Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
03/12/2018
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 Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.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:
- The factors behind the demise of Toys R Us and the future of the toy industry, as the retailer announced yesterday it will shutter or sell all of its stores;
- What’s next for the gun-reform movement after yesterday’s National Walkout Day and new research that explores how individuals’ political views help shape their opinions on crime and gun control;
- The allure of e-sports for young people as a new UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion’s analysis shows they are as popular as football among the age group.
Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.
Film, Forum Track Success Stories of Women Entrepreneurs
When and where: Wednesday, March 21, 5:30 p.m. UMass Lowell Innovation Hub, 110 Canal St., Lowell – Event rescheduled from Wednesday, March 7
What: “She Started It,” a documentary that charts the journeys of trailblazing businesswomen in the world of high-tech startups, will be screened at an event presented by UMass Lowell’s Innovation Hub and the Manning School of Business. Following the film, a panel of local entrepreneurs, including UMass Lowell graduate Rajia Abdelaziz, co-founder of invisaWear personal safety system; Nicole Mauro, president of Harmonus medical devices; and Katherine Collins, a director of Prosperity Catalyst, which provides a market for goods made by women in Iraq and Haiti, will share their stories and answer questions from the audience. With locations in Lowell and Haverhill, UMass Lowell’s iHubs are business incubators where entrepreneurs can grow their enterprises while enjoying access to UMass Lowell’s experts and resources. Members of the public who would like to attend the free event should register at www.eventbrite.com/d/ma--lowell/she-started-it/?q=She+Started+It&loc=Lowell&date.
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Emerging Technology Event Explores the Future of Biofuels
When and where: Wednesday, March 21, 6 p.m. UMass Lowell Innovation Hub, Harbor Place, Haverhill Campus, 2 Merrimack St., Haverhill – Event rescheduled from Wednesday, Feb. 21
What: Hunter Mack, an expert in next-generation biofuels and a UMass Lowell professor of mechanical engineering, will lead a program that explores how the groundbreaking research conducted by the university is helping to transform the energy industry. The free event is part of the Emerging Technology Speaker Series presented by the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub in Haverhill, where entrepreneurs can grow their ventures while enjoying access to the university’s experts and resources to help guide their startups to success. The new iHub is the second for UMass Lowell, which also operates a location in Lowell. Members of the public who would like more information or wish to attend the program should email Stephanie_Guyotte@uml.edu.
Contacts for media: Stephanie Guyotte, 978-934-5560, Stephanie_Guyotte@uml.edu or Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
Acclaimed Authors Read Works, Talk About Their Inspiration
When and where: Thursday, March 22, 5 p.m. O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 222, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell
What: Award-winning authors Duy Doan, a poet, and fiction writer Jowhor Ile will talk about their creative processes and read from their works at a free event for the public and university community. Doan directs the Favorite Poem Project, which celebrates poetry’s place in American life. Ile is the first Nigerian to win the esteemed Etisalat Prize for Literature, which he received for his first novel, “And After Many Days.” The program is the latest in the Writers on Campus Series presented by UMass Lowell’s English Department.
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Security Leaders Share Strategies to Fight Terrorist Recruitment
When and where: Friday, March 23. Keynote remarks at 9:15 a.m. Conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell
What: More than 150 U.S. Department of Homeland Security and law-enforcement officials will unite with educators and members of the public at UMass Lowell for the conference “Combating Hate and Extremism: Fostering Inclusion in our Schools and Communities.” Nicola Benyahia, founder of Families for Life, a Birmingham, England, venture that works to stem the radicalization of young people, will provide the event’s keynote remarks and share the story of her son Rasheed, who was recruited by ISIS as a teenager and died fighting for the terrorists in 2015. Other speakers will include Neil Shortland, director of UMass Lowell’s Center for Terrorism and Security Studies; UMass Lowell Prof. Arie Perliger, who will discuss the rise of extremism and the radical right; and UMass Lowell student Nicolette San Celmente and graduate Tyler Cote, who will talk about their launch of Operation 250, a nonprofit community organization that works to empower the public to help stop terrorist cells from recruiting new members.
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu