Talking Points

Facilities and Campus Services reorganized

Several organizational changes within Facilities and Campus Services were implemented March 24, according to associate vice chancellor Juanita Holler, who heads the unit. “These changes are the result of an organizational review that was conducted to identify efficiency and effectiveness improvements,” she said. 
 
Under the plan, Alterations moved from Facilities Planning to the Physical Plant, consolidating two skilled labor groups under one umbrella. The move will result in enhanced oversight and scheduling of all maintenance and small project operations, said Holler. 
 
Fleet Maintenance

Late Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe served as visiting professor

Careful readers of last week’s tributes to the late Nigerian author and literary titan Chinua Achebe may have noticed that he spent several years teaching at UMass Amherst in the 1970s and ’80s.
 
Achebe, 82, who died March 21 in Boston, came to prominence in 1958 with the publication of his first novel, “Things Fall Apart.” The book sold more than 10 million copies in 45 languages and became a class of world literature.
 
In 1972, Achebe accepted an offer to teach at UMass Amherst as a visiting professor of English.

Study shows homeowners associations can support native species in suburban neighborhoods

Although it’s known that construction of homes in suburban areas can have negative impacts on native plants and animals, a recent study led by ecologist Susannah Lerman suggests that well- managed residential development such as provided by homeowners associations (HOA) can in fact support native wildlife.
 
For their recent study published in Ecology and Society, Lerman and her colleagues Kelly Turner and Christofer Bang of Arizona State University (ASU), Phoenix, set out to assess whether neighborhoods managed by HOAs contain more native wildlife and a richer variety of plants than

Governor's visit to campus canceled

Gov. Deval L. Patrick has canceled his March 28 campus appearance due to a scheduling conflict, according to the governor’s staff. The event may be rescheduled in the future, organizers say.

Rotello among recipients of CVIP Technology Development awards

Chemistry professor Vincent Rotello is among the recipients of $25,000 awards from the Commercial Ventures and Intellectual Property (CVIP) Technology Development Fund administered by the President’s Office.
 
The awards for groundbreaking faculty inventions, which were announced March 25 by President Robert L. Caret, went to eight projects across the five-campus UMass system. The $200,000 in funding is generated through commercial licensing ventures in partnership with a contribution from the President’s Office.
 
“These are the discoveries that help change the world for the better, create

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