Jill Hendrickson

Jill Hendrickson serves as Professor and Associate Head of the Graduate School in the School of Education within UMass Lowell's College of Fine Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. She founded the Center for Program Evaluation and contributes to the Climate Change Initiative, leading interdisciplinary projects that transform public spaces into learning environments.

Her research focuses on educational program evaluation, informal learning, and climate change communication. Key projects include NSF-funded initiatives using transit advertising and art to engage 1+ million riders in climate science, with recent work emphasizing youth messengers and intergenerational learning through visual media. Her methodology blends quantitative survey research with qualitative resilience narratives from English learners and community school participants.

Recent publications (2020-2022) reveal strong trends in transit-based public engagement, youth climate communication, and urban education reform, with 60% focusing on climate change applications. Articles appear in journals spanning education, communication, and environmental studies, demonstrating cross-disciplinary impact.

• Coach for UMass Lowell National Championship Team at American Evaluation Association 2023 Case Competition
• Outstanding Teaching Award 2021 - School of Education
• Pillar of Excellence Award for Innovative Research & Entrepreneurship (2019)
• Faculty Development Center Research Journal top 10 manuscript selection (2009)

With 18 doctoral graduates advised, she secures major funding including two $5M+ NSF grants. Current projects like 'Cool Science' engage 3,000+ K-12 students in climate art installations on public transit, while her evaluation frameworks measure behavioral impacts across diverse urban populations. She champions collaborative research models where students co-design studies and lead data collection in community settings.

Her Center for Program Evaluation serves as an institutional hub for rigorous mixed-methods assessments across UMass Lowell, specializing in STEM education initiatives and climate literacy programs that bridge academic research with public engagement.