The Division of Student Affairs at UMass Boston has appointed Angeline Lopes as the assistant dean for Student Development. Taking over Adrian Hogelbrook’s responsibilities, she will help in the division’s mission to create a learning-enhancing environment with UMB’s resources.

Lopes comes to UMB from Framingham State College, where she was the assistant dean of Student Services and Multicultural Affairs. She previously was an area coordinator assistant director at UMass Dartmouth and residential director at Salem State College. She earned her B.A. in Political Science with an English minor at UMass Dartmouth and her M.A. in American Studies at UMB.

“Because I have only worked in the public school system, I know how it works. This gives me an edge over someone trying to make an adjustment from working in a private school,” Lopes stated. She also explained that during upcoming changes at UMB, she will be able to fall back on her experience working in a commuter school that converted to a residential school.

Lopes is also looking forward to the “multicultural aspect” of working at UMB. While multicultural affairs were a major component of her job at Framingham, only seven percent of students there are ethnic or racial minorities, while minorities make up 33 percent of UMB’s student population. Lopes responsibilities at UMB also include working with student development and service learning initiatives, including the Beacon Leadership Project and Beacon Think Tank. She will also serve as the Student Judicial Affairs Officer.

“I want people to know that judicial affairs is not a punitive system. Our policies are built on education and behavior modification. We want to help students to learn from their mistakes and prevent them from happening again,” Lopes stated. As the student judicial affairs officer, she will be responsible for evaluating complaint reports, talking to students about them, investigating the reports or charges, sanctioning students, and enforcing policies. She emphasized that she wants to hold students accountable for existing policies.

Coming to UMB from Framingham, which is half residential and half commuter students, Lopes explained that her top priority at UMB is to “fully understand a commuter university.” Through the Beacon Hill Leadership Project, she also wants to establish growth and development in student affairs. “I refer to myself as a change agent,” Lopes said, “I want to help students get what they can out of what we provide. If students aren’t going to benefit from what we do, we shouldn’t do it.”

Lopes looks ahead to larger UMB projects when describing her long-term goals. Falling back on her experiences at other schools, she looks forward to assisting in the “residential component” at UMB, and in helping to make the campus center best service students. “The campus center will give students a central place. It will decrease isolation on the campus and give them a place to congregate and find resources. It will give people more of an opportunity to interact,” she stated.

In addition to citing her commitment to public education, Lopes elaborated that part of her attraction to UMB was personal. “I was a student here,” she stated, “I am passionate about what I do and I wanted to give something back. Plus there are so many possibilities and opportunities here. I am attracted to UMB’s potential, where it came from, and the direction it is moving in.”