Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
11/21/2017
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 Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.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:
- How to sidestep talking politics at Thanksgiving or how to have those discussions without them erupting into arguments;
- The holiday retail outlook, including:
Why Cyber Monday is eclipsing Black Friday as the biggest shopping day of the year and why Small Business Saturday is gaining in popularity;
How digital marketing is shaping consumer behavior;
How retailers of luxury items such as high-end automobiles and jewelry may be hurting their sales with non-stop TV ads;
Why this is predicted to be a strong season for sales. - Why new blood-pressure screening guidelines may lead patients to take medication that gives rise to other health problems and hinder managing hypertension through diet and exercise.
Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.
Award-Winning Poets Share Creative Work and Process
When and where: Tuesday, Nov. 28, 5 p.m. O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 222, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell
What: UMass Lowell’s Writers on Campus Series will welcome acclaimed poets David Rivard and Rebecca Morgan Frank, who will read from their work and share what inspires them at a free event for the public and campus. Rivard’s latest book of poems, “Standoff” won the 2017 PEN New England Prize and was named by The New Yorker as one of its “Books We Loved in 2016.” Frank, who has written three poetry collections, has been honored by the Poetry Society of America and her work has appeared in Ploughshares and American Poetry Review, among other magazines. The program is presented by the UMass Lowell English Department. Members of the public who would like more information should contact Sandra_Lim@uml.edu.
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Holiday Craft Fair Showcases the Creativity of Women
When and where: Thursday, Nov. 30, 3 to 7 p.m. UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, 50 Warren St., Lowell
What: Women artisans, craftspeople and entrepreneurs who are UMass Lowell graduates, faculty and staff, along with friends of the university, will participate in the annual Women’s Works Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair. The free public event features handmade and other products for sale – including jewelry, knitted items, food, paintings and more – along with musical performances, an art show and a silent auction. The event is presented by the UMass Lowell Center for Women and Work, which researches and seeks remedies for gender inequalities in the workplace.
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Event Celebrates UMass Lowell as a Textile Industry Pioneer
When and where: Thursday, Nov. 30, 6:30 p.m. UMass Lowell Innovation Hub, 110 Canal St., Lowell
What: UMass Lowell’s leading role in catapulting the country’s textile industry into the 21st century will be the centerpiece of an event featuring Prof. James Sherwood, co-director of UMass Lowell’s Advanced Composite Materials and Textile Research Lab. “The Return of the Textile Industry and its Impact on the U.S.” will include a look at UMass Lowell’s past and future as in textile research, along with new university research initiatives, including “smart” fabrics and protective wear for military personnel. The program, which benefits student scholarships, is the latest in the university’s Faculty Showcase Series. Admission is $25 per person ($20 for UMass Lowell alumni from the classes of 2007 through 2017). Members of the public who would like to attend should email Alumni_Office@uml.edu or call 978-934-3140.
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Trailblazing Researchers, Scientists Share Innovations
When and where: Friday, Dec. 1, 9:30 a.m. UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, 50 Warren St., Lowell
What: UMass Lowell Chemical Engineering Prof. Gulden Camci-Unal will discuss her work developing biomaterials that regenerate human tissue at the Sukant Tripathy Memorial Symposium. The event brings together leading researchers and scientists from academia and private industry to share advances in science, including fields such as nanotechnology, green chemistry, biomedical engineering and more. Now in its 17th year, the conference is named for the late Sukant Tripathy, who was a UMass Lowell professor of chemistry and served as director of the Center for Advanced Materials, provost and vice chancellor during his career.
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Programs Capture Portuguese American Experience in Lowell
When and where: Sunday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Boott Cotton Mills Museum, Lowell National Historical Park, 115 John St., Lowell
What: “Migration and Mill Work: Portuguese Communities in Industrial New England” – a free series of events for the public that incorporates museum exhibits, presentations and tours in Lowell, Dartmouth, Fall River and New Bedford – will explore the history and experience of Portuguese American laborers who worked in textile and manufacturing mills in Massachusetts and Rhode Island from the late 19th century through today. Programs in Lowell include:
- “The Mills Beckon: Immigrant Life in Lowell, 1880 to 1920,” a presentation at 2 p.m. by UMass Lowell History Prof. Robert Forrant, who will discuss the experiences of French Canadian, Greek and Portuguese laborers and their families who settled in and transformed the city;
- “The Portuguese Immigrant Experience in Lowell since the 1960s,” a forum at 3 p.m. led by five Portuguese Americans who will reflect on their experiences and share how the city helped shape their cultural identity.
The event is presented by UMass Lowell’s Saab Center for Portuguese Studies, Lowell National Historical Park, UMass Dartmouth, University of Lisbon, the New Bedford Whaling Museum and the House of the Azores of New England. Members of the public who would like more information should email Frank_Sousa@uml.edu or call 978-934-5199.
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu