The University of New Mexico College Enrichment Program (CEP) hosts its second annual Celebration of Excellence Thursday, Feb. 12, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., in the Student Union Building Ballroom.
Those being recognized include CEP students who have completed their first semester of college; CEP upperclassmen earning a 3.0 GPA or better while attending fulltime; CEP seniors who will graduate in May and CEP alumni.
The event includes a reception and an awards ceremony. Among those scheduled to attend are Dr. Eliseo “Cheo” Torres, vice president, Student Affairs; Ricardo Maestas, associate vice president, Student Affairs; and Nancy Uscher, associate provost, Academic Affairs.
Recognizing that programs like CEP are significant in improving student achievement and retention, Torres said, “It is critical to honor short term successes on the road to long term goals. We want to celebrate and recognize excellence. The business world has been doing this for years.”
Keeping students motivated and encouraged is the hallmark of CEP.
“For a long time our motto has been ‘Master's Minimum.' We want students to set their sights high and it pays off. Many of our former undergraduates are now in graduate programs,” said Gomez-Chavez.
“One reason we invited the CEP alums is that we want the current students to see that hard work bears results. We have former students now working for the FBI, as investigators in the Albuquerque Police Department, as teachers, doctors and even professional athletes,” said Jennifer Gomez-Chavez, CEP program coordinator.
CEP values the knowledge and expertise their alums have – and they want them as peer mentors. “We have many alums who come back to visit us, but aren't giving back to the University formally. We think they can influence and help students in a way we can't,” she said. Gomez-Chavez said they are in the beginning stages of creating their own alumni organization.
The College Enrichment Program is one of UNM's first student retention programs. Established in 1969, CEP works to recruit, retain and graduate students from traditionally underrepresented populations including those from rural New Mexico.
CEP students are likely to be first generation college students from low or moderate income families. They are likely to have lower than average ACT scores and have to take Introductory Studies courses – classes for students academically deficient, usually in math and English. Many are likely to be providing financial support to their households.
For more information about CEP, go to http://www.unm.edu/~ceppac/indexpage.htm
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales (505) 277-5920
Frances C. Starnes, CPA is the new Associate Controller for Accounting Operations in the Controller's Division. She will assume oversight responsibility for Contract and Grant Accounting and Property Accounting in addition to maintaining managerial responsibility for General Accounting.
Starnes has been with UNM since July of 1992, and has held a variety of senior level, supervisory and management level positions, most recently as the manager of Accounting-General Accounting. She has a strong background in financial statements, training, audit and management in both the public and the private sector.
Contact: Karen Wentworth (505) 277-5627
Dan Barkley, coordinator of government information at the University of New Mexico's Zimmerman Library, has co-authored a new publication that provides a road map for navigating government information sources at the state level.
The book, “Tapping State Government Information Sources,” was released in November by Greenwood Press. The book's design and layout is reflective of, “Tapping the Government Grapevine,” written for finding federal government information and resources.
Lori Smith, government information librarian, Southeast Louisiana State University, was the impetus behind the project, said Barkley. “She developed a survey questionnaire and quickly realized the project was larger than she anticipated. She contacted me and three others, about co-authoring the book,” he said.
Barkley, who took on the book as a sabbatical project, was responsible for the information about ten states, including New Mexico. During the process of collecting information and Web addresses, the State of New Mexico changed it's entire Web presence to a portal. He had to go back and revise the state's entire chapter shortly before the book went to press.
“The good news is that information available for New Mexico is accessible and presented as well as for states like New York and California which are considered technologically advanced,” he said. He added that deciding what types of information and resources to leave out was more difficult that determining what to include.
The text contains a broad selection of information and resources from all 50 states. The text includes Web addresses to assist in locating information on motor vehicle registration, how to obtain a driver or hunting license, information about schools, local and state governments and much more. Each chapter focuses on five broad categories: financial/budgetary resources, statistical resources, directories, legal resources and “other.”
“'Other' was used as a category to include information pertinent to a specific state, such as tourism in New Mexico,” Barkley explained. He said that the text also includes a detailed description of each state's depository library program. That information includes how each state defines a “government publication,” statutory laws governing the depository program, and dissemination and access to state government information.
Barkley said he was “amazed” at the amount of state information freely available via the Internet. “States have mirrored the efforts of the federal government to provide free and unfettered access to state government information,” he said.
The book is oriented toward academic and public libraries, Barkley said.
“The United States is a more transient society. As a result, people need access to state government information as they change jobs, relocate to other part of the country, or plan vacations,” Barkley said.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales (505) 277-5920
"Creating the Future Together" is the theme for the 21st annual University of New Mexico's Space Technology and Applications International Forum (STAIF) set for Feb. 8-11 at the Albuquerque Hilton Hotel.
The event is being organized by the UNM Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies.
STAIF is an international technical forum hosting six concurrent conferences on various topics of space technology, nuclear power and propulsion and space exploration.
The forum promotes international participation and provides for a timely exchange of information among technologists, academicians, industrialists and program managers. Topics are presented on technical and programmatic issues related to inexpensive access to space and space commercialization, exploration and the potential for performing scientific research and developing new technologies.
International representatives attend STAIF from commercial industry, government agencies and institutes of higher education.
The six conferences associated with space technology and applications include: Thermophysics in Microgravity; Commercial/Civil Next Generation Space Transportation; 21st Symposium on Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion; Conference on Human Space Exploration; 2nd Symposium on Space Colonization and 1st Symposium on New Frontiers & Future Concepts.
"The annual symposium on Space Nuclear Power & Propulsion is the conference that started it all, eventually evolving into the current STAIF meeting. It has been, and is, the most important international technical meeting of its kind," said UNM Regents' Professor Mohamed S. El-Genk, director of the Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies and the forum's technical and publication's chair.
El-Genk continued, "It is a very exciting time with our President strongly committed to the exploration of space and with the successful arrival of NASA's Spirit and Opportunity Rovers on Mars this month. This technical community, who has lifted their eyes to the sky and who have dedicated their lives to the desire to learn about space and how it can help humanity on earth, are now revitalized with a new breath of air. We need to continue to stay in touch with space and the wonderful spin-offs it has provided our world."
UNM President Louis Caldera and Joseph Cecchi, dean of UNM's School of Engineering will welcome the STAIF attendees along with Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, NASA Johnson Space Center and general chair and co-chair of STAIF, and Robert Sackheim of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.
Other guests include The Honorable Robert S. Walker, chairman of Wexler & Walker; The Honorable Ronald M. Sega, director, Defense Research & Engineering, U.S. Department of Defense; Harley Thronson, director of technology, Office of Space Science, NASA Headquarters; William J. O'Neal, Galileo project manager - primary mission (1990-1998), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (retired); Michael Sander, director of Technology & Applications Programs Directorate, Jet Propulsion Laboratory; and Don Cobb, associate director of the Threat Reduction Directorate, Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The annual forum will sponsor a space design competition for secondary students from throughout New Mexico, as well as a special session for these students.
This year marks the 16th anniversary of this outreach program, sponsored by UNM-ISNPS and NASA Space Grant Consortium of New Mexico.
STAIF-2004 is co-sponsored by the Department of Energy, Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, The Boeing Company, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman Space Technology. Government agencies, the aerospace industry, and universities will exhibit and present papers at this conference.
Questions concerning the forum can be directed to ISNPS-UNM at http://www.unm.edu/~isnps by calling at (505) 277-0446.
Contact: Greg Johnson (505) 277-1816
Tracy Skipp, director of Academic Programs for University Studies, a degree program of University College at the University of New Mexico, has been accepted to the Harvard Institute for Higher Education Management Development Program for summer 2004. The institute serves high potential deans and directors in the early part of their careers.
Skipp earned his bachelor of university studies (B.U.S.) from University College in 1995. Since then, as the program's advisor, he has been building and modifying the B.U.S. degree from a general studies or degree completion program to an individualized, interdisciplinary model. He was named director of Academic Programs in December.
"At Harvard, I'm hoping to look at our B.U.S. program through someone else's eyes to gain a fresh perspective, to find opportunities for growth and improvement and to learn new ways to improve academic rigor," Skipp said.
Skipp has advised thousands of UNM students. He frequently makes national presentations on student success and is at work on a book about success skills needed for college and how to market oneself after earning a degree. The book will be the subject of a University Honors course in the 2004-05 academic year.
Skipp earned his master's in education foundations from UNM in 2001. He will begin doctoral work following his studies at the Harvard institute.
Contact: Laurie Mellas-Ramirez (505) 277-5915
The New Mexico Network for Women in Science and Engineering is planning a spring conference on the UNM campus for young women. The conference will feature a series of technical career workshops for young women from grade 6 - 12.
The workshops feature such subjects as "Bugs: The Good, the Bad and the Ones that Live Inside You, Imaging Technology: Can Computers Really See, and Where's the Science in Working at a Zoo, Aquarium or Botanic Garden?"
According to conference organizers, the goal of the workshops is to increase the interest of women in science and mathematics, to foster awareness of career opportunities for women in math and science related fields, and to provide participants the opportunity to meet with women working in these fields.
There is also a program for adults scheduled on March 13, 2004. The adult programs feature such topics as "How to Finance Your Daughter's Education, and Is Your Daughter Academically Prepared for College." There are also tours of the UNM labs planned for conference participants.
Anyone interested in more information about the workshops or the conference should contact Sandrea Gonzales at 277-3716 or sandrea@unm.edu. Registration fee for either the student or adult workshops are $5.
Contact: Karen Wentworth (505) 277-5627
The University of New Mexico's Center for the Southwest presents a lecture by Martha Sandweiss, professor of American Studies and history at Amherst College, on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 3:30 p.m. in the UNM History Department Commons Room, 1104 Mesa Vista Hall.
The lecture is based on her book, “Print the Legend: Photography and the American West,” winner of the 2002 Ray Allen Billington Prize of the Organization of American Historians. The book offers a cultural history of photography in the American West during the 19th century and tracks how the new medium of photography created and shaped popular understanding of the region.
Sandweiss has been a member of the Amherst College faculty since 1989, was also director of the Mead Art Museum from 1989 until 1997, and formerly the curator of photographs at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. She received her Ph.D., master's in philosophy and master's in history from Yale University, and a bachelor's from Radcliffe College.
The lecture is free and open to the public.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales (505) 277-5920
The University of New Mexico's Institute for Medieval Studies presents a weekend seminar of free lectures and discussion on “Herbs in Medicine and History: From the Middle Ages to New Mexico,” February 6-7, in Room 122 of Northrop Hall on the main campus.
The seminar will survey the history of the use of herbs in medicine, consider the past and present cultural contexts for the practice of herbal medicine and analyze the scientific basis for this form of medicine.
Among the lecturers will be distinguished experts on the history of medicine, the founder of a Mexican institute of curanderismo and a representative of a leading homeopathic company. The public is invited to attend either the whole event or individual sessions.
“The topic has special relevance in New Mexico, which has its own living tradition of herbal medicine practiced by curanderos and curanderas , and which is home to Heel Inc., a world leader in the manufacture of homeopathic pharmaceuticals, based in Albuquerque since 1979,” said Timothy Graham, director of the Institute for Medieval Studies.
The lecturers will discuss the evolution and rational basis of the herbal medicine practiced in the Middle Ages, notably in medieval university towns; the curanderismo movement and its Aztec roots in Mexico and New Mexico; and the scientific use of herbal constituents in modern medicine.
“The special value of the seminar will lie in the unusual opportunity it offers for direct communication between the humanities and the sciences, and between past and present,” said Graham.
Scientists and humanities scholars will exchange ideas and observations directly on the cultural traditions associated with herbal medicine and on current issues connected with the use of herbs in modern pharmacy.
Members of the public will have the opportunity to participate in and learn how medieval traditions from both Europe and the New World continue to resonate in modern medical theory and practice.
The seminar is sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, the Office of the Dean of the School of Medicine, the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, The Ayurvedic Institute, Heel Inc., The Herb Store, La Montanita Co-Op, Wild Oats Market, and KUNM. For more information on this seminar or other events offered by the Institute for Medieval Studies, call 505-277-2252 or visit the Institute's website at www.unm.edu/~medinst.
The lectures:
Friday, February 6, 7 p.m.
John M. Riddle, “Herbs in Medicine and History”
Following welcoming remarks by UNM Vice Provost for Research Terry L. Yates, Riddle, professor of history and botany at North Carolina State University, will deliver a keynote lecture to highlight the rational basis behind the practice of medicine in the Middle Ages. Riddle explains that while medieval physicians continued to apply the same pharmaceuticals in similar ways as the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians did, there were also significant medical innovations during the Middle Ages, particularly in response to newly emerging diseases such as measles, leprosy and bubonic plague.
His lecture will demonstrate that many of the drugs we use today were employed in essentially similarly during the Middle Ages. Riddle will also discuss the role played by oral tradition in handing down medical remedies from one generation to another.
Saturday, February 7, 9 a.m.
Walton O. Schalick, “How Does My Garden Grow? Gardens, Medicine, and Pharmacology in the Middle Ages”
Schalick, a practicing pediatrician and professor of history of medicine at Washington University,
St. Louis, will survey the increasing interest in plants and herbals that emerged during the Middle Ages,
particularly during the 13th century. Focusing especially on Paris, he will show how medical authors drew on classic works from the great school of medicine at Salerno in Italy, on new translations of Arabic materials and on disparate folk remedies. The result of these Parisian authors' research was a growing awareness of the complexities of herbal taxonomy, complexities that pharmaceutical practitioners used to great advantage. It was during the 13th century that the medical universities emerged.
Schalick's lecture will show how the early faculty both shaped and responded to the herbal market place around them, examining in the process the careers of academic physicians, apothecaries and itinerant herbalists.
Saturday, February 7, 10:15 a.m.
Linda E. Voigts, “‘Dwale ... to make a man to sleep while men carve him': A Surgical Anesthetic from Late Medieval England”
Voigts, Professor emerita of English at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, will discuss the preparation and administration of a herbal soporific, “dwale,” in late medieval England. Dwale is mentioned in more than 40 English vernacular manuscripts. It was used as an anesthetic in both surgery and cautery. Its ingredients, which included gall, poppy, henbane, hemlock and vinegar would have had a narcotic effect upon patients. Dwale offered an interesting alternative to the surgical sponge, widely advocated as an anesthetic on the European Continent in the medieval period. Voigts's lecture will throw important light on the early evolution of the science of anesthesia.
Saturday, February 7, 11:30 a.m.
Arturo Ornelas, “Contemporary Curanderismo in Mexico and Its Medieval Roots”
Ornelas of Universidad de Morelos, Mexico, will discuss similarities and differences found in the use of medicinal plants in medieval Western and traditional Mexican medicine. Ornelas has played a major role in reviving the tradition of curanderismo in Mexico. His lecture will describe the curanderismo project that has been under way at his home in Cuernavaca for the last 18 years. This
project has recovered traditional knowledge, developed programs based on research and participatory involvement and forged links with the community. The project has led to the cultivation and propagation of traditional medicinal plants and has produced a significant program of public education. It has earned national respect in Mexico, has established important links with various universities and scientific institutes and brought traditional herbal lore into the spotlight.
Saturday, February 7, 2 p.m.
Alyssa Wostrel, “Modern Homeopathy: Medicine of the Millennium”
Wostrel, Director of Sales and Marketing at Heel Inc., will discuss the theory and practice of homeopathic medicine, which – in contrast to traditional Western allopathic medicine – is based on the principle of “like treating like.” Her lecture will describe the nature of the body's response to the minute doses of active ingredients in homeopathic remedies and will consider why “inflammation means healing.” She will focus especially on homotoxicology, a branch of homeopathy first developed in Germany by Dr. Hans-Heinrich Reckeweg some 70 years ago. She will show how homotoxicology provides the connecting link between allopathic medicine and homeopathy and how it has resulted in the development of numerous treatments providing patients and practitioners with effective remedies for both acute and chronic diseases.
Saturday, February 7, 3:15 p.m.
Panel Discussion: “Herbs and Medicine, Then and Now,” moderated by David A. Bennahum
The weekend event will conclude with a panel discussion chaired by Bennahum, professor of Internal Medicine at UNM's Health Sciences Center. The lecturers will be joined on the panel by experts from the UNM faculty. The audience is encouraged to take part in the discussion.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales (505) 277-5920
Founded in 1923, the Harwood Museum of Art has been a part of the University of New Mexico since 1935. Since September, the museum has been celebrating "Harwood @ 80 Taos Arts: Past Present Future" through lectures, films, concerts, exhibits, fundraising initiatives and more.
One endeavor includes the sale of the original lithograph "Santa Clara Dancer" by Taos artist Julian Robles. The five-color lithograph was printed at UNM's Tamarind Institute.
"We had 80 lithographs printed. They are priced at $600 each unframed, $750 framed. Ten have sold to date," said Charles Lovell, director. He said that all money raised goes toward educational programs.
"We offer a variety of educational programming including children and youth tours and classes. We teach children art forms, painting and more," he said. Lovell said that the museum staff encourages teachers to use the facility and some faculty at UNM-Taos bring in student groups.
A portfolio of eight original, limited edition prints has also been brought together to help Harwood in its fundraising efforts. The prints, some of which were printed at Tamarind, others at Lynch Press in Taos, provide art lovers and collectors with a rare opportunity to own striking pieces incorporating an array of subjects, designs and colors. The artists whose work is featured are Larry Bell, Earl Stroh, Gustavo Victor Goler, May Stevens, Alyce Frank, Barbara Zaring, Jaune Quick-To-See Smith and Ken Price, all prominent Taos or New Mexico artists.
The portfolios are available for $5,000 until Jan. 31 or until five sets are sold. Subsequently, the price goes up to $6,000 and will go up $1,000 each time five sets are sold until the collection of 19 is sold out, said Lovell.
The Harwood Museum, considered "self sustaining" because less than half its revenue comes from UNM, is thriving. At a time when museums in Santa Fe reported a 30-40 percent drop in attendance, Harwood has enjoyed a banner year. "We had 18,385 visits in 2003, up ten percent from last year. I feel that we're going in the right direction," Lovell said.
He said that a goal for 2004 is to seek accreditation from the American Association of Museums. "We will need to complete our strategic plan and finish our collection plans and other organizational initiatives," he said.
A capital campaign with UNM-Taos is also in the works. "It will fund a $2 million project to add a new gallery and auditorium. We also plan to establish an endowment because the additional space would require additional staffing," he said. Current staff includes seven full time and seven part time staff "and a host of volunteers," Lovell said.
David Witt, museum curator, invites people from all UNM campuses to the Harwood. "A Lobo ID gets UNM students, faculty and staff in free. All New Mexico residents can visit the museum for free on Sunday," he said.
He noted that the museum houses a large research facility in its Southwest Research Center, a non-circulating library with collections strong in art and art history. "Much of the art history of Taos is available here, plus some 15,000 photographs and 2,000 works of art representing the best of New Mexico - all owned by UNM," he said.
Witt said that with seven galleries, they changed out 13 exhibits last year. They also host concert series, special programming and exhibit openings that are well attended by Taos residents. He invites everyone to come see two new exhibits planned to go up on Jan. 30. Tony Magar's work will be displayed in Harwood's Joyce and Sherman Scott Gallery, while Earl Stroh's work will be in the Peter and Madeleine Martin Foundation Gallery. Opening receptions for both will be held on Friday, Jan. 30 from 5-7 p.m.
For information about purchasing either the Santa Clara dancer lithograph or the portfolio of eight artists, contact Charles Lovell at 505-758-9826.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales (505) 277-5920
UNM will host three international Fulbright Scholars during the 2003-04 academic year.
Dieter Schulz, professor of Modern Languages at the University of Heidelberg, will be combining teaching and research at UNM on 19 th Century American Literature and Southwestern Writing. Schulz is at UNM in an exchange with Gary Scharnhorst, UNM professor of English, who will present lectures on American Realism and Naturalism, Mark Twain and 19th Century Women's Writing at Heidelberg and other German institutions.
Professor Cengiz Hakan Aydin from the School of Communication Sciences at Anadolu University in Turkey is currently in residence at UNM working on a project to develop online learning communities in distance education.
Sandra Lazarus, professor of education at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, has been working with the UNM College of Education to research community-based education support systems.
Ken Carpenter, associate director of UNM International Programs & Studies and the campus Fulbright representative, said, “UNM has benefited greatly from Fulbright grants, by giving our faculty opportunities to teach and do research abroad, and by bringing top international scholars to UNM.” He added, “In the past few years, UNM has consistently been in the top 75 U.S. universities in the number of Fulbright grantees.”
The Council for International Exchange of Scholars, which administers the Fulbright program on behalf of the U.S. State Department and Congress, announced the awards in December. Fulbright grants are among the most prestigious awards available to U.S. and international scholars and teachers. The Fulbright Program began in 1946 with the aim of increasing scholarly exchanges between the United States and the rest of the world. The Fulbright Program has given grants to nearly 100,000 U.S. scholars and professionals to work overseas and sponsored nearly 160,000 international scholars coming to the United States to teach and conduct research.
For more information, contact Ken Carpenter, Office of International Programs & Studies, Mesa Vista 2111, telephone 277-4032, email: oips@unm.edu .
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales (505) 277-5920
SAHRA (Center for the Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas) is a science and technology center addressing interdisciplinary water management issues in semi-arid environments. It was established in 2000 through a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Through SAHRA, UNM Economics Professors David Brookshire, Janie Chermak and Kate Krause are collaborating with professors from several institutions, including the University of Arizona, which was awarded the initial $16 million grant to establish the center.
The idea behind SAHRA was to make advances in the understanding of semi-arid hydrology and to focus on practical problems of water resources policy, management, and operational decision-making.
“If SAHRA is successful, it will have a tangible impact on public policy,” said Brookshire. “It will provide a better set of tools for managing water in semi-arid climates and riparian areas. We see this work as a collaborative process among researchers, stakeholders and policy makers.
“We’d like for people to know what we’re doing, and we’re looking for feedback from those responsible for public policy. Interest in what we’re doing seems to be growing within the state.”
Three questions typically addressed by SAHRA research are: What is the impact of vegetation change on basin scale water balances? What are the costs and benefits of riparian restoration/preservation? Are water markets or water banking feasible?
An indication that SAHRA is on the right track is its success in gaining leveraged support. A new UNM collaboration with Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) has led to more than $240,000 over three years for UNM professors Chermak, Brookshire and Kristine Grimsrud for the development of integrated water models and a socioeconomic institutional framework. Another collaboration by SAHRA-supported researchers from UNM, the University of Arizona, and Arizona State University led to the recent awarding of a STAR Grant from the EPA’s National Center for Environmental Research for an economic valuation of ecological attributes for the San Pedro River region in Arizona and portions of the Rio Grande.
Brookshire is the PI and Chermak is a co-PI on this innovative project, which will link realistic policy scenarios with an integrated hydro-bio-economic model that includes alternative hydrologic, riparian, and bird profiles.
Additionally, SAHRA has been informed that NSF will provide renewed funding for a second five-year period, through 2010. The SAHRA research team includes physical scientists, behavioral scientists (including economists), educators, practicing engineers (from public agencies, private companies and national laboratories), legal experts and decision makers from 13 academic institutions and dozens of partner organizations.
The group is working to promote sustainable management of water resources in semi-arid regions, through stakeholder-driven interdisciplinary research, aggressive public outreach and strong education initiatives.
“Our work is truly a model of interdisciplinary research,” said Chermak. “We’ve been laying a lot of groundwork the first four years on how to get the data we need to answer questions concerning the socioeconomics of the project.
“We start with the concept of integrated modeling and why there is a need to do what we’re doing. We’re building and linking models and letting other researchers know what we need from them to do the economics. The models need to be linked to each other in a meaningful manner.”
“There’s a varied group of researchers involved who are thinking outside the box, which is good for students because they are able to experience the successful integration of disciplines and develop interdisciplinary skills,” said Brookshire. “Eventually, the students who are involved will go on to become integrated scientists, making them more marketable.”
At its third annual conference, held in Tucson in recently and designed for researchers working on the management of water resources, SAHRA members presented information on water resource management, including an overview of current activities in knowledge transfer and education and ways to extend successful activities in these two areas more widely across the southwestern United States. SAHRA-funded students also provided results of ongoing research through their poster presentations.
As part of a conference session titled “SAHRA Science: Improving Understanding of Semi-Arid Hydrology,” Brookshire spoke on the relationship of process studies in the San Pedro and Gila river basins, and Chermak discussed supply and demand issues related to water.
Other faculty from the UNM Economics Department who attended the conference included Grimsrud, Kate Krause and Jennifer Thacher, and graduate student Mary Ewers. Ewers presented a poster on her research and participated in a panel discussion on the SAHRA student experience.
Contact: Steve Carr (505) 277-1821
“The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat),” a ground-breaking film starring the Inuit Indians of the Artic, will be the first in a series of special public film screenings, presented by the International Indigenous Film Series at the University of New Mexico Department Of Anthropology .
Zacharias Kunuk, director and an eastern Artic Inuit, and producer Norman Cohn from Montreal , will be present to speak about the film. The screening will be held at 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 29, at Madstone Theater, 6311 San Mateo Blvd. NE. Tickets are $20 a person or $12 for students with ID. Proceeds from ticket sales will help create a permanent fund in support of graduate student education in anthropology at UNM.
“The Fast Runner” is based on an Inuit legend and is the first film written and acted by Inuits from the community of Igloolik. The imagery captures stunning ice landscapes as the film explores a range of human passion, jealousy and violence within their native village. The film won the Golden Camera Prize for a first-time director at the 2001 International Cannes Film Festival.
UNM will present two other films in March and April, followed by an Indigenous Filmmakers Roundtable. On Thursday, March 4, at 7 p.m. , “Mauri,” a film by director Meralta Mita, will be shown. She is the first Maori to direct a fictional film based in Maori culture. New Zealand is the setting for the film about a Maori man's return home after living in the city.
“Honey Moccasin,” a film by Shelley Niro, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. , Thursday, April 29. Niro is a Quinte Bay Mohawk. Her film reveals a fictional community of native people who are baffled by a thief who steals pow wow regalia. The theft serves as a metaphor for other kinds of cultural thievery.
Directors Mita and Niro will be present for the showing of their films. Screenings will be in the UNM Anthropology lecture hall, room 163. Tickets for each film are $12.
On Friday, April 30, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. , the Indigenous Filmmakers Roundtable will be held in the Hibben Center on the UNM Campus. The discussion is free and open to the public. Three local filmmakers will be asked to consider the cultural significance and educational lessons provided by the series of films.
Beverly Singer and Ann Ramenofsky, UNM associate professors of anthropology, are organizers of the International Indigenous Film series. Singer holds a joint appointment in Native American Studies. She is an accomplished videographer and director whose research involves the application of film, photography and visual media in anthropology. Ramenofsky has conducted research on issues of change to Native American culture that occurred in the wake of European conquest and colonization.
The International Indigenous Film Series is held in conjunction with the 75 th Jubilee Celebration of the UNM Department of Anthropology. Throughout the anniversary year, the department is honoring the work of anthropologists in the Southwest. For further information on all events call 277-3027 or 277-4524.
Contact: Greg Johnson (505) 277-1816
The University of New Mexico is awarding its contract for banking services, to Bank of America for four years beginning spring 2004. Under the terms of this contract Bank of America will act as a fiscal agent for all UNM operations including branch campuses, but not including UNM Hospital.
Contact: Karen Wentworth (505) 277-5627
A publication, "Interstate Waters: Crossing Boundaries for Sustainable Solutions," is now available from the Utton Transboundary Resources Center at the University of New Mexico School of Law.
The 50-page report is a synthesis of a multidisciplinary conference sponsored by the center in October 2002. More than 70 lawyers and scientists with extensive expertise in interstate water issues from across the United States attended the conference. The report summarizes ideas presented and discussed during the three-day event.
Experts explored approaches to complex water issues and discussed how they might work more collaboratively to manage water resources.
"The Utton Center's approach is to help people avoid litigation. The conference fit into our overall mission. We bring people together to deal with transboundary water issues themselves," said Director Marilyn O'Leary.
Essays on climatology, ecology, economics, environmental advocacy and science, geography, hydrology, law and more are featured in the report as well as an introduction by O'Leary on "How we got here."
"Scientists and lawyers might be able to address transboundary water problems more effectively if we better understood the strengths and limitations of each other's disciplines," O'Leary wrote.
The report was published with assistance from the McCune Foundation and Thaw Trust and is available from the Utton Center for $10. Call 505-277-7809 to order copies.
Contact: Laurie Mellas-Ramirez (505) 277-5915
The Robert O. Anderson Schools of Management at The University of New Mexico is seeking nominations for alumni to be inducted into its Hall of Fame.
Outstanding alumni who have distinguished themselves in their professions and have made significant contributions to their communities may be nominated. Those selected will be honored at a special recognition dinner later this spring. This event is The Schools’ largest friend and fund-raiser, benefiting student scholarships, faculty research and student career placement activities.
This year the Schools will also be recognizing three outstanding young alumni. These are alumni who have distinguished themselves in the short time since graduating from The Anderson Schools and are the kind of individuals who may be future Hall of Fame inductees.
“This program is the long-standing way we recognize those individuals who have made their mark since earning their degree at The Anderson Schools,” said Dean Howard Smith. “Each year, we see the incredible success stories of our graduates through this nomination process and we appreciate the important community support this program generates.”
The deadline for receiving nominations for both the Hall of Fame and the Young Alumni award is Friday, Jan. 30. To nominate an outstanding Anderson alum, send their name, title, affiliation and address to: The Anderson Schools of Management Development Office, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC05 3090, Albuquerque, NM 87131. Nominations are also accepted by telephone at (505) 277-0880 and via email at mchale@mgt.unm.edu.
Awards will be presented at the 15th Annual Hall of Fame Dinner, scheduled for May 6 at the Sheraton Old Town. Cocktails will begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m.
Reservations for this year’s Hall of Fame dinner are currently being accepted. Corporate Table sponsorships are $600 and include a table of 10. The cost for individual tickets is $75.
Contact: Steve Carr (505) 277-1821
Dr. Cynthia Radding has been named director of the University of New Mexico's Latin American & Iberian Institute (LAII) effective July 1, announced Dr. Richard Holder, UNM deputy provost.
Radding, who has extensive research experience in Mexico and recently led the University of Illinois 's Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies, was selected following a national search. Four candidates were invited to campus. She is an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC).
“Dr. Radding is an excellent scholar with a proven ability to attract external funding,”said Holder, adding that Radding will hold a tenured faculty position in UNM's history department and will teach courses for that academic unit as well as for the LAII.
Radding earned her Ph.D. in history from the University of California, San Diego, 1990; her master's from the University of California, Berkeley, 1970; and her bachelor's from Smith College, 1968.
On faculty at UIUC since 1995, Radding served as acting director of the institution's Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies from 1999-2000. In that role she led Center's successful application for National Resource Center status under the Title VI program of the U.S. Department of Education, and contributed to funded grant proposals to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Hewlett Foundation.
Radding was an assistant professor of history at the University of Missouri-St. Louis from 1990-95. Between 1973 and 1990, she served as a senior researcher for the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in the Regional Center for Sonora. She has published extensively in English and Spanish.
Radding's work, “Wandering Peoples,” Duke University Press, 1997, explores the social, cultural, economic and environmental history of portions of Arizona, Sonora and Sinaloa. She uses methods drawn from history, anthropology and ecology to understand the indigenous peasant people of the greater Sonoran Desert during colonial and early national periods.
Terry Yates, UNM vice provost for research and chair of the search committee, said, “The committee found Dr. Radding's strengths exceptional. LAII, at this point, needs a strong leader with a vision for the future that is consistent with leading-edge institutes. She has the right set of skills and experience to make the LAII Institute a world-class organization .”
Of her selection Radding said, “I am honored to assume directorship of UNM's Latin American & Iberian Institute, and to join the university's outstanding department of history. The LAII is a strong and important part of UNM and I look forward to working with its fine affiliated faculty and professional staff to build on its excellent programs in scholarship, teaching and outreach.
“I am eager to create collaborative projects with other University of New Mexico programs and units, and thereby enhance still further the institute's impact on Latin American Studies and its reputation among other universities in the U.S. and abroad.”
The Latin American & Iberian Institute administers UNM's interdisciplinary programs in Latin American Studies and provides university-wide support for Latin American and Iberian activities in all of UNM's eleven schools and colleges.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales (505) 277-5920
The Associated Students of the University of New Mexico (ASUNM) designated UNM's El Centro de la Raza as a special funding priority for the 2004 session of the New Mexico legislature, said Ed Mazel, ASUNM Lobby Committee executive director.
ASUNM's interest is due to strong student support for El Centro, a support center aimed at Hispanics but serving all students on campus.
“A campus-wide student survey took place during the fall semester and about 500 students provided input in favor of helping El Centro de la Raza grow and meet the needs of its students,” Mazel said.
El Centro's current funding supports four full-time employees – money that comes from the New Mexico State Legislative Special Project and awarded on a yearly basis. Due to circumstances within the state budget, funding has decreased while needs continue to increase. In anticipation of increasing Hispanic enrollment on campus, it is critical to increase El Centro's funding to meet this growing need, Mazel said.
A recent 15 percent cut made it increasingly difficult for the center to meet its mission.
The requested funding increase would provide four additional full-time staff and several student employees who will mentor, tutor, provide community outreach and other cultural programming and participate in other leadership opportunities. Director Veronica Mendez-Cruz said El Centro de la Raza reaches out to more than 3,000 students annually.
El Centro plants the “educational seed” early by routinely conducting community outreach at local elementary, middle and high schools while continuing to nurture the undergraduate and graduate populations on campus. Additional efforts are being made to bridge students from New Mexico two-year schools to four-year institutions. For example, El Centro de la Raza recently sponsored Hispano Student Day, bringing on campus more than 1,200 New Mexico high school juniors and seniors, which was a record-setting event for the program.
It is not unusual to find El Centro staff giving kindergartners a campus tour, leading a workshop at a mid-school, a motivational talk at a high school or consulting with graduate students at UNM, Mendez-Cruz said.
Since 1969, El Centro has helped students transition to college life and provided social support important for success. Advising staff have master's degrees, serve as faculty and on national-level boards such as the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), National Council of La Raza (NCLR), National Association of Chicano/Chicana Studies (NACCS), and the Albuquerque Hispanic Round Table.
Many students who utilize El Centro's services have children, work and carry a heavy school load. The center provides support, advisement, encourages campus involvement and has facilities that include a computer pod, conference room, library, student offices, break room and copy/fax services.
“El Centro is considered a home away from home by many students,” Mendez –Cruz said.
The center is generally open 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., however, alternative schedules can be accommodated according to student need. The enthusiasm present in the students who use El Centro's services is evident in the amount of volunteer hours the students donate back to El Centro, Mendez-Cruz said, adding that a Hispanic Alumni Chapter is among her goals.
ASUNM is also throwing its support behind UNM's Accessibility Services, a UNM program geared for student success and independence in education serving students with disabilities.
Contact: Eleanor Sanchez (505) 277-1813
The University of New Mexico Development office is sponsoring a grant writing workshop Jan. 12-16 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Development office located at 700 Lomas N.E.
The five-day workshop will be given by The Grantsmanship Center (TGCI), the world’s oldest and largest training organization for the nonprofit sector.
New grants make it possible for agencies to bring important services into the community and get innovative ideas off the ground. However, applying for and receiving grants is a complex, competitive process.The workshop will help members of the nonprofit community and government agencies decipher intricacies of the grant seeking process.
Designed for both the novice and experienced grant seekers, this workshop covers all aspects of searching for grants, writing grant proposals, strategies for securing government and foundation grants, corporate contributions and negotiating with funding sources.
Registration is limited to 27 participants to ensure personal attention. The program fee is $825 ($775 for each additional participant from the same organization) and includes workshop tuition and one year of TGCI membership benefits and services. Partial scholarships may be available for organizations with annual operating budgets under $300,000.
For more information contact The Grantsmanship Center at (800) 421-9512 (outside California) or Betsy Till at the UNM Development office at (505) 277-1589.
Contact: Steve Carr (505) 277-1821