AMHERST, Mass. – The amount of fresh water flowing through the Arctic as snow or rainfall, in rivers and other cycles is increasing, in agreement with model projections under a warming climate, according to a new study by University of Massachusetts Amherst hydrologist Michael Rawlins and colleagues from 18 other institutions in the United States, Norway and Finland.

AMHERST, Mass. – Suffering from itchy bites and epidemic disease spread by the lowly body louse over thousands of years, humans may finally have found a tool for fighting back against this pest and discovering its knack for evading pesticides. University of Massachusetts Amherst pesticide toxicologist John Clark, with colleagues at 28 institutions in the U.S., Europe, Australia and South Korea, this week report that they’ve sequenced the genome of the body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus L, the smallest insect genome known.

*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***

DATE: Tuesday, June 15, 2010

TIME: 1:30-2:30 p.m.

PLACE: Engineering Lab II, UMass Amherst

The University of Massachusetts Amherst and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will announce an upcoming program in ecohydrology and fish passage engineering offered through the university’s department of civil and environmental engineering. The master’s degree option was developed jointly by UMass Amherst faculty and USFWS engineers.

AMHERST, Mass. – The public is invited to witness sunrise and sunset associated with the summer solstice among the standing stones of the UMass Amherst Sunwheel on Monday, June 21 at 5 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. The events mark the longest day and shortest night of the year. Rain cancels the events.