Joyce Neimanas’ art is a vibrant hybrid of photography and found object skillfully combined through digital manipulation. "Whatever It Takes," an exhibition at the University of New Mexico Art Museum, displays a selection of her work from 1976 to the present. She will speak at a reception Tuesday, March 8, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The show will be on display in the lower gallery of the museum until March 20.
Neimanas worked at the number one ranked School of the Arts Institute of Chicago prior to joining UNM’s Art & Art History faculty last August. Her work has been exhibited in more than 25 one person shows and 100 group shows.
Neimanas juxtaposes images and objects to highlight issues of appearance, gender and sexual stereotypes and individual identity. She shifts meaning through context. The objects in her work “exist in the world,” Neimanas said. “It’s just because I take them out of the world and put them next to each other that changes each one. So they’re not what they were, and yet they still are.” Process plays a central role in Neimanas’ work. Her art invites viewers to become part of that process.
The show’s earliest work, “Untitled” from the 1976 portfolio Underware, is a deceptively simple black and white photograph combined with handwritten text in red ink. From a distance, the photograph shows a scantily clad woman, her head and lower leg outside the frame. As one approaches near enough to read the text—a statement on female fantasy—the image abstracts to an interplay of shadow and light reminiscent of pointillism.
The selections from the 1990s increase in apparent complexity. “Facial Muscles,” from the 1996 series Sample, combines images highlighting beauty myths. A diagram of a mechanical device leads the eye into ads for a firming and toning “facial band” and “cream bleach” for body and facial hair. These set up the intriguing center of the piece, a photograph with a seemingly hairless woman wearing only black underwear, sunglasses and the facial band. Behind her sits a figure covered in white clothing with her/his face scratched out. The juxtaposition suggests the erasure of the body, or perhaps of the unaltered or un-beautified body. Pictured (left) are three images of a medieval pair that tie the piece to the long history of altering the body to conform to beauty norms.
While found object art played a role in her earlier work, in the 2004 series Comparisons it takes center stage. In found object art, objects “become transformed not by the lenses but by the placement of them next to each other,” Neimanas said. “It doesn’t matter whether they’re on two-dimensional surfaces or three-dimensional surfaces; the same thing will happen.”
“Fondle” juxtaposes two objects, a braid of brown hair tied off with ribbons and a braided leather whip. As the title of the series suggests, the art is in the comparison. The piece’s very simplicity opens a wealth of reflection on the meaning of femininity.
Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-5813
Congresswoman Heather Wilson, joined by UNM President Louis Caldera, today announced $3 million in federal funding for a major ecological research project in the New Mexico desert. The Sevilleta Research and Education Center, located approximately 50 miles south of Albuquerque, is located in and around the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge.
“UNM biologists and others do amazing work at the Sevilleta Refuge,” said Wilson. “Trying to understand our climate and our ecology is something we do at the most basic level when we turn the nightly news on to watch the weather. This project focuses on learning more about what drives our long-term climate. I’m proud to support this research and the work that UNM biologists do in this great outdoor laboratory.
The refuge, which is managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, and its surroundings, are positioned at the intersection of several major biotic zones including: Chihuahuan Desert grassland and shrubland to the south, Great Plains grassland to the north, Pinon-Juniper woodland in the upper elevations of the neighboring mountains, Colorado Plateau shrub-steppe to the west and riparian vegetation along the middle Rio Grande Valley.
Because of the confluence of these major biotic zones, the Sevilleta NWR presents an ideal setting to investigate how climate variability and climate change act together to affect ecosystem dynamics at biotic transition zones. Additionally, the rapid growth and expansion of the City of Albuquerque and its suburbs to the north increasingly will have an impact on ecosystem processes at the Sevilleta and these urban forces will interact with climactic variation to catalyze change in this aridland region.
“The Sevilleta Research and Education Center builds on New Mexico’s strengths by promoting research and sharing knowledge among the universities and national laboratories,” Wilson said. “I’m pleased that we’re making this investment. I believe it will yield benefits in preserving our environment and natural resources.”
The U.S. House approved the $3 million investment last summer in the Interior Appropriations bill. The final amount was included in the consolidated appropriations legislation signed by the President last December.
According to Terry Yates, vice president for Research and Economic Development, “Sevilleta is one of the nation’s premier long-term ecological teaching and research sites. We will now be able to conduct near real-time, on site analysis in a state-of-the-art facility in ways that weren’t before possible.”
The Sevilleta Research and Education Center will complement the current Sevilleta Field Research Station, which is in need of a facility for training and to house research equipment and high-speed computer connections.
Once available, the Center will streamline integrated research efforts of the New Mexico Consortium benefiting UNM, NMSU, New Mexico Tech, and Sandia and Los Alamos National Labs. Set in a national wildlife refuge, the facility will be used by scientists and educators from New Mexico and the southwest.
“The Sevilleta Research and Education Center builds on New Mexico’s strengths by promoting research and sharing knowledge among the universities and national laboratories,” said Wilson. “I’m pleased that we’re making this investment. I believe it will yield benefits in preserving our environment and natural resources.”
Contacts: Joel Hannahs, (202) 225-6317 (Heather Wilson's office); Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821 (UNM Public Affairs)
A three-year, $900,000 grant is allowing the UNM College of Education to provide scholarships to American Indian students interested in teaching in Native American communities. Funding was provided by the Indian Education Division at the New Mexico State Department of Education.
Through the grant, the Institute for American Indian Education (IAIE) at the College of Education hopes to increase the state’s native teachers and principals. IAIE was created in 2003 in response to New Mexico’s critical need to improve academic achievement and to reduce dropout rates. The institute will provide a forum for educators, scholars and tribal leaders to examine the critical education issues facing Native American communities.
Joseph Suina, IAIE director and College of Education associate professor, believes UNM is ideally suited to train American Indian educators. Suina is from Cochiti Pueblo and is one of eight native UNM College of Education faculty members.
“Native American teachers from the community tend to stay in the community,” said Suina. “If these teachers provide a role model by participating in the traditional community, and at the same time are a professional role model, they show students it’s possible to be of two worlds and do well.”
Classes for scholarship recipients begin in June. Program participants must be
undergraduate, post-bachelor or graduate students interested in teaching or administration at the elementary or secondary level. Scholarship recipients are expected to complete the program in two consecutive years. Scholarships provide tuition, fees, a textbook allowance, travel expenses and a $750 stipend each semester.
Those interested in obtaining an administrative license must have at least six years of regular classroom teaching experience and be eligible to enter into the licensure program or the graduate program in administration.
Scholarships applicants must be enrolled in a federally recognized tribe and intend to teach in New Mexico or for the Navajo Nation.
Applications for fall semester are being accepted through April 4. For additional information, contact Joseph Suina at (505) 277-7781.
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816
The University of New Mexico School of Law has initiated a new Economic Development Program to expand its business law curriculum and increase economic activity in the state.
UNM Dean Suellyn Scarnecchia formed a working group in 2004, led by her predecessor Robert Desiderio, to provide advice on improving business curriculum. As a result, more courses will be offered on a range of topics including secured lending, sales, business associations/small businesses, employment law, securities regulations, antitrust and international business transactions, and business ethics. Tax course offerings will also expand.
A small business and economic development clinic will be designed to provide affordable legal assistance to start-up and existing companies and economic development organizations.
UNM Dickason Professor of Law Nathalie Martin has been named director of the Economic Development Program, which begins this summer. Martin joined the law school in 1998 after 10 years in private practice as a bankruptcy attorney. This fall, she will also serve as scholar-in-residence for the American Bankruptcy Institute, a Washington D.C.-based organization that provides advice and consultation to the media and to Congress about changes in bankruptcy law.
“The new curriculum emphasizes the practical aspects of the existing curriculum and creates new practice-based courses such as contract design and drafting," Martin said.
Nationally recognized bankruptcy expert Judge Keith Lundin of the Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Tennessee will teach basic and advanced courses at UNM in the spring of 2006.
"Judge Lundin also plans to host a number of conferences in Albuquerque while visiting the law school,” Martin said.
“We hope to augment our national reputation in Indian law, natural resources, and clinical legal education with a nationally-recognized program for training small business lawyers. In the process, we will also serve businesses badly in need of legal services who can boost the state's tax base,” she said.
The clinical aspect of UNM's new program “is perhaps the most exciting development,” she said. UNM's nationally recognized Clinical Law Program, mandatory for third year law students, had offered a business law clinic but only sporadically.
“The clinic now plans to regularly offer services to clients who cannot afford a private attorney, serving small businesses, start-ups, non-profit organizations and economic development programs. Services could include forming a business entity, doing basic tax analysis, addressing employment issues, handling real property needs, drafting and reviewing loan documents and existing contacts and more,” Martin said.
“We hope to partner with UNM business and architecture programs and community groups such as ACCION New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque's Economic Development Initiatives, and other groups,” she said.
“This program is exciting for the businesses that will use these services and for UNM students who will have an opportunity to receive more intensive business law training,” Martin said.
UNM law faculty helping to institute the program include Paul Nathanson, Alfred Mathewson, Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, Sherry Burr, Marsha Baum and Sergio Pareja.
Contact: Laurie Mellas Ramirez, (505) 277-5915
UNM Religious Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences will feature the talk "Islam and Christianity Facing Modernity" by Dr. Jose Casanova, Monday, March 7, from 5 – 6:30 p.m. at the Student Union Building, Lobo rooms A & B.
The talk will focus on challenges confronting Islam and Christianity in terms of the forces of democracy, capitalism, human rights and consumerism in the modern world.
Casanova, professor at the New School for Social Research in New York, and author of “Public Religions in the Modern World (1994),” is a leading analyst of contemporary religion in the public arena.
This event is co-sponsored by the Cooperative Monitoring Center at Sandia National Laboratory and UNM’s Southwest Institute on Religion and Civil Society, Institute for Medieval Studies, International Studies Institute and the departments of history, sociology, political science and philosophy.
The talk is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact Nancy Rice, 277-4009.
Contact: Dena Wood, (505) 277-5813
Jonathan Leo Brown, a graduate student in Art Education, College of Education, recently received the NICHE Student Award in Mixed and Miscellaneous Media. Brown's “Tower of Light” received one of only 19 awards out of nearly 1,000 entries from the United States and Canada.
A mixed media piece combining wood, Lucite, brass, bronze and silver, “‘Tower of Light' is a play on light and architectural forms,” Brown said. He said he enjoys “the combination of the different materials and the challenge of putting those together.”
Brown's work, along with other NICHE Student Award winners and finalists, will be featured in the spring issue of NICHE Magazine and on a DVD to be released later this year.
Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-5813
Paul Courant, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs and professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Michigan, will give the keynote at a Symposium of Scholarly Communications at UNM on March 3, 2005 at the Student Union Building, Ballroom A. The symposium, scheduled from 1 to 3:30 p.m., will explore how the changes in publishing are affecting scholarship in the humanities, social sciences and other disciplines.
Courant will discuss publishing issues in the humanities, changes in scholarship in the academy due to technology and other influences and how to assure the academy is doing well as a result of those changes. He will also talk about the University of Michigan’s participation in the Google Project, dedicated to digitizing books from several major research libraries.
Daniel Greenstein, associate vice provost for scholarly information and university librarian for Systemwide Library Planning and the California Digital Library at the University of California, will explore the process for development of an institutional repository. He will discuss ways to build an infrastructure, create incentives and eliminate barriers.
Event and registration information for the symposium is available at http://hsc.unm.edu/library/sc/symposium.shtml
The event is sponsored by the UNM Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Office of the Executive Vice President for the Health Sciences Center, the Office of the Associate Vice President for Knowledge Management and IT and Director of HSLIC, the Office of the Dean of University Libraries and the UNM Law Library.
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627
Students from The University of New Mexico’s Anderson Schools of Management are taking part in a Junior Achievement of New Mexico coordinated program, JA Titan, at Albuquerque area high schools this spring. The JA Titan partnership, which has been in the works for approximately a year, is an interactive high-tech, web-based business simulation model that introduces critical economics and management decisions to high school students created by the Anderson schools in support of Junior Achievement.
Coupled with the presence of MBA student volunteers from UNM in the classroom teaching the activities, students apply concepts of operating a business as they compete online in the highly competitive industry of the fictional Holo-Generator™.
The MBA student volunteers share their personal professional experiences to help the high school students understand the economics of life. Area high schools involved include Albuquerque, Eldorado, Rio Rancho, Robert F. Kennedy Charter, Valley and West Mesa.
"Junior Achievement programs, such as JA Titan, could not have the profound impact they do on young people without the support of volunteers," said Kevin R. Hattery, President, Junior Achievement of New Mexico. “The partnership with the Anderson Schools of Management is a great example of how both organizations are collaborating to develop the future workforce of New Mexico.”
“Originally, I was going to volunteer to help in one class, but I quickly realized that The Schools’ could have a much bigger impact by involving more people,” Anderson Schools’ Assistant Professor Doug Thomas said. “I thought of my MBA class in Strategic Management and the benefits they could receive in addition to what the high school students would learn.
“The enthusiasm of my MBA students has exceeded my wildest expectations. At least one student now believes she will go into teaching in part because of this experience. The MBA students relate to the high school kids well and really see the impact the program has on the students. It’s been mentioned that this ‘service learning’ outreach program is teaching them as much if not more than the class's required texts.”
“We have really enjoyed teaching our Junior Achievement students,” said UNM student Jason Dencklau. “The best part is being able to explain a specific business concept to a group of students and then seeing their eyes light up as they understand and get excited about seeing something actually work. It’s really exciting to see the students even the teachers thought would just goof off actually get excited about learning and doing well.”
“Working with Junior Achievement allows you to personally invest into students lives, share your experiences and help acquire some skills needed for college and the business world,” said UNM student Geoffrey Bennett. “It’s a great opportunity.”
According to a study completed by the Western Institute for Research and Evaluation, results show that Junior Achievement’s high school programs have a significant impact on student learning. Students who participate in JA Titan demonstrate better problem-solving skills when making critical business decisions than their non-participating peers. For full evaluation results visit: newmexico.ja.org.
“For me as a professor, this is a great experience and opportunity to have MBA students learn as they teach because you always learn the most when you teach,” said Thomas. “The program benefits high school students at the same time in a very meaningful way. This is a real win-win and a great relationship between the Anderson Schools, Junior Achievement and the local high schools. Additionally, these types of K-12/University partnerships are very important to recruiting high schools students to college.”
For more information about the collaborative partnership between the Anderson Schools of Management and Junior Achievement of New Mexico or the JA Titan program, contact Junior Achievement of New Mexico at: (505) 344-0861 or visit: newmexico.ja.org.
The University of New Mexico’s College Bowl team has advanced to the national college bowl after defeating teams from Wyoming, Colorado State, Arizona State and New Mexico State and others. The team now travels to Seattle, Wash. for the national competition hosted by the University of Washington on April 22-24, 2005.
Photo: UNM’s College Bowl team of (l. to r.) John Ogren, Jennifer Hammitt, Clinton Peebles and Aaron Posey will be competing in the national college bowl after winning the regional competition over the weekend.
“We are very excited about this opportunity to represent UNM at the national level,” said Clinton Peebles, team captain. “Our team is a good blend of academic disciplines, which gave use the edge at the regional tournament. I think we will be respectable this April in Seattle.”
College Bowl is called the “varsity sport of the mind.” Students from universities around the U.S. and Canada compete with each other, in teams of four, to demonstrate which team is the most adept at answering trivia questions across a variety of subjects ranging from chemistry and biology to currents events and literature.
The national competition is a round robin tournament with the 15 other regional winners and a wild card winner drawn from the second place teams.
“We’re especially proud of our team, since UNM hasn’t competed in more than 40 years,” said Debbie Morris, student activities director. “It’s exciting now to have our students participating in the national tournament.
UNM last competed in the tournament in 1962.
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627
The UNM campus features a new Faculty Club located at 1923 Las Lomas NE. Faculty are invited to an open house Friday, Feb. 25, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Faculty Senate President Ed DeSantis said, “The site is particularly well chosen because of its proximity to north campus as well as ready access to most on main campus.”
Beverly Burris, chair of the Faculty Club committee, said “The re-establishment of the Faculty Club, in a different location and format, is a dream that many faculty have had for over ten years now. Now that dream has become a reality.”
“The building has received a complete renovation under the direction of the Physical Plant Department,” DeSantis said. The garage was converted into a library necessitating that the floor to be built up. There is also a music room with a piano, to be used for concerts as well as recreational playing.
Two patios allow for outdoor gatherings and the largest interior space will comfortably seat 35, DeSantis said. “The room will be ideal for departmental retreats, special dinners or guest lectures,” he said. There are also two private dining/meeting rooms.
New furniture and a new cooling system are among the facility’s amenities. Aramark will provide food services, DeSantis said. Breakfast items, soups, sandwiches, salads, soft drinks and juices will be among the fare.
DeSantis said that the Faculty Club committee has initially set monthly dues at $5, with payment through a payroll deduction. “It is not so much to make revenue, but rather to give faculty a vested interest in the club, and, in turn, to encourage them to use it,” DeSantis said.
“Re-establishing a Faculty Club would never have happened without a directive and support from President Caldera,” DeSantis said.
“The Faculty Club will provide a place where faculty from all parts of UNM can come together, socialize and interact. I hope that it will promote collaboration, intellectual stimulation and fun,” Burris said.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920
What students need to succeed as writers is the focus of a cross-discipline faculty discussion scheduled for Monday, Feb. 28, from 2-5 p.m. in the SUB Lobo Room.
The second step in a three-semester series of English Department colloquia on promoting effective student writing in the academic and professional arenas, this session will examine student language backgrounds and skills, how students succeed or struggle with college-level reading and writing, and how faculty can better teach writing at UNM.
Conceived and developed by English Department Professors Wanda Martin and Michelle Hall Kells, the colloquium will invite faculty members from diverse disciplines and perspectives to weigh in on these vital issues.
“Professor Kells brought her interest in the influence of language and culture on students’ success at college writing when she came to UNM this year. She proposed a colloquium on the topic,” Martin said.
Martin and Kells wanted the event to have impact. “We are bringing together the various campus stakeholders in undergraduate reading and writing,” Martin said.
Titled “Writing Across Communities,” the series seeks to investigate “how writing can be strengthened across the curriculum by taking into account language practices and backgrounds students bring to the university and regarding these ‘Writing Across Communities’ seeks faculty input backgrounds as sources of strength in a transnational, transborder world,” Martin said.
The faculty will address three questions:
· What do you know about students’ language background and skills?
· How do you see students struggling/succeeding with your expectations for reading and writing?
· What are your observations and suggestions about how we teach undergraduates to write?
Starting at 2 p.m., with new groups starting at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., the groups will meet to share views about writing at UNM. The information gathered from the sessions will be used to find better ways to respond to student academic and professional writing needs at UNM.
Faculty are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Beverly Gillen, barmygil@unm.edu or 277-7441.
“The Balancing Act,” a presentation sponsored by the University of New Mexico Staff Council Work+Life Committee, is scheduled for Wednesday, March 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Union building, Lobo rooms A&B.
The event is free. Light refreshments will be served.
Omar Ahmed, American Cancer Society, will offer tips for balancing work and life in his talk “Stress: The Silent Killer.” UNM Professor Richard Santos offers expert advice on how “Balancing Work and Life Improves the Bottom Line .”
Ahmed is a 15-year communications professional who worked in the sports entertainment field serving teams at the collegiate, professional and Olympic levels. He is regional communications director for the American Cancer Society.
“Trying to balance all aspects of life can be overwhelming, but allowing stress to overwhelm your life can kill you,” Ahmed said. “This talk will cover the medical effects stress has on the body and what you can do diffuse stress and create balance in all areas of your life.”
Richard Santos, Ph.D., associate professor of Economics, is interim associate dean for Research at the UNM College of Arts and Sciences. His areas of expertise are labor and health economics, with a specialization in Hispanic employment issues. He is a former department chair and the first recipient of the UNM Work-Life Manager Award.
“Balancing the demands of work and life is a challenge to most employees. Organizations that understand these challenges and seek to help and support employees
balance such demands are creating healthy and productive workplace environments,” Santos said. “Flexible work schedules, supporting healthy lifestyles, understanding the changing demands of family life, and other activities to balance work/life issues improves the bottom line for everyone. Employers and employees who understand these dimensions are critical to the success of high performance organizations.”
Contact: Laurie Mellas Ramirez, (505) 277-5915
Physics Professor Nitant Kenkre will be the 50th Annual Research Lecturer at the University of New Mexico, the highest honor the institution can bestow on a faculty member. Kenkre, who was selected through a peer review process, will give his lecture “Movers and Shakers in Physics and Biology,” on April 12, 2005 at 7 p.m. The lecture, which will be held in the auditorium of the Continuing Education building at 1634 University Blvd., N.E., is free and open to the public.
“Dr. Kenkre is an outstanding example of a professor who has contributed seminal research in his chosen fields of theoretical and condensed matter physics and statistical physics,” said President Louis Caldera. “Then (he) moved on to make notable contributions in areas far outside his field, in the applications of mathematical models to the theory and spread of epidemics. We are honored that he has chosen to spend a substantial part of his career at UNM.”
Kenkre joined the Physics and Astronomy Department in 1984. He served as the director of the Center for Advanced Studies (1996-2000) and is the founding director of UNM’s Consortium of the Americas for Interdisciplinary Science. The consortium has twin goals of international collaboration between the United States and Latin America, and interdisciplinary research directed at mathematical biology, complex systems, nanoscience and novel materials.
During his career, Kenkre has written a number of books, authored or co-authored more than 200 scientific articles and has mentored 16 Ph.D. physics students working on their dissertations. In addition to being an elected fellow of the American Physical Society, he has interests in visual art, philosophy, comparative religion and literature, and is facile in several languages.
“I am happy to have been chosen for this honor and thankful to those who were involved in the selection process,” said Kenkre. “Much exciting work remains to be done in crossing borders, whether in disciplines or nations, and my colleagues and I are looking forward to continued efforts.”
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627
“Four Little Indians: Tobacco Addiction as an Indian Killer and the Integration of Native American Studies Topics and Public Health Advocacy,” is the topic of a free lecture Thursday, Feb. 24, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the University of New Mexico, Mesa Vista Hall, rm. 3080.
Lawrence A. Shorty, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Fellow at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, is the guest speaker. UNM’s Native American Studies and the NAS Indigenous Research Group sponsor the talk. A reception follows at 4:30 p.m.
Shorty, who is Dine/Choctaw, received his master’s in public health from UNM. He is currently working on a project for the North Carolina Tobacco Control and Prevention Branch.
“Today, 40 percent of adult American Indians and Alaska Natives are smokers, or four of 10. Similarly, four little Indians refers to the percentage who will die from a tobacco related illness. American Indian extinction is one topic with which tobacco addiction can be linked,” Shorty said.
“The characterization of ‘tobacco addiction’ and the way it manifests itself in native communities – linked with Native American Studies topics – may be a powerful tool to help people understand this problem and create an activist movement to address it,” he said.
Shorty was one of nine in the country to be selected a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Fellow in 2001. The Fellows Program builds a bridge between the leaders of today and tomorrow through mentoring. Each fellow spearheads a program to cultivate awareness of substance abuse and attempt to curb its pervasiveness in society.
“The fellowship helped me advance my agenda of using topics from the Native American Studies discipline to address the impact of tobacco on American Indian communities. I used funds to get media development training, to purchase historic tobacco marketing materials and to create short documentaries about American Indians willing to share their truth about the impact of tobacco on their health,” Shorty said.
Contact: Laurie Mellas Ramirez, (505) 277-5915
John A. Pieper, dean of the UNM College of Pharmacy, announced the appointment of two faculty members to prestigious positions at the University of New Mexico.
Professor Laurie Hudson (l.), pharmacy, has been awarded a Regents’ Professorship. Hudson is director of the UNM Health Sciences Center Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program.
Hudson has taught at UNM for seven years and has current research grants totaling more than $2 million. She also spearheads an effort to significantly increase the number of graduate students in all areas of health sciences study.
“She has an outstanding record of research, teaching, leadership and service to the college, the Health Sciences Center and the university,” Pieper said. “She is an excellent role model for graduate and professional students and faculty throughout the university.”
Associate Professor Renee Mercier (r.), pharmacy, has been named a Regents’ Lecturer. Mercier has an outstanding teaching, research and service record in seven years at the college. Mercier mentors professional students and is the coordinator for the specialized pharmacy residency program in infectious diseases pharmacotherapy, where she has trained six post-Pharm.D residents since July 1999.
The Regent’s posts were created in the 1980's for UNM colleges and schools as a means to honor and retain outstanding faculty. The appointment is for three years. The title "Regents’ Professor" or "Regents’ Lecturer" may be retained during the balance of the awardee's career at UNM.
The award funds ($8,300 Professorships; $2,900 Lectureships) are allocated each of the three years and may be taken as salary, used for professional development or for research expenses.
Contact: Angela Heisel, (505) 272-3651
University of New Mexico student teams performed well recently at the Associated Schools of Construction regional competition in Reno, Nevada. Twenty-nine students from construction management, construction engineering, civil engineering and architecture participated in team events.
Photo: UNM students won the second place team award at the Associated Schools of Construction regional competition. From left, Ali Dipour, Raquel Lucero, Joshua Bazinet, Tandy Freel, Jennifer Jaramillo and Johnny Barton.
Two of five UNM teams took top honors. The Design Build team was awarded second place and the Residential Construction team came in third, out of nearly 110 teams competing. This was only the second time in recent years that UNM teams have entered these highly competitive categories.
It is the first time UNM teams have placed near the top in a dozen years of competition says Jerald Rounds, AGC endowed professor, Civil Engineering.
In addition to sharpening their skills, all 29 competing students took part in raising the fees necessary to participate in the event. The New Mexico construction industry, the Civil Engineering department and the School of Engineering assisted students with mentoring and funding for the competition. The annual event drew 700 students from 26 schools in western states.
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816
Art History Professor David Craven recently donated a photo (left) to the collections at the Center for Southwest Research of Nicaraguan guerrilla leader Augusto César Sandino. The donation came in conjunction with the department of Art and Art History and the Latin American and Iberian Institute honoring the remarkable career of Dr. Russ Davidson, the former head of Latin American Acquisitions at Zimmerman Library.
The photograph, taken in 1934, was shot shortly before Sandino’s assassination. Craven says Sandino is one of the most legendary figures in 20th century Nicaraguan history.
The revolutionary Sandinista movement fro the 1970s and 80s took its name from Sandino, who had been an outspoken opponent of social inequalities, and supported radical change in the political system of the country. Sandino organized a peasant army in the late 1920s to combat foreign military intervention on behalf of the conservative government.
“We would like to thank Professor Craven, the Department of Art and Art History and the Latin American and Iberian Institute for this valuable addition to our collection,” said Center for Southwest Research Director Michael Kelly. “Russ Davidson would have been thrilled to have it in the collection and we are very pleased to accept it.”
Yale University Press published Craven’s most recent book, “Art and Revolution in Latin America, 1910-1990,” in 2002. In it, he discusses Sandino’s iconic status in the visual arts of Nicaragua.
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627
More than 100 UNM students, many representing minority support programs on campus, gathered in the SUB Ballroom Friday afternoon, Feb. 18, to hear U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) describe new legislation he recently introduced - legislation aimed at strengthening Hispanic serving institutions like the University of New Mexico.
The Next Generation Hispanic Serving Institutions Act, introduced by both Bingaman and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), would increase the amount of funding currently available to HSIs; would make it easier for qualified institutions to access the funding; and for the first time, would provide funding to support graduate programs.
“New Mexico’s Hispanic Serving institutions do a great job preparing undergraduate students for successful careers,” says Bingaman. “Now it’s time to take the next step and make a significant investment in helping encourage Hispanic students to do graduate work.”
During his welcoming remarks, UNM President Louis Caldera reminded the group that Hispanic Americans still have the lowest participation in higher education and that resources dedicated to reversing that trend are welcome.
The Next Generation Hispanic Serving Institutions Act would set aside $175 million for HSIs’ undergraduate programs annually, with another $125 million authorized for graduate programs.
Bingaman has represented New Mexico in the Senate since 1982. He was one of the authors of the original Hispanic Serving Institutions proposal that provided federal support for schools with high percentages of Hispanic students.
Contact: Susan McKinsey (505) 277-1989
Provost Brian Foster is leading a series of discussions that will reexamine the focus of the university’s areas of distinction. Over the next two months the campus community will meet for a series of discussion about possible areas of intense focus for the university.
“The next two months are when to get a piece of the action,” says Foster. “This is creative, exciting and challenging. It’s what the highest level of academic work is all about.”
More than 200 faculty members who have been involved in the process since early 2004 will be involved in the first round of discussions. In late March a series of forums will be scheduled for broad campus participation. At the end of the process, some proposals will enter a business or operational planning exercise to determine ways in which they can be implemented, and to examine whether the proposal has the possibility of achieving real distinction for UNM.
More information is available at: www.unm.edu/~clusters
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627
The Indigenous Nations' Library Program is sponsoring a talk and brown bag lunch and panel discussion at Zimmerman Library on Monday, Feb. 28, 2005. The title of the talk is “Native American Stereotypes & Mascots, Reclaiming Culture." The brown bag lunch from 12 to 1:30 p.m. and will be held in room 102. The panel discussion will be in the Willard Reading Room from 3 to 5 p.m.
Mark Tafoya and Darius Lee Smith are the presenters. They will discuss diversity redefined from an indigenous people’s perspective.
Tafoya is pursuing his doctoral degree at the University of Colorado at Denver, School of Education/Educational Leadership and Innovation. He has made it a personal campaign to conduct workshops on diversity and stereotyping. Tafoya emphasizes that he and his culture are not cartoons, myths or dead fables.
Smith is Navajo/African American growing up in a predominately black neighborhood in Denver and spending summers with his maternal grandmother on the Navajo reservation. He developed the curriculum "American Indian Mascots: Hype, Insult or Ignorance" while he was a curriculum development specialist for the Denver Public Schools. He is currently the Director of the Anti-Discrimination Office for the City and County of Denver.
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627
University of New Mexico President Louis Caldera joined a group of university officials at a news conference on Capitol Hill this morning, in applauding the reintroduction of the Minority Serving Institution Digital & Wireless Network Technology Opportunity Act of 2005 and calling for its swift passage. The bill's sponsor is Senator George Allen of Virginia.
Photo: President Louis Caldera (right) joined several university presidents at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. Thursday to lend support to legislation for digital technology for minority serving institutions.
Caldera, who was in Washington, D.C. for meetings with New Mexico's Congressional delegation, was invited to participate in the news conference as president of a minority and Hispanic-serving institution, and as a Governing Board member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).
Caldera believes this legislation is a key to helping develop the information technology infrastructure that will enable minority serving institutions, which usually have smaller endowments and less federal financial support, to educate the next generation of scientists and engineers to successfully compete in the information economy.
He said, “Bridging this gap is critical to U.S. economic competitiveness.”
Allen's bill would provide grants for new technology equipment and infrastructure expansion, as well as new faculty development, classroom technology, training, technology partnership and technology education leadership development opportunities for eligible HSIs and other minority-serving institutions.
"The digital world is the environment incoming students expect to find at today's universities, as digital technology enables them to communicate in ways they've grown accustomed to in today's society," said Caldera. "But digital technology also enhances learning capabilities and opportunities for these students, enabling them to communicate and collaborate with each other, their professors and the global community.
"Good digital technology expands a university's learning boundaries, making geographic boundaries obsolete as place-bound students are able to access the same courses available in classrooms on campus."
Sen. Allen introduced a similar measure last year which passed the U.S. Senate on a 97-0 vote, but stalled in the House.
Contact: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1989
Project LINK reached another milestone last week with its launch of the Human Resources/Payroll Project. The “kick off” event, held Thursday, Feb. 10 in the theater of the Student Union Building, included several guest speakers and an informational session.
The Human Resources/Payroll Project is the fourth implementation of Project LINK. Although currently in implementation stages, the HR/Payroll Project will affect every UNM employee upon its completion in January 2007.
The scope of the HR/Payroll Project includes reorganizing many of the Human Resources and Payroll processes. Overall, it will eliminate unnecessary paperwork and create business processes that more efficiently utilize staff. In addition, UNM employees will have round-the-clock access to their current annual leave and sick leave. In the months approaching its completion date, it will also include a full-scale training for UNM employees.
In a broader sense, Project LINK is reengineering and redesigning the major business practices currently applied at UNM. Throughout the next two years, these processes will continue to be replaced little by little with a modern information technology management system.
Other LINK projects that are in various stages of implementation include Finance, Student/Academic and Financial Aid.
Upon completion of Project LINK in January 2007, UNM will be among the approximately 70 higher education institutions that have adopted similar modern information management technology systems.
Project LINK is headquartered at 801 University Blvd SE. For up-to-date, detailed information about Project LINK, visit http://link.unm.edu. For information on all major projects occurring at UNM, please visit www.unm.edu/waytogo.
Contact: Allie Thompson, (505) 277-
The University of New Mexico Alumni Association will bestow four major awards upon alumni and faculty at its annual awards dinner Thursday, Feb. 17, at the Sheraton Old Town. The recipients include: Jerry Jackson, James F. Zimmerman Award; Art Melendres, Rodey Award; Jerry Atkinson, Erna S. Fergusson Award; and Tey Diana Rebolledo, Alumni Association Faculty Award.
Jerry Jackson (’64 BAED)
Jackson is a retired executive vice president of Merck & Company, an international pharmaceutical firm. Jackson worked for Merck for 30 years, serving in such capacities as president of Merck’s worldwide human health division, senior vice president for Merck’s specialty chemicals business, and president of Merck’s international division. Jackson has also served on the board of directors of several biotech pharmaceutical companies and is currently on the boards of Intrabiotics pharmaceuticals, Inc., Myogen, Inc., and Langford I.C. Systems, Inc.
The James F. Zimmerman Award is given to an alum of the university who has brought fame and honor to UNM or New Mexico.
Art Melendres, (’65 BA, ’71 JD, ’58 BS)
Melendres is a partner in the Modrall, Sperling, Roehl, Harris & Sisk law firm. Currently, he is a commissioner on the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education. Melendres has also served on the UNM Board of Regents beginning 1991 and completed his service as president of the Board. In his legal practice, Melendres serves as general counsel to the Albuquerque Public Schools, advising the board and administration on open meetings, inspection of public records, real estate, employment and other matters.
The Rodey Award is given to someone who has devoted an unusual amount of time in a leadership capacity and has contributed significantly to the field of education.
Jerry Atkinson (’67 BBA)
Atkinson is a retired senior director/owner of Atkinson & Company, CPA’s and currently a rancher. Atkinson served on the UNM Alumni Association Board of Directors, which he presided over in 1985-86, and on the UNM Foundation Board of Directors. He also served on the boards of the TVI Foundation and the Albuquerque Public Schools Foundation. A leader in his profession, serving in many capacities in the New Mexico Society of CPA’s and the Associated Accounting Firms International, Atkinson was a strong proponent of his firm’s “giving back” to the community.
The Erna S. Fergusson Award is given for exceptional accomplishment or distinguished service to the University.
Tey Diana Rebolledo
Rebolledo is the chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. Rebolledo, who earned her master’s degree at UNM, began her career at UNM as director of the Women’s Studies program. A scholar in the areas of Chicano/a and Latin American literature, Rebolledo was named UNM Regents’ Professor in 1999 and Distinguished Professor by the Modern Language Association in 2003.
The UNM Alumni Association Faculty Award recognizes outstanding teaching and service to students.
Contacts: Mary Conrad, (505) 277-5808; Eleanor Sanchez, (505) 277-1813
With large construction projects like a new building for the School of Architecture and Planning and the Lobo Center business facility expansion, the university is gearing up for one of the biggest years of construction in its history.
North Diversion Channel
The extension of the North Diversion Channel located along Camino de Salud on north campus is well underway. Box culverts will be installed along the AMAFCA channel, recapturing 0.7 acres of land. Upon completion of phase I in mid-May, the land will be used as a lay-down yard for the Children’s Hospital and Critical Care Pavilion, recently named the Barbara and Bill Richardson Pavilion (BABRP).
The second phase of this important project will create a new entry into the UNM hospitals. The scope of the work includes expansion and reconfiguration of the Yale-Camino de Salud interchange, widening Yale north to Camino de Salud and moving Camino de Salud south over the area created by the box culvert project.
Highlights of the project include a new pedestrian walkway and extension of the existing bike trail. The project will minimally impact parking, but will temporarily close Camino de Salud. For more information on BABRP, visit http://hospitals.unm.edu/BBRPavilion/Index.shtml.
Electrical Upgrade Phase III
The electrical upgrade phase III project is now 33 percent complete. The project will affect various buildings (planned power outages) throughout main campus, as portions of the existing site electrical distribution system are upgraded to the newer and more reliable 12.47kV system.
To date, the project has impacted the following buildings: University House, Student Services Center, Mesa Vista Hall, Student Health Center, Johnson Center, Zimmerman Library, Bandelier, EECE/Centennial Library, Anthropology Annex and the area near the tennis courts. The electrical upgrade project will next move to Scholes Hall and require after-hours power outages presently being scheduled through June by the Physical Plant Department.
The Lobo Center
The Lobo Center business facility expansion project will construct a three-story, 70,000 square foot building in place of the space that previously housed Belew’s Office Supply and UNM Press.
Construction of the $10.8 million business facility began in early January. When construction is complete on the Lobo Center in December, general accounting, payroll, purchasing, accounts payable and human resources will occupy the facility. An estimated 200 employees will move to the new space, consolidating a portion the university’s business operations. In conjunction with the expansion project, phase II of Speech and Hearing Services will also be completed.
School of Architecture
The groundbreaking for the $16.5 million School of Architecture and Planning and Fine Arts and Design Library is scheduled to take place when the legislative session ends.
The facility will be located at what is currently the visitors parking lot, just east of the UNM Bookstore. Plans for the building include five stories and more than 98,000 sq. ft.
For up-to-date information on all major UNM construction projects, power outages and related issues, visit the Way To Go Web site at www.unm.edu/waytogo.
Allie Thompson, (505) 277-7584
James M. and Rebecca Long are funding scholarships for students in the UNM School of Architecture and Planning's graduate certificate program in historic preservation and regionalism. Long, founder of American Property and 1982 graduate of the UNM architecture program, is committing $10,000 per year for five years.
The funds will be matched by UNM, said Chris Wilson, director of the certificate program and J.B. Jackson professor of cultural studies.
“Mr. Long is a strong supporter of the certificate program. He wants to encourage young New Mexicans to contribute to local cultural vitality that both enriches residents' lives and fosters heritage tourism development,” Wilson said.
Priority for the scholarships will be given to students pursuing a degree in addition to the certificate as well as students who graduated from New Mexico high schools.
Deadline for the scholarship is Tuesday, March 1. For more information contact, Candelaria Romero, program administrative assistant, at 277-0071 or hpreg@unm.edu.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920
Recent UNM graduate Teresa Eckmann is the new postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Southwest Research (CSWR) at Zimmerman Library. She will have collections management and research responsibilities. Eckmann will also focus on cataloging posters in the Sam L. Slick Collection of 10,000 Latin American and political posters, creating digital records and conducting conservation efforts.
“We are pleased to have Teresa here. Her expertise will be extremely helpful in organizing this collection,” said CSWR Director Mike Kelly.
Eckmann previously worked as a collections manager, archivist and photographer for University Libraries and as assistant curator at the National Hispanic Cultural Center’s Visual Arts Program.
“Working with this collection has been a great privilege,” said Eckmann. “I am excited by this opportunity to facilitate public awareness of the collection via the web, in the classroom and through the exhibition at the National Hispanic Cultural Center scheduled for the fall of 2006.”
Dr. Tobias Duran and the Center provide funding for the fellowship for Regional Studies.
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627
Undergraduate Researchers Invited to Show Their Stuff
The University of New Mexico’s PROFOUND (Program of Research Opportunities FOr UNDergraduates) office will showcase undergraduate research during its 2nd Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research Symposium on Wednesday, April 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Ballrooms B&C in the Student Union Building.
“More formalized attention has been given to undergraduate research this year than in the past,” said Theresa López, PROFOUND Program Coordinator. “President Caldera has greeted incoming freshman groups and high school junior and senior classes telling them about research opportunities available to them as undergraduates at a research extensive university.
“A fall symposium sponsored by University College, including Freshman Learning Groups, has helped to promote research to a younger sector of undergraduates. We hope this publicity will not only help the community understand what UNM has to offer students, but that students will also begin to see that research in any department on campus is a reality for them.”
The event is attractive to both participants and visitors, and will feature, in addition to the research posters, guest speakers including a keynote address by Linda Hall, professor, Latin American History and former director of Latin American Studies. Hall’s published work has focused on the Mexican Revolution and the U.S. - Mexican border and the various roles that the Virgin Mary plays for the people of Spain and the Spanish-speaking New World.
Mari-Luci Jaramillo, former Ambassador to Honduras, will be the featured lunchtime speaker. She wrote “Madame Ambassador: the Shoemaker’s Daughter,” an autobiography about perseverance and the importance of education. It reflects her life as a New Mexico woman who overcame her early experiences of poverty, discrimination and prejudice to advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Students interested in participating in the research symposium must complete an on-line registration form, which includes an abstract of 225-words or less, by Monday, March 28, 2005. The form can be located at: http://www.unm.edu/~profound/.
A workshop, Writing Effective Abstracts, will be held Wednesday, March 2, in Ortega Hall, room 335, from 3 to 5 pm. The workshop is designed to help students represent their work as effectively as possible. Writing instructors will work one-on-one with each participant to make a clear, concise and correct abstract. To register, e-mail PROFOUND at: profound@unm.edu. The registration deadline for the workshop is Wednesday, Feb. 23.
Door prizes, donated from local businesses and campus organizations, will also be awarded throughout the event as part of the symposium. Top presenters in four categories will receive cash prizes with a symposium wide grand prize of a laptop computer. Students present for the lunchtime speakers will be eligible to win a digital camera.
The mission of the PROFOUND office, which was established late last year, focuses on student employment through research opportunities to increase retention rates; to improve communication and provide unity within the UNM research community; and as a resource for future funding opportunities.
It was established last August by five UNM offices including: Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Dean of the College of Engineering; Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs; Vice President for Research; and Vice President for Student Affairs.
For more information contact Theresa López at (505) 277-0528 or via e-mail at: tlopez@unm.edu.
Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821
The University of New Mexico Department of Psychology and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI - Albuquerque) will sponsor a lecture by nationally renowned schizophrenia expert Dr. Samuel Keith, chair, UNM Department of Psychiatry, on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m., at Keller Hall in the Center for the Arts at the UNM.
Keith’s lecture, titled “Schizophrenia: Myths, Mysteries and Medicine,” will address current understandings and research on schizophrenia, a devastating brain disorder that affects more than two million American adults. Light refreshments, including coffee and cookies, will follow the lecture.
Keith is a founding member of two key mental health organizations including the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, founded 25 years ago, and the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD).
Ticket prices for the lecture are $10 for general admission, $5 for consumers and $5 for students. They can be purchased through Tickets.com and its outlets including Raley’s and Western Warehouse, at the Popejoy Box Office and the Pit Box Office. Tickets will also be on sale at the Popejoy Box Office one hour before the event. Parking is available in the fee lot by the UNM Bookstore and the parking structure.
For more information call the NAMI (Albuquerque chapter) at 256-0288.
Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821
"Tortured Reasoning: Has the United States Abandoned the Geneva Conventions After 9/11?” is the title of a free talk at the UNM School of Law Thursday, Feb. 17, from noon to 1 p.m. in the forum.
Joshua Dratel, defense counsel in several high profile U.S. terrorism prosecutions, is the guest speaker.
Dratel served as counsel for Sami Omar Al-Hussayen, acquitted in federal court in Idaho last spring. He also defended Wadih El-Hage in United States v. Usama bin Laden , which involved the 1998 bombings of the United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. He represented Mohamed El-Mezain, a defendant in the federal prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, and Mohamed Suleiman al-Nalfi, another defendant in the embassy bombings case.
Dratel is lead counsel for David Hicks, an Australian detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Prosecution on the case is the U.S. military commission.
He has written and lectured on terrorism issues, the USA Patriot Act, the Classified Information Procedures Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Dratel was a guest on ABC Nightline in regard to civil liberties and security in the wake of the events of Sept. 11, 2001. He is co-editor with Karen J. Greenberg of “ The Torture Papers: The Legal Road to Abu Ghraib” (Cambridge University Press, 2005), a compendium of government memoranda.
The talk is presented by UNM School of Law faculty and co-sponsored by the law school's chapter of the National Lawyer's Guild.
Contact: Laurie Mellas Ramirez, (505) 277-5915
“Mary” was homeless, but had dreams of being an artist – CASAA Outreach gave “Mary” GED training to reach her goals. “Mary’s” desire, plus the Outreach’s assistance helped her to successfully enter college. “Mary is now pursuing her dream.
“Isabel” was a runaway living on the streets. – The CASAA Outreach program helped “Isabel” gain self-confidence, find a steady job, an apartment and a new chance at life.
The stories are just two of the many successful cases the University of New Mexico’s Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions (CASAA) Runaway and Homeless Youth Program are proud to have been an instrumental part of turning around a young, homeless adult’s life. There are many others.
The program, which is housed at 317 Washington, Blvd. S.E., has many different forms of assistance available to homeless and near homeless youth who are between 14 – 24 years old and willing to complete pretreatment and follow-assessments.
Services include counseling, case management, medical assistance, housing assistance GED training, employment assistance, referrals, food, showers, laundry facilities, clothing and a place to rest and relax. Hours for the 4,000-square-foot facility, which is the largest of its kind in Albuquerque, are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
“The purpose of the program is to meet kids where they are currently having problems,” said Sr. Program Manager Isela Roeder. “The ultimate goal is to provide these kids with a positive experience and with skills to get them back into school, a job or housing.”
CASAA does much more than provide a ‘hangout’ for its clients. The program helps clients take responsibility and move them into the mainstream, a key component to the success of the program and its clients. Utilizing the successful Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) developed by CASAA
Research Associate Professor Bob Meyers, CRA helps individuals develop the pro-social skills necessary to make responsible life choices allowing the homeless youth who participate to move back into the mainstream and a normal lifestyle. It is designed to make changes in the client’s daily environment, to reduce substance abuse and promote a healthier life-style.
“CRA is an evidence-based therapy that’s cost effective for adolescent treatment,” said Research Scientist Jason Blankenship. “Trained therapists use CRA to help the street youth with real-world skills.”
CASAA’s program serves a minimum of 15 clients a day in the winter. During the warmer months more than 50 clients a day are provided some form of assistance. To help provide the services it does, CASAA has teamed up with several organizations throughout the city including Adelante, Desert Harvest, Youth Development Incorporated and ArtStreet, to help serve the youth.
Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821
"More than 100 students attending the University of New Mexico will appear in the 2005 edition of “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.”
In order to qualify, students were required to be currently enrolled at UNM, a junior, senior or graduate student and be recommended by faculty or student organizations.
UNM students who are listed in the publication include: Elaine Almquist, Andrea Andersen, Chelsea Armstrong, Jennifer Bayley, Maralyn Beck, Oleksandra Beznosova, Alison Bowles, Brenda Bustillos, Ramona Caplan, Isaac Cardona, Jessica Castro, Bryan Chavez, Madeleine Coleman, Matthew Cone, Cari Crappell, Buck Creel, Justin Crosby, Jessica Davis, Treyvon Davis, Mario DeFlice, Aynsley Dickinson, Dao Do, Max Dominguez, Dahlia Dorman, Christopher Duran, Lisa Esparza, Amy Farrar, Whitney Faust, Phara Forsythe, Jacqueline Garcia, Marleigh Garcia, Nina Gardea, Nikiyah Gill, Sheena Gonzales, Nicholas Griego, Carlos Guillen, Lauren Haggerty, Matt Henderson, Niya Henry, Alexander Hughes, Cally Anne Ingebritson, Alaa Ishak, Brittany Jaeger, Samuel Johnsen, Andree Johnson, Ross Johnson, Saraswati Khalsa, Vanessa Kidd, Juliet Kinkade, Taran Kohli, Janice Kowemy, Heather Kraemer, Onawa Lacy, Lauren Lewis, Yvette Lopez, April Lopez, Christopher Lujan, Brandi Marks, Paul Martin, Victoria Martin, Juan Martinez, Maria Mazon, Genna McGahee, Roseanna McGinn, Leslie McMurty, Anjanette Merriweather, Kyle Milberger, Nicole Miller, Daniel Monroe, Nicole Morgan, Aletha Myers-Taylor, Celeste Naranjo, Deepti Navaratna, Rosalyn Nguyen, Estelle Olivas, Maya Oliver, Christine Prior, Christine Probasco, Tryette Puentes, Kendra Ratcliffe-Chioccohio, Annette Rodriguez, Matthew Ruybal, Reza Safavi, Leanne Salazar, Elizabeth Sambrano, Marc Sanchez, Elizabeth Schomburg, Denise Sena, Michael Sonnie, Brian Stacy, David Steele, Matthew Stensland, Kevin Stevenson, Crystal Switch, Anna Tu, Amanda Tuttle, Stefanie Vigil, Amanda Viltrakis, Allicia Waukau, Robert Whalen, Patrick Willink, Kelli Wilson, Natahnee Winder and Veera Yeruva.
Susan Corban, assistant director, Student Activities Center says, “There are so many outstanding students at UNM doing many interesting things, from research to service, it’s critical to find a way to recognize them.”
The students will be recognized at the UNM Annual Recognition reception on April 14, 2005 in the Student Union Ballroom.
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627
National Press Club hosts press conference Feb. 7
A national election report, featuring the research of University of New Mexico professor Lonna Rae Atkeson, will be released Monday, Feb. 7, at a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Despite claims that campaign finance reform would result in the death of political parties and their ability to fund a national grassroots and media campaign, the opposite was the case in 2004, according to a new report by the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University.
For Atkeson's portion of the study, she monitored the New Mexico 1st Congressional District race between Heather Wilson and Richard Romero, a spirited contest in which new federal election laws were put to the test, and the activities of the parties, candidates and groups in New Mexico involved with the presidential race.
Atkeson's work will be discussed in one of a series of panel discussions featuring leading academic researchers who analyzed Senate and House elections. The research is part of a national effort by the center to study the impact of the recently enacted Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, also known as McCain-Feingold.
In upholding the new law a year ago, the Supreme Court cited prior research by the Brigham Young center. The report to be released Monday is expected to be a key measure of the impact of McCain-Feingold on campaign spending and messages.
Contact: Laurie Mellas Ramirez, (505) 277-5915
Santa Fe saw cherry and silver on UNM Day at the State Capitol Thursday, Feb. 3 as representatives from 23 departments made the journey to Santa Fe to dazzle lawmakers and the Capitol crowd with a wide range of programs available at the university.
Photo: Louie Lobo was invited to sit alongside Rep. Ben Lujan, New Mexico Speaker of the House during UNM Day at the State Capitol Thursday.
Participants included the Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Arts and Sciences, KNME-TV, Center for High Technology Materials, Museum of Southwestern Biology, School of Law Library/Clinical Programs, UNM Libraries, Lobo Athletics, UNM Info Booth/Alumni, Extended University, Physical Plant Department, College of Pharmacy, NM Poison Center, College of Nursing, Cancer Research & Treatment Center, Manufacturing Engineering Program, KUNM-FM, El Centro de la Raza, Accessibility Services, ASUNM and GPSA, Research Opportunity Programs, School of Engineering and the Division of Continuing Education all had displays at the capitol.
A number of UNM dignitaries were introduced on the floor of both houses during their respective sessions. President Louis Caldera and Regents Jamie Koch, Raymond Sanchez, Rosalyn Nguyen and Doug Brown were joined by Athletic Director Rudy Davalos, Deputy Athletic Director Conrad Colbert, Head Football Coach Rocky Long and Alumni Association President Coleman Travelstead.
Lobo Louie, bedecked in a necktie for the occasion, greeted legislators, staff and pages in both houses and especially seemed to bond with Speaker of the House Ben Lujan. Mariachi Lobo entertained the legislators in both houses and Mariachi Lobo and provided entertainment along with UNM Ballet Folklorico Lumbre during the lunch hour at the rotunda.
UNM also made sure the legislators and their staff was well fed as they went about the business of the state. ASUNM reps carried breakfast burritos to all offices and committee chambers. At noon more than 400 people enjoyed a Mexican buffet courtesy of the UNM Alumni Association and El Pinto Restaurant.
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627
Finalists vying for the position of University of New Mexico African American Studies director will be on campus throughout February.
AAS, the African American Student Services Center and College of Arts and Sciences are hosting a series of free community receptions for the candidates. Each candidate will also give a talk. The schedule is as follows:
• Cynthia Young, University of Southern California, “Shot in Watts: State Violence and Indie Film,” Friday, Feb. 11, from 3:30 –5 p.m., Ortega Hall, rm. 335. Reception will follow, 5:30 – 6:30, Student Union building, Sandia room.
• Darryl Thomas, State University of New York, “Back to Empire! African Americans Challenging Diverse,” Thursday Feb. 17, from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m., Ortega Hall, rm. 313. Reception will follow, 5 – 6, Student Union building, luminaria rm.
• William A Darity Jr., University of North Carolina, “Racial Wealth Inequality and Reparations,” Monday Feb. 21, from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m., Ortega Hall, rm. 335. Reception will follow, 5 – 6, Student Union building, sandia rm.
Young is an assistant professor in the Department of English and the American Studies and Ethnicity Program at the University of Southern California. Her lecture explores independent black cinema in the 1970's.
Thomas, is an associate professor in the departments of Africana Studies, Political Science and Philosophy, Interpretation and Culture Graduate Program at the State University of New York, Binghamton. He is the former Chair of Africana Studies at SUNY, Binghamton. His lecture, his study engages literature associated with Africana Studies, foreign policy, world politics, and race.
Darity is the Cary C. Boshamer Professor of Economics and director of the Institute of African American Research at the University of North Carolina. His lecture examines the evidence of black-white differences in net worth, the causes of the disparities, and the implications for the case of reparations for African Americans.
A fourth finalist, Finnie D. Coleman, Ph.D., visited campus and gave a research lecture, “Back Talkin' & Signifyin[g]; Discursive Strategies in Black Literature and Culture (Olaudah Equiano to Eric B. & Rakim),” in January.
Coleman is an assistant professor of English and assistant director of the Office of Honors Programs at Texas A&M University. Coleman's talk focused on ways in which cultural forms have been recruited to support purposes ranging from racial uplift ideologies and self-help movements to the struggle for civil rights and efforts to eradicate gender inequity and violence in black communities.
For more information, contact Vera Norwood , 277-7372, vnorwood@unm.edu .
Contact: Laurie Mellas Ramirez, (505) 277-5915
In economic development, strategic advantage is a necessary ingredient for success. New Mexico’s federal labs and research universities form the strategic advantage the state can leverage for job and wealth creation but needs business knowledge and risk-taking entrepreneurs to do the leveraging.
That’s how Sul Kassicieh, co-founder of the Management of Technology or MoT program at the Anderson Schools of Management, describes why the program is important for New Mexico. From the number of students who have graduated and moved on to work in the high-tech industry and a recent ranking of sixth in the nation by the International Association of Management of Technology, the program has succeeded beyond anyone’s imagination.
UNM was also ranked 13th in entrepreneurial campuses nationwide last year based partly on the activities of MoT in supporting technology startups in New Mexico.
Program origination
The program originated from a grant secured by Professor Ray Radosevich provided by the National Science Foundation in the 1980s. ASM had MoT courses, but at the time, it was called the Technology Innovation Program (TIP).
Radosevich, a professor emeritus and a partner at the New Mexico venture capital firm Verge, said, “TIP worked with Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories assisting technologists from both labs to start companies. Semiconductor Bridge and Cell Robotics are but two examples of companies supported by TIP.”
In 1993, Radosevich and Kassicieh brought more than 300 participants from industry, government and academia to discuss the challenges of public-sector technology commercialization. The following year, the MoT program was started as a result of the conference.
“Our intention has always been to bring high-technology jobs to New Mexico through the creation of new companies built around technologies at our universities and federal laboratories,” said Kassicieh, director and professor in the MoT program.
From lab to market
Their book, “From lab to market,” captures the success factors in working with the public sector in technology commercialization. The program offers courses mixing theories with a clinical hands-on approach where students work with real-life technology firms on business planning and market competitive analysis.
The MoT program has performed nearly 200 of these studies for many New Mexico, national and international firms under the direction of Kassicieh and Associate Professor Steve Walsh, who joined the program in 1998.
The program has graduated more than 80 MBA students from 1996-2003. Former students work at Sandia, Los Alamos, UNM, venture capital firms, small technology startups, large manufacturing and consulting firms, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
MoT experience pays dividends for students
Robert Haak, who graduated in 2001 with a dual concentration in MoT and Finance, says the MoT experience has paid dividends for his career, which has taken him to Tokyo, Japan.
“First and foremost, I liked the fact that the professors (Kassicieh and Walsh) running the program were out in the world making money as consultants practicing what they preach,” said Haak. “That was a vital element in choosing which professors to take classes with in a business school. I looked into it in detail and they had good reputations outside of the school.
“They offered me a graduate assistantship. I withdrew my applications to other business schools after the graduate assistantship was offered because I simply could not beat the deal UNM had to offer. Even without the graduate assistantship, UNM was a fantastic deal compared to other schools.”
Haak’s MoT professors introduced him to his current boss, which was the impetus for the move to Tokyo. But more importantly than that Haak says, was the education he received in the MoT program really helped him take his past work experience, move it forward and expand on it.
“I had quite a bit of experience before I went back to school and it was a big decision for me to quit my job and go back to school,” said Haak. “I was living in Taiwan at the time and after I had quit and was getting ready to move to New Mexico I started having second thoughts like ‘am I doing the right thing?’ and ‘maybe I know enough already.’
“After the first couple of weeks in school, I quickly realized that I found the right place to be. Analytical tools that I learned in the MoT program are used daily. Technology forecasting is a large part of what we do and my MoT coursework was directly related to this type of forecasting.”
Haak has nothing but good things to say about the program from the professors who teach in the program to the “real-world” experience he gained.
“First, the old adage holds true that ‘you get out of it what you put into it,’” said Haak. “The professors will help you in any way they can to offer you the opportunity to take away from the program as much as you can possibly give to it. But you have to be willing to work very hard.
“Second, as part of the MoT program you will get real world experience, which is much different from most other concentrations in the business school. Third, it’s an incredible deal in terms of tuition and other costs compared with the education and other things you take away when you complete the program.”
The MoT program offers real-world experience by working with local companies, technologists, and entrepreneurs to write their business plans, marketing plans and strategies among other things.
“There is a close relationship between the program and Sandia National Labs (SNL) so there was plenty of opportunity to work on technology commercialization strategies with scientists and engineers from SNL,” said Haak.
“I also liked the fact the department was connected internally with the Finance and International Business professors. I knew that I wanted to explore finance, marketing and accounting more. The program is very flexible because you can take some courses that are ‘code share’ and cover multiple disciplines.”
“We live in a highly technological world, so understanding how to make the best use of technology is now more important than ever,” added Kelly Cowan, a current student in the MoT program. “It’s a fairly new field, but one that is rapidly gaining popularity at schools throughout the world, as well as in the business community. Many different careers paths are available to MoT graduates, specifically in areas such as business intelligence, intellectual property management, technology commercialization and a wide variety of other fields.
Cowan says one of the most interesting things for her about the MoT program is the diverse range of projects and topics that you often get to work on.
“I currently work for Sandia National Laboratories doing business intelligence for the Licensing and Intellectual Property Management division,” she said. “I frequently get to work with exciting, new technologies and help find ways to commercialize them. You don’t have to be a scientist or an engineer to do this kind of work, although a good understanding of science does help. You just have to be creative and understand how to use concepts such as technological assessment, forecasting, road mapping and various others, depending on the situation.
“The program gives you real world experience working on actual projects that are making a difference to the technological and economic development of our state, the country, and possibly even the world. I have personally seen projects I have worked on result in millions of dollars of funding for UNM and others organizations. The MoT program has received approximately $1 million in outside support in the past eight years and has worked with more than 100 companies which we have helped position for success in venture capital markets,” she added.
Cowan earned a bachelor’s in Management Information Systems from the Anderson Schools and is a second-year MBA student who will graduate in May 2005. In addition to the concentration in the MoT program, she is also pursuing marketing.
“I have found the MoT program to be tremendously interesting because you get to work on things that give you a glimpse into what the future may be like,” said Cowan. “Some decisions or recommendations may even influence the future course of development in a certain area. One of the things that really draws me to MoT is that it is a kind of real life counterpart to the things people only dream of in science fiction. It is science fact and science future.”
Kassicieh says there is still lots of work to do.
“We need to get many of our startups into the manufacturing phase because that is where the long-term benefit accrues to the economy of the state. This is not a short-term activity. We are in it for the long haul,” says Kassicieh.
# # #
The Provost’s Committee for Staff is seeking nominations for its 16th Annual Outstanding Staff and Workgroup Awards, which are presented annually each spring. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Feb. 25 at 5 p.m.
Staff, faculty and students may nominate UNM staff employees including regular current, non-faculty, any individual staff or workgroup who has provided extraordinary service to the Provost’s units.
Previously nominated staff or workgroups may be nominated again, provided the nominee(s) is not a past recipient of the award. A workgroup can be comprised of an office, department, division or section. Current Provost’s Committee for Staff members are not eligible for the award and self-nominations will not be accepted.
Selection criteria includes demonstrated extraordinary achievement in one or more of the following areas: service to UNM or the community; exemplify University values (excellence; integrity & professionalism; diversity within the academic community; creativity & initiative; academic freedom; and access & student success) in an exceptional manner; and/or contribute substantially to significant team or department accomplishments
Members of the Provost’s Committee for Staff will screen nominees. A list of individuals and the workgroup is then forwarded to the Executive Vice President and Provost for Academic Affairs for approval.
The awards ceremony will be held Tuesday, April 5. Executive Vice President and Provost for Academic Affairs Brian L. Foster will present a plaque and a monetary award to the individual staff selected. Certificates will be presented to the winning workgroup. A permanent plaque, listing the workgroup, will be on display in Scholes Hall.
Nomination forms must be submitted online at: www.unm.edu/~pcs. For more information contact Lourdes McKenna at 277- 3112 or by e-mail at: lourdes@cs.unm.edu.
Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821
The University of New Mexico Office of International Programs and Studies seeks nominations for the 2004-05 International Excellence Awards. Nominations for deserving faculty, staff and students must be submitted to the OIPS by Friday, March 4.
The International Excellence Awards honor individuals who made outstanding contributions to further the international mission of the University of New Mexico. The recipients are selected by the international excellence awards committee, comprised of faculty, staff and students. The committee will select one faculty member (full or part-time) from the main campus and one from the Health Sciences Center campus, one staff member, and one student (international, domestic, graduate or undergraduate.)
Members of the committee and staff of the Office of International Programs and Studies are not eligible.
The awards are based on service in any one or more of the following areas:
* Outstanding scholarship and/or research with an international focus
* Support and advising for international students
* Advocacy and support for study abroad and student exchange programs
* Promotion of international collaboration involving faculty and staff
* Contribution to UNM area studies, language or other international programs
* Development of new international programs
* Providing international experiences for our students
* Bringing international perspectives into the curriculum
* Outstanding contributions to international understanding and goodwill
* Other international activities that benefit the campus and the larger community
To nominate a faculty member, staff member or student, please submit a letter of nomination and a copy of the nominee’s CV or resume to Ken Carpenter, Office of International Programs and Studies, Mesa Vista 2111, MSC06 3850. E-mail submissions may be sent to carpenk@unm.edu.
This year’s recipients will be honored at a reception on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 from 3 to 5 p.m. in Hodgin Hall, Bobo Room.
For more information contact Ken Carpenter, 277-4032.
PREVIOUS INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS RECIPIENTS
2003-04
Professor Michael E. Campana, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences and Director of the Water Resources Program
Manon Robyn Côté, Program Coordinator, Latin American & Iberian Institute
Jason Ben-Meir, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Sociology
2002-03
Professor Guillermina Engelbrecht, Director, Latin American Programs in Education, College of Education
Professor Arthur Kaufman, Department of Family and Community Medicine
Ruth Hashimoto, University Volunteer
Carolyn Gonzales, Public Affairs
Deborah Boehm, Graduate Student, Department of Anthropology
Professor Peter Pabisch, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
Lawrence Carreon, Physician Assistant, Student Health Center
Alyssa Cymene Mathilda Howe, Doctoral Student, Department of Anthropology
Dr. Ramiro Jordan, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Executive Director of the Ibero-American Science and Technology Education Consortium
Dr. Laura Martinez, Associate Professor of Nursing and Coordinator of the Program for Mexican Nurses
Fred Perez, Director of Recreation Services
Jijun Tang, President of the Chinese Student Friendship Association and Ph.D. student in Civil Engineering
1999-2000
Dr. Dorothy Vanderjagt, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Co-Director of the Minority International Research Training program.
Rosario Johnson, Department Administrator, Department of Spanish and Portuguese
1998-1999
Dr. Robert H. Glew, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Co-Director of the Minority International Research Training Program
Cynthia D. Garcia, Financial Aid Advisor, El Centro de la Raza
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920
School of Law Professor J. Michael Norwood has received the 2005 William Pincus Award from the Executive Committee of the American Association of Law Schools Section on Clinical Legal Education. Norwood was honored for leadership in the advancement of clinical legal education, tireless promotion of multidisciplinary collaborations, pioneering work on technology in clinics and dedication to students and social justice.
Norwood is the Dickason Professor of Law at UNM, where he has been teaching in the clinical programs since 1971. He served as reporter for the MacCrate Task Force, which issued a detailed report on the fundamental skills and professional values needed for competent legal practice.
He also authored New Mexico's Kinship Guardianship statute; developed one of the first computerized clinic case management systems, and created a semester-in-practice program, a collaborative, interdisciplinary and community-based clinic.
Norwood was honored at the AALS annual meeting in San Francisco recently.
The prestigious legal award dates back to 1981 and honors one or more individuals or institutions benefiting clinical education or advancing justice in the United States.
Contact: Laurie Mellas Ramirez, (505) 277-5915
Aboriginal Canadian actor, writer and artistic director Sandra Laronde will give a presentation about her work with Red Sky Theatre at the University of New Mexico on Monday, Feb. 14, from 6 –7 p.m. in the UNM Center for the Arts, rm. 1111.
She will also attend and guest direct/critique the latest play by Bruce King at Sol Arts, located at 630 Girard Blvd (near Central Ave) from 3-5 p.m. on Feb. 15.
Laronde is the artistic director for Red Sky and founder and artistic producer of Native Women in the Arts. She hails from the Teme-Augama-Anishnaabe (People of the Deep Water) in Temagami, northern Ontario and resides in Toronto.
Red Sky Theatre is a dynamic new company shaping contemporary Indigenous performance. LaRonde created Red Sky to facilitate original indigenous productions. www. Redskyperformance.com.
Red Sky has produced works such as Tomson Highway's ‘Caribou Song' with the Toronto symphony orchestra; “The Rez Sisters,” and most recently, “Raven Stole the Sun” by Drew Hayden Taylor, performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
The presentation is part of UNM's Native American Studies Special Guest Artists series.
Contact: Laurie Mellas Ramirez, (505) 277-5915