GEO Announces Officers. The Graduate Employee Organization/United Auto Workers Local 1596-Umass Boston Chapter (GEO) elected its new Executive Committee for the 2007-2008 school year. Jason Pramas was named chair, Brandynn Holgate is Vice-Chair, Novem Auyeung, Pragna Gopa, and Wendy Ortega were named as committee persons. GEO is a labor union representing over 400 graduate student employees working at UMB as Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants, and Administrative Assistants. They are currently negotiating a new contract with the UMB administration-looking for better wages, healthcare, and work conditions-and are actively involved in political and economic issues affecting all UMB graduate students.

Discussion on Immigration Being Held at UMass Boston. A forum discussion on immigration will be held at the Campus Center’s room U211 in the Atrium Lounge across from the café. Speakers at the discussion will include Gissell Abreu of the Mauricio Gaston Institute, Michele Rudy of the MIRA Coalition, immigrant speaker Lilo Mancia, Jessica Durrum of Centro Presente, and UMB professor Jean Belleau. The discussion will be held between 2:30-4:00pm on Monday, May 7.Congratulations UMass Boston Graduating Class of ’07. June 1 will mark the end of an era for many UMass students, yet the beginning of a new one for them as well. Graduation will be held on June 1, and Deval Patrick will be the keynote speaker of the event.

Dancing with the Stars comes to UMass Boston. The Campus Center will host an evening of local celebrities coming to the UMass Boston Campus Center where they will engage in a night of competitive dancing with students and dancers, who will receive credit for acting as choreographers, instructors, and stylists for their well-known partners. The teams will present an up to three minute dance number on May 10 at the UMass Boston Campus Center ballroom. A panel of judges, including Mayor Thomas M. Menino, will rate the performance and the audience will cast votes for the winner. The proceeds of the event will benefit the revitalization efforts of Fields Corner Main Street, a non-profit community development organization.

Craig Mello, Ph.D. to receive President’s Medal at Boston’s Symphony Hall as UMass alumni, students, staff and friends Join Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops for a University-wide Celebration. Night at the Pops is an annual even that will take place on Thursday, May 10 at Boston’s Symphony Hall at 7:00 pm. Nobel Laureate Craig Mello, Ph.D., of the UMass Medical School will receive the President’s Medal, the University’s highest honor, from UMass President Jack M. Wilson at the event. Singer Hsueh-Fen Chen from UMass Boston will be performing. Also performing will be the UMass Amherst Marching Band, UMass Dartmouth singer Candida Rose and a Marimba Trio from UMass Lowell.

Enrollment for UMassOnline increased last year by 25 percent, indicating that more students are beginning to take advantage of the convince that the new technology affords. This growth is part of a national trend in students taking online courses. Revenue from this boost in student registration at UmassOnline has increased in $7 million over the previous year. The program is designed to take advantage of online learning models as a way to give greater access and availability to students while maintaining the same resources that traditional learning environments offer.