News

Capistran appointed to state Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative

James D. Capistran, executive director of the UMass Innovation Institute (UMII), has been appointed as a member of the executive committee of the state’s Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative. The appointment was announced Sept. 11 by Gregory P. Bialecki, state secretary of Housing and Economic Development.

Capistran was appointed executive director of UMII in September 2011 after serving as interim for three months.

Distinguished Teaching Award nominations due Oct. 19

Nominations of outstanding faculty and teaching assistants and teaching associates are being accepted for the Distinguished Teaching Award, the campus's highest honor for classroom excellence.

Only current and former students may nominate faculty members. Teaching assistants and associates may be nominated by faculty members or current and former students.

To nominate an individual, submit a brief paragraph explaining why the nominee should receive a Distinguished Teaching Award. All nominations must include the nominator's name, mailing address, and e-mail address.

Economics professor questions what Plato would say about Africa’s odious debts

Economist Léonce Ndikumana will speak on “What Would Plato Say about Africa’s Odious Debts?” on Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Auditorium to open the Commonwealth Honors College Faculty Lecture Series.
 
Ndikumana is the Andrew Glyn Professor of Economics and director of the African development policy program at the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI).

Portrayed as heavily dependent on the rest of the world and a burden on Western taxpayers, the African continent is actually a net creditor, Ndikumana says.

Austin co-edits special issue of Languages and Linguistics journal

A special issue on “Languages and cultures in contact in Africa and the Americas,” co-edited by the School of Education’s Theresa Austin with Reddad Erguig of Chouaib Doukkali University in Morocco, has been approved for publication in Languages and Linguistics with a publication date of December.
 
Austin is a professor in the Language, Literacy, and Culture Concentration in the Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies. Erguig is a faculty member in the department of English, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, at Chouaib Doukkali University in El-Jadida.

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Danylchuk's 'Fish Meat' documentary to screen at Blue Ocean Film Festival

The Blue Ocean Film Festival will screen the documentary film, “Fish Meat: Choose Your Farm Wisely,” by eco-filmmaker Ted Caplow and featuring fish ecologist Andy Danylchuk of the Environmental Conservation Department, on Sept. 26 in Monterey, Calif.
 
Festival organizers say it honors the world’s finest ocean films through best-in-class film competition, promotes dialogue between filmmakers and scientists to inspire great films, connects ocean filmmakers with the latest technology, financing and distribution resources and engages the public internationally by sharing the “world’s greatest

‘Quiet Power’ examines introverted personalities

“Quiet Power,” an exhibit highlighting images of famous, historical and UMass Amherst figures who identify as introverts, opens Monday, Oct. 1 at Student Union Art Gallery. A reception is being held from 12:30-2 p.m.
 
The exhibit is complemented by literature, videos and a daily one-hour career service counseling session, which will allow guests to explore careers based on their personalities.
 
The exhibit runs through Oct. 12. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
The exhibit is sponsored by the Center for Multicultural Advancement and Student Success in partnership with Career Services

UMass Lowell professor to speak about 'Cool Science'

David Lustick, professor of Science Education at UMass Lowell, will new program called "Cool Science: Improving Public Understanding of Climate Change" at a STEM Education Instutute seminar on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 4 p.m. in 138 Hasbrouck.

The presentation/workshop will provide K-16 teachers with an overview and information about how to get their students involved with a statewide art competition about climate change science.

Scandinavian Impulses series examines vengeance and violence

This fall semester the German and Scandinavian Studies Program is sponsoring its second Scandinavian Impulses lecture series, focusing on the theme of "Vengeance and Violence."

On Oct. 1, John Lindow will speak on "Violence and Narrative in Old Scandinavian Literature." Lindow is professor of Scandinavian at the University of California, Berkeley. His many publications on Scandinavian myth and folklore, including Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals and Beliefs, and Vengeance and Violence Among the Gods: Baldr in Scandinavian Mythology, are standards in the field.

Doctoral oral exams for Oct. 1-7

The graduate dean invites all graduate faculty to attend the final oral examinations for the doctoral candidates scheduled as follows:

Sreela Sarkar, Ph.D., Communication. Monday, Oct. 1, 11 a.m., E-31 Machmer Hall. Dissertation: “Technology and Modernity at the Boundaries of Global Delhi.” Paula Chakravartty, chr.

Austin Cyphersmith, Ph.D., Chemistry. Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2 p.m., 145 Integrated Sciences Building. Dissertation: “Exploration of the Chiroptical Properties of Single Molecules.” Michael Barnes, chr.

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.

POLISCI 394PI “Power.2” 4 credits; Instructor: Barbara Cruikshank; this course is designed for Political Science and STPEC majors with a background in scholarship on the concept of power, in the theories, research and analysis of power.

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