News

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

UMass Amherst, American Museum of Natural History Researchers Develop Tools for Discovering New Species

AMHERST, Mass. – For hundreds of years, naturalists and scientists have identified new species based on an organism’s visible differences. But now, new genetic techniques are revealing that different species can show little to no visible differences.
 
In a just-published study, evolutionary biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) combine traditional morphological tests plus genetic techniques to describe new species.

UMass Innovation Institute Forging Commercial Links between Academic Research and Industry in its First Successful Year

AMHERST, Mass. – The UMass Innovation Institute (UMII) is accelerating connections between advanced science and technology available in campus laboratories at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and private business. Its most recent initiative is a five-year strategic partnership with BASF, the world’s leading chemical company, to develop new advanced materials for the automotive, building, construction and energy industries. The new agreement was announced this week in Cambridge.
 
The agreement between BASF and the UMII along with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of

UMass Amherst Hosts International Arctic Workshop March 11-13

 
*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
 
DATE:           Monday, March 11 through Wednesday, March 13
TIME:            10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WHAT:          43rd Annual International Arctic Workshop
WHERE:       UMass Amherst Campus Center
 
Climate scientists and specialists in Arctic research will converge on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus next week for the 43rd annual International Arctic Workshop. Speakers will present their latest work and posters on high-latitude environments of the past, present and future.
 
Media will have the opportunity to interview such outstanding experts as

New York-Based Consultant Hired to Review Residence Hall Security Program at UMass Amherst

AMHERST, Mass. – Business Protection Specialists, Inc., an independent security consulting firm based in Canandaigua, N.Y., has been hired by the University of Massachusetts Amherst to conduct a comprehensive review of its residence hall security program and recommend improvements to ensure a safe campus community.
 
As part of the study, BPS representatives will visit campus during spring break, March 18-22, to tour the 45-residence hall system, inspect technical security measures and current visitor access in the six residential areas.

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