Previous Spring Into Science Events

The Kennedy College of Sciences Lecture Series on Science and Society, sponsored by Eric and Lola Chaisson, presents:

Simon Buckle is the former Head of Division responsible for climate change, biodiversity, water and sustainable finance issues at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). — Simon Buckle

Careering Towards Climate Change with Simon Buckle, D.Phil.

Date: Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Time: 3-4:30 p.m. via Zoom.

This event is free and open to the public.

With a professional career spanning fermions to foreign policy, Simon Buckle has tackled complex climate change issues facing our world, including financial stability and climate instability.

In this virtual lecture, Buckle will trace his personal involvement in shaping climate policy, while exploring some of the key challenges that we face in effectively addressing climate risks.

Simon Buckle, D.Phil., served as the head of division for climate change, biodiversity, water and sustainable financial issues in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s environmental directorate from 2014 to 2022.

Before joining the OECD, he was the founding policy director at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London.

This event is sponsored by the Kennedy College of Sciences as part of the college’s “Spring into Science” annual event program, the Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy, the Climate Change Initiative and the Cape Cod Alumni Network.

The Kennedy College of Sciences Presents:

The Invisible Flood: Saltwater Intrusion into Aquifers and Its Effect on Water Resources with James Heiss, Ph.D.

Date: April 11, 2022

Time: 4-5 p.m.

Location: Hybrid in-person (Alumni Hall, North Campus) & Zoom Webinar

Registration for this event has ended

James Heiss, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at UMass Lowell — James Heiss

This event is free and open to the public. Join us in person to watch the lecture or via Zoom.

Saltwater is the most widespread groundwater contaminant in the world, one that threatens the sustainability of densely populated coastlines worldwide. Join Asst. Prof. James Heiss for a timely lecture that will discuss the process of saltwater intrusion into aquifers, including its causes, impacts and prevention measures. The lecture will also explore natural and anthropogenic stressors.

James Heiss, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at UMass Lowell. His research interests include coastal groundwater-surface water interactions, climate change and sea level-rise impacts to coastal groundwater resources, and chemical fluxes along the land-sea transition zone.

This event is sponsored by the Kennedy College of Sciences as part of the college’s “Spring into Science” annual event program.

Looking for Life on Mars One Laser Pulse at a Time

The Kennedy College of Sciences presents a “Spring into Science” Event

Date: April 16, 2021
Time: 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Free and open to the public

Is there life on Mars? Is Mars habitable, or has it ever been? To address these questions, NASA has launched several probes to Mars, including the “Curiosity” Rover in 2012 and younger sister “Perseverance” earlier this year. Join Dean Noureddine Melikechi for a virtual lecture as he presents the scientific goals of these two complementary missions and shares results obtained by using laser pulses to ablate dust and rocks.

Noureddine Melikechi, D.Phil., is a professor of physics and dean of the Kennedy College of Sciences at UMass Lowell. As a member of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission, he contributes to the analysis of spectroscopic data collected by the Chemistry Camera instrument on board the Curiosity Rover.

This event is sponsored by the Kennedy College of Sciences as part of the college’s “Spring into Science” annual event program.

Watch the Livestream

The Science of COVID-19

The Kennedy College of Sciences Lecture Series on Science and Society sponsored by Eric and Lola Chaisson

Speaker: Prof. Matthew Nugent, professor of biology and the associate dean for research, innovation and partnerships
Date: April 13, 2021
Time: 5-6 p.m.
Free and open to the public

How does the novel coronavirus infect our bodies? How do vaccines prevent infection? Join Prof. Matthew Nugent for a virtual lecture where you will learn about the molecular mechanisms underlying the COVID-19 disease, and how new approaches to vaccine development will combat this deadly pandemic.

Matthew Nugent, Ph.D., is a professor of biology and the associate dean for research, innovation and partnerships in the Kennedy College of Sciences at UMass Lowell. Prior to joining UMass Lowell, he was a professor of biochemistry, biomedical engineering and ophthalmology at Boston University. His research group focuses on understanding how cells in the body respond to signals after injury.

The Kennedy College of Sciences Lecture Series on Science and Society, sponsored by Eric and Lola Chaisson, is part of the college’s “Spring into Science” annual event program.

Watch the Livestream

Over the Rainbow

The Kennedy College of Sciences Lecture Series on Science and Society Sponsored by Eric and Lola Chaisson

Speaker: Charles W. Clark, Ph.D. - Joint Quantum Institute, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Maryland
Date: April 4, 2019
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Location: Moloney Hall, Room 260, University Crossing

Did you know that numerous birds, insects, reptiles and aquatic animals perceive colors in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum—literally “over the rainbow?”

Join Charles W. Clark as he applies these discoveries to measurement science and discusses how the ultraviolet influences the science of physics, astronomy and climate change.

Free and open to the public. A live-stream of this lecture will also be available.

For more information please email: sciences@uml.edu.