Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
03/09/2015
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 stories about UMass Lowell, visit www.uml.edu and click on “Media” at the top of the page. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.
Sources of the week
UMass Lowell experts are available to discuss:
- The public’s continued fascination with the Pamela Smart murder trial and convicted killer Billy Flynn’s quest for parole this week;
- The goals of Nigerian extremist group Boko Haram and why it wants to align itself with ISIS;
- How Hillary Clinton’s use of private e-mail as secretary of state could influence her possible presidential run and what she needs to do to regain public confidence.
Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.
Exhibit Displays Student Works of Artbotics
UMass Lowell Researchers Share Cutting-Edge, Creative Projects
Greek Migrants’ Stories throughout History Inspire Talk
Portuguese ‘Age of Discovery’ is Basis for Four-Part Series
Students Compete in Wheelchair Basketball Game
River Hawks Face Off Against Fighting Irish in Hockey East Playoffs
Lives of Lowell’s Mill and Farm Girls Come to Life on Tour
Career Fair Prepares Students for Life after Graduation
ExhibitExhibit DisplaysDisplays Student Works of Artbotics
When: Reception is Thursday, March 12, 4 p.m. Exhibit runs from Monday, March 9 through Friday, April 3. 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: Works created by UMass Lowell Artbotics students will be displayed during this exhibition curated by Ellen Wetmore, a UMass Lowell associate professor of art. Artbotics combines the study of art, computer science and robotics to create kinetic, interactive sculptures and other pieces. Students’ work is displayed and they participate in service-learning opportunities. The course is taught by Wetmore in collaboration with UMass Lowell Computer Science Prof. Holly Yanco and Adam Norton, the director of the New England Robotics Validation and Experimentation (NERVE) Center at UMass Lowell.
Where: Student Gallery, Mahoney Hall, Second Floor, South Campus, 870 Broadway St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Gallery Coordinator Deborah Santoro, 978-934-3491, Deborah_Santoro@uml.edu or Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
UMass Lowell ResearchersResearchers Share Cutting-Edge, Creative Projects
When: Wednesday, March 11, 3 to 5 p.m.
What: From advances in safer disinfectants and fabrics that resist microbes to how to improve senior citizens’ ability to walk, UMass Lowell faculty researchers will present their work for their peers and the public during this annual event. This year’s program celebrates collaboration across all academic disciplines.
Where: UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, 50 Warren St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Greek Migrants’ Stories throughout History InspireInspire Talk
When: Thursday, March 12, 5 p.m.
What: Jonathan Hall, an expert in Greek identity and history, will talk about the factors that led Greeks to leave their homeland in ancient times and reasons why people leave Greece today. The program,, which is free and open to the public, is the 2015 Zamanakos Lecture, an annual event which provides a forum for people interested in the Greek experience to come together and celebrate the people’s history and culture. The talk is presented by UMass Lowell’s Hellenic Studies Program, which works in partnership with the Merrimack Valley’s Hellenic-American community to advance the contributions of Greek people around the world.
Where: UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, 50 Warren St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Portuguese ‘Age of Discovery’ is Basis for FourPartFour-Part Series
When: Thursdays, March 12, March 26, April 9 and April 16, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
What: The travels of Portuguese explorers in the early 15th century – known as the “Age of Discovery” – will be the focus of a four-part series. The programs will examine the first encounters between Christians and Muslims and Europeans, Africans, Asians and Americans, from West Africa to India and China. By the early 17th century, European merchants, missionaries and conquerors had established colonies and trading posts across the globe. Leading the programs will be Ana Valdez, the inaugural Luso-American Foundation Visiting Professor in Portuguese Studies at UMass Lowell. The series, which is free and open to the public, is presented by the university’s Saab-Pedroso Center for Portuguese Culture and Research. Members of the public who wish to attend must register with Natalia Melo at Natalia_Melo@uml.edu or 978-934-5591.
Where: Dugan Hall, Room 211, South Campus, 883 Broadway St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Students Compete in WheelchairWheelchair Basketball Game
When: Friday, March 13, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
What: UMass Lowell physical therapy and exercise physiology students will play wheelchair basketball against the New England Blazers, an affiliate of the nonprofit National Wheelchair Basketball Association, which promotes the participation of people with disabilities in the sport. The annual game allows UMass Lowell students to gain an appreciation of the competitive abilities wheelchair-bound individuals possess as well as the challenges they face. Admission to the game is $3 per person. Proceeds will support the New England Blazers and the university’s Physical Therapy and Exercise Physiology clubs.
Where: Costello Gymnasium, North Campus, 275 Riverside St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
River Hawks Face OffAgainstOff Against FightingIrishFighting Irish in HockeyEastHockey East PlayoffsPlayoffs
When: Friday, March 13, 7:15 p.m.; Saturday, March 14, 7 p.m.; and Sunday, March 15, 4 p.m. (if necessary)
What: UMass Lowell River Hawks men’s ice hockey team begins its defense of its back-to-back Hockey East tournament championships this weekend when it faces the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame in a best-of-three game series. The River Hawks earned a bye in the playoffs’ first round and home ice advantage with the team’s No. 4 finish in regular-season play. The No. 5 Fighting Irish come to Lowell after defeating UMass Amherst in a three-game series that featured a contest with five overtimes – the longest hockey game in NCAA history. Tickets – which are free to UMass Lowell students with a valid ID, $20 for adults and $17 for seniors and children age 12 and under – are available at www.tsongascenter.com or 866-722-8780.
Where: Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell
Contacts for media: Pete Souris, 978-934-3771, Peter_Souris@uml.edu or Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
Lives of Lowell’s Mill and FarmGirlsFarm Girls Come to Life on Tour
When: Sunday, March 15. Sessions run from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 to 3 p.m.
What: “Farm or Factory – Which Would You Choose?” is a free program for children age 10 and older and adults that explores the lives of girls coming of age in the 19th century who worked in Lowell’s mills or on farmlands in the area. Tour participants will have the chance to weave their own cloth by hand on a floor loom before touring Lowell National Historical Park. Presented by UMass Lowell’s Tsongas Industrial History Center and the national park, the program is one of several that share women’s stories as part of Women’s History Month. Members of the public must register in advance for either session and may do so by contacting JoAnn Marcos at joann_marcos@nps.gov or calling 978-970-5000.
Where: Boott Cotton Mills Museum, Third Floor, 115 John St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Career Fair Prepares Students for Life afterafter Graduation
When: Thursday, March 26, 2 to 6 p.m.
What: What are the most sought-after jobs in the current market? What are UMass Lowell students looking for as they prepare to enter the working world after graduation? The “Summer and Beyond Career Fair” will hold the answers. Now in its 20th year, the event will be held at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, which was chosen to better accommodate demand by employers to participate. More than 190 employers and 1,000 UMass Lowell students are expected to attend. Representatives of employers from Raytheon and Fidelity Investments to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Peace Corps will meet with students about full-time, internship and co-op positions. Students, employers and UMass Lowell’s staff will be available to speak with the media about their goals. The event is hosted by UMass Lowell’s Career Services and Cooperative Education Center. Note: The career fair is not open to the public but members of the media are encouraged to attend.
Where: Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu