Weekly Bulletin

Brandt kicks off CPPA Colloquium Series with talk about traffic-related pollution

Associate professor Sylvia Brandt of Resource Economics and Public Policy, will discuss her recent work in a talk titled “The Costs of Traffic-Related Pollution in Los Angeles: Implications for Smart Growth” on Monday, Feb. 4 at noon in 620 Thompson Hall.

The research upon which Brandt’s talk is based was published last January in the European Respiratory Journal and has been named one of the top research papers of 2012 by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The study examined the full economic impact of childhood asthma caused by air pollution in two California cities.

UMass Extension's 2013 Green Directory now available

The updated UMass Extension Green Directory is a free, comprehensive guide to educational resources for beginning and established agriculture industry professionals in Massachusetts.

The directory includes:

* Contact information for UMass Extension Agriculture and Landscape specialists and faculty.

* Upcoming UMass Extension conferences, seminars and workshops.

* UMass Plant Diagnostic Lab sample submission information for insect, tick, disease, weed and cultural problems.

* UMass Soil and Tissue Testing Lab information.

* Pesticide license information, including test dates, training

Institute for Holocaust, Genocide, and Memory Studies lists exhibition hours

The Institute for Holocaust, Genocide, and Memory Studies has scheduled regular visiting hours for the spring semester for its permanent teaching exhibition "A Reason to Remember: Roth, Germany 1933-1942."
 
The hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

All visitors are welcome during these hours and student groups are also welcome by appointment. For appointments, contact the center at (413) 835-0221 or by e-mail at ihgms@acad.umass.edu.

Amherst scholar speaks on invention of national dress in 21st century China

On four Wednesdays in February, the Fine Arts Center Asian Arts and Culture Program presents "Weaving Our Stories," a series of free talks by scholars and artists on topics of popular and unique interests. Highlighting the artistic and cultural arts of Asia, the lectures use the concept of "motif" as a central theme and examine landscapes, nature, and personal expressions seen in Asian culture to understand the significance of these objects from a socio-cultural perspective.

All lectures begin at 7 p.m. and are held in various locations on campus.

Yoga classes offered in Newman Center

Spring semester yoga classes begin this week in the Newman Center. All levels of experience are welcome; classes are open to all students, faculty and staff.

Schedule:

Monday/ Wednesday - 3-4:30 p.m., Power Yoga (athletic flow, beginners welcome)
Tuesday/Thursday - 3-4:30 p.m., Intermediate (more challenging poses and movements)
Monday - Thursday - 4:45-6:15 p.m, Yoga Basics (an introduction to yoga fundamentals)

Fees:

1 class per week - $100/semester
2 classes per week - $175/semester
Unlmited attendance - $220/semester
Single drop-in class - $12
 
 

Doctoral oral exams for Feb. 4-8

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

Toby Dragon, Ph.D., Computer Science. Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2 p.m., 151 Computer Science Building. Dissertation: “Content-Focused Collaboration for Tutoring in Ill-Defined Domains.” Beverly Woolf, chr.

Casey Knight, Ph.D., Philosophy. Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2:30 p.m., 316A Bartlett Hall. Dissertation: “The Plausibility of Moral Error Theories.” Fred Feldman, chr.

Spencer Ross, Ph.D., Management. Thursday, Feb. 7, 2 p.m., 128 Isenberg School of Management.

STEM talk examines using Learning Catalytics to create interactive classrooms

Brian Lukoff, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, will give a STEM talk on “Using Learning Catalytics to Create an Interactive Classroom" on Tuesday, Feb. 5  at 4 p.m. in 138 Hasbrouck.
 
Lukoff says peer instruction and other interactive teaching methods have been shown to dramatically improve conceptual understanding.

Science Cafe program looks at 'Smell: the Secret Sense'

The Science Café resumes Monday, Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. with “Smell: the Secret Sense,” presented by Tom Eiting, a graduate student in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB). The program takes place at the Esselon Café in Hadley.
 
Eiting will spotlight his work exploring how the sense of smell works in mammals, from the anatomy of nasal passages to how smell is perceived. All Science Café events are free and designed for a public audience. Light snacks will be provided and drinks will be available for purchase.
 
The Science Café series is organized by graduate students in the OEB program

20th annual Multicultural Film Festival explores 'Continuities'

The Interdepartmental Program in Film Studies is presenting the 20th annual Massachusetts Multicultural Film Festival starting Feb. 6 and continuing through April 25.
 
This year’s festival focuses on the theme of “Continuities.” With weekly screenings and events on campus and in the Five College area, the entertaining and provocative line-up headlines award-winning narrative features and documentaries from France, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Romania, Spain and the U.S.
 
Unless otherwise noted, all screenings are held in the Flavin Family Auditorium, 137

Research Next expands

Research Next, the magazine-style website that connects the public to UMass Amherst research, scholarship, and creative activity is expanding. Two new gateways, Governance and Society and Identity and Culture join the Environment and Energy and Materials gateways launched last summer. A fifth gateway dedicated to the life sciences and health will be launched later this spring.

“Research Next gateways offer the community and the world an entry point to some of our leading research institutes and centers while showcasing interdisciplinary research and engagement,” says Mike Malone, vice

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