May 2001 University Reporter

Commonwealth Journal Receives Top Broadcasting Awards

Congressman Jim McGovern

WUMB’s Barbara Neely and Dave Palmater listen as Congressman Jim McGovern tapes an interview on Commonwealth Journal on April 18. Guests of his caliber often appear on the award-winning show. (Photo by Anne-Marie Kent)

Commonwealth Journal, a weekly public affairs program produced by WUMB 91.9 FM, recently won an unprecedented four first place awards for its quality programming. Broadcasters evaluated the show from a submission CD that included an introduction of the program and excerpts from interviews between former host Elizabeth Sherman and guests speaking on wide-ranging topics from Shakespeare to Alzheimer’s disease to Native American healers. The Associated Press of Massachusetts/Rhode Island, the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association, and Agricultural Communicators in Education (ACE) gave Commonwealth Journal three first place awards in the public service, public affairs, and communication categories. Judges from ACE gave the program high praise such as: “I listened to the entire CD twice,” and “One of the best I’ve heard.”

The fourth award was given by the American Cancer Society for WUMB’s contribution to breast cancer awareness through its public service announcement campaign and its Journal segment, “The Environmental Effects of Breast Cancer.” Judges for the American Cancer Society Sword of Hope awards were impressed by the accuracy and unique slant of the Journal’s segment.

“We did extremely well in our first series of competitions,” said Pat Monteith, general manager of WUMB. “We won four out of five entries, and all four were first place.”

The program, produced by WUMB and the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities with support from Blue Cross Blue Shield, features segments with scholars, writers, cultural workers, and public officials examining current topics and issues of particular interest to Massachusetts listeners. Listeners can hear Commonwealth Journal every Sunday at 7:00 p.m. on 91.9 FM, as well as on 23 public radio stations across Massachusetts

Code of the Street Sociologist Visits UMass Boston

On May 7, the Center for Policy Research in Family and Community Violence will host an all-day visit of Elijah Anderson, author of Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City. Anderson will meet with students and faculty throughout the day and speak about his continuing work in urban ethnography and inner-city black America in a public address at 4:30 p.m. in the Healey Library’s University Club.

Anderson is a leading scholar in his field and has earned high praise from peers such as William Julius Wilson, Cornel West, and Marian Wright Edelman. His latest book, which examines the social and cultural dynamics of inner city violence in the black community, received the 1999 Eastern Sociological Society’s Komarovsky Book Award. He also has authored A Place on the Corner and Streetwise: Race, Class, and Change in an Urban Community. Anderson is currently the Charles and William L. Day Professor of Social Sciences in the Department of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Nantucket Field Station Receives New Van for Summer Program

UMass Boston’s Nantucket Field Station recently acquired a used, seven-passenger, 1995 Ford Windstar van, which will be used to help transport students attending the summer programs on the island. The van was donated by the Don Allen Ford dealership on Nantucket upon the petition of the field station’s Tony Molis. “It is perfect for the field station,” Molis noted. As facilities manager, Molis continually works to acquire donations which will support the field station, everything from dishes to furniture.

The field station is located on the coast of Nantucket Island. UMass Boston biologists and environmental scientists use the station for field trips, individual research, and summer ecology programs. During the ecology programs, students stay in the station’s apartment and participate in lectures, field trips, and hands-on field work. The property consists of a 45-acre saltmarsh, a freshwater pond, and a half-mile of beach and dunes on Nantucket Harbor. This provides a wide range of diverse marine, estuarine, and terrestrial habitats.

Daffodil Days Raise Unprecedented Donations

daffodil days staff For the third year in a row, the UMass Boston community contributed to the American Cancer Society’s “Daffodil Days” with remarkable support. Scheduled for March 28-30 the event “sold out” in only two days and surpassed last year’s totals by $300. The university raised $2,300 this year, money which will help the American Cancer Society fund programs for cancer research, prevention, and education, as well as services for cancer patients and families.

“Daffodil Days” Coordinator Clare Poirier says that the success of this event hinged on the efforts of staff volunteers. Next year, Poirier hopes to exceed the contribution to the American Cancer Society by increasing the number of flowers available for purchase. With the generosity shown by the UMass Boston family, next year should bring more hope to people and families coping with cancer.

Image: Human Resource’s Linda McDonough and Linda Morris, with Marguerite McLellan, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs help sell daffodils. (Photo by Harry Brett)

MBA Students Examine the Economy with Minehan

MBA students meet Cathy E. Minehan (center) president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. From left to right: Rabia Koseoglu, Marco Heller, CM Dean Philip Quaglieri, Minehan, Venky Seshadri, and Vanessa Wong. (Photo by Harry Brett)

MBA students got the chance to examine economic policy on April 12 with Cathy E. Minehan, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Minehan’s address was a part of the College of Management’s Senior Executive Forum Series.

As one of the nation’s central bankers, Minehan’s contributes to policy decisions that promote the safety and soundness of the U. S. financial system and the health of the nation’s economy. In her address, she expressed her view that the cause of the current slowdown is not the Fed, but rather the prior high level of economic growth. Because of technology and the information sensitivity of markets, everything travels faster, including changes in economic activity. Minehan thinks that we are currently in a U-shaped recovery near the flat part of the U. She is optimistic that we may have seen the worst in some areas because consumption and consumer spending still have a solid base.

Count on College

Doctor’s orders: apply at UMass Boston. A new program started at Boston Medical Center now offers assistance to students looking to attend college in the Boston area. The Count on College Program is a free hospital-based college discovery and counseling service for adolescent patients available through an affiliated doctor or nurse practitioner.

The program includes information on UMass Boston in its catalog, and interested students are then put in touch with Heather Batherwich in undergraduate admissions, who coordinates the students’ visits to campus. Liliana Mickle, director of undergraduate admissions, has had the university participate in the program since its inception. The program introduces the college decision-making process to students just beginning to think about the type of college they want to attend. It offers potential students a unique way to explore opportunities at UMass Boston and to get to know admissions counselors, financial aid representatives, and students.

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