Advising | Student Resources

Our professional advisors are knowledgeable about all aspects of academic advising and university policies, including academic requirements, degree pathways and planning, course selection, changing majors and other academic matters. Advising services are available year-round for students seeking information about any of the undergraduate degree and certificate programs offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies .

Over the Phone Advising

Speak to an advisor over the phone during normal business hours:
M-Th, 8:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. / Fri, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Call 978-934-2474 or 800-480-3190

Zoom Advising

Students can schedule an appointment to video chat.

Email Advising

General advising is available by email. Students can send specific academic or program-related questions to Continuing_Education@uml.edu.

Live Chat Advising

Live chat advising is made available during office hours and can be accessed by the "Live Chat" tab, found the on right side of this browser window (visible when available).

Meet the Team

Dana Zareski

Dana received her M.S. in Arts Administration and B.A. in Music from Boston University (BU). Before joining the UMass Lowell team, she was a lead faculty and student support administrator in BU's Office of Distance Education. She worked with students of all backgrounds, ages and interests. Dana loves spending time with her cats and exploring Lowell and the surrounding area in her free time.

Academic Advisor

Business Administration Bachelor's Degrees—Last Names A-M, Business Administration Associate's Degrees—Last Names A-Z, Accounting Certificate, Digital Marketing Certificate

Dana_Zareski@uml.edu | 978-934-2474 Ext. 1141

Angela Valvis

Angela received her M.Ed. from Rivier University and her B.A. from Saint Anselm College. She has over 15 years in higher education with experience in registrar services, advising, disability services and program management. Over the course of her career, she’s had the privilege of working with students at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels, both in traditional and continuing education settings.

Assistant Director

Business Administration Bachelor's Degrees—Last Names N-Z

Angela_Valvis@uml.edu | 978-934-2474 Ext. 1119

Kerry L. Patenaude (she/her)

Kerry is a doctoral student at Lesley University, focusing on human development and learning. She has over 15 years in higher education with experiences in advising, transition planning, disability services, accessibility services and educational training and development. Throughout her career, Kerry has worked with students of all ages, from preschool to medical school, both on-campus and online.

Senior Academic Advisor

Liberal Arts and English Studies Degree Programs, Graphic Design Certificate

Kerry_Patenaude@uml.edu | 978-934-2474 Ext. 1080

Jarryl McKey

Jarryl received his master’s degree from Cambridge College and bachelor’s from Newbury College. Before joining UMass Lowell, he worked in special education for ten years. He is committed to helping others pursue their academic goals.

Academic Advisor

Information Technology Programs—Last Names A-K, Certificates in Data Telecommunications, Networking and Security, UNIX/LINUX, Website Design and JAVA

Jarryl_McKey@uml.edu | 978-934-5927 Ext.1140

Katelyn McCarthy

Katelyn is originally from Johnson, Vermont. She received her associate’s degree from The Culinary Institute of America and her bachelor’s degree from Northern Vermont University. She has over ten years of experience in both admissions and advising in higher education. Over the course of her career, she has had the pleasure of working with traditional and continuing education students. She has worked at various colleges and universities, including small niche schools, liberal arts colleges and large selective universities.

Academic Advisor

Information Technology Programs—Last Names L-Z, Certificates in Information Technology and Multi-Media

Katelyn_McCarthy@uml.edu | 978-934-2474 Ext. 1139

Diane Donaldson

Diane received her B.L.A. from UMass Lowell and her M.Ed. in Psychology from Cambridge College. Diane is passionate about supporting students through academic planning and has been with UMass Lowell since 2011. She has worked extensively with online and non-traditional student populations at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Before her career in higher education, Diane operated a small business. She remains committed to personal activities and charities centered around her passion for helping others.

Senior Academic Advisor

Psychology Degree Program, Contemporary Communications Certificate

Diane_Donaldson@uml.edu | 978-934-2474 Ext. 1081

Christine Walsh

Christine earned her B.A. and M.S. in Education and her B.A. in Sociology from UMass Amherst. She has over 20 years of experience in the field and joined the Graduate, Online & Professional Studies advising team in the Fall 2019. Christine is passionate about supporting learners through effective goal-setting strategies, advocating for students of varying abilities and promoting student success through individualized degree planning. Christine cherishes her free time with her family, volunteers in the community and is an avid gardener.

Academic Advisor

B.S. Criminal Justice, Security Management and Homeland Security Certificate and Paralegal Certificate

Christine_Walsh@uml.edu | 978-934-2474 Ext. 1077

Faculty and Program Advisors
Business Administration	Deborah Casey, Assistant Teaching Professor
Criminal Justice	Angela Callahan, Visiting Instructor
Electronic Engineering Technology	Gary Howe, Director of Labs
English	Katherine Shrieves, Lecturer
Information Technology	Yelena Rykalova, Visiting Lecturer
Legal Studies	Walter Toomey, Lecturer
Liberal Arts	Andrew Drenas, Visiting Lecturer
Mathematics	Jennifer Gonzalez-Zugasti, Associate Professor
Mechanical Engineering Technology	Glenn Sundberg, Associate Professor
Nursing: RN to B.S.	Jennifer Wilber, Clinical Assistant Professor
Psychology	Mary Duell, Senior Lecturer

FREE Online Tutoring

Available 24/7 to any student enrolled in an online course.

UMass Lowell has partnered with ThinkingStorm to support student success with on-demand access to online tutors.

It's a convenient way to clarify difficult subject matter, practice and ask questions in a low-pressure environment, and get help writing or editing papers.

Tutoring subjects include:

Math
Spanish
Writing
Science
And more!

Accessing tutoring support is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

Log in to the UMass Lowell Blackboard site.
Click the ThinkingStorm link in the Free Tutoring Services module on the Blackboard homepage.
Use ThinkingStorm's menu to connect to an online tutor.

New: Math Faculty Tutoring Services are Now Available

Live Zoom Tutoring: Monday - Thursday (10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.), Friday - Sunday (5:00-8:00 p.m.)

On-Campus Tutoring: Monday and Wednesday (10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)

Please fill out our tutoring form.

Meet Our Staff and Get Your Questions Answered

UMass Lowell's Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies cordially invites you to an Online Orientation for new students.

Watch a Recording of our August 25, 2022 Orientation

Watch a Live Recording

Questions?

Please call the admissions team at 978-934-2474 or email OCE_Admissions@uml.edu.

Location

UMass Lowell Advising Center

839 Merrimack Street
Lowell, MA 01854

Hours Available:

Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Holiday Closings and Special Hours

Labor Day (University Closed)	9/5/2022
Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day (University Closed)	10/10/2022
Veterans Day (University Closed)	11/11/2022
Thanksgiving Recess (No Courses/University Closes at 6 pm)	11/23/2022
Thanksgiving Recess (University Closed)	November 24-27, 2022
Christmas Day Observed (University Closed)	12/26/2022
New Year's Day Observed (University Closed)	1/2/2023
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (University Closed)	1/16/2023
Presidents' Day (University Closed)	2/20/2023
Spring Recess	March 6-10, 2023
Patriots' Day (University Closed)	4/17/2023
Memorial Day (University Closed)	5/29/2023
Commencement	May 12-13, 2023
Juneteenth (University Closed)	6/19/2023
Independence Day (University Closed)	7/4/2023

Resources

Advising Appointments

Online Undergraduate Students

Schedule Online
or contact the Advising Center at:

978-934-2474 or 800-480-3190
Continuing_Education@uml.edu

Hours Available:

Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Graduate Students

Email Graduate_StudentSuccess@uml.edu, call 978-934-2390 or schedule an advising appointment online now.

By Location

By Program Level

Professional Training

By Subject

Undergraduate

Graduate

Academic Advising

Our Experts Are Here to Support You Every Step of the Way

Over the Phone Advising

Zoom Advising

Email Advising

Live Chat Advising

Meet the Team

Dana Zareski

Academic Advisor

Angela Valvis

Assistant Director

Kerry L. Patenaude (she/her)

Senior Academic Advisor

Jarryl McKey

Academic Advisor

Katelyn McCarthy

Academic Advisor

Diane Donaldson

Senior Academic Advisor

Christine Walsh

Academic Advisor

Faculty and Program Advisors

FREE Online Tutoring

Available 24/7 to any student enrolled in an online course.

Tutoring subjects include:

Accessing tutoring support is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

New: Math Faculty Tutoring Services are Now Available

Meet Our Staff and Get Your Questions Answered

Watch a Recording of our August 25, 2022 Orientation

Questions?

Location

UMass Lowell Advising Center

Hours Available:

Holiday Closings and Special Hours

Resources

Advising Appointments

Online Undergraduate Students

Hours Available:

Graduate Students

UML Links

Internal Resources

Connect With Us

24x7 Online Course Support

Mailing Address

Contact Us