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Hawk Talk: UMass Lowell labs evolve

Old UMass Lowell lab (Arcadia Publishing)

Katlyn Santo
Connector Contributor


Old UMass Lowell lab (Arcadia Publishing). New TEAL labs in Olsen put emphasis on online learning (UMass Lowell)

Classrooms have been changing throughout history and UMass Lowell has experienced many changes throughout time. Lowell itself used to be a place known for its textile industry, and factories. Kitson Hall used to be made up of machinery for students to learn about the cotton yarn department. Once filled with machinery for students to use, Kitson is now filled with classrooms.

Students sit and study for class in Kitson instead of working alongside machinery for the mills. UMass Lowell used to pride itself on presenting itself just like the mills. Like today, UMass Lowell is dedicated to helping their students be prepared for the real world.

One major difference is the chemistry labs UMass Lowell once had. Louis Atwell Olney started the Chemistry Department at UMass Lowell. The Chemistry Department focused mainly on dying fibers. This was crucial to the textile industry. Based on Lowell’s background it is simple to see that UMass Lowell focused on making sure students were ready for the real world.

Today, the Chemistry Department focuses on more than dying fibers. On the campus website it is easy to see that Chemistry majors are qualified for many jobs.

UMass Lowell is determined to help their students succeed and prosper once they graduate. The labs today are more than just an open room. There are more lab benches, and chemicals are stored away properly.

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