October 29, 2004

ROMNEY APPOINTS THREE TO UMASS BOARD, INCLUDING “DR. J”

Governor Mitt Romney today announced three new appointments to the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees, including basketball legend Julius Erving. Romney renewed his commitment to making the University of Massachusetts one of the top-ranked public colleges in the nation.

Romney’s appointees, all of whom will serve five-year terms expiring September 1, 2009, are:

Julius “Dr. J” Erving, a UMass alumnus, professional basketball star and civic leader;

Dr. John Armstrong, retired Vice President and Director of Research at IBM; and

Dr. Janet Pearl, Co-Director of the Pain Management Center at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.

“The University of Massachusetts is an excellent institution of higher learning, and the newest members of the board of trustees will help carry on a proud tradition of academic excellence,” said Romney.

The university’s board of trustees is charged with overseeing the operations of the five-campus, 60,000 student UMass system. The board selects the president and chancellors, approves academic programs, awards tenure and sets student charges. The board is comprised of 22 members – 17 gubernatorial appointees and five student members with one student from each campus.

“I strongly commend Governor Romney for making these outstanding appointments to the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees,” said UMass President Jack Wilson. “Our university has a threefold mission of education, research and public service, and the experience, passion and commitment that our new trustees possess will greatly aid us in our quest to ascend to new heights in these key areas. We intend to create a public university of unrivaled excellence and trustees Armstrong, Erving and Pearl will provide us with invaluable guidance as we make that journey. I also want to thank trustees Giblin, Mahoney and Moes for their years of unstinting service to the university.”

Pearl and Armstrong will attend their first board meeting on November 10. Erving has a scheduling conflict and plans to participate in the meeting by phone. He will also be in Massachusetts on November 15 to meet with Romney and to tour the university’s facilities.

The new appointees replace James Mahoney, Diane Bissonnette Moes and William Giblin, whose terms expired last month.

Julius Erving played professional basketball for 16 years, including 11 seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. During his career, he was became the third player ever to score more than 30,000 points and was an All-Star in each season with Philadelphia. Erving was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.

Before starting his professional sports career, Erving played basketball for the UMass Minutemen, drawing capacity crowds and becoming one of only six players in NCAA history to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds in each game.

In 1971, he left UMass early to sign with the American Basketball Association’s Virginia Squires. At the urging of his late mother, Erving returned to school and earned his bachelor’s degree from UMass in 1986. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the university.

Erving has been often recognized for his dedication to civic issues. Past awards include the Whitney M. Young Award from the Urban League, the Big Brothers New York City Sports Award and the Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. He resides in Orlando, Florida.

“I view my appointment to my alma mater’s board of trustees as a high honor and a great challenge,” Erving said. “Recently, I have had numerous occasions to interact with the university and reflect on my undergraduate years on the Amherst campus. Now, we will entrench ourselves in the collective effort to bring the University of Massachusetts system closer to its full potential as an institution of higher education. The opportunity for me to be a part of that effort is truly a blessing.”

After a distinguished 30-year career, Dr. John Armstrong retired from IBM in 1993 as Vice President and Director of Research. He has penned more than 60 papers, is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and was a presidential appointee to the National Science Board that oversees the National Science Foundation. He holds a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Dr. Armstrong, who resides in Amherst, has contributed his expertise and knowledge to the UMass College of Engineering for nearly a decade. He is the Chair of the Industrial Advisory Board of the new Engineering Research Center, serves on the College of Engineering’s Dean’s Advisory Committee and generously endows a scholarship for engineer undergraduates and a professorship in electrical and computer engineering at the university. Dr. Armstrong and his wife Elizabeth were the recipients of this year’s prestigious President’s Medal, the university’s highest honor.

“Qualified young people in Massachusetts deserve access to a first-rate public university education,” said Dr. Armstrong. “Moreover, the well-being of the Commonwealth depends in large part on a highly trained workforce and vigorous job development throughout the state. And these factors in turn are strongly influenced by the quality and vigor of research at the University of Massachusetts. I am grateful to Governor Romney for giving me the opportunity to work with the other trustees to continue to strengthen UMass.”

Dr. Janet Pearl is Co-Director of the Pain Management Center at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center and holds teaching posts at Harvard and Tufts Medical Schools. She is a member of several professional associations, including the Massachusetts Medical Society, the American Pain Society, the New England Pain Association, the Massachusetts Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

Dr. Pearl holds a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from Harvard College, a master’s degree in health planning and financing from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a medical degree from the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. She resides in Wellesley.

“I was delighted and honored to receive Governor Romney’s phone call asking me to serve on the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees,” Dr. Pearl said. “UMass is a real gem for Commonwealth residents – it provides a more affordable opportunity for quality higher education. As a physician, I am particularly excited to be able to contribute to furthering the mission of the medical school in the new millennium and the accessibility and excellence of the university as a whole.”

“Institutions benefit immeasurably when they are led by strong, experienced, diverse boards and the Governor Romney, with his latest appointments, is building on his record of adding strength, experience and diversity to the UMass board,” added James Karam, Chairman of the UMass Board of Trustees.

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