Research Foundation Celebrates Half a Century of Innovation and Discovery

Lowell

L

UMass

M A G A Z I N E

Page 12

FALL 2003 VOLUME 6 NUMBER 3

Wannalancit Mills, home of the Research Foundation

L ll

Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends:

As we begin a new academic year on the Lowell campus, I want to expressmy gratitude for your continued support — whether in the form of your involve-ment in our programs, your expressions of support for our work in the region andaround the state, or your generous gifts to the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

In these challenging times, the University continues to serve its studentsand the Commonwealth by offering affordable, excellent educational programs,conducting exceptional research, and sharing its resources in myriad ways —always keeping its focus on assisting sustainable regional development. TheUniversity’s profile is as prominent as it has ever been and is improving. Fromtimely research on the SARS virus and helping improve the teaching of history inLowell schools to promoting innovative “green chemistry” that prevents pollutionof the environment, UMass Lowell is active across the spectrum of disciplines andissues facing us every day.

This year we celebrate a half century of achievements at the University’sResearch Foundation. Our congratulations and appreciation go to the manyresearchers whose work has contributed to making our society one that is wiser,healthier, and more productive. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of thefinal class of graduates at Lowell Textile Institute. We extend our best wishes to allof them and all those whose academic roots stretch back to the textile programs inLowell. We hope to see many of them on campus for the Fall Festival Reunionand Homecoming celebrations.

Finally, we will recognize the second anniversary of 9/11 this fall by dedi-cating a sculptural tribute on campus to the members of the UMass Lowellcommunity who perished in the attacks. One of the alumni, John A. Ogonowski’72, was awarded an honorary degree posthumously at the 2003 Commencement,in recognition of his service to community and country. He and others lost on9/11 will be remembered in an artwork to be installed on an overlook along theMerrimack River.

Sincerely,

William T. Hogan

Chancellor

SEPTEMBER 2003

September 3 – September 26Ellen D. MullanePaintings – new works by UML Alum, Class of 2000Reception: Wed., Sept. 10, 2 – 4 pmGallery Talk 3:00UNIVERSITY GALLERYUML SOUTH

September 3 – September 24Student PaintingsDUGAN GALLERYUML SOUTH

OCTOBER 2003

October 1 – November 7Allen Ginsberg: “Snapshot Poetics,”photographs by famed Beat writer Allen Ginsberg courtesy of theHoward Greenberg Gallery in New York CityReception: Thurs, Oct 2, 3 – 6 pmIn conjunction with UML’s Jack KerouacConference on Beat LiteratureUNIVERSITY GALLERYUML SOUTH

Sunday, October 5Shangri-La AcrobatsFamily Discovery SeriesDURGIN HALLUML SOUTH

October 8 – 29Alumni Group Photo Show Curated by UML Alum Melissa Boyajian, Class of 2002DURGIN GALLERYUML SOUTH

October 10 – 11FALL FESTIVAL/REUNIONS/HOMECOMING

October 20“Famous Long Ago: Eyewitness to the 60s,”a talk by author Raymond Mungo.Parker Lectures series. 7 p.m.O’LEARY LIBRARYUML SOUTH

NOVEMBER 2003

Saturday, November 1Francis Cabot Lowell Alumni Awards DinnerWyndham Andover HotelAndover, MA

Sunday, November 2The Star KeeperFamily Discovery SeriesDURGIN HallUML South

November 12 – December 10The Alphabet as ArtCurated by UML Professor Karen RoehrReception: Wed., November 19, 2 – 4 pm UNIVERSITY GALLERYUML SOUTH

November 12 – December 3November LightBooks & Boxes Gail Milligan, UML, Class of 2004DUGIN GALLERYUML SOUTH

DECEMBER 2003

Sunday, December 7, 2003The Gizmo GuysFamily Discovery SeriesDURGIN HALLUML CAMPUS

December 13 – January 10,2004

BFA Candidates Fall 2003Reception: Saturday, Dec. 13, 2 – 5 pmUniversity Gallery & DuganUNIVERSITY GALLERYUML SOUTH

JANUARY 2004

January 28 – February 25Tim Harney: PaintingsReception: Wed., Feb 4, 2 – 4 pmUNIVERSITY GALLERYUML SOUTH

FEBRUARY 2004

February 2-10Alumni Campus Abroad Cultural SeasonOrvieto, Italy

February 11- March 18Alumni Holidays Escape ProgramLondon, England

February 4 – February 25Art & CopyCurated by Karen Roehr and Arno MinkkinenDURGIN GALLERYUML SOUTH

Saturday, February 28All Alumni Hockey NightUML vs. MaineTSONGAS ARENALOWELL

MARCH 2004

March 3 – April 7Doug Bosch: InstallationReception: Wed, Mar. 3, 2 – 4 pmUNIVERSITY GALLERYUML SOUTH

Friday, March 5Alumni Golf Tournament and Luncheon Naples, Florida

Sunday, March 7Tomas Kubinek: Certified Lunatic & Master of the ImpossibleFamily Discovery SeriesDURGIN HALLUML SOUTH

March 10 – April 73D Sculpture, Paper, CeramicsCurated by Jim CoatesAPRIL 2004DURGIN GALLERYSOUTH CAMPUS

APRIL 2004

Sunday, April 4SCRAP Arts MusicFamily Discovery SeriesDURGIN HALLUML SOUTH

April 14 – May 12Rob Millard: Interactive SculptureReception: Wed., Apr. 21, 2 – 4 pmUNIVERSITY GALLERYUML SOUTH

April 21 – May 12BIG student showReception & Awards: April 28, 2 – 4pmDURGIN GALLERYUML SOUTH

MAY 2004

Sunday, May 2Charlotte’s WebFamily Discovery SeriesDURGIN HALLUML SOUTH

May 15 – June 12BFA Candidates Spring 2004Reception: Sat., May 15, 2 – 5 pmUniversity Gallery & Dugan GalleryUNIVERSITY GALLERYUML SOUTH

JUNE 2004

Sunday, June 6Commencement CeremonyTSONGAS ARENALOWELL

For more information on alumni activities, pleasecheck our Alumni Web site Calendar:www.uml.edu/Alumni or call the Office of AlumniRelations toll free (877) UML-ALUM or 978-934-3140.

For more information on the Family Discovery Series,please call the Center for the Arts at (978) 934-4444.

Interested in subscribing to The Connector, UML’s student newspaper? Please call (978) 934-5009 or e-mail your request to connector@uml.edu

Calendar of Events

FAMILY DAY will be held on Saturday, Oct 4, from 11 a.m. to 4p.m.Enjoy a craft fair, food fest, old photos, caricatures, ponyrides, live per formances, and more!

Office of Alumni RelationsWannalancit Mills Complex600 Suffolk StreetLowell, MA 01854-3629

Change Service Requested

Nonprofit OrgUS Postage PaidPermit 219Burl., VT. 05401

Please join us for Homecoming at your almamater on the weekend of October 10 and 11,2003. Class Reunions for the 50th, 40th and

25th classes and the decade of the 90s (includ-ing 2001 thru 2003) will take place all week-end. We invite all other alumni to take part inthe activities on Saturday, October 11, includ-ing those listed below at the new and excitingCampus Recreation Center.9:30 am "Active Start" Several activities at CampusRecreation Center-Fun Run/ Walk, Yoga, etc.Noon Alumni Homecoming LuncheonAll alumni invited. Campus Recreation Center$15 (You must pre-register for the luncheon).

1:30 pmJust for Fun ContestsGet a team together from your class or from a group you were active with on campus (e.g.Band, athletic teams, Student Government,Residential Life) and join us for a fabuloustime. Outside of the Campus RecreationCenter.AfternoonVarsity athletic games on campus7 pm River Hawk Hockey vs. UMass Amherst at theTsongas Arena. Discounted tickets are avail-able through the Alumni Office.

Downtown Lowell AttractionsMogan Cultural Center(exhibits of Mill Girls and Ethnic Lowell)Boott Mills Museum Revolving MuseumAmerican Textile History MuseumNew England Quilt MuseumBrush Art Gallery and StudiosNational Streetcar MuseumWhistler House Museum of Art(works by Ed Adler, ’53 Lowell Textile)

2003

T H E R E ’ S N O P L A C E L I K E

HomecomingO c t o b e r 1 0 - 1 1

For additional information, or to register, call the Alumni Office at (978)934-3140 or toll free at (877) UML-ALUM or email us atalumni_office@uml.edu by October 1. For anupdated schedule of events, visit our Web site.

http//www.uml.edu/alumni

UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003 1

Table of Contents

What topics would you enjoy reading more about — Alumni, Students, Faculty, Campus?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Please check the activities with which you wouldlike to help:

News about you:

Thank you!

Campus News

� Alumni Relations Council

� Young Alumni Council

� Career Services (UCAN)

� Fall Festival Committee

� Please send me a copy of the latest Lowell Alumni Handbook,

which includes information on all alumni benefits, services and activities.

� College/Departmental Activities

� Regional Chapters

� Class Reunions

Colleges - Arts & Sciences 2Colleges - Education 4Colleges - Engineering 4Colleges - Health 6Colleges - Advancement 7Campus - Outlook 7Campus - Outreach 7Campus - Research 9Campus - Commencement 22Campus - Athletics 28Campus - Alumni Events 32Campus - Class Notes 34

We WantNews

AboutYou!

Write to us using this form with news about your family, career, or hobbies. If you send us a photo we will gladly include it and return it to you after itappears. This form may also be used for updating a new business or home address or phone number. Be sure to give us your e-mail address so you can receive our e-newsletter.

❐

❐

❐

❐

❐

❐

❐

❐

❐

❐

❐

❐

❐

Please check box if information

is new.

Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Women: Please include your graduation name.

Class Year: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Major: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Home Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

City: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

State: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Zip: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Home Phone: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

E-mail Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Employer: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Title: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Business Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

City: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

State: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Zip: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Business Phone: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Fax: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Please send to: UMass Lowell Office of Alumni Relations Wannalancit Mills Complex600 Suffolk St.Lowell, MA 01854-3629 Fax: (978) 934-3111 E-mail: Alumni_Office@uml.edu

✂

Page 22

F A L L 2 0 0 3 V O L U M E 6 N U M B E R 3

Fall 2003Volume 6, Number 3

The UMass Lowell Alumni Magazine is published by: Publications OfficeUniversity of Massachusetts Lowell One University AvenueLowell, MA 01854Tel. (978) 934-3223e-mail: Marylou_Hubbell@uml.edu

Vice Chancellor for University Relations and DevelopmentDr. Frederick P. Sperounis

Executive Director of Communications and MarketingChristine Dunlap

Executive Director of University AdvancementMatthew Eynon

Director of Programs and Alumni ServicesDiane Earl

Associate Director Deme Gys

Director of Publications and EditorMary Lou Hubbell

Staff WritersGeoffrey DouglasPaul Marion ’76Jack McDonough

Contributing WritersRenae Lias ClaffeyElizabeth JamesElaine KeoughKen LyonsPatti McCaffertySandra SeitzRick Sherburne

DesignShilale Design

The University of Massachusetts Lowell is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action, Title IX, H/V, ADA 1990 Employer.

Lowell Textile School • Massachusetts State Normal School • State Teachers College at Lowell • Lowell Textile InstituteLowell Technological Institute • Massachusetts State College at Lowell • Lowell State College • University of Lowell

Feature Story

Provost Robert Wagner Retires20

Cover Story

The Research Foundation Celebrates Half a Century of Service

12

Feature Story

New School Will Integrate, Expand Work of Health Professions, Work Environment

26

Face of Philanthropy

A Long-ago Hoopster, aModern Philanthropist11

Page 20

Page 11

Page 30

Page 26

Page 12

Feature Story

Jim Stone’s 37-YearLegacy Marks an End30

40 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003

Feature Story

Then and Now37

2 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003 3

Intel Gift Forms Foundation of New Laboratory

Seven Xscale architecture cus-tomer reference boards, donated to the Department of Computer Science by Intel, are the founda-tion of a new storage architecturelab in Olsen Hall. Storage architec-ture is one of the fastest growingareas in the industry. Computer science graduate student NikhilKarkare, seated, works with thenew equipment under the supervi-sion of Prof. William Moloney.

“Butler was widely hated in theSouth; he was widely controversial forhis occupations of Southern cities dur-ing the war,” says Prof. Michael Piersonof the History Department.

The Patrick J. Mogan Cultural Center advisory board named Piersonthe Scholar in the City for 2003. He is performing extensive research on Butler, perhaps Lowell’s best known19th century figure.

Butler began in Lowell as an attorneywho developed an interest in laboractivism, often defending mill workersagainst their Whig-party employers.This experience was important to himwhen he went on to serve as an officerfor the Union army.

Pierson plans to incorporate hisresearch into a book on unionism inNew Orleans. The $2,500 Scholar inthe City award will enable him to doresearch at the Library of Congress inWashington D.C., studying Butler’s personal papers.

The Scholar in the City program is sponsored by the Lowell National Historical Park in partnership withUMass Lowell.

Prof. MichaelPierson

IGS Plunges into Oceanographic Research

One of the great remaining unex-plored frontiers of science is the ocean.Covering more than 70 percent of theearth’s surface, its processes and systemsare not fully understood, yet the oceanarguably affects every aspect of life on land.

The new Intercampus GraduateSchool of Marine Science and Tech-nology (often referred to as IGS)plunges into oceanographic research.The school is building a strong publichigher education program in a statewith a long maritime tradition andgreat interest in marine matters.

“I’m a big fan,” says Juliette Rooney-Varga, assistant professor of biologicalsciences and a member of the IGSadmissions committee. “The IGS drawson specialized faculty from all the cam-puses, giving us a better program thanany one campus could provide. And itis attracting high caliber graduate stu-dents.”

One such graduate student is YukoHasegawa, UMass Lowell’s first studentin the program and Rooney-Varga’sadvisee.

“Each class I have taken has multiplefaculty and I like that very much,” saysHasegawa. “Each professor teaches from

Dr. Juliette Rooney-Varga, right, a faculty memberof the Intercampus Graduate School of MarineScience and Technology, discusses a summerresearch project with Yuko Hasegawa, the firstUMass Lowell-based graduate student in the program.

Study ShowsEconomic/Ecological Value of Black Brook

Black Brook is an unassuming streamthat originates in Chelmsford, mean-ders through a section of Lowell andeventually flows into the MerrimackRiver.

Known as the Black Brook water-shed, it covers about 3.4 square miles.Like wetlands everywhere, its benefitsare generally unknown or ignored bythose who live and work around it.

But Prof. Supriya Lahiri of the Economics Department says that BlackBrook’s total economic value to thecommunity “over an infinite time horizon” is $160 million. And Prof.Arnold O’Brien of the EnvironmentalEarth and Atmospheric SciencesDepartment would describe its ecologi-cal benefits — including flood controland the filtering of toxins in the water supply.

A system-wide distance learninghonors course was established at UMassAmherst in 1998 to study environmen-tal problems throughout the state. Fac-ulty from each of the system’s campusesgave lectures, and students conductedresearch on various issues. The lecturesand research reports were videotapedand distributed to each campus.

That’s when Lahiri, O’Brien and agroup of UMass Lowell students begantheir research on the Black Brook watershed.

Colleges - Arts & SciencesShea and Rogers Collaborate on ‘Rusty’Research

It has been demonstrated thatvitamin B12 plays an important rolein retarding the onset of Alzheimer’sdisease. Unfortunately, it fails towork in some cases because it “rusts.”

It rusts, says Prof. Thomas Shea of biological sciences, because it oxidizes—just as a scratch on thefender of your car would oxidize andrust. The solution, in the case of thevitamin, is an antioxidant called glutathione that converts B12 intoits active forms.

Research conducted by scientistsat the University of Wales College ofMedicine, has found that a “rust-proof” form of the vitamin, GS-B12,should be a far more effective treat-ment. GS-B12 is retained in thebody longer than the form now inuse and it can be administered intablet form.

Shea and Prof. Gene Rogers of UMass Lowell’s Health and Clini-cal Sciences Department are amonga number of scientists collaboratingon the research.

The long-term goal, says Shea, is “the role of nutrition on neuralhealth. There are genetic things thatgo wrong in Alzheimer’s disease, butat every step of the way it’s clear thatgood nutrition and good levels ofantioxidants buffer those problems.Healthy nutrition plays a majorrole.”

the strength of his or her research.” Her first courses have all been through distance learning; each campus maintains a classroom dedicated to thatinteractive, Internet-based approach.

The faculty are especially helpful in a program that is new to everyoneinvolved: “We are pioneers,” saysHasegawa.

“Our project,” O’Brien says, “was tosee if we could come up with a schemeto evaluate the environmental and economic potential of Black Brook.”

A core group of five students con-ducted the research to determine boththe ecological and economic value of Black Brook.

In the ecological portion, the students videotaped the wetland and evaluated it through a process that rated its functions in terms of social significance, effectiveness and opportu-nity to perform a number of functions.The functions include such things as flood control, the filtration of pollutants, support of wildlife andavailability for recreational purposes.

To determine the economic value,the students surveyed 150 area resi-dents. After explaining the functionand benefits of the wetland, they askedthe respondents what they would bewilling to pay to maintain the benefits.

Based on the results of the survey,Lahiri says, the total economic evalua-tion of the Black Brook system wasabout $3.2 million a year or, over an“infinite time horizon,” $160 million.

“Now,” says Lahiri, “we need to dis-seminate this knowledge to the peoplein Lowell. If they knew the value of thewatershed, maybe they would not allowcommercial development to occur.We’d like the people to know that theyhave something valuable and that wedon’t want another parking lot there.”

Prof. Arnold O’Brien Prof. Supriya Lahiri

CampusNews CampusNews

Pierson Named Scholar in the City

There’s probably only one formerMassachusetts governor whose faceever adorned the bottom of a cham-ber pot. The honor is exclusivelythat of Benjamin Butler of Lowell, aUnion officer who became infamousthroughout the South during theCivil War before returning home toassume the state’s highest office.

4 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003

Montrie’s New BookUnearths the Troubles with Strip Mining

During the 1960s, social activism wasa hallmark in the streets of WashingtonD.C., Boston, San Francisco — and the foothills of Appalachia.

Few might associate the sleepy envi-rons of Leslie County, Kentucky, withcivil disobedience and demonstrations.But, according to a new book by Assis-tant Prof. Chad Montrie of the HistoryDepartment, Appalachia saw a surge of grassroots militancy to abolish acommon scourge during this period.

“Small farmers, active and retireddeep miners, homemaker wives andmothers, as well as some middle-classprofessionals and business leaders,banded together for the specific pur-pose of fighting the menace of surfacecoal mining,” Montrie writes in To Save the Land and the People. “The bestknown of the organizations was theAppalachian Group to Save the Landand the People (AGSLP).”

Montrie’s book, which takes its namefrom the AGSLP, traces the history ofAppalachian surface, or strip, miningand the accompanying movement toabolish it. He examines the rise and fall of state and local campaigns thatemployed tactics ranging from civil disobedience to industrial sabotage,including dynamiting equipment andusing people to block trucks and bull-dozers.

“The book provides a history that hasa usable past,” Montrie says. “It’s anattempt to recover the environmental-ism of working people.”

The New Yorker magazine said Mon-trie’s book “chronicles resistance to surface mining in Appalachia, as com-

panies left behindgutted communitiesthat were no morethan ‘rural slums.’ ”

The book grewout of Montrie’s dissertation work at Ohio State University. Whilethere, he helpedorganize a strike by the United Foodand Commercial Workers union inWhitesburg in his home state of Kentucky. Through his contacts there,he learned of the need for greaterexamination of the environmental and social crisis that had been generat-ed through the practice of strip miningin the region.

CampusNewslenges of improving public education,”says Dean Donald Pierson, GSE.

Since recently taking the position,Gerry Qualtrale, director of curriculumand instruction for the district and aUMass Lowell alumnus, has been lead-ing the charge in ramping up Haverhillteachers’ professional development.

“Our mission at the University is towork regionally,” says Davidson. “Nowwe’re covering the three major cities in our region.”

Colleges - Arts & Sciences

Colleges - Education

Asst. Prof. Chad Montrie

GSE Forms Partnership withHaverhill Public Schools

School districts are grappling with awide variety of issues — from the NoChild Left Behind Act to finding qualified school administrators. It’s nowonder some districts are looking forguidance and, in the case of Haverhill,have turned to the Graduate School ofEducation (GSE) to get it.

“A lot of things we’ve been asked todo are much different than what we’vebeen doing” in other districts like Lowell and Lawrence, says Prof. JudyDavidson of GSE, one of the lead con-sultants for the district. The programsin Lowell and Lawrence focus specifi-cally on coursework. In Haverhill,it is a combination of coursework and facilitating communication across the district.

“Our partnership with Haverhill isanother example of how the Universityis responding to the needs of localschool districts and providing viable,collaborative solutions to the chal-

Rohm and Haas Donates$1.5M Process Line to IPI

Rohm and Haas Company hasdonated a $1.5 million film processline called Stress Free Optical Processto the Institute of Plastics Innovation(IPI). The company also gave the Insti-tute an additional $50,000 to help sup-port installation of the equipment. Theprocess creates a special film complete-ly free of stress, an invention pioneeredby Rohm and Haas, the company thatalso invented Plexiglas in 1936.

“Plastic that has no stress doesn’tchange the refraction of light,” saysProf. Stephen McCarthy, director ofIPI, “which makes it ideal for monitorscreens, high definition television, laptop computers and Palm Pilots sincethere is less distortion.”

Research faculty and graduate stu-dents will be using the equipment to test its validity and explore its marketability.

“UMass Lowell is one of the leadingeducational institutions in plasticsengineering,” says Reginald Taylor,director of licensing for Rohm andHaas. “They also had the space for theequipment and had the history of working with industry.”

Reginald Taylor, right, director of licensing for Rohm and Haas, discusses the company’sdonation of a film process line with Prof.Stephen McCarthy of the Institute for Plastics Innovation.

UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003 5

Nypro Makes New Plastics Lab Possible

Nypro Chairman Gordon Lanktonand his company have funded the reno-vation of a laboratory in Ball Hall tocreate the Nypro Precision InjectionMolding Lab. The lab will house morethan a half million dollars’ worth ofequipment, including an all-electricNova injection molding machine from Nypro.

According to Prof. Robert Malloy,chair of plastics engineering, Nypro is also coordinating an effort to havemachinery suppliers make other equipment donations to help fill therevamped space. One supplier, Sumitomo of Japan, contributed a precision micro-molding machine.

Six pieces of equipment will each represent different aspects of injectionmolding to expose graduate and under-graduate students to a wide range ofprocesses.

“The lab gives students hands-onexperience with sophisticated equip-ment that will give them an incrediblybroad education in the field,” says Malloy.

CS/CE, Engineering Awarded Training Contract by OFS Fitel

Working with the Plastics and Engineering Technology departments,the Division of Continuing Studies and Corporate Education (CS/CE) hasdelivered 156 hours of on-site trainingat OFS Fitel, an optics company inSturbridge.

The hands-on training programincluded modules in eight areas —such as Introduction to Pumps andCompressors, Industrial MaintenancePractices and Couplings, and Motorand Mechanical Drive Components.

“The willingness of the faculty inboth the Plastics Department and theMechanical Engineering Department to customize programs for business andindustry has been a major factor inhelping us to develop strong corporatepartnerships,” says CS/CE Dean Jacqueline Moloney.

Prof. Robert Tuholski, engineeringtechnology, and Prof. Nick Schott,plastics, helped develop the programand taught several modules.

“Our satisfied customers continue tobe a constant source of future businessfor the division. Modeled after the suc-cessful manufacturing training programdelivered twice at Lucent Technologiesin North Andover, this new educationcontract resulted as a referral from former Lucent training managers whowere extremely pleased with our retention rates and high quality training,” says Catherine Kendrick,director of corporate and distance market development.

Design Lab Entices Young Engineers withAfter-School ProgramCorey Warren of the Wang MiddleSchool uses a drill press to advancehis project in the University’sDesignLab, which is funded by theNational Science Foundation toencourage student interest in science and engineering.

Visteon Exec, Alum,Speaks at ExecutiveForumMichael Johnston, center, is presi-dent and chief operating officer ofVisteon Corp., one of the largestautomotive suppliers in the world,with 2001 global sales revenues of$17.8 billion. Johnston, a UMassLowell alumnus in industrial manage-ment, says his company employs200 Lowell graduates and recruitsheavily on campus because the University has “a great reputationfor a no-nonsense approach.” WithJohnston are Krishna Vedula, formerdean of the Francis College of Engineering, and Kathryn Verrault,dean of the College of Management.The two colleges sponsor the SeniorExecutive Forum.

Colleges - Engineering

CampusNews

6 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003

UMass Lowell StudentsShow Off ‘Big Brains’ in College Bowl

The UMass Lowell College Bowlteam placed third out of 10 teams inthis year’s Northeast Regional Tourna-ment at Bentley College.

The UML squad also collected theaward for Most Improved Team, andteam Captain Charles Guthy, a juniorelectrical engineering major, wasnamed one of the five tournament all-stars.

Guthy’s teammates were Sarah Fischer, Charles Greene, Patrick Joyceand Laurie MacMunn. Honors ProgramCoordinator Laurie Tirado and HonorsProgram Director Steve Pennell servedas the team’s coaches.

College Bowl, often called “The Var-sity Sport of the Mind,” is a contest ofquestions and answers played by teamsof competing students. The tournamentis divided into two parts: a round-robinsession, followed by a double-elimina-tion playoff among the top four teams.

The UMass Lowell team’s overallrecord in the competition was 8-4.

Undergrads ‘Reach Out’ forCapstone Project Credit

Two undergraduate mechanical engi-neering students, working on a commu-nity outreach project, found a way toengineer their efforts into credit for asenior capstone project this year.

Brian Goodhue and Ryan Jansen dis-covered they were spending a signifi-cant amount of time on the FIRST (ForInspiration and Recognition of Scienceand Technology) Robotics Competi-tion.

The objective of the competition isto generate enthusiasm among high

school students throughout the countryfor the field of engineering. The idea isto have some 20,000 youngsters on 800teams participate in a process in whichcorporations and universities designand construct robots in just six weeks.

Goodhue and Jansen spent hundredsof hours each on the project — order-ing, designing and machining parts,and training a team of students fromWhitinsville Christian Academy.

Making it a capstone project madesense to Goodhue, who said, “It’s anintense period of work and similar to aproject you would get in industry.There’s a problem to solve, certainresources you can use and a deadline to meet.”

Prof. Sammy Shina was the adviserto Goodhue and Jansen. Steven Cote, a mechanical engineer in the Submil-limeter-Wave Technology Lab, headedup the design and fabrication team.

Colleges - Health

Campus OutlookCampus - Outreach

New Lab Opens in Plastics EngineeringStephen Rocheleau, second from left, cuts the ribbon to the Plastics Engi-neering Department’s new Rocheleau Blow Molding Lab, which containsequipment donated by Rocheleau Tool and Die Co., Inc., of Fitchburg. Roche-leau, president of the company and grandson of its founder, was joined byplastics engineering Prof. Stephen Orroth, left, former engineering Dean Krishna Vedula, and plastics engineering Prof. Robert Malloy, chair of thedepartment. Blow molding is used to produce plastic bottles for dairy, industrial, medical, container and toy applications.

Colleges - Engineering

Nursing Launches Two Graduate Certificates

The Department of Nursing launchedtwo graduate certificates last fall torespond to the needs of the nursingcommunity. The certificate in nursingeducation will address the shortage ofeducators in the field. The certificate ingeropsychiatric and mental healthnursing will fill the increasing need fornurses to care for the country’s elderpopulation.

While many nurses have the appro-priate undergraduate degree, they lackexpertise in teaching methods and cur-riculum. The education certificate isintended for nurses who hold a master’sdegree, a doctoral degree or are matric-ulated into a doctoral program but maybe interested in shifting to teaching.Some of the courses can be applied to adoctoral degree. The certificate consists

of three required courses and an addi-tional elective.

The Nursing Department conductedan informal needs-based assessment oftheir local health care partners andalumni. The survey found that nursesneed increased knowledge and skills toserve older adults who are experiencingcommon mental health and psychiatricproblems of later life. The geropsychi-atric and mental health nursing certifi-cate will cover pathology,psychopharmacology and behavioralmanagement strategies in the nursingcare of older adults. Some of the courses can be applied to the master’sdegree program.

UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003 7

and freshly painted walls to create a moreappealing environment.

The mezzanine, formerly office andstorage space, provides students with a larger study area. Two group studyrooms, with glass walls to provide privacy with openness and natural light-ing, occupy one section of the mezzanine.

The third floor continues to house theCenter for Learning and the School ofHealth and Environment faculty offices,while the fourth floor was redesigned tohold the entire book collection.

The fifth floor is the interim home forthe Graduate School of Education, whicheventually will move to the LawrenceMfg. Co. mill building.

the road, on the sports field, or in thestreets. We rarely think about theirpart-time, after-school or summer jobsas a source of concern, but we need tothink again,” says Prof. David Weg-man, chair of the Department of WorkEnvironment and task force co-chair.

Interim Provost John Wooding is amember of the task force. Co-chairsinclude Susan Gallagher, senior scien-tist, Education Development Center,Inc.; and Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, exec-utive director, MassCOSH.

The task force is composed of repre-sentatives of youth and communityorganizations, schools, employers,unions and health care organizations.

Each year, 200,000 teens under theage of 18 are injured on the job acrossthe nation. More than 600 cases arereported annually in Massachusetts.

Teens are most frequently injuredwhile working in restaurants, groceryand other stores, and health care facilities. Surveys of working youth inMassachusetts indicate that half do not receive any training about how to perform their jobs safely.

New Project Seeks to Make Homes Healthy

Many families in Lowell rent olderhousing, built before the 1978 ban onlead paint. Besides lead, the housesmay have high levels of mold and

O’Leary Library RenovationNears Completion

O’Leary Library underwent an eight-month renovation this past school yearto make room for the Graduate Schoolof Education, relocate the entire bookcollection to the fourth floor andrevamp the first floor and mezzanine for student-related activities.

The first-floor enhancements includethe relocation of administration officesto a centralized area. Students will have 20 new computers available forresearch, new furniture and artwork,

Task Force RecommendsWays to Improve Teen Worker Safety

The Massachusetts Young Worker Ini-tiative Task Force released a report ear-lier this year that calls for a broad-basedeffort by employers, schools, communi-ties and the state to address the highrate of teen worker injuries. The reportincludes an array of recommendationsthat would provide safer jobs for youngworkers.

“When we think about risks for teens,we generally think about their risks on

David Wegman, left, former chair of the Work Environment Department, and Interim Provost JohnWooding are members of the Massachusetts Young Worker Initiative Task Force.

CampusNews CampusNews

View The Shuttle and Magazine Online

The Shuttle and the UMass LowellMagazine are both available online. You can find current and back issues onUML Today (intranet.uml.edu) in theQuick Links section on the left side ofthe Web page. Or you can see the publications, as well as current newsstories about the University, by visitingwww.uml.edu/umlmainpage/umlnews/.

Alumni and Friends Gatherin a New Place Online

Alumni Relations has launched aredesigned Web site to help alumni andfriends connect to the University. Thesite outlines the benefits and services ofbeing an alumnus/a, ways to give to theUniversity, and ways to keep in touchand stay involved, including a calendarof events. Designed by Web DirectorGerry Nelson, the site can be viewed at http://www.uml.edu/Alumni/.

Campus - Advancement

8 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003

And sometimes, all you have to workwith is your voice.

Voice control of your environment —turning lights or other electrical deviceson and off, surfing the Internet, dictatingto a word processor — is availablethrough an environmental control package that costs about $5,000 commercially — or just $50 through atechnology transfer seminar provided by the Assistive Technology Program at UMass Lowell.

The seminar empowers family mem-bers and caregivers of the disabled toinstall computer software and hardwarefor a home voice recognition environ-mental control system.

“In five hours, we explain the technology. The participants install the software on a computer, use the hard-ware, learn to talk to the computer, andturn two lights on and off,” says AlanRux, project technical coordinator, whotaught the seminar with retired Prof.Donn Clark, director of assistive tech-nology. “When people go home, theyknow how to install the system.”

The system can control up to 256 electrical devices.

Both Clark and Rux give credit totheir students, who developed the inex-pensive, effective technology as theycompleted senior capstone projects inelectrical and computer engineering.

UMass Lowell Spin-offKonarka Receives StateFunding

Calling UMass Lowell spin-off com-pany Konarka an example of the “kindof innovation ... that leads to jobs, totechnology and to enhancement of theenvironment,” Gov. Mitt Romneyannounced a $1.5 million loan to thecompany from the state’s RenewableEnergy Trust Fund. The funding will beused for a pilot production line.

The loan represents the first publicfunding for Konarka, which has secured$13.5 million in venture capital. Thecompany will produce flexible plasticsolar cells — the brainchild of the lateProf. Sukant Tripathy.

Tripathy envisioned low-cost, wear-able, lightweight power sources as a way to bring power to the two billion people who have no access to

electricity. The company he inspirednow has 37 employees, seven of whomare UMass Lowell graduates. The cam-pus has a seven percent equity interestin the company.

Konarka was one of several renew-able energy firms to receive a loan fromthe Renewable Energy Trust Fund.

mildew, a problem compounded bypoor ventilation. Electrical systems areoften inadequate for the load placed onthem by extended families sharing aliving space.

In addition, families from differentcountries are using their homes in waysthat are unfamiliar to inspectors fromlocal agencies. What does one do aboutcooking grills used indoors, exotic bedding materials or unusual methodsof food storage? How does one commu-nicate the dangers of solvents used in a home business or the potential asthma triggers?

UMass Lowell’s Center for Family,Work and Community (CFWC) isteaming up with the Lowell HealthDepartment to begin a Healthy Homes Demonstration Project, fundedby the U.S. Department of Housingand Urban Development. CFWC Co-Director Linda Silka is heading the project with Stephanie Chalupka, associate professor of nursing; DavidTurcotte, program manager at CFWC;and Frank Singleton, director of theLowell Health Department.

“Many of Lowell’s children face triplechallenges,” says Silka, “of coming fromhomes where English is not spoken,where the family is living in povertyand where healthy housing cannot be assumed.”

The Healthy Homes Project willdevelop culturally sensitive educationalmaterials and will train home visitproviders. Project leaders will also develop methods for tracking observations on home environmentalquality.

Campus - Research

Seminar Empowers Voices of the Disabled

If you’re in a wheelchair, breathingwith a respirator, and reliant on oth-ers for basic mobility and life func-tions, it’s nice to control something.

Gov. Mitt Romney announces a loan to UMassLowell spin-off company, Konarka. Behind him areKonarka’s employees and administration officials.

Romney says he intends to use the fundto support economic development andthe creation of alternative energysources. Established in 1998 throughthe electric restructuring law, the fundreceives deposits from a monthly sur-charge on consumer electric bills and is administered by the MassachusettsTechnology Collaborative.

UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003 9

Vibrating motors connected to sensors on the shoes of blind wearers identify obstacles in their vicinity. The system is controlled by a pack containing three AAA batteries and all the circuitry.

New Center Targets Security

Security, as most of us recognize, is not a simple matter of gates, guns andcheckpoints. For people to feel safe andsecure, their society must also support agrowing economy and preserve the fundamental values of democracy.

The new Center for Security, Safetyand Society (CSS), directed by SeniorResearch Scientist Hal Salzman, takes abroad approach to issues of security,combining policy considerations withresearch results, in order to develop better education and training programsfor safety workers.

“Security can’t be achieved justthrough technology,” says Salzman. “You have to consider policy objectivesand worker training.”

For example, many positions thatcould be considered “front-line” securitywork, such as private security guards andairport workers, have an incredibly highturnover rate—up to 400 percent.

“Imagine trying to train a securityforce when today’s crew of workers isentirely gone every four months,” saysSalzman. “And in many cases the criti-cal front-line workers responding to asecurity issue aren’t even designated assecurity workers: They are the cleaningcrew or utility workers or buildinginspectors. We have to think about skill development and career ladders for these people.”

CampusNews CampusNews

Sensory Shoes Help the Blind Walk with Confidence

Richard Castle was just trying to come up with a goodidea — something that hadn’t been done in the past — for his senior capstone project in assistive technology tocomplete his requirements in electrical and computer engineering.

He finally decided to create a sensing system that couldreplace the walking stick for the blind. Sensors wouldlocate objects and some sort of alarm would alert the per-son to obstructions and also tell how far away they were. If he could manage tomake it small enough, the whole system would fit onto a pair of shoes.

“My original idea was to put the sensors on the shoes and run wires up to a belt pack for the alerting mechanism,” says Castle. “I didn’t think I could miniaturize it enough to put it on the shoes.”

He did, though, with persistent searching for very small components. Thesensors are each about the size of a quarter. Each is a small infrared transmitterand receiver combination that has a range of about one meter.

Next, Castle turned to the problem of making the person aware of theobstruction — some warning device. He rejected speakers as “obnoxious” and too conspicuous, and then thought about vibrating motors. The solution was a motor, about the size of a dime, devised for cellular phones.

The elegance of the design solution is in the circuitry. The electronics cancontrol any of the three sensors and three vibrators on each shoe. To make itcompact, Castle eliminated microprocessors and converters. He carefully choseand tested components that would run on four and one-half volts, or aboutthree AAA batteries, then packed all the wiring into the fourth slot of a four-battery pack.

With a working prototype in hand, Castle contacted the Lowell Associationfor the Blind to find a volunteer tester. Dana Bernor was happy to give the firstshoe a “test walk.”

Bernor made some suggestions and then asked to keep the final pair of shoes.

“The shoes can enhance the mobility of blind and visually impaired people,”says Bernor. “They are especially useful in new environments where using acane would be impracticable.”

Richard Castle has creat-ed a sensory system forthe blind that identifieswhere and how far awayobstacles are, withoutthe need for a cane.

Parents and caregivers learn how to create a voice-activated system for the disabled.

10 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003

CampusNews

Four pairs of scissors snapped the red,white and blue ribbon across the doors tothe new Graduate School of Education, officially marking the move to the fifthfloor of O’Leary Library. Dean DonaldPierson; Prof. Judith Boccia, director ofthe Center for Field Services and Studies(CFSS); Patricia Noreau, director of thelibraries; and Joseph Caufield, assistant tothe provost, welcomed students and col-leagues to explore the renovated space.

The new location includes the GSEfaculty offices, CFSS, a faculty/studentlounge, two multimedia classrooms, acomputer room and a new informationkiosk. And the school brought a piece ofUML West to O’Leary — a garden thatwas in Upham Hall inspired by formerDean Virginia Biggy.

GSE’s move to UML South is tempo-rary. Construction is expected to be com-pleted at the Lawrence Mfg. Co. mill sitein 2005. More than 250,000 books wererelocated in the library as part of theconsolidation, making room for theGraduate School. The DemonstrationSchool will remain on UML West inmodular units until the GSE’s permanentmove to the Lawrence Mfg. Co. mill sitecomplex, between LeLacheur Park andthe Tsongas Arena.

Next Stop, Lawrence Mfg.Co. Mill — Grad School of Ed Moves to South

By Geoffrey Douglas

The Lowell Textile Institute basketball teamin 1941, with David Pernick as its captain, wasdrawn from a student body of not much morethan 400. It was a tiny school of mostly localstudents playing a big-city, big-college sport.And the schedule reflected it: Tufts, UNH,the Pratt Institute, Hofstra, and others just asdaunting.

And yet they finished the season with anear-.500 record. And David Pernick, theteam's leader and inspiration, was the sev-enth-highest scorer among all New Englandschools.

But ask him what he recalls as the high-point of that long-ago season, and his answeris more personal than any of that. What he remembers most, hewill tell you, is the voice of an old friend from the stands:

“At one game — it was against UNH, I think — I’d just scoreda basket or two, and I hear this person calling down. It was a guyI’d gone to high school with — I’d played basketball in highschool, but I was never really much good. ‘Hey Pernick!’ thevoice yells down — ‘When did you learn to play basketball likethat?’ I got a real kick out of that. I’ve never forgotten it.”

There wasn’t a lot of time for basketball after that. Not longafter his graduation, with a degree in textile engineering, inJune of 1941, David Pernick joined his father’s textile machin-ery business, the Joseph Pernick Company in New York. He gotmarried the same year. Today, 62 years later, both the companyand the marriage remain at the center of his life.

There have, of course, been some course adjustments alongthe way. But for the most part, the route has been direct. In1960, 19 years after he joined it, he took over his father’s com-pany, renamed it – the Monarch Knitting Machinery Corp. –and expanded its business to Japan. The company today, head-ed now by David Pernick’s son Bruce, has designed and sold fab-ric to some of the top clothing makers in the world: J.P. Stevens,Hanes, Burlington, Fruit of the Loom. And, for years now, itspresence has been international – with a plant in North Carolina and offices in New York, North Carolina, Florida,Canada and the United Kingdom.

But textile-making has been only one dimension of DavidPernick’s life. Twenty-three years ago, he co-founded theShenkar College of Textile Technology and Fashion in Israel, aschool for 2,000 students that now includes both a textiles andplastics program. He has since funded – through successive

$50,000 yearly gifts – an exchange programbetween Shenkar and UMass Lowell, whichcontinues to thrive today. Then there is theIsrael Tennis Center, designed largely for chil-dren and teens – which, he says, is “an effort toprovide some active outlet in a nation that hasseen so much trouble and so much loss.”

Pernick, though retired now, remains asengaged and committed as ever. He travels ofteninternationally — to Israel and elsewhere — ischairman of the international board of directorsfor Shenkar College, a trustee of the NorthShore Hospital in New York, and of the KingsPoint (New York) Civic Association. (Hisdaughter, Jill Friedman, continues the family

tradition of giving as a teacher of gifted children.)In addition to the UMass Lowell-Shenkar exchange program,he has given generously to the University to create the PernickEndowment Fund, which benefits students in the College ofManagement. He was the recipient, in 1991, of the UMass Low-ell Distinguished Alumni Award, awarded annually to an alum-nus “who has made a significant contribution to a field ofknowledge or provided exemplary service to the public.”

Today, two years following the 60th anniversary of both hismarriage and his graduation from LTI, David Pernick continuesto live with his wife Frances in the Kings Point section of LongIsland, New York. Among the many friends he keeps in touchwith, at least a few date back to his basketball years:

“There were only about 70 of us who graduated that year, Ithink. A very small group. In a group that small, you get to knowpeople, to share times with them. We had some wonderful expe-riences together. I remember them as some very good years.”

Making a Gift to UMass LowellYour gift to the University of Massachusetts Lowell is important in

many ways. Whether your gift is for general support, or designated fora specific academic program or scholarship, your contribution helps theUniversity provide a high quality education at an affordable cost.

You can make a gift today!

Mail Enclose your gift in the envelope attached to your magazine and mail to UMass Lowell, Office of University Advancement, 600 Suffolk Street, Lowell, MA 01854.

Phone The Office of University Advancement is open from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, to accept gifts by phone. Please call 978-934-2223 to make your gift today.

Email To contact a gift officer, send a message to University Advancement at Give_to_Lowell@uml.edu.

A Long-Ago Hoopster, a Modern Philanthropist

UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003 11

David and Francis Pernick

Bell‘s Research Explores Practice of VodouCaryn Cosse Bell believes vodou has received a bad rap.

The history professor says that the ancient African religion, commonly associated with dolls and stickpins, actually fostered spirituality and enlightenment that enabled oppressed people to feelempowered. She hopes her ongoing research will prove that vodouwas a catalyst for good, rather than evil and sorcery, and has beenmisrepresented in popular fiction and Hollywood movies.

“What vodou promoted and the spiritualism provided was a multi-culturalist, universalist society in which everyone was equal,” Bellsays. “It's a wonderful message, this vision of women and men, black and white, the notion that we're all part of the same spiritworld. It's life-affirming.”

Bell discovered information about vodou (often spelled “voodoo”)as part of her research into the religious culture of 18th- and 19th-century New Orleans, the city she called home most of her life before moving north sevenyears ago. In her book, Revolution, Romanticism, and the Afro-Creole Protest Tradition inLouisiana, 1718-1868, Bell examines Spiritualism, a radical religious sect that emphasizedpersonal empowerment and repudiated orthodox religion. She said that in Louisiana, vodou emerged among enslaved West Africans who fused their ancient religious rites with elements of Roman Catholicism and Native American spiritual beliefs.

Vodou is based on the worship of one god, who is helped by various spirits, and the prac-tice of rituals that native Africans discovered were similar to Roman Catholicism with itssaints and sacraments. (“Voudun” actually means God, creator or Great Spirit.) Vodouencourages its participants to better understand the natural processes of life and their ownspiritual natures. For example, Bell said the vodou dolls are created from items found innature such as Spanish moss, twigs, cloth and string, crafted in the image of a person withan article from him or her, such as a piece of hair.

In particular, the enormous influx of Haitian immigrants in 1809 — which nearly doubled the size of New Orleans and increased the city's black majority to 63 percent — contributedto the ascendancy of vodou across all levels of the city's society. Bell said that in 1874,about 12,000 spectators, both black and white, swarmed to the shores of Lake Pontchartrain to catch a glimpse of the famed “Voodoo Queen” Marie Laveau as she performed her legendary rites.

Bell says that vodou helped produce leaders, as it served as a “weapon of the weak.”

“Vodou's interracial appeal and egalitarian spirit ... offered a dramatic alternative to anAnglo-American racial order that attempted to confine all persons of African descent —both slave and free — to a separate and inferior caste,” Bell says. Bell notes that there is little documented evidence about vodou — which is still practiced by 15 percent of the New Orleans population — but she hopes that her continued research will uncover more.

“There are so many misconceptions about vodou. I‘d like to sort it out and show howvodou fit into the larger culture,” she says.

Last summer, Bell conducted research in France and New Orleans, with support fromUMass Lowell's Healey Grant for her next book, an annotated translation of a French-language memoir, Souvenirs d'AmÉrique et de France, published in Paris in 1883. She hasreceived a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to continue that work.

History Prof. CarynCosse Bell says“vodou,”which hasbecome the focus ofsome of her researchinto the 19th-centuryculture of New Orleans,is a life-affirming religion.

From left, Prof. Judith Boccia, Patricia Noreau, DeanDonald Pierson and Interim Provost John Woodinggather after the Graduate School of Education ribbon-cutting ceremony. Pierson thanked Noreau and JoeCaufield for completing the renovations and move so quickly.

The Face of Philanthropy

12 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003

By Jack McDonough

The brick rested atop a bookcase in the small office at the end of the hallway on the second floor of the Wannalancit Mills building.

On its face was this inscription:

UMass Lowell, Research Foundation, 450 Aiken St., Lowell, MA

Date of Demolition 7/17/97

The message is both startling and misleading. It wasn’t the ResearchFoundation that was demolished that day in July. What fell to thewrecking ball was the one-time supermarket building that had housedthe Foundation for some 30 years.

Situated near Fox Hall, the market stood on land now occu-pied by LeLacheur Park, home of the Lowell Spinners andUMass Lowell baseball teams.

Far from being demolished six years ago, the Research Foun-dation is now celebrating its 50th anniversary, although(wink, wink) it actually may have passed the half-centurymark a year or two ago.

That small Wannalancit office with the bookcase and thebrick belonged to Ed Miller who, in June, retired from theFoundation for the second time.

Miller joined the Foundation in 1959, fresh out of the Navy. Havingserved as an electronics technician on a destroyer, he took a similar jobwith the Foundation.

“I thought I’d come here for a couple of years," he says. “Well, it ended up being a career. And I’ve always been happy here. Things pro-gressed.”

By “progressed,” Miller means that he became purchasingagent and then assistant director and, finally, director of theFoundation.

When he started out, the Foundation hadn’t evenadvanced to the supermarket building. In those days itsemployees — about 15 in all — were located in thebasement of Cumnock Hall.

“There was very little work then and most of it wasin the textile area. Most of the work was done by thepermanent staff, not by faculty members,” he recalls.“And the dollars were very small.

“We had a separate testing division, too.We’d test any type of material. We had amobile van that went out to industry to repairand calibrate electronic equipment for a fee.”

A pamphlet from the early days states, “TheLowell Technological Institute Research Foun-dation is a nonprofit organization authorizedunder the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It was established for the pur-pose of encouraging and administering researchsponsored by industry and government at theLowell Technological Institute.”

It went on to say that the Foun-dation personnel and the Insti-tute’s faculty constituted a staffavailable for research, develop-ment and testing in the fields oftextiles, paper, leather, plastics,electronics, management, engi-neering, chemistry and physics.

At its inception, the Foundationwas managed by the executivedirector who reported to a five-member executive committee that includedthe dean of the Graduate School and the pres-ident of Lowell Tech. That arrangement laterchanged and the director simply reported tothe dean of the Graduate School.

Before it was 20 years old, the Foundationmoved to the supermarket building on AikenStreet. And that’s where it was when, in 1996,Lou Petrovic succeeded Miller as director.

“I retired in ’96 but I never left,” Miller says.“I told Chancellor Hogan in June that I want-ed to retire but he asked me to stay on for sixextra months. Then Lou came aboard andasked if I’d like to stay on a couple of days aweek, and I said ‘yes.’ ”

He later reduced that to one day a week and,this year, said, “Now I want no days a week.”

Petrovic had been assistant dean of the Col-

lege of Engineering until he took overthe reins of the Foundation in 1996.He found the accommodations at thesupermarket “interesting,” for want ofa better word.

“When people would say,‘Where do I find you,’ I’d say, ‘I’m inthe produce aisle.’ ”

He was in the produceaisle only three months

before the Foundation moved toits present quarters in the millbuilding, but he heard a numberof stories about the old market.Some, he acknowledges, may beapocryphal.

In earlier days, some of the workincluded animal research.

“I was told,” says Petrovic, “thatthey would feed dogs certain dietsand then analyze the dogs’ stool,and then store the stool in a freez-er. One day the freezer broke.” He didn’t elaborate.

“Another time, I heard, a number of gerbilsor other small animals like that were kept incages for research purposes. One day they gotloose and found their way into the building’sventilation system and came dropping out at

UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003 13

CoverStory CoverStory

Research Foundation Celebrates Half a Century of Innovation and Discovery

“It was established

for the purposeof encouragingand administer-

ing researchsponsored byIndustry andGovernment”

— Ed MillerEd Miller

The old supermarket building on Aiken Street, a former homeof the Research Foundation.

Lou Petrovic

14 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003

CoverStory

Two UMass Lowell researchers havefound a way to use growth factors pro-duced by human cells to create adressing that can dramatically improvethe healing rate of a wound.

They call it a Smart Bandage andthey’re exploring ways to commercial-ize it.

The two — Prof. Susan Braunhut ofthe Biological Sciences Departmentand Prof. Kenneth Marx of the Centerfor Intelligent Biomaterials in theChemistry Department — have beencollaborating on this research for morethan two years.

Initially supported by money from aNational Institutes of Health (NIH)exploratory grant and from ChancellorWilliam T. Hogan’s discretionary fund,the work has more recently beenawarded a grant from the federalDefense Advanced Research ProjectsAgency (DARPA) which, Braunhut andMarx say, “looks for the next ‘big thing’across the board — from medicine tomissiles.”

Braunhut says, “This invention isbased on our understanding that cellsof the body need to create a ‘basementmembrane’ to stay alive.” This mem-brane, composed of protein, residesbeneath the cell – thus the “base-ment” name.

Braunhut likens the membrane to ashag rug to which the cell attachesitself with receptors. Her analogy isthat the cell is like a spider and thereceptors are “hairy spider legs.” In alaboratory setting, this membrane iscalled an “extra-cellular matrix.”

When cells are grown outside thebody, they must synthesize a newmatrix. Marx and Braunhut have

devised a new way to separate the cellfrom the matrix in the laboratory, leav-ing the matrix intact.

“We know that when some cells syn-thesize this matrix, they enrich it witha wide spectrum of proteins, calledgrowth factors, and these are designedto work in wound healing,” Braunhutsays.

There are three types of wounds,she explains: common lacerations,burns and venomous bites. Cells locat-ed at points of the body where woundsmay occur create and store thesegrowth factors so they will be availableimmediately to treat a wound.

“The cell wants them ready-made —like an ambulance,” she says.

She and Marx have “trained” thecells to make matrices packed withgrowth factors and then have removedthe cells, isolating the matrices.

Different growth factors are suitedfor different kinds of wounds. Braun-hut and Marx have learned how torelease subsets of growth factors byapplying a patented procedure throughthe matrix.

“Sue provides detailed cell biologyknowledge and the methods of sepa-rating cells from the matrices,” saysMarx, “and my end relates more tomeasurements and the electro-chemi-cal setup in which we grow the cellsand stimulate them to release thedesired material.”

The Smart Bandage would comewith a small device equipped with adial that would enable the user toselect the right growth factor for thespecific kind of wound — laceration,burn or bite.

“When they turn the dial, they acti-vate the appropriate treatment for avery brief period of time,” Braunhutsays. “That would release the exactfactor, and liquid would be released onthe bandage and would, in turn, satu-rate the wound.

“It’s a customized bandage, and wecan demonstrate a 50 percent fasterhealing rate,” she says.

The bandage also has applicationsfor certain individuals — such as old-er people or diabetics — who have lostthe ability to create healthy matrices.

The two researchers have been mak-ing presentations to biotechnical com-panies and “some big players in woundcare,” says Marx.

“It’s all very promising,” he says.

— JMcD

New ‘Smart Bandage’ Improves Healing Rate of Wounds

Profs. Kenneth Marx and Susan Braunhut

various points around the building.”

Later, having moved to their new quarters,the Foundation employees finally experiencedwhat could be described as closure.

“When the stadium was built and the Spin-ners moved in,” Petrovic says, “nearly every-one from the Foundation had tickets foropening day with seats in left field. We’d sitthere and point down and say, ‘It really isburied. We’re not going back.’ ”

Indeed, the Research Foundation clearly ismoving forward.

Faculty invention disclosures total some 25a year, or about one every two weeks. About 10new patent applications are filed annually andabout half that many are awarded each year.University researchers have been awarded 75patents since patenting activity began twodecades ago.

Three to five newlicenses are issued eachyear and income fromthem amounts to about$150,000 annually.

The Foundation admin-isters $23.7 million a yearin research projects, and the latest annualgrant awards totaled $32 million.

There are 26 administrative employees onthe Foundation’s payroll and 1,100 researchers,nearly half of whom are undergraduate or grad-uate students. The research payroll totals $23.7million.

“We take care of more than 600 accounts,”Petrovic says.

These accounts include “just about all thebig companies” — Raytheon, MA/COM, Gen-zyme, Lucent — and a variety of other enti-ties, such as state and federal agencies,branches of the military, other universities,labor organizations and private foundations.

Grants for individual projects can range from

a couple of thousand dollars to more than amillion.

The money that a company or governmentagency pays for this work provides revenue forthe University and income for the facultyresearchers. In addition, a certain percentage ofthe fee charged is maintained in a special fundfor the researchers, which they may use to sup-port their ongoing work.

It’s the job of the Research Foundation tofacilitate the work of the faculty researcher. Ithelps prepare, polish and deliver proposals,handles licensing and legal matters, ensuresthat the proper accounting systems are imple-mented, helps with the hiring of assistants, anddoes whatever else is needed to free theresearcher to concentrate on research.

“We focus on service,” says Petrovic. “If wedo all these things, then the researchers don’thave to spend time on details for which they’renot paid.

“We have to satisfy faculty needs. We mustmake certain they want to keep writing pro-posals. We need to get them interested in spon-sored research that could lead to something wecould license and that would generate moneyfor the University. In effect, the more researchwe do, the more money that is returned to thecampus.”

The University has alwayshad financial needs, he says,but the needs are evengreater today given the sig-nificant cuts in state budgetmoney for higher education.

But the Research Founda-tion is about more than fac-ulty research, as suggested byPetrovic’s title: Director of External Funding, Technology Transfer andPartnering.

The Foundation’s missionis to increase the level of sponsored researchthat has commercial implications; to find waysof moving from implication to actual products

UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003 15

CoverStory

“In effect, the more

research wedo, the moremoney that is

returned to thecampus.”

— Lou Petrovic

Prof. Susan Braunhut

16 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003

CoverStory

Improving drug delivery is a hot topic.

As anyone who has filled a few pre-scriptions recently can attest, moreconditions are being treated, and treat-ed effectively, by drugs.

But drugs can be toxic — especiallythose used to treat cancer and HIV-AIDS, or can be poorly absorbed, or dis-sipate too quickly in the digestivesystem.

A newly designed family of polymers,recently patented by Emeritus Profes-sor Arthur Watterson and his col-leagues in chemistry, has shownpromise to greatly improve drug deliverysystems.

The new polymers, which formnanospheres in water, overcome manydrug delivery problems.

“The surface of the nanospheres ispolyethylene glycol, which is environ-mentally benign in the body and does-n’t generate immune reactions,” saysWatterson, who directs the Institute forNano Science and Engineering Tech-nology (INSET). “The polymer itself isamphiphilic and the nanospheres self-assemble around the drug, encapsu-lating it.”

So far, this process has worked withevery drug tried: “We haven’t found oneyet that we can’t encapsulate,” saysWatterson.

The encapsulated system has provendramatically effective in deliveringdrugs to cells, both in the lab and inlaboratory animals.

“Drug delivery with encapsulation isfive times to one thousand times moreefficacious than the drug itself,” saysWatterson. This means the drugs arefaster acting and can be delivered insmaller doses.

Also, the nanospheres pass easilythrough the skin. Experiments haveshown anti-inflammatory drugs reachtheir target quickly and might be usedto treat inflammations such as ten-donitis, arthritic joints, carpal tunneland bursitis by topical application. Evenempty nanospheres have shown anti-inflammatory properties.

Cancer drugs are fairly toxic andmany cannot be dissolved in water, soencapsulating them in the water-solu-ble nanospheres makes them easier toadminister. Someday, instead of alarge, difficult-to-tolerate dose ofchemotherapy, patients might wear apatch that delivers a time-released,smaller and more effective dose.

Commercial production of the poly-mers is the next step, and Wattersonis looking for industrial partners to helpscale up to that level. A proven volumeof production is necessary before pro-ceeding to clinical trials in humans.

As a chemist, Watterson finds him-self on a steep learning curve aboutmedical and life sciences applications.

“Collaborations have been and will bevital to this project,” he says.

Collaborators include Robert Nicolosi,professor of health and clinical sci-ences, who has directed the animal tri-als; Virinder Parmar, visiting professorof chemistry, who has developed theenzymatic synthesis of the polymers;Thomas Shea, professor of biologicalsciences, who is developing an appli-cation for treating neuroblastomas; and researchers with the Center forAdvanced Materials.

As a chemist, Watterson is also excit-ed about the uniqueness and flexibilityof the designed polymer.

“Our way to synthesize the polymer isvery flexible and we can vary the param-

eters easily,” says Watterson. “With acomposition of matter patent, even ifothers manufacture the polymer, theyhave to license our technology.” All theclaims of the patent application wereapproved, an impressive achievement,and another patent is pending on an improved preparation of thenanospheres and on an enzymatic syn-thesis of polymers.

The possible applications seem lim-ited only by imagination.

One idea is to formulate polymerswith mosquito repellent and attachthem directly to the fibers of clothing; incurrent military use, repellent issprayed on clothing and can be irritat-ing to skin. Repellents could also beincorporated into house paint.

Again, Watterson is in search of collaborators: “We have an answer insearch of a question — many ques-tions,” he says.

— Sandra Seitz

Chemistry Profs. Arthur Watterson, left, andVirinder Parmar are engaged in research on anewly patented family of polymers that showgreat promise in improved drug delivery and other applications.

New Discovery Speeds Delivery of Drugs that generate revenue for faculty and studentresearchers, and for needed educational andresearch facilities on campus; and to developgovernment, community and industrial rela-tionships that help achieve the funding andtechnology transfer goals.

“The licensing function and the technologytransfer operation, the commercializationaspect and the management of the Wan-nalancit building are all part of something thatwasn’t there six years ago,” he says.

Another thing that wasn’t there six years agois the Commercial Venture Development(CVD) arm of the Foundation. CVD invests inentrepreneurs with the goal of launching andparticipating in successful ventures. It providesmoney, workspace in Wannalancit and men-toring for small start-up companies in exchangefor equity in the young firms.

Since its inception in 1998, more than $60million in venture funding has been attractedto seed nearly 20 companies. The fledglingfirms spend anywhere from three to 18 monthsat the mill building before expanding to largerquarters elsewhere.

Companies receiving CVD funding mustemploy UMass Lowell faculty or students, orboth — a major “real world” educational expe-rience for students.

This partnership with the business commu-nity is central to the University’s mission of sup-porting regional economic and socialdevelopment.

Among the companies that have achievedsuccess through the CVD incubator are Konar-ka, which produces flexible plastic solar cells;AnVil Informatics, which creates software thataccelerates the analysis of the billions of bytesof data produced by gene research; andFuelSpot, a Web-based gateway for trading inrefined petroleum products. �

Textiles, leather and paper were among the objects underinvestigation when the Research Foundation began its work ahalf century ago. Today, in many cases, the stuff of researchbeing carried out by Foundation scientists is invisible to thenaked eye. The three stories that accompany the main articleabout the Foundation describe some of this work. Two of them

deal with nanospheres, polymers measured in billionths of an inch. The third con-cerns work with membranes attached to cells of the human body.

UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003 17

CoverStory

18 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003

If you’re one of the millions ofinsulin-dependent diabetics in the Unit-ed States, you very likely know how itfeels to inject yourself with a hypoder-mic needle — maybe two or three orfour times a day — every day.

The experience is not pleasant.

Now, however, research being con-ducted by Profs. Stephen McCarthy,director of the University’s Institute forPlastics Innovation, and RobertNicolosi, director of the Center forHealth and Disease Research, maytake the pain out of the diabetic’s dai-ly routine.

They are perfecting a process where-by insulin can be delivered by simplyrubbing it on the patient’s skin. Theultimate objective will be to devise asystem of administering insulin by useof a patch — much like the patchespeople now use to kick the nicotinehabit.

“This research is very, very exciting,”says Nicolosi.

And well it should be. Diabetesafflicts nearly 6 percent of the world’spopulation. There are 16 million dia-betics in the United States — nearlyone in 17 — and 2,000 new cases arediagnosed every day.

Some diabetics can take insulin oral-ly but this method is often ineffectivebecause the medication is degradedby digestive acids and enzymes in thegastrointestinal tract. But the researchbeing conducted by McCarthy andNicolosi has produced encouragingresults in that area, too.

At the heart of their delivery systemis something called a “nanosphere.”

“It’s a very tiny droplet,” saysNicolosi. “It’s three dimensional, so

you could envision it as a rubber ball.But it’s so tiny you can’t see it.”

In fact, it’s 20 to 50 nanometers insize – and a nanometer is one billionthof an inch.

“Steve’s nanosphere is a carbohy-drate, a starch,” Nicolosi says.“By itself, it doesn’t do anything. Itmust deliver something.”

The “something” in this case isinsulin.

McCarthy explains that his challengewas to find a way to combine two poly-mers to form one block copolymerthat, when immersed in water, wouldform the invisible nanosphere balldescribed by Nicolosi. This combina-tion of polymers is at the heart of a patent that has been applied for by the two researchers, along withAssistant Research Prof. BalintKoroskenyi.

Once the sphere is created,McCarthy says, its center is removedand replaced with insulin. The insulin-bearing nanosphere can then deliverthe medication transdermally.

“We’ve performed 20 experimentsto prove that transdermal delivery issuccessful,” he says, “and we’re quitecertain that it also will work orally.”

The experiments have been con-ducted on laboratory rats provided byDr. Aldo Rossini of UMass Worcester,an expert in diabetes research. Theresearchers place about half a gramof glucose in the stomach of a rat, ele-vating the glucose level in its blood-stream. They then immediatelyadminister insulin using thenanosphere process. In most casesthey have used the transdermalmethod, but in some instances theyinfused the insulin orally.

The results, says Nicolosi, “are veryimpressive. You can see that we total-ly blunt the glucose rise.”

This research began two years agowhen Chancellor William T. Hoganmade money available from his dis-cretionary fund.

“This is a relatively new area we’reworking in but we have some of thebest chemists and plastics engineersin the world here. We’re still a waysaway, but the results have beenremarkable and people who havetalked with us are really pleased withour progress,” Nicolosi says.

Discussions are under way withlarge pharmaceutical companies toestablish a corporate partnership fortaking the system to human clinical trials.

— JMcD

A Patch May Replace the Needle forInsulin-Dependent Diabetics

Prof. Stephen McCarthy

Alumni College in Italy ~~~~~~~- OrvietoFebruary 2 — 10, 2004

Amid the wonders of Umbria, embark on a journey through this spectacular region fromthe Etruscan town of Orvieto.$1,595*, plus air

Alumni College in Spain - CastileJune 29 — July 7, 2004

Experience the splendor and history of Castileand UNESCO World Heritage Sites from theancient city of Ávila. $1,595*, plus air

Alumni College in ProvenceAugust 17 — 25, 2004

From the ambience of Aix-en-Provence,experience this magnifique region of dazzling light in southern France. $1,795*, plus air

Alumni College in SicilySeptember 18 — 27, 2004

An inspiration to writers and artists, discover themystique of this Mediterranean island from the hilltop town of Taormina.

$1,695*, plus air

Germany’s Legendary Holiday MarketsNovember 27 — December 12, 2004

In the European spirit of advent, explore fairy-tale towns withOlde World charm in the very heart of Tannenbaum territory. From $1,795*, plus air

*All prices are approximate per person,based on double occupancy.

For further information please contact University of Massachusetts Lowell

Office of Alumni Relations 600 Suffolk Street, Lowell, MA 01854 978-934-3140

All inclusive

Land/Cruise Programs

ALUMNI HOLIDAYS®

2004 TRAVEL PROGRAMSTH E UN I V E R S I T Y O F MA S S A C H U S E T T S LO W E L L

I N V I T E S Y O U T O T R A V E L W I T H AL U M N I A N D FR I E N D S ...

UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003 19

CoverStory

UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE FALL 2003 21

FeatureStory

When a 33-year-old Bob Wagner traveledto Lowell in pursuit of an instructor'sjob in 1970, he stopped on Broadwayto ask a police officer where the state collegewas.

"The officer said, 'This is it,’” Wagner recalled,remembering how he looked around in disbelief.“Lowell State had only four buildings back then.”

Anyone familiar with the local land-scape knows much has changed sincethat idealistic educator from Ohio firstset foot on the campus he would callhome for three decades. By the timeDr. Wagner retired as provost in June,the University of Massachusetts Low-ell, the product of the merger of LowellState College and Lowell TechnologicalInstitute, boasted more than 60 build-ings and had undergone as many trans-formations as Wagner, himself.

“It is a more mature campus today, strongerand more robust than at any time in its history,”Wagner said.

But Wagner modestly does not take credit forthe University’s successful evolution, despite hav-ing been part of the top administrative team fortwo decades.

“Anything I’ve done over the years, it’s been acollegial effort of teams of people. If I ever lookgood, it’s because of the people I have workingfor me,” he said. “There’s something about Low-ell, the ‘esprit de corps,’ not found elsewhere.We have a can-do attitude.”

Wagner doesn’t fit the mold of a typical collegeadministrator with the Looney Tunes tie aroundhis neck, Nike sneakers on his feet, Mick Jaggerportrait adorning his office wall and Harley motor-cycle in his parking spot. But the slightly “wildside” that his long-time assistant Vera Prestonfirst noticed endears him to colleagues and helpshim relate to a diverse student body.

“He appreciated the fact that students havetheir own personalities, their own ways ofexpressing themselves and did not try to fit theminto an assigned role,” Preston said. “He wasnever too busy to leave the office, walk out in thehallway to talk to the students and ask them howeverything was going.”

Soon after arriving in Lowell, Wagner found thathis own experiences — he grew up in Ohio, the

son of a repairman — mirroredmany of the campus’s working-class students. His parentsbeamed when he enrolled at theUniversity of Cincinnati where,after pledging a fraternity as afreshman, as Wagner describes it,he “did not allow books to inter-fere with my education.” Not sur-prisingly, he was asked by theacademic dean not to return thefollowing fall.

Wagner’s parents were understandably upsetand, seeking a fresh start, the family moved toFlorida. There, Wagner toiled at a grueling job ata local dairy: shoveling ice, loading milk crates,driving trucks, washing out bottles and cleaningequipment for 80 to 90 hours, seven days a week.

Provost Robert Wagner Retires

FeatureStory

“After a year and a half, my mother said, ‘Isthis the kind of life you want?’ I said, ‘No.’ Shesaid, ‘You can go into the service or go back toschool.’ After working that many hours a week,I was more motivated to go to school,” Wagnersaid.

Wagner decided upon OhioState University, wheredespite working 20 to 30hours a week to pay his way,managed to fulfill his degreerequirements in three years.Besides a bachelor’s degreein education, Wagner left OhioState with his wife, Linda,whom he met and marriedwhile still a student. Wagner obtained a mas-ter’s degree at Kent State University and workedas a special education teacher and high schoolvice principal, before moving east to begin hisdoctoral studies at Harvard in 1968.

Two years later, he was hired as a part-timeinstructor at Lowell State. Eventually one of hismentors, former academic affairs dean, thenvice president, Robert Foy, encouraged him tofinish his doctorate (which he