Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
04/03/2017
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. In case of inclement weather, call UMass Lowell’s weather hotline at 978-934-2121; if the university is closed, events are canceled. For more news about UMass Lowell, visit www.uml.edu/pressroom. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.
Sources of the week
UMass Lowell faculty experts are available to discuss:
- Today’s metro station terror attack in St. Petersburg, Russia, which killed 10 people and injured dozens of others;
- How Facebook’s nonprofit News Integrity Initiative, announced this week, could help the social-media giant’s brand and the public’s understanding of journalism;
- Tax tips for last-minute filers, including key changes for 2016 returns.
Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.
Anti-Human Trafficking Activist Leads Day Without Violence Program
Award-Winning String Project Celebrates 15th Anniversary
Series Named for Lowell Native Looks at Prospects for Peace
Winner to be Named at 2017 M2D2 $100K Challenge Event
One-Woman Show Pays Tribute to Inventor and Actress Hedy Lamarr
Veteran Journalist Dan Rea to Present ‘Media, Politics and the Law’
Genealogist to Provide Guide to Researching Irish Family Roots
GreeleyAnti-Human Trafficking Activist Leads Day Without Violence Program
When: Tuesday, April 4, 12:30 p.m.
What: Noy Thrupkaew, an activist fighting human trafficking who is UMass Lowell’s 2017 Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies, will discuss how to counter economic injustice and labor exploitation at the university’s Day Without Violence program. Observed on college campuses across the country, the annual Day Without Violence was launched in 1996 by the Peace Studies Association – of which UMass Lowell is a founding member – and pays homage to the legacy and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As this year’s Greeley Scholar, Thrupkaew joins a distinguished list of other humanitarians, including a Nobel Prize winner, who have received the UMass Lowell honor. Information about other programs she will lead for the campus and community throughout April is available at www.uml.edu/Research/PACSI/Day-Without-Violence.aspx.
Where: O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 222, 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
StringAward-Winning String Project Celebrates 15th Anniversary
What: The UMass Lowell String Project will mark its 15th anniversary with a premiere of a documentary and a concert that celebrate the initiative’s impact in the community. Honored by the American String Teachers Association for its leadership in music education, the project provides K-12 students with music classes and instruction in stringed instruments such as the violin and cello. The programs, which are open to the public, are:
- “String Project Fiesta!,” a free concert featuring Latin music performed by the ensemble, which will be joined by renowned concert violinist Filip Pogady, who will play a solo during “Carmen Fantasy” by composer Franz Waxman. Tuesday, April 4, 7 p.m., Durgin Concert Hall, South Campus, 35 Wilder St., Lowell;
- We’ve Got the World on a String,” the premiere of a documentary exploring how the String Project has transformed the lives of students and teachers. The film was directed by Greg Mahan, a UMass Lowell sound recording technology major from Groton, and local photographer Tory Germann. The premiere is free, with donations to the String Project accepted. Tickets are required and may be ordered by going to www.alumni.uml.edu and clicking on “Events,” or by calling 978-934-3140 or emailing Carolyn_Rolfe@uml.edu. Thursday, April 6, 6 p.m., Luna Theater, Fourth Floor, Mill No. 5, 250 Jackson St., Lowell.
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
MorseSeries Named for Lowell Native Looks at Prospects for Peace
When: Wednesday, April 5, 2 p.m.
What: UMass Lowell Political Science Prof. Angelica Duran-Martinez, an expert in Latin-American politics, will lead “Challenges and Prospects for Peace in Colombia.” The program – one in a series named for F. Bradford Morse, the former U.S. congressman and United Nations administrator who began his political career as a member of the Lowell City Council – will examine the factors behind the country’s long-waged civil war and whether the recent signing of a ceasefire between the Colombian government and guerrilla rebels will be successful. The event is presented by UMass Lowell’s Political Science Department and supported by an endowment from the Morse family.
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
M2D2Winner to be Named at 2017 M2D2 $100K Challenge Event
When: Wednesday, April 5, 4 p.m.
What: Winners in this year’s M2D2 $100K Challenge – a nationwide competition that features the ideas of early-stage medical device, diagnostic and biotech companies – will be announced at a reception. Those vying for a share of the $100,000 in seed money include developers of a new technology to conduct biopsies, a novel treatment to help reverse heart failure and a wireless sensor to prevent pressure ulcers. The annual competition is presented by the Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2), a joint venture of UMass Lowell and Worcester, which assists entrepreneurs in these sectors with all aspects of the process of moving new products from concept to commercialization.
Where: Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo, 1 Financial Center, Boston
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
LamarrOne-Woman Show Pays Tribute to Inventor and Actress Hedy Lamarr
When: Thursday, April 6, 3 p.m.
What: Best known as a Hollywood actress, Hedy Lamarr was also a brilliant inventor and pioneer in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Her story will come to life when historical interpreter Judith Kalaora portrays Lamarr in a program for the campus and community. Promoted throughout the 1940s as the most beautiful woman in the world, Lamarr is in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Among her creations, she co-designed a jam-proof radio guidance system for torpedoes, an innovation that laid the groundwork for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology. The free event is presented by the UMass Lowell Libraries and Honors College.
Where: Lydon Library, Room 110, 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
ReaVeteran Journalist Dan Rea to Present ‘Media, Politics and the Law’
When: Wednesday, April 12, 11:45 a.m.
What: Dan Rea, the host of WBZ NewsRadio’s “NightSide,” will present “Media, Politics and the Law.” An installment in UMass Lowell’s Lunchtime Lecture Series, the program will examine journalism’s role in society and offer Rea’s account of his 30-year career in TV and radio. Rea, who is also a lawyer, is also known for his years-long efforts to exonerate a Boston man wrongfully convicted for a 1965 murder. The free event is presented by UMass Lowell in partnership with the Moses Greeley Parker Lectures with support from community partners. Members of the public who would like to attend should RSVP by April 11 by calling 978-934-5467 or emailing Mehmed_Ali@uml.edu.
Where: O’Leary Library Learning Commons, 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
IrishGenealogist to Provide Guide to Researching Irish Family Roots
When: Wednesday, April 12, 5:30 p.m.
What: A program that will offer participants a guide to identifying their Irish ancestors will be presented by internationally known genealogist Michael Brophy. Topics to be discussed include how to locate vital records and immigration documentation, along with the challenges presented by the destruction of the Public Records Office in Dublin nearly a century ago. Suitable for individuals new to the field, the free program is one in a series presented by the UMass Lowell Center for Irish Partnerships, which works to deepen understanding between the American and Irish people through programs at UMass Lowell and faculty and student exchanges in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Members of the public and university community who would like to attend should RSVP by emailing Victoria_Denoon@uml.edu.
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