2018 2018: Four high-achieving UMass Dartmouth students receive James Karam Scholarships

Scholarship fund is named for former UMass Board of Trustees chairman

Eight high-achieving University of Massachusetts students, including four from UMass Dartmouth have been awarded $5,000 scholarships by the James J. Karam Scholarship Fund.

Established in 2013, the fund is named for local businessman James Karam, who served nearly 10 years on the UMass Board of Trustees, including four years as chairman, and championed high-quality, affordable education during his tenure.

“These talented, hardworking students are well on their way to becoming the leaders of tomorrow, and it’s truly gratifying to be able to acknowledge their achievements and support their success with these scholarships,” said Karam.  

The endowed funds supported by Jim and his wife, Janis Karam, provide scholarships to students who are enrolled full-time at any UMass campus, hold a high GPA, demonstrate financial need and are permanent residents of SouthCoast communities or Tiverton, R.I. The scholarships are renewable for up to four years.

University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan praised the Karams’ dedication to access and affordability at UMass.  

“These scholarships are creating new opportunities for deserving students and expanding access to a world-class UMass education,” said President Meehan. “We’re so grateful to Jim and Janis Karam for their exceptional generosity and commitment to UMass students.”

This year’s scholarship winners from UMass Dartmouth are:

• Mia Arruda, Fall River – A junior majoring in bioengineering at UMass Dartmouth, Mia is a graduate of B.M.C. Durfee High School.
• Aidan Cabral, Dartmouth – An incoming freshman at UMass Dartmouth who intends to major in marketing, Aidan is a graduate of Tiverton High School.
• Kaleigh Patton, Fall River – A junior majoring in Biomedical Engineering at UMass Dartmouth, Kaleigh is a graduate of Somerset Berkley Regional High School.
• Peter DaCosta, New Bedford – A third-year medical student at UMass Medical School in Worcester, Peter is a graduate of Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School and the medical laboratory science program at UMass Dartmouth.

Other winners include:

• Emanuele Abi-Younes, New Bedford – An incoming freshman who intends to major in chemical engineering/pre-engineering at UMass Amherst, Emanuele is a graduate of New Bedford High School.
• Sara Chedid, Dartmouth – A senior majoring in chemistry at UMass Amherst, Sara is a graduate of Dartmouth High School.
• Rachel Moussa, Fall River – A senior majoring in English at UMass Amherst, Rachel is a graduate of Bishop Stang High School.
• Carly Sherman, Westport – An incoming freshman who intends to major in biology at UMass Amherst, Carly is a graduate of Bishop Stang High School.

Karam is president and founder of First Bristol Corporation, which has developed retail shopping centers, hotels and office buildings throughout Southern New England since 1975. During his tenure on the UMass Board of Trustees, he played a leading role in overseeing the university’s multi-billion-dollar, system-wide building program. He also advocated for the establishment of the UMass School of Law in Dartmouth, the state’s only public law school.

A native of Fall River, Karam and his wife, Janis, reside in Tiverton, R.I. He graduated from UMass Dartmouth in 1971 with a bachelor's in business and received an honorary doctor of business from UMass Dartmouth in 2001.