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New Book by UMass Amherst’s Schreyer Expands Understanding of Architectural Computer-Aided Design Software

AMHERST, Mass. – Alexander C. Schreyer, assistant director and lecturer of the building and construction technology (BCT) program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and faculty member in the architecture + design program, has released a book on SketchUp, a popular three dimensional computer-aided design (CAD) software, titled “Architectural Design with SketchUp.”
 
Published and released as paperback and e-book editions, the book is now available through online and local bookstores.

Christopher Hollot Appointed Interim Dean of College of Engineering at UMass Amherst

AMHERST, Mass. – Christopher Hollot, head of the department of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been named interim dean of the College of Engineering by UMass Amherst Provost James V. Staros.
 
Hollot’s appointment was effective Dec. 1 and he will serve until the arrival of a new dean, which is expected in spring 2013, said Staros.
 
A UMass Amherst faculty member since 1984, Hollot has served as department head since 2007. Hollot is an authority on the theory and application of feedback control and was recognized for his work by election as

UMass Amherst Historian Stephen Platt Captures Prestigious Cundill Prize for 'Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom'

AMHERST, Mass. – “Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War,” a history of the Taiping rebellion by Stephen R. Platt, associate professor of history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has won McGill University’s 2012 Cundill Prize, called the world’s richest and most prestigious award for historical literature.
 
Published earlier this year by Alfred A. Knopf, Platt’s book was chosen from among 143 works submitted by publishers from all over the globe. The competition, now in its fifth year, features a $75,000 U.S. grand prize.

UMass Amherst to Hire Consultant to Review Residence Hall Security

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst plans to hire an outside consultant to undertake a comprehensive review of its residence hall security program, Police Chief John Horvath said today.
 
Horvath said, “UMass Amherst has a longstanding commitment to student safety, and this review will identify the strengths and any shortcomings of our current system while making recommendations based on best practices in the field. An independent set of eyes will serve us well.”
 
The move is part of a coordinated review and response to campus security following the alleged rape in

UMass Amherst Engineer is Developing a New System Designed to Save Lives at Mass-Casualty Disaster Scenes

AMHERST, Mass. – A University of Massachusetts Amherst engineering professor has been awarded a four-year, $1.6-million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue her research on a computerized disaster-management response system. Aura Ganz, professor of electrical and computer engineering, says the system is designed to quickly organize chaotic, mass-casualty, disaster scenes, such as airliner, bus and train wrecks, and cut the evacuation time of survivors in half.
 
For the past several years, Ganz has been developing what she calls the DIORAMA I system, designed to

UMass Amherst, MIT, Boston U and Northeastern Set to Begin Building a Shared Computer Cluster at New Center in Holyoke

AMHERST, Mass. – When Gov. Deval Patrick, UMass President Robert Caret and other state officials cut the ribbon on Friday to open the new Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) in Holyoke, a small group of scientists will be waiting in the wings, ready to step in and begin actually building a shared computer cluster, an “academic cloud” to provide service to university users.
 
Four principal researchers, computer science researcher Prashant Shenoy of UMass Amherst, Chris Hill of MIT, Claudio Rebbi of Boston University and Gene Cooperman of Northeastern University

UMass Amherst Will Share $6.24 Million NSF Grant to Improve Computer Science Education Nationally

AMHERST, Mass. – Building on its success in drawing more women and under-represented minority students to study computer science at Massachusetts public colleges and universities over the past five years, the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Commonwealth Alliance for Information Technology Education (CAITE) has won a major grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and will now take a national leadership role in computer science education.
 
UMass Amherst’s CAITE will share the new five-year, $6.24 million NSF grant with Georgia Computes!, a project at Georgia Tech, to create a

UMass Amherst Hosts 'A Salute to Service Awards' Nov. 14 in Boston with Keynote Speaker Robert Kraft

BOSTON ­­­­– For almost 150 years, the University of Massachusetts Amherst has emphasized public service as critical to the social and economic development of the Commonwealth, nation and the world. On Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m., UMass Amherst will host the first-ever A Salute to Service Awards at the Boston Harbor Hotel.
 
The event will recognize three outstanding individuals for their contributions to civic engagement and public service through volunteer leadership and professional achievement: Robert Kraft, Liz Walker and Dr. Robert Littleton. Steve Buckley, Boston Herald sports

UMass Amherst to Mark Veterans Day with Campus Events

AMHERST, Mass. – Several campus events are planned in observance of Veterans Day to pay homage to veterans as well as family members who have been affected by military deployments.
 
The Office of Veteran Services will host its third annual Warrior Breakfast on Friday, Nov. 9 at 9 a.m. in Memorial Hall. The breakfast is open to students, faculty and alumni who are veterans as well as their families. Contact Veteran Services coordinator Judy Gagnon at jgagnon@stuaf.umass.edu for more information.
 
A Veterans Day vigil hosted by the Army and Air Force ROTC units will be held outside Memorial

UMass Amherst Institute Addresses How to Help Children of Military Families

 

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

DATE:         Nov. 14-15, 2012
TIME:         8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
PLACE:     165-69 Campus Center

The UMass Amherst School of Education and 4-H's Operation Military Kids are co-hosting “Living in the New Normal (LINN) Institute: Helping Children Thrive in Good and Challenging Times,” on Nov. 14-15 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 165-69 Campus Center. The program is sponsored by the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC).

Participants will learn about the experiences of children of deployed military personnel in hands-on sessions on topics such as grief, happiness, trauma versus

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