
Michael F. Malone Named Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement at UMass Amherst
July 2, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Michael F. Malone has been named vice chancellor for research and engagement at the University of Massachusetts Amherst by Chancellor Robert C. Holub. More...
June 29, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Could it be that men have evolved to be more accurate at hitting a target with a weapon in the dark than women? That’s the surprising question left after a recent small study of human biomechanics conducted by evolutionary biologist Duncan Irschick of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and colleagues who studied the roles of various factors, including gender, on hammering force and accuracy. More...
UMass President Awards $1 Million to Innovative Faculty Research and Scholarship
June 25, 2009
BOSTON - University of Massachusetts President Jack M. Wilson today announced a total of $1 million in awards to faculty investigators from the President's Science and Technology Initiatives Fund and the President's Creative Economy Initiatives Fund for the 2009-2010 academic year. More...
Seekonk Post Office to Be Dedicated to Former UMass Amherst Student Killed in Iraq
June 24, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – The post office in Seekonk, Mass., will be dedicated Sunday, June 28 in memory of former UMass Amherst student and Seekonk resident Eric Paul Valdepenas, a U.S. Marine Lance Corporal who died in combat in Iraq in 2006. More...
June 24, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – James K. Boyce, professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been appointed by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to a 16-member panel that will advise the state on implementing a cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gases. More...
Greater Springfield-UMass Amherst Partnership Community Dinner to Be Held Wednesday Evening, June 24
June 24, 2009
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Officials from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the City of Springfield will host their first community engagement dinner at the Old First Church in Springfield, 51 Elm Street. The press is invited to meet with the participants from 5:15 to 5:45 p.m. More...
June 24, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – The National Institutes of Health have awarded a $754,000 grant to three faculty at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to establish a program to encourage underrepresented minorities with recent bachelor’s degrees to pursue doctorates in disciplines related to biomedicine. More...
June 22, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Using a “chemical nose” array of nanoparticles and polymers, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a fundamentally new, more effective way to differentiate not only between healthy and cancerous cells but also between metastatic and non-metastatic cancer cells. It’s a tool that could revolutionize cancer detection and treatment, according to chemist Vincent Rotello and cancer specialist Joseph Jerry. More...
Campus Hotel at UMass Amherst Gets Makeover, Becomes Standout Destination in Western Mass.
June 21, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – The Campus Center Hotel at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has been transformed from a 1970s-era facility into a modern, three-star facility that stands out as a top destination in Western Massachusetts. More...
June 20, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. — The Center for Spectator Sport Research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, in partnership with Turnkey Sports, has named the Seattle Sounders Football Club and the University of Texas-El Paso as winners of the 2009 PRISM Award. More...

UMass Science Librarians Head to ‘Boot Camp’ to Brush Up on the Latest e-Science Research Tools
June 19, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – At a recent regular session of science librarians from the University of Massachusetts’s five campuses who meet to discuss e-science initiatives, it became apparent that they needed to be more aware of the newest research in cyber infrastructure, also known as e-research, which hadn’t been invented when many attended library school. A quick show of hands revealed that of the dozen professionals present, only a few had formal training in science. More...
June 17, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Paul Fisette, professor and head of the natural resources conservation department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been invited by the National Academies to serve on an expert panel to explore the scientific and technical issues related to implementing energy and sustainability initiatives throughout the U.S. Capitol Complex. More...
June 16, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – The cover story of the July issue of Scientific American on newsstands this week features an article by chemical engineer George Huber of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a co-author who predict that if the United States maintains its commitment to biofuels over the next 15 years, the number of vehicles powered by “grassoline”― gasoline and diesel fuel made from plants―could “fundamentally change the world.” More...
June 15, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Research grants to support three western Massachusetts research teams were announced recently at the closing ceremony of the seventh annual Avon Walk Boston which is part of the Avon Foundation’s annual fund raising to facilitate access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer. A total of $453,282 was awarded for the projects, each of which seeks to understand how specific risk factors alter the probability that a woman will develop breast cancer. More...
UMass Amherst Faculty and Staff Achievements Noted
June 15, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Several University of Massachusetts Amherst faculty and staff members have received recognition for their work in recent weeks. More...
June 12, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – A consortium of high technology companies, state and local governments, and universities including the University of Massachusetts Amherst have announced that Holyoke has been chosen to host a proposed $100 million, energy-efficient, world-class high-performance computing center. The partners will spend the next 120 days working out funding, siting and organizational details. More...
June 12, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst will host the 15th annual Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference for campus food services, from June 14-19. Many notable guest chefs will be on campus, led by Martin Yan, Roland Mesnier (former White House pastry chef) and Joyce Goldstein. More...

Mark Fuller Appointed Dean of Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst
June 11, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Mark A. Fuller, professor and chair of the department of information systems at Washington State University, has been named dean of the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. More...
Jean Kim Named Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life at UMass Amherst
June 9, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Jean Kim, a student affairs administrator with more than 35 years of experience, has been named interim vice chancellor for student affairs and campus life at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. More...
June 8, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Eight graduate students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst whose academic studies integrate science, engineering and management will receive Eugene M. Isenberg Awards for the 2009-2010 academic year, up to $10,000 each, to support their future work. More...
UMass Amherst Sunwheel and Sky Watching Events Mark the Summer Solstice on June 21 and 22
June 8, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – The public is invited to witness sunrise and sunset associated with the Summer Solstice among the standing stones of the UMass Amherst Sunwheel on Sunday, June 21 and Monday, June 22, at 5 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. both days. This year’s Sunwheel events not only mark the longest day and shortest night of the year, but they celebrate the International Year of Astronomy in 2009. More...
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James V. Staros Named Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UMass Amherst
June 4, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – James V. Staros, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Stony Brook University in New York, has been named provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The appointment was announced by Chancellor Robert C. Holub. More...
June 3, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – When the world’s first ocean research vessel equipped with super-deep core-drilling equipment begins its next scientific cruise this month, hydrogeologist David Boutt of the University of Massachusetts Amherst will be aboard, preparing to study subsurface fluids from 1.25 miles below the sea floor, the deepest ever sampled, at a premier earthquake-spawning ground off the coast of Japan. More...
Readings by Noted Writers Planned as Part of Juniper Summer Writing Institute at UMass Amherst
June 3, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – The Juniper Summer Writing Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will host seven nights of poetry and fiction readings by acclaimed faculty and writers in residence from June 21-27. More...
June 3, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Members of the Class of 1959 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will announce their 50th reunion class gift of a $90,000 fund for scholarships for the doctoral program in nursing at a ceremony to be held Saturday, June 6 at 10 a.m. in the courtyard of Skinner Hall. More...
June 1, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst has received a $250,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to develop an online digital library that contains research findings and other materials about the ethical and responsible conduct of research. The grant, from the NSF’s Office of Integrative Research, funds a beta, or test site. More...

Wildlife Officials Band Four Peregrine Falcon Chicks in Nest on Roof of UMass Amherst Library
June 1, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Four peregrine falcon chicks in a nest box on the roof of the W.E.B. Du Bois Library at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have been banded by state wildlife officials. More...
Undergraduates from Across U.S. Coming to UMass Amherst to Gain Research Experience in Linguistics
June 1, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Fourteen undergraduates from around the country will gain valuable research experience in linguistics through the Summer Dialect Research Project being held June 7-20 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. More...
May 29, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. - Green stands alone as the dominant color in today’s economic and political discourse. Green energy, green buildings, green jobs. Want to find a model of green commitment? Exhibit A is UMass Amherst, which has emerged as a national leader in clean energy research and defining the shape of the green economy, all while transforming its campus into a showcase of environmentally progressive initiatives. More...
UMass Amherst Transforming 1,400-Acre Campus Into Showcase of Environmentally Impressive Initiatives
May 28, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst recently opened its state-of-the-art, $133 million Central Heating Plant. The completion of construction marks both a milestone in operation of the new facility and represents a major step in the transformation of the 1,400-acre campus into a showcase of environmentally progressive initiatives. More...
May 27, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – A team of scientists from the United States, Germany, Russia and Austria returned recently from a six-month sediment drilling expedition at a frozen lake in Siberia, where they retrieved the longest core samples ever collected in the Arctic—information they call “of absolutely unprecedented significance.” More...
May 27, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – “Navigating Times of Economic Peril” is the theme of the 8th annual Hartford-Springfield Economic Partnership’s State of the Region Conference to be held at La Renaissance from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 29 in East Windsor, Conn. More...
May 23, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – On a bright afternoon, approximately 4,250 candidates received bachelor’s degrees in nearly 100 majors during today’s 139th undergraduate Commencement of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The ceremony was held in Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium and was attended by about 20,000 people. More...
UMass Amherst Holds Graduate Commencement
May 22, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. –– The Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts Amherst held its Commencement ceremony this afternoon in the William D. Mullins Memorial Center. Degrees were conferred on approximately 1,000 master’s and doctoral candidates. More than 900 of those eligible to receive degrees attended the ceremony, accepting their diplomas to the cheers of about 3,000 family members and friends. More...
UMass Amherst Health Educators to Lead National Training Session on Substance Abuse Prevention
May 22, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – College and university substance abuse prevention professionals from across the nation are coming to the University of Massachusetts Amherst on June 4 for a training session led by experts from the campus’ Center for Alcohol and other Drug Abuse Prevention (CADAP). More...
Stockbridge School Commencement at UMass Amherst Salutes 85 Graduates
May 22, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Speakers at the 87th commencement for the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst emphasized history and solidarity as 85 students in six majors received associate of science degrees in Bowker Auditorium this morning. More...
Just in Time for Holiday/UMass Commencement Weekend: New Traffic Webcams on Route 9 at Bay Road
May 21, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Just in time to help travelers negotiate heavy Memorial Day weekend traffic more effectively, the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Regional Traveler Information Center (RTIC) has installed new, traffic-monitoring cameras on Route 9 at Bay Road in Hadley. More...

New Guide to Careers in Sports by Expert Glenn Wong of UMass Amherst Demystifies the Industry
May 21, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – A first-of-its-kind career book on the sports industry by Glenn M. Wong, sport management professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has just been published. Wong is one of the top 100 Most Influential Sport Educators in America as selected by the Institute for International Sport. More...
May 21, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Professors Mary Lynn Boscardin and Rebecca Gajda of the School of Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have been awarded a four-year, $799,860 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help prepare future leaders in the field of special education. More...
May 20, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Science educator and television personality Bill Nye the Science Guy will be the keynote speaker at the first annual meeting of the Massachusetts Academy of Sciences on Friday, May 22 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. More...
May 20, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Using a special camera known as AzTEC developed by a research team led by Grant Wilson, astronomy professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, an international research group has imaged a set of ultra-massive galaxies that are thought to form the backbone of a super large structure, or collection of galaxies congregated together, in the very early universe. More...
May 20, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – This Friday and Saturday will be busy at the state’s flagship public university, as the University of Massachusetts Amherst hosts families from across the country and the world at a variety of Commencement activities, culminating with Undergraduate Commencement on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. when approximately 4,250 students will receive their degrees. More...
New UMass Amherst Study on Family Caregiving for Alzheimer’s Disease To Focus on Sleep Disturbance
May 19, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – A new study on the daily mood and sleep in caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients is being conducted by researchers in the department of psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Participants are being sought for the project. More...
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Robert Feldman Named Interim Dean of College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at UMass Amherst
May 19, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Robert S. Feldman has been named interim dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Charlena Seymour announced today. More...
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Steve Goodwin to Head New College of Natural Sciences at UMass Amherst
May 19, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Microbiologist Steve Goodwin has been chosen to lead the new College of Natural Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Provost and Senior for Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Charlena Seymour announced today. More...
May 18, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – On the fifth anniversary of legalized marriage for same-sex couples in Massachusetts, a new study co-authored by University of Massachusetts Amherst Professor M.V. Lee Badgett, shows it has produced clear economic gains for the state—more than $100 million in new economic activity generated by same-sex marriages. More...

Jackie Hai Will Be Student Speaker at UMass Amherst Commencement
May 18, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Senior Jackie Hai of Lexington, Mass., who is graduating from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with dual majors in journalism and philosophy, has been selected to be the student speaker at the Undergraduate Commencement ceremony. Commencement will take place on Saturday, May 23 at 12:30 p.m. in Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium. More...
Amherst Ranked Top College Town in North America
May 18, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Great faculty, excellent graduate programs and NCAA sports at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are just some of the reasons why Amherst ranks as the top college town in North America, says college admissions counselor Katherine L. Cohen in a story featured on MSN.com. More...
May 12, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Amherst experts in climate change and infrastructure planning will be among the featured speakers at a seminar, “Climate Change and Transportation,” on Thursday, May 14, at Anthony’s Pier 4 Restaurant in Boston, sponsored by the Boston Society of Civil Engineers. More...
26 UMass Amherst Alumni Serving as Peace Corps Volunteers in 24 Countries Around the World
May 12, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. – Continuing a long tradition of service in the Peace Corps, more than two dozen University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni are currently volunteering in 24 countries around the world. More...

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