September Sources of the Month

09/01/2015

UMass Lowell faculty experts are world-class researchers and scholars in a spectrum of fields – from science and engineering, business and education to the social sciences and humanities – who lend authority to news and feature stories in an engaging and relatable way. Experts are available in person, by phone or e-mail as sources for print, radio and TV journalists. TV options include live broadcast interviews in person or via satellite.

This month’s hot topic: Back-to-school time for students, teachers and parents at every level of education. Featured issues and sources are:

• School anxiety:Doreen Arcus, family and relationship expert. Arcus is a terrific source for stories about the social development of children in the home, at school and in the community. Her experience includes working with children with autism and other disabilities, young people in foster care and those who have aged out of the system, and families that have survived trauma. Arcus teaches psychology at UMass Lowell.
• Standardized testing:James Nehring, a vocal critic of standardized testing and an authority on measures of education performance. He previously served for 25 years as a public-school teacher and principal, and led the startups of three public high schools. His background affords him unique insight into teacher training, curriculum development, the effectiveness of learning environments and the organization of school systems. Nehring teaches educational leadership in UMass Lowell’s Graduate School of Education. His new book is a memoir about the challenges and rewards of teaching.
• Entrepreneurship education:Steve Tello, who can talk about how and why teaching college students to think like entrepreneurs is changing the way they learn. An expert on business startups, he teaches entrepreneurship in the classroom and through campuswide programs. Tello has been instrumental in developing a variety of business incubators and helping startups get investors. He also heads UMass Lowell’s economic development efforts.

For a complete list of UMass Lowell experts, see www.uml.edu/experts. The university’s media relations team is ready to help connect you. Contact Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu.