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The University Museum of Contemporary Art created a unique way to unite town and gown while celebrating the positive influence of public art. XTCA: Cross Town Contemporary Art was a series of installations throughout campus and downtown Amherst that added up to one seamless outdoor gallery—an art-and-culture bridge of sculpture composed of 13 pieces by nationally known and local artists, all riffing on ideas of construction and deconstruction, time and location. The exhibition, a collaboration with the UMass department of architecture, was in place from July through October. Pictured is part of the performative sculpture, “Gioco,” a bocce ball court that connects campus to community visually, physically, and socially. "Gioco" is by Gary Orlinsky ’83MFA.

MILLION DOLLAR INTERNSHIPS

The player you signed for millions of dollars tears his knee. A golf tournament is rained out. Your team promised a huge financial bonus to any player named league MVP. Sports and insurance intersect at companies like Tokio-Marine HCC, where a division of the company provides specialized insurance products to cover circumstances like these.

Bill Hubbard ’87, a sport management alumnus, is chairman of Tokio-Marine HHC. In conjunction with his company, Hubbard has established an endowed fund with a $1 million gift that will provide financial support to Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management students with internships in the sport and entertainment industry.

“The risk management and sport promotion industry is one that only continues to grow, and touches every single segment of the sport and entertainment industry,” says Hubbard, who aims to alleviate students’ financial challenges while introducing them to Tokio-Marine’s segment of the industry. The program kicked off in June with five interns.

THE NEWS FROM MOUNT IDA

UMass Amherst will connect its students with Boston-based employers at its newly acquired Mount Ida campus in Newton. The Mount Ida Campus of UMass Amherst will operate as an extension of the Amherst campus and will not enroll undergraduate students directly.

Less than 10 miles from downtown Boston and adjacent to the N2 Innovation District and the tech-focused Route 128 corridor, the campus will serve as a hub for Greater Boston-area career preparation and experiential learning for UMass Amherst students. The programs offered in Newton will align the strengths of UMass Amherst with the growing demand for talent in areas that drive the Massachusetts economy, including health care, business, computer science, and other STEM specialties. In addition, academic-industry collaborations, which currently account for a growing portion of UMass Amherst’s $220 million annual research and development expenditures, will be initiated at the Mount Ida campus.

The new campus will also offer other professional development opportunities for UMass Amherst students along with graduate certificate and master’s programs and executive education.