In early December, 250 former players int he UMass Lowell Marching Band gathered to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary. They had a blast.

The Honors College has a dedicated advisor and a “Transfermation” peer mentoring program to help transfer students. The goal: Make the transition as smooth as possible.

With mobile payment apps like Venmo and PayPal becoming mainstream, Spencer Ross, assistant professor of marketing, entrepreneurship and innovation in the Manning School of Business, is researching what a cashless society means to people and organizations that depend on cash donations.

The 2018 David Lustick Climate Change Teach-In, “Invisibilities: Seeing and Unseeing the Anthropocene,” explored how images can both shape and obscure our understanding of climate and environment. It was organized by Assoc. Prof. of Art History Kirsten Swenson as part of the IDEA Leadership Grant Initiative.

Assistant Prof. Angélica Durán Martínez studies the politics of drug trafficking violence in Colombia and Mexico. She hopes her findings will inform public policy on illegal drugs.

In an intense week of DifferenceMaker competition across three colleges, Benji Ball emerged as a two-time winner. Air Allign emerged tired but with hearts in the right place.

A team of researchers from UMass Lowell, King’s College London, Paris Diderot University and the University of Hartford in Connecticut has created a new class of metamaterial that can be “tuned” to change the color of light.

Theatre arts students gain valuable experience behind the scenes through paid internships on faculty-supervised productions. That can lead to professional internships – and then jobs.

UMass Lowell students have earned more than $24 million over the past five years through the Professional Cooperative Education program, helping them pay for college while gaining valuable real-world work experience. 

Lowell’s Southeast Asian community celebrated the launch of the university’s Southeast Asian Digital Archive, which documents the violence they fled as refugees and their experiences resettling in Lowell.

Joaquim de Almeida, the best-known Portuguese actor in Hollywood, gave career advice to students in the Theatre Arts and Digital Media programs. He also spoke at a public event to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Saab Center for Portuguese Studies.

Sponsored by the Art & Design Department, the university’s first Regional High School Exhibition features 50 works by students from public and private high schools around the state.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Prof. Katherine Tucker a $2.6 million grant to evaluate bone health risks among men.

Bill Cummings, a self-made real estate magnate and billionaire philanthropist, shared life lessons with 200 Manning School of Business students at an event hosted by the Wilson Center for Entrepreneurship and supported by the student-run Real Estate Network Association.

The Donahue Center for Business Ethics & Social Responsibility hit the ground running in its first year, expanding ethics-related education and research to students and faculty across the university.

For almost two decades, Research Prof. David Turcotte’s “Healthy Homes” project has improved the lives of low-income children and seniors with asthma. His focus on environmental justice also includes research on wind turbines, community health and healthy workplaces.

After "graduating" from the iHub Oct. 1, Horsepower Technologies, which is pioneering rehabilitative orthotic devices for horses, headed for the fifth floor of Wannalancit Mills on Cabot Street, a space with room to grow. 

Chancellor Jacquie Moloney signed the Universal Declaration of Humankind Rights and Duties, which says humans have a responsibility to protect the environment for future generations. UMass Lowell is the first U.S. university to sign the accord.

From “Muffin Mondays” to “Six-Hour Quiet Study Time” on Saturdays, Honors College Dean Jim Canning is bent on inculcating serious study habits in students. He provides the food and they put in the effort, quietly.

As the university rolls out larger shuttle buses to accommodate growing ridership, the Office of Transportation Services has created an in-house training program to help student drivers earn their required commercial driver’s licenses.

Twin brothers Bhavan and Bhuvan Somayanda, who both earned master’s degrees in plastics engineering in 2015, returned for the Fall Career Fair to recruit for their current employer, Applied Medical.

Oprah Winfrey’s visit to campus inspired students and fans from around the region – and her conversation with Chancellor Jacquie Moloney raised $1.5 million for scholarships. Winfrey then announced she would match that amount.

Faculty members from across the university shared their research and were recognized for their achievements at the 2018 Faculty Symposium, held at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center.

A faraway war with a close-to-home price. Student protests. Political upheaval. Psychedelic experimentation. Amps cranked to 11. Some people were lost, others found. It was 1968 and as the year closed, the White Album showed up.

UMass Lowell started as a state teachers’ college. More than a century later, faculty in the College of Education are helping other UML faculty become better teachers.

Education students get to practice their teaching skills in a virtual classroom before they ever lead a real one. The software they use is like an online multiplayer game, with live actors helping simulate the behavior of elementary school students in real time.

Now in its fourth year, the Office of Multicultural Affairs’ popular Pair-Up Program helps international students acclimate to campus while increasing cultural understanding for American students.

Public Health Department Chair Nicole Champagne brings Ben, the university's first therapy dog, to campus twice a week and the Wellness Center recently brought baby animals to campus, all to reduce student stress.

A team of researchers from UMass Lowell and the Goddard Space Flight Center has received a two-year, $1.2 million grant from NASA to develop an instrument that would significantly improve the accuracy of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame.

Alumni who returned to take their place in the university's Military Hall of Fame were full of thanks as they told their stories of how UMass Lowell helped them get squared away in life.

Sociology Prof. Mignon Duffy researches the vast armies of careworkers – mostly women, mostly underpaid – who care for children and the elderly, the sick and the disabled. Now she’s advising the United Nations on careworkers’ role in services that support families.

Business major Drew Epperson, student manager of the UML baseball team, experienced the Red Sox World Series victory like few others, thanks to his dad’s coaching job with the Sox.

Manning School of Business student and aspiring singer Nicole Hayek auditioned for executive producers of “American Idol” in Louisville, Ky., with hopes of advancing to the celebrity judges.

For the fourth time in 10 years, the Manning School of Business’ Student Managed Fund was the UMass system’s top finisher in the annual investing competition sponsored by the UMass Foundation.

New faculty in the College of Education bring global experience to the challenges facing local schools. Their expertise will raise students’ awareness of cultural differences that affect children’s school experiences – and figure out how to improve education for everyone.

Political science students looking for campaign experience have found plenty of opportunities this year in the open race for the 3rd Congressional District seat and other midterm contests. Many of them cross the border in presidential election years to work in New Hampshire, too.

A total of 30 undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from colleges across the campus competed during the first Future Pack Design Challenge, held at the new Fabric Discovery Center.

“Confronting Gun Violence Against Kids” was the theme of the College of Education’s 23rd Panasuk Symposium on Educational Research, Policy & Practice, which featured Peter Cunningham, former assistant secretary for communications and outreach for the U.S. Department of Education.

Students in the Society of Women Engineers hosted a Repair Café for the campus and community last month. Along the way, they learned some useful skills themselves, such as how to take apart a microwave oven, fix a lamp and hand-sew patches for denim jackets.

Manning School of Business faculty Scott Latham and Beth Humberd examined four ways that jobs will respond to automation in a research article published in MIT Sloan Management Review.

As the Red Sox battle in their fourth World Series since 2004, championship fever is sweeping across the region. UMass Lowell has numerous connections to the game and the UMass Lowell community is loaded with baseball experts. Curious about the physics of going yard or the keys to this team’s success? Read on —and go Sox!

Marjorie Yang, chair of the $1 billion Hong Kong-based textile company Esquel Group, visited campus and talked to students about sustainability and social responsibility. Her father, Y.L. Yang, earned a master of science in textile chemistry from the Lowell Textile Institute in 1948.

Everyone loves a good monster – and this year, there’s plenty to love. English Prof. Todd Avery is devoting his popular class on monsters to Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” to celebrate the novel’s 200th birthday, while new Asst. Prof. Maia Gil’Adí is exploring ghosts and monsters in Latinx literature.

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently awarded a five-year, $14 million grant to a partnership of faculty and student researchers from UMass Lowell and other universities in New England to create a regional Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center.

At a recent career seminar, students from a variety of majors heard from three experienced genetic counselors about the various career options in the profession, as well as the challenges and rewards of their jobs.

Alumni of all ages had plenty to be proud of at River Hawk Homecoming 2018 — from the university reaching its $125 million fundraising goal ahead of schedule, to the hockey team’s season-opening win, to an upcoming visit by Oprah Winfrey.

The fourth annual DifferenceMaker Celebration was twice as good as expected. Not only did CNBC commentator Ron Insana serve up a helping of witty business talk on the very day the Dow plunged more than 800 points, but Dean Kamen – the New Hampshire-based engineer and Segway inventor – showed up and spoke to the sold-out crowd, too. 

UMass President Marty Meehan returned to campus to discuss the power of education and the importance of college affordability as part of “Leaders in Lowell,” a speaker series run by a pair of Lowell Catholic High School students.

With the support of thousands of donors, UMass Lowell’s first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, 'Our Legacy, Our Place,' has surpassed its $125 million goal 18 months ahead of schedule, thanks to a new, $5 million commitment from alumnus Brian Rist, the largest single gift in university history.

Manager of Network Services Tim Corcoran received the prestigious Legion of Merit award from the U.S. Armed Forces in honor of his 32 years of “exceptionally meritorious service” in the U.S. Army and the Massachusetts Army National Guard.

Seven UMass Lowell students collaborated on a large mural, the latest stroke in a move  to make a once-gritty and blighted alley into a green haven for art and poetry.

The Solomont School of Nursing celebrated the 50th anniversary of the nursing program by recognizing 50 nursing leaders at an event on Oct. 4.

The university planted 25 mature trees and shrubs behind Allen House on South Campus, all donated by the Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust via a $10,000 grant from TD Bank.

It was a hospital, yes. But Lowell’s St. Joseph’s Hospital was so much more to the nuns who worked there and to the residents of the Acre neighborhood. Now, two UMass Lowell students have created a tribute to the hospital, celebrating its singular value to its workers, patients and the neighborhood around it.

New Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Peter Casey, who brings a “smorgasbord” of experience to the job, looks to continue the successful course charted by his mentor, Dana Skinner.

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $1 million grant to a team of researchers led by UMass Lowell to develop renewable fuel additives made from sawdust from sawmills.

Assoc. Prof. Wilson Palacios is researching new approaches to prevent opioid overdoses and the spread of disease in Lowell. Meanwhile, Asst. Prof. Angela Wangari Walter is identifying barriers to prevention, treatment and recovery for fishing industry workers in New England.

Psychology Prof. Meg Bond, an expert in workplace sexual harassment and director of the university’s Center for Women and Work, has been named University Professor for 2018.

Operation250, which began as a student project to combat terrorism, is the subject of a $1 million U.S. government grant to develop and evaluate its program for teaching children, teenagers, parents and educators about online safety, hate sites and terrorist recruitment tactics.

Men’s soccer player and sophomore business administration major Abdi Shariff-Hassan, a Somali refugee, is a key figure in author Amy Bass’ book “One Goal,” which is being featured in the 2018 Lowell Reads series.

For the first time since the program was born in 1983, there's a new coordinator for the university's esteemed Sound Recording Technology program: Brandon Vaccaro.

Business grad Mai Pham and engineering alum Nabil Saleh, who both landed jobs at Dell Technologies after graduation, returned to campus to tell students about opportunities in the field of supply chain operations.

University researchers are collaborating with Lawrence to turn the city into an “Age-Friendly Community” – a place where housing, transportation, green spaces, health care and social services help residents of all ages lead healthier lives.

Trevor Noah, the host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” will bring his biting brand of humor to the Tsongas Center on Oct. 5, courtesy of Student Activities. Students can get discounted tickets.

Asst. Prof. John Cluverius uses survey research to peer into the minds of voters and politicians. The political scientist and associate director of UML’s Center for Public Opinion shares his insights with students and the media.

Campus Recreation offers students so many great ways to get active and stay healthy. To keep up with students’ growing demand, the university has opened the new Campus Recreation Complex on East Campus.

The new Cumnock Marketplace offers more food options and provides students on North Campus with a comfortable place to spend time between classes.

A recently discovered novella by Jack Kerouac is being adapted for the stage by the artistic director of the Merrimack Repertory Theatre. “The Haunted Life” will also be a teaching tool in UML’s Theatre Arts and English programs all year, thanks in large part to English professor Todd Tietchen.

First-generation college students are a tradition at UMass Lowell – and now they get a helping hand from the River Hawk Scholars Academy, which welcomed 250 first-year students to campus this fall.

It’s tough to corral the attention of more than 3,200 college students in an arena. Tougher still to bring them to stony silence.  But that’s what Ken Nwadike did to the 3,200 freshman and transfer students at the 2018 Convocation.

When the Pixies showed up at UMass Lowell’s student-run WJUL, they were just another new band out of Boston. The musicians plugged in, ripped through 15 songs, gave brief interview then packed up and left. It was Dec. 15, 1986, long before they cast a huge shadow over rock music. That performance is about to be released as part of a box set.

Clinical Assoc. Prof. Edgar Torres of Physical Therapy and Kinesiology lends advice on how to keep our backs healthy to prevent lower back pain.

To help you get acclimated to (or reacquainted with) the university, we’ve put together a glossary of terms and acronyms common on the UMass Lowell campus.

Your moment has arrived. The beginning of a new semester. We've got an action-packed Opening Week on tap. From shuttle bus routes to campus clubs to what’s on the menu at the dining halls, we’ve got your back.

Linens, blankets and towels donated during Spring Move Out have returned to campus as good as new and are available to students in need, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Office of Sustainability, Student Affairs and the nonprofit organization Grad Bag.

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center sponsored nine high school students to do research for eight weeks on campus under its High School Apprenticeship Challenge program.

The Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science departments have moved to a remodeled (and renamed) Dandeneau Hall – one of Facilities Management’s several major renovation projects this summer.

The rising reputation of the School of Criminology and Justice Studies is reflected in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, with the online master’s degree scoring in the top 20 nationally and the new, on-campus Ph.D. program in the top 30.

Prof. Fred Martin of the Department of Computer Science recently hosted “CS Connections,” a four-day summer workshop for middle school teachers who want to learn about computer science.

English teachers and professors from around the world came to UMass Lowell this summer to learn how to teach critical thinking skills – and to experience American culture, from urban dance to shopping.

For food, fun and friends, nothing beats joining a club on campus, students say. It also helps your grades and builds your leadership and professional skills.

Tyler Lagasse just brought home his third silver medal in golf from the Special Olympics USA games. An author and motivational speaker with autism spectrum disorder, Lagasse will keynote the 50th anniversary celebration of Special Olympics at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in September.

The university is piloting a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program this summer, a joint initiative between the Office of Sustainability, the Center for Public Opinion and Mill City Grows, to lay the foundation for a self-sustaining CSA at the university while also providing research opportunities.

Assistant Prof. Sabrina Noel of the Department of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences fields questions about how much sugar in the diet is too much, deciphering food labels and identifying healthier options for satisfying a sweet tooth.

Assistant professors Ingrid Hess and Pouya Afshar, both four-year veterans of the UML faculty, have earned 2018 honors from the Fulbright Scholar Program, the cultural exchange program designed to improve intercultural and diplomatic relations across the globe. 

The new RAMP summer camp for incoming women engineering students aims to build their skills and connect them with future mentors so they stay the course. The first-year students say it’s boosting their confidence – and helping them make friends.

Disability Services – and the entire campus – supports students by embracing universal design principles in buildings and technology while also offering individual help.

Asst. Prof. Jill Portnoy studies how biology and social environment interact to predict aggression and criminal behavior – so she can figure out effective ways to intervene.

The city of Lowell and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation will begin replacing two canal bridges on campus this summer. Expected to take two years, the projects will create short-term traffic challenges but also long-term benefits to the university community.

There are 150 UML students studying abroad in 20 different countries this summer, as the International Experiences & Study Abroad office continues to provide new ways for students to become globally engaged while gaining valuable career skills.

With more visibility and space, the university’s new Outdoor Center and Bike Shop is better equipped to keep pace with students’ growing interest in cycling and recreational programs.

UMass Lowell’s online graduate programs in education earned a No. 8 ranking from U.S. News & World Report this year. Students say the programs are well-structured and the faculty are both knowledgeable and supportive. They also applaud options in science education and autism studies.

After more than three decades at UMass Lowell, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dana Skinner is retiring in September. He will be replaced by Deputy Director of Athletics Peter Casey.

Assoc. Prof. Jessica Garb is studying the molecular composition, biomechanical properties and evolution of a type of silk produced by Darwin’s bark spider.

Teachers from elementary, middle and high schools around the country flock to Lowell to learn hands-on teaching techniques in America’s first industrial city.

New one-on-one financial aid planning sessions for incoming students and their families are part of the university’s broader effort to promote students’ long-term financial health and support their success.

If you’re stuck on what to read this summer, the readers of UMass Lowell have plenty of suggestions. Whether they’re catching up on classics or burrowing into biographies, students, faculty, alumni and staff plan to do some serious page-turning this summer.

Jordi Love and Thomas Nelson bonded over video and board games. They texted each other their romantic feelings. They worked with professors on a research animation. And now they’re planning to marry. Among their “children” will be their own video games.

There are 150 UML students studying abroad in 20 different countries this summer, as the International Experiences & Study Abroad office continues to provide new ways for students to become globally engaged while gaining valuable career skills.

At the third annual Women’s Leadership Conference, speakers including the chancellor addressed blatant and subtle bias on the job – and said that in the #MeToo era, there’s still plenty of work to do.

New River Hawks women’s basketball coach Tom Garrick belongs to an exclusive fraternity with his boss, Director of Athletics Dana Skinner: They were both drafted to play professional basketball in the NBA.

The Toxics Use Reduction Institute recently recognized Asst. Prof. Boce Zang as an Academic Champion of Toxics Use Reduction at the State House. He was one of 12 honorees that are working to reduce toxic chemical use across the Commonwealth.

Julie Lenzer brought her message of creative disruption to the seventh annual Deshpande Symposium for Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Higher Education, which drew more than 300 educators, researchers and entrepreneurs, all looking for ways to infuse innovation into academia. 

Launched in May 2012, DifferenceMaker helps students understand how they can make a difference in the world and to gather with others to bring their vision to life. And if it really works out, a business may emerge from the hard work.

The UMass Lowell cheerleading team finished fourth at the 2018 National Cheerleading Association college championships in Daytona Beach, Fla. It was the club team’s best showing ever at the competition.

Gururaj “Desh” Deshpande has a golden touch when it comes to making a business prosper. We asked him three questions in advance of the seventh annual Deshpande Symposium, June 11 through 13 at the Inn & Conference Center.

Following their capstone projects with industry partners, the first students from the Master of Science in Business Analytics program graduated from the Manning School of Business this spring.

Most arrests end in guilty pleas instead of trials, and research suggests that many innocent people plead guilty to escape the threat of a long prison sentence. A psychology professor has teamed up with an art professor to make plea bargains easier to research – and to change an unjust system.

Manning School of Business Senior Lecturer Deb Finch won the 2018 Manning Prize for Excellence in Teaching, awarded annually to one faculty member from each of the five UMass campuses.

Students in Regina Milan's Design in Motion class took their assignment outside the classroom to help Girls Inc. create videos that would appeal to donors.

Spring Move Out yielded a record haul from students, with 16,500 pounds of clothing, household goods and nonperishable food items collected by the Office of Sustainability and donated to local nonprofits.

The First-year Writing Program is changing things up by offering service-learning and research experiences. Honors College students explore and write about Lowell, while other students can choose their own level in College Writing, including the intensive “studio” option.

Robotics experts from UMass Lowell, Carnegie Mellon University, Brigham Young University and Tufts University are working together to give humanoid robots and other autonomous systems the ability to assess themselves in terms of how well they can perform a given task.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham and U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas addressed the university’s largest graduating class ever at the 2018 Commencement ceremonies at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell.

Philosophy Chair John Kaag loves to ask students the big questions – such as “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?” – and answers them for himself in his upcoming book, “American Philosophy: A Love Story.”

A healthy composition of the gut microbiome – a vast army of microorganisms that keep us alive – could help prevent depression, obesity, arthritis and illnesses such as Parkinson’s Disease among others.

Invitation to Innovation, which was held May 4 at the Tsongas Center, was attended by more than 2,000 schoolchildren, educators and community and corporate partners.

As Commencement draws near, we checked in with our soon-to-be graduates. They've made the most of their time here, in the classrooms and research labs, at internships and co-op jobs, on sports teams and in student clubs. Now, our seniors are ready to make their mark on the world.

Compost generated from the university’s dining hall food waste is now available for purchase by the bag, thanks to a new pilot program run by the Office of Sustainability.

When the annual Lowell Folk Festival settles in downtown in July, sound recording technology alum Kevin Dwyer will be at the helm.

Graduate students in the Master’s in Public Health with a focus on dietetics spent the semester interning on campus with University Dining Services, learning about everything from food prep and safety to knife skills and food waste composting.

Mechanical engineering senior Deborah Fowler and chemical engineering senior Erin Shaughnessey have each won a 2018 Graduate Research Fellowship Program award from the National Science Foundation.

Students got to experience democracy first hand at the 3rd Congressional District debates sponsored by UML and The Boston Globe.

The sixth annual DifferenceMaker Idea Challenge spawned some unique ideas among the 10 finalists, including the winning proposal for a network of public safety drones.

UMass Lowell and the Manning School of Business have been recognized by Salesforce for their pioneering efforts in implementing Trailhead training resources in the classroom — and giving students CRM skills that are in high demand by employers.

Meet four families who have more than just genes in common. UMass Lowell is a common thread that binds them together, from generation to generation.

Industrious and driven to entrepreneurship, 25-year-old mechanical engineering grad Justin Lozier ’17 invented TopaCan, “the most convenient ashtray in the world.” 

In her first year as vice provost for faculty success, Beth Mitchneck has focused on building a sense of community among the university’s nearly 800 faculty members while helping them succeed in their research, instruction and professional development.

A collaboration between Campus Recreation, the Wellness Center and the Exercise Physiology department, the Exercise is Medicine program teaches students how exercise can improve their overall well-being by providing them with 16 personal training sessions – free of charge.

Nobel laureate Shuji Nakamura was on campus recently to deliver this year’s Tripathy Endowed Memorial Lecture and to receive an honorary doctorate from UMass Lowell.

A dozen civil and environmental engineering majors created their own senior capstone class to take on the challenge of designing home sanitation systems for a community in Haiti. The students traveled to Haiti to learn more about the people and local conditions.

Children of color come to school with amazing cognitive skills they’ve developed through music, dance and art. Understanding their culture and history is key to keeping them engaged in meaningful learning, says renowned educator Bettina Love.

UML is working hard to educate students in sexual violence prevention in the classroom, on playing fields, in student clubs and through residence life. Faculty are also doing cutting-edge research in the field.

Ten first-generation UML students are mentoring children in Lowell after-school programs. Assoc. Prof. Phitsamay Uy says she hopes the UML students will get the children interested in college – and that the children will get the UML students interested in teaching.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a group of UMass Lowell student researchers a “P3” grant to develop an innovative technology that would turn seafood waste into fertilizer.

Manning School of Business Assoc. Prof. Julie Zhang, whose research includes social media analytics and data mining, says Facebook’s data breach scandal involving Cambridge Analytica shouldn’t overshadow the positives that come from mining Big Data for business intelligence.

Twenty months after losing her left leg in a moped accident, junior attack Noelle Lambert makes an emotional return to the field for the women’s lacrosse team – and scores a goal in the River Hawks’ win.

Honors student Mansour Chaya won “Wheel of Fortune” by a nose, beating out students from Georgia State and UCLA. Chaya, a political science major, says he’s saving the money for law school.

For Mary Humble, studying at UMass Lowell is the fulfillment of a dream – after her high school education was cut short in Ireland nearly 60 years ago. Her daughter recently joined her on campus, and her granddaughter starts at UML this summer.

A team of five Manning School of Business students will compete for the first time at the International Business Ethics Case Competition in Boston. The team is led by faculty members Erica Steckler and Elissa Magnant, co-directors of the Donahue Center for Business Ethics and Social Responsibility.

Tawakkol Karman, the first Arab woman, the first person from Yemen and the second Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, was on campus to deliver the keynote address at the university’s 23rd annual Day Without Violence. She is UML’s 2018 Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies.

UMass Lowell's commitment to sustainability is evident in the six LEED-certified buildings on campus, the programs to boost recycling and cut food waste, the academic and research projects addressing everything from climate change to renewable energy and more.

Ten projects led by students, faculty and staff received more than $50,000 in support from the university’s Sustainability Encouragement & Enrichment Development (S.E.E.D.) Fund, which saw a jump in applications in its second year.

When student interests cross the borders of traditional academic disciplines, they turn to interdisciplinary studies and the Bachelor of Liberal Arts program to customize their education.

The smart jewelry company began in 2016 as a DifferenceMaker project but is gaining big-time sparkle as it launches to the rest of the world.

This year, the Honors College offered 100 fellowships to students who wanted to delve into research, read broadly outside their majors, intern at a nonprofit or create something original. The fellowships pay students for 100 hours of work with a faculty, staff or community mentor.

For siblings Jack, Jessica and Kimberly Carroll of North Andover, a UMass Lowell education is practically in their bloodlines. Their father and seven of their aunts and uncles attended the university.

What can graphics tell you about a city's history? A new exhibit focuses on design branding in Lowell – including UMass Lowell – over the years.

NASA was able to re-establish radio contact with the IMAGE satellite, which was launched in 2000 and operated for nearly six years before ground controllers suddenly lost its signal in December 2005.

The top-to-bottom renovation of Coburn Hall will allow the College of Education to return to its historic home – with updates that will carry it into the future.

Two history students took on the challenge of telling the story of Portuguese immigration to Lowell in a traveling museum exhibit. In the process, they uncovered family history – and a historic letter to then-Sen. John F. Kennedy, who sponsored an emergency bill to admit more Portuguese islanders.

Sixty academic, government and industry leaders and researchers from across the region came together for “The Internet of Things: Enabling Technologies & Emerging Trends,” a forum hosted by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.

To help students pursue advanced health degrees, the university has increased and centralized advising support and program coordination.

The university’s Emergency Medical Services team finished second out of more than 30 teams in a skills competition at the National Collegiate EMS Foundation’s annual conference in Philadelphia.

Jenna Vinson’s new book, “Embodying the Problem,” looks at how young mothers are shamed and stigmatized in teen pregnancy prevention campaigns – and how they are pushing back. The real problem, they argue, is lack of social support for moms of any age.

Whether you aspire to do big things like developing new options for sustainable energy, or achieve personal goals like immersing yourself in new cultures, UMass Lowell has options for you right here in our community.

Robert S. Ward, president and CEO of California-based ExThera Medical Corp. and a 1971 chemical engineering graduate of UMass Lowell, has been elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Mechanical engineer students, led by senior lecturer Michele Putko, are helping improve energy efficiency at the Lowell Transitional Living Center through an independent study project funded by a mini-grant from the university’s Sustainability Encouragement & Enrichment Development (S.E.E.D.) Fund.

Chemical engineering Assistant Professor Gulden Camci-Unal and her team of student researchers are designing new biomaterials that could someday be used to repair, replace or regenerate skin, bone, cartilage, heart valve, heart muscle and blood vessels, among others.

In a visit to campus March 1, Grammy-winning pop star Wyclef Jean met with UMass Lowell music students to give advice and audition talent for his new “Back to School” mix tape.

UMass Lowell is launching a unique program to recognize student involvement outside the classroom – and connect it with coursework. The new River Hawk Experience Distinctions will be offered in four areas: entrepreneurship, leadership, community engagement and global engagement.

From providing financial literacy workshops to improving advising, the Student Government Association advocates for student interests – and works with the chancellor and her team to implement solutions.

A group of engineers from iRobot, including alumni Eva Moscat and Anne (Faber) Gambino, shared how they overcame academic adversity during a panel discussion with STEM students dubbed “#PermissionToFail.”

Concurrently, in four city galleries hang exhibits featuring work by UMass Lowell students, alumni and faculty.

From providing financial literacy workshops to improving advising, the Student Government Association advocates for student interests – and works with the chancellor and her team to implement solutions.

In his new book, History Prof. Chad Montrie documents the origins of the environmental movement in community and labor activism, from the fight for clean drinking water in Lawrence to protests against pesticides and herbicides by migrant farmworkers.

From providing financial literacy workshops to improving advising, the Student Government Association advocates for student interests – and works with the chancellor and her team to implement solutions.

We’re celebrating women at UMass Lowell in coordination with Women’s History Month. The greater campus community is proud to host a variety of special events throughout the month of March that celebrate and honor the achievements of female students, alumnae, faculty and staff.

Last fall, Hurricane Maria tore across Puerto Rico, decimating the island's infrastructure. Months later, the struggle to rebuild and rebound continues. UMass Lowell wants to help.

UMass Lowell has its share of history, but only rarely is it told in terms of love. Valentine's Day seems a fitting time to recount a few of the many entries in UMass Lowell's book of love.

The Center for Program Evaluation is helping The Career Academy, an alternative public high school in Lowell, figure out the best ways to help and empower students.

The Manning School of Business’ Global Entrepreneurship Exchange was one of four programs nationwide to win a 2018 IIE Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education.

The LEED Gold-certified Pulichino Tong Business Building received the Green Design Award from the City of Lowell as part of its annual Sustainable Lowell Awards.

Alexandre Lopes, associate professor of physical therapy, is conducting research, blogging and posting photos about his experiences at the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Biology Asst. Prof. Jennifer L. Fish is spearheading a project to understand the molecular mechanisms responsible in patients who have genetic mutations that lead to craniofacial deformities.

Sophomore political science major Ryan Hamilton was elected to the Methuen City Council last fall. At 20 years old, he’s serving his first term as “Councilor Hamilton.”

Backed by a $173,000 investment in new technology, the university’s new Digital Learning Centers provide students and faculty with improved computer labs throughout campus — all centrally managed by the Information Technology Office.

The NERVE Center and Toxics Use Reduction Institute both moved to new homes over winter break, while Facilities Management steamed ahead on renovations at Perry and Pasteur halls and on the construction of University Suites Dining.

It may be winter out there, but spring semester has arrived. Whether you're a returning student or new to campus, we’ve got all the information you need to kick your semester into high gear.

Prof. Katherine Tucker of the Department of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences has received a $3.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the effects of highly processed foods on cognitive decline.

Sociology students taking the course Social Problems discussed their ideas for reducing the cost of college with state legislators and university officials at an end-of-semester “Debt-Free College Town Hall.”

UMass Lowell researchers have developed a paint-stripping solvent that they say provides a safer alternative to the toxic, potentially deadly products available for purchase at local hardware stores.

Assoc. Prof. Sukesh Aghara, director of UMass Lowell’s Nuclear Engineering Program, shares his perspective on what we can expect to see in the geopolitical landscape in the coming year.

Born in Paris, educated at MIT and employed at Bentley University for the past 28 years as a professor of mathematical sciences, Dominique Haughton has returned to UMass Lowell to complete her undergraduate music degree. She’s also helping to build a stronger sense of community in the piano wing at Durgin Hall.

E Ink is expanding its partnership with UMass Lowell beyond co-ops and internships, thanks to a $196,000 workforce training grant that the Division of Online and Continuing Education helped the high-tech company obtain from the state and the opening of more innovation labs on campus.