Story and Source Ideas for Journalists

11/17/2014

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 Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.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 faculty experts are available to discuss: 

  • Why some activities become holiday traditions and how to establish new ones;
  • How some retailers being open on Thanksgiving affects customers and employees, and whether a boycott by some shoppers will have an economic impact;
  • Whether the arctic cold experienced throughout the country this week is the beginning of a trend for the coming winter. 

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

Nationally Acclaimed Faculty to Read from Books  

When: Wednesday, Nov. 19, 4 p.m.

What: Writers Andre Dubus III and Sandra Lim – both faculty members in UMass Lowell’s English Department – will read selections of their works and sign books during a free program for the campus and community. Dubus is the author of six books, including The New York Times’ bestsellers “House of Sand and Fog,” “The Garden of Last Days” and his memoir of life in Haverhill, “Townie.” Lim is the author of two poetry collections, “The Wilderness” and “Loveliest Grotesque,” which have both received critical acclaim. Both writers are Pushcart Prize winners. In addition, Dubus has received the National Magazine Award for Fiction and an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature. The event is presented by the English Department.

Where: O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 222, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

UMass Lowell Wind Ensemble to Present Free Concert

When: Wednesday, Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m.

What: The University Wind Ensemble will perform a variety of contemporary compositions in a free concert for the campus and the public. This elite group of UMass Lowell students – who play woodwinds, brass and percussion instruments – will be conducted by Daniel Lutz, director of university bands and a faculty member in the Department of Music.

Where: Durgin Concert 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 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

Event Showcases Music by Portuguese Composers

When: Wednesday, Nov. 19, 8 p.m.

What: Musical duo Doppio Ensemble will perform the works of Portuguese composers in a free, public concert. The pair – violinist Evandra De Brito Gonçalves and pianist Ana Queiros – have each won awards for their virtuosity on their instruments and have performed together all over the world. Concert selections will include works by Fernando Lopes-Graça, Anne Victorino D’Almeida and Sergio Azevedo, among others. The performance is presented by UMass Lowell’s Saab-Pedroso Center for Portuguese Culture and Research and the UMass Lowell International Student and Scholars Office.

Where: UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, 50 Warren St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

Entrepreneurs to Discuss How Failure Can Motivate Success

When: Thursday, Nov. 20, 6 to 8 p.m.

What: “How Failure Led to My Success” will bring together entrepreneurs from a variety of fields to discuss their career paths and what led them to their current pursuits. Panelists will include Glenn Morgan, a UMass Lowell graduate who co-owns SkyWorld Interactive, a website design company in Woburn, and George Peters, co-founder of KettlePizza of Groveland. Moderating the session will be Thomas O’Donnell, a professor of management and entrepreneurship in UMass Lowell’s Manning School of Business.    

Where: Entrepreneurship for All, Wannalancit Mills, Suite 100, 75 Cabot St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

Students Volunteer to Build Habitat for Humanity Home

When: Friday, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

What: Accounting students from UMass Lowell’s Manning School of Business will join fellow students, as well as faculty and staff, to help construct a home for a local family on behalf of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell. This is the second year UMass Lowell students have organized this volunteer effort.  

Where: 133-135 Willie St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Kim Trainor, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell, 978-692-0927, ktrainor@lowellhabitat.org or Nancy Cicco, UMass Lowell, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu

Program Explores Challenges Behind Creating Climate Policy

When: Monday, Nov. 24, noon

What: Jonathan Peress, air policy director of the Environmental Defense Fund, will talk about whether natural gas and regulatory reform help or hinder the development of climate policy. In his work, Peress leads natural gas policies and program initiatives. He is a former vice president and director of clean energy and climate change at the Conservation Law Foundation. The event is presented by UMass Lowell’s Climate Change Initiative.

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 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

‘Reading with Rowdy,’ Hockey Game Part of City of Lights Celebration

When: Saturday, Nov. 29. “Reading with Rowdy,” noon and UMass Lowell men’s hockey game, 7 p.m.

What: UMass Lowell student-athletes and mascot Rowdy the River Hawk will read favorite holiday books to children during a free event as part of Lowell’s annual City of Lights and Holiday Celebration. As part of the festivities, the university will be offering complimentary ticket vouchers to attend the River Hawks men’s hockey game versus Harvard University, in a contest that will mark the Crimson’s first visit to UMass Lowell. The vouchers include a 20 percent discount coupon for children’s and holiday books at the River Hawk Shop, the university’s newly expanded bookstore. Fans who attend the contest will be invited to share the ice with the River Hawks during the team’s annual post-game skate.   

Where: “Reading with Rowdy,” the River Hawk Shop, University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell. UMass Lowell hockey game, Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell

Contacts for media: Pete Souris, 978-934-3771, Peter_Souris@uml.edu or Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu

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