News

UMass Amherst license plates are a go

Production of the long-awaited UMass Amherst license plate is about to go forward after the needed 1,500th order was received by the Alumni Association.
 
“The Alumni Association has worked diligently over the past year to achieve this milestone on behalf of the university,” said JC Schnabl, assistant vice chancellor for Alumni Relations and executive director of the Alumni Association.

American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault named Commencement speaker

Kenneth I. Chenault, chairman and CEO of American Express Company, will address the 5,500 graduates and their families and friends at Undergraduate Commencement on Friday, May 10 at 5 p.m. in McGuirk Alumni Stadium.

Chenault will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at the ceremony. Chenault joined American Express in 1981 and became president and chief operating officer in 1997. He assumed his current responsibilities as CEO in 2001, and later that year became chairman.

Chenault serves on the board of corporate and nonprofit organizations including IBM, Procter & Gamble,

Police chief urges attention to pedestrian safety as spring arrives

With the onset of spring and anticipation of warmer temperatures, UMass Police Chief John Horvath and the Pedestrian Safety Committee would like to remind all members of the campus community to be safe when moving about on campus. Drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and skateboarders should be mindful of traffic lights, crosswalks and pedestrian-only zones to prevent pedestrian accidents.

The Pedestrian Safety Committee is reiterating the importance of their “R U Ready 2 Stop?” campaign, created in an effort to educate drivers and pedestrians of the dangers of texting while driving and crossing

University leaders welcome House panel’s budget proposal

The House Ways and Means Committee voted unanimously April 10 to approve a $33.8 billion fiscal 2014 state budget plan that includes about $39 million in additional funding for the UMass system, a move that places the university on a path to a 50-50 funding formula and a freeze on tuition and fees.
 
The proposed spending plan, which increases UMass funding from $439.5 million to $478.7 million next year, drew praise from Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and President Robert Caret.
 
“Investing in public higher education brings extraordinary returns in an increasingly competitive, international

Memorial service for Jacqueline Mellen

A memorial service for alumna and former staff member Jacqueline Mellen is being held Sunday, April 14 from 3-6 p.m. in the Amherst Room on the 10th floor of the Campus Center.
 
Mellen. who died Jan. 1, was a convention aide in the Student Union, a Continuing Education instructor and also worked in Asian Studies and International Programs.
 
All are welcome to share memories of her at 4 p.m.
 

CPPA plans launch party for new book by Gubrium and Harper

To celebrate the publication of “Participatory Visual and Digital Methods” by Aline Gubrium, assistant professor of Public Health, and Krista Harper, associate professor of Anthropology and Public Policy, the Center for Public Policy and Administration (CPPA) is hosting a book launch party on Wednesday, April 17 at 5 p.m. in the Gordon Hall Atrium. There will be free refreshments and books for purchase.
 
In “Participatory Visual and Digital Methods” (Left Coast Press), Gubrium and Harper describe how to conduct an ethnographic study that engages subjects by using visual and digital methods.

Six named Family Research Scholars

Six faculty members have been named Family Research Scholars for the 2013-14 academic year by the Center for Research on Families (CRF).
 
Elizabeth Harvey, Psychology, Agnès Lacreuse, Psychology, Joya Misra, Sociology and Public Policy, Jonathan Rosa, Anthropology, Gwyneth Rost, Communication Disorders, and Lisa Troy, Nutrition, were chosen on the basis of their promising work in family-related research.

The Family Research Scholars Program provides selected faculty with the time, technical expertise, peer mentorship and national expert consultation to prepare a large grant proposal for

5 teams vying in Innovation Challenge on April 17

Five teams of student entrepreneurs will pitch their business plans to a panel of expert judges at the eighth annual Innovation Challenge on Wednesday, April 17. The teams will be competing for $50,000 in prize money at the event held in the Amherst Room, 10th floor, Campus Center, starting at 3:30 p.m. The competition is free and open to the public.
           
Ideas that will be featured include solar space-heating window units, a mobile application that shows discount coupons for retail stores, advanced videoconferencing software, new medical technology software and crowd source

Chem-E-Car competition planned as part of AIChE regional student conference

The campus chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers will host the group’s Northeast Regional Student Conference April 13-14.

The event features the regional Chem-E-Car competition, where students design, build and run model vehicles powered and controlled solely by chemical reactions, a Jeopardy-style quiz for student teams, a keynote speaker and networking workshops.

The conference takes place at various locations on campus including the Integrated Sciences Building.

The keynote speaker is Michael Sarli, a lecturer in the chemical engineering department, who will speak Sunday,

Libraries honored by ALA for Sustainability Fund campaign

The Libraries have won the Gale Cengage Learning Financial Development Award, presented annually by the American Library Association to a library organization that exhibits meritorious achievement in creating new means of funding for a public or academic library. 
 
The Libraries developed the Sustainability Fund to engage philanthropic support from faculty, students, alumni and friends who recognize the value of the rapidly growing field of sustainability studies. One of the award jurors noted that “The initiative is a strategic fundraising program serving as a model for other libraries.”
 

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