The U.S. Department of Energy this month announced that 73 scientists from across the nation, including assistant professors Scott Hertel, physics, and Isaac Larsen, geosciences, will receive funding for their investigations as part of its Early Career Research Program. 

Industry figures show the global rate of solar energy installations grew by 30 percent in one recent year, and the average cost of installing solar has fallen from $7 per watt to $2.8 per watt, making rooftop solar attractive to many more homeowners. But the progress of rooftop installationsis often slowed by a shortage of trained professionals who must use expensive tools to conduct labor-intensive structure assessments one by one, say scientists at the UMass Amherst.

The Neuro-Learning and Performance Lab is seeking volunteers for a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) study to learn about the decision-making process.

The UMass World Librarians project, which brings educational resources to students and teachers in under-resourced areas in Malawi, is expanding, after Charles M. Schweik, professor in the School of Public Policy, made connections at a conference.