Javier Reyes, the chancellor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, seems to be looking for a new job.
NEPM learned Tuesday that two media outlets in West Virginia, Metro News and The Dominion Post reported Reyes was a finalist for the presidency at West Virginia University, though he was not selected.
A UMass Amherst spokesperson would not confirm the information, but she also did not deny it. WVU would not comment.
Reyes, who was dean at WVU's business school until 2021, faced widespread criticism last year, when he called in Massachusetts State Police to help clear an encampment established on campus, in protest of the war in Gaza.
More than 130 students and others were arrested.
After that, faculty, staff and students voted no-confidence in the chancellor and there were calls for his resignation.
Reyes, who began as chancellor at UMass Amherst in July 2023, defended his decision to bring in law enforcement as a public safety measure.
In a statement, after the arrests in May 2024, Reyes cited safety, wellbeing and a sense of belonging, as "paramount" to the campus community.
"I recognize that there is work to do as we restore trust with those who feel harmed by the university’s actions," Reyes said at the time.
An independent report released in January 2025 determined that Reyes's concerns were connected to safety and precedence.
While investigators found Reyes's decision to disband the protest using police "reasonable" they also questioned if the chancellor could have taken another approach.
Reyes did not respond to an email Tuesday asking whether he he was seeking other employment.
Disclosure: The license for NEPM’s main radio signal is held by UMass Amherst. That affiliation does not affect how we cover the news.
