SUMMER 2011 UMass Lowell MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS Page 22 Campus Footprint Grows 30 Percent in Five Years Page 29 Jack Wilson Joins UMass Lowell Page 34 Time Capsule Releases Smith Hall Memories Page 44 Google’s Rich Miner: Idea Man Rep. B rian Dempsey ’9 9: Sma rt, Savvy Leader for Ch allen ging Times Page 26 Summer 2011 A message from Chancellor Martin T. Meehan ’78 The UMass Lowell Alumni Magazine is published by: Office of Public Affairs At UMass Lowell, we are building the future every day. We are constructing University of Massachusetts Lowell new buildings, hiring world-class faculty, enrolling more students than One University Avenue Lowell, MA 01854 ever and breaking fundraising records. We are moving forward and Tel. (978) 934-3223 getting noticed. e-mail: [email protected] The steel girders of the Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center Chancellor are in place and the buzz of workers and heavy equipment means construction Martin T. Meehan is on track for a fall 2012 completion. (Check out progress on the web cam: Vice Chancellor of http://oxblue.com/pro/open/UML/ETIC.) University Relations Patti McCafferty Ground broke this spring for the new Health and Social Sciences Building on South Campus. There, too, workers and machinery are hard at work so that this academic facility will be ready for faculty Vice Chancellor for Advancement and students in 2013. All looks quiet at University Crossing, the former St. Joseph’s Hospital property Edward Chiu the campus purchased this year, but don’t be fooled. Exciting plans are being developed for a multi-million Director of Publications dollar renovation that will bring student services and activities, community programs, a centralized and and Publisher expanded bookstore and student housing and dining to the facility. Mary Lou Hubbell Meanwhile, transformation is well under way at the facilities that became part of the campus over the Special Assistant to the past two years: the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center (the former Doubletree Hotel in Downtown Vice Chancellor of Advancement Diane Earl Lowell), the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell (the former Tsongas Arena) and the UMass Lowell Bellegarde Boathouse. Executive Director of Alumni Relations But the progress is not all bricks and mortar. The future was in grand evidence on May 28, when the Lily Mendez-Morgan campus graduated its largest class ever: more than 2,570 students received bachelor’s, master’s and Associate Director doctoral degrees. These graduates will join a force of campus alumni that is now almost 75,000-strong. of Alumni Relations Heather Makrez One of them is Brian Dempsey ’99 — who has risen to become the new chairman of the Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee. Read in these pages what he has to say about his education here and Editor the importance of UMass to the state. Sarah McAdams Another is Rich Miner, ’86, ’89, ’97, whom you may read about in this magazine. He is currently a partner Staff Writers Edwin Aguirre at Google Ventures and credits UMass Lowell for preparing him for his work as an innovator, entrepreneur Karen Angelo and a real “idea man.” Renae Lias Claffey Geoffrey Douglas You may also read about Paul ’64 and Cheryl Vasey Katen’66, who have made the largest gift ever to Bob Ellis the UMass Lowell library fund. Sheila Eppolito Christine Gillette As I complete my fourth year on campus, I am enthusiastic about our progress and our prospects. I am Elizabeth James grateful for the contributions of everyone in the UMass Lowell community. With your help, we’ll keep Jack McDonough Dave Perry building a promising future for our students, our state and the globe. Sandra Seitz Please send address changes to: Heather Makrez at [email protected] or Southwick 250, 1 University Ave., Lowell, MA 01854. Marty Meehan ’78 Chancellor UMass Lowell is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action, Title IX, H/V, ADA 1990 Employer. Get the Full Story Online We hope you enjoy reading this issue of UMass Lowell Magazine. For more content — including photos, video and expanded articles — visit www.uml.edu. Learning with Purpose SUMMER 2011 UMass Lo we ll MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS VOLUME 14 NUMBER 2 CAMPUS NEWS ALUMNI LIFE 3 OUR WORLD 32 FACE OF PHILANTHROPY Katens of Oregon Brian Demspey ’99 FEATURES 11 STUDENT SCENE Campus Footprint Grows 47 IN MEMORIAM 30 Percent in Five Years 22 48 ALUMNI EVENTS St. Joseph’s Hospital acquisition helps meet space needs. Smart Leader for Challenging Times 26 Brian Dempsey ’99 takes reins of state Ways and Means Committee. Jack Wilson Joins UMass Lowell 29 Outgoing UMass president says he’s eager to teach. 14 LAB NOTES Smith Hall Releases Her Memories 34 52 CLASS NOTES Former residents gather for time capsule opening. Commencement 2 011 36 A record-breaking 2,570 graduates received diplomas on May 28. The University Shows its Colors 38 From department chairs to plumbers, painters and police, 18 SPORTS UPDATE faculty and staff prove their dedication. Editor’s Note Please send comments to A Less-Lonely Road for Student Vets 40 Editor Sarah McAdams at University honors military with new veterans center. [email protected]. ON THE COVER: Submit class notes to: Class Notes Editor, Southwick 250, Brian Demspey ’99, chair 1 University Ave., 01854 or of the Massachusetts House Google’s Rich Miner: Idea Man 44 online at www.uml.edu/ad - Ways and Means Committee Android co-founder reflects on his days at UMass Lowell. vancement/classnotes. LOWELL TEXTILE SCHOOL • MASSACHUSETTS STATE NORMAL SCHOOL • STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE AT LOWELL • LOWELL TEXTILE INSTITUTE LOWELL TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE • MASSACHUSETTS STATE COLLEGE AT LOWELL • LOWELL STATE COLLEGE • UNIVERSITY OF LOWELL SUMMER 2011 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZIN E 1 Inside... 3 OUR WORLD 11 STUDENT SCENE Ca mpus Li fe 14 LAB NOTES 18 SPORTS UPDATE Student skydivers made a thrilling jump over Orange, Mass., in April, as part of an outing with the University’s Outdoor Adventure Program. 2 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2011 Ourwo rld CAMPUS NEWS MONSTER QUAKES: ARE WE AT RISK? The magnitude 9.0 earthquake that rocked the northeastern coast of Japan on March so evident, the Clinton–Newbury Fault is not very well 11 unleashed deadly tsunami waves that wiped out entire villages. What are the investigated. However, O’Brien says there has not been chances of such a devastating earthquake happening right here in New England? any significant seismic activity in the Clinton–Newbury “Nobody knows for sure,” says Prof. Arnold O’Brien of the Environmental, Earth Fault and he doesn’t expect any in the foreseeable future. and Atmospheric Sciences Department. “Unlike on the West Coast, earthquakes That’s a good thing – because according to civil engi - happen so infrequently here in the Northeast that they are more difficult to predict. neering Asst. Prof. Tzu-Yang Yu, “Here in New England, Our historical records date back only to the 1600s and they are very sketchy.” new buildings need only to meet the minimum level According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the last time New England experienced a of seismic resistance in their design. This is based largely series of major seismic events was in the 1700s. The region’s most powerful temblor to on the site’s characteristics and the seismic history of the date took place on Nov. 18, 1755, in the Cape Ann region east of Newbury. In Boston, region.” chimneys were leveled or heavily damaged, A severe earthquake here would create “unimaginable” and stone fences were knocked down. New devastation, Yu says: “Buildings 10 stories or higher that springs formed, and old springs dried up. were built to the current standard would be subject to Ground cracks were reported in Scituate, considerable structural damage. Walls would crack and Pembroke and Lancaster, and the shaking the buildings would sink or tilt, though not necessarily was felt from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to collapse.” Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Today there is a fault zone — called the UNIVERSITY NUCLEAR ENERGY Clinton–Newbury Fault — that runs about a mile south of UMass Lowell’s North Cam - EXPERT IN DEMAND pus close to Route 110 in Lowell, and con - As reporters, elected officials and pundits scrambled to tinues through Drum Hill and Westford, understand what was happening at the damaged nuclear- O’Brien says. It’s an ancient “suture” that power plants in Japan, many of them turned to UMass was created during the Paleozoic era about Lowell’s Gil Brown. The nuclear engineering professor 250 million to 450 million years ago, he was interviewed by media outlets from across the coun - says, when an island mass collided with the try, including Time magazine and the Washington Post. North American tectonic plate and was “We need to demystify dragged underneath it. the nuclear power process Compared to the San Andreas Fault in and be cautious” about mak - western North America, which is the most ing sweeping statements, says heavily studied and monitored fault on the Brown. “The situation is a continent and where ground movement is moving target – it’s the mid - dle of the storm – and too soon to draw conclusions about lessons learned.” High-rise buildings in downtown He points out, however, Boston are at great risk of that the Japanese plants Gil Brown structural damage in the event survived an earthquake far of a severe earthquake. beyond their designed limits. The reactors shut down power production exactly as they should, bringing the core temperatures down dramatically. But the tsunami waves overtopped the 20-foot seawall, damaging the emergency generator system that would be used to circulate cooling water over the still-hot fuel rods.