Regents' Professor Tey Diana Rebolledo, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, recently received a lifetime achievement award for scholarship in the field of American Ethnic Literatures. The award was presented by MELUS, the Society for the Study of Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States, at the annual meeting of the Modern Language Association.
Photo: Regents' Professor Tey Diana Rebolledo
“As a member of MELUS's executive committee, I nominated Professor Rebolledo for this recognition because I believe my colleague deserves to be recognized nationally for her long-time work in Chicana/o literary and cultural studies,” said Jesse Alemán, associate professor, UNM Department of English.
Noting that the group didn't honor one particular piece of Rebolledo's work, but instead recognized her outstanding achievement in the field of U.S. ethnic literary studies, Alemán said, “This spans her published scholarship, her years of teaching and mentoring, and her active participation in the Modern Language Association.”
Rebolledo, former chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, earned her master's degree at UNM, and 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, she was named UNM regents' professor in 1999 and distinguished professor by the Modern Language Association in 2003.
She is also the 2004 winner of the Rudolfo and Patricia Critica Nueva Award for scholars in Chicana/o literary criticism. She specializes in Latin American poetry, women's literature, and Chicana literature. She is co-editor of “ Infinite Divisions: An Anthology of Chicana literature ,” published by the University of Arizona Press in 1993 and “ Women Singing in the Snow: A Cultural Analysis of Chicana Literature” (1995), and is the author of many articles and book chapters.
Named a New Mexico Eminent Scholar, she has received an NEH Fellowship, a Rockefeller Fellowship and a Danforth Fellowship. Her current research focuses on colonial and contemporary Southwest Hispana literature and culture.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico's Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies (ISNPS) will host the 2006 Space Technology and Applications International Forum Feb. 12-16 at the Albuquerque Hilton.
The forum allows research scientists, astronauts and academicians from industry, government and higher learning to share new discoveries and ideas in space exploration, commercialization, nuclear power and propulsion and human/robotic technology. This year's conference will offer more than 270 presentations in 69 different technical sessions, covering the theme “Embarking on the New Age of Exploration Together.”
UNM Regents' Professor Mohamed S. El-Genk, director of ISNPS, is the forum's technical and publication chair. Event cosponsors are Idaho National Laboratory, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Northrop Grumman Space Technology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the United States Department of Energy.
A full slate of speakers and dignitaries will present information including: John Grossenbacher, director, Idaho National Laboratory; Scott J. Horowitz, associate administrator, Explorations Systems Mission Directorate, NASA; G. Thomas Marsh, executive vice president, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company; Scott Pace, associate administrator for Program Analysis and Evaluation, NASA; Ron Sega, undersecretary of the Air Force and New Mexico Congresswoman Heather Wilson.
In addition to the science community, the forum also serves New Mexico's secondary schools through its education outreach program. New Mexico students will show off their proposals for a lunar resort during the Annual Space Design Competition.
The Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies at UNM sponsors outreach activities with help from the NASA Space Grant Consortium of New Mexico. Also, representatives from the space and nuclear communities will present opportunities for higher education and careers available in the industry.
For more information visit: http://www.unm.edu/~isnps/ or call (505) 277-0446.
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu
“Evolution Wars: Who's Fighting Whom about What?” a critique and free public talk about intelligent design and ideologically driven science will be held Tuesday, Jan. 31, from noon – 1:30 p.m. in SUB ballroom C.
Speakers include Ted Peters, Lutheran theologian, director of the Center for Theology and Natural Science, and Martinez Hewlett, professor emeritus of molecular biology at the University of Arizona.
The event is part of the "Nexus: Religion in the Public University” series sponsored by UNM Religious Studies and the Southwest Institute on Religion & Civil Society.
Today’s talk is co-sponsored by various UNM Departments and Programs including Linguistics, Anthropology, Earth & Planetary Science, Spanish &
Portuguese, Sociology, Biology, History, English, Physics & Astronomy, Maxwell Museum and the Feminist Research Institute.
The University of New Mexico will receive $3.5 million to begin the design and construction of the Long Wavelength Array. The announcement was made by Congresswoman Heather Wilson at the High Performance Computing Center which will process information gathered by the LWV.
Photo: Red dots indicate locations where construction will begin in southern New Mexico as part of the Long Wavelength Array.
This spring, construction will begin on a demonstration array in southern New Mexico. The array is a group of receivers that will be used to examine objects in the ionosphere in much greater detail than is currently available. The demonstration array will test designs for the full instrument.
The Long Wavelength Array will be operated by the Office of Naval Research Laboratory, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Applied Research Laboratories at the University of Texas in Austin.
LWA Scientific Research
In the area of cosmic evolution, the instrument will search for the radio afterglow from gamma ray bursts that were emitted as stars formed early in the history of the university collapsed into black holes.
The LWA will allow detection of cosmic rays at very long wavelengths and will facilitate actual observation of particles. This activity can be used to build better models of the structure of the galaxy. Among other things this capability will allow researchers to derive information about the three dimensional geometry and strength of the galactic magnetic field.
The LWA will also make is possible to monitor ionospheric turbulence in much greater detail than is currently possible. It will allow researchers to do detailed study of sun cycles and space weather in general.
New Mexico Connections
“Americans are explorers by nature, and that’s what students, professors, and scientists at UNM are doing with this telescope array,” says Wilson. “We are peering into space to learn more about the very nature of the universe we live in. This telescope can see what we can’t. I am proud to support research and development efforts that are conducted in New Mexico.”
A number of UNM departments will be involved in the project, including Civil Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Physics and Astronomy, the Office of the Vice President of Research and Economic Development and the High Performance Computing Center.
“The LWA will fundamentally change the way we explore space using radio technology and will solidify New Mexico’s global lead in this field. Combined with the foundational infrastructure made possible by the National LambdaRail coming to New Mexico, the LWA will provide the missing link to other New Mexico space initiatives such as the space port and the Very Large Array,” said Terry Yates, vice-president for Research and Economic Development.
Dr. Manuel Garcia y Griego, the new director of the Southwest Hispanic Research Institute and associate professor of history at UNM, will speak on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 2 p.m. in the Willard Reading Room of Zimmerman Library. The topic of his speech will be “Beating Around the Bush: Mexican – U.S. Relations and Immigration Reform.”
Garcia y Griego has written or edited a number of books and articles on migration, U.S. Mexican relations and public policy. His most recent research has been in the area of assimilation of immigrants in north Texas and the political priorities of Mexican immigrant and Mexican-American leaders.
Garcia y Griego became director of the Southwest Hispanic Research Institute at UNM on Jan. 1. The Institute has 38 affiliated faculty members and promotes multidisciplinary research.
The talk is sponsored by the Center for Regional Studies, Southwest Hispanic Research Institute and the University Libraries Chicano/Hispano/Latino Program.
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Policy group charged to look at land use, economic development and transit
Roger Schluntz, dean, School of Architecture and Planning, has been asked to serve on the task force “Our Communities, Our Future” at the request of Gov. Bill Richardson. Originally conceived as a “Smart Growth” policy task force for New Mexico, the group will be looking at infrastructure financing , economic development, land use planning, real estate location, transit- and pedestrian-oriented development, workforce housing, community development and the interface of wild lands and development.
“I am delighted to serve on the governor's task force. The charge given to us is of critical importance to the quality of life for residents of New Mexico,” Schluntz said.
Richardson and the legislature want recommendations that will enhance the quality of community development, which mirrors outreach efforts made by faculty in the School of Architecture and Planning.
“For example,” Schluntz said, “we have a long established interest in transit-oriented development, walkable and healthy communities, affordable housing, as well as sustainable physical environments and infrastructure.”
In the governor's executive order, he indicates that the task force will meet with the public to understand the “values that underlie New Mexico's community livability,” and the “best opportunities for public-private partnerships for 21 st century prosperity and community growth.”
The order further states that the task force will consult with the Department of Transportation on “new, intermodal approaches to enhancing livability through increased transit service, transit oriented development and bike and pedestrian opportunities.”
The task force will also consult with the General Services department on locating state government offices “within walking distance of transit stops or in central business districts.”
The task force will look at mixed-use and mixed-income community development as well as ways to “attract and retain high quality jobs to the state while enhancing New Mexico downtowns.”
The group will prepare written recommendations for the governor “regarding community development and describing incentives for high-quality investment and development in all of New Mexico's communities.”
Schluntz doesn't know which areas he will work on over the next 14 months, but he expressed interest in land use planning, real estate location, transit- and pedestrian-oriented development, workforce housing and community development.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The UNM Office of International Programs and Studies and the Latin American and Iberian Institute host a UNM Study Abroad Fair on Friday, Feb. 3 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Dane Smith Hall atrium on the UNM campus.
The fair will provide UNM students with information and displays about study abroad opportunities for in every region of the world.
UNM study abroad advisors will be on hand to talk with students about the international exchange program, which allows UNM students to study at more than 75 top universities in 25 different countries. UNM departments, including Spanish and Portuguese, Honors Program, Art and Art History, Health Sciences Center and the Latin American and Iberian Institute, will provide information about special summer programs and short-term international study opportunities.
Additionally, through a special statewide agreement, UNM students are able to apply to participate in study abroad programs sponsored by New Mexico State University and other state institutions.
Information will also be available on scholarships for study abroad programs, including the Fulbright Program, Gilman, Freeman-Asia, National Security Education Program, the brand new UNM Ambassadors scholarship, and other financial aid resources.
The Study Abroad Fair is free and open to the general public. For more information, contact OIPS, 277-4032, or via e-mail: studyabd@unm.edu; or LAII, 277-6843 or e-mail: rcote@unm.edu.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Dennis Banks, co-founder of the American Indian Movement, David Hilliard, founding member of the Black Panther Party, and Mark Rudd, former member of Students for a Democratic Society and founding member of the Weather Underground, take part in a free discussion Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 1-3 p.m. at the University of New Mexico Student Union building, Santa Ana rm. A&B.
UNM's Native American Studies is sponsoring the event in conjunction with a course on activism and the university's 40th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Black Panther Party.
Following the panel, UNM's Native American student organization, the KIVA Club, will sponsor a reception from 4-6 p.m. to honor those taking part in the SACRED Run, the 28 th annual international relay race from San Francisco to Washington D.C. The run, organized in part by Banks, promotes peace, unity and social justice for indigenous people. Runners make a stop in Albuquerque Feb. 21-22.
For more information, call UNM Native American Studies at 277-3917.
Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu
Caldera to join Law faculty
The University of New Mexico Board of Regents and President Louis Caldera have announced that they have reached a mutual agreement, effective today, that Caldera would not seek an extension of his contract as president beyond July 31, 2007. Further, Caldera announced that he will resign as president effective August 1, 2006, and take an immediate leave of absence.
The regents and president are working together to make the transition as smooth as possible for the university.
“I am pleased to announce we have reached an agreement that will enable the university to begin a search for a new president and will allow President Caldera to provide service to the university as a faculty member,” Jamie Koch, president of the Board of Regents, said.
“Since July 2003, President Caldera has devoted his considerable skills and talents to the University. I commend his leadership in organizing the first UNM Budget Summit. President Caldera joined the regents in bringing together students, faculty and staff, which resulted in an historic agreement on the amount of tuition increases and faculty compensation,” stated Koch.
“I especially want to commend President Caldera’s foresight in encouraging and supervising the university’s joint relationship with the University of California, which resulted in their successful bid to manage Los Alamos National Laboratory. This agreement will benefit the university for generations to come.”
Caldera has agreed to continue to advise the regents and senior university officials as part of the transition process. He has named current UNM Executive Vice President for Administration David Harris as acting president. The regents have commended President Caldera’s foresight in naming Harris. “David Harris is currently in Santa Fe working on the university’s budget requests,” stated Jamie Koch, president of the Board of Regents.
The regents will discuss naming an interim president with academic expertise in the near future.
In his letter of resignation to the board of regents, Caldera said, “I have loved serving as president of the University of New Mexico. Eva and I have given our hearts and souls to furthering the interests of the university and to helping UNM students and faculty succeed in their educational, research and public service endeavors. The work we have done these past two and a half years with the assistance of an outstanding group of colleagues in the faculty, staff and administration, fills me with pride.”
After a year of study and writing, Caldera will join the faculty of the school of law where he is a tenured professor. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to being in the classroom with students and to also work on a number of writing projects that I have not been able to make time for these past few years.”
Contact: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1989; e-mail: mckinsey@unm.edu
The 17th Annual Joint Techs Workshop will take place at the University of New Mexico in the Student Union Building Feb. 5-8, 2006. A national workshop involving the Department of Energy, Joint Techs is a meeting of network engineers and researchers from universities nationwide, national laboratories, regional and state networks, international backbone networks and other members of the research and education networking community.
The workshop will feature presentations, panel discussions, formal and informal working group meetings, and demonstrations of state-of-the-art, high-performance networking technologies. Agendas and presentations from past Joint Techs meetings are at: http://jointtechs.es.net/.
Terry Yates, vice president for Research and Economic Development, will welcome the consortium on Monday, Feb. 6, 2006.
“The University of New Mexico's ability to host this very significant series of workshops is indicative of our growing stature in the national high speed networking community,” said CIRT’s Chief Information Officer Bill Adkins.
Each Joint Techs meeting is organized around two or three main topics. The main topics at this meeting will be optical networking, network performance measurement, and security for high-performance networks. There will also be updates on the status of various research and education networks, and discussions of advanced network applications.
In addition to the main program, the meeting will be preceded by three hands-on network-engineering workshops. In these workshops, network engineers learn to deploy, configure, and make use of advanced network technologies; instructors and equipment are provided by the Internet2 community. More details, including a workshop program and hands-on workshops are available at: http://jointtechs.es.net/newmexico2006/.
One area of interest at UNM involves the Global Lambda Integrated Facility or GLIF, which is a world-scale Lambda-based Laboratory for application and middleware development on emerging Lambda Grids, where applications rely on dynamically configured networks based on optical wavelengths.
Several workshops involving this initiative will be held during the conference. UNM became a partner in the National LambdaRail (NLR) initiative in 2004 and is seeking $4 million in funding from the New Mexico State Legislature this year as one of its legislative priorities for its National LambdaRail subscription.
NLR is a major initiative of U.S. research universities and private sector technology companies designed to provide a national infrastructure for research and experimentation in networking technologies and applications. Its aim is to catalyze innovative research and development into next generation network technologies, protocols, services and applications.
“The sessions in the workshop include various areas of networking,” said CIRT’s Manager for Advanced Communication Technologies Art St. George, one of the event’s organizers. “Most attendees are researchers and engineers who come to learn about recent networking developments and research. These are the people who make it work.”
ESCC and Internet2 sponsor the Joint Techs series. The ESnet Site Coordinating Committee (ESCC) provides a forum for the consideration of a broad range of technical issues faced by the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) and by individual ESnet sites. ESnet is a high-speed network serving thousands of Department of Energy scientists and collaborators worldwide.
A pioneer in providing high-bandwidth, reliable connections, ESnet enables researchers at national laboratories, universities and other institutions to communicate with each other using the collaborative capabilities needed to address some of the world's most important scientific challenges.
Internet2 is a research consortium led by more than 200 U.S. universities, including UNM, working in partnership with industry and government to develop and deploy advanced network applications and technologies accelerating the creation of tomorrow’s Internet. Internet2 and LambdaRail are discussing a merger and a session will be held on its progress and how the merger will affect the infrastructure.
“It’s tied to economic development including the digital film industry and the NLR infrastructure,” said St. George. “The technical conference sessions form the foundations that support these economic initiatives.”
Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
“Thinking about business school? You’ll need to take the GMAT first.”
Thinking about an MBA? Or maybe a Master in Accounting? If you’re planning on getting it at UNM, you’ll need to take the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test).
The Anderson Schools of Management is hosting a special, three-hour GMAT prep seminar for UNM students and employees. The seminar will be held on Saturday, February 18, from 9am to noon. Reservations are required and may be sent via email to rsvp@mgt.unm.edu.
“We know that the test is hard, and encourage anyone who’s thinking about a graduate degree at Anderson to begin their preparation for the GMAT well in advance of our application deadlines,” says Loyola Chastain, Anderson’s Graduate Programs Manager.
Upcoming deadlines for the Anderson MBA and Master in Accounting programs are April 1 (for the Summer 2006 semester), June 1 (for the Fall 2006 semester) and November 1 (for the Spring 2007 semester). Anderson’s Executive MBA program has a rolling admissions policy, with acceptances beginning in January.
UNM’s Anderson Schools of Management isn’t the only school that requires the GMAT – top-tier business schools across the country include the test in their admission decisions.
“The GMAT is only one of a handful of criteria we look at, including undergraduate GPA, work experience, and letters of recommendation,” says Chastain. “It’s a little bit like taking the SAT or the ACT for admission to college – it’s one of the hurdles you have to clear.”
At the GMAT prep seminar, participants will go through each of the question types included in the test. Sophie Martin, an Anderson staff member and a former master tutor with the Princeton Review, will lead the seminar and dispense test-taking strategies taught by the biggest and best test prep companies in the country. Participants will leave the seminar with a clear, six-week program for self-guided study for the test.
The current version of the Instructional Course Evaluation System (ICES) forms will be phased out some time in 2007. A committee, which includes members of the Faculty Senate Teaching Enhancement Committee, was created to look into possible replacements to ICES and address the evaluation process in general.
The committee is holding two forums to give an update and gather input from the university community. The forums are scheduled Wednesday, Feb. 1, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 2 from 3:30 to 5. Both will be held in the Lobo Room in the SUB.
“The Committee started gathering information from other institutions, including our peer institutions, last year. We surveyed them to identify current trends and look at some possible alternatives, including online course evaluations. Now we are looking for broad input from faculty, staff and students. The meetings will be presented as town halls,” said committee member Kate Krause, associate professor, economics.
The forums will also provide attendees with the opportunity to discuss the questions that appear on the questionnaires and the legitimacy of what is being assessed, among other issues.
For more information about the forums, contact via e-mail committee chair Yemane Asmerom, asmerom@unm.edu or Caitlin Anderson, director of CASTL, caitlin@unm.edu.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Peter White, dean, University College, has been named as an “Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate” by the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition and the Houghton Mifflin Company. The award will be presented at the Center’s Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience in Atlanta, Ga. on Feb. 27.
Photo: Peter White, dean, University College
White was nominated for the award by President Louis Caldera who said, “Peter White is focused on finding ways to bring students from all backgrounds into the mainstream of university life. I am extremely proud of his leadership at UNM in this area.“
Ten recipients will be honored this year from a group of 127 educators who were nominated. The nominees will be recognized for their impact on first-year students and the institution.
Freshman Programs at UNM
At UNM, White has instituted Freshman Academic Choices, which include Freshman Learning Communities in which small groups of first-year students work in groups with faculty members who teach as a team. The groups focus on specific interest areas such as Forensic Death Investigation or Chicano Heritage.
He also started Freshman Living and Learning Communities in which students interested in general areas like engineering or fine arts can live in a dorm and attend classes as a group. Freshman Interest Groups bring together students who want to explore a specific subject such as filmmaking or careers in health fields.
White also instituted Freshman Experiential Learning Communities that allow groups of students to do projects in areas such as environmental sustainability or religion. He is currently working to expand that into a more complex learning experience that would involve research and public service.
White says the Freshman Academic Choices are meant to help freshmen find their place in a large research university by helping them meet other students interested in the same things. The Freshman Academic Choices program at UNM has helped boost student retention to the sophomore year to more than 75 percent.
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
CASTL, the Center for Scholarship, Teaching and Learning, and the Faculty Senate Teaching Enhancement Committee call for nominations in recognition of outstanding teaching. The deadline for nominations is Wednesday, Feb. 15.
All tenured faculty are eligible for the Presidential Teaching Fellowship, 2006-08. The fellowship was created to promote excellence in teaching by establishing a core of faculty given the highest recognition for effective teaching. The fellows also ensure teaching excellence by sharing their expertise with the university community. A fellow is selected annually for a two-year term. Colleagues, students or alumni may submit nominations.
Tenured and tenure-track faculty are eligible for the 2005-06 Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award. The award recognizes and rewards teaching excellence and was designed to foster a campus climate that supports teaching improvement and accomplishment. Two faculty members will be selected from nominations from colleagues, students or alumni.
All adjunct faculty and lecturers who have taught consistently at UNM for at least four years are eligible for the 2005-06 Adjunct Teacher and Lecturer of the Year Award. This award was established to recognize and reward contributions of non-tenure track faculty in the classroom. Nominations can be made by colleagues, students or alumni.
Nominations for the above awards should be submitted on the CASTL Web site: CASTL nominations.
All current teaching assistants and associates are eligible for the 2005-06 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards. This award is designed to recognize and reward teaching achievements of graduate students. Nominations can be made by the department chairperson on the basis of one nomination for every ten department teaching assistants. Faculty are encouraged to suggest names of deserving teaching assistants to your department chairperson.
Teaching assistants and associates interested in being considered for this award, should notify the department chairperson.
Nominees will be sent an official letter notifying them of their nomination and requesting submission of application materials. For questions about these awards, call 277-3341 or email: castl@unm.edu.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Cherokee writer, director and filmmaker Randy Redroad will screen his award-winning film “The Doe Boy” on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. in the University of New Mexico Anthropology Lecture Hall 163. Redroad will also discuss his upcoming project, “Moccasin Flats.”
Photo: Randy Redroad
Redroad is among the new generation of independent Native American fiction filmmakers. His debut feature film “The Doe Boy” received multiple awards, including the NHK International Filmmaker's Award at the Sundance Film Festival and the Best First Time Director Award at Taos Talking Pictures Festival.
Set in the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, “The Doe Boy” tells the story of Hunter, a young man of mixed parentage, and his journey to find his own identity while facing love, death and the perils of his hemophilia.
Redroad is based in Los Angeles and is a member of a special film program at the upcoming 2006 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. His work has been featured on the Sundance Channel, PBS, Learning Channel and IFC.
This event is sponsored by UNM Native American Studies and is free and open to the public. For more information, contact NAS at 277-3917 or e-mail: nasinfo@unm.edu.
Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu
The Lawrence (Lorenzo) Dominguez Memorial Scholarship Fund, named for the well-known musician born and raised in Albuquerque, is seeking donations to create a permanent endowment. The goal is to provide an annual scholarship to a guitar student in the College of Fine Arts at the University of New Mexico.
On Jan. 27 at 7 p.m., the friends and family of Dominguez will gather to honor his memory in a benefit concert at Rodey Hall on the UNM campus. The concert will feature performances by Liquid Cheese, Feels Like Sunday, Michael Chapdelaine and members of Yjastros Flamenco Group. All proceeds will benefit the Dominguez Memorial Scholarship Fund and are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by the law.
Dominguez began playing guitar at the age of five. “His love and passion in life was music, but especially music as expressed through guitar,” said Camilla Dominguez of Camilitary Productions. “My uncle, Lorenzo, was very well known and helped form and played in such rock bands as Ritual, the Mollie Maguires and the nationally-known Strawberry Zots.”
Later in life Dominguez was drawn back to his Spanish roots and the flamenco guitar. He released his first solo flamenco album, “ Campana ,” in 1996 and “ Alma Gitano” in 1998. Both albums were critically acclaimed and huge hits in the flamenco community. He was also a production manager at radio station 98.5 Big Oldies in Albuquerque and a popular D.J. known as “Lightnin' Lar.”
Tickets are $8 for students, $15 general (suggested minimum donation) and can be purchased at the door. For more information about the concert, visit http://www.camilladominguez.com or call (310) 435-1321.
Donations can also be sent to the UNM College of Fine Arts Development Office, MSC04 2570, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 or made online at http://www.unm.edu/~unmfdn. For questions regarding donations, please call the UNM College of Fine Arts at (505) 277-9377.
Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu
Victor H. Regener, born August 25, 1913, in Berlin, Germany, died on January 20, 2006, in Tampa, Florida. His father was a Professor of Physics at Stuttgart University, and Victor completed his doctoral degree in Engineering Physics at the Institute of Technology, in Stuttgart, in 1938. He left Germany that same year because of the rise of the Nazi regime, first taking a two-year research position in Italy at the University of Padua, and then teaching at the University of Chicago.
Photo: Dr. Victor H. Regener
In 1946, he came to the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of New Mexico, serving as Department Chair from 1947-57, and again from 1962-79. In 1960, he was the first faculty scholar to deliver the Annual UNM Research Lecture. He built Capilla Peak Observatory in the Manzano Mountains, and was also responsible for designing a major addition to the original Physics and Astronomy building, as well as the lecture hall and lab building which was named Regener Hall in his honor.
He was a brilliant scientist in a wide range of fields, and an outstanding teacher and mentor. When he retired in 1979, he was awarded the UNM Regents' Meritorious Service Medal, which included a dedication penned by author Tony Hillerman.
Dr. Regener is survived by his wife Birgit, son Eric, his daughter Vivian, her spouse Richard Rose, four grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. There will be a memorial service in Albuquerque at the Monte Vista Christian Church, 3501 Campus Drive N.E., on Saturday, Jan. 28, beginning at 10 a.m.
A reception will be held immediately following the service in the lobby of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, located on the northeast corner of Yale and Lomas Blvds.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Victor H. Regener Memorial Fund, c/o the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, 800 Yale Blvd NE, MSC 07 4220, Albuquerque, NM 87131.
Pauline Wiessner will present the XXII Journal of Anthropological Research Distinguished Lecture Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7:30 p.m. in the UNM Anthropology Lecture Hall. Wiessner’s talk is titled “From Spears to M16s: Changing Means and Meanings of War in Papua New Guinea Society.”
Wiessner will also present a specialized seminar about Kalahari Bushmen, Friday, Feb. 3, at noon in Anthropology, rm. 178. Both events are free and open to the public. Wiessner is a professor of anthropology at the University of Utah and one of the world’s leading experts on the Kalahari Bushmen and the Enga people of Papua New Guinea.
Both events are free and open to the public. The Anthropology Building is located just East of Redondo Road (University Blvd.) between Martin Luther King and Roma. Metered parking is available near the venues, which are wheelchair-accessible.
The University of New Mexico, in the interest of general anthropology, has published the “Journal of Anthropological Research” quarterly since 1945. Visit the JAR Website for information on contents, subscriptions and the lecture series at http://www.unm.edu/~jar.
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu
Musician and vocalist Jenny Wells Vincent first performed at UNM in the summer of 1947, at the invitation of Professor Joaquín Ortega and UNM's School of Inter-American Affairs. She was accompanied by folksinger Pete Seeger. On Friday, Jan. 27, at 2 p.m. in the Willard Reading Room of Zimmerman Library, she will again play in a special performance.
The event honors the life and career of one of the premiere cultural activists in New Mexico. She began playing and singing traditional New Mexican music during the 1930's as part of the cultural activities of the federal Work Projects Administration.
For many years, Vincent and her husband Craig ran the San Cristóbal Valley Ranch, which featured retreats and workshops for writers, artists and activists; and a youth camp curriculum featuring riding, crafts, campfires, skits, local culture, music and dance.
The documentary film, “Salt of the Earth,” was conceived and planned at the ranch. During the 1951 mining strike at Hurley, New Mexico, Vincent accompanied the women on the picket lines with her accordion.
She founded Taos Publications and Recordings, now called Cantemos Records and has recorded regional musicians and singers for several decades. She currently has a new CD of instrumental pieces collected by WPA field workers.
Please join University Libraries, Chicano/Hispano/Mexicano Studies, The Latin American & Iberian Institute, Arts of the Americas, The Center for Regional Studies and the Chicano/Hispano/Latino Research Program in honoring a New Mexico cultural treasure.
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Facebook.com, the controversial and popular web site blocked by UNM for security concerns early last semester, was unblocked in time for the start of the spring semester said University officials. The site was blocked because it was poorly secured, and because the site’s home page design did not make it clear that, though they must use their NetID/email as a login name, they should NOT use their UNM password. Concerns were especially great at the outset since the first invitation to join was in UNM colors and labeled “UNM’s Facebook.”
Upon learning that some students used their UNM password, and that students’ credentials were easy prey for hackers, CIRT consulted with UNM officials, including the University Counsel’s office and the Dean of Students, discussed security and privacy concerns and decided to block the site last August. UNM students, through their employment, sometimes have access to sensitive and private data, such as health and student records
“UNM is pleased with the final outcome of the negotiations with Facebook security staff to complete the encryption process for their site,” said Dean of Students Randy Boeglin. “The encryption, combined with a clear message about not using a UNM password for Facebook access, provides the necessary security threshold we sought to protect both students and UNM computer systems. The process took longer than expected, but the final result was salutary for all parties.”
The site was created for students to build a multi-media community with their friends. Since the site was blocked at UNM, Facebook.com has worked to respond to UNM concerns and has implemented an encrypted login and has made it clear upon registration that students should not use their UNM-affiliated password. Security personnel verified completion of the fixes on Friday, and now Facebook can now be accessed from the UNM network.
In collaboration with the Dean of Students and UNM Counsel’s offices, CIRT has compiled recommendations for data and identity protection at Data and Identity Protection. On the same page, UNM has provided a link to information for anyone suspecting credit or identity theft. The most important suggestion is to immediately change your UNM NetID password if you used it at any non-UNM site.
Moira Gerety, CIRT Director, reminds students to take precautions with their personal data. “Once it’s online, it can go anywhere and be available for years,” she said. “Think twice before you post and protect your password.”
Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
“Shojo Manga! Girl Power!,” a traveling exhibit of Japanese girl's comic artists, will show at Masley Art Gallery, Masley Hall, at the University of New Mexico, Jan. 23 - Feb. 10, 2006. The university's Art Education program is sponsoring the exhibit.
Japanese "manga" (comics) are cultural phenomena that began forty years ago. This exhibit focuses on the unique visual characteristics and narratives of 23 major "shojo mangaka" (girls' manga artists). These drawings and narratives are designed to provoke discussions about issues of gender, representation and themes about women's aspirations and dreams in Japanese culture.
Influenced by American comics and Disney animation, contemporary Japanese manga started as an inexpensive entertainment for children in the devastated post-war Japan. Popular children's entertainment such as Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh are based on Japanese manga.
Masami Toku, associate professor, California State University-Chico, will speak at 4 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 31 at Masely Gallery about the major trends represented in this show. The talk will be followed by a panel discussion about the art and the manga/anime phenomena.
Toku has collected the art of the Shojo Manga artists and edited an 80-page color catalog that accompanies the show. According to Toku, manga comprises 40 percent of all publications in Japan.
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu
UNM Physics and Astronomy Professors Ivan Deutsch and Rob Duncan were recently elected Fellows of the American Physical Society. With their election, Deutsch and Duncan become the sixth and seventh current APS Fellows in the Physics and Astronomy Department.
For Deutsch, his election as APS Fellow came upon the nomination by the Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (DAMOP) for his citation reading "For fundamental contributions to the theory of optical lattices and quantum logic using neutral atoms."
“It’s a wonderful honor to be recognized by your peers,” said Deutsch. “The Information Physics Group at UNM attracts excellent students who are an integral part of this achievement.”
Deutsch received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1992. His areas of specialty include quantum information theory, quantum optics/atomic physics: laser cooling and trapping, optical lattices, and coherent control. He has been at UNM since 1995.
Duncan was recommended in the Topical Group on Instrumentation & Measurement Science. His citation read, "For pioneering advances in experimental studies of dynamic critical phenomena near the superfluid transition in 4He, and for the development of novel instrumentation and measurement techniques for use on earth and in space."
"I would like to thank my colleagues in the American Physical Society who recommended me for Fellowship,” said Duncan. “ This is an exciting time. Recent developments of instrumentation at the statistical and quantum limits of measurement science are advancing science, engineering, and medicine at an unprecedented rate. It is an honor to collaborate with excellent physicists here in New Mexico, and to educate students at UNM who will soon bring their own creativity to this exciting discipline.”
Duncan, who has been on the regular UNM faculty since 1996 and on the Caltech physics faculty since 1998, received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1988. His research interests include low-temperature physics instrumentation and measurement science, critical phenomena, transport phenomena, nonlinear science, and statistical physics.
Duncan was a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff (DMTS) at Sandia National Laboratories before joining UNM. He recently completed a sabbatical year as a Gordon and Betty Moore Distinguished Scholar at Caltech.
The APS Fellowship Program was created to recognize members who may have made advances in knowledge through original research and publication or made significant and innovative contributions in the application of physics to science and technology. They may also have made significant contributions to the teaching of physics or service and participation in the activities of the Society.
Each year, no more than one-half of one percent of the then current membership of the Society are recognized by their peers for election to the status of Fellow in The American Physical Society.
Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Beginning this month, the Telecommunications Department will begin an eight-month equipment replacement project. The project is driven by the need to replace the aging telephone switch, the equipment that provides a dial tone on campus.
The scope of the projects includes:
** Replacing the 20-year old switch serving most of main campus.
** Upgrading the switch located in the CRTC serving UNMH and parts of north campus.
** Replacing Dterm II phones served by the two main switches, as these particular telephones have reached end-of-life support from the manufacturer.
** Laying the foundation to support new features and functionality including VoIP (voice over IP).
Over the coming months, more information will be provided regarding the project schedule and its effect on specific areas of campus.
The UNM Board of Regents invites members of the public to comment on the results of the UNM Health Summit on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 at 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the UNM Continuing Education Building at 1634 University Blvd. NE.
The results can be downloaded in English or Spanish.
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Is the United States Supreme Court prepared to rule in the age of globalization?
Harold Hongju Koh, dean of Yale University Law School, will give a free public lecture “International Law and the United States Supreme Court,” Friday, Jan. 27, from 5:30-6:30 p.m., at the University of New Mexico School of Law, 1117 Stanford NE.
Photo: Harold Hongju Koh
Koh will cite recent Supreme Court cases involving global issues and discuss whether they demonstrate a consistent philosophy. He will also discuss changes that may result from the recent appointment of Chief Justice John Roberts and possible appointment of nominee Judge Samuel Alito.
Koh has been on the faculty of the Yale Law School since 1985 and became the school's 15th dean in July 2004.
A Korean-American, Koh first moved to New Haven as a child with his family in 1961. He graduated from Harvard College, Magdalen College at Oxford University and Harvard Law School.
Koh clerked for Judge Malcolm Richard Wilkey of the D.C. Circuit and Justice Harry Blackmun of the U.S. Supreme Court.
After a brief stint practicing with a Washington, D.C. firm, he began teaching at George Washington University National Law Center before joining the faculty at Yale where he is the Gerard C. and Bernice Latrobe Smith Professor of International Law.
In addition to teaching international law, he leads courses in the law of U.S. foreign relations, international human rights, international organizations and international regimes, international business transactions, international trade and civil procedure. He is co-author of Foundations of International Law and Relations, published in 2004.
The UNM School of Law Alumni Association, in conjunction with the John Field Simms Memorial Lecture Series, sponsors the talk. The Simms lectures were established in 1954 by a gift from Albert Simms in memory of his brother, John, a trial lawyer and justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court.
Members of the State Bar of New Mexico may earn one general continuing legal education credit for attending the lecture. The CLE registration form is posted online at http://lawschool.unm.edu/announcements/simms/form.php .
A reception will follow. Free parking is available in the law school's “L” lot.
For more information on CLE registration, contact Claire Conrad 277-0080.
Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915
The UNM Alumni Association will bestow its four major annual awards to outstanding alumni and faculty at a dinner, Thursday, Feb. 2, at the Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town. Included among the recipients are: Eric Pillmore, who will receive the James F. Zimmerman Award; David Stuart, who will be honored with the Bernard S. Rodey Award; John Salazar, the Erna S. Fergusson Award; and Miguel Gandert, who will be given the Alumni Association Faculty Award.
Photo: David Stuart
Eric Pillmore, ’75 BBA
Pillmore, senior vice president-corporate governance at Tyco International Corporation, has brought fame and honor to New Mexico and UNM. Pillmore was hired to restore the Tyco’s reputation and instill a working program of ethics following the company’s scandal involving its former CEO’s improprieties.
Before assuming the post at Tyco, Pillmore held executive positions at Multilink Technology Corporation, General Instrument Corporation and General Electric.
David S. Stuart, ’70 MA, ’72 Ph.d.
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. Stuart, who recently retired from UNM as associate provost, played a pivotal role at the institution in responding to the needs of non-traditional students.
Under his direction, the university began deliberate efforts to provide classes after hours and on weekends. Stuart also was instrumental in a successful program encouraging the return of students who had left the university lacking only a few hours to graduate. A professor of anthropology, Stuart has written major books on the prehistoric Southwest.
Miguel Gandert, ’77 BUS, ’83 MA
Gandert, a communications and journalism professor at UNM, will receive the Alumni Association’s Faculty Award recognizing outstanding teaching and service to students. A nationally known photographer, Gandert has had one-person exhibits at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, at museums across the country from New York to New Mexico, and at museums in Spain and Bolivia.
He has lectured at the Smithsonian, at New York’s International Museum of Photographic Arts and at universities and institutions nationwide. Gandert also worked for 14 years as chief photographer at KOAT-TV News.
John P. Salazar, ’65 BA
An attorney at Rodey, Dickason, Sloan, Akin & Robb, Salazar will receive the Erna S. Fergusson Award for exceptional accomplishment or distinguished service to the university. A highly respected expert in real estate law, Salazar is also a respected community leader. He is the immediate past president of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce board, and has served in leadership positions on numerous boards, including the Albuquerque Economic Forum and the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.
At UNM, Salazar has served on both the UNM Alumni Association board and the UNM Foundation board. His work has had an impact upon the Mesa del Sol development.
Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Remembering Dr. Huey P. Newton, Black Panther Party 40th Anniversary Celebration
The UNM Bookstore invites everyone to attend a book signing with David Hilliard and Fredrika Newton, authors of Huey, Spirit of the Panther. The book signing is in celebration of Black History Month, and part of Remembering Dr. Huey P. Newton, Black Panther Party 40th Anniversary Celebration.
The book signing will be on Friday, Feb. 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event is also part of the UNM Bookstore’s Brown Bag Lunch Series, which invites everyone to bring their lunch to the Bookstore while enjoying an author reading. Hilliard and Newton will be discussing their book Huey, Spirit of the Panther.
Huey, Spirit of the Panther is an authorized, definitive, and long overdue biography of revolutionary political leader Huey P. Newton, cofounder and leader of the Black Panthers for more than two decades. The book features never before released photos, interviews, and inside information.
For more information contact Anicia Esposito at: (505) 277-9752, or via e-mail: aespo@unm.edu.
Having commemorated its 75th year, the University of New Mexico Press (UNMP) has even more reason to celebrate 2005. As UNMP rings in the new year, sales figures from 2005 leave the Press with cause for optimism. For 10 consecutive months, UNM Press shattered sales goals and will finish with a substantial profit for 2005, its fifth profitable year in a row. Sales of press titles were about 10 percent above goals for October and an impressive 64 percent ahead of 2004’s pace.
The increase in sales can be attributed, in part, to the publication of two new editions of the press's fourth and seventh grade New Mexico history textbooks, a new bilingual fourth grade edition of the history textbook and an 11th-hour legislative action that spurred the press to create a text to satisfy the state's New Mexico history requirement for ninth graders.
Even aside from textbook sales, the Press was more than 25 percent above sales goals this year and twenty percent ahead of last year's figures, reflecting both strong frontlist sales, and a welcome turnaround in sales of backlist titles.
Of course, good books drive sales and the Press has enjoyed the success of several break-out novels, successful trade mysteries, and ever-popular nature guides that have contributed to press income. A highly respected list of titles in Latin American studies, Native American studies, and western history sustain the press's backlist and also contribute a large portion of sales.
UNM Press undertook a major reorganization in 2002, and that too has proven a successful venture. The marketing and sales departments were combined and Glenda Madden, an experienced manager with more than 25 years of university press experience, was hired as Marketing and Sales Manager. Under her leadership, the press's marketing and sales efforts have expanded significantly. A publicity manager and an events coordinator were added to the staff to increase visibility of UNMP titles.
The press now boasts an internet shopping cart available for shoppers at unmpress.com and also produces four-color seasonal catalogs. Furthermore, recent additions of sales representation in Australia and Japan stretch press sales around the globe.
“In the last three years, we have made adjustments in our sales representation throughout the world, adding to our marketing muscle for UNMP titles and those of our clients," explains Glenda Madden.
"Many people think we publish only books about New Mexico or books by New Mexicans. Granted, a good portion of our authors do live in New Mexico, but we also have authors residing in Minnesota, New York, Texas, Colorado, Montana, Louisiana, New Jersey, Georgia, Oklahoma, California, Guatemala, Mexico, France, Germany and Wales. This diversity has helped place UNMP titles in readers' hands in many far-flung corners of the world," says Madden.
Madden emphasizes the role that UNM Press's professional staff at its distribution center has played in contributing to its exemplary sales.
"It doesn't matter how many people find out about our books if there isn't a customer service and shipping team to get them into those peoples' hands," said Madden. "Our turn-around time for order processing has improved to the point that, in normal cases, our processing time is 24 -36 hours. We routinely get "rush" orders processed in two to four hours."
The communication between and efficiency of the marketing and sales teams and distribution staff will only get better, as the University of New Mexico's Board of Regents recently approved the building of a new facility that, for the first time since its establishment in 1929, will house the entire Press (editorial, marketing, design and production, customer service, business, warehousing, and shipping) under one roof.
The new building is planned for the University's Science and Technology Park and will include about 12,000 square feet of office space and a 23,000 square foot warehouse. The building should be completed by July 2006.
In addition to UNM Press's 80-plus new titles produced each year and a 700-title backlist, the press also warehouses, markets, and distributes the books of approximately 30 other publishers from around the state and the region. The press's new warehouse and office facility will give UNMP space to further expand its own list and to offer our marketing and distribution services to other publishers.
"UNM Press has always enjoyed a reputation as one of the best regional publishers in the country," says director, Luther Wilson. "It can now become one of the very best scholarly presses in the world."
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Work created by University of New Mexico Department of Art and Art History painting and drawing faculty will be shown Jan. 17 to April 9 at the University Art Museum in the new exhibit “Painting Matters.” From oil painting to assemblage to installation, the artists have taken different paths in determining their subjects and working methods. Faculty included in the exhibit are Michael Cook, Martin Facey, Elen Feinberg, Jim Jacob, Kathleen Jesse, John Wenger and Baochi Zhang.
Photo: Detail from the Dance of the Seeds by John Wenger, 2005 – oil on prepared archival paper.
This exhibition also marks an opportunity to celebrate the work of John Wenger who retired in December 2005 after teaching painting and drawing at UNM for thirty-one years. In addition to his regular studio courses, Wenger developed the Wilderness Studio, an annual summer workshop held in remote areas of the Southwest. At the workshops, he led students in the experience of exploring aesthetic ideas and circumstances outside the confines of the normal enclosed studio environment.
University Art Museum is open Tues. – Fri., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tues. 5 to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. and during most events and Popejoy Hall.
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu
The Huey P. Newton Foundation, honoring the legacy of the Black Panther Party, and the University of New Mexico African American Studies Program, will mark the 40th anniversary of the Black Panther Party Feb. 16-21.
An unprecedented slate of speakers and special guests, including a host of former Black Panthers, are scheduled to visit the Albuquerque campus. Elaine Brown, the only woman to chair the party, will be guest speaker for the Black History Month Kickoff Brunch Saturday, Jan. 28, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the UNM Student Union Building ballroom. Tickets are $30 adults, $25 students and $20 for youth.
Photo: Elaine Brown
The five-day event in February is the centerpiece of UNM's annual Black History Month celebration. All programs and events are open to the public, most are free. With the exception of performances in the UNM Center for the Arts/Keller Hall, and a book launch at the UNM Bookstore, all events will be held in UNM's SUB. Click here for schedule, ticket prices and detailed information.
A series of panel discussions, a book signing, lectures and formal benefit gala are planned. Participants include David Hilliard, who was a founding member of the Black Panther Party and served as its chief of staff, and Fredrika Newton, Black Panther Party member and wife of the late Huey P. Newton, along with former Black Panther Party members Ericka Huggins, director of the BPP school (The Oakland Learning Center) and Billy (Che) Brooks, who served as deputy minister of education for the Chicago chapter.
Hilliard, Brooks and film artists will host a film festival dedicated to the history and legacy of the party. The Black Panther F.U.G.I.T.I.V.E.S. and Thomas Mapfumo will perform. Dennis Banks, co-founder of the American Indian Movement, and Mark Rudd, co-founder of the Weather Underground, will join Hilliard to discuss resistance movements of the 1960s and 70s.
The UNM Bookstore will serve as the launch site for the anticipated release of “Huey: Spirit of the Panther (Thunder's Mouth Press, 2006).” Hilliard, a co-author, and Newton, will be present to sign copies of this and other books. For more information and event tickets, call the UNM African American Studies Department, 505-277-5644, or email afamstds@unm.edu or coleman@unm.edu or visit http://www.unm.edu/~afamstds/history.htm.
Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu
Each month, public television station KNME-TV, Channel 5 (Albuquerque/ Santa Fe) presents Stateline New Mexico, a live 30-minute, monthly call-in series designed to give the general public greater access to their state officials. This month on Stateline New Mexico, Lt. Governor Diane Denish answers your calls and questions about legislative and education issues across the state. Stateline New Mexico airs Friday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Topics may include: Expectations for the 2006 Legislative Session, the state of the pre-Kindergarten initiative and pre-school shortages this year, as well as a look at uninsured New Mexicans and healthcare.
Stateline invites New Mexico citizens to call and ask questions, Toll Free at: 1- (866) 337-5172. This series is designed to give the general public greater access to their state officials.
Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1218; e-mail: etodd@unm.edu
The nomination deadline for Sarah Belle Brown Awards has been extended until January 13, 2006. UNM staff and faculty are encouraged to recognize their peers and colleagues who perform public/community service work. Community members may also nominate staff and faculty for volunteer work done with local organizations.
Photo: Sarah Belle Brown
The awards will be presented annually to a faculty and staff member who have donated considerable personal time and effort that has impact on the quality of life on community members. Staff must be employed halftime or greater and be off probationary status. Faculty must have received tenure or be on a tenure track to be eligible.
The awards are established to honor Sarah Belle Brown, a dedicated community servant for more than 30 years and the wife of Doug Brown, New Mexico State Treasurer and former UNM Regent.
Brown serves on the board of the Amy Biehl Charter High School, is a ten-year member of United Way’s Alexis de Toqueville Society and is a co-founder of the UNM President’s Club. Brown has co-sponsored a professorship and fellowships at the Anderson Schools of Management. She has taught English to Spanish-speaking children in the Los Angeles School District and established a program in San Francisco that focused on the needs of newly arrived Asian children.
Faculty, staff, students, administrators or community members may submit nominations. Self-nominations will not be accepted. Each recipient will receive an award of $2,500 and will be invited to a recognition ceremony in February.
For a nomination form link to Sarah Brown Award. For questions, contact Mimi Swanson at 277-1781 or mswanson@unm.edu.
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu
As part of his ‘Year of the Child’ investments to keep New Mexico’s children safe, healthy and well educated, Gov. Bill Richardson recently announced that for the first time, the state is funding a toll-free, 24-hour help line, staffed and operated by UNM’s Agora Crisis Center, to support New Mexicans who need immediate help, especially teenagers.
Photo: Molly McCoy Brack gestures to Gov. Bill Richardson while explaining some problems associated with teen issues.
“I am committed to investing in resources that will enable New Mexico teens to find help fast when they are in crisis,” Gov. Richardson said. “Providing instant, easy access to mental-health care is an essential component of making New Mexico a healthier place for our children.”
The Agora Crisis Center has operated a help line for 35 years with support from the UNM’s student government. Now, with more than $200,000 of additional funding from the New Mexico Department of Health, the Crisis Center has made this number, 1-866-HELP-1-NM, toll-free and expanded it to 24 hours a day.
“Agora is the oldest student-run crisis center in the nation and the only one in New Mexico that is available for anyone to use,” said Molly McCoy Brack, director, Agora. “We have about 150 volunteers, and are taking approximately 4,800 calls per year. We will be hosting the new New Mexico Crisis Line along with our regular local line and our staff will be traveling around the state promoting the new toll-free line and talking about suicide prevention efforts in the state.”
The Department of Health received a $1.2 million federal grant in 2005 to establish a suicide prevention project. The project includes developing and implementing such activities as screening and assessment, and coordinating intervention, health promotion and community awareness.
“By supporting the help line with Department of Health funding, we’ll be able to reach more people who might not know such an incredible resource exists,” said Health Secretary Michelle Lujan Grisham. “This line is for every New Mexican, but we will focus on teenagers, who often need additional support to cope with every day stresses.”
In 2004, 359 New Mexicans committed suicide. Seventy-six were between the ages of 15 and 24, the age group with the highest number of suicides. In 2002, the latest year for U.S. data, New Mexico ranked 5th in the country for the number of suicides per capita.
“Kids often need someone to talk with who is not going to ask their name, judge or punish them for thinking and feeling whatever they are experiencing,” said Brack. “Sometimes just having the freedom to say what you're feeling can diffuse volatile emotions and make you feel better.”
“It’s unfortunate there’s still a stigma attached to mental health,” said April Lawrence, Agora’s coordinator of the new statewide hotline. “We’re glad to offer free, confidential help to anyone who needs it.”
Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of bestselling "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies," will be giving a talk on his newest book "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed," on Friday, Jan. 20, 2006, at 7 p.m. at the UNM Student Union Building.
Photo: Dr. Jared Diamond
Diamond is universally regarded as one of the great minds of our time. He will discuss why some ancient societies collapsed, including the Anasazi, Easter Island, the Lowland Maya, Angkor Wat, and Great Zimbabwe, and he will use these examples to find important lessons for our own time.
This event is co-sponsored by The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, KNME TV, LodeStar Astronomy Center and Bookworks. The talk kicks off the Museum’s 20th Anniversary Celebration weekend.
General admission tickets for Diamond's talk are available at Bookworks, located in the Flying Star Plaza, 4022 Rio Grande Blvd. NW, (505) 344-8139, and www.unmtickets.com. Cost is $18.15. Price includes an autographed paperback copy of Collapse to be picked up at the event.
In addition, KNME-TV will also present a one-on-one interview with Dr. Jared Diamond on its weekly public affairs series IN FOCUS, airing Friday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. and repeating Sunday Feb. 12 at 6:30 a.m.
KNME-TV will air an encore of the 3-part national PBS series featuring Dr.
Diamond - Guns, Germs, and Stell: A National Geographic Presentation – beginning Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 7:00 p.m. and repeating: Friday, Feb. 10 at 9 p.m., and again Sundays at 10:00 a.m.
The first episode, “The Crucible of Civilization,” proposes that a society's potential for advanced development was not determined by race or creed, or by time and experience, but by access to domesticated animals and cultivated plants.
Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The Tinker Foundation has awarded the Latin American and Iberian Institute a grant for $15,000 for the 2006 calendar year. The purpose of the grant is to fund field research travel and related expenses for graduate students in Latin America and Iberia. The LAII will match this award for a total fund of $30,000 devoted to field research grants.
"The competition for this grant was rigorous, and we are pleased that the
academic strength and standing of Latin American studies at UNM was
recognized and rewarded," said Cynthia Radding, director, LAII.
The LAII was one of only three new awards at the $15,000 level the other
two were University of Florida and the University of Pittsburgh. Michigan
State University was the only new award made at the $10,000 level.
The application guidelines and process for the field research grants will
be announced in late January. Information will be available on the LAII
web site, www.laii.unm.edu/aid.php#Research.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Reid Hester, director of the research division of Behavior Therapy Associates, LLP, and research associate professor in the Psychology Department at the University of New Mexico, has earned the 2005 Dan Anderson Research Award. Sponsored by the Butler Center for Research at Hazelden, the award honors a single published article by a researcher who has advanced the scientific knowledge of addiction recovery.
Hester received the award for his study, “The Drinker’s Check-up: 12-month outcomes of a controlled clinical trial of a stand-alone software program for problem drinkers,” published in a 2005 issue (No. 28) of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.
The study demonstrated that problem drinkers can be motivated to change their drinking behavior after using a unique brief intervention software program called “the Drinker’s Check-up” (DCU). Hester developed the DCU through a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
The nine-member Scientific Panel of the Butler Center selected Hester’s research as the best from among several outstanding candidates for Research. He becomes the 10th recipient of the award and joins past winner Robert J. Meyers, also from UNM, who won the award in 2003.
“I’m honored to join the esteemed company of colleagues who have won this award in the past,” said Hester, who teamed with Daniel D. Squires, Ph.D., and Harold D. Delaney, Ph.D., on the study. “I am grateful for this prestigious award.”
In his study, 61 heavy drinkers were randomly assigned to the DCU or a wait-list control group. The DCU is a computer-based brief motivational intervention based on Motivational Enhancement Therapy.
Its Assessment Module measures drinking, risk factors, consequences, dependence, and readiness for change. The Feedback Module gives personalized feedback in a low-key manner designed to minimize resistance. In the Decision Making Module, participants are guided through a decisional balance exercise and a negotiation of goals of change and are helped to develop a Change Plan.
Twelve months after completing the DCU, drinkers who continued to drink reduced their drinking, on average, by 50 percent; average weekly peak blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) were down 55 percent; alcohol-related problems declined by 50 percent; and symptoms of dependence declined by 51 percent. Ten percent of the subjects stopped drinking entirely.
“Our Scientific Panel believes Dr. Hester’s work is timely, innovative and creative,” said Valerie Slaymaker, director of the Butler Center for Research. “For those problem drinkers who are not necessarily alcohol dependent, the DCU helps them significantly reduce their drinking and related consequences. For those with alcohol dependence, the program can also help in increasing their motivation to seek treatment and attend self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous.”
“The Drinker’s Check-up helps problem drinkers discover the reasons for changing their drinking within themselves,” says Hester. “Rather than having pressure put on them from others, the Drinker’s Check-up helps problem drinkers resolve their internal ambivalence about whether or not to change.”
Hester’s study also demonstrates the role that technology can play in reaching more people with problematic drinking.
“The panel believes Dr. Hester’s work is particularly timely given the recent report from the Institute of Medicine on improving the quality of care for those with substance use disorders. The IOM calls for expansion of care to include the use of technology,” added Slaymaker.
The DCU was developed with both a Windows program for use by therapists and clinics and with a Web component for use by the general public at: www.drinkerscheckup.com. For treatment providers, it can be used as a prelude to a patient’s more intensive treatment, serving as a catalyst of change for people entering treatment or for those on a waiting list.
However, it may have its greatest potential among the general public, says Hester, given that 16.7 million Americans 12 and older are considered heavy drinkers (bingeing five days a month or more) and only about 10 percent of those people get formal treatment for their problem.
“The DCU is not a replacement for addiction treatment,” says Hester. “It’s just one step in the continuum. It looks like it could be a very helpful first step in the process of reducing drinking or quitting altogether.”
Hester will receive the award and a $2,000 honorarium on April 13 at Hazelden’s Substance Abuse Research Forum in St. Paul, Minn. The award is named for Dr. Dan Anderson, the former president of Hazelden and one of the major architects of the Minnesota Model, the multidisciplinary approach to addiction treatment that has been replicated worldwide. Anderson died on Feb. 19, 2003 at age 81.
Hazelden Foundation, founded in 1949, is an internationally known nonprofit organization based in Center City, Minn., that provides a wide range of published materials (books, tapes, curriculums), training, research, and treatment services for people impacted by substance abuse.
Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The Forty-Third Paving and Transportation Conference, sponsored by the Department of Civil Engineering and the Alliance for Transportation Research Institute at the University of New Mexico, will be held Jan. 9-10 at the Marriott Pyramid North Hotel and Convention Center in Albuquerque. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will deliver the opening session keynote address at 10 a.m. on Jan. 9.
Other opening session speakers include New Mexico Transportation Secretary Rhonda Faught, Ohkay Owingeh tribal Gov. Joe Garcia and Emil H. Frankel, former assistant secretary for Transportation Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Frankel currently is with Parsons Brinckerhoff, an international consulting, engineering and program management organization.
Conference topics include infrastructure durability, safety and reliability and socio-economic issues relating to transportation.
A small registration fee is required to attend. For more information, contact conference chair Jim Brogan at 277-1314.
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu