Warren studies ecology of Boston
Paige S. Warren, Environmental Conservation, is leading a group of scientists studying the ecology of Boston to assess the effects of planting vegetation on city air quality, residents, and wildlife. Nature
Schweik is named a top 50 innovator in Education
Charles Schweik, Environmental Conservation, was named one of this year’s top 50 innovators in education by the Center for Digital Education for his pioneering use of open-source software in the classroom and as a research focus. News Release
Stein opposed to banning Styrofoam products in Amherst
Richard Stein, Chemistry, a member of the Plastics Hall of Fame, is featured for his efforts opposing a prospective ban on Styrofoam products in Amherst. Plastics News
UMass Amherst Permaculture Initiative video televised nationally
The UMass Amherst Permaculture Initiative’s recent video was recently aired nationally on the PBS program ‘Real Green.’ News Release
Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center Opens
Gov. Deval Patrick, UMass President Robert Caret and other state officials cut the ribbon to open the new Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC), in Holyoke on Friday, November 16. The state-of-the-art center was built by a consortium of universities, including UMass Amherst, industry partners EMC and Cisco, and the Common-wealth of Massachusetts. The first project to be developed is a shared computer cluster, an “academic cloud” to provide service to university users. Prashant Shenoy, Computer Science, is a lead scientist on the $2.3 million NSF grant.
CAITE receives $6.24M NSF grant to create national resource for computer science education
The Commonwealth Alliance for Information Technology Education (CAITE) will share a five-year, $6.24 M NSF grant with Georgia Tech’s Georgia Computes! to create a national resource to broaden participation in computer science education. Mass High Tech, Phys.org, Springfield Republican, News Release
Sitaraman quantifies effect of online video stream speed on viewer behavior
Ramesh Sitaraman, Computer Science, co-authored a recent study that finds Internet users begin abandoning slow-loading videos within two seconds, and that after waiting 10 seconds, 40 percent of users move on to something else. Science Daily, Phys.org, CNN, Yahoo! News, Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, PC Magazine, News Release
Brooks receives Distinguished Service Award by The Wildlife Society
Adjunct professor Dr. Robert T. Brooks, was selected by the Northeast Section of The Wildlife Society for their first Distinguished Service Award to recognize his work for the Section for the past three decades. The Wildlife Society
Lee identifies new protein key to asymmetric cell division
Grotevant receives Outstanding Scholar in Adoption Award
Harold D. Grotevant, Rudd Family Foundation Chair in Psychology, received the Outstanding Scholar in Adoption Award during the 7th Biennial Conference on Adoption. News Release
Brigham-Grette delivers Subaru Outdoor Life Lecture at Geological Society of America meeting
Julie Brigham-Grette, Geosciences, gave the Subaru Outdoor Life Lecture, titled “Driven to Extremes — The Roadless Pursuit of Scientific Drilling at El’Gygytgyn Crater Lake, Arctic Russia.” at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America. News Release
UMass President Robert Caret lauds UMass Marine Station
Robert Caret, UMass President, writes, “The goal of the marine station is exactly in sync with the goals set out [in the Morrill Land Grant Act] 150 years ago: Through public investment in higher education, individual students and the state as a whole benefit from thoughtful research and targeted innovation that, in the final analysis, mean more and better jobs, healthier citizens and a stronger society…The mission of the marine station, in studies on everything from the migratory pattern of the bluefin tuna to the reproductive habits of lobsters, has an enormous impact on how we will preserve and protect fish and fishing to keep this industry, and this vital source of food, intact and thriving for all of us.”
Brigham-Grette featured in article on women in climate sciences
Julie Brigham-Grette, Geosciences, is featured in an article about women working in climate sciences in the Daily Climate. Daily Climate
Brigham-Grette interviewed about women in high-level climate science jobs
Julie Brigham-Grette, Geosciences, is among a group of female scientists interviewed about the difficulty of finding top-level employment in the field of climate science. The Daily Climate
Condron identifies trigger for Earth’s most recent ice age
Alan Condron, Geosciences, and Peter Winsor, University of Alaska, have used new, high-resolution ocean circulation models to report the first conclusive evidence that the Laurentide Ice Sheet’s melting about 12,900 years ago caused a flood that ushered in the planet’s last major cold episode. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, NBC News, Science Daily, Science News, Physorg.com, Daily Mail (UK), Yahoo! News, Space Daily, Terra Daily, Fars News Agency (Iran), News Release
Holland’s Greenfield-based organic food company featured
Addie Holland, web developer for the Northeast Climate Science Center and the Geosciences Department, was featured in the Daily Climate for her organic food company, Real Pickles, in Greenfield. Daily Climate
Auerbach writes letter to New York Times editor about climate change
Scott Auerbach, Chemistry, writes in a letter to the editor published in The New York Times on November 1, 2012, that until Americans try to understanding and solve gradual problems such as global warming, climate change “will remain the Rodney Dangerfield of problems.” New York Times
Tropp interviewed on NPR's Talk of the Nation about interracial relations
Linda Tropp, professor of Psychology, and Director of the Psychology of Peace and Violence Program was interviewed on NPR's Talk of the Nation, about the media uses racism and bigotry to build an audience and sell advertising. NPR's Talk of the Nation
Silva is first recipient of National Grid scholarship
Derek Silva, a second-year Stockbridge School of Agriculture student from Lowell studying sustainable food and farming, is the first recipient of a new scholarship established by the National Grid Foundation to encourage minority students to pursue green-related careers. Funded with a $10,000 gift from the foundation, the GreenDependence Scholarship provides financial assistance to a qualified student interested in sustainability who wants to apply knowledge and skills through a community service-learning project.
Stinson receives $2M U.S. Department of Defense grant
Kristina Stinson, Environmental Conservation, was awarded a $2 million U.S. Department of Defense grant for her project, ‘Restoration of microbial function following degradation on DoD lands: Mediating biological invasions in a global context.’ News Release
Bradley says global warming a key driver of recent hurricanes such as Sandy, Irene
Harb discusses partnership between Stockbridge School, Amherst Public Schools
Ryan Harb, Stockbridge School of Agriculture, discusses the new partnership between UMass Amherst’s Stockbridge School of Agriculture and the Amherst Public schools. Daily Hampshire Gazette
Zoeller interviewed about toxicologists’ knowledge of the unexpected, sometimes powerful effects of chemicals
Thomas Zoeller, Biology, was recently interviewed for a feature in Nature about how toxicologists have long known the unexpected and sometimes powerful effects of some chemicals even at very low doses. Nature.com
Patterson named winner of Herbert Stoddard Lifetime Achievement Award
Jakob’s research on jumping spiders’ near 360-degree vision, use of four pairs of eyes is featured
Elizabeth Jakob, Psychology, and Skye Long, doctoral student in organismic and evolutionary biology, have a study that focuses on jumping spiders’ use of their four pairs of eyes and almost 360-degree vision range. CBS News, Australian Broadcasting Company, Discovery News
