Story and source ideas for journalists
05/11/2015
This is a notice of upcoming events, photo opportunities and story ideas at UMass Lowell, compiled by the Office of University Relations. 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 Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.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:
- Members of the Class of 2015 can talk about how their UMass Lowell experience and education has prepared them for their futures;
- Career-development experts can discuss the job market and what employers are looking for from graduating seniors ready to embark on careers.
Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.
UMass Lowell Professor to Be Honored for Cultural Preservation
Event Celebrates Excellence of Students, Alumni, Dignitaries
Actor, Education Advocate LeVar Burton Addresses Class of 2015
Researchers, Industry Leaders Discuss Advances in Sustainability
Entrepreneurship Summit Unites Educators, Innovators
PatUMass Lowell Professor to Be Honored for Cultural Preservation
When: Thursday, May 14, 5 to 7:30 p.m.
What: Patricia Fontaine, an associate professor in UMass Lowell’s Graduate School of Education, will be among the Greater Lowell leaders honored for their efforts to preserve cultural heritage during the annual presentation of the Community Excellence Awards by Lowell National Historical Park, Lowell Heritage Partnership and the city of Lowell. Fontaine will be recognized for her work on two initiatives. She collaborated with UMass Lowell to share the experiences of the city’s Asian immigrants through the 2014 exhibit “Lowell: A City of Refugees, a Community of Citizens.” In addition, she partnered with UMass Lowell and Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust to develop ways for local students to become engaged in the conservation of Hawk Valley Farm, nearly five acres of protected land located off Varnum Avenue in Lowell.
Where: Boott Cotton Mills Museum, 115 John St., Lowell
Contacts for media: David Byers, Lowell National Historical Park, 978-275-1705 or david_byers@nps.gov and Nancy Cicco, UMass Lowell, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
EveEvent Celebrates Excellence of Students, Alumni, Dignitaries
When: Friday, May 15. Awards presentation and conversation with honorees, 5 to 6 p.m. and celebration from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
What: UMass Lowell’s Commencement Eve Celebration will unite students, faculty, staff and alumni to honor the accomplishments of graduating seniors who have excelled in academics and service to the community and university. Commencement speaker LeVar Burton is expected to attend along with UMass Lowell’s 2015 other honorary degree recipients, including Carole Cowan, former president of Middlesex Community College; John Sampas, literary executor of Jack Kerouac’s estate; Donato Tramuto, founder, CEO and chairman of Physicians Interactive; and Barry Perry ’68, former chairman and CEO of Engelhard Inc., along with Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Lorenzo Cabrera ’94, founder and chairman of Cabrera Services Inc. Over the past eight years, the event has raised millions for UMass Lowell student scholarships. Members of the public interested in purchasing tickets should contact Kathleen Sullivan at 978-934-3236 or Kathleen_Sullivan@uml.edu.
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
BurtonActor, Education Advocate LeVar Burton Addresses Class of 2015
When: Saturday, May 16, 9 a.m.
What: Actor, entrepreneur and education advocate LeVar Burton will address nearly 3,800 graduates – a record number for the eighth year in a row – during UMass Lowell Commencement exercises. Burton is perhaps best known for his role as Kunta Kinte in the TV miniseries “Roots” and as the host and executive producer of the PBS show “Reading Rainbow,” which helped teach generations of children to read. That work continues today with the launch of RRKidz, Burton’s all-digital educational publishing company that is bringing “Reading Rainbow” to the web and into the classroom. The university will confer honorary degrees on Burton; Carole Cowan, former president of Middlesex Community College; John Sampas, literary executor of Jack Kerouac’s estate; Donato Tramuto, founder, CEO and chairman of Physicians Interactive; and Barry Perry ’68, former chairman and CEO of Engelhard Inc. Lorenzo Cabrera ’94, founder and chairman of Cabrera Services Inc., will be presented with the Distinguished Alumni Award.
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
TURIResearchers, Industry Leaders Discuss Advances in Sustainability
When: Tuesday, May 19, 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
What: Researchers, industry professionals and government officials leading the quest to develop safer, more environmentally friendly materials will gather at UMass Lowell to discuss cutting-edge projects, best practices and the future of the field. Presented by the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at UMass Lowell, the conference will include sessions about proactive chemicals management and partnership opportunities for industry and academic institutions, along with tours and demonstrations at the university’s Mark and Elisia Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center. TURI works to reduce the use of toxic chemicals, protect the public health and the environment and promote innovations that improve the sustainability and competitiveness of Massachusetts businesses.
Where: University Crossing, Moloney Hall, Second Floor, 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
DeshpandeEntrepreneurship Summit Unites Educators, Innovators
When: Tuesday, June 9 through Thursday, June 11
What: More than 300 academic leaders and industry professionals from throughout North America will gather at UMass Lowell to discuss how to integrate entrepreneurship education and business partnerships into the fabric of campus life at colleges and universities. The fourth annual Deshpande Symposium on Innovation and Entrepreneurship will include sessions about: strategies to help two- and four-year educational institutions embrace entrepreneurship as part of their curriculum; technology commercialization and accelerators; maker spaces for students, researchers and industry partners; and the future of online education. UMass Lowell Executive Vice Chancellor Jacqueline Moloney, one of the event’s organizers, will lead a program on innovation and entrepreneurship as a means to institutional transformation. Other scheduled speakers include Raj Melville, executive director of the Deshpande Foundation; Subra Suresh, president of Carnegie Mellon University; and Jeff Hoffman, co-founder of Priceline.com.
The symposium’s founders are UMass Lowell and the Deshpande Foundation, which fosters entrepreneurship and innovation as catalysts for sustainable change in the U.S., India and Canada. Together, the university and the foundation have also established E for All!, which works to strengthen the economies of local communities, including Lowell and Lawrence, through entrepreneurship. For more about the conference, visit www.deshpandesymposium.org.
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