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Vivian Valencia, 277-4664 or
Frank D. Martinez, 277-1811 |
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: May 3, 2002 UNM HONORS AUTHOR SIMON ORTIZ, CHILDREN'S ADVOCATE ANGIE VACHIO AT MAY 11 COMMENCEMENT; 2,578 TO RECEIVE DEGREES An author and an advocate for children-both of whom have had a profound
influence on the lives of many New Mexicans-will receive honorary degrees
at the University of New Mexico's 2002 Spring Commencement ceremony, Saturday,
May 11, at 9 a.m. in the University Arena ("The Pit"). A total of 2,578 degrees are projected to be conferred upon UNM main
campus graduates at the ceremony. Of the total, the projected breakdown
is as follows: 1,911 bachelor's degrees; 338 master's degrees; 63 doctorate
degrees; 102 juris doctorate degrees; 3 post-master's degrees; 69 medical
doctorate degrees; 84 pharmacy doctorate degrees; and 8 education specialists
degrees. HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS
Ortiz, who is widely regarded as one of today's most important Native
American poets, is the author of 15 books and the editor or co-editor
of five others. These include poems, short stories, essays and children's
books. His principal collections of poetry are "Going for the Rain"
(1976), "A Good Journey" (1977), "Fight Back: for the Sake
of the People, for the Sake of the Land" (1980), "From Sand
Creek" (1981), "Woven Stone" (1992), and "After and
Before the Lightening" (1994). His short stories are published in
"Howbay Indians" (1978), "Fightin'" (1983) and "Men
on the Moon" (1999). In his writing, Ortiz draws strength from the storytelling heritage of
his people. He "uses straightforward and fluid language reminiscent
of the Indian oral tradition to depict Native American life-the struggles,
sufferings, triumphs and pains of everyday existence," according
to "Contemporary Authors." His grand theme is the survival and
continuance of Native American culture against the many threats to its
existence, past and present. Ortiz has received two fellowships from the National Endowment for the
Arts, the Pushcart Prize for Poetry, a grant from the Lila Wallace-Reader's
Digest Fund and the Western States Arts Association Lifetime Achievement
Award. A selection of his work appears in the Norton Anthology of American
Literature, a prestigious collection of American writing used in classrooms
around the world. Ortiz was born in Albuquerque and raised at Acoma Pueblo. He attended
Fort Lewis College, UNM and the University of Iowa. He has taught creative
writing and Native American literature at many colleges and universities,
including UNM, 1979-81; the University of Arizona, the University of California
at Irvine and the University of Toronto. He has given many readings at
UNM's main and Gallup campuses. He has also served as lieutenant governor
of Acoma Pueblo.
In 1985, Vachio opened a second facility in Bernalillo County that focused
on parents with mental retardation who sometimes lost custody of their
children because they did not always have strong parenting skills. In
1988, Vachio established the Importance of Parents and Children Together
(ImPACT) Project that provides prison and community-based staff to work
with inmate parents and their children at the men's facility in Los Lunas.
It was recently expanded to include the Penitentiary of New Mexico. The program, now regarded as a national model, was deemed so successful
that the Department of Corrections asked Vachio to begin a similar program
at the women's correctional facility in Grants. Such a program was established
in 1993, one that provides parenting and educational experiences to help
women effectively and positively participate in their children's lives. Vachio and the PB&J staff have since begun other programs such as
one for delinquent teen parents at Albuquerque's Youth Diagnostic and
Detention Center and another at Cuba High School that helps teen mothers
return to school. The National Institute of Corrections recently selected PB&J to develop
a model system of care for children whose parents are incarcerated. Additionally,
Vachio has recently received the Liberty Belle Award of the Albuquerque
Bar Association, the YWCA Woman on the Move Award and the Governor's Award
for Outstanding New Mexico Women of the New Mexico Commission on the Status
of Women. COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY Master of Ceremony for Commencement will be Dr. Richard Holder, UNM Deputy
Provost and Professor of Chemistry. Selections for the Prelude and the
Processional will be performed by University Band under the baton of Eric
Rombach-Kendall, Conductor. Following the Presentation of Colors by the
UNM Air Force ROTC, the National Anthem will be sung by Masters in Music
Graduate Jennaya Robison. Greetings will then be offered by UNM President William C. Gordon and
UNM Board of Regents President Larry D. Willard. The Commencement Address will be delivered by John C. Probasco, who is
receiving his bachelor's degree in Biochemistry. Probasco has an extensive
record of service to the University and to the Associated Students of
UNM. He has been inducted into a number of honorary organizations and is the recipient of various honors and awards. Most recently, he was selected as a Harry S. Truman Foundation Scholar and also won further distinction and prestige by being selected as a Rhodes Scholar. Following the Commencement Address, additional greetings will be conveyed
by UNM Faculty Senate President John Geissman. UNM Provost Brian Foster will then recognize UNM Honors graduates and
then Gordon will award the $1,000 Tom L. Popejoy Dissertation Prize to
Dr. Michael Anne Sullivan of the UNM Department of History for her dissertation
on "Healing Bodies and Saving the Race: Women, Public Health, Eugenics,
and Sexuality, 1890-1950." Following the awarding of the honorary degrees and the conferring of
degrees in course by UNM President William C. Gordon, UNM Alumni Association
President Connie Beimer will offer Congratulatory Remarks. Robison will
lead the singing of the Alma Mater and Los Reyes de Albuquerque will perform
the Recessional. This year, 49 members of UNM's 50-year-class, the Class of 1952, will
participate in the ceremony. For more information, call the Office of the UNM Secretary, 277-4664. # # #
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The University
of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
Hodgin Hall, 2nd floor
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0011
Telephone: (505) 277-5813
Fax: (505) 277-1981
New
Mexico resident, author and poet Simon J. Ortiz will receive an Honorary
Doctorate of Letters Degree and Angela "Angie" Vachio, executive
director of Peanut Butter and Jelly Family Services, Inc. (PB&J),
which she helped found nearly 30 years ago, will receive an Honorary Doctorate
of Humane Letters Degree.
In
1972, Vachio and Christine Ruiz Boyd founded PB&J in Albuquerque's
South Valley as a therapeutic and supportive learning environment for
pre-school children who were often at risk of being abused or neglected.
Since then, PB&J has grown from a volunteer organization operating
out of a donated storage room to a nationally accredited, multi-county,
comprehensive family services program.