Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
04/24/2017
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. 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 Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.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:
- President Trump’s performance in his first 100 days in office, from the impact of his executive orders to his national health-care plan and foreign policy decisions;
- Study tips for college students preparing for year-end exams and the link between learning and memory;
- The collapse of brick-and-mortar retailers, including Sears, Macy’s and JCPenney, as store closings in the first quarter of 2017 have surpassed those during the economic downturn of 2008, according to a new report.
Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.
Film and Forum Explore the Resilience of Political Refugees
Author Marketplace to Feature Local Writers
‘Invitation to Innovation’ Taps into Creativity of Students and the Public
Graduating Art and Design Students Discuss, Display Works
Climate Science Program to Honor Schoolchildren
RefugeesFilm and Forum Explore the Resilience of Political Refugees
When: Tuesday, April 25, 6:30 p.m.
What: Political refugees who fled their homelands for Lowell will share their stories at an event that will feature a screening of “Browsing through Birke’s.” The documentary tells of Nathan and Sally Birke’s escape from the Holocaust and the opening of Birke’s clothing store in the Mill City. A panel session after the film will include Szifra Birke, whose parents ran the business for five decades; UMass Lowell History Prof. Robert Forrant; and other members of the community who are refugees from Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The event is part of the 25th anniversary of the Tsongas Industrial History Center, a unique partnership between UMass Lowell’s Graduate School of Education and the Lowell National Historical Park that educates thousands of schoolchildren and teachers annually about the American Industrial Revolution. Members of the public who would like to attend the free event should register by calling 978-970-5080 or emailing tihc@uml.edu.
Where: Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, 246 Market St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
BooksAuthor Marketplace to Feature Local Writers
When: Wednesday, April 26, 7 to 9 p.m.
What: Ten local writers, including poet Paul Marion and Lowell historian Dick Howe Jr., will meet the public and talk about their books during UMass Lowell Libraries’ author marketplace. Works of poetry, short stories, fiction and nonfiction will be featured and will be available for purchase. The free event is presented in collaboration with the Pollard Memorial Library in Lowell and the Chelmsford Public Library. Free parking will be available across the street from the venue in the Wilder Faculty Lot.
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
Innovation‘Invitation to Innovation’ Taps into Creativity of Students and the Public
When: Friday, April 28, noon to 5 p.m.
What: UMass Lowell will present its first “Invitation to Innovation,” a free event for the public and school groups that will highlight the intersection of creativity and industry, where students apply classroom and hands-on learning to develop products, prototypes and projects. A NASA satellite, a Formula 1-style race car and a robotic arm that assists people with limited mobility – all built by UMass Lowell students – will be featured. Attendees can also participate in a Tinker Toy contest to build a vehicle that must navigate a series of challenges. The event spotlights the work of students in UMass Lowell’s College of Engineering, Kennedy College of Sciences and College of Health Sciences. School groups may register at www.uml.edu/i2ischool. Members of the public interested in more information should email Erin_Caples@uml.edu.
Where: Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
BFAGraduating Art and Design Students Discuss, Display Works
When: Artists’ reception, Thursday, May 4, 5 to 7 p.m. Exhibition runs Thursday, May 4 through Sunday, May 14. Gallery hours are Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
What: UMass Lowell art and design students who – will receive their bachelor of fine arts degrees at Commencement on Saturday, May 13 – will discuss and display their senior thesis projects at a free artists’ reception and exhibit. Featured works explore a variety of themes through drawing, painting, 3-D animation, web and mobile app design, motion graphics and interactive installations. Participating students are from Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Clinton, Hudson, Lawrence, Lowell, Lunenburg, Methuen, Newburyport, North Andover, Southbridge, South Yarmouth, and Tewksbury, along with Hudson and Nashua, N.H. Both the reception and exhibit are open to the public.
Where: University Gallery, Mahoney Hall, South Campus, 870 Broadway St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Deborah Santoro, gallery coordinator, 978-934-3493, Deborah_Santoro@uml.edu
CoolClimate Science Program to Honor Schoolchildren
When: Friday, May 5, 3 p.m. Event rescheduled from Friday, March 31
What: Cool Science will honor K-12 students from across the state for creating award-winning artwork that depicts concepts behind climate change. The artwork can be seen on and inside Lowell Regional Transit Authority buses, where it raises awareness about climate science among thousands of passengers and others daily. The program, now in its fifth year, is led by UMass Lowell Graduate School of Education faculty researching alternative ways to teach people about climate science, in and outside the classroom. The winning artwork will be on display at the event, including on an LRTA bus. Students being honored are from Acushnet, Billerica, Boston, Chelmsford, Dedham, Holyoke, Lakeville, Medford, North Andover, Norwell, Rehoboth, Roslindale, Tyngsborough and Warren.
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