Search Results

Keyword search: umass amherst

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,...

By ALEXA LEWIS

AMHERST — When Ann Becker told local public health nurses about a new program that will provide them with support and mentorship, she said she got one common response: “It’s about time.” Becker, clinical associate professor and program leader at the...

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

After the presidential election victory of Donald Trump on Tuesday, many Democrats — including in Massachusetts, where residents favored Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris by a large margin — may be left scratching their heads as to how...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Massachusetts’ three resort casinos are largely having a positive impact on the economy, even as a downturn in business for restaurants and bars in and around Springfield may be attributed to the fact that visitors who are playing slot...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Continued efforts to increase the clean energy workforce for offshore wind and “climate tech” in general in Massachusetts are looking to Denmark as a possible model where, even with a smaller population than the Bay State, the wind energy...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — Drilling of geothermal wells in Lot 31 off Governors Drive is set to begin next month at the University of Massachusetts, a project that will allow two large classroom buildings under construction to be powered by renewable energy when they...

By SAM DRYSDALE

The program meant to give students a head start on their college enrollment is expanding, which officials say will save students money, make them more likely to attend college than their peers and increase lifelong earning potential.University of...

By ALEXA LEWIS

AMHERST — “Growing up poor, all I’ve ever wanted was financial freedom,” said Beatrice Rogers, a third-year psychology and holistic health major at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. But that freedom might be far away for Rogers, whose college...