News

15 students awarded Gilman Scholarships for study abroad

Fifteen students are studying abroad this fall with Gilman Scholarships in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. These results place UMass Amherst fourth in the U.S. behind the University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco State and University of California, Santa Barbara.
 
A total of 2,685 undergraduates from around the country applied for this federal scholarship targeted towards Pell Grant recipients. Nearly 1,200 scholarships were awarded, a selection rate of about 42 percent.

New course proposals

The following new course proposals have been submitted to the Faculty Senate Office for review and approval and are listed here for faculty review and comment. Comments on any new course proposal should be submitted to Ernest May, secretary of the Faculty Senate, at senate@senate.umass.edu.

SOCIOL 351, “Social Networks” 4 credits; Instructor: Ryan Acton; This is an undergraduate-level introductory course on social networks. This course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts, methods, applications, and analytical tools of social network analysis.

Obituary: Clifford K. Wheeler, retired custodian

Clifford K. Wheeler, 82, of San Antonio, Texas, formerly of Greenfield, a retired custodian with Physical Plant, died Sept. 29.
 
Born in Putney, Vt., he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
 
He worked on campus from 1978 until his retirement in 1994.
 
He leaves his wife, Margaret Wheeler and his children Robert, Toby, Jeffrey, Nicole Bender, and James, four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, four brothers, two sisters, numerous nieces and nephews, his mother-in-law and his daughter-in-law.
 
Interment will be at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.
 
Memorial

Peyton attacks breast cancer by studying the disease on biomaterials that act like human tissues

Shelly Peyton, assistant professor of Chemical Engineering, says scientists know that breast cancer will spread to many different types of tissues in the body, and that this migration is the key reason the cancer is deadly. What they don’t know is why some forms of the cancer move to the brain, while others seek out bone or lung tissues.
 
Peyton is now using a three-year, $590,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study how different types of breast cancer interact with different human tissues – tissues she and her research team can create in the laboratory to study how the

Renaissance Banquet fundraiser set for Oct. 13

The annual Renaissance Banquet takes place on Saturday, Oct. 13 from 6-9 p.m. in the Marriott Center on the 11th floor of the Campus Center.

There will be authentic Renaissance food, faithfully recreated by UMass Catering, and a cash bar.

The entertainment for the evening consists of a costumed performance by Phoenix Swords, an archguitar concert presented by internationally known musician Peter Blanchette, a set of songs performed by Cantabile, juggling by Hannah French, and during-dinner music provided by lutenist Christopher Stetson.

New course proposals

 The following new course proposals have been submitted to the Faculty Senate Office for review and approval and are listed here for faculty review and comment. Comments on any new course proposal should be submitted to Ernest May, secretary of the Faculty Senate, at senate@senate.umass.edu.

OIM 451, “Project and Information Management” 3 credits; Instructor: Traci J. Hess; Provides an introduction to project management, focusing on the integration of business operations and information management, and techniques to effectively manage the implementation of such projects. Prerequisites: None

Visiting Writers Series hosts reading by James Salter on Oct. 11

Author James Salter will give a reading on Thursday, Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. in Memorial Hall as part of the Visiting Writers Series.

Salter is author of 12 books, including the novels A Sport and a Pastime, Light Years and the PEN/Faulkner Award-winning collection Dusk and Other Stories. His stories have appeared in O. Henry collections and in the Best American Short Stories. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2000 and received The Paris Review's Hadada Prize in 2011.

The event is free and open to the public.

 

Visiting Writers Series

Opening reception for Céleste Boursier-Mougenot exhibition is Oct. 3

The University Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting a solo exhibition of work by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot, the internationally acclaimed French artist whose innovative work merges the realms of the musical and the visual. The exhibition will be on view through Dec. 2 with an opening reception for the artist on Wednesday, Oct. 3 from 5-7:30 p.m.

Although exhibiting his work for more than 20 years in a contemporary visual art context, Boursier-Mougenot’s work is also understood as that of a musician and composer.

UWN starts luncheon series with health and wellness tips

The University Women’s Network kicks off its monthly luncheons on Tuesday, Oct. 9 with “Healthy and Happy in a UMass lunch hour” at noon in the Cape Cod Lounge.
 
The speaking program will focus on maintaining or improving one’s health and overall wellness at work. Jill Isabelle, assistant director of Campus Recreation Center and Sports Clubs, will present exercise options available to employees while they are on campus, Vanessa Kehler will offer suggestions for lunches and snacks and fun indoor and outdoor walking routes will be provided.
 
RSVP by Oct. 5.
 

Retired Faculty Association meeting and lecture

The second fall meeting of the Retired Faculty Association is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 10 in 162-165 Campus Center.

The meeting starts at 10 a.m. with coffee and cookies and a short talk at 10:40 by professor emeritus Arthur Quinton titled "The Early Years" and followed at 11 with a lecture by Economics professor Léonce Ndikumana on “Africa’s Odious Debt.”

Photo: Léonce Ndikumana

Retired Faculty Association

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