Javier Reyes has been named the next chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The current interim chancellor of the University of Illinois Chicago was appointed by the Board of Trustees Thursday following the recommendation of UMass President Marty Meehan.
Reyes says he wants to continue the growth the flagship campus has experienced under Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy.
"That UMass Amherst continues to move the frontiers of research and innovation, that continues to be an academic place for the faculty, the students, the staff can thrive and be successful," Reyes said during a press conference following the appointment. "Where you can see that we continue to reach to the community across the commonwealth and respond to that call of being an economic engine.”
“Javier Reyes has demonstrated uncommon energy and vision throughout his career,” Meehan said in a statement. “A bold and innovative leader, he has inspired students in the classroom, supported initiatives that have unleashed the teaching and research talents of faculty, and connected great public universities to the socio-economic aspirations of their communities. He is well-prepared to build on the strong foundation that has been built under Chancellor Subbaswamy’s stellar leadership.”
Subbaswamy, who has led UMass Amherst for a decade, announced last summer that he planned to retire.
“I am really excited to welcome Javier Reyes as the next chancellor of UMass Amherst,” Subbaswamy said in a statement. “His prior experience at two land-grant flagships, his record of assembling and leading collaborative teams, his temperament, and his friendly personality all bode well for the continuation of UMass Amherst’s progress and impact into the future.”
An economist by training, Reyes will be UMass Amherst’s first Hispanic chancellor.
