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Robot-Delivered Speech and Physical Therapy a Success in UMass Amherst Test

AMHERST, Mass. – In one of the earliest experiments using a humanoid robot to deliver speech and physical therapy to a stroke patient, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst saw notable speech and physical therapy gains and significant improvement in quality of life.
 
Regarding the overall outcome, speech language pathologist and study leader Yu-kyong Choe says, “It’s clear from our study of a 72-year-old male stroke client that a personal humanoid robot can help people recover by delivering therapy such as word-retrieval games and arm movement tasks in an enjoyable and

UMass Amherst Institute Receives $1.6 Million NIH Award to Support Graduate Students in Biomedical Research

AMHERST, Mass. – A newly formed institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that serves as a campus-wide umbrella to coordinate diversity initiatives in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has received a four-year, $1.6 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund one-year internships for post-baccalaureate students from underrepresented groups interested in biomedical and biobehavioral research.
 
Sandra Petersen, director of the STEM Diversity Institute (SDI) and professor of veterinary and animal sciences, is the principal investigator of

New UMass Poll Shows Strong Support for Increased Minimum Wage and Assault Weapons Ban

 
Fifty-one percent view President Obama favorably, Speaker Boehner unfavorably
 
AMHERST, Mass. – The results of a new national UMass Poll released today show strong public support for an assault weapons ban and a broad consensus in favor of a higher federal minimum wage. Additionally, President Barack Obama enjoys high personal favorability, while Speaker John Boehner is viewed as equally unfavorable.
 
Respondents were asked about a variety of topics, including which issues they viewed as most important, about how favorably they view various government officials, and their personal views

UMass Amherst Researchers Reveal Mechanism of Novel Biological Electron Transfer

AMHERST, Mass. – When researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst led by microbiologist Derek Lovley discovered that the bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens conducts electricity very effectively along metallic-like “microbial nanowires,” they found physicists quite comfortable with the idea of such a novel biological electron transfer mechanism, but not biologists.
 
“For biologists, Geobacter’s behavior represents a paradigm shift.

UMass Amherst Sunwheel and Sky-Watching Events Mark the Spring Equinox on March 20

AMHERST, Mass. – The public is invited to witness sunrise and sunset associated with the spring equinox among the standing stones of the UMass Amherst Sunwheel on Wednesday, March 20 at 6:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. These Sunwheel events mark the astronomical change of seasons when days and nights are nearly equal in length in the Northern Hemisphere.
 
At the gatherings, which have attracted more than 10,000 visitors over the past 15 years, UMass Amherst astronomers Judith Young and Stephen Schneider will discuss the astronomical cause of the sun’s changing position during the hour-long gatherings.

UMass Amherst Research Questions Improved Memorability of License Plates with Symbols

AMHERST, Mass. – Results of a new study by memory experts at the University of Massachusetts Amherst suggest that adding symbols such as stars or circles to license plates does not make them easier for adults to remember than the traditional plate with only letters and numbers.
 
Cognitive psychologist and memory expert Caren Rotello says, “We found that whether the license plate contained a symbol or not didn’t matter when people tried to remember details. There was no overall benefit to license plates with symbols in our study.

UMass Amherst Junior Renée Barouxis Named Finalist for Truman Scholarship

AMHERST, Mass. – Renée Barouxis, of Westfield, Mass., a junior enrolled in Commonwealth Honors College at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been named a finalist for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. The prestigious award is for outstanding students preparing for careers in public service. She was chosen from a pool of 629 applications from 293 colleges and universities, and vies to be among the 60-65 college juniors to be selected nationwide.
 
A political science major with minors in history and in women, gender and sexuality studies, Barouxis is also enrolled in three certificate

UMass STEM Ed Institute,Pioneer Valley STEM Network Receive Grant to Support Out of School Time STEM Programming

AMHERST, Mass. –The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which manages the Pioneer Valley STEM Network, has received a $39,780 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education through its STEM Pipeline Fund.
 
The money will allow the Pioneer Valley STEM Network, in partnership with after school and informal STEM providers, to develop strategies to support sustainable, high-quality, informal science and engineering education opportunities in out-of-school time (OST) programs.

UMass Amherst Programs in Business, Education, Engineering, Nursing, Psychology and Computer Science Ranked in U.S. News Graduate Schools Guide

AMHERST, Mass. – The Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is ranked among the best business schools in the country and its part-time MBA program and online study options are in the top 25, according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2014 edition of Best Graduate Schools.
 
The rankings, which were announced today, rank UMass Amherst’s College of Engineering 57th in the nation, while its School of Education placed 58th and the School of Nursing was 64th. The Isenberg School is ranked 51st.

UMass Amherst to Host Public Forum to Discuss Draft Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan on March 15

AMHERST, Mass. – Officials at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are holding a public forum on Friday, March 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to discuss a draft plan for dealing with natural hazards, including severe weather such as hurricanes and blizzards, earthquakes and other large-scale natural disasters. The forum at the UMass Amherst Police Department building on East Pleasant Street is an open format event that features a brief presentation of the draft showing every 15 minutes.

The campus Natural Hazard Planning Group created the preliminary plan with assistance from Jamie Caplan

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