Talking Points

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,

Football players join team doctor to encourage kids to 'get moving'

The UMass football team’s bye week provided an opportunity for several players to venture into Holyoke in support of team physician Dr. Pierre Rouzier’s effort to get kids to eat right and exercise.

Several current athletes spent Saturday, Oct. 13 at Holyoke’s Envision Depot Square Block Party, where they participated in a “story walk” for parents and children that featured the new bilingual children’s book, “Henry Gets Moving,” written by Rouzier.

Players worked at reading stations, led group exercises and talked to kids and parents about healthy eating in an effort to spread the message of

Center for Excellence in Apoptosis Research selects Amarantus BioSciences Inc. to explore new treatments for brain disorders

The Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute’s (PVLSI) Center for Excellence in Apoptosis Research has awarded a $27,900 translational research grant to Amarantus BioSciences Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., a biotechnology company that is developing new treatments for brain-related disorders including Parkinson’s disease and traumatic brain injuries. The award is centered on Amarantus’s anti-apoptotic therapeutic protein, mesencephalic-astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF). 

Larry Schwartz, Isenberg Professor of Integrative Sciences and principal investigator of the PVLSI project, said, “The

Fountain explores state development in digital age as Distinguished Faculty Lectures begin Oct. 24

Political scientist Jane E. Fountain of the Center for Public Policy and Administration will lead off the 2012-13 Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series on Wednesday, Oct. 24. Fountain, who is the founder and director of the National Center for Digital Government, will discuss “Technological Change as a Variable in State Development.”

Fountain will describe the ways in which information and communication technologies are transforming democracy around the world, and will suggest that these same technologies have the capacity to mitigate policy problems such as disaster preparedness, disease

Alumni Association to make special license plate designations at Minuteman football game this Saturday

As orders for the UMass Amherst license plate continue to be collected, the Alumni Association board of directors has announced special designations for UMass Amherst license plate No. 1 and plate No. 1863.

The board will present plate No. 1 to the Office of the Chancellor in recognition of the support provided to the Alumni Association. Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy will accept plate No.1 during a special on-field ceremony at the Homecoming football game at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, Oct 20.

In recognition of support for the flagship campus, board will present plate No.

Faculty & Staff Campaign for 2012-13

Members of the campus community are invited to participate in the 2012-13 Faculty & Staff Campaign. Gifts can support student scholarships, a specific college or department, an athletic program, or one of hundreds of special programs you choose. 

Recognizing the importance of growing the culture of philanthropy on campus, a fund of $500,000 has again been established to match gifts given by current or retired faculty and staff during the 2012-13 academic year. The matching offer expands the strength of giving to the campus and departments people care about.

Graduate School has more international students, higher selectivity and an overall increase in applications

This fall’s Graduate School class has an increased number of international students, a slightly higher overall number enrolled than last year, and reflects more selectivity in choosing who will pursue graduate degrees, university officials say.

The incoming class includes 1,586 students, up from 1,540 in the fall of 2011. Overall, the Graduate School has about 6,300 students pursuing advanced degrees, including those enrolled in online programs.

John McCarthy is vice provost for Graduate Education and dean of the Graduate School. He is also a Distinguished University Professor.

Biochemists open path for possible molecular 'chaperone' therapy for inherited metabolic disease

A research team, including Scott Garman, associate professor of Biochemistry, and alumnus Nathaniel Clark, experts in revealing molecular structure by X-ray crystallography, has identified two new small “chaperone” molecules that may be useful in treating the inherited metabolic disorder known as Schindler/Kanzaki disease. This offers hope for developing the first ever drug treatment for this very rare disease. Findings are reported in the current issue of Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.

Along with Garman and Clark, the team is made up of other researchers at UMass Amherst

Political scientists release UMass Poll on Senate race

A new political poll directed by Brian Schaffner along with associate directors Ray La Raja, Tatishe Nteta and Maryann Barakso of the Political Science Department, finds that Elizabeth Warren is holding a narrow 48 to 46 percent lead over Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Scott Brown among likely voters in the race for Senate in Massachusetts. This lead is within the 5 percent margin of error. Warren has a six-point 49 to 43 percent lead among registered voters, the poll says.

The faculty pollsters promoted their work at a televised debate Oct.

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