UMass Boston Chancellor Steps Down to Study Climate Change and AI

Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, the chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston, announced on Tuesday that he will step down from his job on February 1. After leading the school for more than six years, he plans to become a professor there instead. His new focus will be on climate change and artificial intelligence, two issues he believes are the most important challenges facing the world today.

Suárez-Orozco took over as chancellor in the summer of 2020. During his time in charge, he helped stabilize the school's leadership after a period of change. He also oversaw the completion of major new buildings on campus, attracted large donations from businesses, and helped UMass Boston grow its reputation as a research university. The school serves more than 15,000 students and sits along the waterfront in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston.

In an interview, Suárez-Orozco said that turning 70 this month felt like the right time to make a change. His wife, Carola Suárez-Orozco, has already retired and is now working as a senior fellow at Boston College. The couple had spent time in Boston before, including years on the faculty at Harvard University, where they both worked on the Harvard Immigration Project together.

Suárez-Orozco was born in Argentina and came to the United States as an immigrant at the age of 17. Because of that experience, he said he understood many of the struggles that UMass Boston students face. The university is known for the diversity of its student body, and its in-state tuition is under $17,000 a year — much less than most colleges charge. He praised his students for showing what he called "ganas," a Spanish word that means desire or enthusiasm to get ahead.

"This has been the honor of a lifetime," said Suárez-Orozco, who studied anthropology. "We've achieved everything we set out to achieve, and our relationship with the city and with the commonwealth has never been better." He plans to take a break — called a sabbatical — before diving into his research on AI and climate change. He said he does not yet know which department at UMass Boston he will join.

One of Suárez-Orozco's biggest goals was to build strong connections between the university and Boston's business community. Those efforts led to partnerships like an expanded sponsorship from the sneaker company New Balance, the launch of an AI program funded by tech entrepreneur Paul English, and millions of dollars from Robert and Donna Manning to support the school's nursing program. In 2023, the school also launched a program called BEST Boston, which uses students' ideas and skills to help small businesses in the city.

UMass president Marty Meehan said he was not surprised by the decision to step down, because the two had talked about it the year before. Meehan said he actually convinced Suárez-Orozco to stay on for an extra six months beyond his original plan. During his time as chancellor, Suárez-Orozco helped raise more than $180 million for the university — a new record for a UMass Boston chancellor.

Meehan said he hopes to name a temporary leader later this month while a search for a permanent chancellor begins. A search committee will review candidates and send three names to Meehan, who will then choose one to bring before the board of trustees for final approval. Meehan said he expects the change to go smoothly, and that Suárez-Orozco's impact on the school will last for many years to come. "He has brought charisma, leadership, and academic credentials that have made UMass Boston and Massachusetts a better place," Meehan said.