sharing these insights with the broader community,” said Lee Blakemore, Chief Client Officer and President of Global Markets at Blackboard. “Clients like these inspire us to accelerate innovation that drives student success.”
UMass Lowell has built a solid reputation by offering one of the largest selections of online programs available through a traditional university. Our online courses are developed and taught by full-time faculty who are experts in their fields, and by adjunct faculty who, as practicing professionals, bring real-world experience to online class discussions. Students interact regularly with faculty and classmates using a variety of web-based tools such as chat, email and video.
UMass Lowell has made a significant investment of resources in academic technology, program development and faculty training to ensure that the quality of our online programs is equivalent to the quality of our on-campus programs. Our online programs have earned national recognition and numerous awards for innovative programming, faculty development and online teaching.
Learn more about the more than 60 undergraduate and graduate programs we offer online.
