March Sources of the Month

03/01/2016

Print, radio and TV journalists in need of expert sources can turn to UMass Lowell for world-class faculty, researchers and scholars who lend authority to news and feature stories in an engaging and relatable way. Experts in a range of fields – from science and engineering, business and education to the social sciences and humanities – are available in person, by phone or e-mail as sources for journalists. TV options include live broadcast interviews in person or via satellite.

This month’s hot topics and featured sources are: 

• Tax season – Janie Casello Bouges, tax expert. How can taxpayers thwart fraud and identity theft? What are the benefits of filing taxes early? What should one look for when hiring a professional firm to prepare taxes? Casello Bouges can discuss these topics and more, including how to avoid common tax mistakes and why Massachusetts and Maine residents have until April 19 to file. She is an associate professor of accounting who teaches taxation and finance in UMass Lowell’s Manning School of Business. 
• Women’s History Month – Researchers in UMass Lowell’s Center for Women and Work, who study the factors that affect women in the workplace. Experts are available to discuss the gains women have made and the challenges they still face with regard to the gender pay gap, achieving a life-work balance, stereotyping on the job, stress management, leadership styles, positions in caretaking and nontraditional fields and more.
• St. Patrick’s Day – Frank Talty, Irish politics and history. The 1916 Easter Rebellion in Ireland that sought to end British rule and establish an independent republic was a watershed moment in Irish politics. Talty can discuss the significance of the uprising and its centennial, along with the importance of Irish history and culture to the United States – including how Irish immigrants to Lowell in the 1800s helped fuel the American Industrial Revolution. Talty is a co-director of UMass Lowell’s Center for Irish Partnerships, which offers programs for students and faculty researchers in concert with educational institutions in Ireland and Northern Ireland. 
• Bat and baseball performance – Sports engineering experts. Before the first pitch is thrown on Opening Day – be it in the major league or Little League – Prof. James Sherwood, director of UMass Lowell’s Baseball Research Center, along with Patrick Drane, its assistant director, can provide an inside look at their work, which advances the scientific understanding of athletic equipment, including the construction and response of baseballs, bats and helmets. Both mechanical engineers, they can also discuss the emerging research on sports-related concussions. Sherwood founded the center in 1999 and it remains today one of the only one of its kind in the country. 

For a complete list of UMass Lowell experts, see www.uml.edu/experts. The university’s media relations team is ready to help connect you. Contact Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu.