From Baseball Research to Nanoparticles: Explore the Excitement of Emerging Technologies With the University of Massachusetts Lowell

What goes on behind the scenes as researchers test and certify balls and bats for use in Major League Baseball? How will nanoparticles, network sensors and adaptive technologies revolutionize many aspects of our lives in products of tomorrow?

The answers will surprise and intrigue you! Find out when you visit the hands-on exhibits of the University of Massachusetts Lowell which explore a wide range of emerging technologies at the USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo on the National Mall this October!

"UMass Lowell is committed to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers," says Provost Ahmed Abdelal. "Through innovative and collaborative research, in corporate and international partnerships, by excellent teaching and creative outreach, our faculty and students tackle every challenge."

Here's a brief description of the Expo exhibits that UMass Lowell will be presenting:

• Share Scientific Info With the World Through iSENSE: Learn how to use UMass Lowell's PINPoint data gatherer to collect environmental data, and upload it to the university's public web site. From there, you can create, document, and share scientific visualizations that merge your data with data contributed by other users around the World.

  This program by UMass Lowell's Computer Science Department - called iSENSE (Internet System for Networked Sensor Experimentation) - trains educators in hands-on science using networked sensor probes.

• Nanotechnology -- Harnessing the Power of Small Things: Explore how nanoparticles, measuring in billionths of a meter, are likely to fuel the next economic boom. Existing products can be made more useful, cost-effective and durable through the incorporation of nano-size materials. Entirely new nanoproducts, as yet undreamed of, will revolutionize many aspects of our lives.



• We Live in a World of Plastics: Immerse yourself in the ubiquitous world of plastics! An integral part of our daily lives, plastics are used practically everywhere - from consumer goods, medical devices and electronics to food packaging, storage and other industrial applications. Yet there are few academic institutions that specialize in this growing materials field. Come see how UMass Lowell is recognized as a global leader in Plastics Engineering education.
• Making Life Better For Others Through Engineering: Use your problem-solving skills to experiment with ways to improve life for others through engineering! See if you can solve engineering challenges to enhance daily life for someone with a physical disability. Learn how students in the Service Learning Integrated throughout a College of Engineering (SLICE) Program at the Francis College of Engineering are meeting real the community needs while earning academic credit.



• The Science and Engineering Behind Baseball: Learn about the important role that science and engineering play in the equipment used in America's Favorite Pastime! This exhibit by the UMass Lowell's Baseball Research Center gives you a behind the scenes look at how researchers use high-speed pneumatic cannons and video cameras to test and certify baseballs and bats that are used in the NCAA and Major League Baseball.
• Studying Sea Life Up Close: Take a tour of the science of life in the ocean. Use a dissecting microscope to study the structure of animals, plants and rocks collected from the open ocean and estuaries. Learn how ocean acidification affects life in the sea, and what you can do to help keep our oceans teeming with their great diversity of life. This exhibit is conducted by the University of Massachusetts Intercampus Graduate Program in Marine Sciences and Technology.