During his tenure as chancellor, UMass Lowell for the first time was named a top-tier national university. It also was the top-ranked public research institution in New England for starting salary, mid-career salary and overall return on investment for graduates according to PayScale.com. Under Meehan's leadership, UMass Lowell opened 10 new buildings over a five-year period, was named to the President's Higher Education Honor Roll for community service and campus engagement for six years in a row and made a successful transition to NCAA Division I athletics.