Photo: Faith Ninivaggi
Having “vaulted UMass Chan Medical School forward in every sphere of activity,” Chancellor Michael F. Collins, MD, today announced that he will conclude his chancellorship at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year in July of 2026.
At that time, Chancellor Collins, the longest serving chancellor in the history of the University of Massachusetts, will have led the university’s public academic health sciences center for 19 years.
After serving as president and CEO of Caritas Christi Health Care for 10 years, Collins joined the University of Massachusetts in 2005 as chancellor of UMass Boston. He was appointed chancellor of UMass Chan in 2008 after serving in an interim capacity from June 2007 to September 2008. A tenured professor of population & quantitative health sciences and medicine, he also serves as senior vice president for health sciences for the UMass system.
“After a period of reflection and consideration, I see this as the appropriate moment to begin the process that will result in the selection of a new leader for the institution that means so much to me,” Collins said.
“It’s said that ‘To everything, there is a season.’ There is a time to serve and a time to lead—and for me, it is now time to set the stage for new leadership. It is my firm belief that I best serve UMass Chan Medical School by taking this step and setting in motion a thoughtful, deliberative transition process for President Meehan, the UMass Board of Trustees and, of course, UMass Chan Medical School.
“It has been my great privilege to lead this remarkable institution–a place dedicated to excellence in medical, nursing and health sciences education and to expanding the boundaries of human understanding. Maryellen and I have enjoyed every minute of our time in Worcester and look forward to maintaining the friendships and relationships we have forged,” Collins said.
“Despite the challenges of the moment, I am optimistic about the future of this school and about the future in general. My optimism stems, in part, from the brilliance and dedication of our students, faculty and staff, all of whom are a constant source of inspiration for me. I also believe that our nation will insist on maintaining its march of progress in research and innovation, because, as Americans, we are driven to explore new horizons and overcome obstacles.
Collins added, “Over the course of the next year, I plan to be fully engaged, continuing to lead our institution, raise additional philanthropic support and work closely with Gov. Healey and our congressional delegation to protect our treasured medical, educational and research assets which are now at risk.
“After leaving the chancellorship in July of 2026, I plan to be an active member of the UMass Chan Medical School faculty and assist the new chancellor and President Meehan in any way possible to continue this great success story,” he concluded.
Noting that he and Collins have served side by side throughout most of their UMass careers, President Marty Meehan said it is hard to imagine UMass Chan Medical School without him.
“It is hard to imagine a UMass without Michael Collins serving as chancellor, but I understand Michael and Maryellen wanting to move on to a new phase in life,” Meehan said.
Meehan added: “For nearly two decades, Chancellor Collins has been an excellent and skillful leader of our state’s only public medical school, transforming it into a globally renowned medical school that attracts students and researchers from around the world. Michael has vaulted UMass Chan Medical School forward in every sphere of activity, and under his leadership, the Medical School has become nationally recognized as one of the best medical schools in the country for primary care physicians, nursing and biomedical research. He thoughtfully guided UMass Chan’s academic mission and loved mentoring medical students. During his tenure, research funding significantly increased and philanthropic giving reached historic levels. Dr. Collins’ impact on UMass Chan will be long-lasting, and we are grateful he will continue to advise and provide leadership to the Medical School for years to come.”
Stephen R. Karam, chair of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees, praised Collins’ leadership and achievements.
“Throughout his career, Michael Collins has been dedicated to improving health care, to educational excellence and to expanding the boundaries of medical and health knowledge,” Karam said. “Without question, UMass Chan Medical School and the UMass system have benefited from his distinguished leadership.”
As chancellor, Collins has overseen one of the most entrepreneurial medical schools in the nation, which U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks as being among the nation’s best in primary care education and biomedical research. UMass Chan, perennially recognized as a top place to work, includes three graduate schools in Worcester and two regional campuses: UMass Chan-Baystate, established with Baystate Health in Springfield, and UMass Chan-Lahey, established with Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington.
During Collins’ tenure, UMass Chan Medical School has experienced an era of achievement and growth. Highlights include:
- Enrollment growth of nearly 50 percent, increasing from 1,013 students in fall 2007 to 1,489 students in fall 2024. The size of the T.H. Chan School of Medicine’s incoming class has grown from 100 students to 233 students, significant given the commonwealth’s physician workforce shortage and the acute demand for more primary care practitioners.
- Dramatic growth inresearch expenditures, rising from $157 million in 2007 to $302 million in 2024.
- Rise in number of degrees conferred annually, from 182 in 2007 to 265 in 2025.
- Soaring growth in UMass Chan’s total endowment, from $94 million in FY 2007 to $640 million in FY 2024.
- During his tenure as Chancellor, Collins has raised more than $865 million in furtherance of the UMass Chan mission, including in 2021, the largest gift in UMass system history, a $175 million donation from The Morningside Foundation of Newton, Massachusetts.
- Earlier this year, the campus received a $35 million gift from the Paul J. DiMare Foundation in support of its new nine-story, 350,000-square-foot education and research building, now officially known as the Paul J. DiMare Center.
- Collins’ philanthropic strategy has prioritized the establishment of endowed chairs to support UMass Chan’s world-class faculty. Since 2007, Collins has been directly responsible for securing gifts leading to the establishment of 55 new endowed chairs, bringing the total number of endowed chairs to 82, a more than 200 percent increase. Importantly, Collins has been committed to increasing the number of women faculty appointed to endowed chairs. Whereas only one woman faculty member held an endowed chair in 2007, today the number of women faculty holding endowed chairs has increased to 26.
- Since 2007, UMass Chan has opened the doors of four major buildings, increasing the size of the campus by 1,310,000 gross square feet–a 50 percent increase to the institution’s campus footprint.
- Total net assets have increased from $536 million in FY 2007 to $968 million in FY 2024.
As the university’s senior vice president for health sciences, Collins has spearheaded five-campus life sciences strategic planning processes and continues to guide the strategic direction of the University’s growing life and health sciences portfolio.
Collins, a College of Holy Cross alumnus, honorary degree recipient and former board chair and a graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine, is a board-certified physician in internal medicine. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Collins currently sits on the board of UMass Memorial Health, Inc., and has served on that board as UMass Memorial has become a major regional health center.
