Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
03/04/2013
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 “Media” at the top of the page. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.
Sources of the week: UMass Lowell political experts can share insights into the Massachusetts special-election race for a U.S. Senate seat. A professor with expertise in Egyptian politics and culture can discuss the $250 million U.S. aid package to the country. A UMass Lowell economics expert can talk about the projected impact of the federal budget cuts that went into effect as a result of the March 1 “sequester.”
- Student Bassoon Player Wins Spot as Soloist
- Small-Business Owners Vie for $25,000 in Seed Money
- Talk Explores What It Takes to Be a Business Leader
- Northern Ireland Expert Discusses Peace Process
- Women’s Week Program Explores Feminism’s Role in Isla
- Lawmakers Honored for Role in Tsongas Center Acquisition
- UMass Lowell Libraries Host Jack Kerouac Book Series
- Handmade Books Exhibit Illuminates Women’s History
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
AcceleratorSmall-Business Owners 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. Scheduled speakers include Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki and UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan. The event caps the Sandbox’s 12-week Accelerator Program, during which established business leaders 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
TalkExploresTalk Explores What It Takes to Be a Business Leader
When: Wednesday, March 6, 6:30 p.m.
What: New-product development expert Beth Logan will discuss what’s needed to cultivate the next generation of corporate leaders and entrepreneurs during a visit to the Manning School of Business at UMass Lowell. Logan, who has 25 years of technology, engineering and product-management experience, is a senior product manager at Brooks Automation in Chelmsford. Prior to working for Brooks, she ran her own technology management consulting company and held management positions at several others, including Skyworks Solutions, Lucent Technologies and M/A-Com Technology Solutions.
Where: Pasteur Hall, Room 407, 1 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
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: Dugan Hall, Room 211, South Campus, 850 Broadway St., Lowell. (NOTE: The event’s location has changed.)
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Women%E2%80%99sWeekWomen’s Week Program ExploresFeminismExplores 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
LawmakersHonoredLawmakers Honored for Role in Tsongas Center Acquisition
When: Friday, March 8, 5:30 p.m.
What: UMass Lowell will hold a dedication ceremony to recognize members of Lowell’s Statehouse delegation in 2010 for their vital role in passing legislation that enabled the university to acquire the former Tsongas Arena, now the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell. Former state Sen. Steven Panagiotakos and current state Reps. Thomas Golden, Kevin Murphy and David Nangle spearheaded this work, helping to set the stage for UMass Lowell’s resurgent River Hawk men’s hockey team and the transformation of the venue into one of the top-ranked centers for sports and entertainment. Panagiotakos, Golden, Murphy and Nangle are slated to speak, along with UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan. The dedication ceremony will take place shortly before the River Hawks drop the puck on their last regular-season home game, battling Providence College to stay at No.1 atop the Hockey East standings. To thank fans for their support this winning season, the first 1,000 ticketholders through the gate will receive a Dwayne Roloson bobblehead figure, courtesy of Xfinity. Roloson, an NHL All-Star goaltender and 1994 UMass Lowell graduate, volunteered as a River Hawks goalie coach this season.
Where: Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell lobby, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
UMassUMass Lowell Libraries HostJackHost Jack Kerouac Book Series
When: Tuesdays, March 19, April 9, April 30, 7 to 9 p.m.
What: The public is invited to 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 at 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
BooksHandmade Books Exhibit Illuminates Women’s History
When: Exhibit runs through Friday, March 22. 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 Student Center, 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