Table Of Contentstory
Oyster Shells,
Rusty Nails and
Rosary Beads
Irish 'Dig' Reveals Clues to Lives of 19th _Century Canal Builq~ts
UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE
COVER STORY
"The samples correspond to similar samples found in
UMASS LOWELL ALUMNI HAVE
Northern Ireland in the same time period. We're fairly
COME FROM MORE THAN 80
certain that we've discovered evidence of people living
in the (church) lawn area, which was probably the FOREIGN COUNTRIES
earliest encampment for the canal diggers. A lot of When he arrived here two years ago, Provost Ahmed
things they're finding are precisely what we anticipated. Abdelal said one of his priorities would be to "interna
"We've been able to confirm that this is a site but tionalize" UMass Lowell. His efforts in this initiative
not necessarily the only one. We hope the interest gen have included the creation of six centers that provide
erated in this dig will spur another round of research." students and faculty with opportunities to study and
The idea, he said, is that over the next two years, conduct research with academic partners in Europe,
this dig will be followed up by four more - one week Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East.
long dig each year in both Lowell and in County Tyrone, But, from the standpoint of enrollment on the Low
the latter being at the home site of Cummiskey, the im ell campus, the University has been "international" for
migrant who led the Irish laborers from Charlestown to a long time. This academic year alone, there are nearly
Lowell nearly 190 years ago. 400 international students enrolled from 46 countries.
Though the St. Patrick's parish At week's end, the students filled the trenches back Moreover, the alumni rolls include more than 1,200
was formed in 1827, the church in. But first they spread plastic sheeting at the bottom graduates from more than 80 foreign countries. India,
wasn't officially consecrated to preserve the sites and placed plastic pegs at each with 419, is, by far, the country with the largest number
unril 1831. comer to mark the dimensions of the excavations. of UMass Lowell degree holders. Next come Taiwan
"If we get funding, we hope to come back next year with 197 and Canada with 101.
and open the trenches again and continue to dig," said UMass Lowell has prepared these graduates to re
Donnelly. "And we may extend the project. Open up turn to their own countries armed with the knowledge
other areas." and skills to enjoy successful careers and to be effective
The partnership between UMass Lowell and Queen's community leaders.
"WHEN WE was formalized in 2009 when Chancellor Marty Meehan One example of a graduate who has returned home
led a delegation to Ireland to meet with representatives to raise the quality of life of her fellow citizens is
OPENED THE
of the Belfast university. Salinee Tavaranan, who in 2004 earned a master's de
TRENCHES WE Speaking more recently about the project in The gree in solar engineering. Tavaranan moved back to her
DIDN'T KNOW IF Acre, Meehan said, "Our priority with these Centers is native Thailand where she is director of the Border
to provide graduates with a global perspective, one that Green Energy Team, an organization that works with
WE'D FIND ANY will contribute to their career success by deepening villagers in ethnic minority areas on both sides of the
THING, BUT IT their understanding of multiple cultures, which, in Thai/Burma border - improving solar home systems,
today's shrinking world, is no longer optional but re teaching renewable energy practices and helping with
BECAME CLEAR quired. solar electricity construction for medical clinics.
AFTER THE FIRST "This archaeological dig is one of many concrete Yanir Shaked is an example of a graduate who has
ways that students are already benefiting from our agree achieved success in both the corporate and academic
DAY THAT WE ments with notable international universities."(cid:127) worlds. Shaked, who earned his doctorate in plastics
WERE GOING engineering in 2007, is director of research and devel
opment at Polyram Co., Israel's leading manufacturer
TO BE ABLE TO
of engineering thermoplastic compounds for the auto
TELL A STORY motive, electrical and construction industries; and he
also is a senior faculty member in plastics engineering
OF WHAT WAS
at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design.
GOING ON HERE Three others among the 1,200 graduates from
IN THE PERIOD foreign countries who have achieved success in their
chosen fields are from Taiwan, Korea and India.
BETWEEN 1820
Edward Chang, who earned a master's degree in
AND 1850." plastics engineering in 1992, is vice president of Simplo
Technology, a Taiwanese company that produces a
- COLM DONNELLY, variety of battery pack products for customers such as
QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Apple.
Jae Hyun Kim, who earned his master's degree in
chemistry in 1999, is managing director of Dongjin
Semichem Co. in Korea. Dongjin makes electronic ma
terials and foaming agents for semiconductors and flat
liquid crystal displays.
Nayan S. Parekh '94 is director of Nikamal Ltd. in
India, a company that manufactures plastic moulding
products. Parekh earned a master's degree in plastics
engineering. (cid:127)
26 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE WINTER 2 0 11
COVER STORY
I N F O C U· S
Globetrotting: Bhimavaram. UMass Lowell staff Collaborations with two univer
and graduate students support sities in Istanbul, Turkey - Yeditepe
Indian students through visits and University and Bahcesehir Univer
UMass Lowell by distance communication. More sity - include a National Science
than 50 projects are completed Foundation-funded workshop on
or ongoing. Assistive Technology, as well as
Partnerships Span summer joint M.B.A. electives and
MIDDLE EAST - courses in engineering. At Bilkent
CHALLENGE, OPPORTUNITY University in Ankara, College of
the World IN EGYPT, ISRAEL, JORDAN Management faculty members are
AND TURKEY teaching during the winter break,
University collaborations can accompanied by UMass Lowell
contribute to better international students. Joint research is planned
communication and understanding, in the areas of nanotechnology,
a goal that UMass Lowell fosters biotechnology, plastics and
through the Middle East Center for biomedical engineering.
Peace, Development and Culture.
In Egypt, UMass Lowell works AFRICA - ADVANCING
with the University of Cairo to col SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
laborate in Biomedical Engineering IN GHANA, NIGERIA
and Biotechnology for graduate In the first of planned faculty and
studies and research, and across student exchanges, a UMass Lowell
departments of economics, political professor taught a semester of
science and women's studies. At biology at the Kwame Nkrumah
the High Institute of Applied Arts, University of Science & Technolo
UMass Lowell will host an exhibi gy in Kumasi, Ghana. Faculty
tion of Contemporary Egyptian in engineering and nanotechnology
Digital Art in 2011 in the first are building research collaborations
New ideas, heightened enthusiasm, UMass President's Office to phase of a multi-dimensional with the University of llorin,
cross-cultural experience - a cam coordinate university programs partnership. in Nigeria.
pus with international programs and state agencies. A joint degree in Peace and
and research is a more exciting UMass Lowell's focus of collabo Conflict Studies, scheduled to IRELAND - HERITAGE
place to be, for faculty as much as ration is on engineered nanoparti launch in 2011, has been developed TIES THE UNITED STATES,
for students. That excitement is the cles and understanding the link by an inter-disciplinary faculty NORTHERN IRELAND
foremost benefit of expanding part between health, environment and group with the University of Haifa, AND IRELAND
nerships. UMass Lowell also directs manufacturing. With Tsinghua's in Israel. The partnership was Archeological research (described
its partnerships to geographically related industry connections in extended to include Queen's on Page 23) was conducted in
strategic areas, where developed China, a team of UMass Lowell University in Northern Ireland to Massachusetts and Ireland by
technologies, population density professors (from work environment, establish the Belfast-Haifa-Lowell students and faculty ofUMass
and existing universities offer biology, plastics and mechanical Educational Research Group. The Lowell and Queen's University in
the greatest potential benefits to engineering) take exposure meas group held a summer summit for Belfast. Other programs include a
both partners. urements, modify manufacturing collaboration on improving public partnership between Dublin City
processes, research nanocomposite schools set in challenging environ University, UMass Lowell and
ASIA - RAPID DEVELOPMENT properties and investigate toxicity. ments. At Shenkar College of Queen's University in presenting
IN CHINA AND INDIA The researchers have also submit Engineering and Design, near the first U.S./lreland Emerging
UMass Lowell's Computer Sciences ted a joint research proposal and Tel Aviv, an innovative joint Technologies Conference, in
Department works in China with have been invited to speak at a graduate program in Plastics Lowell, at which researchers
CERNET, the China Education U.S. workshop on nanostructured Engineering allows students in discussed biopharmaceuticals,
and Research Network, to run a materials for energy and the both UMass Lowell and Shenkar's medical devices and nanotechnolo
summer program for Chinese stu environment. Master of Science (M.S.) programs gy with representatives of leading
dents leading to enrollment in the In India, UMass Lowell's to attend classes and conduct companies in manufacturing and
MS degree program at UMass Low renowned Assistive Technology research at both campuses. product development. The second
ell. Strong ties exist with Tsinghua program is being replicated at the In Jordan, science and conference will be held in Ireland
University in Beijing, supported by B.V. Raju Institute of Technology engineering faculty are developing in 2011. (cid:127)
a UMass Online agreement and the in Hyderabad, and the Shri Vishnu joint research projects with the
China Institute established by the Engineering College for Women in University of Petra.
W f NT E R 2 0 11 UMASS LOWELL MAGAZINE 2 7
