University of Massachusetts Amherst - Office of News & Information

Sunday, October 12, 2008

An Online Resource for Journalists
 Daily News Summary

Each weekday morning, the Office of News and Information compiles a summary of news coverage about UMass Amherst and trends in higher education.



Ride to Provide Will Benefit Projects and Programs at UMass Amherst’s Hillel House

Oct. 8, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – The second annual Ride to Provide, a family friendly bike ride to support community service programs and Earth-friendly projects of Hillel House at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is being held Sunday, Oct. 19. More...



UMass Amherst Observes Domestic Violence Day, Launches Prevention Initiative

Oct. 8, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – University Health Services (UHS) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is joining healthcare organizations nationwide in marking Health Cares about Domestic Violence Day, Wednesday, Oct. 8. More...



On Debate Night, UMass Amherst Journalism Classes Aflutter Over Twitter

Oct. 8, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. - UMass Amherst journalism professors Steve Fox, Scott Brodeur and B.J. Roche had their classes plug into Twitter during the recent presidential and presidential debates. The classes — Politics, Journalism and the Web, Multimedia Journalism, and Writing for the Web — made tweets to a group feed throughout the debate. More...



Astronomer Seth Shostak to Discuss Search for Extraterrestrial Life in Lecture at UMass Amherst

Oct. 8, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI institute in California, will speak on “When Will We Find the Extraterrestrials? (And What Will We Do When We Find Them?)” on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 4:30 p.m. in 904-08 Campus Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. More...



UMass Amherst Announces Distinguished Faculty Lectures for 2008-09, With First Event Set for Oct. 20

Oct. 8, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst has announced its 2008-09 Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series. All lectures are at 4 p.m. in the Massachusetts Room of the Mullins Center and are free and open to the public. More...



UMass Amherst Psychological Services Center Offering Group On Changing Children’s Challenging Behavior

Oct. 7, 2008

AMHERST, Mass.– The Psychological Services Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is offering “Changing Challenging Behavior,” a parenting group designed to improve parental response to the challenges of raising children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or other behavioral problems. More...



Top UMass Amherst Students, Award-Winning Faculty To Be Honored at Football Halftime Ceremonies

Oct. 3, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Some of the top students in the nation, and the internationally known faculty who teach them, will be celebrated this Saturday, Oct. 4 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Bringing together athleticism with academics, the university will applaud the recent achievements of faculty and students when the Minuteman take on Delaware at McGuirk Stadium. More...



How Much Security Do You Expect From Your Pacemaker? UMass Amherst Expert Works to Provide Cyber Trust

Oct. 3, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – A University of Massachusetts Amherst researcher who earlier this year showed that an implantable heart defibrillator is vulnerable to hacking has received a three-year, $449,000 National Science Foundation grant to improve future security in implanted cardiac devices without compromising safety and effectiveness. More...



UMass Amherst Police Arrest Student Worker for Theft of Controlled Substance from University Pharmacy

Oct. 3, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Amherst police have charged a student worker with stealing a controlled substance, Adderall, from the pharmacy at University Health Services (UHS). More...



UMass Amherst Study Pushes Appearance of Northern Hemisphere Ice Sheets Back By 22 Million Years

Oct. 2, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Climatologist Robert DeConto of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and colleagues at four institutions are reporting in the Oct. 2 issue of the journal Nature that their latest climate model of the Northern Hemisphere suggests conditions would have allowed ice sheets to form there for the last 25 million years, or about 22 million years earlier than generally assumed. Their research has implications for the evaluation of global climate change. More...



UMass Amherst Provost Charlena Seymour Announces She Will Resign From Her Position of Leadership

Oct. 1, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Charlena Seymour today announced that she will resign from her post at the University of Massachusetts Amherst at the end of the academic year. More...



Market Meltdown 101: A UMass Amherst Economics Video Primer

Oct. 1, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. - Want some insight from leading economic thinkers about the nation's financial crisis? Then head to Market Meltdown 101, a primer featuring video clips from UMass Amherst professors, compiled by journalism students at the university's flagship campus. More...



UMass Professors Receive Four-Year, $799,602 Federal Grant to Train Speech-Language Pathologists for Public Schools

Oct. 1, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Two faculty members at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have received a four-year, $799,602 federal grant to train speech-language pathology doctoral students to work in public schools with students who have speech and language disabilities. The grant from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) will support five doctoral students who will also minor in special education. More...



UMass Amherst Welcomes ‘Cyclops,’ a Computer That Can Perform About 5 Billion Math Operations per Second

Oct. 1, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – On Monday, Oct. 6, at noon the College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will introduce Cyclops, a new supercomputer purchased to support undergraduate research projects, among a variety of goals. Its nickname comes from the fact that the supercomputer is an array of 608 linked processors but has only a single screen, like the one-eyed monster in ancient myths. The event will take place in the college’s Gunness Student Center. More...



UMass Amherst Center for Public Policy and Administration Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Events Oct. 3-4

Oct. 1, 2008

AMHERST Mass. – The Center for Public Policy and Administration (CPPA) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is celebrating a decade of accomplishments with weekend events Oct. 3-4 that include panels, receptions and a photo exhibit opening. More...



UMass Amherst Professor Jane Fountain Named to World Economic Forum’s Council on the Future of Governments

Sept. 30, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Jane Fountain, professor of political science and public policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been appointed to the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Governments. More...



UMass Amherst Materials Science Center Receives $13.3 Million Federal Grant for Basic Polymer Studies

Sept. 30, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) on polymers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has received a six-year, $13.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study nanoscale polymer assemblies, polymers in highly charged solvents for potential use for drug delivery and harnessing thin-film instabilities for specialized sensors. More...



Massachusetts Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year Award Goes To Mike Swain at UMass Amherst

Sept. 30, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Mike Swain, fire safety services supervisor with the Environmental Health and Safety department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was recognized Sept. 23 as the Massachusetts Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year. More...



UMass Amherst to Host Panel on Oct. 2 on Racial Conflict and Transformation in South Africa

Sept. 29, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst is hosting a discussion on challenges and progress in post-apartheid South Africa on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 5:30 p.m. in room 163C of the Campus Center. The event and a reception are free and open to the public. More...



Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute Adds Researcher to Its Springfield Staff

Sept. 29, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Nagendra Yadava has joined PVLSI’s staff of principal investigators and its Center of Excellence in Apoptosis Research (CEAR). He will hold the title of scientist and be based in the Institute’s Springfield laboratory. More...



State Commissioner Recognizes UMass Dining Services Director Ken Toong for Supporting Local Agriculture

Sept. 26, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture Doug Petersen today presented Ken Toong, director of University of Massachusetts Amherst Dining Services, with the state’s Faces of Agriculture Award in a ceremony at Berkshire Dining Commons. The award recognizes Toong’s outstanding support of local agriculture. A special luncheon featuring local foods was part of the celebration. More...



Minuteman Marching Band’s Thom Hannum Inducted into World Drum Corps Hall of Fame

Sept. 25, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Thom Hannum, associate director of the Minuteman Marching Band at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been inducted into the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame in Rochester, N.Y. More...



UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Wins National Honor for Geriatric Research and Education

Sept. 25, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Cynthia S. Jacelon, associate professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been selected to receive the Excellence in Research and Education Award from the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA). More...



Improved Computer Graphics Is Focus of Research by UMass Amherst Professor

Sept. 24, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Rui Wang, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has received a five-year, $400,000 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation to support his research on improved computer graphics. More...



Learn the Basics of Taking an Invention from Pipe Dream to Market at a UMass Amherst Workshop On Saturday, Sept. 27

Sept. 24, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Entrepreneurs can learn the basics of developing an invention or idea into a marketable product at a University of Massachusetts Amherst workshop on Saturday, Sept. 27. “Invention to Venture” will meet in the Engineering Laboratory II auditorium from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. More...



Agriculture Commissioner to Visit UMass Amherst and Present State Award to Dining Services Director

Sept. 24, 2008

MEDIA ADVISORY



DATE: Friday, Sept. 26, 2008


TIME: Starting at noon


PLACE: Berkshire Dining Commons,
University of Massachusetts Amherst More...



UMass Amherst Receives $80,000 Grant That Helps Students Earn a Second Bachelor’s Degree, In Nursing

Sept. 24, 2008

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funding targets underserved populations




AMHERST, Mass. – The School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has received an $80,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to boost enrollment of students from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds who already have a bachelor’s degree, to earn a second degree in nursing. Grant funding runs through the 2008-09 academic year. More...



Qualcomm Executive to Speak About Cellular Communications at UMass Amherst

Sept. 23, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Roberto Padovani, executive vice president and chief technology officer for Qualcomm Incorporated, will speak on “Cellular Communication: What a Ride!” on Thursday, Oct. 2, at 3 p.m. in the Marriott Center on the 11th floor of the Campus Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. More...



Presentations on ‘Green Housing’ to Launch Environmental Lecture Series at UMass Amherst Sept. 25

Sept. 23, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – The Environmental Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will kick off its Fall 2008 Environmental Lecture Series, “Building Green Communities,” on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 4 p.m. in room 163C of the Campus Center. The lecture is free and open to all, with a reception to follow. More...



UMass Amherst Professor Advising Thailand’s Commission on Higher Education

Sept. 23, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Guy Lanza, director of the environmental sciences program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been appointed as a technical advisor to the Commission on Higher Education of Thailand. More...



UMass Amherst Celebrates a New Era in Studio Arts with Dedication of $26.5 Million Facility

Sept. 19, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst today dedicated a new, $26.5 million Studio Arts Building, providing a striking new home for a variety of programs formerly scattered across campus. The event also marked the 50th anniversary of the university’s art department. More...



In National Briefing, UMass Amherst Researcher George Huber Will Explain Quick New Way to Make ‘Green Gasoline’

Sept. 18, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – George Huber, a researcher at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is one of three experts invited to speak next week in Washington at a National Science Foundation briefing on “green gasoline,” an alternative fuel made from plant material. More...



Dedication for New Studio Arts Building at UMass Amherst to Be Held Friday

Sept. 17, 2008

MEDIA ADVISORY



DATE: Friday, Sept. 19, 2008


TIME: Ceremony starts at 1:30 p.m.


PLACE: Studio Arts Building, North Pleasant Street

University of Massachusetts Amherst More...



Black Europeans and ‘Race’ In Europe Are Focus of Lectures, Seminars at UMass Amherst

Sept. 17, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Six experts on questions of “race” in contemporary France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Sweden will visit the University of Massachusetts Amherst this academic year to give public lectures, conduct seminars with faculty and graduate students, and lead a class for undergraduates. More...



200 Years of Fantasies and Fears about New York’s Destruction Traced in Book by UMass Amherst Professor

Sept. 16, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – There’s a reason New York is the “City That Never Sleeps”: from Godzilla to tidal waves, asteroids to zombies, America’s premier metropolis has been ravaged time and time again in films, novels, pulp fiction, television and cartoons. More...



UMass Amherst Will Showcase Biofuel Industry Promise and Research at Conference on Sept. 19

Sept. 15, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst, a national leader in developing non-food-based, non-fossil fuels, will host its first Conference on Cellulosic Biofuels on Friday, Sept. 19 in Room 163 of the Murray D. Lincoln Campus Center. More...



UMass Amherst Podcast Looks At Microbiologists’ Work in Redefining the Role of Chlamydia in Serious Diseases

Sept. 15, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst’s podcast series about the breakthrough discoveries of campus researchers focuses this month on the work of two microbiologists examining the role that the common bacteria chlamydia plays in a host of serious diseases such as asthma. More...



UMass Amherst Astronomers Invite Public to Observe the Start of Autumn at Sunwheel On Sept. 22 and 23

Sept. 15, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – This year’s Autumnal Equinox will again be observed with sunrise and sunset events on Monday, Sept. 22 and Tuesday, Sept. 23 among the standing stones of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Sunwheel. More...



Popular Business Commentators Jack And Suzy Welch To Meet With UMass Amherst Students Sept. 15

Sept. 15, 2008

MEDIA ADVISORY



DATE: Monday, Sept. 15, 2008

TIME: 11 a.m. to noon

PLACE: Case Study Room 108
Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst More...



New Feinberg Distinguished Scholar in Residence at UMass Amherst to Examine the Value of Human Life

Sept. 11, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – The Feinberg Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is launching an annual, one-week scholar-in-residence program in which an eminent figure will study, speak and teach about how societies value human life. More...



Guest Chef Series at UMass Amherst Features Former White House Chef Walter Scheib on Sept. 10

Sept. 9, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Walter Scheib, former executive chef for the White House, will visit the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Wednesday, Sept. 10 as part of Dining Services’ Guest Chef Series. Scheib will greet students during the three-course dinner, which will be served in the Berkshire Dining Commons from 5-9 p.m. More...



UMass Amherst Faculty Convocation to Feature First Formal Address to Faculty by Chancellor Robert Holub

Sept. 5, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Amherst Chancellor Robert C. Holub will make his first formal address to the faculty at the university’s fourth annual Faculty Convocation on Friday, Sept. 12. The event will begin at 11 a.m. in Bowker Auditorium in Stockbridge Hall. More...



Ken Feinberg, Sept. 11 Compensation Fund Special Master, to Speak on Anniversary of Terrorist Attacks

Sept. 4, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Alumnus Kenneth R. Feinberg, who directed the $7 billion fund created by Congress to assist the families of those killed or injured in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, will give a talk on the seventh anniversary of the attacks at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He will speak on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 4:30 p.m. in the Bernie Dallas room in Goodell Hall. The event is free and open to the public. More...



Public Health Advisory: West Nile Virus Detected in Amherst

Sept. 4, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has announced that West Nile Virus (WNV) has been detected in mosquitoes collected in Amherst, Mass. WNV is most commonly transmitted to humans by the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus. More...



UMass Amherst Lecture Series Features Experts in Operations Research and Management

Sept. 3, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Air traffic management, the security of implantable medical devices and vehicle assembly-line problems are among the topics to be covered in the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences Fall Speaker Series at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. More...



UMass Amherst Research on Strength of Composite Lumber Could Expand Use of Sustainable Material

Sept. 3, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Two University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers are developing computer models to predict the strength of structural composite lumber (SCL), which could broaden the use of the sustainable material in large building projects. More...



UMass Amherst’s Engineers Without Borders Work with Kenyan Village to Improve Water Supply

Sept. 3, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Members of the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) student chapter at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently returned from a three-week trip to Kenya, where they worked to improve drinking water for a rural farming village. More...



Maryann Lombardi Named UMass Amherst Outreach Director of Creative Economy

Sept. 2, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Maryann Lombardi, who for the past year has served as acting Director of Creative Economy for the UMass Amherst division of university Outreach, has been named to become the first full time director for that office, Vice Provost Sharon L. Fross has announced. More...



ABOUT UMASS AMHERST

Aug. 30, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. - Need information in a hurry? Check our campus fact sheet. More...



Regional Travel Information Center at UMass Amherst Adds New Traffic Monitoring Systems

Aug. 29, 2008

Information on local traffic conditions available online



AMHERST, Mass. – The Regional Traveler Information Center (RTIC) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has introduced two new traffic monitoring systems to keep commuters abreast of conditions on two busy local roadways. More...


Story Archive