The University of New Mexico’s Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) is currently accepting applications for research beginning this fall. The MARC program, which has been on campus in its current guise since 2000, is designed to enable underrepresented students, including members of an ethnic group, an opportunity to conduct a two-year research program beginning the summer preceding their junior year. MARC also prepares students to succeed in any graduate school in the United States.
Photo: MARC Program students conducting research. The popular program is looking for research minded students.
“Our MARC scholars have been heavily recruited by fine institutions across the country, and many have already completed graduate school and gone on to prestigious research and academic positions,” said Mary Anne Nelson, program director.
Some program components include the facilitation of a research project under the mentorship of a faculty member in the Department of Biology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Molecular Genetics & Microbiology or Neurosciences; spending a summer conducting research outside of New Mexico; presenting research at local and national scientific meetings; and participating in a special seminar course on Ethics in Research.
Students will also get the opportunity to travel to scientific meetings where they will have the chance to meet scientists and other students from around the country and learn about graduate school possibilities.
A stipend of nearly $11,000 per year is also awarded for the two years students are part of the program. Students are required to work in the research laboratory 15 hours per week during the academic year and full time in the summer. The MARC Program also pays UNM tuition and fees (after all other scholarships and/or grants have been applied).
Eligibility requirements include completion of at least the first two years of the curriculum leading to a bachelor’s in Biology, Biochemistry or Chemistry; a GPA of at least 3.0; and a strong desire to pursue a doctoral graduate research degree.
Applications for Fall 2006 are currently being accepted and may be picked up outside Room 206A in Castetter Hall. The deadline to turn in applications for the Fall 2006 semester is Tuesday, Sept. 5; applications to start in Spring 2007 can also be submitted now.
For more information visit: MARC Program or contact Mary Anne Nelson, program director, at 277-2629, manelson@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The Manufacturing Training and Technology Center, under the UNM School of Engineering, is getting $1.1 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration to help build phase three of a semiconductor and micro systems processing clean room. That money will be matched with $733,000 from university and state sources. Part of the university match comes from the 2005 bond issue and a portion comes from the university administration.
Center Director John Wood said the money comes just in time with phase two completing in late October and phase three set to start in November. He said, “Although the funding is for construction, it is really for enhanced opportunities for people as they seek workforce development, technology development and economic development.”
This funding will give the center improved infrastructure, enlarged working space and new tools to make it more functional and useful to university students and researchers, and to private companies that lease time on the equipment in the facility. Advent Solar and Agile Optics are two of the companies that utilize the facility to do prototype manufacturing of their devices.
Currently about 50 engineering undergraduate and graduate students from UNM and fifty undergraduate technicians from Central New Mexico Community College use the facility as part of their course of study. Wood says the funding will allow space for more students in each group.
He’s also excited because the money will allow faculty researchers technical capabilities that they currently do not have in New Mexico. In particular, phase three will allow MTTC to expand into the field of micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) and bio-MEMS). Biomems is the area of building small devices that can be used for detecting and manipulating biomolecules, or for medical diagnostics when implanted into the human body.
Wood says he hopes phase three construction can be completed by fall 2007.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Adaptable document available as free download
During the past half-century, American states have entered into some 26 interstate water allocation compacts, primarily in the western part of the country. As water conflicts increased, so did the realization among experts that most existing compacts were inadequate.
The University of New Mexico Utton Transboundary Resources Center at the School of Law has developed a model water compact to help parties avoid costly litigation. The project was funded in 2000 with congressional funding obtained by United States Sen. Pete Domenici.
The document is now available for use as a traditional interstate compact, with states as signatory parties, or as a federal/interstate compact with the United States as a signatory party. The latter approach has been used in the compacts most recently approved by Congress.
“The beauty of the new model compact is that it can be adapted to different situations in the various river basins around the country,” said Utton Center Director Marilyn O’Leary.
For more than a year, O’Leary and a team of staff analyzed existing compacts to identify and evaluate strengths and weaknesses in both theory and practice. The next step was to catalog the language in existing compacts as well as congressional consent legislation by topic to identify how critical issues were addressed historically.
O’Leary also assembled a 24-member advisory committee representing a range of professional expertise and stakeholder interests in interstate water issues. Last March, the committee met in Santa Fe for a three-day workshop. Members evaluated and supplemented the principal issues identified by the project study and offered further recommendations.
“This model river compact addresses the relevant and integrated scientific, economic, legal, and cultural factors that must be thoughtfully and thoroughly examined by any practicing water resource administrator,” said Ken Knox, chief deputy state engineer for the State of Colorado.
“The model compact properly takes into account the sovereign status of
Indian tribes and their substantial water rights when they are present
in a basin,” adds John Echohawk, director of the Native American Rights Fund.
Copies of the model compact can be downloaded from the UNM Utton Center Web site, Utton Center.
Media Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu
Miranda Eastham, database administrator for Advancement Services, was named UNM’s Biggest Loser today after completing an eight-week weight loss program. The university’s Biggest Loser Challenge was based on the popular NBC series and organized by the Employee Health Promotion Program. A celebration for participants and supporters was held in the SUB.
Photo: Biggest Loser Challenge Coordinator Shelley Rael (l.) and first place winner Miranda Eastham.
Participant success was based on total weight and inches lost, said Shelley Rael, challenge coordinator. Of the 159 people who registered, 92 people were post-measured, losing a combined total of 276.2 pounds.
Eastham, who is down 11 pounds, five inches and 3.7 percent in body fat, and English Professor Scott Sanders, who lost 10 pounds to weigh in as the top loser among UNM’s male employees, were each awarded an iPod Nano and $75 gift certificates for EHPP services.
Doug Weintraub and Sheryl Padilla placed second to earn $75 in EHPP services, and Terry Mulcahy and Maria Daw placed third to earn $35 in services, including fees for EHPP’s second Biggest Loser Challenge, scheduled to begin next spring.
Eastham said she found her greatest support in partner Sherry Reeder and from the “Foundation Fitties,” one of 13 self-organized campus teams.
“Being on a team gave me lots of motivation,” Eastham said. “We met once a week. Accountability is really important.”
In addition to adopting healthier eating habits, Eastham increased physical activity through dance, yoga, swimming, biking and core strengthening, she said.
Acting President David Harris was on hand to congratulate those who participated. He noted obesity’s major drain on employers, the economy and employees’ pocketbooks. Harris announced a personal success, a 30-pound weight loss during the past year. “Challenges like this that hit us directly are very helpful,” he said.
The average weight loss during UNM’s program was 3.0 pounds. One UNM employee is 16 lbs. lighter. Employees shed 156.2 inches from the waist and hips for an average of 1.7 inches per person. One individual took off 6.7 inches.
The group of 92 collectively cut 1,101,405 calories over the course of the eight weeks for an average of 11,972 calories per person, about a 1,500 calorie deficit each week or 214 calories a day, said Rael, a registered dietitian.
In addition to tracking pre and post-program body measurements and weight, EHPP staff assisted participants in making healthier food choices, maximizing physical activity and changing habits.
For information visit, http://ehpp.unm.edu/ or call 272-3710 or 272-3989.
Media Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu
A Study Abroad Fair will be held Wednesday, Sept. 6, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the atrium of Dane Smith Hall on the University of New Mexico campus. The fair features information and displays about study abroad opportunities in every region of the world for UNM students. The UNM Office of International Programs and Studies and the Latin American and Iberian Institute sponsor the fair.
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 & Portuguese, Honors Program, Art & Art History, Health Sciences Center and the Latin American & Iberian Institute, will provide information about special summer programs and short-term international study opportunities.
UNM students can learn about other opportunities, including those offered through other New Mexico institutions, now open to UNM students through a special statewide agreement.
Study abroad scholarship information will be available, 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 public. For more information, contact the Office of International Programs & Studies, 277-4032, or email studyabd@unm.edu; or the Latin American & Iberian Institute, 277-6843, or email rcote@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
College of Education assistant professor Christine Sims will testify before a congressional committee in Albuquerque. The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce will hold a hearing on “Recovery and Preservation of Native American Languages” Thursday, Aug. 31 at 2:30 p.m. at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, 2401 12th Street NW in Albuquerque.
Photo: Assistant Professor Christine Sims
The hearing will examine the decline in Native American languages. Chairman Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, (R-CA) will be joined in leading the committee by Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM). Also serving on the committee are Rep. Tom Udall (D-NM) and Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI).
Sims teaches in the Department of Language, Literature and Sociocultural Studies and is from the Pueblo of Acoma. Her work at UNM emphasizes the importance of teaching Native language as an essential part of the education of American Indian children.
This hearing will examine the decline in Native American languages. The committee also will explore Native American language immersion programs as a solution to language preservation and will review the Native American Languages Preservation Act, legislation introduced by Rep. Wilson in February 2006 to secure the preservation of Native American languages.
Across the country, Native American languages are in rapid decline. It is estimated that only twenty indigenous languages will remain viable by the year 2050. As a result of the rapid deterioration of Native languages, Native communities across the country have made language recovery and preservation one of their highest priorities.
Media Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico will observe Constitution Day Monday, Sept. 18, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. at the Student Union building, Lobo rooms A & B. The theme of this year's observance is judicial independence under the United States Constitution. Bruce Black, U.S. district court judge for the District of New Mexico, will be the keynote speaker.
The video "A Conversation on the Constitution: Judicial Independence" featuring Supreme Court Justices Stephen Breyer and Anthony Kennedy and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will be shown. The three will share their thoughts on a need for an independent judiciary.
UNM Assistant Professor of History Andrew Sandoval-Strausz and UNM Associate Professor of Law Norman Bay are also scheduled to speak.
Free copies of the constitution will be distributed.
For more information, call 277-0080.
Media Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico’s Employee Health Promotion Program will announce a “Biggest Loser” Wednesday, Aug. 30, at noon, at the close of an eight-week weight-loss program. A celebration for participants and supporters is scheduled until 1 p.m. in the SUB Lobo Room.
Acting President David Harris and EHPP Director Nicholas Spezza will speak. Biggest Loser Challenge coordinator Shelley Rael will announce the Biggest Loser and award prizes.
Program success is based on a combination of weight and inches lost, Rael said, adding that the program had a 58 percent completion rate.
Of the 159 people who registered, 92 people were post-measured, losing a combined total of 276.2 pounds.
The average weight loss is 3.0 pounds per person. One UNM employee is 16 lbs. lighter. Employees shed 156.2 inches from the waist and hips for an average of 1.7 inches per person. One individual took off 6.7 inches.
The resulting numbers total 314.7 lbs. of fat lost, an average of 3.5 lbs. of fat per employee. One individual lost 13 lbs. of fat.
The group of 92 collectively cut 1,101,405 calories over the course of the eight weeks for an average of 11,972 calories per person, about a 1,500 calorie deficit each week or 214 calories a day, said Rael, a registered dietitian.
In addition to tracking pre and post-program body measurements and weight, EHPP staff assisted participants in making healthier food choices, maximizing physical activity and changing habits.
For information visit, http://ehpp.unm.edu/ or call 272-3710 or 272-3989.
Media Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu
Ferrel Heady, the 11th president of the University of New Mexico who served from 1968 to 1975, died Aug. 17 at the age of 90. A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 26, at 11 a.m. in the UNM Student Union ballroom. Heady served during turbulent times marked by student demonstrations against the Vietnam War.
Photo: Ferrel Heady, UNM's 11th President
One protest turned bloody on May 8, 1970, when New Mexico National Guardsmen marched onto campus and 10 people were bayoneted. Heady was also president during the 1969 “Love Lust” poem controversy and the challenge of academic freedom.
Among his accomplishments as president, UNM opened its first branch campus at UNM-Gallup and the UNM Andean Study and Research Center was established in Quito, Ecuador.
A building boom took place, with construction of Ferris Engineering Center and a two building complex that housed the Institute for Social Research and Development and the School of Business and Administrative Sciences, now the Robert O. Anderson Graduate School of Management. University Stadium was also built during his tenure.
Inaugurated on Heady’s watch were the Bachelor of University Studies, the Cancer Research Center, the College Enrichment Program, and ethnic study centers for Chicano, Afro-American and Native American Students.
Heady earned a Ph.D. in political science from Washington University in St. Louis. He came to UNM in 1967 as academic vice president, after serving as academic vice president at the University of Michigan for 20 years, seven as director of the Institute of Public Administration.
After serving as UNM president, Heady was a professor of public administration and political science from 1975 to ’81. He was an honorary degree recipient in 1993 and also received UNM’s outstanding graduate teacher award. He served as professor emeritus in UNM’s School of Public Administration, which he founded.
Heady is survived by his wife of 64 years, Charlotte; sons Richard and Thomas Heady, both of Albuquerque; daughters Judith August of Austin, Texas, and Margaret Heady of Cheney, Wash., a brother and a sister.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Master plan competition anticipated
The University of New Mexico Board of Regents has unanimously ratified the letter of agreement detailing a land exchange that will pave the way for a future UNM campus in Rio Rancho. The letter of agreement in principle was signed August 17 by State Land Commissioner Patrick Lyons and acting UNM President David Harris.
The anticipated closing for the land exchange is October 1. In a deal being negotiated with the State Land Office, UNM would receive 216 acres near the future city centre in Rio Rancho in exchange for land worth approximately $6 million, from various parcels of excess land that the university owns around the state. Regents will vote on the final agreement prior to the closing.
Regents President Jamie Koch says he will invite a motion at the regular regents meeting in September to inaugurate a master plan competition for the Rio Rancho acreage, inviting participation from New Mexico and national planning experts.
"We have an opportunity with this vacant land to incorporate the best ideas for a campus," said Koch. "Until the master plan is in place, our development there will be on hold."
Koch also said the needs assessment currently being done for the project must be completed so the university will know exactly what route will be taken in Rio Rancho for the next several years.
The University Committee for Public Service and Community Engagement will present the first fall luncheon highlighting the community public service work of UNM staff and faculty.
On Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m, Sarah Belle Brown Award nominees Dr. Theresa Cordova, faculty, School of Architecture and Planning, and Walt Miller, associate vice president, Student Development, will discuss their community involvement. The presentation will be held in the Roberts Room in Scholes Hall.
The Sarah Belle Brown Awards were established by former UNM Regent Doug Brown in honor of his wife, Sarah Belle Brown, in recognition of her many years of public service to the community.
Lunch will be provided. However, seating is limited to 35 people. Please RSVP to cpsce@unm.edu or 277.5158 no later than Friday, Aug. 25, 2006.
Media Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu
Joseph L. Cecchi, dean of the UNM School of Engineering, has been elected as a director on the Executive Board of the Engineering Deans Council, the leadership organization of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). Cecchi's term will extend through June 2008.
Photo: School of Engineering Dean Joseph L. Cecchi
Cecchi is also a member of the council's public policy committee, which organizes an annual colloquium in Washington, D.C. about engineering education and research issues.
More than 10,000 members from the academic, government and industrial engineering communities belong to ASEE. The Engineering Deans Council includes more than 300 deans of engineering colleges and schools across the United States, for which the nine-member executive board serves as the governing body.
Media Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu
The August/September issue of “German Life” features an article on total immersion German programs in the United States. UNM’s German Summer School, or Deutsche Sommerschule von New Mexico, is among the programs featured alongside those from the University of Rhode Island, Portland State and Middlebury College in Vermont.
The school’s director, Susanne Baackmann, said that the total immersion approach aims to make the language “come alive” for learners.
“Linguists have identified a factor called language interference. This refers to the fact that it’s much harder to go back and forth between two languages than it is to stay in one. Since the total immersion approach focuses on the target language only, students make remarkable progress in German in just four weeks.”
Baackmann also said that the total immersion program UNM hosts annually in June and July in the Taos Ski Valley is worth more in language improvement than a full academic year in Germany.
She said, “During their stay in Germany, many American exchange students meet Germans who would rather speak English with them than go through a halting conversation in German.” By contrast, the instructors and participants speak Nur Deutsche, only German, throughout the program.
UNM’s program was established by Professors George Peters and Peter Pabisch more than 30 years ago. It continues to attract students from across the United States and includes faculty from the U.S. and the German-speaking world.
“German Life” is available at newsstands and by subscription. For information about receiving the magazine, e-mail Matt Strickler at: mstrickler@germanlife.com.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The New Mexico Jazz Workshop needs a grand piano and KNME-TV Channel 5 has a Steinway F Series they’d like to sell. Both groups are looking for someone to purchase it from KNME to donate to NMJW. A great tax write-off is in the offing for the purchaser.
Great artists deserve the best instruments for their performances, and New Mexico Jazz Workshop wants the best for their musicians and audiences. After looking for the right piano for a long time, they found it – at KNME-TV, and now they need help to get it.
KNME-TV would like to use the resources tied up in the piano to bring great television to more people, as well as wanting the piano to go to a good home.
They are seeking a thoughtful, community-minded person to purchase the piano from KNME for $20,000, donate it to the Jazz Workshop and receive a nice tax write-off next year.
If you’re interested call New Mexico Jazz Workshop Executive Director Ed Ulman, at (505) 977-9450 or KNME's Joanne Bachmann at (505) 277-8666.
Media Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1218; e-mail: etodd@knme.org
An article by UNM School of Law May 2006 graduate Carlos Ruiz de la Torre has been published in the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law. Towards the Digital Music Distribution Age: Business Model Adjustments and Legislative Proposals to Improve Legal Downloading Services and Counter Piracy, 8 Vand. J. Ent. L. & Prac. 503 (2006), was selected as the Grand Prize Winner of the 2006 Legal Writing Contest of the Grammy Foundation’s Entertainment Law Initiative, a competition open to law students nationwide.
Photo: Carlos de la Torre
His paper considers licensing issues related to the digital distribution of music over the internet and proposes legislative solutions to streamline and make more economical the licensing process for digital music retailers so that more music is available for legal downloading.
Among his suggestions is a proposal to merge the functions of the performing rights organizations with the Harry Fox Agency, a safe-harbor fund to protect music retailers who are unable to locate copyright owners; and percentage-based mechanical royalty to replace the penny-rate royalty.
The paper also considers the reverse-engineering of downloading and playback devices to achieve the interoperability that consumers desire (e.g., so that songs downloaded on sites other than iTunes could be played on the iPod).
In 2005, Carlos was one of four runner-up finalists in the Grammy writing contest for his paper, Digital Music Sampling & Copyright Law: Can the Interests of Copyright Owners and Sampling Artists be Reconciled?, 7 Vand. J. Ent. L. & Prac. 401 (2005).
Law professors Marsha Baum and Sherri Burr offered guidance and insight in preparing Ruiz de la Torre’s 2006 and 2005 articles for submission, respectively.
In addition to recently graduating from UNM, Ruiz de la Torre earned degrees in piano performance and jazz studies from Indiana University.
Media Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu
Help may be on the way if you’re concerned about a loved one’s drug abuse. Family members and significant others frequently experience a variety of consequences such as violence, theft, verbal aggression and embarrassment. In turn, family members often call treatment agencies in an effort to get help for themselves, as well as their loved one.
CRAFT, or the community reinforcement approach and family training method, has proven to be an effective way for family members to help a loved one who has alcohol/drug problems but refuses to get treatment. Though well proven in research, CRAFT remains largely unavailable in most communities, in part because family members do not have a diagnosis themselves, so insurers will not pay for the service. Instead, family members are often referred to less successful alternatives.
Psychology Ph.D. candidate Jennifer Knapp Manuel is conducting a study on ways to make CRAFT more widely available to concerned family members. The self-study and group methods she is evaluating promise to make CRAFT more accessible to those who want and need help.
Knapp Manuel is being guided in this study by three senior faculty at UNM who originally developed and tested CRAFT: Robert J. Meyers, Jane Ellen Smith and William R. Miller. All are associated with the UNM Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions (CASAA).
Family members who participate in the study will receive, free of charge, one of two methods for learning and using CRAFT -- group counseling or a home self-study approach. When family members are successful in encouraging their loved one to seek help, the study will also provide up to 12 sessions of related treatment - the community reinforcement approach (CRA) - free of charge. In prior CASAA research, CRA has also been found to be highly effective in helping people with alcohol/drug problems.
“Family members often feel very limited in what they can do,” said Knapp Manuel. “There is not a lot available to help them. CRAFT for an individual family can be expensive, and often insurance won't cover it. We hope that the methods we are studying will make CRAFT more widely available to help families and their loved ones."
For more information or to find out about eligibility for the study contact UNM CASAA at (505) 925-2382. Participants will receive a small stipend for their time in the study, a confidential evaluation, and a copy of the CRAFT book for concerned family members.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Inspiration comes in many forms. In some cases, the inspiration is obvious. In others, it is subtle, yet still inspiring. But a simple paper clip? What could be so inspiring and special about small piece of inexpensive wire bent into a long, flat cylindrical shape?
For Janie Perry Gonzales, an undergraduate artist in the department of Art and Art History and the curator of the “VIDA Art Exhibition,” the inspiration of a simple paper clip dates back more than 15 years ago after her mother, Mary Jane Perry, passed away. A few days later, along with her two sisters, she went to the mortician’s office to transport a small wooden box with their mother’s ashes contained within.
“As I look back I remember the special paper clip on the counter that played such an important role on that difficult day,” Gonzales recalled. “We felt the need for a lock on the box to keep the lid from opening during the drive. There was a paper clip shining brightly on the counter. I picked it up and slid it onto the hasp of the lock.
“When we arrived at the cemetery and placed the brown wooden box into the attendant’s hands, she mentioned that the paper clip would have to be removed because of regulations against loose objects. I surprised even myself by suggesting to my sisters and the lady that it be placed inside the box as a connective symbol of her connective strength in the family.”
The paper clip, along with some of their mother’s personal belongings, including a rosary, religious medals and handwritten letters or drawings from each of her 13 grandchildren written for her the day after she died, was placed inside the box.
But the paper clip story didn’t end on that day.
“Incredibly, since then, a paper clip has been showing up strategically at some of the most important family events and moments,” said Gonzales. “It happens so often that there are countless wonderful paper clip stories in the family.”
Gonzales has several special paper clip stories of her own. Inspired by that simple paper clip so long ago, Gonzales incorporates one in all of her paintings and other artwork.
“Either it is blatantly obvious or it is hidden for the viewer to possibly discover,” Gonzales said. “Either way, this special symbol honoring my mother will always be in my artwork.”
One such piece is a sculptural wooden bench made by Gonzales.
“As a metaphor, it incorporates the headboard and footboard of a child’s bed as the two supporting sides, symbolizing my mother’s gentle care during my childhood,” said Gonzales. “It is painted white to symbolize the purity of my mother’s spirit, her goodness and my belief that she is in heaven.”
Titled, “Eternal Maternal Connection,” the piece will be on display at the UNM Women’s Resource Center the first week of the Fall semester. “It is all about relationships,” said Gonzales. “Life, as symbolized in this odd bench, is a connection to what was, what is and what will be.”
The paper clip has also provided Gonzales with inspiration to connect and help provide opportunities and exposure to aspiring artists affiliated with UNM as undergraduate or graduate students, alumni, faculty and or staff in unusual venues.
Curated by Gonzales, “A Step Beyond,’ the fourth in the VIDA Art Exhibition series, is another unique art exhibit in a non-traditional venue – The UNM Development/Foundation Office, located at 700 Lomas Blvd., N.E. The show featuring 27 artists runs through Oct. 7, 2006.
Additional information on a specific piece or artist may be available with the receptionist. The exhibit may be viewed between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, by appointment. Call (505) 277-4503 for an appointment. An opening reception will take place Friday, Sept. 15, from 5 to 8 p.m. For more information contact Janie Gonzales at (505) 899-2830 or e-mail: jfpg@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Students and faculty from the Department of Art and Art History are exhibiting some of their best artwork at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court. This summer, about 30 works of student art went up on courthouse walls for the enjoyment of employees and the public. An additional special exhibit of 20 pieces by faculty is planned. An exhibit opening is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 24 from 5:15 to 7:15 p.m. in the Courthouse Rotunda. The event is free and open to the public.
Artwork: Russell Hall's 'Moment of Clarity.'
“We have about 3,500 people coming to court each day. We have a beautiful courthouse with very little art in it. This is a wonderful opportunity that benefits all involved,” said Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court Chief Judge Judith Nakamura. “Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court is practically designed as a gallery. We know the students and faculty appreciate and deserve exposure for their art and the public will enjoy viewing it.”
Jim Jacob, lecturer in Art and Art History, said, “We are very pleased to have this opportunity to exhibit the work of many of our talented faculty and students at the Metropolitan Court. The courthouse provides an ideal opportunity for community outreach and we consider this exhibition to be the first of many in what will prove to be a very productive collaborative relationship.”
A variety of media will be on display, from oils to pastels and photography. Some pieces are large and can be easily accommodated on courthouse walls. They will be exhibited in heavily trafficked public areas, from the rotunda to the Jury Lounge, Nakamura explained. She said the works will be hung for a year. Next summer, a new exhibit will be selected and displayed. The court hopes to establish a permanent collection.
“Many public buildings maintain permanent collections of fine art. Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court is an excellent venue for such a collection. We have our Scale of Justice in the courthouse plaza, and stained glass and sculpture in the rotunda. Like the New Mexico State Capitol and other courthouses, we would like to display even more of the excellent work by our state artists,” Nakamura said.
For more information contact Jim Jacob, 277-3441 or Janet Blair, 841-9897.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Sept. 6 lecture presented by the Palace Guard, Palace of the Governors and Santa Fe Fiesta Council
Folklorist, author and cultural historian Enrique R. Lamadrid, professor of Spanish, and director of the Chicano Hispano Mexicano Studies Program, says it's time to consider the Camino Real as a corridor of culture, where pilgrimage, ritual, dance and music link north and south, past and future, in one of the greatest intercultural legacies of humanity in North America.
Photo: Enrique R. Lamadrid
On Wednesday, Sept. 6, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., Lamadrid commemorates the annual Fiestas de Santa Fe with the lecture, “Crossroads of the Heart: Pilgrimage on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro,” at St. Francis Auditorium at the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe.
His lecture will explore themes of pilgrimage and cultural commerce on the Camino Real and will be accompanied by photographs by renowned New Mexican photographer Miguel Gandert and musical selections recorded by Lamadrid. General admission is $5; Palace Guard and Fiesta Council members are admitted free.
The historic Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the Royal Road of the Interior, has long been studied for its importance as a conduit for people, politics and trade that spawns a wealth of research into the genealogy, military history and commerce related to the trail.
“Researchers have crossed the ocean to Spain in search of cultural roots which can be found just a ways down the Camino Real,” said Lamadrid, a Santa Fe native.
For more information, contact Brian Moe 505-982-6366, ext. 106, or e-mail Brian@museumfoundation.org.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Ted A. Garcia, general manager and chief executive officer of public television station KNME-TV, Channel 5, has been re-elected chair of the board of directors of Pacific Mountain Network. Formerly a regional program distributor, PMN now invests in public television programs and services. PMN is governed by a nine-person executive council, elected for three-year terms by the 33 member public television stations.
Photo: Ted A. Garcia
“I am honored to have been once again selected by my peers to Chair PMN,” Garcia said. “Leadership provided by the Pacific Mountain Network stations in public service media is critical to meeting the needs of the people of New Mexico and throughout the Western United States, through the creation and distribution of the highest quality programming and educational services.”
Garcia also serves on the boards for the Public Broadcasting Service, National Datacasting, Inc., and the University Licensee Association.
Media Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1218; e-mail: etodd@knme.org
The University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus was ranked third in Community College Week for graduating American Indian students with Associate’s degrees for 2003-2004.
Gallup graduated 122 American Indian students with Associate’s degrees, behind Diné College in Arizona with 208 graduates, and Tulsa Community College in Oklahoma with 131 graduates. UNM-Gallup was up nine percent from the 2002-2003 total of 112 Native American graduates with Associate’s degrees.
Twenty men and 102 women graduated with Associate’s degrees from UNM-Gallup for the 2003-2004 period. The figures for this period were listed as preliminary.
During the first week of fall semester, University of New Mexico professors, deans and the provost will be guests on the Wake Up New Mexico radio show. Each morning, from Monday, Aug. 21 through Thursday, Aug. 24, a UNM guest will be live in the studio with Larry Ahrens and Dianne Anderson, the program’s co-hosts, heard on KGAM-FM, 106.3.
Mon., 8/21, 9 a.m. – Peter White, dean of University College and professor of English and American Studies - White will talk about the new Research Service Learning Program where students experience community-based research and public service as part of their undergraduate education.
Tues. 8/22, 9 a.m. – Ed Angel, professor of Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Media Arts - Angel will discuss the Art, Research, Technology and Science Laboratory (ARTS Lab) he directs where students are taught the latest techniques in digital media.
Wed. 8/23, 8:30 a.m. – Reed Dasenbrock, UNM provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs – Dasenbrock will speak about measures to improve student retention, graduation rates and how UNM can better respond to statewide needs.
Thur. 8/24, 9 a.m. – Rita Martinez-Purson, dean of Continuing Education – Martinez-Purson will talk about what’s new in Continuing Education course offerings for the community.
Media Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico and the State Land Office have reached agreement on a land exchange that will give UNM 216 acres in Rio Rancho for a future full-service campus. An exchange agreement in principle was announced by Commissioner of Public Lands Patrick Lyons and UNM Regents President Jamie Koch at a ceremony today in Rio Rancho.
In exchange for the 216 acres, UNM is transferring to the State Land Office land, worth approximately $6 million, that the university owns in several parcels around the state.
“It is understanding that gives us the ability to have this agreement,” says Koch. “When we understood what Land Commissioner Patrick Lyon's viewpoint was and he understood ours, we were able to sit down and work out our differences.”
Koch recognized the work of Commissioner Lyons on behalf of the land trust's beneficiaries, including UNM. “Commissioner Lyons was the driving force behind Mesa del Sol. Now he has worked with us on Rio Rancho, which never would have come about without his leadership and vision.”
Koch also commended the vision of Rep. Tom Swisstack. “Rep. Swisstack planted the seed for higher education in Rio Rancho during his term as mayor of that city. As a state representative, he told us he was committed to getting acreage for a full-service campus in Rio Rancho.”
Koch joined Lyons in acknowledging the $1.6 million gift to the university made by Walter Grodahl and GSL Properties, the land developer who agreed to donate the accrued improvement value credits on the 216- acre parcel.
UNM Regent Don Chalmers notes that UNM West has had a presence on the West Side and in Rio Rancho since 1990 and locating a campus there makes good sense.
“Currently, 5,000 students from the West Side commute to UNM's main campus – a 30 – 40 minute one-way trip in the best of circumstances,” said Chalmers. “Another 2,000 students already attend classes at UNM West. With Rio Rancho's projected population growth, there is a need for more access to higher education for these students.”
Koch, Chalmers and their fellow regents also acknowledge Rio Rancho Mayor Kevin Jackson and the Rio Rancho City Council for their efforts and support for a full-service campus in their city.
“Now that the land is secured, we can really get moving on implementing our plans for Rio Rancho,” said acting UNM President David Harris. Harris estimates property development could begin toward the end of 2007.
The new UNM full-service campus, to be built next to the new Rio Rancho city hall and central business district, will include classrooms, labs, bookstores and accessory retail, eating establishments, health care facilities and a research park.
The University of New Mexico welcomes more than 600 freshmen along with 2,000 family members and friends to the Freshman Family Day Convocation, Sunday, Aug. 20, at 4 p.m. in Popejoy Hall. The event serves as a prelude to fall semester. Approximately 2,900 freshmen are expected to begin classes the week of Aug. 21. Convocation, a UNM tradition since 2003, is an hour-long, full regalia ceremony designed to welcome freshmen to a community of learners.
UNM Board of Regents President Jamie Koch, UNM acting President David Harris and other administrators, faculty and students, deliver remarks to affirm the university’s commitment to students and inspire them to make their UNM experience life changing. Also recognized is the importance of family and valuable support they provide to students during the college years.
Students in attendance gain a sense of the size, strength and identity of their class and begin to form an important connection to one another and to UNM.
Following the ceremony, students and families are invited to the Duck Pond and University House for hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream. A local band, Danny Winn and the Earthlings, will provide entertainment on the west lawn of Zimmerman Library.
Media Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico main campus in Albuquerque has been awarded a five-year, $2.8 million Title V grant to enhance support services for Hispanic students. In addition, UNM Valencia campus received nearly $2.5 million, also over five years. The United States Department of Education awards the grants under the Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) program.
HSIs are non-profit institutions with at least 25 percent Hispanic full-time equivalent enrollment. In fall 2005, roughly 30 percent of UNM’s student body was Hispanic.
UNM’s main campus project is titled “UNM Title V, Improving Campus Climate for Hispanic Students.” Project funding has been granted to the UNM Regents. The project will be housed in Academic and Students Affairs, and will be overseen by Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Reed Dasenbrock and Vice President for Student Affairs Eliseo “Cheo” Torres.
The goal of the project is to continue to improve retention and graduation rates for Hispanic students. UNM will receive approximately $550,000 per year during the funding cycle. The grant can continue beyond 2011 if the university meets certain requirements and it is so deemed by the U.S. Department of Education.
Title V will support two UNM initiatives
1.) Faculty/Staff Development and Engagement: UNM will expand current faculty development practices to include education sessions focused on student-centered, culturally appropriate instructional methods that will have a positive impact on students.
2.) Student Development and Engagement: This component focuses on student development and engagement through activities/initiatives that provide academic tutoring support in the classroom; mentoring, cultural, and social support in and out of the classroom; and a live interface program that will provide students with a tool to navigate academic, social, and cultural support programs available on campus.
“We are very excited to have received a Title V grant from the Department of Education. This grant will help us continue to improve our programs that serve more than 8,000 Hispanic students and will help us move towards our goal of being, and being seen to be, the premier Hispanic-Serving Institution in the United States,” Dasenbrock said.
“This grant is a huge deal for us,” added Vice President Eliseo “Cheo” Torres. “We are already the largest HSI in our Carnegie category, and this solidifies our position further as one of the premier doctorate-granting research institutions in the country serving Hispanic students.”
UNM Valencia’s grant will also be disbursed in approximately $500,000 increments ($500,136 for the initial funding cycle). The funds will establish a Developmental Teaching and Learning Center to improve the success rates of low-income Hispanic students.
In addition, the branch plans to raise $120,000 for an endowed scholarship that will earn federal government matched funds at the end of the grant period. This is the second Title V grant UNM Valencia has received; the first in 2001 was used to equip classrooms with state-of-the art audio-visual hardware and Internet access. UNM-Valencia is also currently participating in a cooperative Title V grant with UNM-Los Alamos on a technology-learning center.
According to the U.S. Department of Education’s Web site, Title V grants are awarded to “expand educational opportunities for, and to improve the academic attainment of Hispanic students.”
For more information, call Jennifer Gomez-Chavez, College Enrichment Program in the UNM Office of Special Programs, 277-5321.
Media Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu
Community collaboration at heart of efforts
The Resource Center for Raza Planning in the UNM School of Architecture and Planning hosts “University and Community Collaboration: The First 10 Years” on Thursday, Aug. 24, from 5-8:30 p.m. at the Wool Warehouse, 516 1st St. NW. The event, which is free and open to the public, celebrates the center’s accomplishments, marks a change in leadership and, in the tradition of planners, charts a course for the future.
Teresa Córdova, the center’s founder and director, is both a fulltime faculty member in Community and Regional Planning in the school as well as a Bernalillo County Commissioner. She is stepping down as RCRP director and will hand the reins to Jacobo Martinez, a recent graduate of the master’s program in planning who has worked for five years in RCRP.
“Jacobo exemplifies the success of RCRP. He is a student from the community who came into the program – into the classroom – and now is taking his expertise back out into the community,” Córdova said. She also said that stepping aside is “an opportunity to make way for new leadership and creativity, while retaining essential continuity.”
The event gives RCRP staff and the community the opportunity to remember past efforts that included conducting a community impact assessment of a proposed 35, 000 sq ft. facility on a 14-acre site in the heart of a stable neighborhood in the South Valley, conducting public participation for a water system project in the far South Valley, providing information to residents on the Isleta Boulevard Improvement Project, and providing technical assistance to the Rio Grande Community Development Corporation to develop its 17,000 sq. ft. small business incubator and commercial kitchen.
“All projects demonstrate a strong commitment to soliciting public involvement and education,” Martinez said.
Setting its sights on the future, RCRP plans to be a forerunner in developing and using planning technology.
“We want to tell the story of Albuquerque using multimedia technology in layers. Interviews, pictures and recordings will reside on the Web. A 3-D interactive model of the city, a ‘Virtual Albuquerque,’ will invite users to click on buildings and find information about the history of the building, stories of the building and even interviews of people associated with it,” Martinez said.
Tim Castillo, associate professor of architecture, is providing technical guidance and assistance.
Martinez and the RCRP staff are also looking at sustainability, both locally and globally. “We want to tap into and distribute knowledge and resources to help communities throughout the world,” he said.
Other RCRP student employees include Vicente Quevedo, master’s student in Community and Regional Planning; Michael Montoya, senior in planning; Andres Ranieri, graduate of the journalism program with emphasis in media arts; and Maruja Clensay, graduate student in Latin American Studies and planning.
For more information about the event, contact the RCRP at 277-8526.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Pam Hurd-Knief has been appointed interim associate vice president for Development, announced Michael Kingan, interim vice president for Institutional Advancement and interim president, UNM Foundation. Hurd-Knief will lead the day-to-day operations of UNM’s Development programs, including university and health sciences fundraising units, and will serve as a senior advisor in planning and establishing UNM’s upcoming comprehensive campaign. She will begin her new role Sept. 1.
Photo: Pam Hurd-Knief, interim associate vice president, Development
“Pam’s substantial experience enables her to direct UNM’s fundraising efforts with a true understanding for the work at hand,” said Kingan. “She’s already an integral part of our program and will not miss a beat in taking on the leadership of the development program.”
Hurd-Knief, director of major gifts at the UNM Foundation, has been at UNM for seven years, six years as chief development officer at the School of Architecture and Planning, with prior development-related positions at the Carrie Tingley Hospital Foundation, UNM School of Law and the UNM Children’s Hospital. In her current role as director of major gifts, she has worked closely with all UNM schools, colleges, units and campuses to facilitate interaction with donors and prospective donors.
Hurd-Knief, who is a Certified Fundraising Executive, is the immediate past president of the New Mexico Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She has also served on more than a dozen non-profit boards in the greater Albuquerque area. She earned a master's in philanthropy and development at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
New Mexico’s first female federal judge, Chief Justice Martha Vázquez, is the keynote speaker for “Unsung Heroes,” the theme of De Colores’ 14th Annual Hispanic Culture Festival, Saturday, Oct. 14, from 7 – 9 p.m. at the University of New Mexico Student Union Building Ballroom. Tickets are $75. Table sponsorship is also available.
Photo: Chief Justice Martha Vázquez
The evening features an awards banquet where seven “Unsung Heroes” will be honored in the following areas: lifetime achievement, government, humanitarian, education, business, arts and grassroots.
Awards will also be presented to high school or college students who have demonstrated a commitment to the Hispanic community on and off campus, and who perform well academically. A total of four student awards will be given, two to high school and two to college students. Nominations will be accepted through Sept. 5.
Following the awards banquet, a dance featuring the 2005 Tejano Academy Award winning band, “Crossroads,” will perform. Their music ranges from horn driven rancheras, cumbias, traditional conjunto, boleros and salsa to country, jazz, big band, rock, funk and oldies.
Of the keynote, José Armas, founding De Colores board member, said, “Judge Vázquez epitomizes the sense of social responsibility we honor. She is a terrific role model for all Latinas, Latinos and everyone to emulate.”
Vázquez attended Notre Dame in 1972, the first year it opened its doors to women. She passed the New Mexico Bar in 1979 and practiced law as a public defender and criminal defense and general civil law attorney for 15 years before President Bill Clinton appointed her a federal judge.
Vázquez has taken a special interest in the undocumented and recently issued an opinion on racial profiling against the US Border Patrol. She has issued key opinions on immigration, civil rights, police brutality and Indian sovereignty.
De Colores is a 32-year organization, which, for the last 13 years produced the largest festival in New Mexico during Hispanic Heritage Month. Jennifer Gomez-Chavez, De Colores president and UNM program manager, said, “This year, the festival commemorates the 514th ‘birthday’ of contemporary Latinos or mestizos and their global contributions.”
For the last seven years, UNM and De Colores have forged a partnership to encourage the community and school children to become a part of university life by showcasing their art, music, poetry, literature and dance weekly throughout Hispanic Heritage Month.
UNM Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Eliseo “Cheo” Torres, said, “We are proud of our growing relationship with De Colores. Many UNM departments will again partner with De Colores’ during the 14th annual festival.”
A special tribute will honor artist Luis Jiménez and long-time community activist and De Colores Board Member Beverly Garcia, both of whom died recently. A display honoring each will be showcased at UNM’s SUB from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.
Jiménez was the featured poster artist in 1999. A commemorative reissue of the poster will be featured and released this year. Jiménez’s poster is available unframed for $35 or $100 for a framed copy.
For more information, please call José Armas, 730-1899 or e-mail armas@swcp.com, or Jennifer Gomez-Chavez, 220-1311 or e-mail jengomez@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico will host the next meeting of the state’s Information Technology Oversight Committee (ITOC), Tuesday, Aug. 22. The session runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the UNM High Performance Computing Center, located on the northwest corner of Central Ave. and University Blvd.
Chaired by Sen. John Arthur Smith, the 21-member ITOC consists of state senators and representatives from across New Mexico. Commissioned by the New Mexico Legislative Council, ITOC is designed to facilitate and better support the legislative work during the next session.
Higher education representatives from UNM, New Mexico State University, New Mexico Tech and New Mexico Highlands University will provide strategic directions for IT and higher education. Bill Adkins, UNM’s chief information officer, and Barney Maccabe, director, UNM High Performance Computing Center, will host the event.
Focus areas include: UNM’s Center for High Performance Computing, the Earth Data Analysis Center and the Media Arts initiative. Additionally, there will be updates from the State CIO’s office, the Chair of the IT Commission and the CIO of Public Education regarding the STARS (Student Teacher Accountability Reporting System) project.
For more information, contact the New Mexico Legislative Council at (505) 986-4600 or UNM’s Information Technology Services at (505) 277-0752.
For the first time ever, the University of New Mexico College of Nursing (CON) will be offering its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at the UNM Valencia and UNM Taos campuses starting January 2007. Faculty and administrators at both branch campuses have been working for several years in partnership with the CON to provide the required prerequisite courses for the BSN program.
Photo (l. to r.): Jim Gilroy, dean of Instruction - Taos campus; Sandra Ferketich, dean, UNM College of Nursing; and Reinaldo A.Z. Garcia, dean of Instruction - Valencia campus, were part of a meeting in July that discussed the BSN program expansion.
The CON recognizes New Mexico’s need for more nurses and with the addition of the BSN program at the Valencia and Taos branches, the CON hopes to increase the number of BSN students it graduates each year.
This January, Valencia and Taos will each enroll 16 nursing students for the program. Two CON faculty members at each campus will take the students through the same curriculum the UNM CON uses in Albuquerque. The hope of the CON is to have these students living in or around the Valencia and Taos areas as they obtain their education so when they graduate they will be more inclined to work as full-time Bachelor’s prepared nurses in their rural communities. The faculty hired will also be living in these areas and will be working closely with CON faculty in Albuquerque.
The CON continually expresses the importance of the BSN degree. With a BSN, nurses offer a wide variety of skills to their hospitals and clinics, including skills in communication and management. A BSN is often required for leadership roles and to enter a Master of Science in Nursing program, where specialization occurs.
The purpose of expanding the BSN program to these two campuses is not only to provide more highly-educated nurses for New Mexico, but to also serve the more rural areas of the state. The CON understands the challenges New Mexicans in rural areas face when it comes to commuting for a college education. With Valencia and Taos on board, more New Mexicans in areas outside of Albuquerque will be able to earn their BSN without the commute.
To learn more about the BSN program at the UNM CON visit BSN program.
Media Contact: Lauren Cruse, (505) 272-3690; e-mail: lcruse@salud.unm.edu
The final Summer Staff Appreciation Concert will be at noon, Friday, August 18, featuring the band Jasper. Come celebrate the last Friday before the start of classes at UNM.
Photo: Jasper will perform at UNM on August 18.
Concerts are held in University Honors Plaza, near the SUB and Johnson Center. Seating in the shade is available. Bring your lunch or buy food there. Grilled hamburgers for $2 and lemonade for $1 will be available.
Jasper is a trio of veteran Albuquerque musicians who perform cool rock & roll, New Orleans-inspired material and more. Members are Terry Bluhm, bass; Frank McCulloch Jr., guitar and banjo and Jefferson Vorhees, drums. Jasper is sure to get your feet tapping.
Concerts are presented by UNM Staff Council and the Work + Life Committee and are made possible through funding provided by the Office of Institutional Advancement.
Come join the fun and be appreciated!
Media Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu
On a sunny day last year at UNM-Gallup’s South Campus in Zuni, one of the major highlights of the open house being held was a jar of beans boiling in a solar oven. Passersby gasped at the sight of the percolating beans, as well as at a pan of brownies baking beautifully alongside.
Photo: John Welles (l.) and Jean Martinez-Welles proudly display their solar oven.
Unless you’ve cooked beans at 6,500 feet, and are aware of how much energy is required from the time the beans go in the pot in the morning until they’re done in the afternoon, you may not appreciate the sense of amazement with which the open house visitors regarded this demonstration of solar cookery. They listened incredulously when told they could put an entire meal inside the oven in the morning before going to work, and come home to find dinner ready—all without spending a cent on propane or electricity.
Promoting Better Health
And while saving money and energy may be the major hook for most who would acquire a solar oven, for Jean Martinez-Welles, the crusade to promote solar cookery has much deeper significance. A professor in Health Careers at UNM-Gallup, Martinez-Welles is the co-inventor, along with Gallup High School wood shop instructor John Welles, of the solar oven seen at Zuni last year. She’s also a strong advocate of alternative ways of cooking to help promote better health in the area.
The solar oven invented by Martinez-Welles and Welles was funded by a Center for Disease Control grant awarded to UNM-Gallup to develop a program to combat diabetes in this region. The ovens were distributed in the Pueblo of Zuni and on the Navajo Reservation for testing.
As Martinez-Welles explains, people of our region often favor the frying of food, not only as a matter of taste but also because of the high cost of fuel needed for baking. The solar oven project was developed to acquaint rural people with alternative and more healthful ways of cooking.
After introducing their solar oven during the diabetes initiative, the co-inventors were besieged by people asking for plans. It was at that point that Martinez-Welles began to wonder if their invention was patentable.
“There are a lot of different solar ovens out there,” Martinez-Welles said. “I wasn’t sure if ours was different enough to copyright.”
Something Unique
Over the last year, however, Martinez-Welles came to realize she and her co-inventor might have something unique. They were encouraged by Arizonan Barbara Kerr, a leading researcher in solar cooking, who praised the oven’s beehive door. The unique design of the door allows less air to escape than other designs, and allows the cook to set a stockpot inside. Paul Funk, an engineer with the U.S.D.A. Agricultural Research Service and an expert in solar cooking, also applauded the design, which is well adapted to the rigors of the Southwestern region. It has a large base and doesn’t have the solar “wings” that some designs feature—both factors contributing to design stability and making it less likely to become airborne during high winds.
The inventors also tout the oven’s sturdy design as being “rez dog-proof,” a must in a region where roaming canines would be likely to tear apart flimsier construction in search of a chance meal.
Such features helped convince the Science and Technology Corporation@UNM that the inventors did indeed have something patentable. The University began to work with Martinez-Welles and Welles on copyrighting the oven, and undertook the task of creating downloadable plans to be sold on www.foliodirect.net -- a site where the public can purchase technology, courseware, training materials and the like developed by personnel from UNM and other universities—a kind of eBay for universities, as it has been described. The plans were recently made available on this site for $30.
Keep It Simple
Martinez-Welles said that she and her co-inventor were mindful, as they developed the plans, to keep them simple.
“We wanted the plans to work for people with only basic skills and tools,” Martinez-Welles said. Some of the tools needed: power saw, hammer, caulking gun and a drill. Basic materials, which include plywood and either regular or tempered glass, she said, could be purchased for around $100.
“The plans are very tight—and anyone can do this,” Martinez-Welles said.
Some of the dishes that Martinez-Welles and other faculty and staff at UNM-Gallup have prepared: roasts, muttons, shrimp, breads, baked eggs, quiche, meringue and rice, as well as turkey breasts and spare ribs.
“It’s not hard to clean, everything is covered and doesn’t boil over,” Martinez-Welles said.
The oven bakes at a temperature of approximately 250 degrees, a little lower than a commercial oven, but more than adequate for a well-done repast. The inventors have tested the solar oven in various sites across the region, and have found that the intense sunlight at this elevation appears to compensate for the cooling effects of the persistent winds that blow across the Colorado desert plateau.
So what are the drawbacks? Well, on a rainy day, you might have to make alternative plans for cooking – but as folks in Dinetah and Zuniland know, that’s usually not an issue after monsoon season finishes.
For more information on how to obtain plans for this solar oven, go to http://stc.unm.edu/portfolio/solaroven, or contact Jean Martinez-Welles at 863-7515.
Media Contact: Linda Thornton, (505) 863-7565; e-mail: lthornton@gallup.unm.edu
It's been more than two years since the Lumina Foundation approved a grant for $400,000 to implement institutional change at the University of New Mexico-Gallup through its Achieving the Dream initiative. Over those two years, the college has launched several initiatives designed to increase the success of underserved students.
Targeting students in high school has been one of the college's primary goals with the Lumina funds. High school/college articulation workshops were held last year, and among the goals established was that of dual enrollment, whereby students can start working on college courses while in high school.
COMPASS tests were also introduced in local high schools, so that students can take the tests earlier and discover what kinds of courses they need to take, and what areas they might need extra preparation for.
"That way, they won't use up all their financial aid taking transitional courses, and then can enter into college courses more rapidly," said Chris Marlow, dean of instruction and the administrator in charge of implementing change with Lumina funds.
Thus far, two college courses are being offered in local high schools, with plans for more as qualified adjunct faculty are identified locally. There are already signed agreements with two school districts Zuni and Gallup-McKinley County-and two private high schools.
The college is currently accepting applications for an Achieving the Dream coordinator, whose duties will include overseeing dual enrollment.
Another initiative, instituted this past summer, was a "Lobo Camp" in Zuni. Ten students, who were either high school graduates, in high school, or had taken their GED tests, took college success courses, plus math and English for college credit, and also took the COMPASS test. The tuition was waived, and all the students had to pay was an application fee.
Marlow hopes to expand this pilot project to the Gallup campus next year.
Lumina funds also helped launch a much-appreciated culture series, consisting of four events that were specifically targeted for the college's largely Native American student population. Those who appeared in the series were actor/physician Evan Adams, the musical group Ulali, psychologist Terry Tafoya, and guitarist John Siqueiros.
"We saw this as a way of engaging students and getting them to connect more closely with the campus," Marlow said. "Surveys and data had shown the students didn't feel very connected with the campus and we think this has helped." The series will be repeated next year.
The establishment of learning communities, which was started with funds from other grants, is being further supported with funds from AtD. Learning communities are groups of 25 students with similar academic goals who study together and give each other support as they learn. Lumina funds have also provided an enhanced faculty development series, focusing on improving teaching.
As a reward for being on the college's Dean's List, UNM-Gallup recently awarded students a voucher for $50 with funds from Lumina -- to use at the bookstore. Each student was also recognized with a personal letter and certificate.
The Lumina grant will be in place through 2009 at UNM-Gallup.
Media Contact: Linda Thornton, (505) 863-7565; e-mail: lthornton@gallup.unm.edu
The Office of the Chief Information Officer is requiring everyone using Windows workstations or servers, to take steps to secure those computers against the latest Microsoft vulnerability. This directive is supported by UNM's Office of the President.
Unless otherwise directed by your department system administrator, follow the instructions at: Instructions for computer worm MS06-040.
If you are at the Health Sciences Center, you should follow these instructions: http://hsc.unm.edu/library/usersupport.
Security analysts, including those from the Department of Homeland Security and from Microsoft concur that a highly destructive Internet worm exploiting this vulnerability is imminent.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
UNM and UNMH shuttle services are combining resources to ensure that all Rail Runner passengers wanting a ride from the Alvarado station to UNM get one – free of charge. The courtesy shuttle service was initially offered on a trial basis to UNM and UNMH faculty and staff only.
Because of increased demand, and with the fall semester just around the corner, the decision was made to expand the pilot program to students and visitors as well. ID is no longer required.
Shuttles traveling to and from the Alvarado station will continue to drop off and pick up passengers in front of UNMH at the canopy (see schedule below). Routes and schedules are subject to change as UNM and UNMH personnel determine the best way to meet the transportation needs of patients, visitors, faculty, staff and students using the service.
Pilot UNM/UNMH Shuttle Service Alvarado Station Schedule
Alvarado Station
6:25 a.m.
7:30 a.m.
8:40 a.m.
UNMH Main
3:45 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
6:05 p.m.
Media Contact: Stacy Nagyvary, (505) 277-5692; e-mail: snagyvary@parking.unm.edu
The University of New Mexico was recently awarded $100,000 by the McCune Charitable Foundation to support the Research Service Learning Program at University College. McCune funds will support community groups with whom the university will partner through July 2008.
McCune Foundation spokesman Norty Kalishman noted that McCune was impressed by the RSLP goals of combining meaningful research opportunities with community engagement. He said that Dean of University College Peter White's track record in producing successful, innovative undergraduate programs also played a role in McCune's decision to fund RSLP.
Albuquerque Community Foundation is a funding partner in the grant and will act as the re-granting agency for the RSLP community partners. The Research Service Learning Program is operated entirely with private funds, including over $200,000 this year from the UNM President's Club and $30,000 over three years from PNM.
Through RSLP and for the first time during a regular academic year, UNM undergraduates will conduct community-based research and simultaneously learn to respond to important social needs.
Five courses offered through the Research Service Learning Program share a common goal of moving students to respond to real-life human needs and concerns. The program is seen as an effort toward more socially relevant learning that should serve students well as they seek career employment or continue their learning in graduate programs.
“Employers and graduate programs want students who have a have a sense of the real world: how to work in it, the complexities of it and how to overcome obstacles,” said Dan Young, RSLP director. “These will be students who will have a wider range of practical skills and practical knowledge. I think they'll be more assertive and in a good sense, more worldly.”
Three Albuquerque neighborhood organizations are RSLP partners - La Mesa, Santa Barbara-Martinez Town and Barelas - and two non-profits – Project Share and the Endorphin Power Company, a rehabilitation center and program for alcohol and substance abusers created by UNM emergency medicine physician Sam Slishman.
Media Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: gregj@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico Board of Regents recently approved the appointment of three individuals to the Harwood Museum Governing Board. They are Victor Goler, a sculptor from Taos; Deborah McLean, planning consultant and artist from Taos; and Wendy Stagg, retail manager and teacher, Taos Ski Valley.
Goler comes from a family of Latin American art conservators and restorers. He is a woodcarver of bultos and retablos, which have earned him first place and grand prize awards at Spanish Market in Santa Fe. He is also a consultant and lecturer on santero techniques and history. His work is in publications, museums and churches across the country.
McLean is a project manager with projects in urban and regional planning, institutional strategic planning, recreational planning and community development. She has 20 years’ experience leading teams of planning consultants. McLean also creates quality crafted contemporary jewelry.
Stagg is a former member of the New Mexico Commission on Higher Education. She earned a master’s in special education from UNM and has taught in the Taos Municipal Schools. She is currently employed by and on the board of Taos Ski Valley, Inc.
These appointments bring the governing board up to its full membership limit.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico is ranked fourth in the nation in awarding baccalaureate degrees to American Indians. The news magazine, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, published its list of Top 100 Degree Producers this summer.
Rankings take into account degrees awarded across all disciplines on main campuses in 2004-05. UNM awarded American Indian students 168 undergraduate degrees, an increase of 16 percent over the 2003-04 ranking. UNM’s preliminary data indicates that number will rise to 250 graduates in 2005-06.
UNM’s fall 2005 enrollment report shows 1,526 American Indian students enrolled at UNM’s main campus, making up some 6.5 percent of the student body.
Diverse ranked Northeastern State University in Oklahoma number one with 328 degrees awarded, an 8 percent decrease since the previous ranking. New Mexico State University ranked 16 with 64 graduates, an increase of 33 percent since the previous ranking.
Diverse has been at the forefront of higher education news for the past 20 years. It was formerly published as Black Issues in Higher Education Leaders from academe, industry and public policy rely on this award-winning news magazine to stay abreast of trends and issues in an ever-changing world.
Media Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu
The master of public administration degree program offered by the University of New Mexico School of Public Administration was fully accredited for six years by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) recently.
“This is the first accreditation review since being separated from the Anderson Schools of Management and as a reestablished and independent school reporting directly to the office of the Provost,” said F. Lee Brown, interim director of the School of Public Administration. “The site view team complemented the program on how much it was doing with limited resources.”
UNM’s School of Public Administration program is a strong supporter of professional education for public service, through the integration of interdisciplinary research, teaching and service in order to address the management challenges of an increasingly complex and diverse global environment.
“The MPA is an important program which is one of the ways we serve state, local and Tribal governments in the state,” said UNM Provost Reed Dasenbrock. “We are thrilled to have the program given a full unconditional accreditation.”
UNM and New Mexico State are the only two institutions of higher education in the state of New Mexico with accredited programs in Public Administration.
As one of the initial 17 Public Administration programs accredited nationally by NASPAA, UNM played a significant role in helping to establish the original accreditation process. Now, approximately 155 schools out of more than 250 NASPAA member programs are accredited.
NASPAA is an institutional membership organization, which exists to promote excellence in public service education. The membership includes U.S. university programs in public affairs, public policy, public administration and nonprofit management. NASPAA’s Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation is the specialized accreditor of these master degree programs.
Former president to serve as special advisor
The University of New Mexico has selected Greenwood & Associates, Inc. as the consulting firm to assist with its presidential search. Search committee chair and UNM Regent Raymond Sanchez made the announcement during the August meeting of the UNM Board of Regents. Greenwood & Associates, Inc. is a woman-owned firm, based in Miramar Beach, Florida, that provides executive search, consulting and training services to education and academic health center clients. It was selected as one of five respondents in a competitive bid process.
Principals in the firm, President and CEO Dr. Jan Greenwood and Vice-President Dr. Betty Turner Asher, are both former university presidents who have conducted successful presidential searches for Ohio State University, University of Florida, University of Texas at Austin and University of Texas-Pan American, among others.
Commenting on the selection, Sanchez noted Greenwood & Associates’ commitment to diversity and affirmative action as demonstrated by their client list, their presentation of diverse candidate pools and an impressive record of searches resulting in diversity hires.
Sanchez also announced that Distinguished Professor Emeritus and former UNM President F. Chris Garcia has agreed to serve as a special advisor to the regents, assisting them on an informal basis during the search. Sanchez said Garcia’s knowledge of UNM, his understanding of the issues facing New Mexico and his connections throughout the higher education community will be of tremendous assistance to the regents in hiring the next UNM president.
The three UNM Regents on the presidential search committee -- Raymond Sanchez, Sandra Begay-Campbell and Mel Eaves – have met with more than 100 people, including former UNM presidents, in a series of constituency group meetings to solicit ideas on the qualities needed for a president to be successful. Sanchez will name the rest of the search committee in the near future.
Media Contact: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1989; e-mail: mckinsey@unm.edu
Old mark shattered by more than $5 million
The University of New Mexico Foundation established an all-time high for fundraising topping $48 million for the first time in the university’s history. UNM easily exceeded its overall 2005-06 fundraising goal of $47.1 million by raising nearly $48.6 million for fiscal year 2005-06. The amount represents an increase of more than $5 million from last fiscal year’s then-record $43.5 million. The amount includes donations from more than 18,000 donors.
The UNM Foundation is an incorporated not-for-profit organization with the responsibility to receive, invest and distribute gifts of private support to UNM.
These gifts help support student scholarships, initiatives to help students volunteer in the community, funds for new construction and renovation and, support for faculty and course development.
“The donors and supporters of the University of New Mexico have once again shown their strong support for the University,” said acting President David W. Harris. “Through their generous donations to the University, we will continue our path toward providing a stronger academic and research institution to the benefit of all New Mexicans. This is extremely meaningful to our students, faculty and staff.”
“We are pleased to have raised $48.6 million in the academic year 2005-06,” said Michael Kingan, interim president, UNM Foundation and interim vice president for Institutional Advancement. “This is the highest level of gifts raised in a single academic year. We are indeed grateful to our thousands of donors who honor UNM, our students and our healthcare patients through their gifts. Their generosity improves the quality of education and healthcare at UNM – in Albuquerque and on our campuses statewide.”
Foundation officers include Robert Bovinette, chairman; Thelma Domenici, vice chair; Dorothy Rainosek, secretary; David Harris, acting UNM President; and Mike Kingan, interim president, UNM Foundation and interim vice president for Institutional Advancement.
The Foundation office can be reached by calling (505) 277-4503 or by going to UNM’s Web site, www.unm.edu.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The National Architectural Accrediting Board announced recently that the master of architecture program in the UNM School of Architecture and Planning has been formally granted a six-year term of accreditation.
The next accreditation visit will be in 2012.
Geraldine Forbes Isais, director of the architecture program, said, “The six-year accreditation confirms that the program is solid and addresses the primary criteria for a professional master of architecture.”
Forbes came to UNM in August of 2005. Since her hire, Forbes, as well as faculty, staff and students in the School of Architecture and Planning, spent a great deal of time in preparation for the visit. In addition to writing a report, material had to be organized and displays of student work prepared.
Her focus now is moving the program from “very good to superior.”
She said that New Mexico has a long history in sustainability and that it is an area of strength for the school. “Emphasizing sustainability and community engagement, another area of strength, position the school nationally.”
“We have done the teaching. We are ready to move forward by conducting innovative research and community outreach and implementation. We have the faculty and students to do this,” she said.
Although Forbes said the six-year accreditation is fundamental, it does raise the visibility of the quality of the architecture program.
“Graduate students seeking a school will see UNM as an even better place to be,” she said.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Homenaje—A Celebration in Honor of Luis Jiménez is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 12, at 3 p.m., at the National Hispanic Cultural Center's Albuquerque Journal Theatre, located at 1701 4th Street in Albuquerque. Jiménez was noted for his large public sculptures throughout the country in El Paso, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma City, Houston, Albuquerque, Fargo and Washington, D.C. His statue “Fiesta Dancers” graces the University of New Mexico campus.
“The intent is to bring arts communities and the general public together to reflect on the life and work of Luis Jiménez, who believed strongly that his art belonged to the public," said Holly Barnet-Sanchez, associate dean in the College of Fine Arts. "His artistic accomplishments, along with his memory, forever belong to arts communities worldwide. We have lost the man, but not his spirit or his art. The event will celebrate his work, people's memories and experiences with him, as well as honor his dedication to the arts. Luis was a generous man with his talents, and he mentored many young artists.”
Since the mid-1960's, Jiménez's work has appeared in countless group and solo exhibitions, including the Whitney Biennial in 1973 and 1991. In 1994, The Albuquerque Museum organized “Man on Fire – Luis Jiménez,” a major retrospective exhibition of his work.
Jiménez's sculptures, drawings and paintings are in many public collections including the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History, the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the San Antonio Museum of Art; the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Chicago Art Institute, as well as the Hirshhorn Museum and the National Museum of American Art, of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.
Tomás Ybarra-Frausto, Chicano/a art and culture scholar, hosts the event, which includes a performance by the National Institute of Flamenco.
The event and reception that follows, are sponsored by the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History, the City of Albuquerque Public Art Program, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, and at the University of New Mexico, the College of Fine Arts, the Arts of the Americas Institute, the Department of Art and Art History, and the University Art Museum. These events are free and open to the public.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The Joan Gibson Health Care Ethics Certificate program at the Institute for Ethics has begun registration for Fall 2006 sessions.
Module I focuses on basic ethical legal and cultural issues in health care, begins Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will continue for eight Tuesdays from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and end with one Saturday session on Nov. 4, 2006 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Module II tackles more advanced topics, will begin September 14, 2006 and be held from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm every other Thursday afternoon (5). One Saturday session will be held on Nov. 18, 2006 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tuition is $800 for each module. Tuition remission applies for all faculty and staff. Visa and Mastercard are also accepted.
Contact Melanie or Janice @ 272-4635/4566 or email at ethics@salud.unm.edu for more information.
Intel Corporation to Host Inaugural Class
With classes beginning in early September, the final deadline to apply for the Anderson Schools of Management’s new professional evening MBA (PMBA) program is Friday, Aug. 25. The inaugural PMBA class (2006-2008) will be hosted by Intel Corporation at its Rio Rancho facility. The program is endorsed by the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce and will closely mirror Anderson’s popular executive, on-campus, weekend MBA program.
Image: Rio Rancho Chamber of Commerce
“We have an impressive group of PMBA applicants,” says Kate Livingston, associate dean, Executive Education. “We’ve seen applicants from within Intel, but we’ve also seen a large number from other organizations. Candidates are telling us that they’re excited to be a part of the inaugural class. With PMBA, we’ve made it possible for people living or working on the west side to earn an MBA from UNM that is convenient, affordable and well-respected.”
PMBA admission requirements include an undergraduate degree, at least one year of full-time work experience, satisfactory Graduate Management Admission Test scores (candidates with advanced degrees may request a waiver) and a personal interview.
The cost of the program for the 2006-2008 class is $24,960, prorated over the 28 months. Additional information is available at: pmba.mgt.unm.edu, by email from pmba@mgt.unm.edu, or by phone at (505) 277-2525.
Media Contacts: Sophie Martin, (505) 277-7117; e-mail: martin@mgt.unm.edu or Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The Harwood Museum begins its noon brown bag program on Friday, Aug. 4 from 12 - 1 p.m. Curator Margaret Bullock will share artist and artist illustrated books. This interactive program is free to alliance members or with museum admission. Attendees are encouraged to bring a sack lunch to this series, which continues the first Friday of each month.
Also, the Museum Association of Taos presents Art in Museums on Wednesday, Aug. 9 from 11-11:30 a.m. at the Martinez Hacienda. This free preschool program is designed, but not limited, to ages 2-5 and continues every Wednesday at different Museum Association sites. Call 505-758-9826 ext. 105 for more details.
The Harwood Museum of Art also presents a gallery talk, Thursday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. with Curator Margaret Bullock speaking on artist Fritz Scholder. This program is scheduled for and is free to Alliance Members and the UNM community, or $7 for others.
Scholder (1937-2005) had a long and prolific career as a painter, sculptor, lithographer, teacher and bookmaker. An exhibition of his paintings and prints is on view at the Harwood Museum through September 10.
B Zone parking spaces on Redondo Rd., across from the Centennial Engineering Center construction project, will be displaced for approximately two years until construction of the new engineering building is complete. Beginning Saturday, August 5, B Zone Permit holders will no longer be able to park along the portion of Redondo Rd. that runs parallel to University Blvd., between Central Ave. and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Alternative B Zone parking is available nearby at the Parking and Transportation Services Parking Lot on the northwest corner of University and Central.
Media Contact: Stacy Nagyvary, (505) 277-5692; e-mail: snagyvary@parking.unm.edu
De Colores, Inc., a non-profit, all volunteer organization founded in 1974, gears up for this year’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, by seeking nominations for “Unsung Heroes,” the theme of this year’s festival.
Awards will be given to seven individuals in the following areas: lifetime achievement, government, humanitarian, education, business, arts and grassroots. Awards are also given to high school or college students who have demonstrated a commitment to the Hispanic community on and off campus, and who perform well academically. A total of four student awards will be given, two to high school and two to college students. The deadline for nominations is September 5.
The 2006 Hispanic Culture Festival celebrates its 14th anniversary through art, music, dance, song, foods, poetry and leadership recognition. Month long activities will be held at locations on the UNM main campus and throughout the Albuquerque community.
De Colores found a permanent home at UNM in 2003 because Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Eliseo “Cheo” Torres saw it as a winning partnership.
“Having De Colores at UNM gives students a greater opportunity to participate in and be part of the celebration, while De Colores can draw upon the wealth of interest, expertise and venues the campus and its community provide,” Torres said.
“The festival is designed to showcase and celebrate Hispanic culture,” said Jennifer Gomez-Chavez, board president, De Colores, Inc., and program manager for UNM’s College Enrichment Program. “We like to incorporate students, our future leaders, into all the events,” Gomez-Chavez said.
The Unsung Heroes Awards Banquet Dinner and Dance will be held on Saturday, Oct. 14, in the Student Union ballroom, with the Honorable U.S. District Court Judge Martha Vasquez as keynote speaker. The band Crossroads will provide entertainment. Tables are available for sponsorship.
For nomination forms and more information, please call Jennifer Gomez-Chavez, 277-7763 or Lillian Valdez, 842-1406.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The New Mexico Learning Network Planning Summit, a chance for New Mexico leaders in higher and public education, government and economic development to come together to plan a new direction for distance learning in the state, takes place Thursday and Friday, Aug. 3 and 4, at the New Mexico State University Albuquerque Center, located at 2444 Louisiana Blvd. NE.
New Mexico leaders in eLearning will help determine how the New Mexico Learning Network can best increase the availability and quality of distance learning options to state residents.
“An eLearning model can meet immediate student needs in rural areas, but can also better prepare all students to work effectively in a digital world,” said Jerónimo Domínguez, UNM vice provost for Extended University. Domínguez and Debby Knotts, manager of UNM New Media and Extended Learning, will be among the participants.
Some states have implemented requirements for students to take an eLearning course prior to high school graduation to prepare them for success in the digital realm, said Brian Ormand, NMLN project director.
Ormand said that working groups will be formed from summit participants and that a report of their findings will be released.
For more information, contact UNM Extended University at 277-6407 or Brian Ormand at (505) 646-1949.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The first Higher Education Staff Summit held this past week at the University of New Mexico resulted in the formation of the New Mexico Higher Education Staff Association. Employees from 13 institutions – representing New Mexico’s two- and four-year colleges and universities – gathered at UNM to discuss issues facing staff in the upcoming legislative session.
The event was sponsored by UNM’s Staff Council, a staff advocacy group. Speakers included Beverlee McClure, cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Higher Education Department, Evalynne Hunemuller, executive director of the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board, and UNM Vice President for Human Resources Susan Carkeek.
“The Staff Summit was two years in the making from conception to reality,” said former UNM Staff Council President Sabra Basler, who represents staff on the Higher Education Department Advisory Board. “The newly formed association will represent the interests of some 15,000 staff statewide. It also creates a mechanism for staff to network and share information to advance the higher education mission.”
Hunemuller and McClure, am