UMass Boston

Dr. Walker to assume interim role in February

UMass President Marty Meehan announced today that he has appointed Dr. Nefertiti Walker, Ph.D., MBA, to serve as interim chancellor of UMass Boston starting on February 1. Dr. Walker is an accomplished academic leader and tenured faculty member at UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management who is currently serving as the senior vice president for academic affairs at the UMass President’s Office.

Dr. Walker will succeed outgoing Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, who announced his decision to step down as chancellor to focus on global climate resilience and the ethical development and use of artificial intelligence. She will begin spending time on campus this semester to work closely with Chancellor Suárez-Orozco to ensure a smooth transition.

“It’s impossible to work closely with Dr. Walker and not appreciate the care, passion, and drive she brings to her work on behalf of our students and faculty every day,” UMass President Marty Meehan said. “The university has benefited from her leadership and commitment for many years, and I am excited that she has agreed to bring that same energy and enthusiasm to UMass Boston.”

“I have always had a special appreciation for the inspiring mission of UMass Boston and for the incredible faculty, staff, and students who bring that mission to life,” Dr. Nefertiti Walker said. “I look forward to working closely with and supporting all members of Boston’s public research university through this transition.”

“I warmly congratulate Dr. Nefertiti Walker on her appointment as Interim Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston, effective next February,” said UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco. “This is a defining moment in the life of our university, a public institution whose mission is to open doors of opportunity to students from every background and to serve as an engine of discovery and civic renewal for our city, our Commonwealth, and beyond. I am confident that Dr. Walker's leadership will build on the remarkable momentum UMass Boston has achieved over the past six years. In the coming months, I look forward to working closely and collaboratively with her to ensure a thoughtful and seamless transition. I am deeply grateful to President Meehan and the Board of Trustees of the University of Massachusetts for their stewardship and vision during this period of change and possibility.”

“Dr. Nefertiti Walker is a dedicated and talented leader with a deep understanding of the UMass Boston community,” Massachusetts Secretary of Education Steve Zrike said. “Her experience as senior vice president for academic affairs has given her valuable insight into the university’s academic mission and the needs of its students, faculty and staff, with a strong commitment to scholarship and instructional excellence.”

“Dr. Walker is a phenomenal academic leader and person whose commitment to our students and faculty is second to none,” UMass Board of Trustees Chair Stephen Karam said. “She is one of the most dynamic and engaging leaders we are fortunate to have as a part of the UMass system, and I’m very grateful to her for agreeing to serve as interim while we determine the best path forward for UMass Boston.”

“Having spent my career at world-class public research universities, including Michigan State University and the University of Massachusetts, I see Dr. Walker as a decidedly rare talent and believe she represents the next generation of great higher education leaders,” said UMass Trustee Marcellette G. Williams, Ph.D. “Her authentic passion for students, faculty, and the University is unwavering, and her humility and earnestness in her work on behalf of them is inspiring. She will serve as an excellent steward for the campus during this period.”

“As a student trustee and member of the Board’s Committee on Academic and Student Affairs, I have been incredibly impressed by Dr. Walker’s engaging leadership style and her demonstrated commitment to students and student success,” said UMass Boston Student Trustee Travis Emerson. “I’m truly looking forward to working with Dr. Walker as interim chancellor and wholeheartedly believe she’ll be an exceptional advocate for UMass Boston.”

In a message to the UMass Boston campus community, UMass President Marty Meehan said he would solicit feedback from the campus in the months ahead in order to conduct a “diligent, thoughtful, and inclusive national search process.”

President Meehan noted in his message that he expects to have more information regarding the search process during the spring semester, which will be informed by input from members of the campus community.

Every permanent chancellor appointed during President Meehan’s tenure, most recently Dr. David McManus at UMass Chan Medical School in April, has been recommended through a national search process.

About Dr. Nefertiti (Nef) Walker

Dr. Nefertiti ‘Nef’ Walker is an accomplished academic and an experienced administrator who joined UMass President Marty Meehan’s leadership team in June 2023, first as deputy vice president, before being promoted to senior vice president for academic affairs, a role critical to advancing academic quality, student success and equity across the five-campus UMass system.

In her role at the UMass President’s Office, she works with senior leadership across the system to support faculty, academic programs, student support services, research, and public service with an emphasis on equity and access. She has advanced the university’s affordability and accessibility initiatives, including early college, which has experienced record enrollment, community college partnerships, and financial aid programs. She works collaboratively with Massachusetts’ community colleges and UMass chancellors and provosts to identify and remedy challenges facing transfer students. Through these partnerships, she has led the development of strategies to improve transfer student success and has helped increase the number of community college students transferring to UMass. She also serves on the Advisory Council to Advance Representation in Education, a governor-appointed council that reports to the Governor’s executive team.

Over the past two years, she has worked closely with the university’s Office of General Counsel and campus leadership to guide the university's response to federal actions affecting its research enterprise, international students, federal financial aid, and other aspects of its operations. She also leads the university’s AI Task Force, working across the five campuses to advance technology and innovation across teaching, learning, research and administration.

In previous roles, Dr. Walker served as vice chancellor for equity and inclusion at UMass Amherst, a role she was promoted to after serving as associate dean for an inclusive organization at UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management, where she led human resource management and established the business school’s first Office of Equity and Inclusion.

She is a tenured professor at Isenberg, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses. Her research examines organizational exclusion, aiming to understand the experiences of leaders, teams, and individuals, and utilizes these insights to design more effective organizational cultures. Her work includes over 100 international publications and presentations, and she has been recognized as being in the top 10% of all researchers in her field.

Dr. Walker earned her Ph.D. from the University of Florida and bachelor’s and master’s (MBA) degrees from Stetson University in Florida, where she was an NCAA Division I basketball player. She also lettered in basketball at Georgia Tech. She has been inducted into the athletics hall of fame at Stetson University and Woodward Academy.

About UMass Boston

The University of Massachusetts Boston is deeply rooted in the city's history, yet poised to address the challenges of the future. Recognized for innovative research, metropolitan Boston’s public university offers its diverse student population both an intimate learning environment and the rich experience of a great American city. UMass Boston’s colleges and graduate schools serve 16,000 students while engaging local and global constituents through academic programs, research centers, and public service. To learn more, visit www.umb.edu