University of Massachusetts Amherst - Office of News & Information

Saturday, July 5, 2008

 An Online Resource for Journalists
Daily News Summary

Each weekday morning, the Office of News and Information compiles a summary of news coverage about UMass Amherst and trends in higher education.
UMass Amherst

Headlines

UMass Researcher’s Book on Raising Bilingual Children Encourages Parents and Offers 20 Years of Research

July 3, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Parents who want to raise their young children to speak more than one language have a new guide in the book, “Raising a Bilingual Child,” by Barbara Zurer Pearson, a research associate and adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. More...



WFCR Begins Construction in Springfield

July 3, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. − For the first time since it completed its studios in Hampshire House almost 40 years ago, WFCR will construct a new studio facility in Springfield. More...



William L. Mitchell Named Director of Stockbridge School at UMass Amherst

July 1, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – William L. Mitchell, an alumnus who earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in landscape architecture from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been named the new director of the Stockbridge School at the university. More...



Pittsfield Resident Jared Carchedi Receives 2008 Amy E. Trice MBA Scholarship

June 30, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Jared Carchedi of Pittsfield, a self-employed landscape contractor who is enrolled in the part-time master of business administration program run by the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is the 2008 recipient of the Amy E. Trice MBA Scholarship. More...



Trial Crops for Making Biofuels To Be Grown At UMass Amherst and on Pioneer Valley Farms This Summer

June 27, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst are planting crops that can be used to make biofuels on land in the Pioneer Valley that is not suitable for food production. The project is a cooperative effort between UMass Amherst, UMass Extension and several state agencies, seeking to develop a sustainable fuel crop in Massachusetts. More...



Stacia Marcelynas Battles Wind, Rain to Place UMass Amherst Eighth in National Supermileage Competition

June 26, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Despite tornado warnings and torrential rain that temporarily forced her car off the track, Stacia Marcelynas led the University of Massachusetts Amherst Supermileage Team to an eighth-place finish in the 2008 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Supermileage Competition. More...



Films by UMass Amherst Professor Chosen for Preservation by New York Women in Film & Television

June 24, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Two early films by Liane Brandon, professor emeritus of education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, have been selected for restoration and preservation by the New York Women in Film & Television’s Women’s Film Preservation Fund. More...



Early Exercise Plan for Preschoolers Eyed By UMass Amherst Researcher as Way to Thwart Childhood Obesity

June 20, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Junk food, video games, TV − these are just a few factors causing an epidemic of obesity in preschool children, putting them at risk for developing high blood pressure, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Sofiya Alhassan of the University of Massachusetts Amherst is researching how to reverse this trend by introducing preschoolers in western Massachusetts to a program that makes physical activity fun. More...



College Chefs From Across U.S., Canada to Display Skills in ‘Tastes Of the World’ Competition at UMass Amherst

June 19, 2008

MEDIA ADVISORY

DATE: Friday, June 20

TIME: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

PLACE: Berkshire Dining Commons, UMass Amherst

 More...



New England News Forum to Sponsor ‘Sharing the News’ Workshop on Saturday, June 28 at UMass Lowell

June 18, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – The New England News Forum, based at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will co-sponsor a workshop on how to support the new generation of news consumers and creators on Saturday, June 28 at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. More...

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UMass Research

Breast Cancer Researcher at Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute Receives $1.1 Million Grant from the National Institutes of Health

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute (PVLSI) scientist Rong Shao has received a five-year, $1.1 million grant for his breast cancer research from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

Capturing Carbon from Power Plants to Prevent Global Warming Studied By UMass Amherst Researcher

AMHERST, Mass. − It sounds easy enough − combat global warming by capturing harmful carbon dioxide emissions from power plants before they hit the atmosphere. Then store them deep beneath the Earth. But researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have shown that there are major technical and social hurdles to overcome before setting policy on carbon capture and storage (CCS).

UMass Amherst Researcher Founds First Plant Disease Clinic in Bangladesh to Help Farmers Battle Pests, Blight

AMHERST, Mass. – Farmers in Bangladesh who are battling outbreaks of leaf blight and insect pests are now getting expert help from Southeast Asia’s first plant disease clinic, co-founded by Robert Wick of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The clinic is housed at the Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh, under the direction of co-founder M. Bahadur Meah.

Design of New Environmental Trading Programs to Be Studied Under $1 Million EPA Grant at UMass Amherst

AMHERST, Mass. – A team of researchers including John Stranlund of the University of Massachusetts Amherst has received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to design the next generation of environmental trading programs. This is especially timely as 10 northeastern states belonging to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative launch the first cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. in 2009.

Plants That Can Make Golf Courses ‘Greener’ By Filtering Pesticides and Herbicides Identified At UMass Amherst

AMHERST, Mass. – Perfectly maintained areas of turfgrass that make the game of golf possible require the constant use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, which are often washed into adjacent waterways by rainfall. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have identified plants that can be used to create “living filters” known as vegetative filter strips at the edge of golf courses to remove harmful pesticides from the environment.

Plastics Containing ‘Smart Elements’ Can Reliably Detect Mercury in Drinking Water, Say UMass Amherst Researchers

AMHERST, Mass. – Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed plastics containing “smart elements” that can instantly detect the presence of mercury at or below the drinking water standard set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, even when other metals are present in the solution.

UMass Amherst Alumni Play Active Role in Creative Economy of Western Massachusetts

AMHERST, Mass. – Graduates of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are actively involved in the creative economy of Western Massachusetts through their jobs and as volunteers and financial supporters of cultural organizations, according to a recent survey. Almost half of these alumni report they’d not be living in the Pioneer Valley had they not attended UMass.

Computer Model to Identify Older, High-Risk Drivers Being Developed at UMass Amherst

AMHERST, Mass. - Heather Rothenberg of the University of Massachusetts Amherst is developing a computer model that will identify older drivers at high risk for severe accidents based on their driving histories. This information could then be used by state agencies to develop measures to improve their safety.

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