Story and Source Ideas for Journalists

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O'Leary Library on UMass Lowell's South Campus will be the site for a film screening of "The Gilded Cage" and a program honoring the university's Cool Science Contest winners this week.

04/16/2019

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

Sources of the week 

UMass Lowell faculty experts are available to discuss:

  • The growing threat of measles – what it is, why it’s spreading and the serious health problems it can cause – as 90 new U.S. cases were reported last week;
  • Walmart’s use of robots to complete jobs in its 4,600 U.S. stores and how employees everywhere should plan for automation in the workplace.  

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

‘The Gilded Cage’ Leads Off Talk on Identity and Heritage 

When and where: Thursday, April 18, 5 p.m. O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 222, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell

What: The movie “The Gilded Cage,” a comedy that draws its plot from director Ruben Alves’ Portuguese family and their life in Paris, will be screened for the campus and public in a free event as part of the UMass Lowell International Film Series. After the showing, UMass Lowell Prof. Frank Sousa, director of the university’s Saab Center for Portuguese Studies, and Patricia Martinho Ferreira, a faculty member in the World Languages and Cultures Department, will lead a discussion on the themes of identity and heritage raised by the story. Members of the public who would like more information should contact Shaun_Sullivan@uml.edu.

Jazz-Rock Big Band to Perform Free Concert for the Public

When and where: Thursday, April 18, 8 p.m. Durgin Hall, South Campus, 35 Wilder St., Lowell

What: The UMass Lowell Jazz-Rock Big Band will swing into spring at a free concert for the public and campus that will showcase the virtuosity of the ensemble’s student musicians. The band is fan favorite at River Hawks men’s ice hockey games, where it performs as the pep band, delivering jazz, pop and rock ‘n’ roll classics during breaks in the action. For this show, the group will play works by jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, big-band orchestra leader Maria Schneider, trumpet player Don Ellis and more, conducted by Daniel Lutz, director of university bands. Free parking will be available in the Wilder Lot nearby the venue. 

Holocaust Survivor to Share Story at Program for the Community

When and where: Tuesday, April 23, 7 p.m., University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell

What: Concentration-camp survivor Rena Finder will share her harrowing story of how she escaped imprisonment in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II with the help of Oskar Schindler. The real-life inspiration for the film “Schindler’s List,” the businessman is credited with saving more than 1,000 people from genocide during the Holocaust. The free event is open to the university community and public. Members of the public who would like more information should contact Michael_Mott@uml.edu.

Contest Honors Schoolchildren as Climate-Change Educators

When and where: Friday, April 26, 3 to 5 p.m. O’Leary Library Learning Commons Mezzanine, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell

What: Elementary through high-school students from across Massachusetts will be recognized for creating artwork that educates the public about the effects of climate change. Through UMass Lowell’s annual Cool Science Contest, the best of the students’ submissions are displayed on and inside Lowell Regional Transit Authority buses, where they raise awareness about climate science with thousands of commuters every day and help faculty researchers measure the efficacy of this approach. The event will showcase the winners’ art in a gallery exhibit and on an LRTA bus. The contest’s top winner, from Winthrop, will be recognized with the David Lustick Award, named in memory of the former UMass Lowell professor and Nashua, N.H., resident who was a nationally recognized champion of environmental education. Other winners hail from Boston, Brighton, Brookline, Lakeville, Lowell, Nahant, Rehoboth, Rochester, Roslindale and Tyngsborough.