Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
01/11/2016
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/pressroom. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication unless otherwise noted.
Sources of the week
UMass Lowell faculty experts are available to discuss:
- The music and legacy of rock ‘n’ roll frontman David Bowie who died Sunday at age 69;
- Reaction to the last State of the Union address of President Obama’s administration and his priorities for the coming year;
- Why so many people are entering the Powerball lottery and what ticket-holders need to be prepared for psychologically should they win the billion-dollar jackpot.
Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.
Open House Welcomes Prospective Graduate Students
Event Series Explores Latinos’ History, Culture in the U.S.
Students to Build Robot on Campus for Engineering Contest
‘Pink at the Rink’ is Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer
‘Star Wars’ Night Brings the Force to River Hawks Hockey
Family Event, Awards Celebrate Community and Legacy of MLK
Open House Welcomes Prospective Graduate Students
When: Wednesday, Jan. 13, 3 to 7 p.m.
What: Working professionals and others interested in pursuing their education at UMass Lowell can learn about graduate, continuing education and online offerings during an open house designed to meet their needs. Prospective students can find out more about the university’s 42 master’s, 36 doctoral and more than 70 graduate certificate programs, which are offered on campus, online or in a blended format that combines both options. UMass Lowell programs are nationally accredited. Faculty program coordinators and staff from Graduate Admissions, the Registrar’s Office and Financial Aid will be available to answer questions. On-site registration will be available.
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, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Event Series Explores Latinos’ History, Culture in the U.S.
When: The series kicks off on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m. The second program will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. and subsequent events will be held in February, March and April.
What: The history of Latinos in the United States and their contributions to American culture will be the focus of a six-part event series presented by UMass Lowell Libraries and held at libraries on campus and in Lawrence and Lowell. The first program in the series, “Poetry with Rhina Espaillat,” will feature the award-winning writer discussing her translations of Robert Frost’s poems into Spanish on Wednesday, Jan. 13. At the second program, “Foreigners in their Own Land,” set for Tuesday, Jan. 26, Maria Matz, a UMass Lowell associate professor who teaches Latin American studies and culture, will lead a discussion on how Spanish conquistadors and priests arrived in North America in the mid-16th century. Subsequent events in the series will be held in February, March and April. Members of the public interested in learning more may e-mail Sara Marks, UMass Lowell instruction and outreach librarian, at Sara_Marks@uml.edu. More details are available at http://uml.beta.libguides.com/programming.
Where: “Poetry with Rhina Espaillat” – Pollard Memorial Library, 401 Merrimack St., Lowell. “Foreigners in their Own Land” – O’Leary Library Learning Commons, UMass Lowell South Campus, 61 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
Students to Build Robot on Campus for Engineering Contest
When: Thursday, Jan. 14, 5:30 p.m.
What: Merrimack Valley middle- and high-school students who will vie against other teams to design, build and operate a robot in the international FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition will meet UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney and visit the space on campus where they will conduct their work. Over the next six weeks, the students will build a robot from a variety of provided materials – and limited instructions – while seeking the guidance of professional engineers from Analog Devices, Kronos Inc., and IBM. These mentors, many of whom are UMass Lowell alumni, will meet the students during this event and will oversee their work, which is supported by grants from NASA and Analog Devices. Once completed, teams’ robots will compete for a spot in the contest’s New England qualifying round in Hartford, Conn. and, if successful, the world championships in St. Louis in April. The students are from Dracut, Haverhill, Lowell, Tyngsborough, Methuen, and North Reading, along with Salem, N.H. The FIRST Competition was founded by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway, among other innovations and devices.
Where: UMass Lowell Makerspace, Room 102, Falmouth Hall, North Campus, 201 Riverside St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
‘Pink at the Rink’ is Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer
When: Saturday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m.
What: UMass Lowell’s men’s hockey team and River Hawks fans will offer their support to breast cancer survivors and those living with the disease during the annual “Pink at the Rink” night, part of the Hockey East Association’s Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer initiative. When the River Hawks face off against the Minutemen of UMass Amherst, the ice will be dyed pink in a show of solidarity. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from the game’s promotions will benefit Lowell General Hospital’s TeamWalk for CancerCare, which helps pay for the day-to-day needs of cancer patients, including medications, wigs and transportation services. Now in its 10th season, the Skating Strides program has raised nearly $300,000 toward the fight against breast cancer.
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
‘Star Wars’ Night Brings the Force to River Hawks Hockey
When: Saturday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m.
What: Hockey fans hope the “force” will be strong during “Star Wars” night when the River Hawks face off against the NCAA’s defending national champion Providence Friars. Throughout the Hockey East men’s matchup, members of two regional “Star Wars” fan clubs will be dressed as the film series’ characters and will be available for photos. The first 1,000 fans to arrive will also receive a commemorative “lightsaber” as a souvenir. A portion of the game’s ticket sales will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association – which will accept donations to raise “bail” money for team mascot Rowdy the River Hawk – and Team Impact, which unites critically ill children with collegiate sports teams so they may experience the camaraderie of athletic play and team life. This year, the nonprofit organization matched Lucas St. Onge, a boy coping with an immune system disorder, with the River Hawks, which welcomed him as an honorary member to participate in hockey practices, games and activities.
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
Family Event, Awards Celebrate Community and Legacy of MLK
What: UMass Lowell students, faculty and staff committed to public service will celebrate the work of Martin Luther King Jr. with programs that unite and educate community. Events include:
- ‘Sunday, Funday with the River Hawks’ – UMass Lowell students will volunteer to present an afternoon of free events for local children age 6 to 12 and their families. Children may participate in arts and crafts, games and fitness sessions, and visit with UMass Lowell mascot Rowdy the River Hawk. A free lunch will be included. Afterward, interested participants will receive free tickets to attend the UMass Lowell men’s basketball game against the Binghamton University Bearcats. Sunday, Jan. 24, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Campus Recreation Center, East Campus, 292 Aiken St., Lowell. The UMass Lowell men’s basketball game will start at 2 p.m. at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell.
- MLK Celebration Dinner – Members of the UMass Lowell community and the public who exemplify Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s commitment to social justice will be presented with Distinguished Service Awards during this annual event. The program will include presentations by students and a photo exhibit, along with interactive displays about the history of the civil rights movement in the United States. Members of the public who wish to attend should e-mail multicultural_affairs@uml.edu. Tuesday, Jan. 26, 5:30 p.m., Moloney Hall, University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell.
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu