2026 News and Events
Spring 2026
On Tuesday, April 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the History Department and Medieval and Renaissance Studies will be among those sponsoring a one-day conference: "Thomas Hobbes and his 'Leviathan." This interdisciplinary workshop will explore the English philosopher and political scientist Thomas Hobbes and his masterpiece, "Leviathan" (1651). The UMass Lowell Library will showcase its rare first edition of this text, which includes marginal notes and glosses from prior owners. Together with John Locke and later French philosophers like Voltaire and Montesquieu, Hobbes offered critical ideas about state power, the social contract, and democracy—topics that continue to resonate in 2026. The conference will feature brief contributions from UMass Lowell faculty and students across a range of departments, including Art History, English, History, Philosophy and Political Science. The conference will take place at University Crossing, Room 260 (Moloney Hall). Lunch will be provided. For more information, please email Professor Kevin Petersen at Kevin_Petersen@uml.edu or Professor Christopher Carlsmith at Christopher_Carlsmith@uml.edu.
This year's Zamanakos Lecture took place on Thursday, March 26. The guest speaker was Konstantinos Nikoloutsos (Saint Joseph’s University). His lecture, "1956 is Greek to Filmmakers:' Recreating the Ancient Battlefield in Cold War Hollywood," examined the sociohistorical conditions that led to the emergence of Greek antiquity as a cherished theme in American cinema during the early Cold War years. It traced Hollywood’s fascination with armed conflict in the classical world and explored how cinematic re-creations of ancient warfare reflect, and refract, the geopolitical tensions of the modern era. The lecture took place from 6-7 p.m. in Coburn Hall room 255 and was followed by a reception from 7-8 p.m.
To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this year, Professor Abby Chandler has been editing an essay collection for H-Net called "Remembering the American Revolution at 250." The first issue was published in October 2024; the second issue of "Remembering the American Revolution at 250" was published on Monday, March 23, 2026. "Remembering the American Revolution at 250" is bringing together historians, public historians, and other practitioners from around the world to consider this moment in American history in an ongoing collection of research essays, reflective essays, and lesson plans that will be published over a multi-year period.
On Thursday, March 19, History alum Kate DiTullio ('13) visited UMass Lowell to give a talk as part of the History Department's "Life After a History Major" series. She discussed her trajectory from high school teacher in schools ranging from here in Lowell to Morocco to graduate school at Yale. The talk began at 4 p.m. in Coburn Hall, room 110. Kate also gave the keynote speech, "Let Our Stories Breathe: The Usefulness of Reception History," during the Phi Alpha Theta (the national history honor society) induction that began at 6 p.m. in the Allen House.
February is Black History Month. As part of the Dean's Speaker Series, on Monday, March 2, Harvey Amani Whitfield gave a lecture: "From Slavery in America to Slavery in Canada: Ca. 1760s to 1810." This lecture discussed the lives of four enslaved African American women who remained slaves in Canada after the Revolutionary War and explored how enslaved people in Canada navigated their new surroundings, fought to keep their families together, and resisted slavery. "From Slavery in America to Slavery in Canada" began at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom.
The year 2026 marks the 200th anniversary of Lowell's foundation as a city. In honor of this significant anniversary, University Professor Emeritus Bob Forrant will be writing history essays once a month for "The Lowell Sun." His first two articles were published on Sunday, January 25: "Lowell Bicentennial: Sharing Lowell’s important place in history" and "Lowell Bicentennial: The Irish in the new mill city."