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The University of New Mexico

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Media Contact: Laurie Mellas, 277-5915

Feb. 15, 2007

Two Honored with Sarah Belle Brown Community Service Award

From left, Acting President David Harris, Betty Jo Ciesielski, Sarah Belle Brown, Sharon Oard Warner and Doug Brown, celebrate on the floor of the PIT.

Health care coordinator Betty Jo Ciesielski and author Sharon Oard Warner took center court during half-time at University Arena this past Saturday to receive the University of New Mexico’s Sarah Belle Brown Community Service Award.

Former Regent Doug Brown established the award in 2006 in honor of his wife, Sarah, a public servant for 30 years, and to honor both UNM staff and faculty who serve as examples of social responsiveness, and who, over time, donate considerable personal time and effort advancing UNM’s public service mission.

The Browns joined Acting President David Harris in congratulating the 2nd annual recipients. Harris presented Ciesielski and Warner each with a plaque featuring artwork by local children and $2,500.

Ciesielski is a coordinator in the UNM Maternity and Family Planning Department. She developed health policy at the national level, secured funding and created education and accreditation for lay health workers. She coordinated training for New Mexico community health workers reaching 20,000 patients in 2006, to provide education on diabetes, the flu epidemic, mental health, teen suicide prevention, heart disease and more.

Warner, book author, has been an English professor at UNM for 12 years. In 1999, she established the Taos Summer Writers Workshop, attracting writers from 34 states and four foreign countries. She was chief organizer of the Albuquerque Tricentennial Matanza in honor of Rudolofo Anaya, and is a volunteer teacher at New Futures High School. Author Joy Harjo in her nomination of Warner writes, “[Sharon] has opened many doors for New Mexicans, particularly in the writing community.”

The University Committee for Civic Engagement and Public Service is charged with the annual awards process. For more information, visit http://www.unm.edu/~hr/brownaward/nomination.htm.

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The University of New Mexico is the state's largest university, serving more than 32,000 students. UNM is home to the state's only schools of law, medicine, pharmacy and architecture and operates New Mexico's only academic health center. UNM is noted for comprehensive undergraduate programs and research that benefits the state and the nation.

www.unm.edu