AROUND THE VALLEY

Lift for a Cure: N.H. Resident Lifts 4.5 Million Pounds for Cancer

American Cancer Society Real Men Wear Pink of New Hampshire candidate Tae Kang hosted the Lift for a Cure fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 9 a.m. The 24-hour event, which was held at Kang’s Massage Chi Holistic and Fitness Center in Windham, N.H., featured Kang benching, shrugging and pressing a total of 4.5 million pounds to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

“COVID is not just threatening people’s lives; it’s also threatening cancer societies,” says Kang, who noted that donations for American Cancer Society are down 50% since COVID began. Kang says that inspiration for this event comes from watching clients and family members fight battles against cancer.  He aims to use his talent and platform to celebrate life and lead the fight for a world without cancer.

“This is all about not giving up,” says Kang. “Nothing is impossible.”

Kang kicked off the event with the bench press and broke the world record for most weight pushed in two minutes. The original record was 8,994.86 lbs. From there, Kang repeated a circuit of shoulder shrugs (315 lbs), leg pressing (525 lbs), incline chest pressing (225 lbs) and rowing (225 lbs) for the remainder of the 24 hours.

At approximately 6:27 p.m. on Saturday, Kang had lifted 2,207,550 lbs during a live stream on the Real Men Wear Pink Facebook page. This broke the record for the most weight lifted in 24 hours, according to his support team.

This Sunday morning, at 7:44 a.m, an exhausted Kang crossed the 4.5M lbs mark while surrounded by an enthusiastic group of supporters. He was, according to a witness, able to beat his goal in 22 hours  and 45 minutes, under the allotted time. The total amount lifted was 4,513,905.

Kang has raised over $15,000 so far, and donations will be accepted through Dec. 3 at PledgeIt.org.

Civil Rights Icon to Headline UMass Lowell’s Peace Scholar Program

Fania Davis, a civil rights attorney who pursued her path as a justice-seeker and healer after the murder of two of her childhood friends, will serve as UMass Lowell’s Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies.

A lawyer, writer and scholar, Davis will headline programs at UMass Lowell to cap a public event series that will examine issues raised by the Black Lives Matter movement.

Davis joins an esteemed list of humanitarians – including Nobel Peace Prize recipients Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman — as a UMass Lowell Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies. She will be in virtual residence at the university in April, when she will lead online programs for the campus and community.

 

Massachusetts Awarded ‘Future of Manufacturing’ Grant from National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a new Future of Manufacturing grant of $499,955 awarded to a collaboration of Massachusetts organizations, which will help the region’s manufacturers pivot their operations to address emerging crises.

The project, called Rapid Execution for Scaling Production Of Needed Designs or RESPOND, will create a diverse network of transdisciplinary stakeholders across academia and state government that will support and sustain critical “super nodes” that will boost communication between organizations, help accelerate product development and drive increased manufacturing capacity to address crises like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Announced on National Manufacturing Day, the grant will be led by UMass Lowell in collaboration with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech).

GLCF Annual Celebrate Giving Event Highlights Strong Community Connection During Pandemic

On Oct. 1, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation hosted its annual Celebrate Giving event virtually.

The event featured First Lady of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Lauren Schadt Baker, co-founder of the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund, as its keynote speaker and was hosted by Christa Brown, founder of Free Soil Arts Collective.

Throughout the spring and early summer, Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund provided support for populations most impacted by COVID-19 such as essential frontline workers, seniors, children and youth, the food insecure, and vulnerable populations including the homeless, immigrants, undocumented, and those with disabilities.

With funding from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund, GLCF was able to distribute 70 grants to 48 Greater Lowell nonprofits totaling $2,161,030.

UMass Lowell Students RAMP Up for Success

New UMass Lowell students interested in studying engineering got a head start this summer through a program specifically designed for them.

UMass Lowell’s Research, Academics and Mentoring Pathways (RAMP) Program offers incoming first-year and transfer students the chance to start their coursework early, collaborate on research projects and get a sense of what the engineering field — and college life — is like.

Held virtually this year for six weeks in July and August, the program helped 25 students to learn about data analytics and the Internet of Things, then work in teams to build Wi-Fi connected devices. Assisting them along the way were professionals from the region’s leading technology and aerospace companies and UMass Lowell student mentors.

For its first two years, the program enrolled only women. This summer, RAMP included a half-dozen men, expanding the program to underrepresented students in engineering of both genders and to those who expressed interest in being part of the college’s effort to add to the diversity of the student population.

Promise Program Benefits Recent Haverhill and Lawrence High School Grads

 

Eighteen recent Haverhill and Lawrence High School graduates, who are enrolled at Northern Essex Community College this fall, will earn their associate degrees for free, thanks to the Promise Program.

The program is open to Haverhill and Lawrence students who take Northern Essex Early College courses while in high school and decide to pursue an associate degree at Northern Essex after their high school graduation. All costs are covered including books and a laptop.

Those interested in learning more about how they can support the program and make a meaningful impact on students, can contact Dolan-Wilson at adolanwilson@necc.mass.edu or (978) 556-3624.

Greenbelt’s Bailey Reservation in Haverhill is Open

Greenbelt, Essex County’s Land Trust, is welcoming visitors to the 21- acre Bailey Reservation in Haverhill. Open to the public free of charge, this beautiful property offers an easy, quarter-mile trail loop through woodlands and along the shore of Chadwick Pond. It’s an ideal spot for families of all ages to explore, with plenty of wildlife to observe!

Donated in 2017, this property was the second gift from Janis Bailey and her late husband Perley of Haverhill, whose desire it was to see all of the family’s land protected.

Now through Oct. 22, kids and parents can enjoy a StoryWalk along the trail, featuring Kate Messner’s children’s book “Over and Under the Pond!”

UMass Lowell Named a Top Sierra Club ‘Cool School’

UMass Lowell is one the “coolest” schools in North America, according to Sierra magazine’s 14th annual ranking of eco-friendly colleges and universities.

UMass Lowell ranks 16 on the 2020 Cool Schools list of “green” institutions — cracking the top 20 for its highest placement ever. Last year, the university came in at 28, a jump from 165 in 2016.

Last year, UMass Lowell became the highest-rated STARS campus in Massachusetts — and one of the top 10 in the country — with a STARS Gold score of 77.56. That helped give UMass Lowell a Cool Schools score of 80.04 from the Sierra Club this year.

Established in 2015, UMass Lowell’s Office of Sustainability serves as a focal point for the university’s commitment to the environment, providing resources and support for campus operations, education, research, student engagement and community partnerships.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

MCC Nursing Alumna Returns 19 Years Later as Professor

Kelliann Bazemore was inspired to pursue a career in nursing after a personal experience at Lowell General Hospital (LGH). With a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from UMass Boston already in place, she started the nursing program at Middlesex Community College (MCC) in 2000. Nineteen years later, Bazemore returned to Middlesex to work as a professor of nursing.

Bazemore teaches the pediatrics section of MCC’s program. Before COVID-19, she guided her students through clinicals at LGH. For now, students are able to practice with a simulation lab and in online courses.

The ability to be able to offer this technology is essential for students to gain the experience they need. Bazemore has witnessed how technology and research has shifted how nurses work. Now that everything they do is grounded in evidence-based research, she believes they are training students to become “nurse scientists.”

Nursing is always changing, according to Bazemore, so she believes nurses never stop learning and being a student. MCC’s program ensures students are prepared for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and “to provide safe, holistic care for their patients.”

Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union Staff Announcements

Mark S. Cochran, president and chief executive officer of Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union, together with the Executive Team, announced the recent promotions of four employees and two additions to the Jeanne D’Arc team.

Emily Farnham to vice president, electronic services: Farnham began her career at Jeanne D’Arc in 2004 and has been intricately involved over the last 16 years working to grow the Credit Union in Member and Electronic Services. She recently held the role of assistant vice president, until promoted to her new role as vice president of electronic services.

Nisa Fagundes to assistant treasurer, mortgage operations: Fagundes has worked in mortgage lending for more than 25 years. She joined the Jeanne D’Arc team in 2005 as a senior real estate loan underwriter. In 2015, she was promoted to mortgage operations supervisor. Now with her most recent promotion to assistant treasurer, mortgage operations, she will be overseeing staff and managing the day-to-day activities of the mortgage department.

Christine Alward to assistant treasurer, member experience officer: A Jeanne D’Arc veteran of 19 years, Alward has experience in many areas of the Credit Union. In her most recent role as the applications support analyst, Alward specialized in core processing, digital platform and account solutions.

Katie Allard to assistant vice president, system applications: With well over 20 years of Credit Union experience, Allard has been a steady part of the Jeanne D’Arc team since 1993 when she started as a teller. Most notable is her contribution in the creation and implementation of online and mobile banking. In her new role, Allard will continue to lead all essential technology application updates, including data reporting and project management.

Patrick Coen named vice president, technology operations: Patrick Coen, a seasoned tech professional, brings to Jeanne D’Arc his diverse background in IT corporate policy development, process optimization, and operational planning and execution. With his strong background in technology, Coen has been crucial in enhancing Jeanne D’Arc’s most critical system updates and maintenance.

Fady Sidhom joined as assistant treasurer, outbound contact manager: Sidhom joined Jeanne D’Arc in March 2020, entering the Credit Union with years of experience in banking and management, acquiring multiple banking awards along the way. In his new role, Sidhom has been tasked with the oversight of the outbound contact and digital contact teams in the member contact center.