Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs

We are pleased to announce that the University of Massachusetts Lowell has named Lynne Cossman as the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs. Her appointment is effective on August 1, 2026.

Cossman currently serves as the inaugural dean of the College for Health, Community and Policy at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she leads the institution’s largest college, serving more than 6,000 students and nearly 200 faculty. Since joining UT San Antonio in 2020, she has provided thoughtful, steady leadership during a period of significant growth, establishing the college’s academic and research infrastructure, strengthening connections with community and institutional partners, and expanding interdisciplinary opportunities for students. As founding dean, she spearheaded the launch of the college, overseeing the creation of eight academic departments and five research centers and institutes.

In her role, Cossman led a comprehensive strategic planning process, created a Dean’s Advisory Board, and established leadership positions to strengthen community engagement and partnerships. She also launched the Institute for Health, Community and Policy to align and advance the college’s research efforts and collaborated with UT Health San Antonio to help establish the Kate Marmion School of Public Health. Under her leadership, the college introduced several new academic programs, including the BS in Health, Aging and Society, the MS in Health, Community and Policy, and a PhD in Community and Policy.

At UMass Lowell, Cossman will provide strategic leadership for academic programs, faculty affairs, research initiatives, and student success efforts. As Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, she will play a central role in advancing the university’s mission as a nationally recognized public research institution and further strengthening its standing as a Carnegie Research 1 (R1) university.

She will work closely with faculty, staff and university leadership to enhance academic excellence, expand interdisciplinary programs and support innovative teaching and learning. In addition, she will help guide the continued growth of UMass Lowell’s research enterprise and foster opportunities for experiential and career-connected learning for students.

Cossman is a medical sociologist and demographer whose research focuses on community health, health disparities and the health care workforce. Her recent work has explored the impacts of COVID-19 on subjective life expectancy, protective behaviors and health behaviors. Among her key accomplishments, she led a strategic planning process for her college, created a dean’s advisory board and launched the Institute for Health, Community and Policy to align and advance research efforts. She has also held leadership roles as chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University and has served in faculty and administrative positions at Mississippi State University, the University of Central Arkansas, Miami University and Florida State University.

Cossman holds a PhD, a Master of Science, and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Florida State University.

Micah Pierce led this search with Alycia Johnson, Berlinda Mojica, and Marlyn Desire.

You may read the full press release here.