Story and Source Ideas for Journalists

03/18/2013

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 “News” on the lower right corner of the page. Please note that media contact names below are not for publication.

In case of inclement weather, please call 978-934-2121; if the university is closed, all on-campus events are canceled, unless otherwise noted.

Sources of the week: As the nation nears the 10th anniversary of the Iraq war, a UMass Lowell security expert can discuss where the United States stands on the war on terrorism. A UMass Lowell criminologist can offer insight into the murder case California prosecutors may bring this week against Karl Gerhartsreiter – the man who posed as “Clark Rockefeller” and kidnapped his daughter in Boston five years ago.

TOP

Advances in Solar and Wind Technology to be Examined

When: Tuesday, March 19, 4:30 p.m.

What: What is the state of clean technology in 2013? Scott Clavenna, the founder and chief executive officer of Greentech Media, discuss where the industry stands, with a focus on solar and wind technology performance and possibilities. The talk, free and open to the public, is presented by UMass Lowell’s Climate Change Initiative. Through research, academic programs and events, the faculty and student group explores the environmental, social, economic and political effects of climate change to develop more sustainable solutions to the phenomenon.

Where: Olsen Hall, Room 404, North Campus, 198 Riverside St., Lowell

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

TOP

Quebec Scholar Shares History of Quebec’s Political Uprisings

When: Wednesday, March 20, noon

What: The political and cultural history of Quebec will be examined in the talk “Artistic and Political Protests in Quebec: From the Quiet Revolution to the Maple Spring,” presented by Frederic Rondeau, a cultural studies expert. The event is presented by UMass Lowell’s Department of Cultural Studies in partnership with the Delegation du Quebec in Boston.

Where: O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 327, 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

TOP

FBI FBI Agent Introduces Students to Law Enforcement Careers

When: Wednesday, March 20, 3:30 p.m.

What: FBI Special Agent Scott McGaunn, a UMass Lowell graduate, will talk with students about the many different jobs and career paths available in federal law enforcement and how to prepare for and pursue those opportunities.

Where: 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

TOP

Basketball Students Play Wheelchair Basketball in Annual Rivalry

When: Friday, March 22, 6 p.m.

What: In a test of skills and will, members of UMass Lowell’s Exercise Physiology and Physical Therapy clubs will face the National Wheelchair Basketball Association’s New England Blazers on the court. The annual game allows students to experience the challenges faced by wheelchair-bound individuals while the public enjoys the talents of the Blazers’ athletes. Will this be the year the students finally win? Tickets are $2 at the door and the event is open to the public.

Where: Campus Recreation Center, East Campus, 100 Pawtucket St., Lowell

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

TOP

Colburn Avant-Garde Multimedia Artist to Meet Students, Public

When: Wednesday, March 27, 4 p.m.

What: Martha Colburn, UMass Lowell’s artist in residence for the Spring 2013 semester, will meet with students and the public to discuss her work. Using techniques such as puppetry, animation, collages and painting on glass, she is a prolific creator of films, music videos, CD covers, installations and murals. During her UMass Lowell residency, Colburn, who counts musician Sean Lennon among her collaborators, will visit classes, offer workshops and meet with students and faculty. Her stay is sponsored by the UMass Lowell College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and the Center for Arts and Ideas.

Where: 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

TOP

M2D2 Medical-Device Entrepreneurs Vie for $20,000 in Seed Money

When: Wednesday, March 27, 5:30 p.m.

What: Fifteen medical-device ventures will compete for $20,000 in product-development services during the 2013 M2D2 New Venture Competition Showcase. The Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2), a joint UMass Lowell and UMass Worcester initiative, is sponsoring the contest to find the best new medical-device startups, product designs and technologies, and award them $20,000 in engineering, business, legal and medical services. Now in its second year, the competition, which promotes entrepreneurship, is sponsored by Nutter, McClennen & Fish and will culminate in an award ceremony at the law firm on April 10. Admission of $30 includes entry to both the March 27 finals at UMass Lowell and the April 10 awards ceremony at the law firm of Nutter, McClennen & Fish in Boston. For more, visit www.uml.edu/m2d2 and click on “events.”

Where: Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center, Wannalancit Mills, East Campus, 600 Suffolk St., Lowell

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

TOP

Poets Award-Winning Poets Explore Lowell Roots

When: Wednesday, March 27, 6 p.m.

What: Writers with Lowell roots Kate Hanson Foster and Matt Miller will discuss and share their work as part of UMass Lowell’s Writers on Campus Series. Hanson Foster, a UMass Lowell graduate, was honored by the Massachusetts Center for the Book, which selected her poetry collection “Mid Drift” as a “must read” book of 2011. Many poems in the collection are set in Lowell and evoke both pain and redemption. Miller, a Lowell native, has been nominated for four Pushcart prizes and received the 2012 Vassar Miller Poetry Prize for his latest collection, “Club Icarus.” Free and open to the public, the event is presented by UMass Lowell’s English Department.

Where: 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

TOP

Portuguese UMass Lowell Launches Center for Portuguese Partnerships

When: Thursday, March 28, 6:30 p.m.

What: UMass Lowell will launch its new Center for Portuguese Partnerships, a multifaceted resource for the university and the community to explore and celebrate the history and culture of Portuguese people and immigrants in America. Event speakers are scheduled to include Consul General Paulo Cunha Alves of the Portuguese Consulate in Boston. Author Anthony Barcellos will read from his novel “Land of Milk and Money,” kicking off the center’s speaker series, which will bring Portuguese artists and scholars to UMass Lowell. The center is supported in part by UMass Lowell benefactors Mark and Elisia Saab of Lowell, for whom the university’s Mark and Elisia Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center is named. The program is presented by Luis Falcon, dean of UMass Lowell’s College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, along with the Office of University Advancement and Center for Arts and Ideas, in collaboration with the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture at UMass Dartmouth.

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

TOP