UMass Lowell Magazine

Featured Stories

Executive Sous Chef Mike Petit gives students in the Food and Nutrition Management course a tour of the South Campus Dining Commons

Eat Your Heart Out

Students today want sustainability on the menu. Read more

A volunteer stocks the shelves at Navigators Food Pantry in University Crossing

Food Fight

UML wages war on hunger. Read more

illustration of packaged food under a microscope

Faculty on Food

The properties, perils and politics of what we eat. Read more

Hands holding a bowl full of mussels and 4 slices of bread from Sizzling Kitchen in Lowell

The World on Your Plate

Lowell’s population is a rich ethnic stew—and so are its eateries. In the mill city, bright and fragrant lemon grass lives alongside rich, potato-packed pierogis, and the powerful spices of Indian curries simmer a few blocks from middle eastern falafel. With each new ethnic group calling Lowell home, the palette broadens. View gallery

Illustration of men and women following a woman with flag

Trending @ UMass Lowell

WOMEN IN POWER: UMass Lowell was named No. 4 among the 2017 TOP 100 WOMEN-LED BUSINESSES in Massachusetts in the fall ranking by The Commonwealth Institute and The Boston Globe Magazine.

MOBILE SAUNAS: According to an old Russian saying, everyone is equal in the sauna. Asst. Art Prof. Misha Rabinovich agrees—and thanks to a New England Foundation for the Arts grant, he’s HELPING BRING A MOBILE SAUNA TO BOSTON to help people at odds find common ground.

CONNOR HELLEBUYCK: After a rough season with the Winnipeg Jets last year, the former UML hockey All-American goaltender was NAMED TO THE NHL ALL-STAR GAME in October and is leading the Jets into the playoffs.

SEEDS OF HOPE: In response to Hurricane Maria's devastation of Puerto Rico, UML did its part to help with the island's agricultural renaissance by HOLDING A SEED DRIVE ON CAMPUS giving root to beans, cucumbers, squash, radishes, turnips and more in Puerto Rico’s small-scale farms, communities and schools.

THE WYCLEF JEAN JAM: Singer-rapper Wyclef Jean took his "Wyclef Goes Back to School" project to Lowell, taking advantage of his tour manager, Rachel Driscoll '17 alma mater. The three-time Grammy winner CHATTED WITH STUDENTS AND JAMMED WITH SOME LUCKY ROCKERS.

BY THE NUMBERS

15,000
Pounds of pasta students consume per semester
50,000
Number of cups of Starbucks coffee served on campus annually
7,485
Number of selections in campus Dining Services recipe system

Alumni Spotlight

Al Contarino '92
The Pizza Guy

I have one memory of the dining hall my freshman year ... somebody threw a piece of food and it landed on our table. One of my buddies said, ‘It’s on,’ and threw it back. And it started a food fight, just like you see in the movies.

Al Contarino, who earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from the Francis College of Engineering, is the president and co-founder of KettlePizza, an innovative line of products that turns charcoal and gas grills into backyard pizza ovens.
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