UMass Lowell Receives 2020 Blackboard Catalyst Award for Inclusive Online Education

The University of Massachusetts has a longstanding track record of academic excellence – featuring faculty who are Nobel Pulitzer Prize winners and Laureates as well as being a pioneer in online learning for the past two decades.

Today, UMass Online offers 192 online degree programs and 4,000 online certifications through the UMass campuses. Online programs at UMass are among the best in the nation and are the top programs in New England. Bachelor's programs at UMass Amherst, UMass Boston and UMass Lowell were ranked as the top three programs in New England, respectively, and were among the top 50 nationally in U.S. News & World Report's Best Online Programs rankings.

It is no surprise then that UMass Lowell's online course development and faculty are being recognized by Blackboard for creating an innovative and incluvise online learning environment for adult learners with disabilities.

“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’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 — were recognized for utilizing methods that have ensured 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.”

Now in its 15th year, the annual Blackboard Catalyst Awards recognize and honor innovation and excellence in the Blackboard global community of practice, where millions of educators and learners work every day to redefine what is possible when leveraging technology. Winners are selected by a cross-functional team of Blackboard experts. Honorees from across the globe were recently recognized during BbWorld, Blackboard's premier annual global conference this past July.

To learn more about UMass Lowell's 2020 Blackboard Catalyst Award, click here.