New Global Partnerships Boost Work of UMass Lowell Students, Faculty

Agreements Will Allow More Opportunities for International Study, Research

LOWELL, Mass. — Agreements between UMass Lowell and educational institutions in the Asia, Europe and the Middle East, including one established today with a top Israeli university, are strengthening UMass Lowell’s global presence and ability to provide international research, exchange and scholarship opportunities to students and faculty.

Today, UMass Lowell formalized its partnership with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. Ben-Gurion, like UMass Lowell, is ranked among the top universities in the world and is internationally recognized for innovative research and academic excellence.

UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan and Ben-Gurion Rector Zvi HaCohen signed a memorandum of understanding that looks to involve students and faculty from both institutions in research and exchange programs. Areas of cooperation will include academic and research programs in fields like nanotechnology, engineering and biotechnology, as well as improving water quality in Israel, addressing climate change, advancing the status of women leaders and fostering peace through political, social and cultural initiatives in the Middle East. The agreement was signed at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center.

“International partnerships are essential for stimulating new research, discussion and learning. These partnerships also offer our students meaningful and substantive international education experiences, including study abroad and experiential learning. Our students should have the opportunity to gain an understanding of other countries and cultures, enriching their overall education,” Meehan said. “In today’s ever shrinking world, a global perspective will give our graduates a workplace advantage by ensuring that they have the multicultural understanding required to succeed.”

UMass Lowell also recently established a new exchange agreement with universities in China, a new master’s of business administration program with Japanese institutions, a new partnership with Euro-Mediterranean University and was accepted into the prestigious Compostela Group of Universities.

“These international partnerships will continue to strengthen the quality of the education that we offer,” said UMass Lowell Provost Ahmed Abdelal. “They will also expand research opportunities for our faculty and provide access to global resources.”

Three new partnerships between UMass Lowell and Northwest University, Shanghai Technical University and Xi’an Jaiotong University in China look to develop undergraduate and graduate student exchange programs; faculty exchanges for research, teaching and academic work; and joint research and educational programs. The partnerships also seek to establish an academic program through which Chinese students attend their home university for three years and then come to UMass Lowell for two years, earning a bachelor’s degree from their home institution and a master’s degree from UMass Lowell. These agreements add to UMass Lowell’s list of educational partners in China. The university already has partnerships with Tsinghua University, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Nanfang College of Sun Yat-sen University and the China Education and Research Network.

“Our students, faculty and the entire community will benefit, as China is a critical partner in terms of education, research and economic development,” said Meehan.

Launched by UMass Lowell’s Manning School of Business, a new two-year MBA program will welcome 25 Japanese executives in April. Plans call for a second group of 25 students to enroll in the program this fall. The program will offer foundation classes conducted in Japanese using UMass Lowell’s curriculum and advanced classes offered online in English by Manning School faculty. For the fifth consecutive year, the Manning School’s existing MBA program was named one of the best in the country by the Princeton Review.

“Our MBA is designed to provide graduates with the education they need to advance their careers in a changing global environment,” said Manning School Dean Kathryn Carter.

UMass Lowell also recently joined the Compostela Group of Universities, a consortium of more than 70 universities from around the globe headquartered in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. With its acceptance into the group, UMass Lowell became one of just three U.S. universities to gain CGU membership. Membership will allow UMass Lowell faculty to teach students in tandem with faculty from other Compostela Group institutions. CGU member universities are partners in scholarship, research, economic development and public diplomacy.

In addition, UMass Lowell signed a student and faculty exchange partnership agreement recently with Euro-Mediterranean University, itself a CGU member. Based in Portoroz, Slovenia, Euro-Mediterranean University was established by the European Union to facilitate collaborative postgraduate research and academic work. Today, EMUNI, as it is known, is an international network of more than 170 universities in 38 countries focusing on issues such as alternative energy, higher education research, business development and the restoration of clean waters in the Mediterranean Sea.

With these new partnerships, UMass Lowell boasts academic exchange agreements with more than 60 universities in 25 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, North America and Australia. Students who hail from more than 50 countries study at UMass Lowell, which is also the headquarters for the World Association for Cooperative Education, a 2,000-member organization fostering experiential learning programs around the globe.

The Middlesex Community College Dental Hygiene Clinic in Lowell offers preventive dental hygiene services to the public at a reduced cost. Licensed dental hygiene faculty and dentists closely supervise the MCC Dental Hygiene teaching clinic students.

Patients accepted for treatment are those whose dental problems have teaching value and who have the extra time required for treatment. Services include comprehensive dental hygiene care, oral prophylaxis (cleaning), scaling and root planing, dental radiographs, dental sealants, athletic mouth protectors and fluoride treatments. Because the clinic is a learning facility, clients may be required to return for several appointments in order to complete the necessary treatment.

Spring semester clinic hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, while the college is in session (January through May). Appointments must be scheduled in advance.

The Dental Hygiene Clinic is located in MCC’s Health, Science & Technology Center, 44 Middle St., Lowell.  Call 978-656-3250 or 781-280-3250 to schedule an appointment

Becoming a nursing assistant is one relatively certain way how to turn out to be a nurse. A Nursing Assistant certificate allows you the opportunity to safe employment at entry degree within the medical area. This position requires compassion and commitment to aiding other people. Additionally, it needs a substantial level of effective conversation as well as focus for detail. Most people entering the Nursing Assistant occupation find it to be a rewarding and challenging profession. However, numerous choose to use it like a building block for how to turn out to be a Nurse.

The program for becoming a Nursing Assistant is very fast in contrast using the time it takes to generate a degree in Nursing. Therefore, numerous see it like a logic option to achieve experience within the medical area. For those who are not certain if nursing is for them, this really is a great concept. It is better to invest 4 to 12 weeks in training to find out then to spend two or even more many years focusing on a Nursing diploma.

There are individuals who must preserve work whilst pursuing their training diploma for financial reasons. For people within this position, completing the Nursing Assistant plan provides them a means to secure work that is related to what they are heading to school for. They are able to then determine if they wish to carry on the route regarding how to become a nurse.

Others decide to advance their career as soon as they have been operating as a Nurse Assistant since they see numerous from the duties Nurses are responsible for. It is a degree of responsibility they want to acquire. Since they work so carefully with the Nursing employees, it’s an ideal chance to discover much more of what requires location. Others possess a sincere want to additional their training, but to get a variety of factors have not been able to.

There’s a substantial pay distinction in between working as a Nursing Assistant and possessing a diploma like a Nurse. The dollar quantity differs according to location, but on average the main difference is $4 to $9 for each hour more. It does not take lengthy in any way for the overall income distinction to become noticed. Nursing assistants often determine they want to work within the health-related field, but definitely want to be paid more for their work. Obviously, the degree of duty differs significantly in between a Nursing Assistant along with a Nurse.

Working at a medical facility as a Nursing Assistant can work for your benefit whenever you decide to pursue a degree and learn how to become a Nurse. It might assist you to enter into the program if there’s much more interest within the plan than enrollment opportunities.

Because of the continuous need for certified trained experts in the area of Nursing, most medical facilities will assistance you in your efforts to additional your training. They will frequently adjust your work schedule to support you anytime feasible.

One step in the right path for a career within the medical field is knowing how to turn out to be a nurse. Take your time to learn if the area is right for you and also you are sure to be a success.

Coming to Africa Heritage Month at Middlesex.

The Middlesex Community College Multicultural Center will celebrate “Coming to Africa” Heritage Month in February. Special events, free and open the public, include:

Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast – 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, Multicultural Center, MCC City Building (ground floor), 33 Kearney Square, Lowell. Join us for breakfast and speeches inspired by the message of social change and peace that Martin Luther King Jr. embodied. Students will recite excerpts from King’s speeches throughout breakfast.

“Lost Kingdoms of Africa – Great Zimbabwe” – 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, Multicultural Center, MCC City Building (ground floor), 33 Kearney Square, Lowell.

MCC’s African Cultural Club will screen this documentary film focusing on newly discovered historical artifacts and sites found among the many countries of Africa.

African Cultural Club Scavenger Hunt – 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9,

Multicultural Center, MCC City Building (ground floor), 33 Kearney Square, Lowell. In this fun activity, clues from famous people of African descent will be hidden on MCC’s Lowell campus. Stop by the African Cultural Club meeting for entry and more details.

African New World Drumming Ensemble — 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, Lowell Campus Cafeteria, 33 Kearney Square. Experience the rhythm and song of the African world through African-Caribbean percussion arts. This workshop will be led by Michael Wingfield, a performer and educator with 25 years of experience.

In addition to these special programs, displays of books and DVDs celebrating Black History Month will be on display throughout February in the Bedford and Lowell campus libraries.

All “Coming to Africa” Heritage Month events are sponsored by MCC’s International & Multicultural Office. For more information, contact Pat Demaras at demarasp@middlesex.mass.edu or 978-656-3256.

What is HVAC? It is understood that all of us understand what HVAC stands for, however, because it’s not an everyday phrase; it is easy to forget what exactly it means. HVAC is definitely an acronym that represents the phrases heating, ventilation and air conditioning. An HVAC system is one from the comforts which are taken with no consideration till it stops working correctly. Frequently unnoticed, these methods offer comfortable air to buildings of any dimension but are often utilized in medium to big office buildings and industrial structures. You can much better comprehend the way it functions and why it is needed by learning the elements of an HVAC method.

What’s HVAC all About?

The first element within this kind of method is heating. The air is heated by a furnace, boiler or heat pump after which forced with the building through ductwork or pipes and radiators. Typically the heating component (boiler, furnace, and so on.) is housed inside a mechanical room that’s isolated from work areas because it tends to be a noisy location. The heating aspect of this method is important to maintaining comfortable temperatures during the heat summer time months. Additionally, the heating system supports the remainder from the building by preventing frozen pipes and various other problems that happen whenever a heating method is insufficient.

What is HVAC Ventilation?

The following element within this kind of method is air flow. Ventilation is essential in office structures and industrial spaces, as stale air can impact work efficiency and also the general health from the worker. You are able to ventilate a space both mechanically or naturally. Mechanical ventilation uses force (just like an enthusiast) to move air. Additionally, fresh air is occasionally combined with the interior air to improve humidity and quality. Occasionally, this is actually the easiest way to decrease odors and humidity indoors. All-natural air flow is the procedure of freshening the air with out utilizing fans or any other gadgets. Usually, this can be a simple as opening windows to permit fresh air to circulate.

What’s HVAC Air Conditioning?

Lastly, air conditioning is the last aspect in this kind of method. In warm months, air conditioning is essential for each cooling the air and removing humidity in the air. Sufficient cooling is important for retaining employees (and customers) comfortable on heat weather days. When temperatures rise, large structures can often turn out to be overly heat inside an extremely fast manner. Whilst awesome air is essential, decreasing the humidity within the air is just as essential. Excess humidity isn’t only uncomfortable, however it may cause main problems with mold and other contaminants that thrive on heat dampness.

With regards to businesses, the query is usually not “What is HVAC?” but rather “what type of HVAC system will we have?” Contacting a licensed expert will be the best course of action whenever you reach this stage inside your company planning and preparation.

There are tons of ways to get exposure to your targeted exposure to your product on the Internet, but with the advent of the social web, the opportunities have simply magnified. Seven years ago marketing was different on the World Wide Web, was not as easy as it is today. Are you looking to tap into your target market, then Twitter happens to be a part of this social revolution that is turning out to be a huge success amongst internet marketers. A micro blogging service like Twitter, not only helps you get direct exposure for your product or service, but allows you to connect with prospects and build a relationship with them.

Do you like to Tweet: Build your reputation by posting interesting tweets. If there are a number of people following you, then you don’t want that number to go down, you want it to grow. On Twitter its really easy to follow and unfollow as well as lose followers. Making sure you’re not random on your niche, with keep your eye on the target in your Tweet. Your followers should never feel that they aren’t getting any value from you, so put in the effort to make each tweet interesting.

Looking for Top Keywords: A tool like TweetVolume.com can be used to search for top keywords to know what you should write about. A lot of these keywords will be the trend of the season, so if you can write about that, you should be able to attract a lot more responses from your followers. But don’t deviate from your niche topic; keep your tweets as related to it as possible so that your followers get the kind of content they’re looking for.

It pays to spy on the competition in your niche in order for you to have a better idea of what’s being promoted and the response to those promotions. You will then have a better idea of how to better serve your own followers giving them more value. In a way you are only giving your own followers a richer experience by looking at your own competition.

We can see that no matter the size of Twitter, it will always help you reach out to your connections in the best possible way. The way for a business to build strong relationships with their audience is to utilize Twitter.

Middlesex Community College’s Academy of Health Professions was recognized as a successful workforce development program by Gov. Deval Patrick in his 2012 State of the Commonwealth address. The next Academy of Health Professions session begins Monday,

Feb. 6, and registration is still open.

“I believe community colleges are uniquely positioned to help close (Massachusetts’) skills gap and get people back to work,” said Patrick. “Some are already making impressive contributions to workforce development. Middlesex Community College for example runs an Academy of Health Professions in Bedford and Lowell tied to industry growth in Merrimack Valley.”

MCC’s Academy of Health Professions offers short-term training and college credit programs to prepare students for entry-level careers in health care fields. Programs offered include certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Receptionist, Medical Office Administration and Phlebotomy.

Level 1 evening and weekend classes begin Monday, Feb. 6. Level 2 courses (for those with previous experience in a health care field) begin Monday, April 16.

For more information about MCC’s Academy of Health Professions, call 1-800-818-3434 or visit www.middlesex.mass.edu.

The Internet is going through a sea of a change; it’s not what it used to be a few years ago. As you well know, Facebook has long since eclipsed Twitter as an important social site. Right now there is a lot of focus on Facebook for online marketers, but Twitter still remains a viable means to engage in a different kind of social marketing. It is the job of all businesses to seek their target audience and make themselves visible.

One of the first things you will do at Twitter is decide on your username; so be sure to make it something that will be memorable and appropriate. Everything you do with your market needs to be relevant in some way, and that is another point to bear in mind with your username. You don’t have to really make your username niche specific, but don’t make it something complicated either. Remember that the dynamics of doing business and marketing at Twitter are radically different from Facebook. So just imagine the power that an username can have at Twitter considering all the people who will see it.

If you are using Twitter for promoting your business or products it’s a good idea to create niche specific accounts so that you can determine which account to use for your various promotions and product introductions. This applies to you even if you’re targeting one broad niche, because usually such niches will have sub-niches, and having targeted followers for every micro niche will increase the probability of them responding back to your tweets and taking the action you direct them towards.

Having an objective: Getting followers here, then what? Do you have a main objective in mind? Driving traffic to your Twitter page is ultimately what you want so you can drive traffic to your site. Making choices in advance on whether you are getting a lead, making a sale or having the customer call you, should be decisions you make in advance. The clearer you are in this area, the easier it is for you to gauge from the responses you will get.

Doing things to have your Twitter account stand out is of real importance in this article. Showing that Twitter can be a powerful tool when in the right hands, it can help take your business to the next level with your target market. If you’ve been waiting for a social tool that makes communication and interaction easier with your prospects/customers, this is the tool. Twitter is not only a micro blogging service, but a complete relationship management system for businesses.

Lowell, MA — Lowell National Historical Park is waiving museum fees at the Boott Cotton Mills Museum January 14 -16, 2012.  “From Independence Hall to our newest national park, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, our national parks tell the story of America, from the beauty of our land to our struggle for freedom and justice,” Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar said. “Whether or not it’s during one of the 17 fee free days next year, I encourage everyone to visit a park near them and enjoy the remarkable landscapes and historical and cultural sites that are unique to our great country.”

The 2012 fee-free dates will be the weekend of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 14-16), National Park Week (April 21-29), Get Outdoors Day (June 9), National Public Lands Day (September 29), and the weekend of Veterans Day (November 10-12).

The Boott Cotton Mills Museum at Lowell National Historical Park is open daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm at 115 John Street.  Visitors are encouraged to begin their visit to the Park at the Visitor Center, 246 Market Street. While there, information is also available about many other park offerings and cultural attractions in the City.

For more information about Lowell National Historical Park visit www.nps.gov/lowe or call 978-970-5000. For information about national parks nationwide that are participating in fee free events during these same weekends, please visit http://www.nps.gov/npweek/

Middlesex Community College offers a variety of spring-semester dance and choreography credit courses. All courses are taught in MCC’s Dance Studio on the Lowell campus. Spring semester classes begin Monday, Jan. 23, and registration is still open. Dance courses cover modern, tap, jazz and West African dance, including:

Introduction to Modern Dance (DAN 101) –  Presents techniques of modern dance, including movement, improvisation, choreography and composition.  Designed to give beginners a broad perspective, the course offers instruction in dance history and aspects of dance productions.

Jazz Dance (DAN 102) — An introduction to the art and technique of jazz dance. Students will increase flexibility and awareness of body placement and musicality through blues, hip-hop and lyrical styles.

West African Dance (DAN 104) – This course provides a performance-oriented exploration of traditional West African dance forms most widely taught in the U.S. —  focusing on such West African countries as Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea and Liberia.

Introduction to Tap (DAN 106) — Learn the fundamental moves of this classic American dance form. Whether you have not had any tap experience or minimal experience, this course explores the basic rudiments of tap dancing with an emphasis on technique and musicality

Choreography and Composition (DAN 140) — This course is designed for the student dancer who has had previous experience in dance or who has completed Intro to Modern, Jazz Dance or Intro to Ballet. Emphasis will be placed on further developing the student’s choreographic style and understanding of the basic vocabulary.

To register for MCC spring-semester dance courses, call 1-800-818-3434 or visit the MCC website.