The University of Massachusetts President’s Office is pleased to announce the appointment of Kathleen Flanagan Copans as the Director of the Commonwealth Collegiate Academy’s early college program. Ms. Copans brings to this role a wealth of experience in both K-12 and higher education and a deep commitment to serving the needs of historically under-represented students as they pursue higher education. Most recently, she served as Early College Coordinator for the Lynn Public Schools, where she developed career-focused early college pathways for over 700 students from four high schools and two institutions of higher education. Ms. Copans previously led Student Financial Assistance programs for the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education and served as an academic advisor at Northeastern University. Ms. Copans holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Boston College. We look forward to welcoming Ms. Copans into this key leadership role as the Commonwealth Collegiate Academy continues to expand enrollment and increase partnerships for its second academic year in fall 2023.
Ms. Copans will replace Dr. Judith Evans who initiated the CCA and put it on its path to success and is retiring. Dr. Evans led the UMass undergraduate campuses (Lowell and Dartmouth) to collaborate with the regional high schools to create higher educational opportunities for Massachusetts students. We are grateful for her excellent service.