During my years of service in the United States Congress, I never could have imagined the U.S. Capitol being desecrated in such fashion. Equally, I couldn’t have envisioned elected officials inciting and condoning seditious violence and thereby connecting themselves to actions aimed at subverting our sacred democratic principles. It is undeniable we all have a lot of work to do in restoring our democracy while also confronting the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice.
This year was truly unique. A global pandemic transformed every facet of our lives and affected the health and wellbeing of millions of people. We all shifted to living, learning, and working remotely, constantly forgetting to unmute ourselves. It was a difficult year. Yet through it all, the students, faculty, and staff at UMass Dartmouth persevered and adapted. The accomplishments of our community this year showcased the talent, dedication, and innovation that takes place at UMass Dartmouth – even if it might not occur on the campus itself.
Assoc. Teaching Prof. of Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Deb Finch kept waiting for someone to write a book about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, the social media phenomenon that went viral in 2014 and has raised $115 million to help find a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Steve Kornacki ’17 (H), the irrepressible political analyst for MSNBC, took a deep dive into the numbers during “Election 2020 Debrief,” an 80-minute Zoom gathering that also featured UMass President Marty Meehan and UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion Director Josh Dyck.
The UMass Lowell women’s soccer team was en route to Stony Brook, New York, for the semifinals of the 2018 America East conference tournament.
Garret Roberts has played baseball for as long as he can remember. The game is what led him to UMass Lowell, where he is an outfielder and right-handed pitcher for the Division I River Hawks.
Ryan Shields, assistant professor in the School of Criminology and Justice Studies, is sharing a $1.5 million, four-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study a unique approach to deterring child sexual abuse.
In the U.S., about 34 million people suffer from varying degrees of hearing loss, and about 10 million of them have to use hearing aids, according to Ketan Muni ’87.
“Hearing loss is more common as we age, and it is accelerated by exposure to excessively loud sounds,” says Muni, senior director of research and development at Earlens Corporation, a privately held medical technology company based in Menlo Park, California.
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that occur when a baby’s lip or mouth do not form properly during pregnancy. About 1 in every 1,600 babies is born with these defects in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Children with these debilitating conditions often experience problems with feeding, teeth development, speaking and hearing as well as loss of self-esteem.
Helen Tsiagras, RN, first-year Doctor of Nursing Practice student in the Graduate School of Nursing’s Graduate Entry Pathway Program Family Nurse Practitioner track, began her nursing career during the COVID-19 pandemic. In November, she started work as a community health nurse at Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center in Framingham, coordinating care for patients and supporting their needs.