Story and Source Ideas for Journalists

10/20/2014

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 Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.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:

  • The new guidelines for Ebola protective gear and the likelihood of contracting it and other communicable illnesses including Enterovirus D68 and the flu;
  • The testing process performed in UMass Lowell’s Baseball Research Center on the baseballs that will be used in the upcoming World Series;
  • IBM’s decision to shed its semiconductor division and what it means for shareholders from a former consultant to the company.

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

Two-Hundred Employers Come to Campus for Career Fair

When: Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2 to 6 p.m.
What: More than 200 employers and 1,000 UMass Lowell students are expected to attend UMass Lowell’s Fall Career Fair – this year relocated to the Tsongas Center to accommodate demand. From General Electric to Johnson & Johnson and City Year to Raytheon, businesses, nonprofits and government agencies that need employees who are ready for the working world will find them in UMass Lowell undergraduate and graduate students who are seeking full- or part-time jobs, internships and cooperative-education opportunities. Media can visit the fair to interview UMass Lowell students about their career plans and talk to employers about what they are looking for from job candidates in today’s market. The event is presented by UMass Lowell’s Career Services and Cooperative Education Center. (Note: The fair is not open to the public but the media is encouraged to cover this event.)
Where: Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 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 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

Business School to Host Ph.D. Program Open House

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

River Hawk Homecoming is One Celebration for Every Generation

16th annual Jennifer’s 5K Fun Run/Walk, Saturday, Oct. 25, 11 a.m. Participants will explore the city while raising money for the Jennifer D’Amour Scholarship Fund, which supports scholarships for women’s cross-country and track and field athletes. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell.
Hawkey Way, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2 to 6 p.m. The free, outdoor festival will include live performances, a farmer’s market, a student organization and clubs fair, food and more. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell.
Open Skate, Saturday, Oct. 25, 1 to 2 p.m. Members of the public will take a twirl on the home ice of the defending Hockey East Tournament champion River Hawks before the team suits up at 7 p.m. for a game against Michigan State in the Spartans’ debut appearance in Lowell. Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 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 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

Science, Math Teachers to Learn about Robots for the Classroom

When: Saturday, Oct. 25, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

What: Teachers who want to learn about building robots as part of their middle- and high-school science and math curriculum will participate in a free, hands-on workshop presented by UMass Lowell’s Computer Science Department. The 80 program participants hail from schools from throughout Massachusetts, Nashua, N.H. and Houston, Texas. During the program, they will build and program robots, learn about using sensors, data collection and visualization in the classroom and get information about UMass Lowell’s workshop, funding and scholarship opportunities.

Where: Olsen Hall, North Campus, 198 Riverside 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

Organizer Shares Story Behind Historic Emerald Isle Football Game

When: Saturday, Oct. 25, 11:30 p.m.

What: Jim O’Brien, who organized the first NCAA-sanctioned U.S. college football game played in Europe, will discuss and read from his book “The Match: The Emerald Isle Classic” at a free event for the public and the campus. The memoir recounts the story behind the historic 1988 game, which was played in Dublin between the Boston College Eagles and the Army Black Knights. Following his talk, O’Brien will sign copies of his book, which will be available for purchase at the River Hawk Shop, UMass Lowell’s new flagship bookstore at University Crossing.

Where: River Hawk Shop, University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket 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

Dynamic Campus on Display for Prospective Students

When: Sunday, Oct. 26. Exhibits are 9 to 11:30 a.m. and campus tours are 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

What: Prospective students interested in UMass Lowell will learn about the university’s wealth of undergraduate and graduate programs and vibrant campus life at this event. Attendees and their families will meet with faculty, staff and students and tour UMass Lowell’s campus, including the brand-new student-engagement center at University Crossing, the 10th new building opened by UMass Lowell in five years. Presentations on majors and programs, exhibits and information about financial aid and educational resources will illustrate why UMass Lowell is ranked among the top public universities in the country by U.S, News & World Report. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate degree programs and options for graduate study that include 39 master’s degrees, 33 doctoral degrees and dozens of certificate programs. For more information, visit www.uml.edu/admissions/visit/open-house/default.aspx.

Where: Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 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 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

Whether Money Influences Politics is Subject of Presentation

When: Monday, Oct. 27, noon

What: Paul Jorgensen, an expert on the influence of money in politics, will present a free talk examining the links between industry, political-money coalitions and public policy. The program will include a discussion about whether there is a representation crisis in U.S. government in which legislation is crafted to benefit the wealthy at the expense of the public good. The event is co-sponsored by UMass Lowell’s Political Science Department and its Center for Public Opinion.

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

Portuguese Journalist to Discuss Influence of Walt Whitman

When: Tuesday, Oct. 28, 3 p.m.

What: Portuguese journalist and literary critic Filipa Melo will present the free talk “Whitman and Pessoa: Brothers in the Universe,” an exploration of how the work of Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa was influenced by American poet Walt Whitman. A host of cultural programs on Portuguese Public Television, Melo will teach a master class in the UMass Lowell English Department this semester as the first author in the Luso-American Foundation/UMass Lowell College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Writer-in-Residence Program. Her talk is presented by the UMass Lowell Jack and Stella Kerouac Center for the Public Humanities, the English Department and the Saab-Pedroso Center for Portuguese Culture and Research.

Where: O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 478, 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

Event for Local Children Scares Up Halloween Fun on Campus

When: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 4 to 7 p.m.

What: Local children and their families are invited to have some kooky and spooky fun at UMass Lowell’s free annual Halloween event, presented by the Office of Residence Life. Now in its eighth year, the event will include games, activities and safe trick-or-treating through two of the university’s residence halls, along with a “haunted house” experience for older children. Members of the public who have questions about the event may call Residence Life at 978-934-5160.

Where: Sheehy and Concordia halls, South Campus, 4 and 6 Solomont Way, Lowell

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

Audience to Wear Halloween Costumes at University Orchestra Concert

When: Thursday, Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m.

What: Audience members are encouraged to come in costume when the University Orchestra performs a frightening array of Halloween classics during a free concert for the public. Conducted by Mark Latham, a UMass Lowell music faculty member, selections will include Saint Saens’ “Danse Macabre,” Marchner’s “Der Vampyr Overture,” Berlioz’s “March to the Scaffold” and “Witches’ Sabbath” from the Symphonie Fantastique. The venue is handicapped-accessible and offers free parking in the nearby Wilder Street lot.

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

Share