Amherst Couple Commits $4 Million to Support Research at UMass Amherst

Source: UMass News & Media

The University of Massachusetts Amherst has accepted gifts and commitments totaling $4 million from longtime supporters John and Elizabeth Armstrong to advance the university’s research enterprise. The gifts establish the UMass Amherst Research Continuity Fund, the Armstrong Graduate Research Grant Fund and the Armstrong Chancellor Professorships Award Fund, all of which will underwrite research contributions across a broad range of disciplines at UMass Amherst.

“As a public, land-grant university, UMass Amherst has a duty to support research that will benefit our local communities, the commonwealth and the world,” said Chancellor Javier A. Reyes. “The Armstrongs’ commitments will enable us to build a stronger foundation for this work and reinforce the university’s mission to educate, innovate and produce new knowledge that serves the common good.”“At a time of great uncertainty about federal funding for research, the Armstrongs are demonstrating vital leadership by providing stable funding for faculty members whose research and mentorship of students fuel fundamental discoveries, viable solutions to society’s most pressing challenges and training of the next generation of leaders in their fields,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Fouad Abd-El-Khalick. “We are deeply grateful for John and Elizabeth’s thoughtful and timely generosity.”

In Fiscal Year 2025, the university’s researchers received $180 million in federal funding to support their work. This level of support has traditionally catalyzed innovations that directly impact local, national and global communities. Following recent changes in federal funding guidelines, UMass Amherst is exploring alternative ways to accelerate its most promising research programs and retain the top-notch faculty that make the state’s flagship campus the number-one public research university in New England. In April, the Armstrongs made a $500,000 gift to the UMass Amherst Research Continuity Fund, which was established to provide immediate support to continue vital research despite federal funding interruptions and uncertainty about future funding in fields such as health equity, climate change and gender-related issues.

“I know that the UMass Amherst faculty, students and staff who have been impacted by disruptions in federal support for research are very grateful for this assistance,” said Mike Malone, vice chancellor in the Office of Research & Engagement. “This generous support from John and Elizabeth provides not only welcome financial assistance but also equally important encouragement for all the participants in our research and innovation enterprise.”

The Armstrong Graduate Research Grant Fund, established with a $1 million gift, will provide grants in support of research conducted by graduate students at UMass Amherst. This fund will be a crucial resource for doctoral students pursuing dissertation research, graduate student access to training in innovative methods and students looking to participate in research projects supervised by faculty that directly foster their completion of an advanced degree.

“The Armstrong donation will be a gamechanger for graduate education on our campus,” said Graduate School Dean Jacqueline Urla. “Like federal funding, graduate fellowship opportunities have been shrinking significantly. This generous research fund is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to help graduate students conduct the innovative research they came here to do. I could not be more thrilled. It will help us to attract the best and brightest students to our campus and launch them into successful careers.”

The remaining $2.5 million portion of the Armstrongs’ commitment will create an endowed Armstrong Chancellor Professorships Award Fund. Administered by the chancellor and provost, this fund will enable the university to retain outstanding, tenured faculty members who have made or can make significant contributions to the academic reputation of the university. UMass Amherst faculty are routinely recruited by institutions in other countries. This will help combat the brain drain that U.S. universities are currently experiencing. Award holders will receive support for expenses related to their research and teaching for a renewable term of three years. They will be known as Armstrong Chancellor Professors.

John and Elizabeth Armstrong are longstanding donors, volunteers and friends of UMass Amherst. John, who earned a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and Ph.D. from Harvard, started his career as a researcher and went on to serve as director of research and vice president for science and technology during a 30-year career with IBM. Elizabeth volunteered and eventually worked for the United Way in Westchester, New York. After John retired, the couple chose Amherst as their new home in 1995. Over the years, they have demonstrated a strong commitment to faculty support at UMass Amherst and driving innovation in the physical sciences.

“Elizabeth and I have supported the work of faculty and researchers at UMass because we feel that they form the foundation for the university’s mission,” said John Armstrong. “Every day, faculty are developing new ideas, pushing the boundaries of their fields and training the succeeding generations of scholars. Their work has tangible benefits for society and introduces students at all levels to the methods, practice and rewards of conducting research. As federal funding for research becomes uncertain, we hope our support will inspire others to invest in the people and research programs that are dedicated to advancing the common good in every aspect of our lives.”

Prior to this gift, the Armstrongs created the Armstrong Professional Development Professorship in 2001 and established the Armstrong Fund for Science in 2006 to identify and support promising research that does not yet have enough data to attract external funding. In 2014, they partnered with another family to establish the Armstrong/Siadat Endowed Professorship in Materials Science, which is awarded to a researcher studying materials science in the UMass Amherst Chemical Engineering Department.

John has served on the UMass Amherst College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Advisory Committee. The Armstrongs are founding members of the UMass Amherst Foundation and were honored with the Distinguished Honorary Alumni Award in 2003. In 2022, they received the Excellence in Service Award, which honors outstanding and significant contributions of service to the university through professional or volunteer advocacy.

In 2004, the UMass system also awarded the couple the President’s Medal—the highest honor bestowed by the university.