Story and source ideas for journalists
11/02/2015
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/pressroom. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication unless otherwise noted.
Sources of the week
UMass Lowell faculty experts are available to discuss:
- Voter turnout expectations and results for Tuesday’s municipal elections in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and what motivates people when deciding whether to head to the polls;
- In the wake of a controversial incident in South Carolina that has drawn national attention, the role of school resource officers as disciplinarians;
- What’s next for the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” as the third year of open enrollment for health-care coverage began this week.
Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.
Exhibit Illuminates Push for Domestic Workers’ Rights
‘Growing Up Portuguese in Lowell’ Recounts Stories of Mill City Life
Students Lead Volunteer Effort to Build Houses for Families in Need
Flag Ceremony to Honor Veterans’ Service
Robots of the Future to be Unveiled at the NERVE Center
Artist’s Creativity Flows from Respect for Water
ExhibitExhibit Illuminates Push for Domestic Workers’ Rights
When: Program – Wednesday, Nov. 4, 3 p.m. Exhibit runs through Friday, Nov. 13. O’Leary Library is open during regular business hours. For extended hours, see http://libweb.uml.edu/oleary.html.
What: Photos depicting housecleaners, personal-care assistants and other domestic employees throughout the state will be on display as part of a program illuminating their working conditions and the history behind their struggle for workers’ rights. A reception for the exhibit will feature Natalicia Tracy, executive director of the Brazilian Immigrant Center, who will talk about the center’s support of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in Massachusetts.
Where: O’Leary Library Learning Commons mezzanine, South Campus, 61 Wilder 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
' GrowingGrowing Up Portuguese in Lowell’ Recounts Stories of Mill City Life
When: Tuesday, Nov. 10, 5:30 p.m.
What: Five Portuguese-Americans will recount their family stories, shared influences and experiences during the event “Growing Up Portuguese in Lowell.” After the program, attendees may view the related exhibit, “The Lure of the Spindle: The Portuguese in Early 20th Century Lowell,” which traces the lives and impact of immigrants who worked in the city’s textile mills more than 100 years ago. Both the event and the exhibit, which are presented by UMass Lowell’s Saab-Pedroso Center for Portuguese Culture and Research and Lowell National Historical Park, are open to the public and admission is free.
Where: Boott Cotton Mills Museum, 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
StudentsStudents Lead Volunteer Effort to Build Houses for Families in Need
When: Friday, Nov. 13, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
What: A dozen students and faculty members from UMass Lowell’s Manning School of Business will volunteer to help build two Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell houses for local families in need. Volunteers will work on interior and exterior construction, preparing the houses for two families who will move in by next spring. This is the third year the effort is being led by students in the university’s Accounting Society who have championed this cause.
Where: 71-73 Rock St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Lisa Garvey, Habitat for Humanity community relations coordinator, 978-692-0927, lgarvey@lowellhabitat.org or Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
FlagFlag Ceremony to Honor Veterans’ Service
When: Friday, Nov. 13, 1 to 2 p.m.
What: A flag ceremony will honor the service and sacrifices of UMass Lowell’s approximately 1,500 student veterans, 2015 UMass Lowell Alumni Military Hall of Fame inductees and veterans throughout the region. This year’s Hall of Fame inductees include Air Force Maj. Gen. Jack Weinstein, Navy Capt. Joseph Albanese (ret.), Army Lt. Col. Gabriel Barton and Air Force Lt. Col. Eileen Ironfield. Women’s Army Corps Capt. Helen Brooks (ret.), a Lowell native, will be recognized as an honorary inductee and for her many years of support to UMass Lowell. The event is presented by UMass Lowell’s Office of Veterans Services. UMass Lowell is ranked as one of the best schools in the nation for veterans by G.I. Jobs magazine and the Military Times and is home to award-winning ROTC units and an active Student Veterans’ Organization.
Where: University Crossing lobby, 220 Pawtucket 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
RobotsRobots of the Future to be Unveiled at the NERVE Center
When: Tuesday, Nov. 17, 6 p.m.
What: Prototypes of robots that may be available to the public someday will be showcased during an open house at the New England Robotics Validation and Experimentation (NERVE) Center at UMass Lowell. The center – one of the country’s most advanced testing facilities – evaluates robots’ durability and performance through a variety of obstacle courses and other challenges. Free to the public, the event will include demonstrations and exhibits of robots being developed at businesses, universities and organizations throughout the region, helping to fuel the estimated $1.9 billion robotics industry in Massachusetts as well as assisting researchers in other states. Members of the public who have built robots they would like to demonstrate during the event should contact Adam Norton at nerve@cs.uml.edu. Members of the public who wish to attend are asked to register at http://nerveopenhouse2015.eventbrite.com/.
Where: NERVE Center at UMass Lowell, 1001 Pawtucket 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
ArtistArtist’s Creativity Flows from Respect for Water
When: Exhibit runs through Wednesday, Nov. 25. For University Gallery hours, see www.uml.edu/Dept/Art/galleries_university.htm.
What: The scarcity of the world’s water and the importance of the resource is the topic of “In Solidarity,” an exhibit by visual artist Naoe Suzuki that reimagines rivers in works of art fashioned by laser-cut paper. Suzuki will discuss the creative process behind her work during a talk followed by a reception. Both events and the exhibit are open to the public and admission is free.
Where: University Gallery, Mahoney Hall, South Campus, 870 Broadway St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Deborah Santoro, gallery coordinator, 978-934-3491, Deborah_Santoro@uml.edu or Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu