Joe Donahue

Lowell

Empowering the Next Generation of Nuclear Engineers

In addition to his financial support for the Nuclear Engineering Program, Joe Donahue ’77 has served as a guest instructor. “Mentoring students comes naturally to Joe,” says Prof. Sukesh Aghara.

Joseph Donahue’s vocation is nuclear engineering. After graduating from ULowell in 1977, Joe built a successful, four-decade career in the nuclear industry that took him from generating stations in Arizona and Texas to more than 25 years with Duke Energy in North Carolina, where he retired as vice president of nuclear engineering in 2019.

But Joe’s avocation, his real passion, is developing the talent of those around him. First at Duke Energy and now as the owner of Buffalo Mountain Nuclear Consulting, he mentors and coaches nuclear engineers, cultivating their commitment to a culture of safety and organizational effectiveness.

That same spirit lies behind his remarkable generosity to UMass Lowell. Earlier this year, he made a $250,000 commitment to the Nuclear Engineering Program. The Joseph W. Donahue Nuclear Engineering Discretionary Endowed Fund will support student recruitment and retention and provide funds to promote student research and their professional development. Together with his wife, Ann, he has also made a $500,000 bequest to UML.

“This gift isn’t about me—it’s about supporting the next generation of students and nuclear engineering’s role in a renewable energy world,” says Joe, who was himself a first-generation college student. “I also strongly support the university’s mission, and its commitment to educating a very diverse student population.”

He’s also getting to know some of those students firsthand, serving as a guest instructor in nuclear engineering courses and as a member of the Chemical Engineering Advisory Board. Last summer, he attended UML’s Intercontinental Nuclear Institute at the invitation of Prof. Sukesh Aghara, director of the Nuclear Engineering Program and UML’s Integrated Nuclear Security and Safeguards Laboratory.

“Not only is Joe incredibly knowledgeable and smart, he’s also very humble,” says Prof. Aghara. “As vice president for nuclear energy at Duke, he was part of a very select group of people in the industry leading organizations that are responsible for over 100 reactors in the U.S. His interest in nurturing our students and growing our program is a tremendous opportunity for us.”