SUMMER 2014 UMass Lowell MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS STRAIGHTSTREEP MERYL ON CAMPUS: THE ZEN OF CRAFT, THE MYSTERY OF ACTING SUMMER 2014 SUMMER 2014 The UMass Lowell Alumni A Message from Magazine is published by: Chancellor Martin T. Meehan ’78 Office of University Relations University of Massachusetts Lowell One University Avenue Lowell, MA 01854 978-934-3224 This magazine was born in 1986, launched by one person, then a part-time [email protected] VOLUME 17 NUMBER 2 employee of what was then the University of Lowell. No one had asked her UMass Lowell Chancellor to create a magazine, but she felt strongly that the university should strive MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS Martin T. Meehan ’78 to forge better connections with its alumni. Executive Vice Chancellor Jacqueline Moloney ’75, ’92 In those early days, she—along with a rotating staff of one or two other part-timers in “News and Publications”—did everything: They were reporters, writers, editors, designers, photographers, Vice Chancellor of Cover Story 26 University Relations advertising reps, postal workers—even typesetters. Patricia McCafferty When Meryl Streep agreed to speak at That person was Mary Lou Hubbell, who retired at the end of June as director of publications Vice Chancellor for UMass Lowell as part of our Chancellor’s and publisher of the UMass Lowell Magazine for Alumni and Friends. University Advancement Speaker Series (for free!), some of us on Edward Chiu On her watch, the magazine evolved from a homegrown publication pro- campus expected her visit to come with STRAIGHT Executive Director of Marketing Bryce Hoffman duced on a shoe-string budget to a glossy winner of more than a dozen indus- an enormous dose of fanfare. Surely, we try awards. Mary Lou’s spunk and endless quest to produce “good stuff—no, reasoned, the woman who is arguably Publisher great stuff” will be missed, and we thank her for more than three decades of Mary Lou Hubbell ’85 the greatest living actress must be accom- STREEP service to the university whose reputation she helped build. panied by people wherever she goes. We were ready for publicists, bodyguards, stylists, make-up artists, a Director of Alumni Relations Heather Makrez ’06, ’08 Mary Lou should have a lot more time for reading now—and I hope the driver—perhaps even a personal umbrella holder. What we got was Meryl. She drove herself (by herself) from Connecticut and from the second she arrived, was down-to-earth and kind. She met with students, Communications Manager same can be said for you this summer. Please turn the page and read on Nichole Carter to learn about all the “great stuff” happening at UMass Lowell. and then spoke to a sold-out crowd at the Tsongas Center—both times telling wickedly funny stories, offering thoughtful life advice, and posing for many, many photos. And along the way, she quietly raised Editor Sarah McAdams Corbett $230,000 for student scholarships. Read all about her visit on Page 26. Designer Paul Shilale Staff Writers Martin T. Meehan CONTENTS Edwin Aguirre Chancellor Karen Angelo Geoffrey Douglas Sheila Eppolito THE HAITI CAPSTONE 32 Jill Gambon CALENDAR OF EVENTS Julia K. Gavin Jack McDonough University Crossing Grand Opening Celebration, Sept. 16, University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket St., 2 p.m. Ribbon-cutting and Dave Perry festivities. Public welcome. Visit uml.edu/universitycrossing. THE DRONES ARE COMING 38 Contributing Photographers: River Hawk Homecoming (formerly known as Fall Festival), Oct. 24 – 26. Rediscover UMass Lowell and reconnect with family, Edwin Aguirre, Ed Collier, Tory Germann, Jim Higgins, friends and fellow alumni, Events include reunions, River Hawk hockey games, golden alumni brunch, campus tours and live enter- tainment. Visit uml.edu/riverhawkhomecoming to learn more about events like: 14 Marty Meehan ’78 32 Brendan Sprague ’14 42 Roseann Sdoia ’91 Joson Images, Meghan Moore, LOVE FROM THE RUINS and Bill Nye Emily Antonelli Ray 42 Chancellor’s Leadership Society Dinner, Oct. 23, UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, 5:30 p.m. Join us in celebrating donors uml.edu/alumni who support the university with annual gifts of $1,000 or more, as well as lifetime honorees who have given over $100,000. For facebook.com/umasslowell more information, call 978-934-4449 or email [email protected]. twitter.com/umasslowell FACE OF PHILANTHROPY 50 Celebration of Scholarship Luncheon, Oct. 24, UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, noon–2 p.m. Join scholarship recipients Please send address changes to: and the generous benefactors who made their scholarships possible. For more information, call 978-934-4449 or email Gerty_ University of Massachusetts Lowell [email protected]. Office of University Advancement Charles J. Hoff Alumni Scholarship ALUMNI LIFE 40th and 50th Reunion Celebration, Oct. 24, registration, campus tours, deans discussions, River Hawks hockey game; Oct. 25, 52 Center, 1 Perkins St. Lowell, MA 01854-2882 reunion class photos, cocktail receptions, dinners, River Hawks hockey game; Oct. 26, Golden Alumni Brunch. [email protected] 978-934-2223 For more information about events, visit www.uml.edu/alumni or call 978-934-3140. EDITOR’S NOTE: Please send comments to Editor 50 Jeffrey Cosiol ’67 55 Christine Cournoyer ’73 56 Brian Rist ’77 UMass Lowell is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action, Sarah McAdams Corbett at [email protected]. Title IX, H/V, ADA 1990 Employer. Submit class notes at www.uml.edu/advancement/classnotes. The UMass Lowell Magazine for Alumni and Friends is a 2013 winner of platinum and gold Hermes Creative Awards, a Silver Bell Ringer, a CASE District I Silver Excellence Award, an APEX Award of Excellence and honorable mentions in the PR Daily Awards and the PR Daily Nonprofit PR Awards. 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 2014 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE 1 Firstlook John Pulichino ’67, ’14 (H) and his wife, Joy Tong ’14 (H), along with their son, Michael Pulichino, helped celebrate the groundbreaking of the home for the Manning School of Business on North Campus. The building is scheduled to be completed in 2017. $40 Million Business Building Breaks Ground Business students at UMass Lowell will study in a brand new facility with a four-story atrium, a big-screen LED, streaming stock ticker and technology-enhanced classrooms in a building for which a groundbreaking was held in May. The Pulichino Tong Business Building, which will be home to the university’s Manning School of Business when it is completed in 2017, will become a key component in the continuing transformation of the North Campus. The $40 million building will be named for UMass Lowell grad- uate John Pulichino ’67, ’14 (H) and his wife, Joy Tong ’14 (H), successful entrepreneurs in the travel-goods industry who have donated $4 million to student scholarships. UMass Lowell leaders envision that the new building will complete an innovation district dedicated to business education and scientific research and development in support of the region’s economy. The building will serve UMass Lowell’s growing population of undergraduate and graduate students studying accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, international business, management and operations and information systems. The centerpiece of the 52,000-square-foot Pulichino Tong Business Building will be the atrium, which will overlook an outdoor plaza formed by the new and existing buildings, creating more green space on North Campus. The new building’s other features will include a finance labora- tory designed to simulate on-the-job experiences in the business world, such as a trading room and high-tech classrooms and seminar rooms that can accommodate more than 400 students. n 2 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2014 SUMMER 2014 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE 3 Ourworld Campus Life Inside... 5 OUR WORLD 11 COMMENCEMENT 16 STUDENT SCENE 18 SPORTS UPDATE 22 LAB NOTES On Our Honor: New Opportunities for Students Chemical engineering student Steven Jacek ’16 says that thanks to the honors program at UMass Lowell, he’s been able to expand his brain power—and his social life. “Meeting best friends who are just as likely to take a pingpong match way too seriously as Following a yearlong, student-driven argue about the atomic weight of nickel is a wonderful thing,” he says. campaign to clear the air on campus, Starting this fall, Steven and his peers will have many more opportunities for late-night UMass Lowell will become smoke- and debates about chemical elements over the ping pong table. The brand new UMass Lowell Honors tobacco-free effective this fall. College will welcome its first class in September. The new policy, initiated by the Student Government Association (SGA) Approved for the campus by the UMass Board of Trustees in February, the college already has and endorsed by the Faculty Senate FLYING HIGH 800 students enrolled for its launch. and the administration, will designate In April, students celebrated the warm The campus has offered an honors program to students for nearly two decades, but the all campus property as tobacco-free. Implementation will include signs across weather (and the end of the semester) elevation to an honors college will mean expanded resources, new courses and more opportuni- ties for valuable real-world experience through co-ops in business and industry and service- campus and smoking-cessation pro- over Spring Carnival Weekend, which learning projects around the world. gramming provided by Lowell General featured a Mardi Gras party, live Hospital. The university’s existing policy Since 2008, enrollment of honors students at UMass Lowell has increased to 733 from 298. music, inflatable rides, a BBQ—and prohibits smoking inside or within 25 feet This year, the university saw a record number of first-year students—more than 270, with an of campus buildings.