Meehan Is UMass Shortlist
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BOSTON (AP) – A Democratic congressman was named the No. 1 choice Tuesday to become the next chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, a school spokesman said.
Representative Martin Meehan and university President Jack Wilson were in contract negotiations and hoped to have an agreement by the end of Tuesday, spokesman Robert Connolly said.
Mr. Wilson is expected to recommend Mr. Meehan to the university’s trustees, who must vote on the recommendation, possibly when they meet Wednesday, he said.
“I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to make UMass-Lowell one of the best universities in the country,” Mr. Meehan said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “I’m looking forward to it.”
The university hopes to have its next chancellor in place July 1.
Mr. Meehan’s expected departure from Congress sparks an intense campaign to fill his highly coveted seat, one of 10 House seats in Massachusetts. It would be up to Govenor Patrick to call a special election within 160 days of the vacancy, and a crowd of potential successors is already lining up.
Democrat Niki Tsongas, wife of the late former Senator Tsongas, and former Lowell Mayor Eileen Donoghue have said they plan to run if Mr. Meehan, first elected in 1992, leaves. State Senator Sue Tucker of Andover and state Representatives Barry Finegold of Andover and Jim Miceli of Wilmington have also been mentioned as possible candidates.
On the Republican side, former state Representative Donna Cuomo of North Andover and Lawrence Mayor Michael Sullivan have discussed campaigns.
Democrats gained control of Congress in the fall election and hold a 233-201 seat advantage in the House. The chamber has one vacancy, the seat of Representative Charles Norwood Jr., a Georgia Republican who died in February.
UMass-Lowell is replacing William Hogan, who announced his retirement last May. Besides Mr. Meehan, other finalists were David C. Chang, chancellor of Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Nabil A. Ibrahim, vice chancellor of academic affairs at Purdue University-Calumet.
