Story and Source Ideas for Journalists

01/28/2013

This is a notice of upcoming events, photo opportunities and story ideas at UMass Lowell, compiled by the Office of University Relations, 978-934-3224. For more stories about UMass Lowell, visit www.uml.edu and click on “Media” at the top of the page. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.

Sources of the week: UMass Lowell experts who are from Egypt and have extensive knowledge of Egyptian politics and culture can discuss the country’s state of emergency amid new outbreaks of violence. Housing stock and economics experts can weigh in on a new survey that says the housing market is not only going to recover but drive economic growth in the coming year.

MLK Events Advance Work of Civil Rights Leader

When: Monday, Jan. 28 through Thursday, Jan. 31

What: The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision and quest for social equality will be honored and advanced during a week of events that will unite the UMass Lowell community and the public now that the spring semester has started. Events will focus on the topic “His Dream, Our Awakening.” The series is presented by the university’s Office of Multicultural Affairs. Events include:
* Solidarity March – Monday, Jan. 28, 5 p.m. Members of the UMass Lowell community and the public will walk for peace. The event is co-sponsored by student groups the Association of Students of African Origin (ASAO); Males Achieving Leadership, Excellence and Success (MALES); Sisters of Integrity Striving Towards Empowerment, Respect and Success (SISTERS); the Latin American Student Association; and the National Society of Black Engineers. The walk will start on South Campus and end on East Campus.
* Student Oratorical Contest – Tuesday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m. Students will speak on the topic “My Dream, My Awakening,” competing for prizes in this annual contest. Alumni Hall, North Campus, 34 University Ave., Lowell.
* MLK Celebration Dinner – Wednesday, Jan. 30, 6 p.m. The Office of Multicultural Affairs will bestow its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Award to a student, faculty, staff and community member whose service exemplifies King’s work. The centerpiece of the week of events, the program will feature Avis Jones-DeWeever, executive director of the National Council of Negro Women and include award presentations to Lowell schoolchildren for their artwork and essays.

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

 

Students, Alumni Vie for $25K for Best Ideas to Solve Problems

When: Kickoff events are Monday, Jan. 28 and Tuesday, Jan. 29, 5 to 6:30 p.m.

What: The DifferenceMaker $25,000 Idea Challenge invites UMass Lowell students and alumni who have graduated within the past year to develop and unveil a plan for a business, service or product that helps solve a real-world problem affecting the region and its future. Teams of students and young alumni pursuing different fields but a common goal will be mentored by UMass Lowell faculty members as they work on their projects. The challenge begins Jan. 28. The project application deadline is Friday, Feb. 15. Applicant finalists will be invited to submit their plan by Friday, April 12 and pitch their plans before a panel of judges on Wednesday, April 17 at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center. Prize money, donated by a UMass Lowell alum, will help fund teams’ work on the winning projects through the coming year. The challenge is presented by DifferenceMakers, a new UMass Lowell program designed to engage students as they develop solutions to real-world issues through innovative and entrepreneurial leadership.

Where: Kickoff events are Monday, Jan. 28, Alumni Hall, North Campus, 84 University Ave., Lowell; and Tuesday, Jan. 29, O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 222, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

Award-Winning Artist, Students, Exhibit Work

When: Exhibit runs from Monday, Jan. 28 through Friday, Feb. 15. Artists’ reception, Thursday, Feb. 7, noon. Gallery hours are Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Fridays and evenings by appointment.

What: Award-winning Egyptian photographer Wael Kamal, a visiting professor and UMass Lowell’s interim director of journalism and media studies, and UMass Lowell art students Duy Hoang and Lars-Erik Miller present “Sound of Light: Photography and Sculpture from the Middle East and Massachusetts.” The show is presented by the university’s Art Department and Middle East Center for Peace, Development and Culture.

Where: Dugan Gallery, Dugan Hall, South Campus, 883 Broadway St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Michele Gagnon, 978-934-3491, Michele_Gagnon@uml.edu

UMass Lowell Hosts Jack Kerouac Book Series

When: Tuesdays, Jan. 29, Feb. 19, March 19, April 9, April 30, 7 to 9 p.m.

What: The UMass Lowell Libraries will host a free reading and discussion series on three of Jack Kerouac’s Lowell-centric novels: “The Town and the City,” “Visions of Gerard” and “Maggie Cassidy.” The series will feature Prof. Todd Tietchen, a member of UMass Lowell’s English faculty, who will lead discussions about each novel. A Beat Generation scholar, Tietchen is an internationally known Kerouac expert. The sessions will cover the books noted on the following dates: Tuesday, Jan. 29, “The Town and the City,” parts 1 and 2; Tuesday, Feb. 19, “The Town and the City,” parts 3 through 5; Tuesday, March 19, “Visions of Gerard” with the community group Lowell Celebrates Kerouac!; Tuesday, April 9, “Visions of Gerard;” and Tuesday, April 30, “Maggie Cassidy.” Participants who register in advance will receive a copy of “The Town and the City” by mail. Free copies of the other titles will be distributed at the program. To register, go to http://libguides.uml.edu/kerouac or contact Sara Marks at Sara_Marks@uml.edu. Support for the series is provided by the UMass Lowell English Department and Office of Community and Cultural Affairs, and the Massachusetts Humanities Council.

Where: All programs will be held at O’Leary Library Learning Commons, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell except for Tuesday, March 19, which will be held at Pollard Memorial Library, 401 Merrimack St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

Sandy Hook Victims Remembered with Candlelight Vigil, Panel

When: Thursday, Jan. 31, panel discussion at 5 p.m., candlelight vigil at 6 p.m.

What: “Sandy Hook and Beyond: Reflect, Remember, Respond” will unite the UMass Lowell community for a panel discussion about fostering nonviolent social change and a candlelight vigil that will pay tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. UMass Lowell Leadership in Schools Prof. James Nehring will moderate the discussion, which will include Prof. Paula Rayman, director of UMass Lowell’s Peace and Conflict Studies Program; Psychology Prof. Anne Mulvey; and Criminal Justice Prof. Cathy Levey. Afterward, students, staff and faculty will walk to UMass Lowell’s Sept. 11 Memorial on the university’s East Campus for a vigil.

Where: Panel discussion – Fox Commons, Fox Hall, East Campus, 100 Pawtucket St., Lowell. Candlelight vigil – Sept. 11 Memorial next to Leitch Hall, East Campus, 111 Pawtucket St., Lowell. In case of inclement weather, both the panel and vigil will be held in Fox Commons.

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

Medical-Device Contest Seeks New Ventures, Entrepreneurs

When: Entry deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1; finalists’ presentations to be held 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 27; winner’s ceremony to be held in April.

What: The Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2), a joint UMass Lowell and UMass Medical School initiative, is sponsoring a medical-device venture competition to find the best new medical device startups and award them $20,000 in product-development services. Now in its second year, the competition, which promotes entrepreneurship, is sponsored by Nutter, McClennen & Fish and will culminate in an award ceremony in April. All new medical device ventures and entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply. The application fee is $25. Expert judges will hear from finalists at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 27 and a winner’s ceremony will be held in April. For more, visit www.uml.edu/m2d2 and click on “events.”

Where: Finalists’ presentations – Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center, Wannalancit Mills, East Campus, 600 Suffolk St., Lowell; winner’s ceremony – Nutter, McClennen & Fish, 155 Seaport Boulevard, Boston.

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

‘Legacy of the Dream Speech’ Opens Black History Month

When: Monday, Feb. 4, noon

What: As a young man, Clayborne Carson took part in the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963 where he heard Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech. Now the founder and director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, Carson will share his memories of that day and speak about the relevance and legacy of King’s speech 50 years later. Chosen by King’s widow, the late Coretta Scott King to edit and publish her husband’s papers, Carson is director of the King Papers Project that has produced a comprehensive collection of King’s written work. In addition, Carson contributed to the design of the King National Memorial and has been widely honored for his social-justice activism and research. Carson’s talk is hosted by UMass Lowell’s Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Peace and Conflict Studies Program.

Where: Alumni Hall, North Campus, 84 University Ave., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

UMass Lowell Faculty Members Share Research at Event

When: Tuesday, Feb. 5, 3 to 7 p.m.

What: More than 100 UMass Lowell faculty members will exhibit their research, learn from each others’ projects and recognize their peers’ published work and intellectual property achievements during this annual symposium. The event will allow faculty members to share news about ongoing international and industry partnerships, cooperative education opportunities and faculty research groups. The program will feature a video of faculty members sharing how their research benefits society.

Where: UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, 50 Warren St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

Contemporary Artists Combine Forces for Exhibit

When: Exhibit runs through Friday, Feb. 15. Gallery hours are Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and evenings and Saturdays by appointment.

What: Artist Fran Bull’s print series “Barcelona!” and new sculptures by Boston-based artist Anne Lilly combine in a unique way for this UMass Lowell exhibition presented by UMass Lowell’s Art Department. Both established contemporary artists work in divergent media and materials. Together, the works engage each other in energetic and unexpected ways, as the lines of Bull’s prints react with Lilly’s graceful, interactive sculptures.

Where: Artist reception, O’Leary Library Learning Commons, South Campus, 61Wilder St., Lowell; exhibit, University Gallery, McGauvran Hall, South Campus, 71 Wilder St., Lowell.

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Michele Gagnon, 978-934-3491, Michele_Gagnon@uml.edu

 

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