University of Massachusetts Amherst - Office of News & Information

Monday, September 8, 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 Amherst Faculty Convocation to Feature First Formal Address to Faculty by Chancellor Robert Holub

September 5, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Amherst Chancellor Robert C. Holub will make his first formal address to the faculty at the university’s fourth annual Faculty Convocation on Friday, Sept. 12. The event will begin at 11 a.m. in Bowker Auditorium in Stockbridge Hall. More...



Ken Feinberg, Sept. 11 Compensation Fund Special Master, to Speak on Anniversary of Terrorist Attacks

September 4, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Alumnus Kenneth R. Feinberg, who directed the $7 billion fund created by Congress to assist the families of those killed or injured in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, will give a talk on the seventh anniversary of the attacks at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He will speak on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 4:30 p.m. in the Bernie Dallas room in Goodell Hall. The event is free and open to the public. More...



Public Health Advisory: West Nile Virus Detected in Amherst

September 4, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has announced that West Nile Virus (WNV) has been detected in mosquitoes collected in Amherst, Mass. WNV is most commonly transmitted to humans by the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus. More...



UMass Amherst’s Engineers Without Borders Work with Kenyan Village to Improve Water Supply

September 3, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Members of the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) student chapter at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently returned from a three-week trip to Kenya, where they worked to improve drinking water for a rural farming village. More...



UMass Amherst Lecture Series Features Experts in Operations Research and Management

September 3, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Air traffic management, the security of implantable medical devices and vehicle assembly-line problems are among the topics to be covered in the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences Fall Speaker Series at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. More...



Maryann Lombardi Named UMass Amherst Outreach Director of Creative Economy

September 2, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Maryann Lombardi, who for the past year has served as acting Director of Creative Economy for the UMass Amherst division of university Outreach, has been named to become the first full time director for that office, Vice Provost Sharon L. Fross has announced. More...



Regional Travel Information Center at UMass Amherst Adds New Traffic Monitoring Systems

August 29, 2008

Information on local traffic conditions available online

AMHERST, Mass. – The Regional Traveler Information Center (RTIC) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has introduced two new traffic monitoring systems to keep commuters abreast of conditions on two busy local roadways. More...



More Than $40 Million in Improvements and Repairs Completed Over Summer at UMass Amherst

August 28, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – As work on several major building projects continued this summer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, more than $40 million in safety, building and infrastructure improvements and repairs were also in progress across the campus. More...



UMass Amherst Announces First Week Activities As Students Return To Campus Starting Aug. 31

August 28, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Students returning to the campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst begin moving into residence halls on Sunday, Aug. 31 and classes begin Sept. 2. The students will be greeted with a full week’s schedule of activities from Aug. 31 to Sept. 6. More...



UMass Amherst Faculty and Staff Achievements Noted

August 27, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. – Several University of Massachusetts Amherst faculty and staff members have received recognition for their work in recent weeks: More...

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UMass Research

UMass Amherst Research on Strength of Composite Lumber Could Expand Use of Sustainable Material

AMHERST, Mass. – Two University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers are developing computer models to predict the strength of structural composite lumber (SCL), which could broaden the use of the sustainable material in large building projects.

UMass Amherst Studies Question Health Benefit of Sports Drinks, High-Carbohydrate Foods Consumer After Exercise

AMHERST, Mass. – Three studies published by kinesiology researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst suggest that, unless you are a competitive athlete, consuming sports drinks or high-carbohydrate foods such as energy bars right after exercising may negate the health benefits that physical exercise creates.

UMass Amherst Researchers Receive New Federal Funds to Continue Landscape Conservation Efforts

AMHERST, Mass. – Two researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst working on wetlands monitoring and assessment projects around the state have received a new round of funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Boston Hurricane Frequency Over Last Millennium Linked To Ocean Surface Temperatures By UMass Amherst Researchers

AMHERST, Mass. – The frequency of hurricanes striking the Boston area has varied widely over the last millennium, with periods of lowest activity corresponding to cooler surface temperatures in the tropical North Atlantic Ocean, according to newly published research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Commonly Used Pesticides on Golf Courses Do Not Pose a Health Risk to Golfers, Says UMass Amherst Researcher

AMHERST, Mass. – Maintaining golf courses requires the constant application of herbicides and insecticides. While some golfers may wonder if they are being poisoned in their pursuit of pleasure, new research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst shows that residues of two widely used insecticides picked up by golfers during a typical golf game do not pose a health risk.

New Piece of Climate Change Puzzle Found In Ancient Sedimentary Rocks by UMass Amherst Researchers

AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers have added a new source of carbon dioxide to the complex climate change puzzle by showing that ancient rocks can release substantial amounts of organic matter into Earth’s rivers and oceans, and that this organic matter is easily converted by bacteria to carbon dioxide, which enters the atmosphere and contributes to climate change.

Safer Blood Transfusions, Chemotherapy, Being Developed By UMass Amherst Researchers, Health Care Professionals

AMHERST, Mass. – Computer scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are working with Massachusetts healthcare professionals to analyze medical procedures, including blood transfusions and chemotherapy treatments, with the goal of improving patient safety. The team is also analyzing the flow of patients in emergency rooms to reduce waiting time.

UMass Amherst Researcher Sofiya Alhassan to Study Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents

AMHERST, Mass. – A scientist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has received federal funding to help her develop and validate new methods for processing physical activity in children age 8 through 16.

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