The official beginning of summer is just around the corner, but the work of the University continues.

The Massachusetts House and Senate approved a compromise state budget on Tuesday, providing critical support for several key UMass Dartmouth initiatives, strong funding for University operations, and required funding of collective bargaining agreements.

This highly positive outcome speaks to the power of our message and the effectiveness of our advocates - our local legislative delegation, UMass President Jack Wilson, trustees, alumni, faculty, students, and community partners. There is clearly a growing recognition of the link between public higher education and the economic and cultural success of our communities.

I urge you to take every opportunity to thank those who have carried the UMass banner, especially our legislators who faced difficult funding choices this year. By saying thank you to them, we are showing our sincere gratitude to our greatest benefactors, the citizens of the Commonwealth.

Here are the budget highlights:

• The total base appropriation for the University, including $55 million for collective bargaining, is $392.5 million. This is more than our actual budget request.
• The budget for the Advanced Technology & Manufacturing Center (ATMC) in Fall River has been restored at $1.1 million. This is an important ongoing investment in the innovation economy of this region.
• Funding for the College of Visual and Performing Arts at the Star Store in New Bedford was essentially level-funded at $2.6 million, securing our anchor in the New Bedford cultural community.
• Prof. Robert Waxler receives $100,000 for his nationally recognized Changing Lives through Literature program. For each student inspired by this program, and there have been hundreds, the state saves $25,000 per year in incarceration costs.
• The Center for Rehabilitation Engineering receives $200,000 to continue its efforts to provide technology solutions for people with disabilities.

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We also continue to receive growing financial support from non-state sources. Today, we are announcing three new research grants totaling nearly $800,000.

This includes a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to support new partnerships between the University and businesses in the region. Working through our Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Center (ATMC) these partnerships will develop innovative new products and production processes. Ten companies have already expressed interest in this program and have pledged an additional $500,000 worth of innovative projects to be undertaken at the ATMC.

President Jack Wilson, meanwhile, announced seven grants from his office totaling $1 million. These grants will finance efforts to compete for major state and federal research funding. Our campus, in collaboration with UMass Boston, won two of the grants, including:

• A $90,000 Ocean Technology Innovation Collaborative. The Intercampus Graduate School of Marine Science and Technology use the funds to develop major proposals for state and federal research related to ocean monitoring, sensors, modeling and imaging.
• A $100,000 Maritime Information Technology Initiative to leverage information and technology developed over decades by the U.S. Navy to address port security problems in homeland defense.

We enter the summer months with momentum on our side. We will be spending the next couple of months preparing our campus for an exciting and fulfilling new academic year, and I look forward to updating you on our progress. I would equally enjoy hearing how you are spending your summer.

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