Story and Source Ideas for Journalists

DifferenceMaker 2016 finals
UMass Lowell's DifferenceMaker Celebration on Wednesday, Oct. 10 will feature CNBC's Ron Insana and salute students who are learning entrepreneurship skills through the program.

10/09/2018

Contact: Nancy Cicco: 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and 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 Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication unless otherwise noted.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:

  • Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court, including:

- Midterm election strategies and how Kavanaugh’s addition to the bench is shaping them;

- U.S. senators and others who won or lost politically as a result of the confirmation process;

- The impact on women and how the #MeToo movement may respond.

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

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, which is 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 secured 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.

Homecoming is One Celebration for Every Generation

What: River Hawk Homecoming – an event-packed weekend for the public and generations of UMass Lowell alumni, friends and current students – will celebrate the university’s past, present and future. Family-friendly activities will include:

  • Men’s ice hockey home opener – The UMass Lowell River Hawks will face off against the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers in the first game of the season. Tickets are available at www.tsongascenter.com, by calling 866-722-8780 or in person at the box office. Friday, Oct. 12, 7:15 p.m.
  • Hawkey Way – A free outdoor festival for all ages with carnival games, food, music, pony rides and more, offers pre-game festivities for the second half of the weekend’s hockey double-header against RIT. Saturday, Oct. 13, from 3 to 6 p.m.
  • Jennifer’s Fun Run/Walk – Held annually in memory of UMass Lowell graduate Jennifer D’Amour ’98, the 5K race along the Merrimack River supports scholarships for UMass Lowell women’s cross-country and track-and-field student-athletes. Saturday, Oct. 13. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and the race starts at 11 a.m.

All of these events will be held at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell and more athletic competitions and class reunions will be held at venues across campus.

Open House Invites to Become River Hawks

When and where: Sunday Oct. 14 and Sunday, Oct. 28, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell

What: Individuals interested in pursuing a UMass Lowell undergraduate degree are invited to an open house that will introduce them to academic programs, faculty, students, alumni and staff. Exhibits, presentations, a resource fair and campus tours will provide participants with everything they will need to know to soar as River Hawks. New offerings include bachelor’s degree programs in pharmaceutical sciences and exercise science, and new liberal arts concentrations in disability studies and health studies. UMass Lowell academics are nationally accredited and ranked for quality and return on investment. Graduates earn some of the highest starting and mid-career salaries in the nation. Members of the public may get more information and register for the event at www.uml.edu/admissions/visit/open-house.