Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
04/01/2019
Contact: Nancy Cicco: 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and Christine Gillette: 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
This is a notice of upcoming events, photo opportunities and story ideas at UMass Lowell. 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, visit www.uml.edu/pressroom.
Note: The April 2 Greeley Scholar for Peace event included in last week’s email has been postponed. The new date will be provided when it is determined.
Sources of the week
UMass Lowell faculty experts are available to discuss:
- World Autism Month, including advances in teaching those with autism spectrum disorder and other pioneering research being conducted by UMass Lowell’s Center for Autism Research and Education;
- Burger King’s rollout of its new vegan burger, including the consumers the company hopes it will attract and whether it is a healthy option.
Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.
Acclaimed Writer, Actress, Advocate to Share Work With Public
When and where: Thursday, April 4, 5 p.m. O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 222, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell
What: Acclaimed writer, actress and advocate for people with disabilities Marianne Leone will read from her work and talk about her creative process in a free program for the campus and community. Leone is the author of the memoirs “Jesse: A Mother’s Story,” which recounts her family’s efforts to care for her son with cerebral palsy, and “Ma Speaks Up: And a First Generation Daughter Talks Back.” She has appeared in HBO’s drama “The Sopranos” and in films by David O. Russell, Larry David, John Sayles and Martin Scorsese. Best-selling author and UMass Lowell English Prof. Andre Dubus III will also participate in the event, the latest in the university’s Writers on Campus series. Leone and her husband, Oscar-winning actor Chris Cooper, hold honorary degrees from UMass Lowell. Free parking for the public will be available in the nearby Wilder Lot.
Animals’ Visual World, Impact on Science Explored at Program
When and where: Thursday, April 4, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell
What: While humans can see the colors of the rainbow, the visual world of animals is totally different. Many birds, insects, reptiles and aquatic animals perceive colors in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum, which exists literally “over the rainbow” and goes unseen by humans. Charles Clark, chief of the National Institute for Standards and Technology’s Electron and Optical Physics Division and an authority on the properties of light, will talk about the latest scientific findings connected to the ultraviolet spectrum, how animals’ ability to see it affects their behavior and how scientists’ understanding of it is influencing advances in physics, astronomy and climate change. The free event for the public and campus is one in the UMass Lowell Kennedy College of Sciences’ Eric and Lola Chaisson Lecture Series on Science and Society.
‘Moonshot’ Event Celebrates the Legacy of JFK and Apollo 11
When and where: Friday, April 5, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell
What: The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing will be celebrated at a free event for the public, campus and high-schoolers presented by the Lowell Center for Space Science and Technology at UMass Lowell and the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. The program will include demonstrations of space-related research, including a one-third scale model of the lunar lander that Orbit Beyond will use to transport NASA technology to the moon in an upcoming mission and a satellite being designed and built by UMass Lowell undergraduates. NASA Chief Scientist James Green and UMass Lowell Research Scientist Susanna Finn will be among the event’s speakers. Members of the public who would like to attend should register at www.uml.edu/moonshot-registration.
Free Concert Showcases Music of History’s Noted Composers
When and where: Wednesday, April 10, 8 p.m. Durgin Hall, South Campus, 35 Wilder St., Lowell
What: Music from the Middle Ages and the Baroque and Renaissance eras will be performed by UMass Lowell students and others in a free concert for the public and campus. Guest harpsichordist John McKean will combine with the UMass Lowell Chamber Singers and Early Music Mixed Chamber Ensemble to play selections by composers including Gilles de Binche, Henry Purcell and Hildegard von Bingen, under the direction of UMass Lowell faculty member Jonathan Richter. No tickets are required for admission and free parking will be available in the nearby Wilder Lot. Members of the public who would like more information may email Paula_Telesco@uml.edu.
Healthy Aging is Focus of Free Forum for Public, Campus
When and where: Friday, April 12, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Mark and Elisa Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center, North Campus, 40 University Ave. Lowell
What: UMass Lowell’s Center for Gerontology Research and Partnerships will host “Healthy Aging: Where We Live, Work and Collaborate,” the fifth annual Healthy Aging-Living Well Forum, a free event for the public and campus. Presentations will include topics such as a healthy aging by Sabrina Noel and Michelly Santos of UMass Lowell’s Department of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences; home health interventions for older adults with asthma by David Turcotte, director of The New England Consortium at UMass Lowell; and “Age-Friendly University Initiative – UMass Lowell” by Ramraj Gautam of UMass Lowell’s Solomont School of Nursing.