Geoffrey Megargee, author of “The War of Annihilation: Combat and Genocide on the Eastern Front, 1941,” will speak on Tuesday, Oct 30, 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Mesa Vista Hall History Common Room. He will present “Selective Realities. Selective Memories: The German General’s Postwar Recollections.”
Megargee is an Applied Research Scholar at the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C.
His visit to UNM is sponsored by the University Honors Program, the History Department, Religious Studies and European Studies.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Innovation – not only is it the key to overcoming increasing global competition, but it’s crucial in solving large-scale world problems. The University of New Mexico is hosting a symposium, "Educating for Innovation: Connecting UNM to the World’s Challenges," to present ideas from national keynote speakers and regional leaders about how to strengthen the culture of innovation and educate students to be able to innovate. The symposium will be held Tuesday, Oct. 2 at the Student Union Building Ballrooms A and B.
The symposium is sponsored by the UNM School of Engineering, UNM Anderson School of Management, Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, Mesa Del Sol, Albuquerque Economic Development and STC.UNM.
Senators Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici are the honorary symposium co-chairs and have played key leadership roles in raising the awareness of threats to U.S. competitiveness, the importance of innovation, the necessity of re-invigorating investment in research, and, in particular, the imperative of transforming education.
Multiple reports, particularly the National Academy of Engineering's Rising Above the Gathering Storm, have emphasized that transformational changes are needed in higher education, particularly in mathematics, science, engineering, and business.
Morning session - 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Dr. R. Keith Sawyer, professor of Psychology and Education at Washington University in St. Louis will present, “Creativity, Innovation and the New Sciences of Learning.”
Sawyer’s talk will be followed by a panel discussion that includes Duane Dimos (Sandia), Francis Edwards (Anderson Foundation Board Member), Suleiman Kassicieh (Anderson School of Management), Vera John-Steiner (UNM), and Trevor Loy (Flywheel Ventures).
Afternoon session - 1:45 to 4:15 p.m.
Robert W. Galvin will present “Three Major Innovative Strategies to Create Wealth and Solve World Problems.”
This talk will be introduced by UNM President David R. Schmidly and will be followed by a panel discussion that includes Terri Cole (Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce), Mike Daly (Mesa del Sol), Ned Godshall (Altela Inc.), Lisa Kuuttila (STC.UNM), Jack McGowan (Energy Control, Inc.) and Jeff Sterba (PNM).
The symposium is part of a series of events marking the inauguration of UNM President David Schmidly. It is open to the public and is free of charge. Parking will be available in the structure adjacent the SUB. Parking and seating are limited, so please arrive early.
For more information visit: http://www.soe.unm.edu/Symposium/ or call the UNM School of Engineering Dean’s Office at 505-277-5521.
"New Mexico in Focus” looks at New Mexico, which has one of the worst underage drinking problems in the country. Acting U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu takes a closer look at the problem, and what state and national leaders are doing about it. KNME’s newly reformatted one-hour public affairs show, “New Mexico in Focus,” premieres Friday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. on KNME, Channel 5, and repeats Sundays at 6:30 a.m.
Also on this program - Is New Mexico’s economy on a downward slide? Panelists take a look at the bond issues on next Tuesday’s Albuquerque municipal ballot.
Co-hosted by journalist David Alire Garcia and local columnist Gene Grant, “New Mexico in Focus” takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic, health, education and arts issues and explores them in-depth, with a critical eye to give them context beyond the “news of the moment.”
Guests - Sept. 28 & 30
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu
Dr. Robert Miller, New Mexico Pediatric Society
Dr. Michael Thomas, UNM Honors Program
Dr. William Wiese, Public Health Institute at UNM
Regular Commentators/Panelists
Hosts: Gene Grant and David Alire Garcia
Margaret Montoya, UNM Schools of Law and Medicine
Whitney Cheshire, Political Consultant, Blogger: www.wednesdaymorningqb.com )
Jim Scarantino, Weekly Alibi Columnist
Kevin McDonald is the producer of “New Mexico in Focus.” Support has been provided by McCune Charitable Foundation. Closed captioning has been made possible by a gift from Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs.
Media Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1218; e-mail: etodd@knme.org
David J. Schmidly will be officially installed as the University of New Mexico’s 20th president during a ceremony Sunday, Oct. 7, at 2:30 p.m. in Popejoy Hall. The public is invited to the ceremony as well as the reception that follows at University House. Free reserved seating tickets are available at ticket offices at the UNM Bookstore or UNM Arena.
The ceremony will include a variety of music, an academic procession and the formal installation with participation by the UNM Board of Regents, special guests, students, faculty, staff and alumni organizations. UNM’s tradition of installing or investing presidents dates back to 1912.
President Schmidly’s inauguration goes beyond the installation ceremony. A week of free symposia showcase UNM’s contributions in the areas of community service, sustainable environments, health policy, research, innovation, athletics, arts and culture. The theme is “Connect,” to illustrate the president’s commitment to build and enhance connections between the University and communities.
Activities kick off with the symposium, “40 Years of Community Activism: 1967-2007, Civil Rights Reform, Then and Now,” on Thursday, Sept. 27, and Friday, Sept. 28, from 8:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Student Union Building ballrooms. Sessions are designed to promote dialogue about past and present civil rights issues.
Featured events include a presidential inaugural lecture documenting the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement and filmed tribute to World War II civil rights reformers. For more information visit: Civil Rights Symposium.
Other inaugural symposia include:
* Monday, Oct. 1
“Connections: Natural History, Aesthetics, and Conservation,” featuring Harry Green, Cornell University. Student Union Building ballrooms, 9 to 11 a.m.
* “Connecting the Arts, Humanities and Social Conscience,” featuring Mexican-born writer, performance artist and educator G uillermo Gomez-Pena. Rodey Theatre, Center for the Arts, 2 to 4 p.m.
* Tuesday, Oct. 2
“Educating for Innovation: Connecting UNM to the World’s Challenges,” featuring Keith Sawyer, Washington University, and Robert W. Galvin, Galvin Electricity Initiative. Student Union Building ballrooms, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
* Thursday, Oct. 4
“Creating Health Policy to Connect and Improve Community Health” with Edward O’Neil, Center for the Health Professions. Health Sciences Center Domenici Center Auditorium, 11:30 to 1 p.m.
* Friday, Oct. 5
“Connecting Athletics & Academics,” featuring NCAA President Myles Brand. Student Union Building ballrooms, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
* Saturday, Oct. 6
On Saturday, Oct. 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. , is the inaugural campus open house “Explore UNM,” for prospective and current students and their parents and families. It is also high school senior day, which begins with early riser tours at 9 a.m. and a general information session at 10:30 a.m. in the Student Union ballrooms. Registration will be held near the Center for the Arts, east plaza.
During the open house, schools, colleges and departments will showcase facilities, programs and support services. An information fair at the Student Union Building features more than 60 academic and support programs. Activities include tours, hands-on activities, demonstrations, student research presentations, performances, exhibitions, a keynote lecture on parenting/mentoring college students and more than a dozen parent/student-aimed workshops.
In addition, receptions for the campus community are planned throughout the week. A main campus reception for faculty, staff and students is Tuesday, Oct. 2, from 3 to 5 p.m. at University House. A retiree reception is Thursday, Oct. 4, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Science and Technology Park Rotunda. A Health Sciences reception for faculty, staff and students follows the health policy symposia Thursday, Oct. 4, 1 to 3 p.m. on the HSC plaza.
Parking is available at the Cornell Parking Structure near Central and Stanford NE. Regular parking rates apply during the week.
The parking structure is available Saturday, Oct. 6, for $6 all-day parking. Other parking throughout campus in lettered zones is free, including the Zia lot at the football stadium with shuttles from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Parking for the Sunday, Oct. 7, installation ceremony is free at the structure and in lettered zones.
Inaugural activities are funded by corporate and private donors, including the UNM Alumni Association, UNM Foundation, Lockheed Martin, Bank of Albuquerque and Bank of America.
For a detailed schedule of events, visit the inauguration Web site, http://www.unm.edu/inauguration/.
Media Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu
Hassan Abassary, a cook at the University of New Mexico-Gallup Child Care Center, has been named as one of the recipients of the UNM Provost’s Committee for Staff Academic Support Scholarships. He will be recognized in a meeting with Interim Provost Viola Florez on Tuesday, Oct. 2, at UNM’s Albuquerque campus.
The scholarship is for a UNM employee who is using his or her tuition remission benefit to obtain a degree or professional certificate as well as to take professional development classes. The Provost’s Committee for Staff created this financial support scholarship to help defray the costs associated with academic books, course fees and supplies. There are three scholarships of $250 awarded each fall and spring semester.
Abassary, a native of Morocco, joined the staff as cook in February. He ran a kitchen at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., before moving to the Gallup area with his wife, Christine Gleason, manager of the Adult Basic Education program at UNM-Gallup. Since joining the cooking staff, he says he has worked to introduce more healthful fare for the children in the program and to help steer the children away from junk food.
Everyday, he helps prepare with the other cook on staff, Priscilla Johnson, breakfast, lunch, dinner and three snacks a day for the children enrolled in the child care program.
On his own, Abassary has started a business called “Take Home Chef,” where he hires himself out for parties and private dinners to create gourmet meals. He specializes in North African cuisine but can provide any type of American or international fare. He emphasizes creating an attractive presentation and an imaginative menu. He says he’s been delighted since moving to this area to find fresh meats available, although he says the price is higher here than on the east coast. In time, he hopes to open a restaurant in Gallup.
Lina Sandve, chair of the Provost’s Committee for Staff, commented that the committee uses an applicant’s personal statement of need as one of the main deciding factors in their selection process. She said Abassary’s personal statement was “very compelling” and that it was evident he is a life-long learner.
Media Contact: Linda Thornton, (505) 863-7565; e-mail: lthornton@gallup.unm.edu
The University of New Mexico hosts Senior Day on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., an event designed to introduce high school seniors to campus life. In conjunction, the university is hosting the first “Explore UNM” campus open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. aimed at prospective students of all ages as well as current UNM students and families.
Senior Day begins with early riser tours at 9 a.m. and a general information session at 10:30 a.m. in the Student Union ballrooms. Registration will be held near the Center for the Arts, east plaza.
Tours of campus and the residence halls will be provided along with information about admissions, financial aid, scholarships, academic programs and student activities.
During the open house, colleges and departments will be showcased. Activities include hands-on activities, demonstrations, student research presentations, performances, exhibitions, a keynote lecture on parenting/mentoring college students and more than a dozen parent/student-aimed workshops.
An information fair at the Student Union Building will feature more than 60 academic and support programs.
Free parking is available throughout campus in lettered zones and at the Zia lot at the football stadium (shuttles run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) Special event parking is also available for $6 at the Cornell Parking Structure, near Central and Stanford NE.
Call 505-277-2260 or 1-800-CALL UNM (225-5866), ext. 3, to reserve your space at UNM Senior Day and Explore UNM.
UNM President David J. Schmidly has accepted an appointment to the executive committee of the Commission on the Urban Agenda (CUA), which focuses on urban issues and programs for the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC). Schmidly’s term will run for three years beginning in November 2007.
The CUA advocates for policies, positions and legislative strategies that further the urban agenda at the national, state and local levels. It also fosters the development of programs and projects of special interest to those universities with a strong commitment to urban areas.
“UNM has been called a city within a city, but we are by no means an island,” said Schmidly. “The metro area’s challenges are also our challenges, and it is incumbent upon the Albuquerque campus to work with its surrounding communities to develop effective solutions.”
Schmidly notes that CUA member institutions are committed to leveraging their academic assets to strengthen their urban communities, which is a strong focus for several UNM programs. “Promoting economic development and healthy communities are two of the university’s four core goals. By strengthening partnerships with our urban neighbors, we can show immediate progress in those areas.”
26 Participants Will Benefit from $231,448 Grant
The University of New Mexico’s Ronald E. McNair TRiO Program has been refunded for another four years, according to a recent grant notification from the Department of Education to the office of New Mexico U.S. Senator Pete Domenici. The grant of $231,448 per year will be used to fund 26 undergraduate participants annually in the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Program.
UNM is the lone New Mexico recipient of funding for this program in fiscal year 2007, and was the only applicant from New Mexico for funding under this program in this fiscal year. The project’s purpose is “to award grants to institutions of higher education for projects designed to provide disadvantaged college students with effective preparation for doctoral study,” according to a description provided by the Department of Education.
Types of projects funded under the TRiO McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program include “academic counseling, financial aid assistance, mentoring, research opportunities, seminars, summer internships and tutoring. Guidance for students seeking admission and financial aid for graduate programs also is supported,” according to the Department of Education’s overview.
UNM’s McNair Program is housed under Associate Vice President for Student Services, Tim Gutierrez, who reports to the vice president of Student Affairs.
“The continued vitality of our TRiO Programs at UNM is underscored by this program’s re-funding,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Eliseo “Cheo” Torres. “We continue to grow and nurture programs at our institution that are designed to assist students who are promising and who need a variety of difference kinds of assistance in order to succeed.”
The ultimate goal of the program, according to Department of Education materials, is to “increase the attainment of Ph.D. degrees by students from underrepresented segments of society.”
They also state that “Federal TRiO Programs are educational opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRiO includes six outreach and support programs targeted to serve and assist low-income, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to postbaccalaureate programs.
TRiO also includes a training program for directors and staff of TRiO projects and a dissemination partnership program to encourage the replication or adaptation of successful practices of TRiO projects at institutions and agencies that do not have TRiO grants.”
For more information about the federal Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program, visit the Department of Education’s TRiO Programs Web site at: TRiO Programs.
For more information about the UNM McNair program, call Carolina Aguirre, 277-5491.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Thomas J. Schoeman, AIA, has been chosen to receive the 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning. A 1973 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in architecture, Schoeman is president and CEO of JMA, the 45th largest architectural firm in the United States.
Schoeman will be honored at the school’s honor convocation on Friday, Oct. 5, at 5:30 p.m. in the UNM Student Union Ballroom.
Roger Schluntz, dean, UNM School of Architecture and Planning, said, “Tom’s immensely successful career is matched by his outstanding community service. He is an exemplar to our students of the significant leadership role that architects may have in their communities.”
Schoeman’s firm, JMA, has office locations in Southern Nevada and California and each office employs the highest degree of architectural talents for the benefit of the firm’s clients. The firm has developed individualized areas of interest in healthcare, hospitality, commercial and public education. Each studio brings together the best possible team of knowledge, talent and resources for project design. JMA provides professional services in architecture planning, interior design and environmental graphics.
JMA has planned and designed more than 60 million square feet in the last 10 years and currently has more than 150 employees. JMA’s longevity and success is evidence of the firm’s ability to meet client needs and to attract and maintain quality members of the firm.
JMA’s list of pro bono designs for community projects is extensive, but, as Schoeman said, “It is very satisfying to see a project grow into a reality that will help improve the area in which we live. Giving back to the community is vital to its positive growth.”
Schoeman’s recognitions include the Nevada Silver Medal from the American Institute of Architect’s, an AIA Western Mountain Region Merit Firm of the Year Award, 14 AIA Nevada Awards, four Gold Nugget Awards, two Architectural Firm of the Year Awards from NAIOP, UNLV Fine Arts Sidney Award, The Desert Research Institute President’s Award and more than 45 industry awards.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Assistant Professor of American Studies, Jake Kosek hadn’t been in Truchas, New Mexico more than a couple of hours when one of his new neighbors fired a rifle at him. Kosek was cutting across the neighbor’s empty field to reach his rental house since the road was blocked by an overflowing irrigation ditch. That introduced him to the tension underlying the battle over forest management in northern New Mexico.
Kosek was there to research a book. As an environmentalist he wanted to understand how a disagreement over the way the U.S. Forest Service managed the forests of northern New Mexico had escalated into the most violent environmental conflict in the country. He quickly realized his curiosity had landed him on the front lines of a three way dispute among the local Hispanic population, outside environmentalists and the U.S. Government.
For nearly two years Kosek lived in Truchas, worked in the community and explored the contradiction of a Hispanic population that was becoming less dependent financially on the forest and more dependent on it for a cultural identity.
The dispute in northern New Mexico centered on how heavily the Santa Fe National Forest should be logged, and whether the public should be excluded from parts of the forest to allow native species to recover from the changes brought on by logging.
Kosek wanted to know why environmentalists seeking to protect the forest and its birds and animals were so hated by the local population who loved the forest. And he wanted to understand how the U.S. Forest Service, the agency charged with managing the forest came to be hated by nearly everyone.
Understories
The book that came from that experience, “Understories, the Political Life of Forests in Northern New Mexico” explores the simmering stew of race, culture and environmentalism that began boiling violently over something as dry and dull as a forest management plan.
One of the chapters in the book is “Smokey the Bear is a White Racist Pig.” Kosek says he remembers the images of Smokey the Bear from his childhood. “I grew up with Smokey. I loved Smokey. It’s been a part of my life, but there’s a history, and I trace this history out specifically by which the forest became nationalized. The nation was considered basically to be white folks. And the posters and ideas of Smokey were part of that. He was brought in by the forest service in a very paternalistic way and people learned to hate him.”
Kosek says New Mexico made him think about environmentalism in a different way. He considers himself a life long environmentalist, and came to New Mexico with assumptions about why people felt as they did.
He had just spent years working in Latin America and Africa on community development and poverty programs. When he looked at national parks in Australia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nepal and Costa Rica he began to see an under story to the environmental movement in the ways that native peoples had been excluded, sometimes violently from parks as governments moved to preserve land, and he became interested in that tension between environmentalists and native populations. So it didn’t seem a big stretch when he decided to come to northern New Mexico.
But as he spent time in the state and began to understand the people who live here, his thinking changed. “There’s a different history here which forces a different set of questions, which don’t allow you to talk about the clean notion of wilderness in the same way,” he says. “This land has such a long history. It’s still visible. It’s visible in the land grants. It’s visible in the reservations. It’s visible in the racial makeup and even in the landscape in here. So you can’t just say preserve wilderness for wilderness sake, it’s just not possible.”
He’s learned, Kosek says that you can’t think about environmentalism without thinking about race and class history and that is one of the fundamental conclusions drawn in the book.
Kosek’s book is attracting national acclaim. It has just been given the John Hope Franklin Publication Award, given by the American Studies Association for the best book in American Studies for 2007.
After the Story
Kosek’s book deals only with the conflict in northern New Mexico but he says the nature of the battle between the local Hispanic population, the local environmental organizations who have mostly white, wealthier members, and the U.S. Forest Service caused several national environmental organizations to go through an internal soul searching process about their positions and outlook on issues. He believes that re-examination is still in progress and will shift the entire national environmental debate in some unexpected ways.
New Research
Kosek is already working on a new book, this one about bees. The germ of the idea came from his research on “Understories”. He is a bee keeper and farmer on the side, and he’s interested in the relationship between people and bees. Now he’s researching bee history and looking at new and strange ways humans and bees interact. He’s still dealing with race and class and environmental politics, but the focus is now on understanding human nature in relation to bees.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
UNM Earth and Planetary Sciences Emeritus Professor Wolf Elston will present a lecture Friday, Sept. 28 about the "Giant Volcanoes of Southwestern New Mexico." The talk will be held in the Kudo Lecture Room (rm. 122) in Northrop Hall at 2 p.m. The talk is free and open to the public. A reception will follow in the department museum.
Elston has spent his career specializing in volcanology and the many related areas including economic geology, mid-Tertiary extensional tectonics and ignimbrite flare-up of southwestern North America, ash-flow tuff cauldrons, relationship of volcanic centers to economic mineralization. His research also includes regional geology of southwestern New Mexico.
For more information call the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department at, 277-4204.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
UNM Bookstore kicks off Homecoming weekend with a live broadcast on 610 - The Sports Animal
Check out the happenings Friday, Sept. 28 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. when Ian Martin and The Sports Animal broadcast live outside the UNM Bookstore. The leader in Albuquerque sports talk radio will interview head women's basketball coach Don Flanagan; head men's soccer coach Jeremy Fishbein; volleyball coach Jeff Nelson; and director of athletics Paul Krebs. UNM President David J. Schmidly will also make a special guest appearance.
In addition, the UNM Bookstore will be celebrating Game Day Friday, in which all Lobo fans will receive 25 percent off all Lobowear and 25 percent off all Spirit merchandise. Get your gear for the game and enjoy great savings on Game Day Friday at Your UNM Bookstore.
The savings continue through Saturday, Sept. 29 with a Homecoming Sale. Save 25 percent off all Lobowear and 25 percent off all Spirit merchandise. Everything you need to show your Lobo Pride – Lobowear, stadium blankets, caps and much more!
Come to Your UNM Bookstore this Friday morning, Sept. 28 and meet the UNM coaches and athletic director and save big on everything Lobos.
Media Contact: Anicia Esposito, (505) 277-9752; e-mail: aespo@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico annual crime statistics report shows some fluctuation over the three-year reporting period, but statistically, violent crime on campus remains low while property crimes continue to be higher.
UNM Police compile the statistics annually in compliance with the federal Clery Law, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Education and requires colleges and universities to release three years of crime statistics for homicide/manslaughter, sex offenses, robbery, burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson, hate crimes and aggravated assault. In addition, the number of arrests for alcohol, drug and weapons violations is reported.
For the past three years, UNM had zero homicides or hate crimes. Violent crimes such as robbery and aggravated assault dropped in 2006. Sex offenses increased from one to three. Auto theft and burglary increased, mirroring statistics in the greater community.
Liquor law violations dropped significantly, attributed to UNM’s zero tolerance policy for alcohol violations and proactive measures implemented by UNM Police and the Dean of Students Office.
“UNM's student population changes by about 25 percent every year as new students enter and others graduate, which substantially impacts fluctuations in UNM's reported crimes from year to year,” says UNM Police Chief Kathy Guimond.
City environment and population density impact the amount of crime urban universities experience, and therefore it tends to be higher than for predominately rural universities. UNM has about 40,000 students, employees and visitors on campus on any given week day.
UNM traditionally experiences more property crime than violent crime, says the chief.
“Due in large part to our open academic environment and our ever-changing population, the campus community is often very trusting,” Guimond says. “This results in opportunities for people to commit property crimes.”
Guimond says UNM's proactive efforts also help identify more crimes as well as being a deterrent. Police speak to students and parents throughout summer orientation. UNM does crime analysis and data sharing with area law enforcement.
Newer safety initiatives include an educational presentation for sororities, fraternities and campus organizations, a dedicated training session for UNM staff so they can serve as “eyes and ears” for police and consolidation of police and security services. The campus has emergency “blue light” phones and a 24-hour campus escort program.
UNM's crime statistics report for 2004 – 2006 can be found at: UNM Crime Statistics 2004 - 2006.
Media Contact: Pat Davis, (505) 249-8304
On Thursday, Sept. 27, the Cherry-Silver Games, an event held annually as part of UNM's Homecoming activities, will feature the hijinks of students competing in a variety of wacky and hilarious games all in an attempt to attain the coveted Cherry-Silver Cup. The antics begin at 3:30 at the Duck Pond.
Photo: A student competes in the Tin Man contest and the Yellow Brick Road Roll contest from last year's Cherry-silver games.
Some of the games include the Lobo Howl, where participants compete as the best howler; the Star Lobo, an event where teams toss footballs through a target; the Lobo Splash, a water balloon toss game; and the Lobo Steam Roll, where contestants must wrap themselves up in a plastic table cloth. Two additional events include the Race for Lucy and the Louie Slobber.
For more information contact the Student Activities Office at (505) 277–4706, and for more information on UNM's 82nd annual Homecoming visit: Homecoming 2007.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
UNM's Jill Anne Yeagley of the Campus Office of Substance Abuse selected to participate on panel
The Acting U.S. Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu is visiting New Mexico to hold a series of discussions on preventing and reducing underage drinking with prevention and law enforcement professionals as well as the general public. The Surgeon General will hold a presentation Wednesday, Sept. 26 at the Marriott Pyramid on I-25. His talk is titled, "Helping Teens Make Good Decisions About Alcohol." The event takes place from 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. The event is free to the general public.
UNM's Jill Anne Yeagley of the Campus Office of Substance Abuse has been selected by New Mexico First Lady Barbara Richardson to participate on a panel of substance abuse and law enforcement professionals that will be included in the Surgeon General's program.
This event is part of Governor Richardson's DWI Speaker Series.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The UNM Athletics Department will conduct National Anthem auditions for 2007-08 Lobo basketball games on Saturday, Oct. 6 from noon to 3 p.m. at The Pit. Those individuals wishing to try out should be at The Pit by noon and must have an assigned time. A total of 39 slots available, 19 men’s game and 20 women’s are available.
Each singer will have two minutes to perform a traditional version of the anthem. Singers will be notified of selections the week of Oct. 8-12.
Please RSVP to Lori Ann Salgado (loriann@unm.edu) or (505) 925-5014 by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4. A reservation is required.
If you can’t make the audition, please mail a rendition of the anthem to:
Lori Ann Salgado
UNM Athletics
MSC 04 2680, 1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
As part of Homecoming festivities, the University of New Mexico Lobo baseball team hosts a scrimmage game between current players and alums on Saturday, Sept. 29, at 1 p.m. at Isotopes Park. The game is free and open to the public.
Among those who have been invited are Senator Pete Domenici, class of ’54 and Rear Admiral (Ret.) James Hinkle, ’68. Alums who have organized the event include Larry Harrison, ’83, Kyle Rutledge, ’80, Ernie Blackstone, ’83, and Jeff Grady, ’05.
“The Lobo alums are important to our heritage and goal to build a solid program. We want them to share their friendships and commitment to be champions with our current players,” said Ray Birmingham, coach.
In his desire to build the Lobo baseball family, Coach Birmingham extends the invitation to the community at large. “We invite anyone who has ever chased a foul ball across a parking lot. Please join us and then we’ll all go across the street and watch the Lobo football team take on BYU,” he said.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Interim Provost Viola Florez to be recognized as Mortar Board Lobo award winner
The UNM Alumni Association will honor six alumni with its Zia Award at its annual All-University Breakfast Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007 at 9 a.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel. The recipients include: Monica Armenta, Steve Bacchus, Brian Burnett, Leonard DeLayo, Jr., Sandra Begay-Campbell and Chuck Wellborn. Additionally, this year’s recipient of the Lobo Award is interim UNM Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Viola “Vi” Florez.
Individuals interested in attending the All-University Breakfast may do so by registering online at: Homecoming 2007 or by contacting the UNM Alumni Relations office at (505) 277-5808. Tickets are $15 per person and reservations are required. The Embassy Suites Hotel is located at 1000 Woodward Pl., N.E.
ZIA AWARD RECIPIENTS
The Zia Award is presented to UNM alumni living in New Mexico who have distinguished themselves in one, or many, of the following area: philanthropic endeavors, public office, service to the University, community and volunteer activities, business/professional fields, or who have made a contribution to education.
Monica Armenta
In July 2007, Armenta became the executive director of the Albuquerque Public Schools communications department, after more than two decades in television news at the local NBC affiliate, KOB TV. She currently oversees all internal and external communications for Albuquerque Public Schools. She originally joined APS as part of its Foundation in December 2005.
After graduating from UNM in 1984 with a bachelor of arts in journalism, Armenta was hired to be a reporter and fill-in anchor for the morning news. In less than two years, she became the co-anchor of the number one morning news show. In addition, Armenta also co-anchored a noon show and “Eye On New Mexico,” a KOB TV public affairs talk show.
She started at KOB as an intern while still attending UNM. While at the University, she was the SPJ-SDX Student President, and she won the New Mexico Broadcaster Association Scholarship in 1984.
Steve Bacchus (posthumous)
A truly great UNM alum, Bacchus received his bachelor of arts in Management from the Anderson School of Management in 1966 and his MBA in 1968. Bacchus was a fine athlete at UNM, lettering in basketball (1962-1965).
Additionally, he was a member of the Alumni Lettermen’s Association and was active in the Sigma Chi fraternity. He was also a stalwart UNM Alumni board member from 1999-2005 and served as president of the Association in 2003-04.
Brian Burnett
Burnett, president, Bohannan Huston, received his Civil Engineering degree from UNM in 1978 and went on to obtain his Master’s in Hydrology and Water Resources in 1980. He is a graduate of the 1989 class of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Albuquerque Program and a 2000 graduate of Leadership New Mexico.
A recognized leader in the Albuquerque community, Burnett has held numerous committee and leadership positions, working to create a stronger business climate by bringing together business organizations to discuss strategies that address issues of education, growth, water and economic development. He is the immediate Past-President of ACEC-New Mexico and served as NAIOP New Mexico President for 2004. In addition, he is a past President of the UNM Alumni Association and currently serves on the Presbyterian Healthcare System Albuquerque Board of Directors.
Through his leadership role in a variety of organizations and community service groups, Burnett actively promotes New Mexico growth, direction in water issues, and support in creating jobs for New Mexicans and their children. He currently chairs Gov. Bill Richardson's Blue Ribbon Water Task Force, providing him an opportunity to be at the heart of water issues facing the State of New Mexico.
Leonard DeLayo, Jr.
DeLayo, who graduated from UNM with both a bachelor of arts (1971) and a juris doctorate (1974), is currently a practicing attorney with more than 30 years of general and corporate practice with a primary emphasis on commercial litigation, corporate, employer/employee relations, real estate, fiduciary matters and financial institutions. He is a member of the New Mexico Bar Association, American Bar Association, New Mexico and American Trial Lawyers Associations and the Albuquerque Bar Association.
Since 1987, DeLayo held a variety of positions for the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education including secretary, vice president and president, a position he held from 1992-2003 when he retired from the board. He has also served within the community on a number of other boards including the UNM Presidential Scholarship Foundation drive.
Sandra Begay-Campbell
Former UNM Regent Sandra Begay-Campbell is a principal member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories. In her position she leads Sandia’s technical efforts in the Renewable Energy Program to assist tribes with renewable energy development.
In 1987, Begay-Campbell received a bachelor of science in Civil Engineering degree from UNM. She worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories before she earned a master’s of science - Structural Engineering degree from Stanford University and she also worked previously at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Begay-Campbell is also the past recipient of the 2005 UNM School of Engineering Distinguished Alumnus Award. She received the Stanford University 2000 Multicultural Alumni of the Year Award and was selected as a recipient of the Governor's Award for Outstanding Women from the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women.
Chuck Wellborn
Wellborn graduated from UNM in 1963 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He was the first in his family to obtain a college education. He also earned a law degree, and later, a master of laws degree from New York University. Wellborn is currently working for the McCune Charitable Foundation, creating economic development projects in rural and low-income areas of New Mexico and assisting in the creation of New Mexico Community Capital, a $15 million community development venture capital fund.
In 1995 Wellborn became the founding president and CEO of the Science & Technology Corporation @ UNM, a nonprofit corporation, recently renamed STC.UNM, created by UNM to serve as its technology commercialization arm. Previously, he was a shareholder in the law firm of Modrall, Sperling in Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest law firm, where he practiced law for 30 years primarily representing business organizations, including a number of technology-based start-up companies. He serves on the board of directors of the Association of Commerce and Industry, the New Mexico Tax Research Institute, the MIND Institute and STC.UNM.
LOBO AWARD RECIPIENT
The Lobo Award is presented to a UNM individual who has demonstrated outstanding personal service to the institution or for notable career achievements that reflect credit on the University.
Viola “Vi” Florez
Florez, who served as the dean at the UNM College of Education prior to her appointment in June 2007 as interim provost, earned her bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Humanities from Ft. Lewis College, a master’s in Education from the University of Colorado and her Ph.D. from Texas A&M-Kingsville.
At UNM, Florez has focused on diversity, faculty investment, improvement of undergraduate and graduate education, and P-20 education as her major priorities. Her major accomplishments include achieving national rankings for the College of Education in U.S. News and World Report, increasing faculty and student diversity, securing funding for building renewal and new construction, and outreach with educational partners.
Throughout her career, Florez has been dedicated to academic quality and access and equity for all students, especially students pursuing higher education. She has published numerous articles, book chapters, monographs and other scholarly works in the field of teacher education, leadership, educational policy, reading/literacy with a major focus on multiculturalism, and second language acquisition.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
On Tuesday, Sept. 25, UNM Recreational Services celebrates 50 years of providing recreation programs for students. The event will be held on Johnson Fields at 7 p.m.
This is an exclusive student event and activities will include:
* Live Reggae Band Kev Lee
* Food catered by Garcias of Albuquerque
* Birthday Cake
* Pinata Breaking Celebration
* Giant Inflatable Twister Game
* Inflatable Bungee Runner Game
* Hula Hoop Contests
* Army ROTC Rock Wall and Obstacle Course
* Corn Toss
* Volleyball and Soccer
The event is sponsored by UNM Recreational Services and the Office of Student Affairs. Students should bring their Lobo ID for participation.
Laura Montoya, coordinator, Recreational Services, dug into the history of the program and discovered it was created by Armond Seidler, then chair of the physical education department, and the man for whom the swimming complex is named.
“Armand said that when Johnson Center was built it was originally just for athletic events and was perceived as one of the best venues for sports back in 1957. The students got angry that they would close their doors when classes were over and no one was allowed to recreate.
Armand then approached President Tom Popejoy about this and he gave him a whopping $10,000 to start a recreation program! The first director was Bill Degroot. It started out as Intramural Sports, then developed into Leisure Services and then finally Recreational Services,” she said.
Montoya added that she’s “dug up” some photos to help celebrate the jubilee. They will be on display on Friday, Sept. 28.
On Friday, Sept. 28, as part of UNM Homecoming festivities, the School of Architecture and Planning Alumni Chapter will present the Maureen Walter Alumni of the Year Award to Regina Chavez. Chavez graduated with her master’s in Community and Regional Planning in 1999 and served on the alumni board from 2003-07.
A long time City of Albuquerque employee, she recently left to form her own consulting business, Cultural Econ.
This is the third time the award has been given. It is named in memory of Maureen Walter, alum and one of the four founders of the chapter, who passed away in 2005. It is based on service to the school and the community.
In her work with the City of Albuquerque’s Economic Development Department, Chavez worked with community partners to recruit, retain and expand desirable economic-based companies. Project focus is on small business, arts and culture, downtown revitalization, sustainable/green economic development, incentives and industrial revenue bonds program.
In the Aviation Department, she worked with the director of Aviation, Airport Advisory Board, Albuquerque Arts Board, Aviation Arts Planning Committee and the City’s Public Art Program to develop and manage the Arts Program of the Albuquerque International Sunport.
She maintained the airport’s 112-piece permanent art collection, coordinating airport public art acquisitions, working with local museums and non-profit organizations to develop permanent and temporary exhibits, establishing the airport’s art master plan and policies, producing the Sunport Serenades year-round musical performance series, and serving as the Sunport’s liaison with local arts organizations and the public.
With the Hispanic Culture Foundation, she served as executive director and director of finance and personnel. She reported to a 15-member board of trustees to develop and administer arts, cultural, and educational programs, promotional material, fundraising activities, financial management, the foundation newsletter, staff and board development and community relations.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
October marks the 50th Anniversary of Johnson Center at the University of New Mexico. To celebrate, a reception to mark the occasion is set for Friday, Sept. 28 at 4:30 p.m. in the Auxiliary Gym preceding the Mountain West Conference volleyball match at 6:30 p.m. between UNM and TCU, to be held in the main arena.
During the break between games, a birthday cake cutting celebration is planned. Tours of the center are also available beginning at 2 p.m. President Schmidly, Interim Provost Viola Florez and Vice President of Student Affairs Eliseo “Cheo” Torres will be on hand to cut the cake. Members of the Roy Johnson family, for whom the center is named, have also been invited.
Opening in 1957, it has served the university community in a variety of ways for half a century. Providing academic, athletic and recreational support, Johnson Gym, renamed Johnson Center in 1986, has become a campus and New Mexico landmark.
Instrumental in the growth of Lobo basketball’s popularity and providing competition venues for Lobo gymnastics, wrestling, swimming and volleyball, the center has witnessed a rich history of Lobo athletics. It has been home to the College of Education’s Physical Education, Health Education, Recreation and Nutrition Programs; providing classrooms and teaching venues for vast student audiences.
Recreationally, Johnson Center has afforded students, faculty and staff a popular “playground” and has added immeasurably to the culture of campus life.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Krzysztof “Kris” Galicki, professor, Mathematics and Statistics, died today, Monday, Sept. 24, announced Alejandro Aceves, chair of the department. Galicki was an avid hiker who had a terrible accident in the Alps on July 8 and never recovered. He was brought to Albuquerque in August and died at a Presbyterian Hospice. He was 49 years old. He is survived by his wife Rowan Wymark.
Photo: Krzysztof “Kris” Galicki
“Kris was a full professor and member of this department since 1989. Our hearts and thoughts are with Rowan and with Kris’ family,” Aceves said.
Wymark said that arrangements are being made with French Mortuary and that a memorial service is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 10 at the UNM Alumni Chapel.
“Kris came to the United States in 1984 and to UNM in 1989. He was fabulous as a husband and friend. He was funny, sweet, kind and energetic,” Wymark said.
She added that a lot of Galicki’s work was in Europe, but he always promoted UNM. “He spread the UNM community around Europe,” she said.
Charles Boyer, professor, Mathematics and Statistics, said that he and Galicki shared a collaboration dating back to Galicki’s arrival on campus.
“We had a great working relationship. We enjoyed working together. At 49, he was still growing as a mathematician,” Boyer said. They have a book in its final stages, to be published by Oxford University Press.
Titled, “Sasakian Geometry,” the book addresses differential geometry, a way of measuring things.
“We give and prove examples that satisfy Einstein equations that he used in his general theory of relativity. Called ‘Sasaki Einstein Metrics,’ they are types of metrics, or ways to measure that have been used in particle physics and cosmology. They create models on how the universe works,” Boyer said. He said that this type of geometry is used by physicists.
Boyer said that he and Galicki were scheduled to deliver a session at the American Mathematical Society conference, to be held here Oct. 13-14. Galicki helped organize the conference. “I will deliver a tribute to him before the session,” Boyer said.
Aceves added, “While he left us much too early, it is what you do while you live, not so much the number of years you live that matters. Many of us will agree he left a mark and lived to the fullest, in particular when we think about two passions he had: mathematics and hiking. Kris epitomized the highest level of professionalism as a researcher and as a teacher.”
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
As part of a series of symposia leading up to the installation of David J. Schmidly as UNM’s 20th president, the College of Fine Arts, College of Arts and Sciences and University Libraries present “Connecting the Arts, Humanities and Social Conscience” at 2 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 1, in the Rodey Theatre in the Center for the Arts.
The symposium features a keynote address by Guillermo Gómez-Peña, director and founder of La Pocha Nostra, an international nonprofit organization which fosters collaboration in socially-transformative, experimental performance art.
UNM faculty panelists include Holly Barnet-Sanchez, associate professor, Department of Art and Art History, Teresa Eckmann, postdoctoral fellow, Center for Regional Studies in the Center for Southwest Research, Miguel Gandert, professor, Department of Communications and Journalism, Brian Herrera, assistant professor, Department of Theatre and Dance, and Gabriel Melendez, professor, Department of American Studies.
Based in San Francisco, La Pocha has associates across the U.S., Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, Australia and many other countries. Collaborating across national borders and artistic disciplines, La Pocha artists produce projects ranging from solos to large-scale performance installations using video, photography, audio and cyber-art. The projects challenge audiences to rethink the boundaries between cultures, ethnicities, genders and languages, as well as those between art and politics, artist and spectator.
One of La Pocha’s ongoing projects is a living museum where performers exhibit themselves as human artifacts – such as an ethnographic diorama or freak show – using the culturally marginalizing context to challenge stereotypes and social fears. Audience members move through the interactive, simultaneously performed installations, creating a unique experience for each participant, with some audience members becoming the diorama at the end of the show.
Gómez-Peña’s work in performance, video, installation, poetry, journalism, cultural theory and radical pedagogy explores cross-cultural issues, immigration, the politics of language and new technologies. His work has been presented at more than 700 venues in almost 20 nations. A MacArthur Fellow and American Book Award winner, he has been a visiting artist and lecturer at Universidad de Tucuman in Argentina, UCLA, Dartmouth, MIT and other colleges and performance centers throughout the world.
Source: Pochanostra
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1564; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
Long time University Controller and Associate Vice President of Finance William W. Britton is retiring after 19 years of service at the University of New Mexico. He is a licensed certified public accountant in Illinois, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
Photo: University Controller and Associate Vice President of Finance William W. Britton.
Britton's career started in 1963 as the controller at ENMU. After, he moved on to Northern Illinois University-Divisional Controller, Oklahoma State University-Budget Director and then back to New Mexico at UNM in 1988.
A native New Mexican, Britton was born in Dona Ana. Britton graduated from Eastern New Mexico University with a BBA and MBA in Accounting & Finance.
Britton's retirement is effective Oct. 1, 2007.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Now that students are nestled snugly in their dorms, they might not have given thought to the improvements that the UNM Housing office put into their new homes away from home.
But upgrading and maintaining the dorms that thousands of students call home is of the utmost importance to the university and its employees in the Housing Department. The department reinvests 100 percent of its revenues after expenses into student dorm projects.
“Over this past school year, nearly 50 projects totaling $1 million were completed to improve and repair dorm halls at UNM,” said Dupuy Bateman, director of UNM Housing and Food Services.
Improvements include roof replacement to Hokona, Santa Clara, Santa Ana, Laguna and DeVargas Halls; enhancements to the emergency lighting and exit signs to dorms throughout campus; upgrades to electrical systems at Coronado, Alvarado, Santa Ana and Santa Clara Halls; and fixing potential dangerous problems to sidewalks and stairways. Additionally, Housing has provided wireless internet access to all of the dorms on campus.
A significant investment was also made in Laguna and DeVargas Halls – a new fire alarm system, costing approximately $540,000.
At the Student Family Housing apartments, located on Buena Vista near Central New Mexico Community College, employees repaired and upgraded much of the landscaping while installing new, code-compliant, playground equipment.
“The care and well-being of our students is my highest priority,” said Bateman.
There are plans to refurbish all of the dorm rooms on campus. But, like many departments, UNM Housing is a self-supporting department – meaning that the Housing Department earns all of the money needed to maintain the dorms and dining areas on campus from dorm room revenues.
“As other major projects come online the housing department will continue to complete work on dorm projects as time and resources permit” Bateman said.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
Samuel Truett will present “A Cossack Warrior on the U.S.-Mexican Frontier: Masculinity, Family, and the Border Crossings of Emilio Kosterlitzky” on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at noon in the Student Union Building Fiesta room. Truett, associate professor of history at UNM, will discuss the story of Emilio Kosterlitzky, an enigmatic transnational wanderer who spent his life crossing borders and taking on new identities.
In 1872 Kosterlitzky deserted from a Russian ship in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. He made his way to northern Mexico and became a frontier cavalryman. In 1913, after losing a revolutionary battle for the border town of Nogales, Sonora, he became a U.S. prisoner-of-war. After his release, he moved with his Mexican wife and children to Los Angeles. There he became a spy for Bureau of Investigation, using his talents as a policeman and linguist to defend his new homeland until his death in 1928.
Truett will discuss Kosterlitzky’s story with an eye to the ways that he used his masculine identity and networks of family and fraternity to build his reputation and move with relative ease across borders even as he devoted his life to policing these same boundaries.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1564; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
Mary Dammann of Tijeras, N.M. will be featured on the “Caregiver of the Week” segment, on the national PBS series “A Place of Our Own” and “Los Niños en Su Casa,” on Friday, Sept. 28 at 1 and 1:30 p.m., respectively on KNME Channel 5.
Additionally, the Los Angeles PBS station, KCET, the series producer, has invited Dammann and Edward J. Ulman, KNME education and outreach manager, to the First National Child Care Providers Awards Ceremony - presented by “A Place of Our Own” and “Los Niños en Su Casa,” Wednesday, Oct. 10 at the Reserve Officers Association, in Washington, D.C. Recipients those featured as “Childcare Provider of the Week” in the series.
Approximately 200 guests are expected to attend, including members of the legislature, educational community and the media.
“Childcare Provider of the Week”
Down on Mary Dammann’s farm just outside of Albuquerque, N.M., goats munch on vegetables, preschoolers push a wagon, and, best of all, young children experience the many great things living in a rural area offers. Dammann says becoming a childcare provider 27 years ago changed her life. After working in childcare centers over the years, she knew it was time to open a home-based business and partner with her daughter, Jessica.
“A Place of Our Own” is the English-language companion to the Spanish-language series “Los Niños en su Casa.” Both shows are designed for parents and anyone who takes care of young kids: grandparents, nannies, babysitters and home daycare providers. The shows covers: tantrums, literacy, preventing obesity, speech and language delays, among topics. These Peabody Award-winning series combine an entertainment format — the daytime talk / demonstration show — with solid educational information on how young children learn, and what adults need to know to help kids be prepared for kindergarten and beyond.
Kindergarten teachers estimate that one in three children is unprepared for the challenges of school. “A Place of Our Own” and its Spanish-language companion series “Los Niños en Su Casa” respond to this need by providing parents and childcare providers with information about helping young children develop social, emotional and cognitive skills.
In fun and engaging half-hour episodes, Debi Gutierrez, host of “A Place of Our Own,” and Alina Rosario, host of “Los Niños en su Casa,” interact with parents and caregivers who provide insight on how to raise smart, healthy and happy children. The series also illustrate exemplary childcare, with segments shot in homes and pre-school centers, and demonstrate everyday activities to engage children in learning through play.
Media Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1218; e-mail: etodd@knme.org
‘Everyone’s a Lobo! Woof, Woof, Woof’ theme for 2007
The University of New Mexico will celebrate its 82nd annual homecoming, Sept. 24-29, with a catchphrase everyone should know, “Everyone’s A Lobo! Woof! Woof! Woof!” Homecoming week will feature more than 50 separate events all leading up to the big football game Saturday, Sept. 29, when UNM takes on BYU. The festivities begin Monday, Sept. 24 with a variety of student activities on tap. A complete list of events can be found at: Homecoming 2007.
On Tuesday, Sept. 25, departments across campus will decorate lobbies and offices as part of the Campus Decorating Contest. Judging will be held from 11 to 2 p.m. On Wednesday, Sept. 26, current full-time UNM faculty and staff employees who are UNM alumni are invited to an appreciation lunch at the Student Union Ballroom beginning at noon. Additionally, students can vote on the UNM Homecoming royalty in the Student Union Building from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"The Lobo Howl," a longtime Homecoming tradition, along with other activities that are all a part of the Cherry/Silver Games competition, is set for Thursday, Sept. 27. Students strive for the coveted Cherry/Silver Cup in wacky and hilarious games at the Duck Pond.
On Friday, Sept. 28, it’s Lobo Spirit Day. Wear your UNM cherry red and silver on campus and show your Lobo pride! Join students for a pep rally at noon by the duck pond to send the Lobo teams to victory. Also on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m., alumni reunions from many colleges and programs will take place all across campus. From 8 to 11 p.m., alumni are invited to join UNM students for an evening of music and dancing and to meet the 2007 Homecoming Court.
Events for Saturday, Sept. 29 include the All-University Breakfast at the Embassy Suites, the Alumni Lettermen's Tailgate Party, the Southwest Fiesta (tailgate party) at the northeast end of University Stadium, which starts at 3:30 p.m., and the 14th annual Alumni Association Silent Auction. Tickets for the SW Fiesta Tailgate are $10 per person and $5 for children under 12. The week culminates with the football game between BYU and New Mexico at University Stadium. Game time is 6:30 p.m.
Other homecoming highlights include affinity group reunions, lecture series, various student activities and more. For a complete list of activities or for advanced ticket sales call 277-5808 or visit: Homecoming 2007.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The National Federation of Press Women recently named UNM Today the best newsletter in the nation. This is the first year UNM Today has received the top award in the annual NFPW contest. Last year the newsletter received an honorable mention, as well as a first place award in the regional contest.
“This award is a testament to the hard work of the writers, photographers, former editor Laurie Mellas, copy editor Carolyn Gonzales and designers Jana Fothergill and John Sumrow,” said Sari Krosinsky, UNM Today editor. “Through this team effort, UNM Today strives to serve the university community while setting a standard of excellence in communication.”
Produced by the University Communication and Marketing department, UNM Today delivers news and features showcasing the university to an audience of more than 15,000 readers.
The National Federation of Press Women is a nationwide organization of professional women and men pursuing careers across the communications spectrum. Founded in 1937, its mission is to advance the professional standards of press women.
The UNM School of Architecture and Planning has announced its inaugural exhibition, “inside PREDOCK,” at the recently completed George Pearl Hall. The show will open on Saturday, Oct. 6, from 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. on the UNM campus and continue through Jan. 25, 2008.
An internationally acclaimed architect with completed works on several continents, Antoine Predock, FAIA, is the 2006 recipient of the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal, the highest recognition bestowed on an architect by the profession. His firm, Antoine Predock Architect, is located in Albuquerque, with studios also in Los Angeles and Taipei.
Roger Schluntz, dean of the School of Architecture and Planning, said, “Antoine is an architect of extraordinary talent. I am always astonished by both the breadth and the creativity of his powerful, and always intriguing, design work. Of all living architects, he perhaps best demonstrates in his seminal projects the relationship of the man-made and natural environments. That he was educated at our school and has received an honorary doctorate from UNM makes this exhibit particularly special for the faculty and students as well.”
Displaying highly crafted models, competition boards, and prints, the exhibition will feature a number of Predock’s projects and completed buildings, including Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, Austin City Hall and Plaza, and the Spencer Theater near Ruidoso, N.M.
Designed by Antoine Predock, FAIA, the soon-to-be opened Pearl Hall, located on the block Cornell Mall and Central Avenue on the UNM main campus, will be an integral aspect of the exhibit. Construction on Pearl Hall began in 2005 and will serve as the new home of the professional programs in architecture, community and regional planning, and landscape architecture, as well as the Fine Arts & Design Library.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Redondo Drive on the west side of campus will be closed between Hodgin Hall and Martin Luther King Blvd. on Saturday, Sept. 22 between 6 a.m. and noon. The closure will allow a crane to place air handlers on the top of the new Centennial Engineering Center.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Show airs Friday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. and repeats Sunday, Sept. 23 at 6:30 a.m. on Ch. 5
'New Mexico In Focus' is KNME, Channel 5’s newly reconceived and invigorated prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues and people that are shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. This week’s topics include: Both Sides Of The Debate - The Albuquerque School Board Recently Approved a Plan to Arm Its Officers During The School Day; Why Are So Many New Mexicans Carrying a Firearm?; Is a Gang Registry Really the Best Way to Handle a Growing Problem in Albuquerque?
Co-hosted by journalist David Alire Garcia and local columnist Gene Grant, 'New Mexico In Focus' takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic, health, education and arts issues and explores them in-depth, with a critical eye to give them context beyond the "news of the moment."
Other regular commentators include Margaret Montoya, UNM Schools of Law and Medicine; Whitney Cheshire, political consultant, blogger: Wednesday Morning QB and Jim Scarantino, Weekly Alibi Columnist.
This Week’s guests include...
· Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group
· Marty Esquivel, Albuquerque Public Schools Board Member
· Robert Lucero, Albuquerque Public Schools Board Member
· Lt. Steve Tellez, Albuquerque Public Schools Police Chief
· Emma Sandoval, Youth Intern, Southwest Organizing Project
Support for 'New Mexico In Focus' has been provided by McCune Charitable Foundation. Closed Captioning of 'New Mexico In Focus' has been made possible from a gift by Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs.
Media Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1218; e-mail: etodd@knme.org
UNM Vice President for athletics Paul Krebs announced today that beginning with this week's game against Sacramento State, UNM will no longer sell standing-room-only tickets to Lobo football games. Krebs says the decision is in the best interest of all fans.
Photo: Long lines greeted walkup ticket seekers at the NMSU-UNM football game on Sept. 8.
"We certainly want to encourage fans to attend all of our events and cheer on the Lobos," said Krebs. "Coach (Rocky) Long has an exciting team and we want University Stadium to be an intimidating venue for our opponents, however, we also want it to be a safe and comfortable environment for fans of all ages. We also want our fans to display proper sportsmanship. The safety of everyone who enters University Stadium for a Lobo football game is paramount."
Capacity at University Stadium will now be listed at 40,094, which includes 38,768 seats and 1,326 game-day workers.
Media Contact: Greg Remington, (505) 925-5520; e-mail: gregrem@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico features keynote addresses by national civil rights activists and experts as well as roundtables and interdisciplinary scholars during “UNM Civil Rights Symposium—40 Years of Community Activism, 1967-2007: Civil Rights Reform Then and Now,” Thursday and Friday, Sept. 27-28 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The events are at the UNM Student Union Building, unless specified otherwise.
“The symposium is designed to promote dialogue among faculty, students, UNM staff and the public about past and present civil rights issues,” said Michelle Hall Kells, assistant professor of English and symposium organizer.
Panelists will address issues relative to communities, histories, and current social conditions and address how civic activism changed over the past forty years, what inequities endure within the U.S. social system, as well as where and how current leaders can effect positive change.
Thursday features several panels including one on community health and human rights featuring Brenda Claiborne, dean, UNM College of Arts and Sciences and Arthur Kaufman, UNM School of Medicine. The international perspectives on human and civil rights panel includes law faculty Jennifer Moore and UNM anthropologist Carole Nagengast.
A panel on community engagement is also featured Thursday, as is a panel on language rights and New Mexico diversity issues, a panel on college support programs and another on environmental justice and human rights. Two separate panels address native identities and tribal concerns.
On Friday at 9 a.m. in SUB Ballroom B, a keynote address “Literacy and Civic Engagement,” features Jacqueline Jones Royster. Women’s and African American issues panels will follow.
A noontime keynote features Kehaulani Kauanui presenting, “Native Sovereignty, Civil Rights, and Questions of Social Justice,” also in SUB Ballroom B, followed at 1 p.m., with Vicente Ximenes presenting, “LBJ’s ‘Great Society’ and Civil Rights Reform.”
At 1:30 p.m., a filmed tribute by Henry Cisneros to Ximenes and WWII civil rights reformers will be presented. UNM President David J. Schmidly will make remarks as will Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez. John Garcia, secretary of the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services will present a tribute to New Mexico veterans.
At 2:30 p.m., Hector Galán will present the Presidential Inaugural Lecture, ¡Chicano! Documenting the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement.
From 7-9 p.m. at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Galán’s films on capturing Latino World War II experiences will be shown.
The events are free and open to the public. Faculty, staff, students and community members are welcome to attend as many of the sessions as desired. Participation and luncheon are free of charge. No registration is required. Arrive early to ensure available seating and parking. For more information, visit the symposium Web site, Civil Rights, or contact Bernadine Hernandez, berna18@unm.edu, 277-6347.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The work of eminent Navajo painter Emmi Whitehorse will be on exhibit Oct. 1 through Nov. 1 at the Ingham Chapman Gallery of the University of New Mexico-Gallup. The work of the internationally acclaimed painter has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and is in museum collections across the country, in Japan and Europe.
Whitehorse, who has a master’s in art from UNM, draws from her Navajo heritage for much of her inspiration.
As a contemporary artist, she has moved in recent years from a more referential way of painting to one she describes as more “sensory.”
Her landscapes portray an intimacy with nature and place, with attention to plants and landscape, to fluctuations of light. In recent years, her work has reflected her preoccupation with water, principally in studies using the color red.
“Whitehorse has an international reputation,” said John Zimmerman, gallery manager, “and for us to exhibit her work in Ingham Chapman is a tremendous honor. I hope the local community will take this opportunity to visit the gallery and see this exhibit. Emmi Whitehorse is a great example to our students of someone who was just like they were. She got her master’s degree at UNM, and went on to earn an international reputation as an artist.”
Whitehorse will be on the UNM-Gallup campus on Monday, Oct. 1 to give a lecture at 5:30 p.m. in Calvin Hall 248B, followed by a reception in the gallery at 6:30 p.m.
Media Contact: Linda Thornton, (505) 863-7565; e-mail: lthornton@gallup.unm.edu
This summer, the University of New Mexico was selected as one of the 24 partners to take part in the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA), an innovative professional development program for pre-service and in-service middle and high school teachers.
UNM will join other colleges, universities, science research and education organizations spread among 22 states and the District of Columbia.
“I believe the cohort of partners we have selected are an excellent mix that will bring varied and innovative approaches to implementing the ESSEA courses,” said Theresa Schwerin, IGES’s associate director of education.
ESSEA is funded through a cooperative agreement awarded to The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) by the National Science Foundation under its Geoscience Teacher Training program, which supports projects designed to improve the quality of geoscience education. GEO-Teach projects provide pre-service teacher training, in-service professional development and access to high-quality curricular materials.
As an ESSEA partner, UNM will receive funding and training to offer online Earth system science courses geared toward teachers of specific grade levels and aligned to national education standards.
Working in collaborative groups, teachers who enroll in an ESSEA course can earn undergraduate and graduate credit while learning to teach Earth system science using inquiry-based classroom methods, such as problem based learning.
"Earth Systems science is a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding earth processes and has broad applications to all science disciplines,” explained Matthew Nyman, ESSEA principal investigator. “The online course will be augmented by a field experience organized in collaboration with the Natural History Museum, which will provide a New Mexico context for teachers. We believe this is an incredible opportunity for science teachers,” he said.
The NSF-funded program will build and expand on the original ESSEA program funded by NASA and administered by IGES from 2000 to 2005.
IGES will provide the partners with online tools, modules and materials, which will be accessed through the participating institutions learning management systems.
UNM’s project is a collaboration among UNM Earth & Planetary Sciences, UNM Extended University/New Media & Extended Learning, and the NM Museum of Natural History.
Principal Investigator is Matthew Nyman, Earth & Planetary Sciences/Natural Science and co-investigators are: Debby Knotts, New Media & Extended Learning/Extended University; Gary Weissman, Earth & Planetary Sciences; Selena Connealy, NM Museum of Natural History.
This fall, UNM will offer an online course for high school teachers from Albuquerque Public Schools and Northern New Mexico’s rural school districts.
This 13 week course will utilize UNM’s LMS Blackboard Learning System Vista Enterprise and web conferencing tools with options for a field experience mid way through the semester.
Next spring, UNM will launch the mid school science teachers version of this course. As a two year program, UNM will offer these courses again in Fall 2008, as well as Spring 2009.
For more information on the ESSEA project, contact UNM Extended University/New Media & Extended Learning at, (505) 277-8128.
Media Contact: Kim Jarigese, (505) 277-6433; e-mail: kjar@unm.edu
UNM Chief Economic Development Officer John A. Garcia has been appointed by President George W. Bush to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, an independent federal agency that promotes the preservation, enhancement and productive use of our nation’s historic resources, and advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy.
Mayor Thomas R. Miller of Franklin Tennessee was also appointed, and Julia A. King of St. Mary’s City, Maryland and Ann A. Pritzlaff of Denver, Colorado were reappointed.
Garcia is a former secretary of the New Mexico Department of Tourism, and the New Mexico Economic Development Department. He also served as New Mexico’s Senior Officer of Cultural Affairs and has experience on a statewide level in developing cultural tourism opportunities.
In addition to his work for UNM, he also consults for Grubbs & Ellis NM and oversees his management company, Hospitotally.
Garcia will fill one of the general public positions on the 23-member council. His term runs through 2011.
The goal the of National Historic Preservation Act, which established the ACHP in 1966, is to have federal agencies act as responsible stewards of our nation’s resources when their actions affect historic properties.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico hosts the annual UNM Water Forum on Friday, Oct. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Student Union Building Lobo rooms A&B. The event features presentations from different segments of the campus water community and invited guests. The event is free, but those wanting to attend need to register by Monday, Oct. 1 at its Web site: UNM Water Forum.
“The Water Forum brings together guests and UNM community members who are engaged in water research so that we can learn from one another and share our work,” said Tim J. Ward, assistant vice president for research.
He said that the goal is to continue a dialog that will lead to collaboration, partnerships and synthesis of ideas for expanding interdisciplinary research and creative activity on water topics.
Presentation topics include water as art, climate and snowmelt, economic valuation of water level changes, international watershed management and water quality.
Sandy Gaines, the new director of the UNM Law School’s Utton Transboundary Resources Center, will talk about his vision and goals for the center. Jennifer Parody will present, “Endangered Species and the Middle Rio Grande,” and Erik Webb, Sandia National Laboratories and Senator Pete Domenici staffer, will provide a perspective on selected federal water activities.
Sponsors of the forum are the UNM Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development and the UNM Water Resources Program.
For more information, contact Amy Cordoba at 277-0168 or acordoba@unm.edu
or Tim J. Ward at 277—2328 or tjward@unm.edu
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: gconzal@unm.edu
University of New Mexico students can compete for a top prize of $25,000, plus an additional $10,000 in seed funding, in the third annual UNM Technology Business Plan Competition. President David J. Schmidly will join business leaders, UNM faculty and potential team members for the 2008 kick off of this exciting event at a reception on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 4 p.m. in the Anderson Student Center.
Interested students must be enrolled at UNM for at least six credit hours during the fall 2007 or spring 2008 semesters. Teams will present a plan to start a company based on technology innovation used to produce new products or services.
Judges consisting of successful entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, technologists, and business experts, will evaluate the plans for viability, attractiveness to investors, and ability to sustain high value-added employment in New Mexico. Top honors will be handed out on Friday, April 11, 2008. Second place finishers will receive $10,000, and the third place prize is $5,000.
Dr. Sul Kassicieh who runs the competition as part of UNM’s Center for Support of Economic Development, points out the importance of new business creation in generating high-paying jobs and, wealth in the region.
Business and community supporters of the competition the past two years have included:
· Michael Gallegos and American Property Management Corporation, providing the $25,000 Michael Gallegos Prize for Entrepreneurship
· Technology Ventures Corporation and Lockheed Martin, giving the
$10,000 TVC Lockheed Martin Prize
· Brent DePonte and DePonte Investments, Inc., offering the $5,000
DePonte Investments Prize in 2007
· Honeywell, Inc., supplying the $5,000 Honeywell Prize in 2006
· vSpring Capital, Wasatch Venture Fund and the New Mexico Venture Capital Association, providing support for the events integral to the competition, and
· Brownstein Hyatt & Farber and Grant Thornton LLP, providing in-kind donations of legal and accounting services.
Additionally this year, Trevor Loy and Flywheel Ventures, a locally-based venture capital firm, have committed to offer at least $10,000 in seed funding to the winning team(s).
The competition is open to all UNM students, and Dr. Kassicieh intends this year to increase participation from students in all of UNM’s Main and North Campus schools and colleges.
For more information call or e-mail Jennifer Bayley, Program Manager at 277-6172 or bayley@mgt.unm.edu.
Media Contacts: Leslie Venzuela, (505) 277-7117; e-mail: venzuela@mgt.unm.edu or Erin Gardner, (505) 306-9575; e-mail: news@mgt.unm.edu
Gloria Valencia-Weber, an Indian Law expert and professor with the University of New Mexico School of Law, has been elected to the American Law Institute – an organization of judges, lawyers and legal scholars.
Valencia-Weber was nominated by her colleagues across the U.S. for her professional achievements and her commitment to the law. Her greatest contribution to the American Legal System has been in the field of Indian Law where she's established the first two Indian Law certificate programs at American Bar Association-accredited universities – first at the University of Tulsa and then the UNM School of Law in 1994.
“I am gratified that people outside and inside the UNM School of Law appreciate my work as being of merit on a national level,” she said. “I look forward to contributing whatever I can to the institute.”
The American Law Institute was founded in 1923 by a group of judges, lawyers and legal educators who worked to address the complexities of early 20th century American law and promote better adaptation of the law to social needs, secure a stronger administration of justice and encourage legal scholarship.
Professor Valencia-Weber is also an extensively published author on the field of Indian Law and is regarded as a nationwide resource on Indian Law issues. Currently she is the chair of the Indian Law on State Bar Exams Committee of the Federal Bar Association.
She has recently published two Indian Law-related articles and is a regular speaker at forums around the world. Recently, Valencia-Weber was one of two UNM School of Law professors to speak at a conference at the Inns of Court in London. Prior to this – in the fall of 2006 – she presented a talk at Harvard Law School.
Valencia-Weber joins four other UNM School of Law faculty who are currently ALI members – Dean Suellyn Scarnecchia, Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, Alfred Mathewson, and Peter Winograd.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
New Mexico Secretary of Economic Development Fred Mondragon and Executive Vice President and Deputy Laboratory Director of Sandia National Laboratories John Stichman are joining the board of STC.UNM.
“We are very pleased with the addition of two outstanding individuals to the STC Board of Directors,' President and CEO of STC.UNM Lisa Kuuttila. "They bring a wealth of experience to STC as well as important connections with STC’s partners, the NMEDD and Sandia, in economic development for the state of New Mexico. I look forward to working with both of them.”
Mondragon has extensive experience in economic development. Before being appointed to the New Mexico Economic Development Department, he was the director of the Office of Economic Development for the City of Albuquerque, where he participated in the recruitment or expansion of Tesla Motors, Verizon Wireless, Eclipse Aviation, Advent Solar and Albuquerque Studios. He also developed initiatives to improve resources for local business expansion and to better assist existing small and medium sized businesses in Albuquerque.
Mondragon has also held positions as chief executive officer of the UNM Hospital and has been a regional administration of a major hospital system in New Mexico and deputy chief administrative officer of the City of Albuquerque.
Stichman joined Sandia in 1972, and is responsible for lab operations, staff and facilities. He is charged with overall stewardship of the technical capabilities at Sandia and for setting, promulgating and maintaining standards for technical activities. In addition he is responsible for the independent assessment of weapons’ safety, security and reliability for Sandia.
Strichman is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and is registered as a professional engineer in New Mexico. His published papers and conference presentations include the subjects of instrumentation and control, implantable medical electronics and real-time optical computing.
STC.UNM is a non-profit corporation formed by and owned entirely by the University of New Mexico to protect and transfer its faculty inventions to the commercial marketplace.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
On Tuesday, Sept. 18 from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Student Union Building, the unveiling of The Mendez Stamp will be celebrated as part of the 60th Anniversary of Mendez vs. Westminster segregation case. Cake and punch will be served at the event and all faculty, staff and students are invited to attend.
Sixty years ago, a group of California Hispanic parents fought to end segregation in their schools. This groundbreaking court case became known as Mendez vs. Westminster School District and started a movement toward equality in all school districts regardless of race.
The event is sponsored by the University of New Mexico and contributors to the De Colores Hispanic Cultural Festival. For more information contact Jennifer Gomez-Chavez at 277-7763.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNM Continuing Education is proud to announce a free lecture with Mayor Martin Chávez. Mayor Chávez will discuss his plans and vision for the city and the state from 1:30 to 3 p.m., Sept. 18, at the UNM Continuing Education Conference Center, 1634 University Blvd., N.E.
His priorities include continued improvements in public safety, greater environmental sustainability and further urban revitalization—since Albuquerque has already achieved one of the nation’s fastest turnarounds in this regard.
Firm plans include creating more clean, high-wage jobs, improving services for the most vulnerable in the community and earning more national recognition as a top city for business and culture. Additionally, there will be a question and answer session following the lecture.
Bring a friend, and enter a drawing for a $50 gift certificate towards any UNM Continuing Education course. For information, call Maya Sutton at 277-6179 or mmsutton@unm.edu. This is a free event open to the public.
University Libraries will honor Associate Professor of Architecture and Planning Bill Fleming on Thursday, Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. in the Willard Reading Room of Zimmerman Library. Fleming will give a lecture titled “The Greening of a Watershed in Nepal.” The lecture will be based on material gathered during his sabbatical in Nepal and is co-written with his wife, Jeanie.
Each month University Libraries recognizes faculty members for their scholarly work. The awards are based on recommendations from university schools and colleges.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The 2nd Banner HR/Payroll Town Hall is Wednesday, Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Health Sciences Center Domenici Center Auditorium. The event will provide an excellent opportunity to learn more about what measures are in place to ensure the security of your data, get details about the October campus-wide testing and what it means to you, and to find out what each of us can do as individuals to get ready for the project go-live.
A dedicated shuttle will be available for the event from Main Campus to HSC Domenici Center. The shuttle will pick up from the Duck Pond between 9:15-9:50. After the event, the shuttle will run for one hour to transport attendees back to the Duck Pond.
For those who are unable to attend at HSC, a room has been reserved at each campus to view the event:
* Main Campus - SUB Theater
* Gallup - Auditorium 248C
* Los Alamos - Lecture Hall Bldg. 2
* Taos - Klauer Hall 109
* Valencia- Student Committee Center 108
If you are unable to view the presentation during the scheduled time frame, the event will be taped and posted on the Human Resources Web site. Stay tuned for more information on the viewing the presentation after Sept. 19.
For more information contact Human Resources at, 277-5824 or via e-mail, hrpr@unm.edu or 277-5824.
Media Contact: Laurie Mellas, (505) 277-5915; e-mail: lmellas@unm.edu
UNM chapter one of only 28 chapters to take home the Golden Torch Award
The Maia chapter of Mortar Board at The University of New Mexico was recently presented with the Golden Torch Award and was one of five finalists for the Ruth Weimer Mount Chapter Excellence Award for the 2006-07 academic year at the organization’s recent national conference.
The University of New Mexico chapter was one of only 28 chapters to take home the Golden Torch Award, selected for going above and beyond timeliness and excellence while exemplifying the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service.
Laura Bouldin, 2007-08 chapter president, was on hand to accept the award on behalf of the group.
Additionally, the Maia chapter was one of five finalists for the Ruth Weimer Mount Chapter Excellence Award. This award is presented annually to the chapter which exemplifies the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service in the most outstanding manner.
Mortar Board is a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. Since its founding in 1918, the organization has grown from the four founding chapters to 223 chartered collegiate and 25 active alumni chapters with nearly a quarter of a million initiated members across the nation. The Maia chapter at UNM was founded in 1936.
Mortar Board provides opportunities for continued leadership development, promotes service to colleges and universities and encourages lifelong contributions to the global community. Some notable Mortar Board members include former President Jimmy Carter, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Lance Armstrong and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico today announced it has received formal notification from the National Collegiate Athletic Association of four potential violations of NCAA rules involving members of the school’s football coaching staff during the spring semester of 2004 and the fall semester of 2005.
No current football student-athletes are involved in the allegations. Additionally, the NCAA did not allege that the University, at any time, failed to exercise institutional control over the program and no allegations were directed at the head football coach.
The Notice of Allegations, issued by the NCAA, involved three members of the football coaching staff, two who are no longer employed at the University. They are alleged to have aided four prospective student-athletes and one then current student-athlete to enroll in and improperly obtain course credit from another four-year institution. Only two of the five student-athletes ever competed at UNM.
“We have exerted every effort to work with the NCAA to investigate these allegations,” said Vice-President for Athletics Paul Krebs, who noted that the University was first made aware of the alleged incidents just one month after he assumed his position in June of 2006. “We immediately established an internal task force to work closely with the NCAA to ensure they received everything they requested.
“We will not tolerate intentional violations of NCAA rules. There is nothing more important to the health and well-being of an athletics department than integrity. Since I took this position, we have focused significant time and energy on expanding and improving our compliance and academic services, including personnel, budget and professional development and strengthening our commitment to the academic mission for all student-athletes.”
The University plans to respond to the allegations to the NCAA in writing by December 7. The next stage of the process will be a hearing in front of the NCAA Infractions Committee in the spring of 2008.
The University has retained outside counsel to assist in the investigation and, if deemed appropriate, it will consider self-imposed penalties against the football program.
Krebs cited newly appointed University President David Schmidly’s new initiatives to tighten academic oversight over athletics. Earlier this year, President Schmidly made student-athletes’ academic advisors directly responsible to the University’s chief academic officer, the Provost, and made the NCAA Compliance Officer directly answerable to the President.
“Once we know all the facts,” President Schmidly promised, “we will take whatever additional steps are called for to ensure that this University sets the highest standard for compliance. At the University of New Mexico, our first priority for student-athletes must always be academics, first and foremost – and the most important lesson we have to teach is honest fair play.”
Media Contact: Greg Remington, (505) 710-7911; e-mail: gregrem@unm.edu
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has approved a new area code, 575, as of Oct. 7, 2007, to accommodate increased demand for phone numbers in the state of New Mexico. There is no change in how long distance calling will be handled from UNM Main, North, South and Valencia campus phones, although beginning Oct. 7, 2007, the new 575 area code can be dialed.
A 'permissive dialing' period when either area code can be used extends until Oct. 5, 2008, after which correct use becomes mandatory.
For maps, FAQ and more information visit: New Mexico 575 Info or contact ITS Communications Network Services at, 277-1111 with questions or for assistance.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
UNM President David J. Schmidly has named a university search committee to conduct the search for a provost to lead the institution’s academic mission. Professor Julia Fulghum, the Chairperson of the School of Engineering’s Chemical & Nuclear Engineering Department will chair the committee.
Other members of the committee include: English Professor Scott Sanders, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Native American Studies Beverly Singer; Institute for Ethics Director and Associate Professor of the Internal Medicine Division of Geriatrics Anne Simpson; chairperson of the Mathematics & Statistics Department Professor Alejandro Aceves; College of Nursing Professor Marie Lobo; Anderson School of Management Assistant Professor of Finance and International Technology Management Dande DeGregorio; Associate Professor of Language Literacy and Socioculture Leroy Ortiz; Dean of the College of Pharmacy John Pieper; Executive Director of UNM Los Alamos, Cedric Page; Johnson Center Manager of Physical Performance Development Roger Wrolstad; College of Arts & Sciences College Administrator Vicki Hall; College of Fine Arts and Art History Director of Graduate Studies Holly Barnet-Sanchez; Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs; Associate Registrar Jep Choate; Office of Equal Opportunity Director Art Gonzales; College of Arts & Sciences Dean Brenda Claiborne; and Graduate Student in Community and Regional Planning Moneka Stevens.
The committee will begin meeting in the next few weeks and Schmidly says he hopes the committee will be able to complete its work as soon as possible.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico Advanced Graphics Lab – a collaboration of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and Department of Computer Science – hosts “GFX Café,” a lunch seminar held every Friday this semester from noon-1 p.m. to discuss research and current topics in the field of computer graphics. These seminars are being held in the ECE building.
This week, UNM Computer Science Professor Joe Kniss will continue a discussion started the previous week of computer graphics research reported at the SIGGRAPH conference in San Diego over the summer.
In addition to UNM students, staff and faculty, scientists and computer animation experts from Sandia National Labs and private companies also attend the weekly meetings held by Advanced Graphics Lab professors.
UNM’s new Advanced Graphics Lab is the brainchild of ECE Professor Pradeep Sen – formerly of Stanford University’s Graphics Lab. Together with ECE Professor Tom Caudell and UNM Computer Science Professor Joe Kniss, Professor Sen has created a combination of courses, research projects and funding avenues to benefit UNM students interested in working with computer graphics.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Show airs Friday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. and repeats Sunday, Sept. 16 at 6:30 a.m. on Ch. 5
'New Mexico In Focus' is KNME, Channel 5’s newly reconceived and invigorated prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues and people that are shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. This week’s topics include: The A-B-C's Of Intelligent Design; Albuquerque City Council RDavid Brookshire Heating Up; Iraq Troop Surge Report, Ethics Reform inn N.M.; and No Habla Espanol for Gov. Richardson in the First Univision Debate. The show airs Friday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. and repeats Sunday, Sept. 16 at 6:30 a.m. on Ch. 5
Co-Hosted by journalist David Alire Garcia and local columnist Gene Grant, 'New Mexico In Focus' takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic, health, education and arts issues and explores them in-depth, with a critical eye to give them context beyond the "news of the moment."
Other regular commentators include Margaret Montoya, UNM Schools of Law and Medicine; Whitney Cheshire, political consultant, blogger: Wednesday Morning QB and Jim Scarantino, Weekly Alibi Columnist.
This Week’s topics include:
· The A-B-C's Of Intelligent Design
· Albuquerque City Council RDavid Brookshire Heating Up
· Iraq Troop Surge Report
· Ethics Reform in N.M.
· No Habla Espanol for Gov. Richardson in the First Univision Debate
This Week’s guests include:
· Gabriel Nims, executive director, 1,000 Friends of New Mexico
· Dr. Marshall Berman, Former State Board of Education Member
· Mike Edenburn, member, New Mexico Intelligent Design Network
· Joe Renick, president, New Mexico Intelligent Design Network
· Kim Johnson, Industrial Physicist
Support for 'New Mexico In Focus' has been provided by McCune Charitable Foundation. Closed Captioning of 'New Mexico In Focus' has been made possible from a gift by Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs.
For those UNM students, staff and faculty that might have missed Civics class in high school – or might need a brush up on the history and importance of the United States Constitution – take the time to visit the UNM Student Union Building Room Lobo A&B from 2:30-4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 17. That’s when the University will celebrate “Constitution Day” with a joint symposium with speakers from the School of Law and the College of Arts & Sciences’ Department of History.
Constitution Day commemorates the signing of the final draft of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. In 2004, the federal government designated that any public education institution receiving federal money must celebrate Sept. 17 as “Constitution Day.” Since then, UNM has celebrated this day by holding a seminar to educate members of the UNM community about the importance of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights in their lives.
UNM School of Law professor Chris Fritz will discuss, “The People’s Sovereignty and American Constitutionalism.” Fritz, an attorney who also earned a doctorate in history, will draw upon his extensive knowledge of American Constitutional History and Comparative and Historical Legal Perspectives – two courses he teaches at UNM – to explain the concepts behind his presentation to seminar attendees.
“The study of America’s constitution-making can remind us of how much stock the Revolutionary generation placed on government serving the public welfare if it was to remain legitimate,” Fritz said. “It’s often overlooked how much importance the Framers placed on the active involvement of enlightened citizens strictly scrutinizing the government.
“I suspect today’s widespread political apathy would have dismayed them,” Fritz continued.
Following Fritz’s presentation, UNM History Professor Mel Yazawa, an expert in early American history and American Constitutional history before 1877, will explain, “Why the Founding Fathers Hated Democracy.”
Question and answer sessions will follow each of the presentations. Refreshments and free pocket copies of the U.S. Constitution will be provided to all attendees. Please contact Carole Jablonski at 277-7381 for more information.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
The Journal of Anthropological Research is hosting a pair of discussions on rock art by Dr. Jean Clottes of the French Ministry of Culture. The lecture and following seminar, part of the JAR Distinguished Lecture series, will be held in conjunction with the National Park Service’s Conference entitled “Set in Stone: Binational Workshop on Petroglyph Management in the United States and Mexico.” The Petroglyph National Monument, along with UNM, JAR and Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia, will present this workshop from Sept. 19-21.
Photo: Dr. Jean Clottes
“Dr. Clottes is the leading authority worldwide on rock art,” said Dr. Lawrence Straus, Ph.D., editor of the Journal of Anthropological Research. “He is a superb archaeologist and we are honored to have him as our speaker this year.”
He will discuss “Rock Art: An Endangered Heritage Worldwide” at the UNM Anthropology lecture hall, room 163, on Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and give a seminar on “The Rock Art of Chauvet Cave, France” on Sept. 21 from noon-1 p.m. at the Hibben Center, rm. 105.
Dr. Clottes is the president of the International Federation of Rock Art Organizations, a group of 43 associations around the world. He is also a consultant to, and former president of, the UNESCO International Committee on Rock Art and President of the Commission on Rock Art of the UISPP (International Union of Pre- and Protohistoric Sciences). Among Dr. Clottes’ many awards is the Legion d’Honneur, France’s most prestigious honor.
Clottes has also excavated many major archaeological sites in his native French Pyrénées and served as the Director of Prehistoric Antiquities for the Midi-Pyrénées region for many years.
In 1998, he headed the research team that explored and studied the Chauvet cave – the famous Paleolithic cave in the Ardeche Valley of south-central France that contains rock art that, at over 30,000 years-old, are the oldest known works of European cave art.
In order to study the underwater cave of Cosquer, off the Mediterranean coast near Marseilles, Clottes learned to SCUBA dive in his 60’s. During exploration of these underwater cave, Clottes found rock art from two distinct periods, 27,000 and 18,000 years ago.
Until his official “retirement,” Dr. Clottes was also the Inspector General and Scientific Adviser on Rock Art for the French Ministry of Culture.
The Blue Tuareg people, who have lived for thousands of years on the Sahara desert between the Nile and Timbuktu, honored Clottes in April by bestowing the name Almawekil (translated to “our honored representative”) to him and making him an Honorary Tuareg.
Dr. Clottes taught at the University of Toulouse in the early 1990’s and was a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also the author of several influential books and articles on Upper Paleolithic art and archaeology.
The Distinguished Lectures are published in JAR, which has been published quarterly by UNM since 1945 and has about 1,100 subscribers worldwide – mostly academic institutions. Its Web site is: JAR Lectures.
For more information about the Journal of Anthropological Research and the Lecture Series, please call 277-4544.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
University of New Mexico biology faculty members Felisa Smith and Joseph Cook were re-elected and elected respectively to the Board of Directors of the American Society of Mammalogists at its 87th annual meeting held recently at UNM. Each will serve a three-year term (2007-10) assisting in the direction of the world’s oldest and largest scientific organization devoted to mammals.
Smith has been a member of the ASM for 20 years and has been an ombudsman for the Society since 2002. She will be serving her fourth term on the board. She has served on the public education and grants-in aid standing committees and was the chair of the ad hoc committee on human diversity in mammalogy, and also served on the women and minority issues and the strategic planning ad hoc committees.
Smith’s research interests include paleoecology, ecological and evolutionary effects of past and present climate change on mammals, macroecological patterns of body size across spatial, temporal and taxonomic scales, and the historical role of women in science.
Cook, a life member, has been a member of the ASM for the past 27 years. In addition to co-chairing the recent annual meeting, he has served the society as a member of the international relations, systematic collections, resolutions, and Latin American awards standing committees. He has also served as an associate editor of the Journal of Mammalogy.
Cook uses DNA analyses to study the conservation, evolution and ecology of mammals in western North America. Recently his research has focused on the history of faunal exchange across the Bering Land Bridge by studying mammals and their parasites in Siberia and Alaska. Prior to coming to UNM, Cook served as professor and chair of Biological Sciences at Idaho State University, and more recently, as professor and chief curator at the University of Alaska.
The American Society of Mammalogists was established in 1919 for the purpose of promoting interest in the study of mammals. The ASM is currently composed of more than 4,500 members, many of whom are professional scientists.
For more information, see American Society of Mammalogists.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The Albuquerque Police Department received a 911 call at about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday from a UNM student who had been assaulted off campus. APD reported the call to UNM police, per request, in a joint effort to catch the individual responsible for recent assaults on UNM international students.
UNM officers quickly responded and located the person fitting the description of the assailant on the south side of Central Ave. near Vassar Dr., SE. The caller, who was with two other individuals, followed the suspect and were able to identify him as the assailant.
Officers interviewed the suspect, a 34-year-old male, and determined he was in need of mental health care and took him to the UNM Mental Health Center on a 72-hour hold.
UNM Police Lt. Pat Davis said that UNM police contacted both APD and the District Attorney’s office to pursue the investigation and UNM Police are working closely with APD to pursue charges against the suspect.
“The students did exactly as we asked them to do – travel in groups and call 911 if assaulted,” Davis said. He also said that this was an example of good cooperation between various law enforcement agencies and the community.
UNM reiterates its strong stance against hate crimes, and recognizes the impact these incidents can have on the campus community.
A new peer-led support group is available for parents and significant others of military personnel serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. The Peer Support Group for Family of Soldiers Serving Overseas will have its first meeting on Thursday, Sept. 20, noon-1 p.m., in the University of New Mexico Women’s Resource Center, 1160 Mesa Vista Hall.
The support group is intended to provide a non-political and non-threatening place to share fears, pride and questions. The group will discuss communication, care packages, phone cards, deployment, returns and coping for all family members. It will also be an opportunity to share fears, frustrations and questions with those who may have answers.
For more information, contact Keelie Garcia at 277-2237, proud MOM (Mother Of Marine) of Corporal Joshua M. Garcia, or the Women’s Resource Center at 277-3716.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico Women’s Resource Center will host a panel discussion, “What you should know about Bullying and Harassment,” on Wednesday, Sept. 19, noon-1:30 p.m. in the Student Union Building Lobo room.
On the 2006 Survey to Assess the Climate for Women at UNM, conducted by the Women’s Resource Center, 829 out of 1052 respondents said they had experienced bullying/harassment or knew someone else who had. Campus and community experts will gather to address the issue of bullying and harassment, including how victims, workplDavid Brookshire and classrooms are affected, what victims can do, UNM policies and reporting procedures, and where to find help.
Panelists include Naomi Sandweiss, APEX Education and New Mexico Holocaust and Intolerance Museum docent; Kathleen Schindler-Wright, licensed clinical counselor, Counseling and Therapy Services; Theresa Ramos, senior EEO compliance specialist, Office of Equal Opportunity; and Pamela Lutgen-Sandvik, assistant professor, organizational communication, Department of Communication and Journalism.
For more information call the Women’s Resource Center at 277-3716.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
At the University of New Mexico, Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. has coordinated two fundraisers over the past two weeks to aide in the relief efforts from a 8.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Peru. The earthquake hit 95 miles south-southwest of the country’s capital Lima on Aug. 15.
The devastating event left much of the central costal region without water, power, or means of communication. At least 514 people have been killed and 1,090 have been injured, while 35,500 buildings have been destroyed and more than 4,200 have been damaged.
With the help of Wal-Mart and the Albuquerque Community, $800 was raised in one day. A second fundraiser was held on Friday, Sept. 7, at the UNM Student Union Building. The event, called “Salsa in the SUB,” raised an additional $400. The $1,200 raised will go to towards the American Red Cross and the Peruvian American Roundtable to raise funds to assist with the relief efforts.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico will host a CPR Mass Training Day for the community on Tuesday, Sept. 25. in conjunction with UNM’s Johnson Center 50th birthday bash. American Heart Association and UNM trained instructors will teach participants how to respond confidently to cardiac, respiratory and choking emergencies until medical help arrives.
Learn hands-on skills in rescue breathing, CPR and the Upward Thrust Maneuver to save a choking victim as well as new American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR.
Free CPR sessions will be offered from 9 to 10 a.m. and 10 to 11 a.m. on UNM Johnson Center Field (weather permitting) or in Johnson’s Auxiliary Gym. Participants are asked to pre-register by phone or e-mail to Alana Grier (505) 277-5715, agrier@unm.edu.
UNM’s Human Resources’ Employee Health Promotion Program, Recreational Services and Education Enterprises of New Mexico sponsor the event.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy at the University of New Mexico hosts “Health Policy and Native Americans,” a lecture by Donald Warne, MD, MPH, on Thursday, Sept. 20, from 12:30-1:45 p.m. at the UNM Student Union Building’s Santa Ana Room. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Photo: Donald Warne
Warne, a clinical professor at the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, teaches American Indian Health Policy and assists in the development of the American Indian Policy and Leadership Development Center. Warne is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe from Pine Ridge, S.D. and comes from a long line of traditional healers and medicine men.
Warne received his MD from Stanford University in 1995 and a master of public health from Harvard University with a concentration in health policy in 2002. He is a certified diabetes educator, and he is certified by both the American Board of Family Practice and the American Board of Medical Acupuncture. He has completed fellowships in alternative medicine from the Arizona Center for Health and Medicine and in minority health policy from Harvard Medical School.
The lecture is part of the RWJF Center for Health Policy’s Fall Lecture Series. For more information about this or other upcoming lectures, contact Cathleen Rineer-Garber, 220-2892, or the RWJF Center at (505) 277-0130 or via email at rwjf@unm.edu.
The RWJF Center for Health Policy at UNM seeks to encourage greater ethnic and racial representation in the national health policy dialogue. The Center accomplishes this by providing educational opportunities for doctoral students in the social sciences at UNM; increasing awareness about the need for greater ethnic diversity in US health policy decision-making; and conducting independent research and supporting a national research agenda that promotes a better understanding of health issues, including access, cost, and health care quality to inform the policy debate.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
KNME General Manager and CEO Ted A. Garcia has been re-elected to the Board of Directors of the Public Broadcasting Service. This will be Garcia’s second three-year term. PBS General Counsel Katherine Lauderdale announced the election of six professional directors to serve on the board beginning at the organizational meeting of the board on Oct. 30.
“The PBS system is fortunate to have so many outstanding individuals who are willing to offer their time and talent to serve on the board,” Lauderdale said.
“I am honored to be re-elected to the PBS board of directors by my peers,” said Garcia. “It is a pleasure to work with such dedicated leaders on behalf of all the PBS stations and their communities across the country. Creating and distributing the highest quality programming and educational services is critical to meeting the needs of the people of New Mexico, and I am honored to have the opportunity to work on behalf of the public service media.”
The PBS Board is comprised of 27 members: 14 professional members who are member station leaders; 12 members who are representatives of the general public and the PBS. The membership of PBS elects the professional members and general directors are elected by the board, which also appoints the president and chief executive officer. The board is responsible for governing and setting policy for the Public Broadcasting Service. Board members serve without pay.
Garcia also serves on the board of directors of National Datacasting, Incorporated; the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA); the Pacific Mountain Network; the Public Broadcasting Management Association; and the University Licensee Association (ULA).
In addition, Garcia is on the Boards of the Albuquerque Arts Alliance, the Albuquerque Museum Foundation, Connect New Mexico, Heart Hospital of New Mexico Foundation and the New Mexico Broadcasters Association. Garcia also serves as a Commissioner for the New Mexico Commission for Public Broadcasting and the New Mexico Tourism Commission.
Media Contact: Bill Pinnell, (505) 277-1240; e-mail: bpinnell@knme.org
The University of New Mexico’s Conference and Events Office makes hosting an event at UNM even easier. The new one stop shop for event planners aims to simplify the process by serving as a single point of contact for event planners.
In the past, hosting a conference at UNM meant going through a multitude of departments to reserve meeting space, arrange for lodging needs and parking permits, and to setup catering.
Bernadette Jaramillo-Peck, university conference and events coordinator, will lead the office. She is a certified meeting professional who recently earned a business of meetings certificate and the Certified Association Executive designation from the American Society of Association Executives. Jaramillo-Peck also previously served as the executive director of the Building Owners and Managers Association of New Mexico.
The University Conference and Events Office, also called UNM Events, is located in the Administrative Suite rm. 3020 in the Student Union Building. Conference and event planners can contact UNM Events by calling 277-5709 or to learn more visit: UNM Events.
Media Contact: Matt Henderson, (505) 277-7885; e-mail: edge7@unm.edu
The 97th Albuquerque Police Department Cadet Class recently presented a check for $2,200 to the University of New Mexico Children’s Hospital (UNMCH). Every year, the police academy asks the cadets to think of a way to give back to the community. The 97th cadet class thought one of the most important issues in the community was the children and decided to raise money for the UNMCH.
With only a month to raise money, the cadets called upon family and friends to give donations. The cadets also received donations from other officers.
UNMCH is a division of the University of New Mexico Health Science Center. As an academic medical center, UNMCH is staffed with health care providers who are expertly trained to provide the most advanced neonatology and pediatric care available in the state.
UNMCH offers the highest level of intensive care for children and premature infants in New Mexico. Each year, UNMCH cares for more than 41,000 of New Mexico’s children.
The "Great Firewall of China," used by the government of the People's Republic of China to block users from reaching content it finds objectionable, is actually a "Panopticon" that encourages self-censorship through the perception that users are being watched, rather than a true firewall, according to researchers at the University of New Mexico and the University of California Davis.
Photo: UNM researcher Jed Crandall, School of Engineering
The researchers are developing an automated tool, called ConceptDoppler, to act as a weather report on changes in Internet censorship in China. ConceptDoppler uses mathematical techniques to cluster words by meaning and identify keywords that are likely to be blacklisted.
Many countries carry out some form of Internet censorship. Most rely on systems that block specific web sites or web addresses, said Earl Barr, a graduate student in computer science at UC Davis who is an author on the paper. China takes a different approach by filtering web content for specific keywords and selectively blocking web pages.
In 2006, a team at the University of Cambridge, England discovered that when the Chinese system detects a banned word in data traveling across the network, it sends a series of three "reset" commands to both the source and the destination. These "resets" effectively break the connection. But they also allow researchers to test words and see which ones are censored.
Jed Crandall, an assistant professor of Computer Science at the University of New Mexico's School of Engineering and former UC Davis graduate, UC Davis graduate students Daniel Zinn, Michael Byrd, and Earl Barr and independent researcher Rich East sent messages to internet addresses within China containing a variety of different words that might be subject to censorship.
If China's censorship system were a true firewall, most blocking would take place at the border with the rest of the Internet, Barr said. But the researchers found that some messages passed through several routers before being blocked.
A firewall should also block all mentions of a banned word or phrase, but banned words reached their destinations on about 28 percent of the tested paths, Byrd said. Filtering was particularly erratic at times of heavy internet use.
The words used to probe the Chinese internet were not selected at random.
"If we simply bombarded the Great Firewall with random words, we would waste resources and time," Zinn said.
The researchers took the Chinese version of Wikipedia, extracted individual words and used a mathematical technique called Latent Semantic Analysis to work out the relationships between different words. If one of the words was censored within China, they could look up which other closely-related words are likely to be blocked as well.
Examples of words tested by the researchers and found to be banned included references to the Falun Gong movement and the protest movements of 1989; Nazi Germany and other historical events; and general concepts related to democracy and political protest.
"Imagine you want to remove the history of the Wounded Knee massacre from the Library of Congress," Crandall said. "You could remove 'Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee' and a few other selected books, or you could remove every book in the entire library that contains the word 'massacre.'''
By analogy, Chinese Internet censorship based on keyword filtering is the equivalent of the latter -- and indeed, the keyword "massacre'' (in Chinese) is on the blacklist.
Because it filters ideas rather than specific websites, keyword filtering stops people from using proxy servers or "mirror" websites to evade censorship. But because it is not completely effective all the time, it probably acts partly by encouraging self-censorship, Barr said. When users within China see that certain words, ideas and concepts are blocked most of the time, they might assume that they should avoid those topics.
The original panopticon was a prison design developed by the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham in the eighteenth century. Bentham proposed that a central observer would be able to watch all the prisoners, while the prisoners would not know when they were being watched.
The work will be presented at the Association for Computing Machinery Computer and Communications Security Conference in Alexandria, Va., Oct. 29-Nov. 2, 2007.
Media Contacts: UNM - Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu or UC-Davis - Andy Fell, (530) 752-4533; e-mail: ahfell@ucdavis.edu
UNM Regents are reviewing an institutional bond issue that will bring millions of dollars in improvements to the UNM campus. The bond issue involves a variety of projects that will help modernize the campus undergraduate classroom environment, improve and expand spDavid Brookshire for the arts, and make the best use of space as some programs move into new quarters.
About $12 million is targeted specifically for classroom modernization, including Mitchell Hall. Those improvements will renew infrastructure deficiencies, improve interior finishes and install modern information technology equipment. There are also funds set aside in this bond issue for Phase 2 of a College of Education Facility and Phase 2 of an addition to the Biology Building.
There will be new areas for the arts. As the Fine Arts Library moves to the top floor of the new Architecture and Planning Building this fall, the bonds will fund a renovation of the space the library is vacating in the Center for the Arts. That space will be remodeled and improved to house the Jonson Gallery. Likewise, the space vacated by the architecture classes as they move from their old buildings south of Central into their new building will be remodeled to house the Tamarind Institute and the Film and Digital Media program.
The bond issue will fund renovation as new programs are moved into spDavid Brookshire being vacated. For example, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy will move into the space now occupied by the Jonson Gallery.
The projected amount of the bond issue is $110 million. Some of the revenue to pay debt service for the bond issue will come from the projects themselves. Some of the revenue will come from partnerships with private developers the university hopes to work with to develop university owned land near the main campus.
Over the next few years, UNM hopes to develop land fronting Lomas Blvd. between University Blvd. and I-25, and land at the western edge of the South Campus near UNM Arena. UNM President David J. Schmidly says the university is also interested in talking with developers about building new student housing on or near the main campus.
The university is preparing to charter a UNM owned 501(c)3 corporation, to be called Lobo Development Corporation, that will actually handle the development projects.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
World-renowned tenor Neil Rosenschien will present a masterclass at the University of New Mexico Center for the Arts, Keller Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 12:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Rosenschien has sung on the major opera stages of the world including the Met, Paris Opéra, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Sante Fe Opera.
The event is sponsored by the UNM College of Fine Arts and the Department of Music.
Media Contact: Tori Weller, e-mail: toriw@unm.edu
Preliminary enrollment numbers show a slight decrease in the number of students enrolled for fall 2007. There are 25,759 students enrolled for fall 2007 as compared to 25,817 enrolled for fall 2006. The difference is less than one percent.
The number of credit hours students registered for in fall 2007 is 346,991, compared to 347,801 for fall 2006. “We are essentially level with overall enrollment in headcount and student credit hours, “said Terry Babbitt, interim vice president of enrollment management.
Decreases in numbers of new freshmen and graduate students are countered by higher transfer and continuing student enrollments. Classes that start after the beginning of the traditional semester will also change headcount and credit hour totals.
UNM Valencia increased enrollment by more than 10 percent for fall 2007. UNM Gallup dropped by two percent, UNM Los Alamos lost more than 10 percent of students between fall 2006 and fall 2007 and UNM Taos lost nearly nine percent from student enrollment.
The official enrollment report will be released sometime next week.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The UNM Department of Theatre and Dance opens its 2007-08 main stage season with David Mamet’s rarely-performed classic, “The Water Engine: An American Fable,” directed by Paul Ford, UNM theatre lecturer. The play will be shown Sept. 28-Oct. 6.
Photo (l. to r.): Starnes Reveley, Josh Bien and Nicholas Garcia in David Mamet’s “The Water Engine.”
“The Water Engine” is set in 1934 against the background of the Chicago Century of Progress World’s Fair. Inventor Charles Lang has designed an engine fueled solely by distilled water, a discovery that will revolutionize industry. He soon finds that progress comes at a sinister price. The play dramatizes conflicts between labor and corporation, socialism and enterprise, and the modern struggle for the control of resources.
Originally written as a radio play, Mamet adapted “The Water Engine” for stage in 1977, creating a tense and darkly comic noir thriller in which one man’s dreams are pitted against big business.
Director Paul Ford said, “‘The Water Engine’ has contemporary echoes with the reports of secret meetings by oil companies in the vice president’s office and Enron’s shuffle game with California’s electrical grid. Also within its modern context, we will find the threat that individuals face as they seek personal sustainability. More and more, we may find that the attempt to become non-consumers will be a dangerous confrontation with the marketing of worldwide resources.”
David Mamet’s credits include the award-winning “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “American Buffalo,” “Oleanna” and “Edmond.” This early work shares the oblique language and disconnected dialogue that has become his signature, but its form will surprise those who are familiar with Mamet’s better-known works.
Performances are Sept. 28, 29 and Oct. 4, 5, 6 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. in UNM’s Rodey Theatre in the Center for the Arts. Ticket prices are $15 general admission, $10 faculty and seniors, $8 staff and students. Tickets are available at UNM Ticket Offices at the UNM Bookstore or the Arena (The Pit), online at UNM Tickets, or by calling (505) 925-5858. For more information visit Theatre Department.
Media Contact: Kathleen Clawson, (505) 238-6029; e-mail: kclawson@unm.edu
History Professor Paul Andrew Hutton’s article, “Silver Screen Desperado: Billy the Kid in the Movies,” published in the spring 2007 issue of the New Mexico Historical Review, is the winner of the Ray Allen Billington Prize. The prize is awarded annually to the author and publisher of the best article in the field of Western History.
“This is the first time the NMHR has won the prize, and on behalf of the NMHR staff, I want to thank Professor Hutton for publishing this superb article with the Review,” said Durwood Ball, NMHR editor and UNM associate professor of history.
Hutton said, “I’m very pleased with this award, especially in the nice recognition it brings to the NMHR and its fine staff. Billington, for whom the award is named, was a founder of the Western History Association and its first president.”
Hutton said that as a kid, he was interested in Billy the Kid, but it wasn’t until he moved to New Mexico in 1985 that he became “hooked.”
“My interest, however, has focused on his incredible legend and how it has grown to such international proportions—particularly in film, with 60 movies to his credit,” Hutton said.
“Silver Screen Desperado” grew out of the exhibit Hutton curated for the
Albuquerque Museum—“Dreamscape Desperado: Billy the Kid and the Outlaw
in America,” which drew record visitation to the museum over this last summer.
“The NMHR staff did a great job editing the essay, laying it out, and lavishly illustrating it. I could not be more pleased,” Hutton said.
The Organization of American Historians also has a Billington Prize, which is for the best book in western history. Hutton won that prize in 1986 for his biography of Philip Sheridan.
“Billington was my intellectual grandfather, as he was my mentor's mentor--so this is pretty sweet,” Hutton said.
The award comes with a cash prize for the author and a $100 award and certificate for the publisher, to be awarded during the annual awards luncheon next month at the Western History Association conference in Oklahoma City.
The WHA will display the award-winning publications at the conference.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Late last week the UNM police department was informed that some international students were involved in an incident that may lead to a hate crime investigation. UNM Police met today with those students and with the Albuquerque Police Department and are addressing their concerns.
Several international students have apparently been confronted over the past year by a person who has either kicked or hit them as they were walking in areas adjacent to the UNM campus. None of the incidents were reported to have taken place on the campus itself.
The Albuquerque Police Department will take the lead in investigating these incidents. UNM Police will provide any necessary assistance.
University of New Mexico President David J. Schmidly says UNM has a zero-tolerance policy toward any type of hate crime. Schmidly reiterated today that any incident involving a hate crime will be vigorously enforced.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico Jonson Gallery presents a talk by 2007 Friends of the Arts recipient Theresa Avila on “The Taller de Gráfica Popular and the illustration/construction of Mexican history and identity” on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 5:30 pm.
Avila, a UNM doctoral candidate with a specialization in modern Mexican art, will discuss the Taller Gráfica Popular, a Mexico-based collective of graphic artists founded in 1937. The TGP developed a visual language that addressed Mexico’s post-Revolutionary national politics and identity, as well as popular culture. The presentation will introduce the TGP through the 1947 portfolio Las Estampas de las Revolución Mexicana.
The Jonson Gallery is located at 1909 Las Lomas NE and is open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The talk is free and open to the public. Call 277-4967 or visit Jonson Gallery for more details.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
The UNM Bookstore hosts a book signing with Steven Fawcette, author of “The Archangels of Dreamland,” on Friday, Sept. 21 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the UNM Bookstore. The Archangels of Dreamland is a fact-based thriller. It is the story of the Hart family who uncovers the truth behind the 1947 UFO incident in Roswell, NM. What they find is a labyrinthine conspiracy and a technology from the future that can destroy the world.
As they race against the clock, the Harts pierce the impenetrable shield of secrecy surrounding a covert government agency and learn of its plans to use the very same technology to alter history as it had once before. Only this time, the agency plans to unleash supernatural forces capable of causing disasters on a global scale unless they Harts can find a way to stop them in time.
During his professional writing career, Fawcette always held a fascination with creative writing and penned many articles and short stories for various publications and newspapers. In 1984, he was selected from a group of more than 800 authors to write a series of mystery novels for a division of Random House.
These novels were unique in that they were left without resolution and clues were given to allow readers to win a $10,000 cash prize if they could solve the mystery. These books have become collector’s items and are still sold today on internet Web sites such as Amazon.com.
In 1999, Fawcette began to formulate the concept of a grand apocalyptic science-fiction saga, which he titled “The Archangels of Dreamland.” It is the first in a planned series of seven novels, with the sequel “Archangels II: The Grigori” due for a published release in May, 2008.
The novel has received positive reviews from The NY Times Book Review, Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly and Library Journal. It also won the award for best Action-Adventure novel of 2006 by the North American Booksellers Exchange. The story is slated to become a major motion picture and is currently in pre-production.
Media Contact: Anicia Esposito, (505) 277-9752; e-mail: aespo@unm.edu
Nominations sought to honor outstanding individuals during event
De Colores an all-volunteer organization celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month each October, seeks leadership nominations for community members and students.
“This year’s De Colores celebration takes place in throughout the community, both to leverage our resources as well as to create a unified celebration,” said Jennifer Gomez-Chavez, president, De Colores, and director of the University of New Mexico’s Title V program.
She said that a calendar of events is forthcoming and will be posted on the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce Web site.
“We need volunteers to make this event successful,” she said.
This year’s theme is: Celebrando Nuestra Herencia: Celebrating our Heritage.
The 2007 Hispanic Culture Festival celebrates its 15th anniversary through art, music, dance, song, foods, poetry and leadership recognition. Month long activities will be held at locations on the UNM campus and in Albuquerque.
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 Sept. 15.
The De Colores leadership banquet, in conjunction with the AHCC and the Hispanic Organization of Postal Employees (HOPE) Scholarship Golf Tournament, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the Pyramid Hotel. The banquet begins with a booksigning at 6 p.m. by authors Jimmy Santiago Baca and Rudolfo Anaya. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Table sponsorships are $600 and individual tickets at $50.
The Mendez Stamp will also be highlighted. The stamp commemorates a California family, Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez, who successfully fought against Hispanic segregation in the schools in 1947.
The evening will close with a dance accompanied by New Mexican musician Tobias Renee. To purchase a table or buy individual tickets to the banquet please contact Jennifer Gomez-Chavez, 277-7763.
De Colores is a UNM sponsored event.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The Marjorie Mead Hooker Memorial Visiting Professorship has been established as an endowed faculty position in the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning. The gift is from Van Dorn Hooker and his children, John Hooker and Ann Clarke.
Photo: Marjorie "Peggy" Hooker
“My parents have always been giving, generous people. They committed their lives to New Mexico and the architecture here as their adopted home. My father loves the university and helped create a great campus. His affection for the School of Architecture and Planning is demonstrated by his willingness to contribute further to make it even greater,” John Hooker said.
“Most top tier schools of architecture in the United States have a long history of being able to draw upon leading professionals in the field for short-term assignments with upper-division and graduate students. In addition to keeping UNM competitive, the infusion of a visiting professor to our design studios is extremely stimulating -- for both students and our regular faculty,” said Roger Schluntz, FAIA, dean, UNM School of Architecture and Planning.
Marjorie “Peggy” Hooker, who died at age 81 on Nov. 19, 2006 at her home in Corrales, was the first woman to serve on the New Mexico Board of Examiners for Architects. She served from 1987 to 1991 as the board’s secretary/treasurer.
Peggy received her architectural license in 1950, at a time when few women were architects. Peggy and her family lived in Santa Fe from 1951 to 1965 where she was an associate in the firm of McHugh, Hooker, Bradley P. Kidder and Associates. After moving to Corrales, she established her own practice in 1965. In 1968 Peggy worked with Max Flatow on the Albuquerque Urban Renewal Plan and remained with the firm of Flatow, Moore, Bryan and Fairburn and its successors for more than 20 years.
A member of the American Institute of Architects, Peggy was the first woman president of the Albuquerque AIA and the first woman to serve on the New Mexico Board of Examiners for Architects. She was awarded the New Mexico Architects’ Medal by AIA New Mexico in 2003. She was made an honorary member of the Association of University Architects in ceremonies at Cornell University in 1984. In 1990, she received the Governor’s Award for Outstanding New Mexico Women.
Peggy paved the way for other women to enter the profession by showing that a woman can do equal responsible architectural work and enjoy the pleasure of trying to create what all architects strive to do – make the world a better place in which to live and work.
Schluntz added, “This endowment is indeed a very big deal for us. Van Dorn is a tremendous friend of not only this school, but also the entire university. We are indebted to his past work on the UNM campus, his scholarship and his extraordinary generosity.”
Peggy’s husband of 59 years, Van Dorn Hooker FAIA served as University Architect from 1963 to 1987. Under his guidance and leadership, more than 75 UNM buildings were constructed or remodeled. His book, “Only in New Mexico,” is a campus and architectural history of UNM’s first 100 years.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The Maxwell Museum of Anthropology invites the public to “Celebrate the Maxwell!” an evening of international food and performance, Saturday, Oct. 27 from 7 – 10 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person with proceeds supporting cultural programming at the museum. The event is in honor of the museum’s 75th anniversary.
The evening includes internationally acclaimed Native Alaskan musicians, Pamyua, Egyptian cabaret belly dancing, as well as flamenco and Chinese traditional dance.
Dine on a full spectrum of ethnic delicacies and Tango under the stars and welcome the opening of the 75th anniversary commemorative exhibit North by Southwest parts three and four. For reservations or tickets, call 277-4405.
This event is made possible through the generous support of the Maxwell Museum Association.
Free parking is available west or north of the museum.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
What are the ingredients and conditions nature needs to cook up sand dunes that croak, burp, sing, and boom? How and why do certain sand dunes produce mysterious noises? Could New Mexico’s “White Sands” do that? And what exactly is the “Taos Hum?” Does it really exist? Find out Saturday, Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. to noon at the KNME Science Café 'Booming Sands, White Sands and the Taos Hum at the Explora Science Center, in Albuquerque’s Old Town.
Admission is free, but reservations are required. Seats are limited. Call 224-8323 to RSVP.
This 11th KNME Science Café is presented with support from New Mexico Tech and Lockheed Martin/Sandia National Labs. KNME-TV presents a new kind of café, a Science Café. Six or more times a year, KNME will host a Science Café, at various locations. The concept is to show clips from an episode of Nova scienceNOW or a comparable program, with an expert on that topic on hand to answer questions, and have an open discussion with the audience in a cafe style atmosphere.
Take part - or listen to the discussion swirling around you. It’s fun, it’s casual, it’s laid back... The estimated number of attendees range from 50-80 people per Café.
On Sept. 15, watch “Booming Sands,” a short TV segment from an episode of the PBS national series NOVA scienceNow, in which scientists look into a generations-old conundrum: how and why do certain sand dunes produce mysterious noises?
Then participate in a hands-on discussion with local expert Len Duda, a 27 year veteran at Sandia National Laboratories, working in many different scientific areas including geothermal energy, underground nuclear testing, and presently in primary microwave calibration standards on-orbit analysis and support satellite payloads group.
Duda has also been actively involved in science education by providing science activities and demonstrations in classrooms and at the Explora science center for the Working Chemist demonstrations, and is a volunteer NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador giving many presentations about different NASA missions.
Media Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1218; e-mail: etodd@knme.org
The upstairs entrance and stairwell at Centennial Library will be closed for repairs beginning Wednesday, Sept. 12. The construction company will place signs in the area directing library patrons to a temporary entrance on the southeast corner of the plaza.
This project is expected to take about four months, and University Libraries hopes to reopen the main staircase in January.
The 6th Annual Campus Decorating Contest will be held Tuesday, Sept. 25. The annual contest, held in conjunction with UNM’s Homecoming, which is set for Sept. 24-29, has become a popular campus-wide event with departments vying for top honors and bragging rights.
The contest, which encourages school spirit, is judged on the following criteria: best use of theme 'Everyone's A Lobo! Woof! Woof! Woof!;' creativity and quality of decorations; and enthusiasm. Judging for all the great prizes available takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 25.
Join the fun on campus and decorate your doors and lobbies. Great prizes await the top three winners. Additionally, each department participating will receive a commemorative 2007 Homecoming poster.
Also, participants are encouraged to keep their displays featured prominently in their departments the week following Homecoming to help create a festive and lively atmosphere for President David J. Schmidly’s inauguration festivities Oct. 1-7. For more information on inaugural activities visit: President Schmidly's Inauguration.
For more information on the campus decorating contest contact Lisa Delgado, 277-7870; e-mail at: ldelgado@unm.edu; or Barbara Ortega, 277-5808 or e-mail at: bortega@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Students, staff and faculty who want to learn how to use University Library Resources and Databases are invited to drop by Zimmerman Library any time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14. A series of presentations about where students can obtain detailed information on how to use library resources, a free buffet lunch and an open house will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The event is sponsored by the University Libraries’ Indigenous Nations Library Program. It is targeted to students, staff and faculty who want current information about how to search the electronic data bases at UNM libraries.
Mary Alice Tsosie, liaison and outreach librarian and Paulita Aguilar, INLP librarian will be available to talk with students who have questions or need individual assistance with research throughout the semester.
Agenda...
10 a.m. - Introduction and Welcome, Willard Room (West Wing of Zimmerman Library, ground floor) Martha A. Bedard, Dean of University Libraries - “Student Success Matters to University Libraries”
10:30 a.m. - Presentations, Willard Room
Reference: Kathleen Keating
Government Documents: Kathleen Keating
Center for Southwest Research: Ann Massman
Instruction: Mark Emmons
Interlibrary Loan: Randy Moorehead
Reserve: Dave Herzel
Health Sciences: Patricia Bradley
Law Library: Sherri Nicole Thomas
Centennial Library, Fine Arts Library, Parish Library
12:30 p.m. - Buffet Lunch, Willard Room
1:30 p.m. - Introduction to Electronic Research & Databases, Rm. 254
Social Sciences, Humanities, Education
1:30 p.m. - Open House at INLP office area, Rm. 209
2 p.m. - Business
2:30 p.m. - Fine Arts
3 p.m. - Sciences & Engineering
3:30 p.m. - Health Sciences and Law
Tsosie says the goal is to make sure everyone is familiar with the resources available to them through University Libraries, and to try to make the libraries a familiar and easy to use resource.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Celestyn Brozek, University of New Mexico-Valencia associate professor of chemistry, will give a lecture and slide presentation on herons, egrets and ibises Sept. 20, 7:15 p.m., at St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Albuquerque. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, bird watching is one of the fastest growing forms of outdoor recreation in the country. Brozek’s interest in birds began at age eight in Poland.
“I still have my first bird books from this time,” he said. “This passion has never left me. There never has been a period in my life when I would hang up the binoculars.”
Watching birds closely and observing their special characteristics continues to fascinate Brozek, with herons, egrets and ibises among his favorites. “Herons are big, easily visible and approachable,” he said. “I love to watch them fly, fish, walk around the cattle, and in particular, I love to observe their family life at a breeding colony.”
Three types of herons are year-round residents in central New Mexico. Egrets and ibises can be seen in the summer and during migration.
Brozek teaches ornithology classes at the Albuquerque campus of the College of Santa Fe and Central New Mexico Community College. He is a New Mexico Bird Record Reviewer for Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s citizen science program.
The event is sponsored by the Central New Mexico Audubon Society, a chapter of the National Audubon Society. For more information contact Judy Liddell via e-mail at, jliddell@msn.com.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
The UNM International Studies Institute and College of Arts & Sciences present a 2007 Fall Lecture Series, “Environment and Sustainability,” Tuesday and Thursday, Sept. 11 and 13, and Monday and Wednesday, Sept.17 and 19 at 4 and 7 p.m. The lectures will be in Education 103 on the UNM campus.
This, the fifth UNM International Studies Institute public lecture series, takes an interdisciplinary look at various aspects of this issue.
Distinguished speakers from geography, international relations, history, biology, earth and planetary sciences and American Studies examine how sustainability—the balance between environmental protection, economic vitality and social responsibility operates across different locations and within different environmental, economic, social, cultural, technological and political contexts throughout the world.
Tuesday, Sept. 11, 4 p.m.
“The Heat is On: Drivers, Consequences, and Salvation from Global Change,” Bruce Milne, biology professor and director of UNM’s Environment and Sustainability Program
5:15-6:30 p.m.
Public Reception in Fiesta A & B UNM SUB
7 p.m.
“Global Warming and the International Community,” David Gutzler, professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Thursday, Sept. 13, 4 p.m.
“Lady Bird Johnson’s Wildflower Research Center: A Case Study in the Synergies Between Local and Global Environmentalism,” Vera Norwood, professor, American Studies
7 p.m.
“Environment and Sustainability,” Suedeen G. Kelly, Commissioner, United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and former UNM law professor
Monday, Sept. 17, 4 p.m.
“Environmental Policies and their Effects on the Tibetan Plateau,” Emily T. Yeh, assistant professor, Department of Geography, University of Colorado, Boulder
7 p.m.
“Soviet and Post-Soviet Issues in Environment and Sustainability,” Douglas Weiner, professor, Department of History, University of Arizona
Wednesday, Sept. 19, 4 p.m.
“Greening Brazil: Environmental Activism and Politics,” Kathryn Hochstetler, professor, Political Science, UNM
7 p.m.
“Economic Globalization and the Environment: Compatible or Colliding?” Jennifer Clapp, CIGI Chair in International Governance and associate professor, Faculty of Environmental Studies, University of Waterloo, Canada
For more information visit: www.unm.edu/~isi; e-mail: isi@unm.edu; or call 277-3833.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) sponsored a United Blood Services blood drive on campus during welcome back days that may help as many as 383 patients. The Donor Recruitment specialist for United Blood Services, Denise Temple says 137 people donated blood, producing 169 units.
The ROTC sponsored the drive as part of a competition among units to donate. The Army ROTC won a donation competition that included the Navy, Air Force, Marines and National Guard ROTC groups.
Temple says University Blood Services will return to campus in late October at the request of ASUNM and the Greek community.
Jerome Hall, professor of Civil Engineering in the School of Engineering, recently served as an independent consultant for the city of Gallup, New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT), and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad during a series of meetings held to address concerns over road delay and pedestrian safety at the Second and Third Street crossings of the BNSF Railroad in Gallup.
Hall has extensive experience in the areas of transportation and traffic engineering and has taught courses and conducted research in these fields for 38 years with the last 30 being at UNM. With his experience and expertise in the topic, Hall was able to provide insight into the problems and help recommend solutions.
Driving delays caused by rail traffic were the main concern, but there was also discussion about the danger that these crossings pose to the pedestrians attempting to cross under or between stopped rail cars. This has contributed to Gallup having “the highest rate of pedestrian fatalities on the BNSF system - 11 in the last 19 years,” according to Steven Metro of Wilson and Company Inc.
This danger and the need for safety measures led the NMDT to become interested in examining the effectiveness of any implemented safety measure. Hall’s NMDOT sponsored research on pedestrian safety and experience as a Highway Safety Specialist for the Federal Highway Administration in 1971 are part of what made him desirable as a consultant in these meetings.
As a result of these meetings, it was agreed that grade separations would be constructed at the various crossings in Gallup which will take approximately ten months to complete once funding has cleared.
Hall is the co-author of the "Fundamentals of Traffic Engineering," the most widely used text in this field, now in its 16th Edition.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The UNM Bookstore hosts a book signing with John Trever, author of “Mañana Republic,” Saturday, Sept. 15 from noon – 2 p.m. at the UNM Bookstore. Trever is celebrating 30 years as editorial cartoonist for the Albuquerque Journal. His cartoons are distributed to more than 375 newspapers by King Features Syndicate and have been reprinted in numerous magazines and books.
In addition to the Albuquerque Journal’s Web site, his cartoons are on Cagle, Political Cartoons and Editorial Cartoonists. His work has won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Free Press Association, the Overseas Press Club, the New Mexico Legislature and the Albuquerque Arts Alliance.
Trever’s early interest in comic strips earned a first prize in a national comics contest at age 13 and a trip to New York to Meet “Pogo” creator Walt Kelly. He spent his college years at Syracuse University lampooning campus life for the Daily Orange, but found time to earn Phi Beta Kappa honors and a graduate fellowship to the University of Chicago in political science.
The Air Force requested his services as a nuclear missile launch officer and he spent four years in Cheyenne – not launching any missiles. He then moved to Denver and found work as a staff artist and cartoonist with the Sentinel Newspaper chain before coming to the Journal.
In his spare time Trever enjoys toy train collecting, wine appreciation and foreign travel. He and his wife Karen, a retired Montessori teacher, have five children, four grandchildren, three cats and one very spoiled longhaired dachshund.
Media Contact: Anicia Esposito, (505) 277-9752; e-mail: aespo@unm.edu
New show airs Friday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. and repeats Sunday, Sept. 9 at 6:30 a.m. on Ch. 5
'New Mexico In Focus' is KNME, Channel 5’s newly reconceived and invigorated prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues and people that are shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. The one-hour show will build on the success of KNME’s previous public affairs series The Line and In Focus, by combining resources from those popular programs.
Instead of two separate shows dedicated to the important topics of our time, 'New Mexico In Focus' will concentrate on bringing viewers all the opinions and insight they are used to, in a more integrated and cohesive package.
This Week’s topics include:
* No Child Left Behind and New Mexico Education
* Gov. Richardson - Bumps In The Road To The White House
* Is Albuquerque Ready To Be A One Newspaper Town?
This Week’s guests include:
* Peter Winograd, Director of the Office of Education Accountability, State Department of Finance and Administration
* Lorene Mills, Host, Report from Santa Fe
Co-Hosted by journalist David Alire Garcia and local columnist Gene Grant, 'New Mexico In Focus' takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic, health, education and arts issues and explores them in-depth, with a critical eye to give them context beyond the "news of the moment."
Other regular commentators include Margaret Montoya, UNM Schools of Law and Medicine; Whitney Cheshire, political consultant, blogger: Wednesday Morning QB) and Jim Scarantino, Weekly Alibi Columnist.
Support for 'New Mexico In Focus' has been provided by McCune Charitable Foundation. Closed Captioning of 'New Mexico In Focus' has been made possible from a gift by Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs.
Kerry Howe, assistant professor of Civil Engineering at the School of Engineering, recently served on a panel of independent experts to review a design report for a new water treatment plant in Espanola. Before coming to UNM in 2002, Howe spent 12 years at Montgomery Watson Harza, an engineering consulting firm, where he worked primarily on water treatment facilities similar to the one being designed for Espanola.
Early this year, Espanola determined that their current water system needed to be expanded. They hired CDM, a national consulting, engineering, construction, and operations firm, to write a design report outlining how the water treatment plant should be designed, what treatment processes were needed, and how much it would cost.
Due to the high cost outlined in the report, CDM was asked to put together a team of independent experts. This team was to review the report and offer recommendations to save the city money. As a result of his extensive experience in both engineering consulting and education, Howe was chosen to be on this team.
As a member of this panel, he participated in an all day meeting with Espanola officials, CDM, and the other independent experts and offered his insight and expertise to help form several recommendations as to how to reduce the cost of the project.
In addition to his work at Montgomery Watson Harza and UNM, Howe is a co-author of the recently published “Water Treatment Principles and Design, 2nd ed.” He also received the 2006 UNM School of Engineering Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
A certificate program in health care ethics will be offered during the fall semester at the University of New Mexico Institute for Ethics. The program, which is part of the Joan Gibson Health Care Ethics Certificate Program, covers a wide range of ethical issues including healthcare and research ethics, public health and emergency preparedness.
It is open to professionals, (i.e., lawyers, doctors, nurses, and social workers) as well as non-professionals and those in the community who are interested in learning more about today’s ethical issues.
The Joan Gibson Health Care Ethics Certificate Program, Module II will begin Tuesday, Sept. 18 and will meet every other Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (five sessions), and one (1) Saturday session on Dec. 1, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuition is $800 and UNM tuition remission applies for faculty and staff. Please call 272-4566 for more information and to register.
Media Contact: Cindy Foster, (505) 272-3322; e-mail: cfoster@salud.unm.edu
UNM Executive Vice President for Administration David W. Harris and Executive Vice President for Health Sciences Dr. Paul Roth, are pleased to announce the appointment of Ava Lovell as interim Vice President for Finance and University Controller. The new position and this interim appointment signal the culmination of the finance and administration consolidation at the university.
“For the past two years, we have worked to consolidate and streamline financial operations for main campus and the Health Sciences Center,” said Harris. “With the consolidation complete, the university is seeing greater efficiencies and cost savings in its financial operations.”
Lovell has been in charge of financial operations for the Health Sciences and will remain so. In her new position, she will also succeed William Britton as University Controller. Britton has announced his retirement later this fall.
“Ava has been a tremendous asset to HSC over the past couple of years,” said Roth. “We are pleased that she will keep her position here while taking on leadership responsibilities that include both HSC and main campus.”
Media Contact: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1989; e-mail: mckinsey@unm.edu
President David J. Schmidly will visit the Gallup branch campus on Tuesday, Sept. 18, following with a visit to the south campus in Zuni on Wednesday, Sept. 19. This is Schmidly’s first visit to the area.
Schmidly will participate in the 10 a.m. dedication of the new Health Careers Building. He will then attend the 11:15 a.m. acknowledgement of the gift of an auto lift to the college’s Automotive Technology program by three-time Indy 500 winner Bobby Unser and his wife Lisa. The Unsers also plan to attend.
The public is invited to both events.
The afternoon is devoted to press interviews, meetings with faculty, students and staff and a tour of the campus. In the evening Schmidly will attend a reception to benefit the UNM-Gallup Foundation.
On Wednesday, Sept. 19, Schmidly will breakfast with area legislators before heading out for a tour of the Zuni Campus and a meeting with the Zuni Tribal Council.
Beth Miller, executive director of UNM-Gallup, said, “We’re thrilled to host Dr. Schmidly and appreciate that he will be participating in these significant events. We’re looking forward to helping him understand our campus and our community. We invite the community to attend the dedication of Health Careers II and the acknowledgement of the Unser gift, as well as to greet the president.”
More than 800 jobs are available in over 70 countries where business graduates focus on increasing family income, improving the environment for businesses, educating young people and helping businesses find markets for traditional or value-added products.
Learn more on Sept. 13 from 3-7 p.m. at the UNM Student Union Ballroom at the Anderson Schools Business Career Fair. The Peace Corps Dallas Regional Manager, Sharon Sugarek, will be talking to students at the Anderson Schools Business Career Fair. Stop by the Peace Corps table for more information.
For more information contact the UNM Peace Corps office at 277-6848 or e-mail at, pcorps@unm.edu.
President David Schmidly has added UNM to the growing list of colleges and universities that are reducing their impact on the environment. His signing of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which moves universities into a leadership role addressing climate change and energy usage, is a clear signal of his and UNM’s dedication to sustainability.
Photo: ASUNM president Ashley Fate and ASUNM vice-president Matthew Barnes attended an Energy Awareness presentation at the Physical Plant as part of an Energy Services team information session about the work they are doing around campus.
“One of the most critical roles we in higher education serve is to shape tomorrow’s leaders,” Schmidly said. “By following though on our commitment to provide a cleaner, more sustainable future, we can set an example for generations to follow.”
In the accord, UNM agrees to carry out short-term strategies to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while developing a long-term plan to become climate neutral and produce no additional greenhouse gases.
By June of 2008 UNM is required to complete an inventory of all greenhouse gas emissions, and a year later UNM must develop a long-term climate neutral energy plan.
What is UNM currently doing?
It will take some time for UNM to achieve those goals, but UNM’s Physical Plant Department (PPD) has already started moving the campus towards energy efficiency. The aging central plant heating and cooling machinery was replaced with state-of-the-art equipment a few years ago and most of the indoor lights on campus have been replaced with more efficient units.
Following that one-time effort, PPD’s Engineering & Energy Services Division looked into how the buildings on campus could operate more efficiently. During the past few years, this group has spearheaded about a dozen projects to improve efficiency and comfort in some of the buildings on campus.
All of these projects involved improving the controls in the buildings, allowing heating and cooling equipment to run efficiently when buildings are in use and to shut down when the buildings are empty. A few of these projects involved a complete refit of the building systems. Most affected only some of the equipment in a building or involved minor changes to how things were being run to avoid wasting energy, such as ensuring that the heat is off when its not needed.
To put the effect from just these few projects in perspective, UNM spends more than $1.2 million each month on energy, and these projects have reduced that amount by 3.5% or nearly $42,000, per month. To put it into environmental terms, these projects have reduced UNM’s carbon footprint as much as parking 400 cars would.
In addition to the efficiency that can be gained through the use of improved control systems, there are other advantages too. They allow for the conditions in each space to be tailored to the occupants’ needs, and they allow for the remote monitoring and troubleshooting of problems within a building. So some problems can be found before students, professors or staff report them, which helps make for a better learning environment.
The Engineering & Energy Services Division monitors energy use in all buildings. Extra attention is paid to these buildings in which efficiency projects have already been completed to ensure that the savings continue to be realized. As funding becomes available, the Engineering & Energy Services Division will implement its plans to retrofit additional building mechanical and electrical systems, improve the controls in the older buildings on campus and tune the controls in the newer buildings.
These plans will minimize UNM’s energy usage, extend the life of the buildings and help UNM meet the climate neutrality requirements of the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
UNM School of Law Professor Sherri Burr will receive several prizes in the National Federation of Press Women Communication Competition announced recently. Burr received second-place in the Non-Fiction Book Chapter category for her book chapter, “Screening Justice in the Accused,” which was published in the book Screening Justice-The Cinema of Law: Significant Films of Law, Order and Social Justice. She won another second place in the Non-Fiction Instructional Book category for her book Quick Review of International Law.
Burr also received a third-place award in the Speeches category for the “Immortal Hattie McDaniel” lecture she gave in Kansas City when she assisted in unveiling the postage stamp created in honor of the Academy Award-winning actress.
Burr teaches international law, intellectual property law, art law, entertainment law, and wills and trust law. Her students who study art and entertainment law and intellectual property also have an opportunity to participate in the making of ARTS TALK, a weekly television show on Albuquerque’s public access Channel 27 that Burr produces and hosts.
She will receive her awards at the 2007 National Federation of Press Women Conference Award Banquet in Richmond, Va. on Sept. 22.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
UNM School of Law Professor Denise Fort participated at the Oxford Roundtable on Aug. 11-17 in Oxford, England. The Roundtable discussion centered on “Global Warming and Sustainable Development: Governing a Crisis.” Fort presented her paper titled “A Snail’s Pace” – dealing with the response of the United States to the current climate change situation. Her scholarship is in the fields of environmental and water policy.
“There can be no topic more important to environmental law than global warming and it was very useful to trade ideas with this group. I look forward to continued correspondence with the participants,” Fort said.
Her presentation was crafted specifically for the Oxford Roundtable, but she will now work on a written version to submit to the Oxford Forum on Public Policy. The Roundtable was made up of a diverse group of faculty, including professors of business, law, physics, engineering, soil sciences, biology, ecology, theology and other fields.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
Redondo Drive will be closed on the west side of campus from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8 to allow a large crane to place air handlers on the new Centennial Engineering Center. The closure will run from Hodgin Hall to Martin Luther King.
There will be a similar closure beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Timothy Ferris, America’s writer laureate of astronomy invites millions of viewers to enjoy the wonders of the night sky in a spectacular HDTV special on PBS
Stargazing is the subject of ‘Seeing in the Dark,’ a 60-minute, state-of-the-art, high-definition (HDTV) documentary by Timothy Ferris that premieres Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. on KNME TV PBS. The film, Ferris’ third, is based on his book, Seeing in the Dark (2002), named by The New York Times as one of the ten best books of the year.
“Seeing in the Dark is meant to alter, inspire and illuminate the lives of millions,” said Ferris. “It introduces viewers to the rewards of first-person, hands-on astronomy — from kids learning the constellations to amateur astronomers doing professional-grade research in discovering planets and exploding stars. I hope it will encourage many viewers to make stargazing part of their lives, and a few to get into serious amateur astronomy.”
To capture the beauty and wonder of the night sky, Ferris assembled a worldclass team including Hollywood cinematographer Francis Kenny, veteran BBC natural history director Nigel Ashcroft, the celebrated astronomical special-effects artist Don Davis, sound designer Kate Hopkins (Planet Earth), and three-time Academy Award® winner Walter Murch, who did the digital surround-sound mix.
The film features memorable deep-space images by some of the world’s most respected astrophotographers, among them Robert Gendler, Jack Newton and Akira Fujii, and an original musical score by Mark Knopfler and Guy Fletcher of Dire Straits fame.
Like the book, the film is in part a personal account of Ferris’ life-long devotion to stargazing, beginning with his introduction to the night sky as teenager in Florida in the ‘50s.
“Back then we had big skies and small telescopes,” Ferris says in the film. “We couldn’t observe much beyond the Moon, the planets, and a few bright star clusters, but we had a lot of fun, and we came to cherish the telescope as an instrument of deliverance, the keys to a vast and spectacular kingdom.”
The film interweaves themes of music, the stars, and the stark contrast between the brief span of human lifetimes and the vastness of the cosmos, where a backyard stargazer equipped with nothing more than binoculars can see light older than the human species. Ferris describes it as “in part an ongoing dialog, down through the generations, about discovering the beauty of nature of the largest scale and learning more about our place in it all.”
Media Contact: Gail Rubin, (505) 265-7215; e-mail: grpr@flash.net
Fostering Indigenous Business and Entrepreneurship in the Americas (FIBEA) Conference will take place at Acoma Pueblo’s Sky City Resort on Nov. 7 – 9, 2007. The annual conference brings together Indigenous business, policy-makers, and academics from North, Central, and South American countries. The conference is designed to promote and foster Indigenous business alliances, trade and investment amongst Indigenous business people.
FIBEA is accepting proposals for conference papers and presenters through Sept. 15, 2007. Papers and presentations should focus on the conference main theme Fostering Indigenous Business & Entrepreneurship in the Americas or a related topic. Paper submissions must be original and can be submitted via email at fibea@mgt.unm.edu.
Presentation proposals from those currently engaged in fields related to Indigenous business and entrepreneurship are encouraged. The two day conference will include business and academic workshops and an indigenous business expo. More detailed information, including registration and sponsorship opportunities, can be found at FIBEA 2007.
The FIBEA Chair is Dr. Raul Gouvea, Professor, Chair of Finance, International, and Management of Technology Department, and Director for the Center for Economic Indigenous Economic Development and Entrepreneurship at the UNM Anderson School of Management. Jaye Francis is the FIBEA Conference Coordinator and Aline Saiz is the Conference Assistant Coordinator. FIBEA 2008 will be held in Manaus in July of 2008 at Centro Cultural dos Povos da Amazônia.
Media Contacts: Leslie Venzuela, (505) 277-7117; e-mail: venzuela@mgt.unm.edu or Erin Gardner, (505) 306-9575; e-mail: news@mgt.unm.edu
The National Science Foundation is interested in Felicha Candelaria’s research. The three-year fellowship she was awarded will allow her to focus on her research into memory and how drugs affect the brain’s mechanism for encoding and retrieving long-term memories. Specifically, her research focuses on the consolidation and reconsolidation of spatial memory.
Candelaria, a doctoral student in psychology, believed she might go to medical school back when she was attending Los Lunas High School. But as she worked with researchers in the Initiative to Maximize Student Diversity (IMSD) program at UNM, she slowly realized she was most interested in research.
“I’ve always been interested in psychology and memory in particular, “she says. “So when I joined the IMSD program, I went into the Department of Neurosciences, and just being part of that area of research kept fueling my interest in the subject matter.”
It was a high school teacher that noticed her interest in science and pushed her to apply for a summer program apprenticeship at the University of Wisconsin. Her participation in that program caught the interest of Seattle University, which offered her a full scholarship when she graduated. Candelaria did part of her undergraduate studies in Seattle, but the pull of family brought her back to New Mexico and to UNM.
Candelaria has undergraduate degrees in biology and psychology, and is now pursuing graduate work in psychology with an emphasis in Behavioral Neuroscience. The lab she works in has an interest in investigating the neurobiological basis of learning memory and behavior. She uses rats to investigate spatial navigation in the Morris water task. In the Morris water task, rats are placed in a pool where they must learn to use various cues to navigate to a hidden platform located in a specific quadrant.
In her experiments she trains rats to navigate to a precise platform location in the pool. After the memory has been consolidated or stored, she reactivates the previously stored memory and injects the rats with a solution containing a chemical that is structurally related to marijuana to determine the effects of cannabinoids on memory reconsolidation.
She evaluates the rat’s performance at a later point in time to determine whether they can remember to swim to the platform they were trained to find. Candelaria has pilot data which shows that cannabinoids do have a detrimental effect on memory reconsolidation as predicted, and is expecting to learn more about the specific relationships as she conducts more experiments this semester.
She believes “identifying the conditions in which disruption of reconsolidation processes does or does not have damaging effects on memory represent important contributions to this area of research. Also cannabinoids exist naturally in our body. In fact, they are synthesized by neurons on demand. If we can find out why this process occurs and relate it to the forgetting of memories that would be wonderful.”
If her research goes as predicted there is the potential for future pharmacological treatments derived from cannabinoids to target fragmented memories.
After Candelaria completes her doctoral research at the university, she will pursue a post doctoral position and eventually become a research scientist in the field of learning and memory. She will look for a faculty position which would also allow for substantial time in the laboratory.
Influential UNM Professors:
Derek Hamilton, assistant professor, Psychology
Kevin Caldwell, assistant professor, Neuroscience
Margaret Werner-Washburne, professor, Biology
Steven Verney, assistant professor, Psychology
Research funded by:
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
UNM – Initiatives to Maximize Student Diversity (IMSD) program
Graduate and Professional Student Association at UNM
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
PBS Premieres Ken Burns - part series Sept. 23
KNME presents five local programs of interest to New Mexicans in conjunction with the Ken Burns’ 7-parts series, “The War.” KNME also airs “The War: New Mexico Stories” featuring New Mexicans recounting their wartime experiences. KNME also created a special interactive website with local stories and links, and presents 10 speaker’s forums, with veterans and civilians sharing their wartime experiences with high school history classes.
“The War” airs on KNME Channel 5 Sunday –Wednesday, Sept. 23 - 26 and Sunday –Tuesday, Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. Encore presentations air Sunday, Sept 30 from 10 a.m.– 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
In addition to airing Ken Burns’ “The War” series, KNME presents local programs of special interest to New Mexicans, listed chronologically.
COLORS OF COURAGE: SONS OF NEW MEXICO, PRISONERS OF JAPAN
Sunday, Sept. 23 at 9:30 p.m. and again Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 9:30 p.m.
MEMORIES OF HELL - A KNME Production, Monday, Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. and again Sunday Sept. 30 at 9:30 p.m.
COLORES! “Mayhem Was Our Business” - A KNME Production, Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 9 p.m.
COLORES! “The Japanese-American Experience in New Mexico” - A KNME Production, Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9:30 p.m.
COLORES! “Trinity: Getting the Job Done” – A KNME Production, Monday, Oct. 1 at 9 p.m.
THE WAR: NEW MEXICO STORIES – On-Air Spots
KNME produced and airs “The War: New Mexico Stories,” 17 spots of varying length that incorporate archival footage. They feature local New Mexicans recalling their wartime experiences. KNME has been continually airing the spots since July 4th, rolling out a new spot weekly. These spots can be seen between programs, throughout KNME’s broadcast day and evening, and will continue to air in rotation through September. The spots can also be viewed at KNME’s website at: www.knmethewar.org
WEB SITE: THE WAR: NEW MEXICO STORIES
KNME has created an extensive website dedicated to New Mexicans and “The War” including opportunities to share individual stories, a link to The Veteran's History Project, a link to the national website of “The War,” and streaming video of KNME’s “The War: New Mexico Stories” The Web site is at: KNME the War
SPEAKER’S FORUM
KNME has education and outreach components in conjunction with “The War,” including 10 speaker’s forums in October and November, following the national broadcast of “The War,” and in commemoration of Veteran’s Day.
For a complete listing of KNME's television programs for the month of September visit: KNME's September TV Schedule.
Media Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1218; e-mail: etodd@knme.org
From an old, dark basement to a shiny, newly renovated and well-lighted facility, the transformation in the basement of the UNM biology department’s Castetter Hall is remarkable. The basement renovation project, now virtually complete, has reconfigured and remodeled sections of space in the oldest parts of the building.
Relocated to the CERIA Building is the Museum of Southwestern Biology. In its place is a state-of-the-art teaching complex for introductory-level biology classes including five new student teaching labs. The $7 million renovation, which was provided by the passage of a $135 million student-funded capitol bond issue last year, is set for occupancy later this semester.
Plans for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony have been set for Friday, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. in the Biology Department, starting in the courtyard. Hors d’oeuvres will be served as part of the special occasion. In appreciation of the students’ support, the department will also hold a free raffle for students to win some valuable prizes. The ceremony is open to all faculty, staff, students and the public.
“People are starting to move in – it’s essentially finished,” said Eric Loker, chair of the Biology Department. “It’s all about undergraduate teaching with newly renovated student classrooms and labs.”
Additionally, utilities have been renewed and improved in the space. Along with remodeling adapted to the needs of current teaching and research methodologies, this has also helped to brighten the 55-year-old building. It was constructed in 1952 and expanded in 1967 to its present size of 126,871 square feet.
In 2003 the State of New Mexico provided the UNM biology department with $200,000 in funding to begin a construction master plan. That plan analyzed the department’s building needs, current space utilization and facility deficiencies and concluded that Biology had a significant need for renovation at a projected cost of $31.4 million dollar for Castetter Hall.
This current project completely overhauls 18,000 SF in the basement to produce 5 teaching labs, 3 lecture halls, 2 study areas, an advising complex, a graduate student computer pod, and 7 lecturer offices. In addition, 3,160 SF has been converted into an Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory in Microbiology that includes a 24-station wet laboratory, warm and cold storage rooms, specimen preparation and transfer rooms, equipment wash and sterilization rooms, and laboratory equipment support space and storage.
With the Castetter basement renovation completed, the Biology Department can turn its attention to Phase 1 of its expansion, which includes a Castetter addition, also funded by student bond passage of $5.6 million.
“The design is complete,” said Associate Biology Chair Steve Stricker who has played a major role in planning. “We hope to break ground in Jan. 08 on the two floor structure with approximately 15,000 sq. ft. for faculty research labs.”
The biology department has also obtained another $2.78 million from the State Legislature to initiate Phase 2, which will include putting a new research greenhouse on the roof to finish out the first floor of Phase 1. The latest version of Phase 2 will include another 30,000 sq. ft. structure with three floors, each with approximately 10,000 sq. ft. The goal for the Biology Department and UNM is to seek an additional $9.8 million, either from the State Legislature or as part of a GO Bond that would essentially enable completion of Phase 2.
“If successful, we’ll end up with a 45,000 sq. ft. structure in totality, not including the greenhouse, that will be given over to biology research activities,” said Loker. “If we get $9.8 million and finish Phase 2, the good news is we’d be done. We’ll have brand new labs and teaching lecture rooms, and we would have largely solved the more immediate problems of antiquated facilities in the biology department.”
It is envisioned that the activities currently located in the Biology Annex will eventually move to the first floor of Phase 2 of the addition project. National Institutes of Health -funded investigators working on the Center for Evolutionary Theoretical Immunology program will utilize the second floor of Phases 1 & 2. The third floor will be given over to other investigators in biology with the most active research programs.
“Our ability to excel in research has significant impacts on the state economy and brings academic prestige to UNM. It’s important to emphasize that research is critical for generating jobs and creating high levels of training that students don’t necessarily receive at non-research colleges,” said Loker. “It’s great training for students. For every research dollar generated, there’s a $3.3 return in the local economy.
“I’d also like to emphasize that this entire process has been a good example of great team-work including UNM’s Office of Capital Projects, Biology, the College of Arts and Sciences and the UNM administration, working in conjunction with local architects and contractors.”
SMPC Architects in Albuquerque designed the basement renovation project and Brycon Corporation was the contractor.
UNM Law School is No. 1
UNM is ranked first among law schools in the September issue of Hispanic Business magazine. The magazine features top 10 lists or “best schools” in law, business, engineering and medicine. The ranking is for schools that promote and encourage “a diverse community where Hispanic students can thrive,” according to a release issued by the magazine.
Other UNM schools made the list, as well. The School of Engineering is ranked fifth and the School of Medicine sixth.
“Efforts at the University of New Mexico to reflect the diversity of the state are well-represented by Hispanic Business Magazine’s rankings. Our schools and colleges have a proven record of recruiting and graduating Hispanics and other minority lawyers, doctors and engineers. We strive to have our faculty and administration also reflect the peoples of New Mexico,” said UNM President David J. Schmidly.
And, as he wrote in his weekly message to the university community, “UNM is ranked above some fine institutions, like MIT and Johns Hopkins, so we ought to be very proud.”
Mike Norwood, associate dean for academic affairs, UNM School of Law, said, “We are honored and excited about being ranked first. We have a diverse study body and faculty, including many Hispanics. We are proud that we have created a welcoming, student-centered environment where faculty are readily accessible,” he said.
“Many of our graduates are now in leadership positions, including those on the New Mexico Supreme Court, the New Mexico Legislature, in judgeships, prosecutorial and defense attorney positions,” he said.
Joseph Cecchi, dean, UNM School of Engineering, said, “Diversity is the foundation in creativity in engineering. It is a great honor for the UNM School of Engineering to be recognized by Hispanic Business Magazine.”
Dr. Paul Roth, UNM executive vice president for Health Sciences, and dean of the UNM School of Medicine, said, “I am delighted that once again the UNM School of Medicine has been ranked by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the top 10 medical schools for Hispanics in the country. The ranking is evidence of the effort we have put into meeting the needs of the state’s diverse population, training the next generation of healthcare professionals, and our continuing commitment to serving the people of New Mexico.”
Last year UNM was awarded a five-year, $2.8 million Title V grant to enhance support services for Hispanic students. 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.
The goal of the grant 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.