Campus closes in advance of Hurricane Sandy's arrival

With forecasters predicting heavy rain, strong winds, power outages and flooding in the region due to Hurricane Sandy, university officials announced that UMass Amherst and its off-campus facilities around the state will be closed Oct. 29.

The closing notice was communicated to students, staff and faculty through broadcast e-mails, text messages, the recorded emergency closing telephone line and via the campus's website. The notice was also distributed to local television and radio outlets.

The closure decision came after Gov.

Helfer receives $1.3 million to study hearing and aging

Karen Helfer, associate professor of Communication Disorders, has received a five year, $1.3 million grant from the NIH’s National Institute for Deafness and Other Communication Disorders to conduct a series of studies to determine what is going on in difficult listening situations where hearing aids often don’t help, and explore ways to assist millions of older Americans to do better.

Though most people with hearing loss are treated with hearing aids, the devices are not very helpful in situations where many people are talking at once or there is background noise, says Helfer, an expert in

Former National Organization for Women Head Starts Five College Policy Residency Oct. 22

Long-time women’s rights advocate Kim Gandy begins a two-week stay as the Five College Public Policy Initiative’s fall 2012 Social Justice Practitioner-in-Residence on Monday, Oct. 22 through Nov. 2. During her stay, Gandy will present several public events throughout the Five College community.

Gandy’s residency this fall marks the second of the Social Justice Practitioner-in-Residence Program. This collaborative Five College project is housed administratively at the Center for Public Policy and Administration.

Institute for Social Science Research inaugurated

The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences will mark the launch of its Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) on Friday, Oct. 26 at 3:30 p.m. in the Massachusetts Room of the Mullins Center.      

ISSR is the newest iteration of a research initiative that began in 1962 as the Population and Research Institute, a joint venture of the sociology and anthropology department and the agricultural economics department. In 1972, it was renamed the Social and Demographic Research Institute (SADRI).

Serving as a general resource and a research incubator for social scientists across campus,

Pastry chef is raisin' the profile of cinnamon swirl bread with award-winning baked delight

Some of the best raisin bread in the country may be closer than you think.
 
A cinnamon swirl raisin bread prepared by pastry chef Pam Adams of the Dining Services Bakeshop has received the grand prize in the commercial category of the fifth annual America's Best Raisin Bread contest.
 
The event was held at the American Institute of Baking and organized in conjunction with Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan. on Oct. 13. Altogether, there were 36 contestants in the artisanal, commercial and breakfast categories.
 
After winning, Adams said she was “humbled and honored” to be the

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