Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
02/26/2013
This is a notice of upcoming events, photo opportunities and story ideas at UMass Lowell, compiled by the Office of University Relations, 978-934-3224. For more stories about UMass Lowell, visit www.uml.edu and click on “News” on the lower right corner of the page. Please note that media contact names below are not for publication.
Sources of the week: A UMass Lowell economics expert can discuss the March 1 “sequester” deadline and the $1.2 trillion in government cuts over the next 10 years that will take effect if Congress does not enact an alternative plan. A UMass Lowell political science expert can talk about a Republican movement to allocate electoral votes by congressional district.
- Etiquette Expert Shows Students How to Dine, Dress for Success
- Handmade Books Exhibit Illuminates Women’s History
- Job Fair Connects Nonprofit Employers, Students
- ‘Mothers of Rock’ Concert Honors Women Performers
- Student Bassoon Player Wins Spot as Soloist
- Startup Entrepreneurs Vie for $25,000 in Seed Money
- Northern Ireland Expert Discusses Peace Process
- Women’s Week Program Explores Feminism’s Role in Islam
- UMass Lowell Libraries Host Jack Kerouac Book Series
Etiquette Expert Shows Students How to Dine, Dress for Success
When: Monday, Feb. 25, 5:30 p.m.
What: More than 100 UMass Lowell students and local employers are expected to take part in a multi-course dinner that will be led by etiquette expert and author Jodi Smith, founder and president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting. The dinner will give students valuable experience in how to present themselves during business meetings that include meals. The event is hosted by UMass Lowell’s Career Services and Cooperative Education Center.
Where: Cumnock Hall, North Campus, 31 University Ave., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
BooksHandmade Books Exhibit Illuminates Women’s History
When: Exhibit runs from Monday, Feb. 25 through Friday, March 22. Artist’s Reception, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 3 p.m. Gallery hours are Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; evenings and Saturdays by appointment.
What: Books crafted by New Hampshire artist Gail Smuda that transcend traditional structure and binding techniques will be showcased in “A Retrospective of Handmade Artist’s Books.” Using traditional sewing and embroidery arts with mixed media such as photographs, textiles and timeworn objects to build books’ contents, Smuda’s work speaks to women’s history, issues and gender roles. The show is presented by the UMass Lowell Art Department and University Gallery as part of
Women’s History Month.
Where: University Gallery, McGauvran Hall, South Campus, 71 Wilder St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Michele Gagnon, 978-934-3491 or Michele_Gagnon@uml.edu
FairJob Fair Connects Nonprofit Employers, Students
When: Wednesday, Feb. 27, 1 to 4 p.m.
What: Representatives from more than 30 nonprofit and government organizations will meet with UMass Lowell students interested in gaining full- and part-time employment or exploring internship, fellowship, service-learning, research, and cooperative education opportunities. The event is presented by UMass Lowell’s Career Services and Cooperative Education Center.
Where: O’Leary Library Learning Commons, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
‘Mothers of Rock’ Concert Honors Women Performers
When: Saturday, March 2. Doors open at 7 p.m.; show starts at 7:30 p.m.
What: From Barbra Streisand to Grace Slick, the Spice Girls to Bjork, women who have made their mark in music will be celebrated during this show. Members of the UMass Lowell community and the public auditioned to be among the concert’s acts that will showcase songs written or made famous by women. Now in its ninth year, the “Mothers of Rock” concert is free but donations are encouraged, as proceeds will be split between Girls Inc. of Lowell, a nonprofit afterschool program for girls, and the Music Entertainment Industry Student Association (MEISA) at UMass Lowell. The show is presented by MEISA.
Where: Durgin Concert Hall, Durgin Hall, South Campus, 35 Wilder St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Student Bassoon Player Wins Spot as Soloist
When: Monday, March 4, 7:30 p.m.
What: Music student Matthew Heggie, a junior from Salem, won UMass Lowell’s 2013 Concert Competition for a chance to perform a solo during the University Wind Ensemble concert conducted by UMass Lowell Music Prof. David Martins. Each year, the university’s music students vie for the chance to perform a solo. Heggie will perform the Ewazen Concerto for Bassoon during the show, which is free and open to the public. The ensemble is comprised of UMass Lowell juniors, seniors and graduate students.
Where: Durgin Concert Hall, Durgin Hall, South Campus, 35 Wilder St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
AcceleratorStartup Entrepreneurs Vie for $25,000 in Seed Money
When: Tuesday, March 5, 6 p.m.
What: Thirteen entrepreneurs launching startups throughout the region – including a UMass Lowell student and a UMass Lowell graduate who are piloting two separate businesses – will compete for a share of $25,000 in seed money for their ventures during the Merrimack Valley Sandbox Initiative’s Accelerator Program Awards night. Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki is slated to be the contest’s keynote speaker. The event caps the Sandbox’s 12-week Accelerator Program, during which established business executives mentor new entrepreneurs as they hone their business ideas and plans. One of only four such initiatives in the world, the Sandbox was established by the Deshpande Foundation through the Merrimack Valley Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UMass Lowell.
Where: Chester’s at Bell Tower Square, 60 Island St., Lawrence.
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
IrelandNorthern Ireland Expert Discusses Peace Process
When: Thursday, March 7, 11 a.m.
What: Conflict transformation expert and author Peter Shirlow, a Queen’s University Belfast professor, will discuss issues important to current-day Belfast and Northern Ireland as a whole. Shirlow’s book, “The End of Ulster Loyalism?” advances his work examining how political prisoners and activists have influenced Northern Ireland’s peace process and post-conflict transformation. The talk, presented by the UMass Lowell Center for Irish Partnerships, is free and open to the public. Queen’s University is one of UMass Lowell’s 95 international partners in 40 nations worldwide.
Where: Coburn Hall, Room 205, South Campus, 850 Broadway St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
IslamWomen’s Week Program Explores Feminism’s Role in Islam
When: Thursday, March 7, 11 a.m.
What: Guest speaker Ziba Mir-Hosseini will explore the role of feminism in Islam during the presentation “Islam and Feminism: Between Theology and Religion.” Mir-Hosseini is a senior research associate at the Center for Islamic and Middle Eastern Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. The talk is presented by UMass Lowell’s College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, UMass Lowell’s Peace and Conflict Studies and Gender Studies programs, the Political Science Department and the Center for Women and Work as part of Lowell Women’s Week.
Where: Alumni Hall, North Campus, 84 University Ave., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
KerouacUMass Lowell Libraries Host Jack Kerouac Book Series
When: Tuesdays, March 19, April 9, April 30, 7 to 9 p.m.
What: Registration is open for the free Jack Kerouac book reading and discussion series that explores three of the author’s Lowell-centric novels: “The Town and the City,” “Visions of Gerard” and “Maggie Cassidy.” The UMass Lowell Libraries series, which began in January, features Prof. Todd Tietchen, a member of UMass Lowell’s English faculty, who leads discussions about each novel. A Beat Generation scholar, Tietchen is an internationally known Kerouac expert. Members of the public may attend one or all of the sessions, which will cover the books noted on the following dates: Tuesday, March 19, “Visions of Gerard” with the community group Lowell Celebrates Kerouac!; Tuesday, April 9, “Visions of Gerard;” and Tuesday, April 30, “Maggie Cassidy.” Participants who register now will receive free copies of “Visions of Gerard” and “Maggie Cassidy.” To register, go to http://libguides.uml.edu/kerouac or contact Sara_Marks@uml.edu. Support for the series is provided by the UMass Lowell English Department and Office of Community and Cultural Affairs, and the Massachusetts Humanities Council.
Where: All programs will be held at O’Leary Library Learning Commons, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell except Tuesday, March 19, which will be held at Pollard Memorial Library, 401 Merrimack St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu