The HEED Award from the INSIGHT Into Academia magazine is the only national award that honors individual institutions that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academic excellence, belonging, and community-building across all levels of campus life.

UMass Boston will be featured, along with 61 other recipients, in the October 2025 issue of the magazine. This is the third year the university has been named a HEED Award recipient. 

“On behalf of UMass Boston, I’m deeply honored that our work toward equity, inclusion, and belonging has been recognized with the Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award,” said Calvin Hill, vice chancellor of Inclusive Excellence and Belonging. “This acknowledgment belongs to every student, faculty, and staff member who contributes daily to cultivating a campus where all voices matter.”

“We take a detailed and somewhat holistic approach to reviewing each application in determining who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where academic excellence and belonging are woven into the work being done every day across their campus”, says Lenore Pearlstein, Co-Publisher of Insight into Academia magazine.

UMass Boston remains dedicated to making equity, inclusion, and belonging part of everyday reality.

“Our commitment does not end with this award,” said Hill, “rather it affirms our commitment and galvanizes us to deepen our efforts, to challenge ourselves to do more, and to ensure that UMass Boston isn’t just a place where our differences are welcomed, but where every individual feels empowered to thrive.”

For more information about the 2025 HEED Award, visit insightintoacademia.com.