Talking Points

Researchers win $2 million NSF grant to develop self-folding polymer sheets for new materials

A group of scientists and mathematicians led by physicist Christian Santangelo has won a National Science Foundation (NSF) Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) grant for 2012, one of only 15 given to investigators at 26 institutions and totaling nearly $30 million.
 
Santangelo and colleagues including polymer scientist Ryan Hayward are experts in developing self-folding polymer sheets, which take advantage of origami principles to provide highly tunable mechanical responses.

Campus ranks 3rd nationally for best food, says Princeton Review

After cracking the top 10 last year, UMass Amherst has moved up to No. 3 for “best campus food” in the 2013 edition of the Princeton Review’s Best 377 Colleges.
 
“We are delighted and proud of our accomplishments,” said Ken Toong, executive director of Auxiliary Enterprises, who hinted that the coveted top ranking is achievable. “We will continue to improve. Thanks to the students, staff, faculty and administration for their support. I think the best is still yet to come.”
 
For the record, Bowdoin College in Maine and Virginia Tech ranked first and second in the best food category.

Campus rated a top friendly school for transgender people

UMass Amherst is among the nation’s top 10 friendly colleges and universities for transgender people, according to Campus Pride, a national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create safer, more friendly learning environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students at higher education institutions.

The list, which does not rank the 10 schools, says UMass Amherst in the past five years “has gone from having almost no trans-supportive policies in place to being at the forefront of trans inclusiveness, including developing a policy that supports

Campus co-sponsoring Oct. 10 debate between Scott Brown, Elizabeth Warren

UMass Amherst is among the sponsoring organizations of an Oct. 10 debate between Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren at Springfield’s Symphony Hall.

More than 2,000 free tickets to the 7 p.m. event will be made available starting Sept. 14. For ticketing information, see www.springfieldpublicforum.org/debate.

The debate will also be broadcast on television and radio and possibly streamed live on the Internet.

Brown and Warren are scheduled to take part in three other televised debates and one radio debate.

The TV debates include one hosted by WBZ-TV in

USGS names director of campus-based Northeast Climate Science Center

Mary Ratnaswamy has been selected as the director of the Department of the Interior's Northeast Climate Science Center, headquartered at UMass Amherst. 

Ratnaswamy will be the first permanent director of the center, which is one of eight regional Climate Science Centers recently established and managed by the U.S. Geological Survey.

The national network of regional Climate Science Centers will provide land managers in federal, state and local agencies access to the best science available regarding climate change and other landscape-scale stressors impacting the nation’s natural and cultural

WFCR plans regional and national election coverage

New England Public Radio will broadcast the First Congressional District Debate between Congressman Richard Neal, humorist and activist Bill Schein and Berkshire County register of deeds Andrea Nuciforo on Monday, Aug. 20 at 8 p.m. on WFCR, 88.5 FM. The debate will be hosted by WGBY-TV. "Jazz a la Mode" will begin at 9 p.m.  
 
WFCR will also air NPR's live special coverage from both national political conventions.  Coverage of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., will air nightly from Aug. 28-30 beginning at 8 p.m.

Annual Community Breakfast set for Aug. 29

New Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy will be one of the featured speakers at the 46th Annual Community Breakfast on Wednesday, Aug. 29 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. The event is open to the public.
 
Jointly sponsored by UMass Amherst and the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, the breakfast traditionally marks the beginning of the academic year and offers a chance for representatives of the local, academic and business communities to meet and discuss common goals and issues.
 
Kathryn Grandonico, president of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, will also make remarks.
 
Also

John K. Horvath appointed police chief and director of Public Safety

John K. Horvath of the Hartford Police Department in Connecticut has been appointed as the campus's new police chief and director of Public Safety by James P. Sheehan, vice chancellor for Administration and Finance. Horvath succeeds Johnny Whitehead, who served as chief from 2009 until this past February. The new chief begins his duties in September.
 
Horvath was chosen from a group of 88 applicants for the top job at the UMass Police Department (UMPD) in a search that was coordinated by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
 
Sheehan says, “We look forward to working

UMPD's K9 Diezel featured in police dog calendar

 
The UMass Amherst Police Department’s own K9 Diezel is featured on a 2013 color calendar from Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to provide bullet and stab protective vests for police dogs.
 
K9 Diezel appears on the cover of the calendar and is also the featured dog for July. The photo of the dog clad in a vest and protective footwear was taken by Diezel’s handler, UMPD officer Liana Varosky.
 
The calendar is now on sale for $15 online and at select retailers.

Campus leaders laud state bill that boosts support for research

Campus officials say a new state law that provides $50 million in state matching funds for institutions pursuing major research and development grants is a powerful new tool that will boost the state’s innovation economy.
 
The new law, part of an omnibus economic development bill, signed Aug. 7 by Gov. Deval Patrick after approval by the House and Senate, provides $50 million in bond funding to attract large-scale, long-term sponsored research and development activities. Half the money is reserved for UMass projects.

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