Speaker of the House and Governor Help Mark New Chapter in UML History
U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Gov. Deval Patrick will be featured speakers at the inaugural ceremony of UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan on Friday, April 4. Pelosi, the first female speaker in U.S. history, will deliver the keynote address and offer personal insight into her friend and former colleague to cap off a weeklong celebration honoring a new chapter in the history of the University.
Other inaugural plans are firming up as well. An honorary committee has been named, sponsorship information is now available and the details of academic panels are nearly finalized. For the latest information, including ticketing and RSVPs, visit the official inauguration website.
In addition to marking an historic moment in the life of UMass Lowell, the inauguration is guaranteed to create one of the largest scholarship funds at the University. Sponsors have already committed more than $300,000 to the inauguration, most going to the Martin T. Meehan Educational Excellence Fund. That total is expected to continue to grow as the event draws closer.
The money is coming from alumni, friends and corporate sponsors who have pledged anywhere from $1,000 to $50,000. To date, the top individual donors are alumni Charles Hoff ’66 ($50,000), John Kennedy ’70 ($25,000) and L. Donald LaTorre ’59 ($25,000) as well as Honorary Committee Co-chair George Beharakis ($25,000). Raytheon, Aramark, the Lowell Sun and the New England Patriots have each committed $25,000 as well.
The Honorary Committee is chaired by Behrakis, chairman of Gainesborough Investments; Richard and Nancy Donahue, local philanthropists and cultural benefactors; and Carole Ward, chair of the College of Arts and Sciences/Sciences Division Advisory Board. Committee members include the state’s congressional delegation, prominent alumni, local business people and University friends, such as Middlesex Community College President Carole Cowan.
The University community and general public are invited to attend the weeklong program of academic and social activities that will lead up to the inauguration ceremony at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 4, in the Campus Recreation Center. It will be followed by a campus-wide reception at LeLacheur Park.
On Monday, March 31, the week’s first academic panel will focus on “A Vision for Addressing Climate Change” at 9 a.m. in Cumnock Hall. In the afternoon, the Psychology Department will be holding a colloquium entitled, "Evaluation of a University-Based Social and Vocational Skills Program for Adolescents and Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum" from 1 to 2 p.m. in O'Leary 222.
On Tuesday, April 1, two programs will be featured: “Achieving Excellence Through Partnerships – UML in the Community” at 7:30 a.m. in the Wannalancit Conference Center and an Honors Program lecture with author Jonah Lehrer, editor-at-large for SEED magazine, at 2:30 p.m. in O’Leary 222. The day will be capped with a concert for students in the Recreation Center at 8 p.m.
On Wednesday, April 2, a 1 p.m. panel in Alumni Hall, “Innovation for the Next Generation,” will focus on clean technology. Jonathan Kozol, a noted authority on advocating for equal access to high quality education for all students, will give the M. Virginia Biggy Lecture at 4 p.m. in O’Leary 222. The Tsongas Industrial History Center also invites the community to an open house that day at the historic Boott Mill from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
A busy Thursday will start with a Center for Women and Work 9 a.m. discussion on “Re-envisioning Local, National and Global Security as if Women Mattered” in Alumni Hall. To celebrate the Peace and Conflict Studies Institute’s 13th-annual Day Without Violence, faculty and special guest speaker Linda Biehl, the University’s first Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies, will focus on “A New Vision for Peace: Creating Strategies for Responding to Gang Violence” at 1 p.m. in O’Leary 222.
In addition, public exhibits will be featured during the week: a Congressional archives display highlighting the chancellor’s role as a U.S. representative for 14 years, all week in O’Leary and Lydon libraries; and “Engaging and Transforming Students: The UMass Lowell Effect,” throughout the week on Hawki monitors. In addition, the Faculty Union is sponsoring a private luncheon for high school guidance counselors, followed by a public exhibit of faculty research from 2 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2 in Cumnock Hall.
The fundraising portion of the week will begin Thursday with a reception at 5 p.m. in the O’Leary lobby and mezzanine leading up to the Inaugural Benefit Concert in Durgin Concert Hall at 6 p.m. Tickets are $100 for admission to both the reception and concert. Proceeds will go to an endowment to support the Music Department and the Martin T. Meehan Educational Excellence Fund, which will fund scholarships and support campus initiatives in areas of excellence. The concert will feature faculty and student performers, including the University Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band and University choirs in addition to other special guests from the campus community.
After the concert, the Inaugural Gala will begin with a reception at Allen House at 7:30 p.m. This $1,000 per-person event will also raise money for the Martin T. Meehan Educational Excellence Fund, as well as other endowments. Additional campus revenues will be raised through corporate sponsorships of inaugural week events.
Inauguration night, April 4, also will feature “Living the Legacy,” a concert for peace to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr. The performance by the New England Orchestra with Prof. Kay George Roberts, conductor, will be at the Eliot Church, 273 Summer St., Lowell at 6 p.m.
Most events are free and open to the public. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend.
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