Faculty, staff and students are invited to celebrate the SUB’s 1st anniversary after the opening of the reconstructed building Wednesday, Sept. 1 from noon to 1 p.m. in the SUB’s atrium. Free cake, punch and entertainment will be provided at the event. Additionally, the first 10 people in line will also receive one pair of Lobo Football tickets to the Sept. 11 game against Texas Tech.
The original SUB was built in 1959 for more than 7,000 students. The building continued through the next few decades with only minor changes. In the late 1990’s, the need for a new or renovated union was realized considering the UNM main campus had more than 23,000 students at that time.
With the help of $25 million from student fees, ground breaking for the newly reconstructed SUB began in January 2001. After two years of readjusting to such changes as the 300-person tent, “Lobo Lair,” and the multi-kiosk, “Transitional Food Village,” the SUB was completed and opened to the public July 1, 2003.
The SUB now offers nine different food venues including national chains like
Chick-fil-a and Sonic. It also has more than 20 meeting rooms complete with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and video conferencing capability.
The New Mexico Federal Educators Credit Union is also housed in the building along with the Lobo I.D. Card Office, the Student Activities Center and the ASUNM and GPSA offices. The SUB is also home to the ASUNM Southwest Film Center, which seats more than 190 people. The Lobo Pod Computer Lab now has more than 100 computer stations including several e-mail stations outside the lab.
Call 277-2331 with questions regarding the celebration.
UNM Continuing Education will soon launch the Story of New Mexico lecture series - seven lectures that cover a wide range of New Mexico’s history, from santos carved by devout Catholics hundreds of years ago to the part our state has played in atomic development and space exploration.
As you follow New Mexico’s journey from Spanish colonial days to the present, you’ll sample a number of topics: a world where trading posts were an essential part of life; 19th century Jewish émigrés and their contributions to our history; the history of Dawson, a ghost town that was once a bustling coal-mining settlement and the life and times of Route 66.
And if your picture of New Mexican history is still fuzzy, clear it up with William Stone’s visual presentation of New Mexico Then and Now, a comparison of old photos with contemporary photos of the same scenes.
Sign up for the entire series and save or for just one or two individual lectures—whatever works best for you. The series is being presented in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho. Cost is $50 for the complete series, or $15 for individual lectures. Optional related field trips are available at an additional charge.
For more information, call 277-6440 or visit dce.unm.edu. To register, call 277-0077.
Contact: Christian Horstmann, (505) 277-1176
Stumping for politicians and registering voters could earn University of New Mexico students course credit this election season.
Academically prepared and motivated undergraduates are placed throughout the school year as interns in public agencies, political campaigns, with elected officials, veteran's associations and other volunteer organizations.
Students who complete the requisite hours and submit a final report describing the experience and relating it to political science concepts earn three to six credit hours.
“The internship program is a great opportunity for students to get applied experience,” said Ken Roberts, UNM Political Science Department chair. “It's a good way to supplement what is learned in the classroom and allows them to learn from a different vantage point. It may also open up an opportunity when they leave school.”
Each of the U.S. political campaigns – from Kerry to Bush and Wilson to Romero – is looking for volunteer interns, said Ellen Grigsby, intern program coordinator and UNM's pre-law advisor.
A number of students are working with the New Voters Project, which has field operations at dozens of campuses and communities in six states.
Last semester, the Albuquerque City Council became a classroom for intern Kelby Laabs, a UNM senior majoring in political science and minoring in sociology. Laabs weathered the smoking ban controversy and councilor Greg Payne's proposal to stop cruising and drag racing on Montgomery Avenue. Interaction with voters, who at times hammered him with phone calls, was the most intellectually engaging, he said.
Grigsby said internships also benefit students outside the political science discipline. “This is a way to engage engineering and other students in an area they might not otherwise explore. Field or service learning is a big idea that we turned into a practical goal, offering hands-on experience for all UNM students.”
Students are supervised in the field and meet regularly with Grigsby to chart progress. The final paper can be a research paper, self-assessment or critical review.
Interns this semester are assigned to numerous campaigns, state and national interest groups and public service agencies.
Contact Ellen Grigsby at 277-5233 or egrigsby@unm.edu for more information.
Contact: Laurie Mellas-Ramirez, (505) 277-5915
Christopher Mead, professor of architecture and of art history, has been appointed University of New Mexico College of Fine Arts dean for a three-year term.
Mead, who has a joint teaching appointment with the School of Architecture and Planning, has been a full professor since 1996 and a member of the faculty since 1980.
Administration appeals to Mead, he said, because he can make improvements to what matters to him most – teaching. “For 24 years I’ve had a consistent, unrelenting commitment to teaching,” he said.
Named an honorary member of Phi Eta Sigma for his contributions to undergraduates, Mead is also a presidential teaching fellow. During his term as dean, he will remain active in the classroom teaching 200 to 500-level courses.
This semester he teaches “Modern Architecture,” a 400-level course that has nearly doubled in size due to Mead’s popularity.
Top faculty are well prepared, articulate and aware of their audience, said Mead, adding, “Teaching is a good reminder of why I’m in administration.”
Leading the college will tap different talents.
Mead, who has also served as a special assistant to the provost, introduced a three-prong plan of action at a back-to-school meeting of the college.
On the agenda is a self-review and long-term strategic planning. Mead will engage faculty and staff from all departments and programs – Art and Art History, Arts of the Americas Institute, Arts Technology Center, Bainbridge Bunting Slide Library, Media Arts, Music, Tamarind Institute and Theatre and Dance.
“What do these passionate, energetic parts have to do with each other? We need to come together. I’m ready for that discussion,” he said.
“What does it mean to be a college of fine arts? Where do we want to be in three years? How do we align our objectives with those of the university? We will examine curriculum, recruitment and retention efforts, and new sources of funding,” he added.
Mead’s other goals include identifying funding priorities and developing a college-wide development plan with an eye on new grant funding and major gifts.
Mead replaces James Moy, who accepted a position in Hong Kong and stepped down Aug. 15.
UNM Provost Brian Foster said Mead’s three-year appointment provides for stability and continuity in the college. The position has been filled three times since Tom Dodson retired in July 2001 after 11 years as dean. Mead served as interim dean following Dodson’s retirement through Moy’s appointment in May 2002.
Contact: Laurie Mellas-Ramirez, (505) 277-5915
Three lectures on current prehistoric archeological research in Spain will be presented at the University of New Mexico, Sept. 1 – 3. Lawrence G. Straus, UNM professor of anthropology, and Gloria Cuenca Bescós, professor of paleontology, University of Zaragoza, Spain, will speak.
Straus has conducted archeological excavations in Spain, France, Portugal and Belgium annually since 1972. Beginning in 1996, Straus focused his research on El Mirón Cave in Cantabria, Spain. He considers the project to be one of his most significant endeavors in 30 years of archeological research.
Cuenca Bescós is a specialist on rodents and a member of the Atapuerca Research Team that has analyzed rodent remains from El Mirón.
Hundreds of thousands of artifacts have been uncovered at the cave including stone tools, debris from making stone tools, antler points and ornaments made of shell and tooth. Straus says only a few human remains have been uncovered. The oldest material excavated dates back 41,000 years, the time of Neanderthal Man. Researchers have also uncovered rock art, dating to the Magdalenian period, 11,000 to 16,000 years ago.
On Sept. 1, Straus will present “The Golden Age of the Late Paleolithic in Cantabrian Spain: New Evidence on the Magdalenian from El Mirón Cave.” The talk begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Hibben Center, room 105.
On Sept. 2, same time and location, Cuenca Bescós will speak on “Ice Age Chronology and Landscapes in the Iberian Pleistocene: What Can We Learn from the smallest animals of Atapuerca?”
From 12 noon to 1 p.m., Sept. 3, in room 178 of the UNM Anthropology Building, Cuenca Bescós will speak at a brown bag lunch seminar titled “The Atapuerca Project and Human Evolution in Europe Before the Neanderthals.” The Instituto Cervantes, (Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the UNM Department of Anthropology jointly sponsor the lectures. All events are free and open to the public.
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816
Calling it a visionary partnership that will revolutionize the college sports landscape, the Mountain West Conference, which includes the University of New Mexico, today announced a multi-media relationship with College Sports Television that will begin in the fall of 2006. The key promise of this new partnership is to deliver more games to more people in more homes across more sports than any other conference partnership.
UNM President Louis Caldera, a member of the MWC Board of Directors, said of the new MWC/CSTV partnership, “This is a great deal for our teams, our student athletes, our fans and the university. The increased exposure this partnership will bring to the University of New Mexico will benefit the university in many ways, academically as well as athletically. We are very excited to be the first conference in the nation to move in this direction.”
Caldera says the new arrangement with allow MWC member institutions to regain a measure of control of their assets and bring intercollegiate athletics more in line with the academic mission of the institution. He says the Board placed an emphasis on playing football and basketball games at times that fans prefer, not what is dictated entirely by television.
The agreement will guarantee the MWC at least the same amount of national exposure, via over-the-air network and national cable third parties, that it currently receives under its contract with ESPN. This is over and above a significant number of national exposures on CSTV – up to 24 football and 40 men’s basketball telecasts annually. The promise is also for under-exposed sports and championships to dramatically increase their opportunity for exposure via telecasts and other media.
The new agreement will also provide MWC member institutions with greater revenue to meet the challenge of balancing athletic budgets. UNM Athletic Director Rudy Davalos says more money to the member schools provided by the new partnership “will enable athletics programs to better handle the increasing demands on their budgets. And beyond increased funding, the new partnership will provide MWC schools more opportunities than currently available to secure sponsorships for their programs.”
About The Mountain West ConferenceThe Mountain West Conference is one of the top collegiate conferences in the college sports arena and is compromised of eight Division I-A institutions including, The United States Air Force Academy, Brigham Young University, Colorado State University, University of New Mexico, University of Nevada -- Las Vegas, San Diego State University, University of Utah, University of Wyoming. Beginning July 1, 2005, Texas Christian University will become the ninth member of the MWC.
About College Sports TV
CSTV is comprised of two business units: College Sports TV and CollegeSports.com. College Sports TV televises regular season and championship event coverage from every major collegiate athletic conference, in addition to nine NCAA Championships. The network’s innovative mix of event, studio and documentary programming cover and promote college sports from more perspectives than any other network. CollegeSports.com, the most-trafficked college sports Web site, and its network of nearly 160 official athletic sites are the number one online source for college sports broadband content, news, information, scores and analysis. College Sports TV currently has agreements with distributors that represent more than 52 million homes nationwide, including the top three national distributors: Comcast, DirecTV and Time Warner Cable. CSTV was co-founded by President and CEO Brian Bedol, Chairman Steve Greenberg and Executive Vice President Chris Bevilacqua. Bedol and Greenberg co-foundedClassic Sports Network, which they sold to ESPN. It is now ESPN Classic. Bevilacqua is a former senior executive with Nike Inc., where he headed the company’s successful foray into the college market.
Contact: Susan McKinsey (505) 277-1989 Greg Remington (505) 925-5520
School of Engineering Dean Joseph Cecchi is the new chairman of the Science and Technology Corporation Board. Vice chair will be Dr. William Schuler, and secretary treasurer will be Chuck Wellborn. The University of New Mexico board of regents has also appointed four new members to the board, Dr. Albert Westwood, Suellyn Scarneccia, Terri Cole and Carolyn Monroe.
“The STC board represents a wealth of expertise and breadth that is critical to the corporation’s success,” says Cecchi. “I look forward to working with President Kuuttila in pursuing STC’s mission.”
Westwood is an international advisor and consultant on research and technology management. Scarneccia is the dean of the UNM School of Law; Cole is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and Monroe is the President of LandAmerica Albuquerque Title.
The STC Board of Directors has created a governance committee to work in cooperation with UNM to review the corporation’s governing documents and other policies and procedures. Members of the committee include Lisa Kuuttila, President and CEO of STC, Joe Cecchi, Chuck Wellborn, and Jack Granowitz. Kuuttila says, “We are looking forward to working with the new governance board. The new board members appointed by the regents are a terrific mix of science, legal and business community representatives.”
Contact: Karen Wentworth (505) 277-5627
The University of New Mexico has just completed its first annual graduate follow up survey of graduating seniors for spring semester 2003. Students were asked if they are working or attending graduate school after they graduated from UNM. The results show nursing students are in very high demand.
The demand is reflected in the responses from 39 graduates. Their average salary is $44,464. That’s a little less than first year graduates from the law school, who reported an average of $44,474, and more than first year engineering graduates who reported an average of $37,963.
Eight hundred fourteen students participated in the survey from a graduating class of more than 2,200. “We were pleased to find as many students as we did,” says survey director, Leslye Ellison. “Once students graduate, they tend to scatter, and it is sometimes hard to find them a year after graduation. We are working now to try to bring more graduating seniors into the process this year.”
Contact: Karen Wentworth (505) 277-5627
University of New Mexico Professor of Music Bradley Ellingboe is a recent recipient of a 2004-2005 ASCAP Award. Ellingboe has received an ASCAP Award each year since 2000.
“I am very pleased and honored to again have my work recognized by ASCAP. I do not take this honor or award for granted,” Ellingboe said.
An independent panel for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers selects recipients based upon the “unique prestige value of each writer’s catalog of original compositions, as well as recent performances…” according to the notification letter.
Ellingboe has been on faculty in UNM’s College of Fine Arts since 1985, where he is professor of music and coordinator of vocal studies. His duties include directing two choirs, teaching private voice lessons and graduate choral conducting.
Ellingboe is well known as a composer and arranger of choral music. His music is published by Augsburg, Mark Foster, Hal Leonard and, particularly, the Neil A. Kjos Music Company, for whom he edits two choral series, including Music for Women’s Voices.
The Santa Fe Desert Chorale has a CD due out in December featuring Ellingboe’s work. More than 50 groups performed his “Requiem” and the St. Olaf Choir also performed his work in the last year. These performances of his work were considered for the ASCAP Award.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920
New Mexico State Fair Commissioners wanted to honor the legacy of the state’s governors. Original thoughts included Governor’s Day at Expo New Mexico, but they decided they wanted to commemorate the many who have held the state’s highest office.
Commissioners turned to the University of New Mexico’s School of Architecture and Planning for suggestions.
Avenue of the Governors, formerly Main Street at Expo New Mexico, was an idea that came out of a second semester first year graduate landscape architecture studio class taught by Joni Palmer, visiting assistant professor in landscape architecture.
On Thursday, Sept. 2, at 9 a.m. an official ceremony and ribbon cutting will be held at Expo New Mexico. Five of the six former governors will be honored. Also being recognized will be Palmer and her students.
Bennie Aragon, coordinator of special projects for Expo New Mexico, approached Alf Simon, director of the landscape architecture program, about the idea.
“They liked the idea of a commemoration, not a memorial or object, but rather a space,” Simon said.
The students conducted a 10-day charrette, or brainstorming session, and the three most viable ideas were put forward.
“Bennie was very enthusiastic about it. He pushed forward the idea to change the street name. The State Fair Commission passed it by unanimous vote in May. He also set forth to have the dedication on opening day,” Palmer said.
Fred Peralta, Expo manager, and Rodger Beimer, deputy manager, were also supportive of the students’ ideas. “It was Fred’s idea to include the students in the official ceremony,” Aragon said.
“We initially thought about hiring an architect, but Governor Richardson has set his agenda on education. We all liked the idea of students being involved in the project. We are very satisfied with their work. They’ve done a great job. We all feel the project is more meaningful because it came from them. We anticipate them being involved in other aspects of this project down the road,” Aragon said.
The students from the landscape architecture 502 studio were: Michael Chavez, John Cipoletti, Matthew Cohen, John Finley, Naoko Fujii, Shafee Jones-Wilson, Brett Milligan, Genieve Sanchez, Roxanne Smith and Elise Welch.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920
Enrique Lamadrid, literary folklorist and University of New Mexico professor of Spanish, has been named director of UNM's Chicano Studies program. He served as the program's interim director for a year and succeeds Dr. Eduardo Hernandez Chavez. Lamadrid has been on faculty at UNM since 1985.
Lamadrid's plans for Chicano Studies focus on inclusion, cultural activism, language recovery, internationalism, community involvement, regional studies and institutional articulation.
He sees a coming together of all Chicanos – urban and rural and those with all degrees of bilingualism and multiple identities – to become a part of the program.
Lamadrid wants to present a full calendar of cultural events. “It is a sure sign of vitality in Chicano Studies,” he said.
As a language professor, he sees the need to develop full bilingualism among Chicanos. “Those who professionalize their Spanish see doors open wide. Our Spanish Heritage language program gives us great access to Nuevomexicano and Mexicano students to recruit into Chicano Studies,” he said.
Through his Conexiones program, students have explored the U.S. Latino cultural homelands, including northern and central Mexico, western Spain and the Caribbean.
“Travel seminars are an integral part of Chicano Studies. There is a rich in-house legacy in this part of our curriculum,” he said.
“Chicano Studies begins with community and advocacy. Chicano Studies puts social activism into a historical perspective. A new emphasis on service learning will create actual opportunities for our students,” he said, adding that he will model the program after a successful one at University Honors.
Lamadrid wants to put New Mexico on the map regarding Chicano Studies. “Our regional focus is one of our program's greatest existing strengths and future potentials. Border studies are part of this picture,” he said. Lamadrid also said that Chicano Studies and Native American Studies need to work together in “new and significant ways.”
Lamdrid sees the need to expand course offerings with more courses cross-listed and develop a major. “We need to articulate opportunities for graduate studies with existing Southwest/Chicano programs in American Studies and Spanish,” he said.
“My research record begins with Mexicano and Chicano literature and extends into ‘cultura popular,' the culture of the people with special emphasis on the study of mestizaje and hybridity,” he said.
Lamadrid taught one of the first Chicano Studies courses at Los Angeles Valley College when he was a graduate student at the University of Southern California. He also taught the first Chicano Literature course at the University of Oregon where he was faculty advisor to MEChA.
Upon his return to New Mexico, Lamadrid taught for six years at the Northern New Mexico Community College in Española.
Peter White, dean of University College, said, “Dr. Lamadrid is a superb teacher and demonstrated his administrative leadership last year while he served as interim director of Chicano Studies. I have the utmost respect for his wonderful scholarship and his ambitious plan for developing Chicano Studies. I believe he will be very successful in securing the participation of all faculty on campus who teach or do research in the various areas of Chicano Studies. We are extremely happy to have him directing this important and evolving program.”
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920
Fourteen University of New Mexico students from the Design Planning Assistance Center in the School of Architecture and Planning have received the New Mexico – American Planning Association’s 2004 Student Project Award for their work on the Santa Rosa Visioning Plan.
Faculty providing leadership for the project include José Zelaya, Alf Simon, Joni Palmer and Chris Wilson. The students are from both architecture and landscape architecture. The studio was supported by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division as part of the school’s historic preservation and regionalism initiative.
Among ideas the students developed is a redesign of the community’s downtown courthouse square, proposals for a trail system for pedestrians and bicyclists along the Pecos River and El Rito and facility improvements at Blue Hole, a nationally recognized scuba diving center.
The award will be presented in Farmington at the Marriott Courtyard during the chapter’s annual conference dinner on Thursday, Sept. 30.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920
UNM has been ranked over Harvard, Yale and Northwestern University for its student newspaper. The Daily Lobo is No. 2 in the nation as a “great college newspaper,” according to the Princeton Review. The Lobo was not included in the top 20 in last year’s ranking.
In its annual survey, the Princeton Review examines about 60 aspects of campus life, for which an average of 300 students at each university cast their votes. On a five-point scale, students were asked to give their opinion of their campus publication.
In the Best 357 College Rankings for 2005, only Howard University placed higher. All rankings in each category are based solely on student response.
In an interview with the Albuquerque Tribune, Marisa Demarco, Lobo editor in chief, said the high ranking “shows that students really care” about their newspaper.” All colleges and universities in the ranking are considered to be academically excellent said a spokesperson for the review.
In only one other dubious category UNM cracked the top 20. The school was ranked No. 14 in “teaching assistants teach too many upper level courses,” an improvement over its No. 6 status in the category last year.
More information can be found at www.princetonreview.com
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816
Ted A. Garcia, general manager and CEO of public television station KNME-TV, Channel 5 (PBS – Albuquerque / Santa Fe) was elected chair of the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) Board of Directors at their recent meeting in St. Louis, Mo. Garcia will serve for a term of one year: July 1, 2004 - June 30, 2005.
“As a preeminent professional association serving public television licensees and educational organizations, NETA is highly respected as an indispensable asset to our industry. I am honored to serve as chair of NETA and to have the opportunity to work with such an extraordinary group of people serving in our interest,” Garcia said.
Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., NETA is a professional association serving public television licensees and educational entities in all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Each year, NETA distributes more than 2,000 hours of general audience programming – produced by members, other public television entities and independent producers – via satellite to public TV stations nationwide. NETA-delivered programming reaches 98 percent of television households in the United States.
NETA, organized in 1997, is comprised of members of the former Pacific Mountain Network and the Southern Educational Communications Association.
The executive committee is comprised of seven members who are elected by, and represent, the 96 board members/public television licensees nationwide, who make up NETA.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920
Public television station KNME-TV, Channel 5, (Albuquerque / Santa Fe) has been nominated for four Rocky Mountain Regional Emmy Awards. The winners will be announced at the 2003-2004 awards ceremony, Saturday, Sept. 11, in Phoenix, Ariz.
Nominees include:
SONGS OF THE SPIRIT
Executive Producer: Ted A. Garcia
Category: Entertainment Program
ROUTE 66 THE NEON ROAD
Producer: Manuel Machuca
Category: Documentary Cultural Issues
ALBUQUERQUE’S HISTORIC RAILROAD SHOPS
Producer: Michael Kamins
Category: Photography - Programs, Documentaries or Magazines
HOME SAFE HOME: NEW MEXICO RESPONDS
Producers: John Lawrence (KNME-TV), Chris Schueler (Christopher Productions)
& Sean Anker (KOB-TV)
Category: Discussion / Interview Program
Additionally, the Chris Schueler-produced program SEE MOMMY CRY, simulcast by KNME-TV and KOB-TV and which aired preceding the HOME SAFE HOME town hall meeting, was nominated in the category of documentary topical issues.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920
UNM President Louis Caldera visited the UNM-Valencia Campus Aug. 18 and addressed faculty and staff during the Valencia Campus’s annual convocation. Speaking to a packed house at the Student-Community Center, Caldera discussed what he considers to be the core mission of the entire UNM system.
“All that we do at UNM-Valencia and UNM-Albuquerque is testament to a conviction that I know we all share,” Caldera said, “and that is the belief that education is the most powerful force we have for a better life for our students and our communities.”
Caldera recently celebrated his first anniversary as president of UNM, and during his speech he listed what he wants to accomplish during his tenure. He emphasized “strengthening UNM’s undergraduate programs,” but he also wants the university to give “leadership to education from kindergarten through graduate school.”
To strengthen undergraduate programs, Caldera pledged to work closely with the branch campuses so that “we can bring real opportunity to our children in every community.” He has also made it a priority to provide more opportunities for undergraduates to get involved with the research conducted at the UNM-Albuquerque campus.
“We want the students with the biggest dreams, in New Mexico’s high schools and community colleges, to come to UNM to fulfill those aspirations,” he said.
To help strengthen the ties between the branch campuses and the Albuquerque campus, Caldera said plans are underway to schedule a meeting with the UNM Board of Regents and the members of the branch campus advisory boards. Students attending branch campuses will also be invited to attend “Branch Campus Day,” where students will be oriented to the Albuquerque campus programs and services, as well as attend a UNM football game. This effort is “to increase the number of community college students who pursue further education at UNM, especially from our branch campuses,” Caldera added.
A quick tour of the campus was given, where the president saw first-hand all the construction and expansion that is taking place on the Valencia campus, including the new Health Sciences Building.
The president also discussed the goals of his administration during speeches delivered to the Los Lunas-Bosque Farms Chamber of Commerce and with the faculty and staff at the Los Lunas High School.
Contact: Chad Perry, (505) 925-8547
Two finalists have been named in the search for a new University of New Mexico vice president for Advancement, the search committee announced today. Receptions for candidates Mike Carroll and Deborah Read will be held Wednesday, Aug. 25, and Monday, Aug. 30, respectively, at 4 p.m. in Hodgin Hall.
Carroll has been president of the Rutgers University Foundation and vice president for Development and Alumni Relations since 1997. Previously, he held development-related positions for seven years at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, culminating with the University Development associate vice president position.
Carroll also held development-related posts at the University of California Irvine, Century College, Ohio University, and East Carolina University. Carroll earned his bachelor's degree at North Carolina State University and master's degree from Ohio University.
He is the recipient of several Council for the Advancement of Education (CASE) awards, including the district II “Professional of the Year” in 2004. He was awarded the National Conference of Athletic Fund Raisers' Fund Raiser of the Year award in 1992.
Read has been vice president for University Advancement at Northern Kentucky University since 2000. Previously, she was vice president for Advancement at Lebanon Valley College and for a decade held several development-related positions at University of Maryland, College Park, culminating with the director of University Development.
Read also held development-related positions with the Friends of Stewart Bainum Jr. Inc., American Association of University Consultants, and the University of Maryland central administration.
Read earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland and has done graduate work at both University of Maryland and Lebanon Valley College. Active in CASE, she held numerous leadership positions, including serving on the district II board of directors and as conference chair.
Contact: Laurie Mellas-Ramirez, (505) 277-5915
The University of New Mexico Library system is changing its name from General Library to University Libraries. Four libraries on campus, Zimmerman, Parish, Centennial, and the Fine Arts Library make up the University Library system.
“We decided to make the change because it seemed to make more sense, says Dean Camilla Alire. “This is the way most universities refer to their library systems, General Library was frequently taken to mean Zimmerman Library only.”
Zimmerman Library holds the general collections. Designed and built in 1938 by John Gaw Meem, it was named the building of the (20th) century in New Mexico by the American Institute of Architects. It serves as the information center for humanities, social sciences and education and is the only library in the state that is a designated repository for federal government documents.
The William J. Parish Memorial Business and Economics Library serves the Anderson Schools of Management and the Economics Department. It is the information center for business and economic information.
Centennial Science and Engineering Library serves as the information center for five departments in the School of Engineering. It also supports biological, environmental, earth and planetary sciences, physics and astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, psychology and a number of research institutes. CSEL is the only official patent and trademark library in the state and houses the Map and Geographic Information Center and the New Media & Extended Learning Center.
The Fine Arts and Design Library is currently housed in Popejoy Hall, but will move into the 3rd floor of the new architecture building when it opens in 2006. It contains collections in art, art history, photography, music, architecture, planning, landscape architecture, theater, film, and dance.
The University Libraries contain more than two million books and electronic subscriptions more than 16 thousands journals. They can be visited at: http://elibrary.unm.edu/.
Contact: Karen Wentworth (505) 277-5627
The University of New Mexico School of Law recently received the American Bar Association's Henry J. Ramsey Award for Diversity. The competition attracted nominations from 20 top law schools.
The nation's largest attorney's group recognized a concerted effort by UNM faculty and students to address diversity through its programs and activities during the 2003-04 academic year. UNM also earned the honor in 2002.
“Diversity [at UNM's School of Law] is not limited to the traditional categories often touted by reference to statistics, but is instead defined by the members of our community as including everything from race, ethnicity, age, religious beliefs, careers, political ideals, sexual orientation, experience, undergraduate and graduate work, hobbies, family living arrangements, and general life experiences,” wrote UNM law students in their nomination.
“Furthermore, our school's value for diversity can be seen by simply looking around the school,” the students wrote. “This past year, former family law attorney and clinical law professor, Suellyn Scarnecchia, became the first female dean of our law school since its inception; the “New Mexico Law Review” had its first Native American editor-in-chief in its 34 year history; two highly-impressive women of color – the only two who ran – vied for the position of Student Bar Association president; and the dean of our Clinical Law Program is a Hispanic professor.”
A special awards reception was held this year to recognize the 20 nominees and the American Bar Association president who focused on diversity during his term.
“This award is a huge accomplishment ,” said Cydni Sanchez, ABA representative and president of the UNM Student Bar Association, who along with Brenna Clani, 15th circuit governor for the ABA Law Student Division, was in Atlanta to accept the nomination. “The UNM School of Law is different than most law schools because we are already diverse and in the process of learning how to create programs and activities to celebrate and explore it.
“It was amazing for Brenna and I to be there,” Sanchez said. “We put so much work into the nomination and we are extremely proud of the law school's diversity programming. It is also fitting that Brenna, a female Native American and student leader, and I, a female Hispanic and law school leader were on hand to accept it.”
The annual award recognizes a law school that promotes diversity in legal education and the legal profession and works toward eliminating bias in law schools, in the legal profession and justice system.
Contact: Laurie Mellas-Ramirez, (505) 277-5915
The University of New Mexico has announced the appointment of Alex Georgieff as the director of Risk Management. Georgieff has more than 12 years experience directing environmental health and safety programs and significant experience in health planning, health insurance and health program administration.
“We are fortunate to have someone with Alex’s qualifications in this important position,” said Susan Carkeek, associate vice president, Human Resources Department.
Georgieff has a career of public service in New Mexico. Most recently he was deputy director at the New Mexico Department of Labor. He has held positions as director of Health Safety and Environmental Affairs, deputy county administrator and county administrator for the incorporated county of Los Alamos. Georgieff has also worked as a graduate teaching assistant and student advisor at UNM.
He has a bachelors degree in science, a masters in Environmental Health Administration and has completed post-graduate course work in Health Education at UNM.
Georgieff will begin on Sept. 1, 2004.
Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821
Students interested in a degree in engineering or computer science - and their parents - are invited to the School of Engineering Expo, Friday, Aug. 20. The event will be outdoors in front of historic Hodgin Hall.
Students will learn about specific majors and opportunities in engineering and meet other students with similar interests. Parents will be introduced to engineering faculty and staff and can discuss strategies to help their children succeed.
The Expo begins at 8 a.m. with announcements and breakfast, followed by a “low ropes” confidence course, to allow new students to meet and build friendships with those who have similar degree interests. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m.
Returning students are invited to join new students and their parents for afternoon activities. Beginning at 1:30 p.m., tours of engineering buildings and labs will be conducted and there will be opportunities to learn more about SOE student organizations.
For more information or to register for the Engineering Expo, call Engineering Student Programs at 277-4354 or visit the office at Suite 133 in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Building or the website at: Engineering Student Programs
Engineering students face unique challenges and the Engineering Student Programs office specializes in meeting their needs by providing support, monitoring progress and insuring that appropriate resources and services are available. The office staff assists aspiring engineers in the early phases of their academic progress and works closely with all underclassmen that have an interest in pursuing a degree in engineering.
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277 – 1816.
Near the University of New Mexico Student Union, seven life-size bronze figures react to a new, 24-foot high contemporary stainless steel sculpture. Two couples feverishly discuss its merits. A man takes a seat on a nearby bench to ponder the shiny shape. One woman turns away – arms wide open, as if giving up on the entire concept. Another lone fellow scratches his head at the commotion.
Betty Sabo's “Modern Art,” located on Cornell Mall, is the newest in UNM's public art collection and will be officially unveiled Monday, Aug. 23 at 4 p.m. A host of dignitaries are invited to the public event.
In 2000, UNM administration discussed commissioning a major interactive art piece by a local artist, said Gil Berry, UNM Facility Planning associate director. They selected Sabo, who attended UNM and is serving a second consecutive three-year term on the UNM Alumni Board. She is a new member of the UNM Foundation board.
Sabo was asked to create a maquette, or design proposal, Berry said, later accepted by the administration and UNM's Art in Public Places committee. Underway at the time was a project to redesign the Cornell Mall. Student Union Building renovations were also about to begin.
“The site seemed to be an excellent place for the Sabo piece and would certainly support the interactive part of the administration's request,” Berry said.
Although the SUB opened last fall, continued work on the Cornell Mall utility tunnel caused further delay. Sabo's art was installed early this summer. Attendance at the unveiling, which coincides with the first day of fall classes, is expected to be sizable.
“Betty's signature is not only familiar to collectors of art, it is also familiar to the community as a whole. Betty has supported art in the community and has supported the community through her art,” said Karen Abraham, UNM Alumni Office director.
Sabo, 75, studied art at UNM in the late 1940s and was a renowned painter before she began to create the signature bronzes in her mid-60s. The Albuquerque Museum commissioned one of her first pieces, the 1995 bronze “Julia Resting,” of a woman seated on a bench outside the museum's front doors. She also sculpted the Botanical Garden work featuring Clyde and Carrie Tingley, neighbors of Sabo's when she was a child.
“The idea for the UNM piece harked back to my days in school there when contemporary art was very strong in the art department. The teaching leaned heavily toward contemporary art at that time,” Sabo said. “It was a historical time in the art world and certainly the university was very involved in producing marvelous contemporary artists.”
Sabo commissioned her brother, Gary Beals of Phoenix, to create the stainless steel centerpiece. Beals, who graduated from UNM in 1955, creates only contemporary art. He exhibited in Florence, Italy, in 2003. Beals has work in several private and public collections throughout the United States.
Sabo intended “Modern Art” to honor both contemporary and traditional art. “I think everyone can relate to some part of it – the piece has a storyline to a certain extent that is easily recognizable. It's fun. I really want people to enjoy it,” Sabo said.
Contact: Laurie Mellas-Ramirez, (505) 277-5915
An exhibit of intriguing photographs titled “Natural” Africa by artist Ian van Coller is on display at the University Art Museum through Oct. 3. The images in the exhibit were photographed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and then digitally manipulated. Born in 1970 in Johannesburg, South Africa, van Coller grew up during the era of apartheid. He earned his MFA in Photography from UNM in 2003.
After high school, he realized he preferred using the expressive medium of photography to communicate his views on African social and political issues. In 1992, he moved to the United States to pursue an undergraduate fine arts degree at Arizona State University, Tempe, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1996.
Van Coller says he became fascinated with the idealized museum constructions of the African landscape and felt they embodied foreigner’s perceptions of natural Africa.
In an artist’s statement, van Coller said, “Though these dioramas are constructed illusions, they are meant to represent a reality of the wild. In this body of work, I have composed and cropped images of these dioramas to accentuate the anesthecized beauty of the natural scene, and I have digitally montaged various appropriated images and text onto the photographs. The images and text are meant to reorient the viewer—to develop a dialogue about what is “natural.”
University Art Museum hours are Tues. – Fri., 9 to 4; Tues. eve., 5 to 8; Sun., 1 to 4 and during most events at Popejoy Hall.
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816 or Michael Certo, (505) 277-7312
Charles Paine, UNM associate professor of English, has been named University College associate dean. Paine directed the UNM Freshman English program from 1998-2000 and has been associate director since 2002, where he played a key role in the university's retention and student-success efforts. Paine contributed to the many elements that make up UNM’s fairly new “Freshman Academic Choices.” He worked with Joel Nossoff and White to organize the first four Freshman Learning Communities.
“I’m very excited to have Charles Paine working in University College because he has exactly the right kind of experience and point-of-view about student success that we need here at UNM,” said Peter White, dean.
He coordinates FLC efforts for the Department of English and teaches an English 101 FLC this fall. Paine specializes in rhetoric, composition, and professional writing. He is author of “The Resistant Writer” (SUNY Press), a book about the history of writing instruction in the United States with particular focus on the role of popular public culture on teaching writing.
“I am particularly interested in student-success efforts. I believe it is some of the most important work we do at the university. After all, I was an at-risk undergraduate here myself many years ago and although I managed to succeed I recognize how easy it can be to fall through the cracks,” said Paine, who went on to earn his master's from the University of Massachusetts at Boston and Ph.D. from Duke University.
Contact: Laurie Mellas-Ramirez (505) 277-5915
The UNM School of Engineering has announced receipt of a major grant to place graduate teaching fellows in APS classrooms. The $1.8 million, three-year award from the National Science Foundation will enhance math and science learning for elementary, mid-school and high school students in West Mesa cluster schools.
Charles Fleddermann, School of Engineering professor and associate dean, is the grant’s principal investigator. He says classroom lessons will be designed around the fields of optics and photonics. For example, when students are being taught astronomy and outer space, the graduate fellows might develop activities related to basic optics, culminating with students learning how to build their own telescopes.
Ten UNM graduate students in engineering and science will be selected each school year and matched, as best as possible, with their specialized interests. Fellows begin training during the week prior to the start of school. Fleddermann said partnerships with APS teachers would be for the entire school year.
Other co-principal investigators are Phillip Duryea, College of Education associate dean for research and Beth Everitt, Albuquerque Public Schools superintendent. The NSF goal is to augment the learning experience for teachers to make them better instructors in science and, in turn, stimulate student interest in math and science.
The selected graduate fellows will be introduced at a reception for participants, scheduled for Aug. 18 at 3:30 p.m. at the Explora! Museum.
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816
George Radnovich, ASLA, and principal for Sites Southwest, has been named the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning Distinguished Alumni. Radnovich, a 1975 graduate of the architecture program, will be honored at the school's honor convocation Friday, Sept. 17 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in SUB Ballroom C.
Roger Schluntz, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning, said, “ George Radnovich played a critical role in the formation and realization the UNM accredited professional degree program, master of landscape architecture. He continues his active involvement with the school and programs through our Council for Design and Planning Excellence.”
Radnovich said, “ I wouldn't be where I am today without the School of Architecture and Planning.” He added that he has been a guest lecturer, critiqued work, and helped with student design competitions.
“I want to give back to the school and am very honored and excited to receive this award,” he said.
“Mr. Radnovich has been a significant leader in this community over the years, and his firm, Sites Southwest, is one of the most respected landscape and planning firms in the region. As president of the Xeriscape Council of New Mexico, he is an instrumental figure in the xeriscape movement,” Schluntz said.
Sites Southwest will receive an award in October from the American Society of Landscape Architects for the bosque revitalization plan they created for the Army Corps of Engineers.
“The 22 miles of the Rio Grande Valley State park runs from the Isleta Pueblo boundary to the Sandia Pueblo boundary and is far larger than New York City's Central Park,” he said.
The plans address landscape and recreation and provide linkages to Albuquerque's trails, streets, bus stops, and parking lots. U.S. Senator Pete Domenici has been instrumental in finding funding for the project, slated to cost $80 million, Radnovich said.
Radnovich is also working with the University of Chihuahua as they set up a landscape program. He is sharing xeriscape concepts with colleagues there.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920
UNM Professor Michael Campana, Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, opens a fall lecture series on “The Culture of Water” Aug. 24 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Woodward Hall, room 147. Will we have enough water to sustain current populations and lifestyles? Compana’s talk “Sustainability in the Southwest: Did We Trade Our Cadillac Desert for a Chevy?” will look into the future. He will examine hydrology, water resources and modern society in the Southwest with an emphasis on our “hydraulic society.” Campana is the director of the UNM Water Resources Program.
UNM talks are scheduled in the same room from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (unless time is indicated) on Tuesdays through Oct. 12. The lectures are a component of the UNM Voices of the Southwest policy series and are free and open to the public. The series is presented by the UNM Evening and Weekend Degree Program.
A full panel discussion is scheduled for Tuesday September 14, and a town hall is tentatively set for Saturday, Nov. 20.
On Aug. 31, Craig Childs will discuss his book “The Secret Knowledge of Water.” Childs is a naturalist, adventurer, desert ecologist and frequent contributor to National Public Radio’s Morning Edition. He lives in Crawford, Colo. His previous books include “Crossing Paths,” and “The Desert Cries.”
On Sept. 7, UNM Professor of Art and Art History Basia Irland will present “Water Library: A Sculptor’s Research Into the Phenomenon of Water.” Through slides and a video, Professor Irland will investigate her artwork, focused on water for the past 25 years.
“Robert Glennon shares from his book “Water Follies, Groundwater Pumping and the Fate of America’s Fresh Water” on Oct. 5.
Other public talks are as follows:
• Tues, Sept. 14, panel discussion with presenters to include: F. Lee Brown, UNM Economics Department, on the topic “Rivers for Sale?” Sylvia Rodriguez, UNM Anthropology Department, who discusses “Acequias and the Moral Economy of Water Sharing,” and the Honorable Peter Pino, governor, Pueblo of Zia, an expert on “Water Policies at the Pueblo of Zia.”
• Tues, Sept. 21, José Rivera, UNM Public Administration, discusses “Acequia Culture on the Rio Grande: Paisaje del Agua.” Rivera presents a slide show of community ditches of the Upper Rio Grande bioregion with an emphasis on the social ecology of human settlement.
• Tues, Sept 28, Bonnie Colby, Prof., agricultural and resource economics and hydrology and water resources, University of Arizona, presents “Water As Sacred, Water As Commodity.” Her talk begins at 7:30 p.m.
• Tues, Oct 12, Marilyn C. O’Leary, UNM School of Law, talks about “Water in the Southwest: Promise and Paradox.”
For more information, contact Michael Campana at wrp@unm.edu or 277-7759.
Contact: Laurie Mellas-Ramirez (505) 277-5915
Tim Waterbury chiseled, dug and removed tiny pieces of debris from the earth recently at the “Casa Corral,” an excavation site of a 1800s adobe hacienda in Albuquerque’s North Valley.
Waterbury and his mother, Elaine, are members of a team of novice archeologists headed up by Dave Phillips, a curator at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology at UNM.
Each Friday and Saturday morning the team gathers at the historic location. Phillips scours the ground to note differences in soil color and to look for signs of walls. He noticed that one small area of earth within the walls was a subtle pink color, indicating that the soil had oxidized, possibly the result of heat from a traditional adobe oven called a horno.
The weed-strewn lot north of Osuna, now covered with stakes, strings, holes in the ground and a few goats, was once an expansive adobe hacienda and corral. It was built on an old wagon road where Edith Boulevard now runs. Phillips believes the large dwelling was inhabited between 1870 and 1900 and vacated after that.
One of the most exciting discoveries came late on a recent Friday afternoon. A formation along the ground was uncovered and determined to have been the foundation for the north wall. The digging and scraping revealed a row of “terrones.” These were bricks of hardened dark mud, long ago extracted from the Rio Grande Valley bottom, west of the site. The formation was nearly two feet wide and more than 15 feet long and stood in stark contrast to the surrounding brown dirt.
Since the dig began in early June, more than 300 bags have been filled with animal teeth and bones, pieces of glass, broken china, scraps of wood and various metal artifacts. The findings are taken to the Maxwell Museum, where they are transferred into archival polyethylene bags. Phillips said the material is an excellent sample for continued research and hopes that a graduate student will use the findings as the subject of a dissertation.
“We have little fragments here and there that tell us how people lived when they were here and what their lives were like,” said Phillips. “There is an enormous amount of animal bones.” Phillips says the cut of the bones and the type of animal reveal clues about the household consumption patterns.
The last day of digging will be Friday, August 27. Then an Albuquerque metal detector club will locate objects not uncovered by the excavation. Volunteers are welcome and should bring their own tools, work gloves, hats and long-sleeved shirts. Also needed are sunscreen, lunch and water. For more information, e-mail Phillips at dap@unm.edu.
Contact: Greg Johnston, 277-1816
The Getty has awarded a $120,000 Campus Heritage Grant to the University of New Mexico Foundation to prepare a conservation plan for the university. “We are delighted that the Getty has recognized our distinctive campus, and honored to be part of their well-known efforts to preserve places of outstanding architectural, historical and cultural significance,” said UNM President Louis Caldera. “We hope this can be the first step toward achieving our ultimate aim of balancing sensitive historic preservation with innovative urban design and development strategies.”
The Getty Campus Heritage initiative will expand previous master planning efforts beyond buildings and campus boundaries to survey a more comprehensive historic context, including resources such as cultural landscapes, interiors, public art, and historic furniture.
The UNM Historic Preservation Committee, which will oversee the project, has hired Elmo Baca, a consultant in historic preservation and former State Historic Preservation Officer to direct the archival research process and field survey of the campus.
The historic architecture of the UNM campus includes some of the earliest examples of Spanish Pueblo Revival style. Inspiration for the Spanish Pueblo Revival plan for the campus was the Estufa, a fraternal meeting building built in 1906 in the style of an Indian kiva. The university then adopted the style for the remodeling of Hodgin Hall when it moved from the original red brick Romanesque style to the Spanish Pueblo Revival style, and the tone for the campus architecture was in place by 1909.
In subsequent decades the style was modified and altered as new buildings replaced older structures. The grant offers an opportunity to review buildings and think about the future look of the university.
The Historic Preservation Committee envisions the Campus Heritage Initiative as the first and foremost component of a longer-term comprehensive preservation and revitalization plan that will include the main campus and a stronger partnership with the City of Albuquerque.
Since 2002, the Getty, one of the largest philanthropic supporters of visual arts in the country, has awarded over seven million dollars to more than fifty colleges and universities in a nationwide effort to preserve historic buildings, sites and landscapes. The Campus Heritage Grants has enabled educational institutions in 24 states to research and develop conservation plans to protect campuses in all regions of the country. Grantees include such colleges and universities as University of Chicago, Bryn Mawr College, Barnard College, Scripps College, Brown University and Columbia University in New York.
“Since a large portion of this nation’s distinguished architectural heritage is found on college and university campuses, it is extremely important to incorporate historic preservation into the campus master planning process,” added Deborah Morrow, director of The Getty Grant Program. “We are delighted that the response to this year’s Campus Heritage initiative was so strong, and impressed by the excellent project submitted by UNM.”
The J. Paul Getty Trust is an international cultural and philanthropic institution devoted to the visual arts that features the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Research Institute, the Getty Conservation Institute, and the Getty Grant Program. The J. Paul Getty Trust and Getty programs are based at the Getty Center in Los Angeles.
The Getty Grant Program is part of the J. Paul Getty Trust, an international cultural and philanthropic institution devoted to the visual arts located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. The Getty Grant Program provides crucial support to institutions and individuals throughout the world in fields that are aligned most closely with the Getty’s strategic priorities. It therefore funds a diverse range of projects that promote learning and scholarship about the history of the visual arts and the conservation of cultural heritage, and it consistently searches for collaborative efforts that set high standards and make significant contributions.
Additional information is available on the Getty Web site at www.getty.edu/grants
Contact: Karen Wentworth (505) 277-5627
Roger Schluntz, dean of the University of New Mexico's School of Architecture and Planning recently announced establishment of the J.B. Jackson Chair in Cultural Landscape Studies, made possible with funds from Jackson's estate and $500,000 from SB 14.
The permanently endowed chair will augment programs already established in the school, Schluntz said.
“By permanently endowing the position we can provide travel, administrative and program support as well as graduate assistant support to the program,” Schluntz said. He said the position gives greater recognition to the school's mission and programs and improves the ability to recruit faculty and graduate students.
“Establishing a named-chair position, by its nature, is prestigious and is viewed by those in academia as a unique position intended to enhance programs and raise visibility of the programs nationally and internationally,” Schluntz said.
John Brinckerhoff Jackson, who died in 1996, is credited with creating the field of landscape studies. He elevated vernacular architecture and landscapes to a level of study once reserved for architect-designed buildings. He founded, published and edited Landscape, a magazine dedicated to cultural landscape.
Chris Wilson, J.B. Jackson Professor of Cultural Landscape Studies, a 20-year friend and colleague of Jackson's, has been selected to hold the endowed chair position. Wilson recently established a graduate certificate program in historic preservation and regionalism, bringing forth many of Jackson's methods and ideas, including interdisciplinary study.
Jackson's generosity to the School of Architecture and Planning was borne of his belief in the school and its programs. “Ours is the only school of its kind in New Mexico. J.B. Jackson, in his wisdom, gave his money for the betterment of the school and to help preserve the heritage of the state,” Schluntz said.
The New Mexico State Senate passed SB 14 in 2002 to create endowed chairs, professorships and faculty development programs to attract and retain the highest quality faculty at the state's higher education institutions.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920
The University of New Mexico Political Science Department today released results of a voter survey conducted following the New Mexico Democratic Presidential Caucus Feb. 3.
Researchers queried New Mexico Democratic voters about President George W. Bush's job performance, ways in which they received information on candidates competing for the party nomination, and about the role they played in the campaigns.
“Because of New Mexico's key position in the nomination process, we wanted to learn about the decision making process used by these important voters and formulated a survey to do so,” said UNM Political Science Professor Lonna Atkeson.
The Democratic Party of New Mexico provided a sample of caucus voters. Nearly 4,500 voters were contacted and provided an Internet address to take the survey or given an option to reply via U.S. mail. More than 1,000 surveys were completed for a response rate of 23.4 percent. The margin of error is plus or minus three percent.
A comparison of actual statewide and survey sample caucus results show similar outcomes further validating the data. For example, 39.8 percent of those surveyed said they would vote for John Kerry, while 42.6 percent was the actual statewide result. 20.5 percent surveyed said they would cast a vote for Wesley Clark, 20.4 did. 16.2 surveyed said Howard Dean had their vote and 16.4 was the actual result.
A number of questions were designed to assess caucus voters' evaluations of President Bush. With the exception of his war on terror, more than three-fifths of caucus voters strongly disapproved of the job he is doing as president, his handling of the economy and the war in Iraq. Even in the war on terror, an issue where the president receives the strongest support, about one-half, or 48 percent, strongly disapproved and more than a quarter disapproved.
“Given that we have a sample of Democratic Party activists it is not surprising to find that opinions of President Bush are not very favorable,” Atkeson reported. “In the overall evaluation, only about seven percent of respondents are willing to rate him above average or outstanding and about 10 percent rate his performance as average.
“That said, it is interesting to note that about 10 percent of our sample voted for George W. Bush in 2000 and their evaluations of Bush significantly differ from their Democratic counterparts who voted for Gore. Respondents felt much more favorable toward the president if they voted for him.”
The UNM researchers data shows that caucus voters are very engaged in this year's presidential election.
Nearly 9 of 10 voters indicated they were “very interested” in the campaign. Voters were most active in the John Kerry campaign, with survey results showing nearly 30 percent of them engaged in a least one activity such as attending a rally, fundraising, canvassing or contributing. General Wesley Clark and Howard Dean were nearly tied with slightly more than 15 percent of caucus voters engaged in their campaign activities.
Most voters learned about candidates through TV or radio ads, but this was closely followed by direct campaign contact or information from friends and family.
“Interestingly, with the exception of Al Sharpton, who was not on the New Mexico ballot, the percentages clearly show that a majority of voters learned in a variety of ways about each candidate,” Atkeson noted.
About 92 percent of caucus voters participated in one or more learning event featuring Kerry. Clark and John Edwards also had plenty of exposure with about 84 percent and 82 percent of caucus voters respectively engaging in at least one learning event. The means, however, indicate that Dean reached the most voters with an average learning score of 2.35 followed closely by Kerry who had a score of 2.28 on the researcher's 8-point scale.
Prior to the New Mexico caucus, two nominating events were held, the Iowa Caucus Jan. 24 and the New Hampshire primary Jan. 27. Kerry gained momentum in those earlier contests, clearly influencing New Mexico voters, results show.
When asked how early they chose a candidate, about one-quarter of voters decided prior to the Iowa and New Hampshire contests. Among early deciders, Kerry was in a close contest with Clark and Dean.
“While we found no gender differences in voter choice, we did find that self-identified Hispanics and self-identified whites voted somewhat differently,” Atkeson said. For both groups, the most likely choice was Kerry, but Hispanic voters clearly offered more support with 50.3 percent selecting the senator from Massachusetts, while only 36.9 percent of whites voted forhim.
When voters were asked to rank their preference for their party's nomination from the following contenders – Kerry, Clark, Dean, Edwards and Sharpton, along with Dick Gephardt, Dennis Kucinich and Joe Lieberman – rankings prove interesting. Edwards, who came in a distant fourth in actual statewide results, was their second preference after Kerry. “This suggests that the choice of Edwards as the vice presidential pick was perhaps a good one,” Atkeson said.
Researchers concluded that Democratic “activist voters” attitudes toward President Bush are fairly extreme. They also found voters were very informed about the candidates and exceptionally engaged in the election. Many voters actively campaigned for one of the party contenders. “It is also clear that the winner of the nomination, John Kerry, converted his momentum from the earliest campaigns into greater electability ratings increasing his attractiveness to Democratic voters,” Atkeson said.
The UNM Research Allocation Committee funded the study. In addition to Atkeson, UNM political science faculty, staff and students provided research support.
To view the entire survey, visit www.unm.edu/~caucus04.
Contact: Laurie Mellas-Ramirez, (505) 277-5915
Top criminal justice and sentencing experts will speak about the effects of criminal sentencing on resources, programs and citizens during the National Association of State Sentencing Commission’s annual conference in Santa Fe Aug. 15-19.
The organization’s newest member, the New Mexico Sentencing Commission, hosts the event. Established in early 2003 at the University of New Mexico Institute for Social Research, its charge is to study, compile and release data on the effects of criminal sentencing and to make policy recommendations to the legislature and governor in all areas of criminal and juvenile justice.
Opening and closing conference sessions will focus on responses to the recent Supreme Court decision in Blakely v. State of Washington.
“This decision has rendered some states’ sentencing guidelines unconstitutional and may result in more and longer jury trials in felony cases, even in states without sentencing guidelines such as New Mexico,” said Michael Hall, New Mexico Sentencing Commission executive director.
Conference presenters include speakers from the United States
Sentencing Commission, U.S. Attorney's Office and U.S. Public Defender's Office.
Also scheduled to speak are UNM Professor of Sociology Paul Steele, Paul Guerin, UNM Institute for Social Research; and Susan Brumbaugh, former executive director of the New Mexico Sentencing Commission, who will discuss criminal justice and sex offender research and inmate reintegration programs.
New Mexico’s 23-member bipartisan commission has representation from corrections, law enforcement, juvenile, legal, judicial and legislative agencies.
Contact: Laurie Mellas Ramirez (505) 277-5915
The University of New Mexico has been awarded a $500,000 grant to investigate the transport of complex fluids at nanoscale dimensions. The project will seek to develop a new generation of methods and devices that address the need for efficient separation of biomolecular components.
The grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation will be used to purchase a scanning laser microscope. Funding will also be used to create the Keck Nanofluidics Laboratory at UNM. Gabriel López, associate professor of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering and Chemistry, led the diverse team that applied for the grant.
“The Keck Foundation grant will help foster collaborative research between the School of Engineering and the School of Medicine, which is investigating the transport of complex fluids in nano-scale channels,” said Joseph L. Cecchi, dean of the UNM School of Engineering. “Beyond the support itself, this award clearly recognizes the exciting potential of the work of Professor López and his team.”
Co-investigator on the project is Steven J. Brueck, professor of electrical and computer engineering and physics and astronomy. Brueck is also director of UNM’s Center for High Technology Materials and an expert in the manufacturability of materials similar to the ones being studied.
The microscope, which will be the centerpiece of the laboratory, will complement and enable research projects funded by the National Science Foundation, Los Alamos National Laboratory and others.
For López and Brueck, the promise is that the ability to manipulate and control fluid elements in nanoscale devices will lead to generations of dramatic advances. Findings would be analogous to those that have resulted from the ability to control electronic charge transport in silicon integrated circuits.
There are many potential applications for such work, especially in the biomedical area. By separating, manipulating, redirecting and reacting complex protein mixtures through these tiny channels, it is possible to analyze them so that their properties can be better understood. Such understanding could lead to development of new drugs.
López said that methods developed through the research would address critical needs for applications to pharmaceutics, environmental science and advanced diagnostics. “Our work will have immediate relevance to a wide range of scientific and societal problems,” López said.
Based in Los Angeles, the W.M Keck Foundation was established in 1954 by the late W.M. Keck, founder of the Superior Oil Company. The Foundation's grant making is focused primarily on pioneering efforts in the areas of medical research, science and engineering.
Contact: Greg Johnson (505) 277-1816