Story and Source Ideas for Journalists

Welcome Back Night
"Welcome Back Night" on Thursday, Sept. 14 for new and returning UMass Lowell students, faculty and staff, will be a celebration of all things Lowell.

09/05/2017

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 news about UMass Lowell, visit www.uml.edu/pressroom. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.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 challenges facing Houston after Hurricane Harvey as the city rebuilds its infrastructure and what’s ahead in the forecast as Hurricane Irma takes aim at the Caribbean; 
  • The evolution of domestic and foreign terrorism since Sept. 11 and whether the U.S. is better prepared today to respond to an attack than it was 16 years ago;
  • New research that suggests carbohydrates – not saturated fats – are the real culprit behind heart disease.

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

‘Welcome Back Night’ for university community highlights downtown Lowell

‘One-Man-Band’ Musician Performs Free Concert 

‘Rubber and Road’ Exhibit Evokes Cycling Culture 

Ramifications of Historic Irish Hunger Strike Explored at Program  

Welcome‘Welcome Back Night’ for university community highlights downtown Lowell

When:     Thursday, Sept. 14, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

What:      Downtown Lowell’s Mill No. 5 –  a row of eclectic shops, eateries and even an independent movie theater tucked inside a reclaimed textile building – will play host to UMass Lowell’s third annual “Welcome Back Night” for new and returning students, faculty and staff. Featuring food, music, giveaways and the scoop about Lowell’s cultural and historical attractions, the free event is scheduled to include remarks by university and city representatives. 

Where:    Mill No. 5, Fourth Floor, 250 Jackson St., Lowell

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

Flax‘One-Man-Band’ Musician Performs Free Concert 

When:     Thursday, Sept. 14, 8 p.m.

What:      Award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist Rob Flax, who has opened for acts such as B.B. King and Tower of Power, will perform a solo concert. Flax will use a looper pedal – a device also frequently used by singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran – that will transform his acoustic music into an entire symphony of sounds. Presented by UMass Lowell’s Music Department, the free event is open to the public and kicks off the semester’s schedule of performances. 

Where:    Durgin 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

Rubber‘Rubber and Road’ Exhibit Evokes Cycling Culture 

When:     Artist’s talk is Tuesday, Sept. 19, 3:30 p.m., followed by a reception at 5 p.m. Exhibit runs Wednesday, Sept. 6 through Thursday, Oct. 12. 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:      UMass Lowell’s Art and Design Department presents “Rubber and Road,” an exhibit by artist Katina Huston. The works on display, many of them ink on mylar drawings, depict themes connected to bicycling and explore the interplay between light and shadow. The exhibit, a presentation by Huston at which she will talk about her creative process and a reception with the artist are all free and open to the public. The show was designed to complement the upcoming Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race that will be held in the city on Saturday, Sept. 23.   

Where:    Artist’s talk – O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 222, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell. Artist’s reception and exhibit -- University Gallery, Mahoney Hall, South Campus, 870 Broadway, St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Deborah Santoro, gallery coordinator, 978-934-3493, Deborah_Santoro@uml.edu

IrishRamifications of Historic Irish Hunger Strike Explored at Program 

When:     Monday, Sept. 25, 4 p.m.

What:      In September 1917, 38 Irish rebels incarcerated for defying British rule went on a hunger strike to resist their oppressors and changed the course of Irish history. UMass Lowell’s Center for Irish Partnerships will open its 2017 Speaker Series with a program examining the significance of the what became known as the Mountjoy Hunger Strike – during which prisoner Thomas Ashe died for the cause – and how the protest still resonates in Irish politics today. Leading the talk will be author and oral historian Tomas MacConmara, who has written a book on the subject. The UMass Lowell Center for Irish Partnerships works to deepen understanding between the American and Irish people through programs for the campus and community, joint research with international partners, and faculty and student exchanges. Members of the public who would like to attend the free event should RSVP by Tuesday, Sept. 19 by emailing Victoria_Denoon@uml.edu.

Where:    UMass Club, 1 Beacon Street, 32nd Floor, Boston

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