UNM
honors six with Zia Awards
The UNM
Alumni Association recently presented the 2002 UNM Zia Awards
to Alex Beach, Fred Begay, Breda Bova, Tom Chávez, Ramon
Huerta and William Federici.
The Zia
Awards are given to alumni living in New Mexico who have distinguished
themselves in philanthropic endeavors, public office, service
to the University, community and volunteer activities, business
or professional fields, or who have made a contribution to education.
Beach has
been a lead volunteer in Albuquerque since her days as president
of the Pi Beta Phi Sorority her senior year at UNM. She remains
involved with the sorority as a member and chair of the alumni
advisory committee.
Begay is
a nuclear physicist currently serving as senior staff physicist
at Los Alamos National Laboratory, assistant for Science and
Technology to the president and vice president of the Navajo
government, and president of the Seaborg Hall of Science. He
works to improve public literacy in science and technology.
Bova is
professor and undergraduate studies and community outreach associate
dean at the UNM College of Education. Previously, she was chair
of the Educational Leadership and Organizational Learning Department.
Bova serves
on the boards of New Mexico Parent and Child Resources, the
APS Foundation, Golden Apple Foundation and the YWCA.
Chávez
is executive director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center
in Albuquerque. Previously he served as director of the Palace
of the Governors in Santa Fe for 21 years.
Retired
classroom teacher Huerta taught Spanish at Highland High School
from 1955-85, in addition to teaching Spanish on TV for APS
from 1963-64 and for the UNM Peace Corps Training Center from
1963-65. Active in the Democratic Party, Huerta served in the
New Mexico State House of Representatives from 1988-94.
Federici
is a former justice and chief justice of the New Mexico Supreme
Court. Federici served as president of the New Mexico State
Bar, 1990-1991, and was a member of the New Mexico State Bar
Commission for many years.