Campus News
State legislators had a hearing last week of a proposed legislation which calls for 750 million dollars in improvements over the next five years, and an additional $1.25 million over the following five years to help update old buildings on several Massachusetts college campuses, including UMass Lowell. Last year, a consultant estimated that 90% of the buildings on campus are outdated, and that $225 million in repairs are needed.
Chancellor Marty Meehan will be a keynote speaker at a major regional economic event this Tuesday. The event is called "Back to the Future: Regaining New England's Competitiveness," and is being sponsored by the New England Economic Partnership, or NEEP. The daylong event brings together leading public policymakers and economic analysts from around the region. The conference will also include a national economic forecast presented by Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Economy.com. It will take place at 12:30 next Tuesday at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Auditorium on 600 Atlantic Avenue in Boston.
Students will get the chance to meet artist Richard Metzgar on Thursday. He'll be holding a discussion in O' Leary Library at 3:15 PM on his exhibit "walkingposters," which will include digital prints, digital maps on vinyl, and audio-visual components. The gallery itself will be on display on the first floor of the McGauvran Student Union, and both the gallery and talk will be free of charge.
The Former Secretary of Transportation Fred Salvucci will be in Kitson Hall in room 309 on Friday, November 15th, to talk about the state of Public Transportation in Massachusetts. The talk is called “Transportation Challenges Facing New England: Where We Are, Where We Need to Be, and How to Get There,” and is a part of the Regional Economic and Social Development Center for Industrial Competitiveness fall seminar series. The talk will be held on that day at 12:30 pm. Mr. Salvucci is also a senior lecturer and research associate in MIT's Center for Transportation and Logistics.
America Recycles Day takes place on November 15th. An event on campus, in the Wannalancit Mills MIL Conference Room, from 4 to 5:30 pm, will be held in honor of it by the The River Ambassadors – 25 high school student volunteers committed to environmental stewardship. The event is meant to help raise awareness of global warming, and is being sponsored by several other organizations, including the Community Health Alliance, The Lowell National Historical Park, and other organizations.
National News
Arrests were made at a Veterans Day event outside Boston City Hall yesterday. Several anti-war protesters were demonstrationg outside the building, from a group called Veterans for Peace. 15 of it's members and supporters would not move away from the podium, and as a result several were arrested, but an exact number was not given. The protestors said that they are in opposition to the War in Iraq, and unfortunately many veterans view them as traitors because of this fact.
Lastly, here's an update on the WGA writer's strike from yesterday. It has ben conformed by the Fox network that the New Season of the hit show "24" will not air this year, mainly because the season is unfinished. This news has dissappointed fans of the show, and caused Fox to scramble its winter schedule. This has, however, presented the opportunity for Fox to debut some of its new shows, including the Terminator spin-off titled "The Sarah Connor Chronicles," as well as "New Amsterdam" and "The Return of Jezebel James." Also, network execs are hoping the continued success of "American Idol" will help fill the void money-wise.
That does it for the news today this Monday, November 12th.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Thursday, November 08, 2007
News Update 11/8/07
Weather
Found on Weather Blog.. attached to the right hand side of this page!
National News
The striking Hollywood screen writers have been told that they need to turn in unfinished projects by Friday, ensuring that they do not work for any studios during the walkout. On the East Coast, the writers will need to turn in their work as well, however the deadline has not been set as of right now.
The shuttle Discovery came to a safe landing in Cape Canaveral, FL yesterday, which ended the challenging construction on the International Space Station, and emergency repairs that faced the crew. The shuttle landed shortly after 1p.m., and had traveled more than 6.2 million miles since it left the launch pad on Oct 23rd.
State News
The University Ave bridge in Lowell currently has a weight limit of 13 tons, however soon the weight limit will likely be restricted to just 4 tons. This will allow only passenger cars and trucks to use the span. A hearing was scheduled on Nov 20th to discuss the increase in restriction, and the change needs approval from the Massachusetts Highway Department to take effect, however according to City Manager Bernie Lynch, city officials will be enforcing the restriction on an emergency basis almost immediately. Repair work on the bride is likely to begin in late winter or early spring, and may require the bridge to be closed for as much as a month.
A multi-vehical wreck in Lowell has left seven people injured. A Ford F-150 pickup truck crossed lanes on Willard Street, hit the curb, and launched itself on top of a red Chevy Blazer stopped at a red light on Bridge Street. This caused the Checy Blazer to then hit the gray Honda Civic, stopped behind it at the light. The man driving the f-150 was speeding to leave the scene of an accident he had just caused a few minutes earlier, where he rear-ended another vehicle and hit an LRTA bus. We await news of if the man driving the F-150 will be facing criminal charges, as he was taken to the hospital still unconscious after the accident.
Sports
The Boston Celtics faced the Denver Nuggets last night, and remain undefeated after 3 games. The win was 119-93, and they managed to score 77 points by halftime, and kept that lead throughout the game. The Celtics field goal percentage of 64.5 was their best since November 24th, 1993, where they shot 65.1 percent.
UMass Lowell Field Hockey was selected as the No. 1 seed in the North Region and host of the 2007 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship. UML will host the semifinal Friday, Nov. 9 and championship Sunday, Nov. 11 at the Cushing Field Complex. The NCAA championship match is slated for Sunday, Nov. 11 at 1:00. The full schedule for the 2007 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship is available at GORIVERHAWKS.COM!
For all of UMass Lowell's sports scores and information, visit GORIVERHAWKS.COM !
That's the latest in weather, news, and sports on WUML Lowell 91.5 FM !
Found on Weather Blog.. attached to the right hand side of this page!
National News
The striking Hollywood screen writers have been told that they need to turn in unfinished projects by Friday, ensuring that they do not work for any studios during the walkout. On the East Coast, the writers will need to turn in their work as well, however the deadline has not been set as of right now.
The shuttle Discovery came to a safe landing in Cape Canaveral, FL yesterday, which ended the challenging construction on the International Space Station, and emergency repairs that faced the crew. The shuttle landed shortly after 1p.m., and had traveled more than 6.2 million miles since it left the launch pad on Oct 23rd.
State News
The University Ave bridge in Lowell currently has a weight limit of 13 tons, however soon the weight limit will likely be restricted to just 4 tons. This will allow only passenger cars and trucks to use the span. A hearing was scheduled on Nov 20th to discuss the increase in restriction, and the change needs approval from the Massachusetts Highway Department to take effect, however according to City Manager Bernie Lynch, city officials will be enforcing the restriction on an emergency basis almost immediately. Repair work on the bride is likely to begin in late winter or early spring, and may require the bridge to be closed for as much as a month.
A multi-vehical wreck in Lowell has left seven people injured. A Ford F-150 pickup truck crossed lanes on Willard Street, hit the curb, and launched itself on top of a red Chevy Blazer stopped at a red light on Bridge Street. This caused the Checy Blazer to then hit the gray Honda Civic, stopped behind it at the light. The man driving the f-150 was speeding to leave the scene of an accident he had just caused a few minutes earlier, where he rear-ended another vehicle and hit an LRTA bus. We await news of if the man driving the F-150 will be facing criminal charges, as he was taken to the hospital still unconscious after the accident.
Sports
The Boston Celtics faced the Denver Nuggets last night, and remain undefeated after 3 games. The win was 119-93, and they managed to score 77 points by halftime, and kept that lead throughout the game. The Celtics field goal percentage of 64.5 was their best since November 24th, 1993, where they shot 65.1 percent.
UMass Lowell Field Hockey was selected as the No. 1 seed in the North Region and host of the 2007 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship. UML will host the semifinal Friday, Nov. 9 and championship Sunday, Nov. 11 at the Cushing Field Complex. The NCAA championship match is slated for Sunday, Nov. 11 at 1:00. The full schedule for the 2007 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship is available at GORIVERHAWKS.COM!
For all of UMass Lowell's sports scores and information, visit GORIVERHAWKS.COM !
That's the latest in weather, news, and sports on WUML Lowell 91.5 FM !
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
News Update 11/07/07
Weather
Found on Weather Blog.. attached to the right hand side of this page!
National News
The use of birth control pills could endanger the heart. That's according to a new study that links the popular contraception devices to plaques that could clog heart arteries. The study, reported in "USA Today," says that for every ten years of pill usage, the likelihood of finding plaques in key arteries increases by between 20 and 30-percent.
Weather shouldn't be a factor later today when the Space Shuttle Discovery lands at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. Sunny, cool and breezy conditions are expected for the 1:01 p.m. Eastern Time landing. The shuttle is landing after a successful 15-day mission that saw the installation of a new module on the International Space Station.
State News
Three communities had nonbinding casino questions on their ballots yesterday. Voters in Worcester, Pittsfield, and Chicopee all said yes to the possibility of having casinos built in their cities. Voters in each of those communities voted by more than 50 percent in favor. Governor Patrick's casino proposal currently before the legislature calls for three casinos in the state.
The Massachusetts Lottery hasn't been doing very well in recent years. But they've finally had one big score! Red Sox fever, and their World Series win has proved to be a grand slam for the Sox themed scratch ticket. The Red Sox-branded five-and-10-dollar Lottery tickets have produced 220-million-dollars in sales so far this year, with seven weeks left to go. The ticket was introduced last year, and it had just 120-million-dollars in sales for all of 2006. The Lottery says fans shelled out more than three-million-dollars during the week of the World Series for Sox lottery tickets.
Sports
UMass Lowell Field Hockey was selected as the No. 1 seed in the North Region and host of the 2007 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship. UML will host the semifinal Friday, Nov. 9 and championship Sunday, Nov. 11 at the Cushing Field Complex. The NCAA championship match is slated for Sunday, Nov. 11 at 1:00. The full schedule for the 2007 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship is available at GORIVERHAWKS.COM!
Curt Schilling has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the World Series Champion Red Sox. General Manager, Theo Epstein made the announcement on Tuesday. Financial terms were not released, but Schilling said on his web site... 38 pitches... that the contract is worth $8-million-dollars in guaranteed base salary, and includes $2-million-dollars in bonuses for six weigh-ins. Schilling, turns 41 next Wednesday.
The Celtics go for win number 3 tonight, when they host the Denver Nuggets at the TD BankNorth Garden and the Bruins face off with the Sabres tonight in Buffalo.
For all of UMass Lowell's sports scores and information, visit GORIVERHAWKS.COM !
That's the latest in weather, news, and sports on WUML Lowell 91.5 FM !
Found on Weather Blog.. attached to the right hand side of this page!
National News
The use of birth control pills could endanger the heart. That's according to a new study that links the popular contraception devices to plaques that could clog heart arteries. The study, reported in "USA Today," says that for every ten years of pill usage, the likelihood of finding plaques in key arteries increases by between 20 and 30-percent.
Weather shouldn't be a factor later today when the Space Shuttle Discovery lands at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. Sunny, cool and breezy conditions are expected for the 1:01 p.m. Eastern Time landing. The shuttle is landing after a successful 15-day mission that saw the installation of a new module on the International Space Station.
State News
Three communities had nonbinding casino questions on their ballots yesterday. Voters in Worcester, Pittsfield, and Chicopee all said yes to the possibility of having casinos built in their cities. Voters in each of those communities voted by more than 50 percent in favor. Governor Patrick's casino proposal currently before the legislature calls for three casinos in the state.
The Massachusetts Lottery hasn't been doing very well in recent years. But they've finally had one big score! Red Sox fever, and their World Series win has proved to be a grand slam for the Sox themed scratch ticket. The Red Sox-branded five-and-10-dollar Lottery tickets have produced 220-million-dollars in sales so far this year, with seven weeks left to go. The ticket was introduced last year, and it had just 120-million-dollars in sales for all of 2006. The Lottery says fans shelled out more than three-million-dollars during the week of the World Series for Sox lottery tickets.
Sports
UMass Lowell Field Hockey was selected as the No. 1 seed in the North Region and host of the 2007 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship. UML will host the semifinal Friday, Nov. 9 and championship Sunday, Nov. 11 at the Cushing Field Complex. The NCAA championship match is slated for Sunday, Nov. 11 at 1:00. The full schedule for the 2007 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship is available at GORIVERHAWKS.COM!
Curt Schilling has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the World Series Champion Red Sox. General Manager, Theo Epstein made the announcement on Tuesday. Financial terms were not released, but Schilling said on his web site... 38 pitches... that the contract is worth $8-million-dollars in guaranteed base salary, and includes $2-million-dollars in bonuses for six weigh-ins. Schilling, turns 41 next Wednesday.
The Celtics go for win number 3 tonight, when they host the Denver Nuggets at the TD BankNorth Garden and the Bruins face off with the Sabres tonight in Buffalo.
For all of UMass Lowell's sports scores and information, visit GORIVERHAWKS.COM !
That's the latest in weather, news, and sports on WUML Lowell 91.5 FM !
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
News Update 11/5/07
Weather
Found on Weather Blog.. attached to the right hand side of this page!
National News
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on President Bush's nomination for the nation's new attorney general. Bush said his nominee Michael Mukasey is, quote, "plenty qualified to be attorney general." Mukasey is expected to breeze through the voting process.
At least one late night talk show host is showing his support for the Writers Guild of America strike. Jay Leno, the host of NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, came out to the picket lines yesterday with boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts for the writers. Leno's head writer, Jim Shaughnessy, said they just want fair residual payments. Shaughnessy said the studios are just being hard liners about not giving residual payments on Internet run shows. The "Tonight" show plans to air reruns during the walkout.
State News
Full coverage of citywide WiFi in Boston is not likely until sometime in 2009. Officials say Boston's push for citywide Internet access is delayed by technical challenges and slower than anticipated fundraising. Those in charge had hoped to have it operating by the end of next year. Mayor Thomas Menino unveiled the city's plan in July 2006.
Lawmakers are debating how much money should be spent to update the state's college campuses. Governor Patrick has proposed spending two-billion-dollars over the next decade to upgrade them. Officials at Fitchburg State say they need to replace antiquated lead pipes. Salem State College has closed its library because it's not structurally safe. And Bunker Hill Community College needs space, as it hasn't added a building since it opened in 1973. Massachusetts has been called by college officials one of the cheapest states when it comes to spending money on campus improvements.
Sports
Nate Jenkins, a native of Templeton, MA and resident of Lowell, who starred at UMass Lowell from 1999-2004, placed seventh at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trial Saturday afternoon at Central Park. Seeded 20th among 130 runners, Jenkins significantly eclipsed his seeding by running the course in a personal record 2 hours 14 minutes 56 seconds. Though he fell short of automatically qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Games, the showing placed Jenkins among the country's elite marathoners. Jenkins, currently in his third year as an assistant coach with the UML cross country and track and field teams, is expected to run the U.S. Half Marathon Championship in Houston on Jan. 13.
UMass Lowell received the No. 3 seed and will face Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) in the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament Thursday, hosted by Franklin Pierce University. The invitation marks the third-ever appearance in the NCAAs for the River Hawks, who also advanced in 2003 and 2004. The River Hawks and Owls meet Thursday, Nov. 8 at 4:00pm at Sodexho Field while Franklin Pierce and Le Moyne battle at 7:00. The NCAA regional final is slated for Saturday at 1:00.
UMass Lowell was named the No. 5 seed and will face No. 4 Merrimack Friday in the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Tournament in Albany, NY, the NCAA announced Monday afternoon. The College of Saint Rose earned the No. 1 seed and will host the UMass Lowell-Merrimack winner on Sunday. Bryant University earned the No. 2 seed and hosts the winner between No. 3 Franklin Pierce and Holy Family University. The River Hawks and Merrimack will play the match at the Albany Academy for Girls in Albany, NY, Saint Rose's home pitch. Franklin Pierce and Holy Family meet Friday in Smithfield, RI. All match times have yet to be determined.
Curt Schilling may be coming back to Boston for another season. The "Boston Herald" reports, the Red Sox are close to completing a one-year deal with incentives for the soon-to-be 41-year-old to return to Beantown. Schilling was 9-and-8 with a 3.87 ERA this year.
For all of UMass Lowell's sports scores and information, visit GORIVERHAWKS.COM !
That's the latest in weather, news, and sports on WUML Lowell 91.5 FM !
Found on Weather Blog.. attached to the right hand side of this page!
National News
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on President Bush's nomination for the nation's new attorney general. Bush said his nominee Michael Mukasey is, quote, "plenty qualified to be attorney general." Mukasey is expected to breeze through the voting process.
At least one late night talk show host is showing his support for the Writers Guild of America strike. Jay Leno, the host of NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, came out to the picket lines yesterday with boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts for the writers. Leno's head writer, Jim Shaughnessy, said they just want fair residual payments. Shaughnessy said the studios are just being hard liners about not giving residual payments on Internet run shows. The "Tonight" show plans to air reruns during the walkout.
State News
Full coverage of citywide WiFi in Boston is not likely until sometime in 2009. Officials say Boston's push for citywide Internet access is delayed by technical challenges and slower than anticipated fundraising. Those in charge had hoped to have it operating by the end of next year. Mayor Thomas Menino unveiled the city's plan in July 2006.
Lawmakers are debating how much money should be spent to update the state's college campuses. Governor Patrick has proposed spending two-billion-dollars over the next decade to upgrade them. Officials at Fitchburg State say they need to replace antiquated lead pipes. Salem State College has closed its library because it's not structurally safe. And Bunker Hill Community College needs space, as it hasn't added a building since it opened in 1973. Massachusetts has been called by college officials one of the cheapest states when it comes to spending money on campus improvements.
Sports
Nate Jenkins, a native of Templeton, MA and resident of Lowell, who starred at UMass Lowell from 1999-2004, placed seventh at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trial Saturday afternoon at Central Park. Seeded 20th among 130 runners, Jenkins significantly eclipsed his seeding by running the course in a personal record 2 hours 14 minutes 56 seconds. Though he fell short of automatically qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Games, the showing placed Jenkins among the country's elite marathoners. Jenkins, currently in his third year as an assistant coach with the UML cross country and track and field teams, is expected to run the U.S. Half Marathon Championship in Houston on Jan. 13.
UMass Lowell received the No. 3 seed and will face Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) in the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Tournament Thursday, hosted by Franklin Pierce University. The invitation marks the third-ever appearance in the NCAAs for the River Hawks, who also advanced in 2003 and 2004. The River Hawks and Owls meet Thursday, Nov. 8 at 4:00pm at Sodexho Field while Franklin Pierce and Le Moyne battle at 7:00. The NCAA regional final is slated for Saturday at 1:00.
UMass Lowell was named the No. 5 seed and will face No. 4 Merrimack Friday in the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Tournament in Albany, NY, the NCAA announced Monday afternoon. The College of Saint Rose earned the No. 1 seed and will host the UMass Lowell-Merrimack winner on Sunday. Bryant University earned the No. 2 seed and hosts the winner between No. 3 Franklin Pierce and Holy Family University. The River Hawks and Merrimack will play the match at the Albany Academy for Girls in Albany, NY, Saint Rose's home pitch. Franklin Pierce and Holy Family meet Friday in Smithfield, RI. All match times have yet to be determined.
Curt Schilling may be coming back to Boston for another season. The "Boston Herald" reports, the Red Sox are close to completing a one-year deal with incentives for the soon-to-be 41-year-old to return to Beantown. Schilling was 9-and-8 with a 3.87 ERA this year.
For all of UMass Lowell's sports scores and information, visit GORIVERHAWKS.COM !
That's the latest in weather, news, and sports on WUML Lowell 91.5 FM !
Monday, November 05, 2007
Athletic Report
In Men’s Cross Country action, the Riverhawks placed second at the NCAA Northeast Region Championship on Saturday, advancing them to the NCAA Championship for the eighth straight year. Graduate student Stephen Dewitt placed second in the race, finishing the 10K course with a time of 31:56.9. Junior Ruben Sanca finished in a tight third with a time of 32:08.1. Seven UML runners finished in the top 18 positions, making a successful day for the Hawk’s overall. The final contest of the season for the team will be at the NCAA Championship in
The UMass Lowell Women’s Cross Country also finished second at the NCAA Northeast Region Championship on Saturday. The team was led by freshman Lyra Clark, who finished the 6K course eighth overall with a time of 23:17.7. Junior Christina DaLomba placed ninth and senior Amanda Sousa placed tenth. The five placing runners finished with positions of 8, 9, 10, 19, and 28, giving the team a score of 74 overall. The win qualifies the team for the NCAA championship in
The Riverhawks Men’s Hockey team lost both contests of last week, with a 3-1 loss to
The Riverhawks Men’s Soccer Team lost in the semi-final round of the division tournament against Southern Connecticut University on Wednesday, and await their fate following the NCAA pairings this evening. Junior Defensman Ancil Farrier of
In local national sports news, the Patriots remained undefeated after a hard-fought game with the also undefeated Colts. The final score of 24-20 was reached after the Pats scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to overcome a 10 point deficit. Tom Brady threw for 255 yards and three TD’s in the contest, while also throwing for 2 INT’s. Randy Moss led the receiving corps all day, but Wes Welker provided the extra support on the game winning drive and on several key punt returns. The Pat’s are on bye next week, but will return on November 18 when they take the road to face their divisional rival Buffalo Bills. Game time is set for 1 PM.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Campus News
Campus News
$250,000 in state funds was proposed by Chancellor Marty Meehan at a recent press conference, to be used for an initiative that investigates the links between breast cancer and the ties it has to environmental causes. UMass Lowell is partnering with the Silent Spring Institute and the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition on this initiative. Massachusetts has taken the lead among states to investigating the causes of the disease, and reducing the use of carcinogenic chemicals.
Dean David Wegman of the School of Health and Environment has started many new interdisciplinary projects, and they are getting plenty of funding. Known as Signature Initiatives, research, service, and teaching will be combined in these projects. The first two projects are funded on a budget of $28,000 dollars. Based on the results of surveys and focus groups, strategies such as walking and bicycling will be implemented by project leaders, and collaboration with the administration will be necessary to improve the campus environment to support such activities. Awareness of worker health and safety issues, chronic diseases, and obesity will be the primary focus of these projects media-wise.
Professor Mark Hines, chairman of the Department of Biological Sciences, and his colleagues have recently been investigating the emissions of methane and other non-ecofriendly gasses from marshes and wetlands. Hines recently came back from a five-week trip to Switzerland, where he worked with other colleagues at the Swiss Federal Research Institute to quantify the relationship between methane formation and the distribution of vegetation in Swiss wetlands. Hines' research will be expanded upon later this month, when further studies will take place in the Adriondacks in New York with funding from the National Science Foundation.
A collection of UMass Lowell researchers are developing a new decive that will help to revolutionize airport and general homeland security. The device is basically an electronic nose that sniffs for explosives. The researchers say that the nose will be as sensitive as that of a bloodh0und, and will detect and eliminate the threat of explosives with much more accuracy and precision. This multidisciplinary collaborative effort recently recieved a three-year, $800,000 dollar grant from the National Science Foundation. Researchers hope to come up with a product prototype by 2010.
Energetic particles in space that are a danger to astronauts and satellites are being heavily investigated by the UML Center for Atmospheric Research. The effort is being spearheaded by a group of researchers, led by atmospheric scientist Quiang Xong, co-director Paul Song and researcher Xuzhi Zhou. The European Space Agency's CLUSTER spacecraft is where most of the data was collected for the initiative. The generation of the killer electrons, as well as the velocity at which they move through space, was heavily investigated, and will continue to be expanded on by the team of researchers.
Lastly, the fairly new Technology, Engineering and Math-Sciences, or TEAMS, program has marked its first year anniversary this month, although it still needs lots of support. The program has allowed 270 regional high schools in Massachusetts to take UMass Lowell courses part-time. As it stands right now, 32 specially-selected 11th- and 12th-grade students from 12 local school districts are enrolled in UMass Lowell courses. The four courses being offered — environmental biotechnology, interactive robotics, bat engineering design, and assistive technology and electronics — developed through a collaboration of UMass Lowell faculty and regional high school teachers, are designed to supplement, rather than to replace, advanced high school courses, according to the people running the program. The program has State Senator Steve Panagiotakos to thank for its existence, who offered $650,000 dollars to fund the program, and continued student enrollment for its year-long success. The program is a collaboration of the University’s deans of Education, Engineering and Sciences, and is being overseen by coordinator Donald Rhine, who is also a Tyngsboro High School physics and math teacher.
$250,000 in state funds was proposed by Chancellor Marty Meehan at a recent press conference, to be used for an initiative that investigates the links between breast cancer and the ties it has to environmental causes. UMass Lowell is partnering with the Silent Spring Institute and the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition on this initiative. Massachusetts has taken the lead among states to investigating the causes of the disease, and reducing the use of carcinogenic chemicals.
Dean David Wegman of the School of Health and Environment has started many new interdisciplinary projects, and they are getting plenty of funding. Known as Signature Initiatives, research, service, and teaching will be combined in these projects. The first two projects are funded on a budget of $28,000 dollars. Based on the results of surveys and focus groups, strategies such as walking and bicycling will be implemented by project leaders, and collaboration with the administration will be necessary to improve the campus environment to support such activities. Awareness of worker health and safety issues, chronic diseases, and obesity will be the primary focus of these projects media-wise.
Professor Mark Hines, chairman of the Department of Biological Sciences, and his colleagues have recently been investigating the emissions of methane and other non-ecofriendly gasses from marshes and wetlands. Hines recently came back from a five-week trip to Switzerland, where he worked with other colleagues at the Swiss Federal Research Institute to quantify the relationship between methane formation and the distribution of vegetation in Swiss wetlands. Hines' research will be expanded upon later this month, when further studies will take place in the Adriondacks in New York with funding from the National Science Foundation.
A collection of UMass Lowell researchers are developing a new decive that will help to revolutionize airport and general homeland security. The device is basically an electronic nose that sniffs for explosives. The researchers say that the nose will be as sensitive as that of a bloodh0und, and will detect and eliminate the threat of explosives with much more accuracy and precision. This multidisciplinary collaborative effort recently recieved a three-year, $800,000 dollar grant from the National Science Foundation. Researchers hope to come up with a product prototype by 2010.
Energetic particles in space that are a danger to astronauts and satellites are being heavily investigated by the UML Center for Atmospheric Research. The effort is being spearheaded by a group of researchers, led by atmospheric scientist Quiang Xong, co-director Paul Song and researcher Xuzhi Zhou. The European Space Agency's CLUSTER spacecraft is where most of the data was collected for the initiative. The generation of the killer electrons, as well as the velocity at which they move through space, was heavily investigated, and will continue to be expanded on by the team of researchers.
Lastly, the fairly new Technology, Engineering and Math-Sciences, or TEAMS, program has marked its first year anniversary this month, although it still needs lots of support. The program has allowed 270 regional high schools in Massachusetts to take UMass Lowell courses part-time. As it stands right now, 32 specially-selected 11th- and 12th-grade students from 12 local school districts are enrolled in UMass Lowell courses. The four courses being offered — environmental biotechnology, interactive robotics, bat engineering design, and assistive technology and electronics — developed through a collaboration of UMass Lowell faculty and regional high school teachers, are designed to supplement, rather than to replace, advanced high school courses, according to the people running the program. The program has State Senator Steve Panagiotakos to thank for its existence, who offered $650,000 dollars to fund the program, and continued student enrollment for its year-long success. The program is a collaboration of the University’s deans of Education, Engineering and Sciences, and is being overseen by coordinator Donald Rhine, who is also a Tyngsboro High School physics and math teacher.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
News Update 10/30/07
Weather: Needs to be added by forecaster!
National News
Charges are expected today in the slaying of a 24-year-old woman who responded to an online ad for a nanny on a popular community website. A 19-year-old man was arrested in the death of Katherine Ann Olson in what has been dubbed as the "Craigslist murder." Olson was found dead Friday night in the trunk of her car at a local nature preserve. Police have not discussed a motive for the slaying.
It's been more than two years since Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans levees and many of the city's police and firefighters are still working out of temporary trailers. But according to the city's recovery director Ed Blakely all of that is about to change. Blakely told reporters yesterday that the recent approval of 200-million-dollars in state-issued bonds will help push repairs on police buildings and firehouses into full swing. He says the goal is to complete the repairs before the third anniversary of Katrina.
Instead of canceling her concert in San Diego due to wildfires in the area, singer Gwen Stefani has decided to perform and donate all proceeds to the fire victims. E! Online reports in a recent radio interview, Stefani said she initially thought about cancelling her concert out of respect, but decided donating would be more useful. She is scheduled to perform tonight at Cox Arena. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Galaxy star David Beckham is also pitching in to aid the wildfire victims. He will join his team for a fundraising match against Hollywood United FC on November 4th.
Campus News
The Counseling Center staff and Health Educator, Tracy Moore, invites all students to attend an informal, “drop in” gathering in McGauvran Student Center, 2nd floor, on Wednesday, Oct. 31 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. The Counseling Center staff and interns will be available for questions and information about their services, which are free and confidential. Tracy Moore and UML student members of “Active Minds,” will be present also. Active Minds is a national organization formed by college student Alison Malmon, who after losing her brother to suicide, developed a passion for promoting awareness of mental health. New members are welcome to join. There will be Snacks and possibly some giveaways!
The Student Veterans' Organization needs help, sending care packages to US Troops over-seas. Help send them a bit of home for the upcoming holiday season with cards, candy, toiletries, coffee, books, magazines, CD's, DVD's... the list goes on! The packages will be collected from Nov. 1st to Nov 21st at multiple collection sites on campus; including in McGauvran near the SIC booth, Campus Rec Center, and Southwick Food Court. For a complete list of donation items and collection sites contact Michael Peeples at michael_peeples@student.uml.edu. Or visit the Current Students page on the UML website!
The UMass Lowell English Department and the Barnes and Noble Bookstore at UMass Lowell will host a reading by Augusten Burroughs (author of Running with Scissors and Possible Side Effects) and John Elder Robison (author of Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s). Burroughs and Robison will appear on Friday, Nov. 2, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in the Comley Lane Theater at Mahoney Hall on UML's South Campus. This program is part of the 2007 Concord Festival of Authors, funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The event is free and open to the public.
For additional information, contact Melissa_Pennell@uml.edu or 978-934-4198.
Sports
In 2004 it had taken the Red Sox 86 years to win another World Series! This time it was just four seasons in between wins! But this new time frame didn't stop fans from jamming Boston streets today for another victory parade. The streets were lined with adoring fans as the city celebrated the World Series champions: "our" Boston Red Sox today. Similar to 2004, the city held a Rolling Rally that began at Fenway Park and concluded near City Hall Plaza, with the team aboard Duck Boats. The team returned from Denver yesterday afternoon, after beating the Rockies in four straight games.
UMass Lowell Field Hockey, fresh of its fifth straight Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Championship, was selected as the No. 1 seed in the North Region and host of the 2007 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship, the NCAA announced Monday afternoon. UML will host the semifinal Friday, Nov. 9 and championship Sunday, Nov. 11 at the Cushing Field Complex. The NCAA championship match is slated for Sunday, Nov. 11 at 1:00.
That's the latest in weather, news, and sports on WUML Lowell 91.5 fm!
National News
Charges are expected today in the slaying of a 24-year-old woman who responded to an online ad for a nanny on a popular community website. A 19-year-old man was arrested in the death of Katherine Ann Olson in what has been dubbed as the "Craigslist murder." Olson was found dead Friday night in the trunk of her car at a local nature preserve. Police have not discussed a motive for the slaying.
It's been more than two years since Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans levees and many of the city's police and firefighters are still working out of temporary trailers. But according to the city's recovery director Ed Blakely all of that is about to change. Blakely told reporters yesterday that the recent approval of 200-million-dollars in state-issued bonds will help push repairs on police buildings and firehouses into full swing. He says the goal is to complete the repairs before the third anniversary of Katrina.
Instead of canceling her concert in San Diego due to wildfires in the area, singer Gwen Stefani has decided to perform and donate all proceeds to the fire victims. E! Online reports in a recent radio interview, Stefani said she initially thought about cancelling her concert out of respect, but decided donating would be more useful. She is scheduled to perform tonight at Cox Arena. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Galaxy star David Beckham is also pitching in to aid the wildfire victims. He will join his team for a fundraising match against Hollywood United FC on November 4th.
Campus News
The Counseling Center staff and Health Educator, Tracy Moore, invites all students to attend an informal, “drop in” gathering in McGauvran Student Center, 2nd floor, on Wednesday, Oct. 31 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. The Counseling Center staff and interns will be available for questions and information about their services, which are free and confidential. Tracy Moore and UML student members of “Active Minds,” will be present also. Active Minds is a national organization formed by college student Alison Malmon, who after losing her brother to suicide, developed a passion for promoting awareness of mental health. New members are welcome to join. There will be Snacks and possibly some giveaways!
The Student Veterans' Organization needs help, sending care packages to US Troops over-seas. Help send them a bit of home for the upcoming holiday season with cards, candy, toiletries, coffee, books, magazines, CD's, DVD's... the list goes on! The packages will be collected from Nov. 1st to Nov 21st at multiple collection sites on campus; including in McGauvran near the SIC booth, Campus Rec Center, and Southwick Food Court. For a complete list of donation items and collection sites contact Michael Peeples at michael_peeples@student.uml.edu. Or visit the Current Students page on the UML website!
The UMass Lowell English Department and the Barnes and Noble Bookstore at UMass Lowell will host a reading by Augusten Burroughs (author of Running with Scissors and Possible Side Effects) and John Elder Robison (author of Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s). Burroughs and Robison will appear on Friday, Nov. 2, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in the Comley Lane Theater at Mahoney Hall on UML's South Campus. This program is part of the 2007 Concord Festival of Authors, funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The event is free and open to the public.
For additional information, contact Melissa_Pennell@uml.edu or 978-934-4198.
Sports
In 2004 it had taken the Red Sox 86 years to win another World Series! This time it was just four seasons in between wins! But this new time frame didn't stop fans from jamming Boston streets today for another victory parade. The streets were lined with adoring fans as the city celebrated the World Series champions: "our" Boston Red Sox today. Similar to 2004, the city held a Rolling Rally that began at Fenway Park and concluded near City Hall Plaza, with the team aboard Duck Boats. The team returned from Denver yesterday afternoon, after beating the Rockies in four straight games.
UMass Lowell Field Hockey, fresh of its fifth straight Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Championship, was selected as the No. 1 seed in the North Region and host of the 2007 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship, the NCAA announced Monday afternoon. UML will host the semifinal Friday, Nov. 9 and championship Sunday, Nov. 11 at the Cushing Field Complex. The NCAA championship match is slated for Sunday, Nov. 11 at 1:00.
That's the latest in weather, news, and sports on WUML Lowell 91.5 fm!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Campus News
So far, UMass Lowell's REACH, or Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals, policy has been a big success. The policy implements elements of the European Union's chemical regulations policies, and for the last two years the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production has been using the policy to educate business on how to work with chemicals in a way that makes it more sustainable for the environment. The policy took effect June 1st as part of the University's Chemicals Policy initiative. Last month, Joel Tickner of the Lowell Center presented training workshops, “Turning REACH into an Opportunity: Implementing the European Union’s New REACH Legislation,” in Michigan and New York to more than 150 companies and government organizations. The Center held four similar workshops last year.
Last Wednesday, Chancellor Marty Meehan announced to the public plans to build a 97,00 square foot Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center, which will be devoted to researching manufacturing processes for nanotechnology and biotechnology. Construction is projected to be completed by the year 2010. Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council Director Bob Halpin said the project would help existing companies, while attracting new ones to the area. Most nanomanufacturing companies in the area are looking forward to continue their work with UMass Lowell and the Emerging Technology center.
The public plans that Meehan announced Wednesday also include much more plans for University expansion, including two new academic buildings, a 500-space parking garage, additional student housing, and a doubling of the number of undergraduate students living on campus. The University currently has 8,500 undergraduate students, which Meehan believes the new residence halls will be able to accomodate much better, as well as the newer students Meehan hopes to pull in. The new parking garage is projected to cost 15 million dollars. On top of that, there are also plans to move the art department closer to downtown Lowell to take advantage of the creative economy in the area, as well as plans to renovate an existing building to esablish an Innovations Center for Life Sciences, which will house the Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center, a collaboration with the UMass Medical School in Worcester that helps companies turn ideas into products.
Lastly, as a part of the Hunger-Homeless Awareness Week, students at UMass Lowell unveiled their annual Cardboard City Project. The event was sponsored by Kappa Sigma, and challenged students to spend the night ina cardboard box on the front lawn of Smith Hall in order to raise awareness for the homeless. The event generated a lot of donations, and donations will continue to be accepted by the Hunger Homeless Commission of Lowell.
Last Wednesday, Chancellor Marty Meehan announced to the public plans to build a 97,00 square foot Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center, which will be devoted to researching manufacturing processes for nanotechnology and biotechnology. Construction is projected to be completed by the year 2010. Merrimack Valley Economic Development Council Director Bob Halpin said the project would help existing companies, while attracting new ones to the area. Most nanomanufacturing companies in the area are looking forward to continue their work with UMass Lowell and the Emerging Technology center.
The public plans that Meehan announced Wednesday also include much more plans for University expansion, including two new academic buildings, a 500-space parking garage, additional student housing, and a doubling of the number of undergraduate students living on campus. The University currently has 8,500 undergraduate students, which Meehan believes the new residence halls will be able to accomodate much better, as well as the newer students Meehan hopes to pull in. The new parking garage is projected to cost 15 million dollars. On top of that, there are also plans to move the art department closer to downtown Lowell to take advantage of the creative economy in the area, as well as plans to renovate an existing building to esablish an Innovations Center for Life Sciences, which will house the Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center, a collaboration with the UMass Medical School in Worcester that helps companies turn ideas into products.
Lastly, as a part of the Hunger-Homeless Awareness Week, students at UMass Lowell unveiled their annual Cardboard City Project. The event was sponsored by Kappa Sigma, and challenged students to spend the night ina cardboard box on the front lawn of Smith Hall in order to raise awareness for the homeless. The event generated a lot of donations, and donations will continue to be accepted by the Hunger Homeless Commission of Lowell.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
SOX WIN ALCS
I would just like everybody to know that the Boston Red Sox have just defeated the Cleveland Indians 11-2, earning the title of American League Champions. The Red Sox will now be facing off against the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 World Series, the first game being Wednesday Night at 8:00 PM on the Fox network. Congratulations to Pedroia, Lowell, Ortiz, Manny, Youkilis, Schilling, Beckett, and all the rest for making this baseball season one of the greatest we've seen in a while.
Campus News
UMass Lowell's Baseball Research Center has been getting mass media coverage lately during World Series season. The Bat Lab is the official certification site for all NCAA and Major League Baseball bats. Baseball testing services are also provided by the Bat Lab to Major League Baseball. The Boston Globe, The Lowell Sun and the Lawrence Eagle Tribune have all ran stories on the lab, and WBZ, WFXT and WBUR have all featured it n their TV news programs. The Bat Lab was also featured on October 17th, on the show "Wired Science," which will also be re-run twice in November. This has generated great publiciy for the Bat Lab, as well as the University in general.
UML Alumni Patrick Kaplo, a high school science teacher in Litchfield, New Hampshire, has experienced the opportunity to teach a physics class in Hyderabad, India, which he has been doing since the summer because of the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. He teaches the class at K.V. Tirumalagiri High School, which is about 750 miles south of the city of New Delhi. Dr. Ananda Vardhana Telapakalle Sharma is the teacher who he exchanged classes with, and both have found the experience enjoyable. Since there is tremendous social and competitive pressure to do well in school in India, behavioral problems have almost been nonexistent, making the job easier for Kaplo than here in the US. Of course, this is just one of the many cultural differences between the US and India that Kaplo has noticed since the start of his stay there. Kaplo will return to his home school in January. You can read about his adventures at http://kaploinindia.blogspot.com.
Business and Liberal Arts students got the chance to explore job opportunities at the Office of Career Services' Business and Liberal Arts Career Fair. At the fair, the students were able to meet with a large selection of employers, as well as schedule on-site interviews and get a larger perspective of the post-college job market. An Engineering and Technology Career Fair will be held by the Office of Career Services on October 24th in the Rec Center, from 1 to 4 PM.
The accounting firm of Vitale, Caturano & Co. recently made a donation of $25,000 to UMass Lowell. The money is intended to open up a discretionary fund to assist the faculty and students in the Accounting Department. The Public Higher Education Endowment Incentive Program added more money to the gift, making the overall award add up to $37,500. The company is recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in the nation.
UML Alumni Patrick Kaplo, a high school science teacher in Litchfield, New Hampshire, has experienced the opportunity to teach a physics class in Hyderabad, India, which he has been doing since the summer because of the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. He teaches the class at K.V. Tirumalagiri High School, which is about 750 miles south of the city of New Delhi. Dr. Ananda Vardhana Telapakalle Sharma is the teacher who he exchanged classes with, and both have found the experience enjoyable. Since there is tremendous social and competitive pressure to do well in school in India, behavioral problems have almost been nonexistent, making the job easier for Kaplo than here in the US. Of course, this is just one of the many cultural differences between the US and India that Kaplo has noticed since the start of his stay there. Kaplo will return to his home school in January. You can read about his adventures at http://kaploinindia.blogspot.com.
Business and Liberal Arts students got the chance to explore job opportunities at the Office of Career Services' Business and Liberal Arts Career Fair. At the fair, the students were able to meet with a large selection of employers, as well as schedule on-site interviews and get a larger perspective of the post-college job market. An Engineering and Technology Career Fair will be held by the Office of Career Services on October 24th in the Rec Center, from 1 to 4 PM.
The accounting firm of Vitale, Caturano & Co. recently made a donation of $25,000 to UMass Lowell. The money is intended to open up a discretionary fund to assist the faculty and students in the Accounting Department. The Public Higher Education Endowment Incentive Program added more money to the gift, making the overall award add up to $37,500. The company is recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in the nation.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Campus News
The funding goal for a Honors Fellows fund-raiser has more than doubled their goal as Marty Meehan welcomed more than 200 guests at the Allen House and the Comely-Lane Theatre earlier this month. the contributions amounted up to $117,000, the largest amount ever donated by the University at a single event. The money will be used to support the educational pursuits of exceptional students. Six student honors scholarships were awarded to Jennifer Fernandes, Sarah Fischer, Curran Kelleher, Paul Litchfield, Timothy Watts, and Scott Walfield.
The Universtiy's Toxic Use Reduction Institute, or TURI, and the Work Environment department have formed a grassroots partnership to help make a safer work environment for Vietnamese immigrants in Lowell who are in the floor-finishing business. Thanks to the efforts of the partnership, several distributors have stopped stocking flammable sealants, and others have provided training for the immigrants. Through a $12,000 and second year $15,000 grant, the two organizations were able to test floor sealants for flammable materials, as well as provide hands-on training for workers and educate them as well as the rest of the Vietnamese community on the dangers of lacquer floor finishing products. The partnership is now working with Viet AID in Dorchester to host another training session in November and to include floor-finishing product information in it's First Time Home-Buyer's Guide.
The Lowell Center for Sustainable Production is spearheading an initiative to detect toys for large amounts of lead, making them safer for children to play with as well as the environment. Concern over this issue has risen in recent months due to many children's toys made in China being recalled due to large amounts of lead being detected in them. Research associate Sally Edwards, along with co-director Ken Geiser are developing the Sustainable Toys Initiative. Their goal is to engage toy manufacturers, designers, vendors, non-governmental organizations, researchers and government policy makers on ways to improve toy safety and sustainability. The hope is that this will lead to toy innovation in the areas of design and production, reduce product liability and boost public knowledge and confidence in these products.
The Computer Science Department at UMass Lowell has formed a new program called "Performamatics: Connecting Computer Science to the Performing, Design, and Fine Arts." Professors involved in this brand new program include Jesse Heines, Fred Martin, Karen Roehr, Jim Jeffers, Gina Greher, Nancy Selleck, and Sarah Kuhn. The case for the program is that most art created today involves the use of a lot of high technology, and that this course will show students the relationship Computer Science has with these seemingly non-technical fields, as well as educate them on how to implement their ideas in real-world environments. The National Science Foundation awarded the two-year program with a $368,162 grant, and is supported by a group of project advisors that include representatives from museums, theaters, and engineering and computer science professional organizations in Lowell, the Merrimack Valley region and beyond.
Dave Lewis, a professor of manufacturing and information systems in the University Management Department, raced, with a friend, 3,728 miles acros Africa in a 1966 Volkswagen beetle this past summer. The friend that he brought with him was Associate Professor Tim Shea of UMass Dartmouth. Nine cars took part in the event, which began and ended in Durban, South Africa, and the course passed through Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland. A man in Cape Town, who owned more than 500 Beetles, sponsored the event. There was a $1,200 entrance fee for the race, which covered the car rental, two nights in a hotel, campground charges, prizes and other expenses. The race went for 18 days, and benefited two local charities, a local school and a plant nursery. Lewis is now considering participating in a 14 day rickshaw race in India sometime later this year.
The October 18th Fall Faculty Conversation Dinner will have a special guest this time. That guest will be the University of Illinois director of the Office of Technology Enhanced Learning Ray Schroeder, who will be making his appearance at the dinner to discuss the issue of Web Education in the onset of Web 2.0. Schroeder has taught more than 30 online classes, published numerous articles on the application of technology to education, and presented at conferences throughout the United States. The dinner will be held on October 18th, in Alumni Hall at 3:30 PM. It is being sponsored by the Faculty Development Center, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Council of Teaching, Learning and Research.
The Universtiy's Toxic Use Reduction Institute, or TURI, and the Work Environment department have formed a grassroots partnership to help make a safer work environment for Vietnamese immigrants in Lowell who are in the floor-finishing business. Thanks to the efforts of the partnership, several distributors have stopped stocking flammable sealants, and others have provided training for the immigrants. Through a $12,000 and second year $15,000 grant, the two organizations were able to test floor sealants for flammable materials, as well as provide hands-on training for workers and educate them as well as the rest of the Vietnamese community on the dangers of lacquer floor finishing products. The partnership is now working with Viet AID in Dorchester to host another training session in November and to include floor-finishing product information in it's First Time Home-Buyer's Guide.
The Lowell Center for Sustainable Production is spearheading an initiative to detect toys for large amounts of lead, making them safer for children to play with as well as the environment. Concern over this issue has risen in recent months due to many children's toys made in China being recalled due to large amounts of lead being detected in them. Research associate Sally Edwards, along with co-director Ken Geiser are developing the Sustainable Toys Initiative. Their goal is to engage toy manufacturers, designers, vendors, non-governmental organizations, researchers and government policy makers on ways to improve toy safety and sustainability. The hope is that this will lead to toy innovation in the areas of design and production, reduce product liability and boost public knowledge and confidence in these products.
The Computer Science Department at UMass Lowell has formed a new program called "Performamatics: Connecting Computer Science to the Performing, Design, and Fine Arts." Professors involved in this brand new program include Jesse Heines, Fred Martin, Karen Roehr, Jim Jeffers, Gina Greher, Nancy Selleck, and Sarah Kuhn. The case for the program is that most art created today involves the use of a lot of high technology, and that this course will show students the relationship Computer Science has with these seemingly non-technical fields, as well as educate them on how to implement their ideas in real-world environments. The National Science Foundation awarded the two-year program with a $368,162 grant, and is supported by a group of project advisors that include representatives from museums, theaters, and engineering and computer science professional organizations in Lowell, the Merrimack Valley region and beyond.
Dave Lewis, a professor of manufacturing and information systems in the University Management Department, raced, with a friend, 3,728 miles acros Africa in a 1966 Volkswagen beetle this past summer. The friend that he brought with him was Associate Professor Tim Shea of UMass Dartmouth. Nine cars took part in the event, which began and ended in Durban, South Africa, and the course passed through Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland. A man in Cape Town, who owned more than 500 Beetles, sponsored the event. There was a $1,200 entrance fee for the race, which covered the car rental, two nights in a hotel, campground charges, prizes and other expenses. The race went for 18 days, and benefited two local charities, a local school and a plant nursery. Lewis is now considering participating in a 14 day rickshaw race in India sometime later this year.
The October 18th Fall Faculty Conversation Dinner will have a special guest this time. That guest will be the University of Illinois director of the Office of Technology Enhanced Learning Ray Schroeder, who will be making his appearance at the dinner to discuss the issue of Web Education in the onset of Web 2.0. Schroeder has taught more than 30 online classes, published numerous articles on the application of technology to education, and presented at conferences throughout the United States. The dinner will be held on October 18th, in Alumni Hall at 3:30 PM. It is being sponsored by the Faculty Development Center, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Council of Teaching, Learning and Research.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
10/1/07 News from the Show
In Campus News:
Curran Kelleher, a junior computer science major, is spending this year in Germany where he will continue to study computer science and work in the Computer Graphics Center at Darmstadt. He recently received a Scholarship of Excellency to TU Darmstadt, a technical university in Darmstadt, Germany.
UMass Lowell’s Homecoming 2007 is this Saturday at the Lester Cushing Complex on North Campus. Homecoming features Jennifer’s 5K Run, a performance by the marching band and welcome by Chancellor Meehan, pony rides, inflatables, student club tables, and the crowning of homecoming king and queen at the evening social. Bring your pom-poms!
UMass Lowell will once again host an electoral debate. Chancellor Meehan has announced the campus will hold the 5th district general election debate on Tuesday, October 9. The debate will be hosted by Chancellor Meehan and moderated by Gary LaPierre on WBZ.
Alison Dischino, a senior plastics engineering major, has been named a recipient of the John P. Davis Jr. Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is an award based on grades and extracurricular activities for students involved in the rubber industry. It was given on behalf of the New England Rubber and Plastics Group.
Chancellor Meehan recently announced the establishment of the Dana McLean Greeley Endowment for Peace Studies, which totals five hundred and eleven thousand dollars. Each year, the endowment will bring a distinguished peace advocate, humanitarian or faith leader to campus to teach and lecture about peace issues. The hope is to have the first Greeley Peace Scholar on campus by the spring of 2008.
Reynaldo Santana, a sophomore studying music education, recently got to play a trumpet solo for David Amram and his band in a concert at Boardinghouse Park. Santana had been sitting in on Amram’s rehearsal when he struck up a conversation with the musician. Amram asked Santana to stop by the concert, and Santana ended up performing a solo. Santana, at Amram’s request will also be performing at several concerts around Lowell this upcoming weekend.
Chancellor Marty Meehan has scheduled two open forums for the campus community. The chancellor will provide an overview on the state of the campus and his plans for the future, followed by a question-and-answer session. The forums will be on October 4 at 11 a.m. in O’Leary 222 and 1:30 p.m. in Cumnock Hall.
This Thursday and Friday the Jack and Stella Center for American Studies will be hosting the 2007 Jack Kerouac Conference on Beat Literature. This year’s keynote speaker is Professor Matt Theado of Gardner-Webb University. His presentation will be Friday at noon in O’Leary 222. There will be over a dozen speakers at this year’s conference, for a full schedule check out their link on the UML webpage, www.uml.edu.
UMass recently announced the creation of the ten million dollar Charles J. Hoff Scholarship, which is the largest privately financed scholarship program in the University’s history. Although the program benefits all the UMass campuses, the largest number of scholarships will be available to UMass Lowell, Hoff’s alma mater. Hoff and his wife, Josephine, donated three million dollars to the program.
Curran Kelleher, a junior computer science major, is spending this year in Germany where he will continue to study computer science and work in the Computer Graphics Center at Darmstadt. He recently received a Scholarship of Excellency to TU Darmstadt, a technical university in Darmstadt, Germany.
UMass Lowell’s Homecoming 2007 is this Saturday at the Lester Cushing Complex on North Campus. Homecoming features Jennifer’s 5K Run, a performance by the marching band and welcome by Chancellor Meehan, pony rides, inflatables, student club tables, and the crowning of homecoming king and queen at the evening social. Bring your pom-poms!
UMass Lowell will once again host an electoral debate. Chancellor Meehan has announced the campus will hold the 5th district general election debate on Tuesday, October 9. The debate will be hosted by Chancellor Meehan and moderated by Gary LaPierre on WBZ.
Alison Dischino, a senior plastics engineering major, has been named a recipient of the John P. Davis Jr. Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is an award based on grades and extracurricular activities for students involved in the rubber industry. It was given on behalf of the New England Rubber and Plastics Group.
Chancellor Meehan recently announced the establishment of the Dana McLean Greeley Endowment for Peace Studies, which totals five hundred and eleven thousand dollars. Each year, the endowment will bring a distinguished peace advocate, humanitarian or faith leader to campus to teach and lecture about peace issues. The hope is to have the first Greeley Peace Scholar on campus by the spring of 2008.
Reynaldo Santana, a sophomore studying music education, recently got to play a trumpet solo for David Amram and his band in a concert at Boardinghouse Park. Santana had been sitting in on Amram’s rehearsal when he struck up a conversation with the musician. Amram asked Santana to stop by the concert, and Santana ended up performing a solo. Santana, at Amram’s request will also be performing at several concerts around Lowell this upcoming weekend.
Chancellor Marty Meehan has scheduled two open forums for the campus community. The chancellor will provide an overview on the state of the campus and his plans for the future, followed by a question-and-answer session. The forums will be on October 4 at 11 a.m. in O’Leary 222 and 1:30 p.m. in Cumnock Hall.
This Thursday and Friday the Jack and Stella Center for American Studies will be hosting the 2007 Jack Kerouac Conference on Beat Literature. This year’s keynote speaker is Professor Matt Theado of Gardner-Webb University. His presentation will be Friday at noon in O’Leary 222. There will be over a dozen speakers at this year’s conference, for a full schedule check out their link on the UML webpage, www.uml.edu.
UMass recently announced the creation of the ten million dollar Charles J. Hoff Scholarship, which is the largest privately financed scholarship program in the University’s history. Although the program benefits all the UMass campuses, the largest number of scholarships will be available to UMass Lowell, Hoff’s alma mater. Hoff and his wife, Josephine, donated three million dollars to the program.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Campus News
Nanotech efforts are being furthered here at Umass Lowell. Thanks to a $2.7 million dollar grant awarded by the National Science Foundation in July and August to the university, more projects are being created for the use of nanotechnology here in Umass Lowell for a variety of purposes, including detecing explosives and chemical agents and searching for structural damage in buildings. The primary recipients of the award were Co-Director of the Nanomanufacturing Center and Mechanical Engineering professor Julie Chen, along with 14 other researchers. The money will mainly be used to fund an $80 million dollar project to build a new nano and biomanufacturing center, named the Emerging Technology and Innovation Center. Development of the site will begin sometime this week.
On September 25th, Chancellor Marty Meehan announced the establishment of Dana Greely McLean Endowment for Peace Studies at a special lunch. The endowment came to a total of $511,000 dollars, including a grant from the Greeley foundation and matching state funds. The Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies will be hosted soon at PASCI (Umass Lowell's Peace and Study Conflicts Institute), with the goal being to bring the first Greeley Peace Scholar to UMass Lowell in the spring of 2008. The Greeley Foundation for Peace and Social Justice awards grants to socially conscious organizations dealing with subjects such as youth gangs, intimate partner violence and child abuse, civil rights, and various other conflicts that threaten the peace and stability of the world.
That will just about do it for this week's latest news update.
On September 25th, Chancellor Marty Meehan announced the establishment of Dana Greely McLean Endowment for Peace Studies at a special lunch. The endowment came to a total of $511,000 dollars, including a grant from the Greeley foundation and matching state funds. The Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies will be hosted soon at PASCI (Umass Lowell's Peace and Study Conflicts Institute), with the goal being to bring the first Greeley Peace Scholar to UMass Lowell in the spring of 2008. The Greeley Foundation for Peace and Social Justice awards grants to socially conscious organizations dealing with subjects such as youth gangs, intimate partner violence and child abuse, civil rights, and various other conflicts that threaten the peace and stability of the world.
That will just about do it for this week's latest news update.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Campus News
UMass Lowell has sold over 1000 hockey season tickets, thanks to Marty Meehan's challenge to bring more people to the Tsognas Arena. With the goal set at 2000 tickets, support for the hockey team between students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends has been extraordinarily strong, thanks in part to the hockey team staying in the Division 1 Hockey East conference and to the "See You At The Tsongas...Or Else!" advertising campaign. The initial 375 top tier club seats sold out in two weeks, and that number grew to 850 at the beginning of September. In addition, 260 regular season tickets have been sold as well.
Dean of students Larry Seigel, Director of Transportation Marie Gaine, and Escort Services Coordinator Josh Conover have devised a new plan for the school's public transportation system, which will be put into effect on October 1st. This system splits into four lines, Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow. The Red line will carry students between South and East Campus, the Blue Line will carry students between North and South, the Green Line will go between North and East, and the Yellow Line will go between Pleasant Street and North. The new system is projected to reduce travel time between campuses by 40%. The buses will run from 7 AM to 6 PM, with additional buses used during peak hours, and the Escort Service will run from 10 PM to 1 AM. Transportation to Gallagher Street, East Meadow Lane, and Tsognas will be available upon request.
On one last note, I'd just like to remind everyone that UML's Homecoming Ceremony takes place on Saturday, October 6th from 10 AM to 4 PM in the Lexter Cushing Complex on UML North. Have a good time!
Dean of students Larry Seigel, Director of Transportation Marie Gaine, and Escort Services Coordinator Josh Conover have devised a new plan for the school's public transportation system, which will be put into effect on October 1st. This system splits into four lines, Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow. The Red line will carry students between South and East Campus, the Blue Line will carry students between North and South, the Green Line will go between North and East, and the Yellow Line will go between Pleasant Street and North. The new system is projected to reduce travel time between campuses by 40%. The buses will run from 7 AM to 6 PM, with additional buses used during peak hours, and the Escort Service will run from 10 PM to 1 AM. Transportation to Gallagher Street, East Meadow Lane, and Tsognas will be available upon request.
On one last note, I'd just like to remind everyone that UML's Homecoming Ceremony takes place on Saturday, October 6th from 10 AM to 4 PM in the Lexter Cushing Complex on UML North. Have a good time!
Friday, September 21, 2007
SPORTS UPDATE
UMass Lowell Field Hockey
9/21/07 9:00am
C.W. Post sweeped UMass Lowell, 3-2, in overtime yesterday, in a non-conference field hockey clash at Hickox Field. The River Hawks made a comeback with a pair of goals less than four minutes apart midway through the second half. The lead was short-lived as CW Post struck from five yards out in the 59th minute to force the extra session. The loss halts a five match winning streak.
9/21/07 9:00am
C.W. Post sweeped UMass Lowell, 3-2, in overtime yesterday, in a non-conference field hockey clash at Hickox Field. The River Hawks made a comeback with a pair of goals less than four minutes apart midway through the second half. The lead was short-lived as CW Post struck from five yards out in the 59th minute to force the extra session. The loss halts a five match winning streak.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
SPORTS UPDATE
September 19, 2007
10:00 am
The Red Sox lost three in a row and had their lead in the American League East cut to two and a half games over the Yankees. They lost to the Toronto Blue Jays last night 4-3. They face off against Toronto again tonight in Toronto.
UMass Lowell Sophomore Ryan Richards was named the Men's Soccer Goalkeeper of the Week while Junior Mark Garcia was named the Men's Cross Country Athlete, Monday as the Northeast-10 Conference announced its weekly
honors. Freshman of the Week was awarded to Angus MacDonald for his performance at the UMass Dartmouth Cross Country Invitational.
UMass Lowell Senior Likica Grceva (Likisha Grceva) had 11 kills and 13 digs as Bryant University defeated UMass Lowell,
3-0 Last night in a Northeast-10 Conference volleyball tilt at the Chace Athletic Center.
10:00 am
The Red Sox lost three in a row and had their lead in the American League East cut to two and a half games over the Yankees. They lost to the Toronto Blue Jays last night 4-3. They face off against Toronto again tonight in Toronto.
UMass Lowell Sophomore Ryan Richards was named the Men's Soccer Goalkeeper of the Week while Junior Mark Garcia was named the Men's Cross Country Athlete, Monday as the Northeast-10 Conference announced its weekly
honors. Freshman of the Week was awarded to Angus MacDonald for his performance at the UMass Dartmouth Cross Country Invitational.
UMass Lowell Senior Likica Grceva (Likisha Grceva) had 11 kills and 13 digs as Bryant University defeated UMass Lowell,
3-0 Last night in a Northeast-10 Conference volleyball tilt at the Chace Athletic Center.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Campus News
More than 1,000 incoming students gathered for Convocation in the Rec Center. Life Is Good co-founder Bert Jacobs was just one of many speakers to appear at the convocation. Chancellor Marty Meehan made his first convocation speech as chancellor telling the students that he could relate to their nerves and excitement as he is a UMASS alumni. The students were also given "See You At The Tsongas...Or Else" tee shirts in an effort to promote the Hockey Team. Students were also give a barbeque and events fair afterwards where many registered to vote.
A quick note, today is the last day to return unused textbooks at the Campus Bookstore! Be sure to bring in your receipt in order to do the refund or exchange!
The career services team is holding an event where students can learn more about their services and programs! The event will be help on the South Campus Quad from 10-2pm today, September 18th! Don't miss it!
More than 1,000 incoming students gathered for Convocation in the Rec Center. Life Is Good co-founder Bert Jacobs was just one of many speakers to appear at the convocation. Chancellor Marty Meehan made his first convocation speech as chancellor telling the students that he could relate to their nerves and excitement as he is a UMASS alumni. The students were also given "See You At The Tsongas...Or Else" tee shirts in an effort to promote the Hockey Team. Students were also give a barbeque and events fair afterwards where many registered to vote.
A quick note, today is the last day to return unused textbooks at the Campus Bookstore! Be sure to bring in your receipt in order to do the refund or exchange!
The career services team is holding an event where students can learn more about their services and programs! The event will be help on the South Campus Quad from 10-2pm today, September 18th! Don't miss it!
Friday, June 08, 2007
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Campus News
The Intramural Sports Program here at UMASS Lowell allows over 1,000 different students to compete against in each other in a variety of sports. Each sport, which includes basketball, wiffleball, kickball, floor hockey, badminton, ice hockey, racquetball, and nine ball, has a five-week season, followed by championships in which teams try to best one another for the top spot. Congratulations to all the Spring Champions! Division A Basketball: Alaskan Firedragons, Division B Basketball: Romance Explosion, Wiffleball: Balls Deep, Kickball: F.C. Fox Hall, Division A Floor Hockey: The Beers, Division B Floor Hockey: Silver Snakes, Ice Hockey: LTD! If you want to see how to join up the Intramural Sports Programs, contact Justin Lawler at intramural@uml.edu.
Michael Darish, an electrical engineering senior delivered his capstone project to little 5-year-old Anna in March. Darish flew over to Italy to introduce her to the device that would hopefully change her life. Darish created a device that would allow the little girl, who is paralyzed from the next down, to click and drag a cursor on her computer, using only her voice. Darish is just one of the 60 or so assistive technology projects that senior electrical engineering students complete each semester as a graduation requirement. The projects help physically or mentally challenged people improve their quality of life, and can range from a simple toy to a complicated wheel chair depending on the commitment and skill of the student.
The UML Center for Women and Work (CWW) celebrated its ninth annual meeting with “Who Cares? The People, Policies and Politics of Carework” to address issues on eldercare with specific concerns for the careworkers. The panel comprised eminent speakers including State Rep. Alice Wolf; Rebecca Gutman, SEIU 1199; Marian Weisenfeld, Greater Boston Interfaith Organization; Mignon Duffy, CWW associate; and guest speaker Lisa Dodson, a research professor at Boston College. Dodson does field research about the lives of low-income careworkers in the expanding care labor force. The panel discussed the needs of the elderly, their needs for a community, and the needs of careworkers in general. Campus Chaplain Imogene Stulken ended the session with a call-and-response reading. After each statement of need, Stulken asked, “Who cares?” The audience shouted together, “We Care!”
The Intramural Sports Program here at UMASS Lowell allows over 1,000 different students to compete against in each other in a variety of sports. Each sport, which includes basketball, wiffleball, kickball, floor hockey, badminton, ice hockey, racquetball, and nine ball, has a five-week season, followed by championships in which teams try to best one another for the top spot. Congratulations to all the Spring Champions! Division A Basketball: Alaskan Firedragons, Division B Basketball: Romance Explosion, Wiffleball: Balls Deep, Kickball: F.C. Fox Hall, Division A Floor Hockey: The Beers, Division B Floor Hockey: Silver Snakes, Ice Hockey: LTD! If you want to see how to join up the Intramural Sports Programs, contact Justin Lawler at intramural@uml.edu.
Michael Darish, an electrical engineering senior delivered his capstone project to little 5-year-old Anna in March. Darish flew over to Italy to introduce her to the device that would hopefully change her life. Darish created a device that would allow the little girl, who is paralyzed from the next down, to click and drag a cursor on her computer, using only her voice. Darish is just one of the 60 or so assistive technology projects that senior electrical engineering students complete each semester as a graduation requirement. The projects help physically or mentally challenged people improve their quality of life, and can range from a simple toy to a complicated wheel chair depending on the commitment and skill of the student.
The UML Center for Women and Work (CWW) celebrated its ninth annual meeting with “Who Cares? The People, Policies and Politics of Carework” to address issues on eldercare with specific concerns for the careworkers. The panel comprised eminent speakers including State Rep. Alice Wolf; Rebecca Gutman, SEIU 1199; Marian Weisenfeld, Greater Boston Interfaith Organization; Mignon Duffy, CWW associate; and guest speaker Lisa Dodson, a research professor at Boston College. Dodson does field research about the lives of low-income careworkers in the expanding care labor force. The panel discussed the needs of the elderly, their needs for a community, and the needs of careworkers in general. Campus Chaplain Imogene Stulken ended the session with a call-and-response reading. After each statement of need, Stulken asked, “Who cares?” The audience shouted together, “We Care!”
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
On Campus
On May 3rd, Allan Roscoe will give a 20 minute lecture answering the question: "If this were the last lecture or reflection you would give, what would you say?" Free lunch is included! "Last Lecture" Series is sponsored by the Multi-faith Council and Protestant Campus Ministry.
12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. McGauvran 410, UML South
As part of Asian-American History Month, A documentary film, "Sentenced Home", will be shown. A panel discussion will follow with community leaders. Free Food!! The even takes place May 3rd, 3 p.m. in O'Leary Library.
May 3rd - May 5th, the Comley-Lane Theatre will play host to A Night of One-Act Comedies by David Ives and Richard Snee. The plays, also directed by Snee, is performed by the Off-Broadway Players along with special guest artist, celebrated Boston actress Paula Plum. Tickets at the door, $5 Students and Seniors, $8 Adults. Special $1 tickets for Students on opening night. Produced by UML's Off-Broadway Players, Department of English, and Theatre Arts program. Thursday-Friday 8 p.m.; Saturday 7 p.m.
UML is playing host to kids this summer when they launch their variety of summer camps! From music to sports, science to adventure, the University offers a wide range of experiences for children of all ages.
Information on all of the camps can be found at http://uml.edu/summercamps. The camps offered this summer include:
Athletic, Band, DesignCamp, The Tsongas Industrial History Center, hoping to give a start to a bright future for kids and students.
On May 3rd, Allan Roscoe will give a 20 minute lecture answering the question: "If this were the last lecture or reflection you would give, what would you say?" Free lunch is included! "Last Lecture" Series is sponsored by the Multi-faith Council and Protestant Campus Ministry.
12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. McGauvran 410, UML South
As part of Asian-American History Month, A documentary film, "Sentenced Home", will be shown. A panel discussion will follow with community leaders. Free Food!! The even takes place May 3rd, 3 p.m. in O'Leary Library.
May 3rd - May 5th, the Comley-Lane Theatre will play host to A Night of One-Act Comedies by David Ives and Richard Snee. The plays, also directed by Snee, is performed by the Off-Broadway Players along with special guest artist, celebrated Boston actress Paula Plum. Tickets at the door, $5 Students and Seniors, $8 Adults. Special $1 tickets for Students on opening night. Produced by UML's Off-Broadway Players, Department of English, and Theatre Arts program. Thursday-Friday 8 p.m.; Saturday 7 p.m.
UML is playing host to kids this summer when they launch their variety of summer camps! From music to sports, science to adventure, the University offers a wide range of experiences for children of all ages.
Information on all of the camps can be found at http://uml.edu/summercamps. The camps offered this summer include:
Athletic, Band, DesignCamp, The Tsongas Industrial History Center, hoping to give a start to a bright future for kids and students.
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