Search Results

Keyword search: umass amherst

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Money targeted for both strategic investments and deferred maintenance on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus is being temporarily diverted to a new account that will ensure research continues uninterrupted, should federal grants and contracts be paused or ended.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — More stringent oversight of spending on salaries, capital projects and non-personnel expenditures at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is underway, according to a letter sent to the campus from Chancellor Javier Reyes.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Five years after its approval, legislation aimed at improving K-12 education statewide known as the Student Opportunity Act is not infusing school districts in western Massachusetts with much-needed additional funding as promised.

By CAROLYN BROWN

Paulina Stark, a professor emerita of voice at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1985 to 2005, passed away earlier this month at the age of 88.

By LORETTA YARLOW

In 2013, the widely acclaimed artist Carrie Mae Weems — a charismatic artist, activist and educator, known for installations, videos and photographs that invite the viewer to reflect on issues of race, gender and class — was among 10 artists commissioned to participate in “Du Bois in Our Time,” an exhibition I curated when I was director of the University Museum of Contemporary Art at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

By SCOTT MERZBACH and SAMUEL GELINAS

The ever-shifting tariff landscape took a turn late Monday, as the U.S. agreed to pause tariffs on Canada for 30 days, several hours after agreeing to do the same with Mexico. China, meanwhile, was also preparing to talk with President Donald Trump about impending tariffs on its goods.

By CAROLYN BROWN

Peter Gizzi, professor of poetry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, recently won the 2024 T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry, one of the world’s most prestigious poetry awards.

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN and EMILEE KLEIN

With two cases of bird flu having been confirmed at the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, local health officials are issuing advisories and at least one Franklin County farm is taking measures to protect its poultry.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — University of Massachusetts officials acted reasonably and prudently in breaking up pro-Gaza encampments on campus last spring, but different enforcement tactics might have cut down on the number of arrests, as well as reduced the fraying of trust between students, faculty and staff and the UMass administration, according to an independent review released last week.

By ALEXA LEWIS

TikTok users around the region were greeting the looming U.S. ban of popular social media platform TikTok with emotions ranging from sadness to anger to skepticism, with many arguing that a government ban constitutes a limit on free speech.

By ANNE DIETRICH

As we step into a new political era with Monday’s inauguration of Donald Trump, many wonder how his administration’s environmental policies will shape our future. With proposed rollbacks on climate agreements and renewable energy projects, those of us in the Pioneer Valley who cherish nature may feel uncertain and anxious. But beyond just affecting nature, the new president’s policies also impact leisure activities, recreation, and sport. As a sports lover, I am concerned about President Trump’s (lack of) environmental agenda. If you care about sports — from community games to professional leagues — there are things we all can do to protect this favorite pastime.

By JANE KAUFMAN

It looks so benign.

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A University of Massachusetts campus organization pushing for more socially responsible investments by the UMass Foundation, manager of the university’s endowment, is claiming a small win after the nonprofit made a commitment to invest in fossil fuel-free funds.

By CAROLYN BROWN

Finding love is all about finding someone on your wavelength. A radio show at the University of Massachusetts Amherst wants to help the local queer community make romantic connections, one guest DJ at a time.On the show “Queer Yenta Radio Hour,” which...

By ZICHANG LIU

AMHERST — University of Massachusetts Amherst professors Chang Liu and Xiaojun Wei have discovered a new method to detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — “forever chemicals” found in water, soil, air, food and other consumer products — thus...

By EMILEE KLEIN

AMHERST — The past few weeks have been tough for climate activism, and longtime climate activist Bill McKibben, who makes his home in Vermont, is feeling the heat.This year will be the hottest year on record, breaking the record-setting temperatures...

By AMALIA WOMPA

NORTHFIELD — Growing up on a dead-end road in Pelham surrounded by nature, Charley Eiseman couldn’t help but take interest in the natural world.It was this early love for the environment that ultimately led Eiseman down the career path of entomology,...

By CAROLYN BROWN

Thousands of University of Massachusetts Amherst students have learned from percussion instructor Thom Hannum, whose 40-year career at the college included a tenure as the assistant director, then associate director, of the Minuteman Marching Band...

By NAOMI SCULLY-BRISTOL

On most weekday nights, the ticking of a metronome rings out across the University of Massachusetts Amherst athletic fields, followed by the music of the “Power and Class of New England,” the UMass Amherst Minutemen Marching Band.The students in the...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — In preparation for a change in presidential administrations at the federal level, international students, faculty and staff on University of Massachusetts immigration sponsorships, who may be traveling abroad during winter break, are being...

By MICKEY RATHBUN

The 2025 UMass Garden Calendar comes out every fall, just as we are putting our gardens to bed for the winter. As always, the calendar is a must-have for gardeners. It gives daily tips on indoor and outdoor gardening and other related subjects,...