Story and Source Ideas for Journalists

Career fair
UMass Lowell's Career Fair on Wednesday, March 23 will connect job-ready students with more than 200 employers from throughout the region.

03/15/2016

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. In case of inclement weather, call UMass Lowell’s weather hotline at 978-934-2121; if the university is closed, events are canceled. 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 Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication unless otherwise noted.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: 

  • President Obama’s top choice for the next U.S. Supreme Court justice, expected to be announced this week, and the upcoming steps in the vetting process to fill the panel’s vacancy;
  • Chinese investors’ unsolicited bid to buy Starwood Hotels and Resorts, owner of the Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, and St. Regis brands, disrupting Marriott’s plans to acquire the company; 
  • The importance of Evacuation Day, a state holiday observed on March 17, and its connection to Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, which will be held on Saturday.  

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

Boy Scouts to Earn Merit Badges with UMass Lowell’s Help
Programs Examine U.S. Policies, Attitudes on the Middle East
Career Fair Connects Job-Ready Students with Employers 
Art Exhibit Questions the State of Modern-Day Society
Duo Performs Brazilian Music’s Captivating Rhythms
Graphic Designer to Share His Work and Inspirations
Networking Event Develops Community Opportunities for Students

Boy Scouts to Earn Merit Badges with UMass Lowell’s Help

When: Saturday, March 19, 1 p.m.
What: To help a local group of Boy Scouts earn merit badges in environmental sustainability, UMass Lowell leaders will give them a behind-the-scenes look at the university’s award-winning efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. Approximately 20 Scouts, along with their troop leaders and family members, will start by learning about the “green” roofs and daylight harvesting technology at University Crossing, for which UMass Lowell is pursuing a silver certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design from the U.S. Building Council. Afterward, on a short walking tour of campus, the visitors will learn about UMass Lowell’s solar arrays, hydroelectric energy generation, eco-friendly transportation options and food-composting program.
Where: 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

Programs Examine U.S. Policies, Attitudes on the Middle East

When: Tuesdays, March 22, March 29, April 5, April 12 and April 19, 1 p.m.
What: UMass Lowell students will learn about U.S. foreign policy from a former U.S. State Department analyst who is an associate with the university’s Middle East Center for Peace, Development and Culture. The event series, which explores U.S. attitudes toward and actions in the Middle East over the past 100 years, is being led by Gregory Aftandilian, who also served as a Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff member and adviser to Edward M. Kennedy. Topics to be explored during upcoming programs are:

Where: McGauvran Center, Room 309, South Campus, 71 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

Career Fair Connects Job-Ready Students with Employers 

When: Wednesday, March 23, 2 to 5 p.m.
What: More than 1,200 UMass Lowell students looking for jobs, internships and co-op opportunities will pitch their qualifications to more than 200 employers and apply for jobs during the university’s Spring Career Fair. Employers representing for-profit companies and nonprofit and government agencies will be available to discuss what they want in potential employees, while students will be on hand to talk about their professional interests and goals. The largest event of its kind during the year, the event is presented by the Career and Co-op Center, which helps students develop their professional plans while teaching them the resume-writing, interviewing and business-etiquette skills essential to landing fulfilling employment. NOTE: The event is not open to the public but the media is welcome to cover it.
Where:    Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 200 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

Art Exhibit Questions the State of Modern-Day Society

When: Artist’s talk – Wednesday, March 23, 3:30 p.m., with reception at 4:30 p.m. Exhibit runs through Thursday, April 21. University Gallery hours are Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.     
What: The exhibit “A World of Questions: Posters on the Human Condition” will feature works in bold designs that encourage viewers to contemplate modern-day issues such as climate changes, consumerism, the prevalence of social media, the preservation of human rights and the plight of endangered species. The artist behind the posters, acclaimed graphic designer Chaz Maviyane-Davis, who received an honorary degree from UMass Lowell in 2009, will discuss his creative process during an event that complements the show. Both events are free and open to the campus and public.
Where: Artist’s talk – O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 222, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell. Reception and exhibit – University Gallery, Mahoney Hall, South Campus, 870 Broadway St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Deborah Santoro, gallery coordinator, 978-934-3491, Deborah_Santoro@uml.edu or Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu

Duo Performs Brazilian Music’s Captivating Rhythms

When: Thursday, March 24, 7:30 p.m.
What: Receita de Samba (“recipe for samba”), husband-and-wife team Bill Ward and Anna Borges, will perform a free concert for the campus and community. Recognized around the world as part of Brazil’s national identity, samba music is often associated with the country’s Carnaval, a weeklong celebration that ushers in the Christian season of Lent, which ends this year on Sunday, March 27. The band will also play songs in other Brazilian musical styles, including bossa nova, forro, (which features the accordion) and choro (similar to New Orleans jazz). The event is presented by UMass Lowell’s Music Department and Saab-Pedroso Center for Portuguese Culture and Research, which advances the understanding of and appreciation for the history, languages and experiences of Portuguese-speaking people around the world.
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, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

Graphic Designer to Share His Work and Inspirations

When: Wednesday, March 30, 6:30 p.m.
What: Graphic designer Russ Pope, who draws on his love of skateboarding, punk rock music and politics to create his work, will present a free program for the campus and community that will explore his creative process. Known for his bold use of color in his pen-and-ink drawings, Pope has exhibited his work around the world. The event is presented by UMass Lowell’s Art and Design Department. 
Where: Health and Social Sciences Building, South Campus, 113 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

Networking Event Develops Community Opportunities for Students

When: Thursday, March 31, 8:30 a.m.
What: UMass Lowell students, faculty and staff annually record 168,000 hours of academic and non-academic service in the community. To advance this work, representatives of the Merrimack Valley’s service organizations will meet with UMass Lowell faculty during the annual Community Connections Breakfast to expand current and create new service-learning opportunities for students outside of the classroom. These experiences complement academic coursework and enrich students’ civic engagement. UMass Lowell’s commitment to this type of outreach has earned the university a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the fifth consecutive time. The university is also the recipient of the prestigious Carnegie Foundation classification as a “community-engaged campus.”
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

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