Story and Source Ideas for Journalists

Decatur Way
Members of the UMass Lowell community and the public will come together to unveil a new mural on Decatur Way at an event on Thursday, Oct. 4.

10/01/2018

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

This is a notice of upcoming events, photo opportunities and story ideas at UMass Lowell. For more, visit www.uml.edu/pressroom. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication unless otherwise noted.

Sources of the week 

UMass Lowell faculty experts are available to discuss:

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and what’s next in his confirmation process, including:

  • Whether he’ll have the votes to secure a spot on the court after the FBI concludes its investigation;
  • How the confirmation process and its outcome could affect the Supreme Court’s fall term, which begins today.

Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.

Marine Corps Band’s Virtuosity on Display at Free Concert  

When and where: Tuesday, Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m. Durgin Hall, South Campus, 35 Wilder St., Lowell

What: The U.S. Marine Corps Brass Band will perform New Orleans-inspired jazz in a free concert for the campus and community. Considered among the world’s most accomplished musicians, the group is one of 10 in the Marine Corps Music Program. Known as “The President’s Own,” these ensembles – which currently feature five UMass Lowell music graduates – play for heads of state, foreign dignitaries, military leaders and the public. Tickets are not required for the event and free parking is available in the nearby Wilder Lot.

Unveiling of Decatur Way Mural Brings Out Community

When and where: Thursday, Oct. 4, 3:30 p.m. Decatur Way, 233 Salem St., Lowell

What: A new mural designed and painted by UMass Lowell students that reflects the vibrancy of Lowell will be unveiled at a free event for the community on Decatur Way, an outdoor public art and green space in the city’s Acre section that is adjacent to UMass Lowell’s University Crossing student center. UMass Lowell, neighborhood and city representatives have transformed the walkway with art and poetry installations, along with structural improvements that include a new stormwater system since 2016. Funding for the new mural came from the UMass Lowell Chancellor’s 2020 Challenge Grant program, which supports projects that advance the university’s 10-year strategic plan. Chancellor Jacquie Moloney, community and city representatives are among those expected to participate.

Pioneering Nursing Program Celebrates 50th Anniversary

When and where: Thursday, Oct. 4, 5:30 p.m., UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, 50 Warren St., Lowell

What: Fifty graduates and other leaders who have helped build what is now UMass Lowell’s Solomont School of Nursing will be recognized at a 50th anniversary event.  Honorees will include May Futrell, whose leadership of the school included establishing UMass Lowell’s first-in-the-nation master’s program for student nurses aspiring to specialize in the care of senior citizens, and Dean Emerita Janice Stecchi, who served as the first chairwoman of the board of Saints Medical Center, now part of Lowell General Hospital. Over the past 50 years, the nursing school has graduated more than 3,000 health professionals with the skills and dedication essential to improving people’s lives. 

Pulitzer Prize Winner to Lead Free Program on Best-Selling Memoir  

When and where: Wednesday, Oct. 10, 3:30 p.m. O'Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 478, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell.

What: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Diana Marcum will discuss the inspiration and creative process behind her best-selling book, “The Tenth Island: Finding Joy, Beauty and Unexpected Love in the Azores,” at this free program open to the public. Marcum’s reflection on loss and longing, the memoir traces her quest to rebuild her life while visiting the Azores, the archipelago off the coast of Portugal. The program is the latest in the Distinguished Writer Series presented by UMass Lowell’s Saab Center for Portuguese Studies. Members of the public who would like more information should email Natalia_Melo@uml.edu.

CNBC’s Ron Insana to Headline DifferenceMaker Celebration   

When and where: Wednesday, Oct. 10, 5:30 p.m. University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell

What: CNBC host Ron Insana will discuss the midterm elections’ possible impact on the U.S. economy, global markets and more at UMass Lowell’s DifferenceMaker Celebration. The annual event, already sold out, showcases the university’s entrepreneurship program, through which students gain skills and even launch their own ventures in business and the community. Since 2012, 19 companies have been launched and eight patents generated by student participants. UMass Lowell graduates behind two such enterprises – Operation 250, a nonprofit that works to prevent young people from falling prey to terrorist recruitment tactics and eNABLE Lowell, which uses 3D printing to create prosthetic hands for children in need – will share how the DifferenceMaker program helped transform their educations.