Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
10/15/2019
Contacts for media: 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. For more, visit www.uml.edu/pressroom.
Sources of the week
UMass Lowell faculty experts are available to discuss:
- What an uprising by Islamic State militants in Syria means for U.S. counterterrorism efforts;
- How the impeachment inquiry can become the basis for important civics lessons for young people.
Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.
DifferenceMakers Gather to Showcase Entrepreneurship Program
When and where: Wednesday, Oct. 16, 5:30 p.m. University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell
What: More than 100 UMass Lowell students, faculty, staff and alumni who participate in the DifferenceMaker program will share the stories behind successful businesses and nonprofits launched by students in all majors. Founded in 2012, the program has led to 33 companies and eight patents and last year, expanded to include the Rist DifferenceMaker Institute, which supports student co-ops, fellowships and competitions. Speakers at the event are expected to include Chancellor Jacquie Moloney and Steven Tello, UMass Lowell vice provost for graduate, online and professional studies, who together created the program, and alumnus Brian Rist, for whom the institute was named in recognition of his support for the program and UMass Lowell initiatives. Note: Registration for the public event is complete but the media is invited to cover it.
Perry Hall Plaza Opens to Campus and Public
When and where: Thursday, Oct. 17, 11 a.m., Perry Hall Plaza, North Campus, 1 University Ave., Lowell
What: UMass Lowell leaders, students, faculty and staff will open the new Perry Hall Plaza, the latest phase of the beautification of UMass Lowell’s North Campus. The plaza – which features lawns and pedestrian-friendly walkways where there was once pavement and a parking lot – is located outside Perry Hall and is named for alumnus Barry Perry and his wife, Janice, who have generously supported both the new plaza and the extensive renovations to the adjacent engineering building unveiled earlier this year, as well as student scholarships and other initiatives.
125th Celebration Salutes UMass Lowell’s Legacy, Present, Future
When and where: Thursday, Oct. 17, 5:30 p.m. UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, 50 Warren St., Lowell
What: UMass Lowell’s 125th anniversary celebration gala will honor the institution’s history and look at what’s to come for the university. Speakers are scheduled to include Chancellor Jacquie Moloney, UMass President Marty Meehan and Rob Manning, chairman of the UMass Board of Trustees, all of whom are UMass Lowell graduates. More than 400 people are expected to attend the event, which will include this year’s University Alumni Awards, recognizing eight UMass Lowell graduates who have gone on to professional and personal success. Note: The event is sold out, but members of the media are invited to cover it.
Event Unveils Rist Urban Agriculture Greenhouse and Farm
When and where: Friday, Oct. 18, 10:30 a.m. UMass Lowell East Campus, 69 Pawtucket St., Lowell
What: UMass Lowell will dedicate the Rist Urban Agriculture Greenhouse and Farm at an event that is scheduled to include an announcement about sustainability efforts by UMass Lowell, which ranks No. 1 among Massachusetts colleges and universities. The greenhouse and farm – where UMass Lowell partners with community efforts including the Mill City Grows urban agriculture program – is one of the university initiatives supported by alumnus Brian Rist, a Stoughton native who committed $5 million last year for sustainability, entrepreneurship and other programs. Speakers are scheduled to include Rist; John Lebeaux, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources; and UMass Lowell representatives including Chancellor Jacquie Moloney. Mill City Grows will have its mobile market on site.
River Hawks Soar into Homecoming
What: One celebration for every generation, River Hawk Homecoming will mark UMass Lowell’s 125th anniversary with events for alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, friends and the public. Unless otherwise noted, all events will be held at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell. Family friendly activities include:
- Men’s ice hockey – Fans will cheer on the River Hawks at two games as the team faces off against the Colgate University Raiders on Friday, Oct. 18 at 7:15 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at www.tsongascenter.com, by calling 866-722-8780 or in person at the box office.
- River Hawk Way – A free outdoor festival with carnival games, food, music and pony rides, the event will include the 40th reunion of UMass Lowell men’s ice hockey players from the 1979 NCAA Division II national championship team. The festival immediately precedes the second half of the weekend’s hockey double-header. Saturday, Oct. 19, 3 to 6 p.m.
- Community Service Day – Alumni, students and friends will meet up at UMass Lowell’s University Crossing before heading out to sites across the city to volunteer for nonprofit organizations such as House of Hope and the Wish Project and other projects. Saturday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Jennifer’s Fun Run/Walk – Named in memory of UMass Lowell graduate Jennifer D’Amour ’98, the 5K race funds scholarships for the women’s cross-country and track-and-field teams. The certified course runs along both sides of the Merrimack River. Saturday, Oct. 19; registration starts at 8:30 a.m.; the race begins at 10 a.m.