Mark your lunchtime calendars for Monday, Nov. 30, at 12 noon, for what will surely be a lively presentation by and discussion with Prof. Bob Forrant of the UMass Lowell Regional Development Dept. His talk is titled “Global Economy-Local Woes: Lowell and the Global Recession of 2008-09.” This is the final “free-lunch lecture” of the fall at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center (ICC), 50 Warren St., downtown. Seating is limited to 50, so you should reserve now by sending an email to the series coordinator Prof. Bill Mass, also of the UMass Lowell Regional Development Dept. Write to Bill at william_mass@uml.edu. The ICC lectures are co-sponsored by Middlesex Community College and the Paul E. Tsongas Center. The series includes other programs on campus; for the full list visit www.uml.edu/college/arts_sciences/resd.

Bob is also involved with the showing of the 2008 film At Home in Utopia on Nov. 19 at 6.30 p.m. at the National Park Visitor Center, 246 Market St., downtown. The film tells the story of 1930s factory workers who built cooperative housing that they owned and operated. The after-film discussion features filmmaker Michal Goldman, Lindolfo Carballo of Community Action to Support Affordability, and Bob. This is a free program.

Also coming up at UMass Lowell are a film in the Parker Lecture series, Life. Support. Music., about the power of music to heal, on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. in the O’Leary Library auditorium on Wilder St. (see details at www.parkerlectures.com); the Off-Broadway Players student theater company’s production of Neil Simon’s Rumors, directed by Rick Sherburne, on Nov. 12, 13, & 14 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. at the Comley-Lane Theater, Mahoney Hall, 870 Broadway; a performance of the music of Schubert by music faculty members Murray Kidd and Bonnie Anderson on Nov. 12 at 7.30 p.m. at Durgin Hall on Wilder St.; a Plastics Engineering talk on “Intelligent Process Cooling” on Nov.  18 at 5 p.m. in Ball Hall, Room 250 (see details at www.uml.edu/college/engineering/plastics); a performance by the University Wind Ensemble, directed by faculty member David Martins, on Nov. 18 at 7.30 p.m. in Durgin Hall.; and two more music performances on Nov. 19 at 7.30 p.m.—the University Orchestra, conducted by faculty member Kay Roberts, in Durgin Hall, and the Chamber Singers, directed by Murray Kidd, in Fisher Recital Hall in Durgin Hall.

All programs are free except Rumors, whose tickets are $5 for students/seniors and $10 for adults (students tickets are $1 on opening night). For information on more events in Nov. and Dec., visit www.uml.edu/arts&ideas