Three will receive UNM’s top honor for staff, the Gerald W. May Award, during a ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 4 p.m. in the Student Union Building, ballroom C. The UNM Staff Council Rewards and Recognition Committee organizes the annual awards. President David Schmidly made the final award selections and will honor the individuals, followed by a reception for recipients, family and friends.
Photo: (l. to r.): Jennifer George, Mark Manzutto and Theresa Nevada
The 2007 honorees:
Jennifer George, department administrator, Department of Anthropology
“Jennifer is a model of courtesy, willingness to help and a fine ambassador for UNM,” said nominator Jane Slaughter, professor of history. In addition to her regular administrative duties, George has provided support for five faculty searches in the three years she has worked at the department. Soon after joining anthropology, she took the initiative to give its physical space a friendlier atmosphere, adding seating to public spaces to encourage informal faculty and student interaction. When the basement of the Anthropology building flooded in August, “Jennifer stood up to the plate and organized the rescue effort,” said nominator Jane Lancaster, professor of anthropology.
Mark Manzutto, remodeling manager, Physical Plant Department
“Mark is a fearless project administrator who never loses his passion for satisfying the customer,” said nominator Andrew Cullen, associate vice president for budget, planning and analysis. Several nominators praised Manzutto for working collaboratively with departments to meet their remodeling needs on budget and on time, and for his diligence in enforcing strict performance standards. As a supervisor, he stresses teamwork and efficiency. “We have a very unique group, always working together,” said nominator Cathie Behrens Smith, operations specialist.
Theresa Nevada, assistant to dean, University College
“Theresa Nevada is the voice, the face, the counselor, the advisor and the spokesperson for University College,” said nominator Peter White, dean of University College. When students come to her with problems, he said, “she calms them down, she nurtures them, because she has had three children attend UNM, and she understands how frustrated young people can get with impersonal systems.” He added, “Any student success we have had through University College has as much to do with Theresa Nevada as it does with all the rest of the people working here combined, myself, of course, included.”
Media Contact: Sari Michal, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
Senior Foreign Service officer Vicente Valle with the U.S. Department of State is the University of New Mexico’s new Diplomat in Residence. He extends an invitation to speak to classes, professional organizations and local groups about the State Department and the work that they do to carry out and coordinate U.S. foreign policy and defend U.S. citizens and interests around the world.
Photo: Senior Foreign Service officer Vicente Valle
“As Diplomat in Residence, my job is to work to attract the best and the brightest to represent the United States to the rest of the world. I advise students and others on career opportunities in State’s Civil and Foreign Service and on internship and fellowship opportunities and guide candidates on the application and examination process,” he said.
Valle has 27 years in Foreign Service, most of them spent abroad. Valle joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1980 as an economic officer. He served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire from 2004 to 2007. Between 2002 and 2004, he was deputy director of the Office of Central African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
Previously, he served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Asmara, Eritrea from 2000 to 2002. He was detailed to the Office of the United States Trade Representative from 1998 to 1999, where he was director for Africa.
Vicente served as DCM at the U.S. Embassy in Brazzaville, Congo, in 1996-97. In previous assignments, he served as Economic officer in Caracas, Venezuela and Paris, France and at the Department’s Bureau of Inter-American Affairs. He was consul and economic officer in Medan, Indonesia and Maputo, Mozambique, vice consul in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and financial management and security assistance officer in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Valle earned a bachelor’s in psychology and social relations from Harvard College, a diploma in public administration from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration in Paris, France, and a master’s in national security studies and strategy from the National War College in Washington, DC. In addition to English, he speaks Spanish, French and Portuguese.
“I am happy to share my perspectives of living and working abroad and interacting with a wide variety of government, non-government and international institutions,” he said.
Valle’s office is in Career Services. His number is 277-7801. His email is vvalle@unm.edu
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Andrew K. Sandoval-Strausz, assistant professor of history in the University of New Mexico College of Arts and Sciences, has published “Hotel: An American History,” by Yale University Press, 2007. It will be featured among titles in this Sunday’s New York Times Book Review.
It has already been featured in the “Economist,” The Economist and on Slate.com at: http://www.slate.com/id/2178062/.
Through his research, Sandoval-Strausz learned that hotels are an American creation.
“I thought they were European because of their architecture and because of European hospitality, but I found it wasn’t so. Hotels as places of transience and centers of public life began in the United States,” he said.
He notes that the hotel form began in the 1790s. “That generation of hotels went bankrupt, so people didn’t build them. In fact, the first backer of hotels ended up in debtors prison,” he said.
Between the 1820s and 30s, hotels become economically viable and many sprang up along the eastern seaboard in New York, Baltimore, Boston, D.C. and Philadelphia, he said.
Sandoval-Strausz, on faculty at UNM since 2001, said that the idea to study the history of hotels for his dissertation came to him while sitting in Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel lobby. Thinking lots of books must have been published about hotels, he was surprised to find very few.
He turned to archival collections at the New York and Massachusetts historical societies, the Huntington Library and even UNM’s Center for Southwest Research. “They have a great collection of ‘Harpers Weekly.’ I got many of my images from them,” Sandoval-Strausz said.
Sandoval-Strausz’s next project is titled, “Latino Landscapes,” a look at architecture and urban evidence to understand the past, particularly how immigrants leave a footprint on 20th century urban history.
A randomly selected sample of New Mexico ranchers will soon receive a survey administered by the economics department at the University of New Mexico regarding the management of invasive weeds on ranchlands. The survey, funded through a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, will aid in the prevention of invasive species and effective weed management.
Photo: Russian Knapweed
This survey will focus on two weeds that pose a particular problem for New Mexico ranchers, Russian knapweed and yellow starthistle, and will ask how ranchers make weed management decisions.
A sampling of questions includes the type of ranch, weed management practices currently used, and reaction to hypothetical infestations on the respective ranch. The information gained will be extremely useful in shaping weed management programs and policies.
“We tried to make the survey educational, helpful and informative,” said Assistant Economics Professor Jennifer Thacher, who is coordinating the survey. “Ranchers should be able to use the color brochure that is included in the survey packet to identify whether either of these weeds are on their land. In addition, we’ve included lots of resource contacts, in case they do find these weeds and have questions about how to get rid of them.”
Participants are strongly encouraged to complete the survey, which should take about 15 minutes of their time. A high rate of response from ranchers who receive the survey is critical to the validity of the findings, said researchers.
“One of the problems facing invasive weed management in New Mexico has been the lack of economic data,” said Thacher. “Because ranches in different parts of the state differ so much in climate, economics, type of land ownership, and culturally, getting responses from a wide cross-section of ranchers is essential.”
The survey is part of a grant titled “Strategic Behavior, Incentives, Heterogeneity and Invasive Species” jointly written by Professors Janie Chermak, Kate Krause, Kristina Grimsrud, and Jennifer Thacher. It will examine ranchers’ incentives for invasive species prevention and management, and will evaluate the potential effectiveness of public prevention and management strategies implemented before a critical level of establishment. Other UNM researchers involved include graduate students Frannie Miller, Jason Hansen, Justin Smith and Michael Milligan.
The annual economic impact of invasive species in the United States is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $137 million annually. Economic costs from invasive species can include increased cropping, grazing costs and recreational costs. Water quality and quantity, and soil quality can also be impacted negatively. Additional factors can also include watershed damage, displacement of native vegetation and increased livestock costs.
The two species’ being studied, Russian knapweed and yellow starthistle, can cause year-round problems for ranchers. Yellow starthistle is a winter annual and a member of the sunflower family. In its early stages (March-May), it resembles a dandelion or mustard rosette. During this time, its taproot grows to over five feet long.
Russian knapweed is a bushy perennial that is known to live more than 75 years. It typically starts to come up in May and June, and it produces pinkish, purple flowers in the early fall. The plant grows to about three feet tall and has silvery green leaves.
Both can alter the landscape considerably, physically crowd out other grasses that livestock and other animals eat, and produce chemicals that prevent other plants from growing, thus increasing cattle management costs. They are also toxic to horses and cause chewing disease.
Helpful resources…
• Your local cooperative extension agent. To find your local coop visit: Local coops
• Jim Wanstall - Noxious weed coordinator (505) 646-2642
• Idaho Weed Awareness.
• NM Department of Agriculture (Click on Food, Animals & Plant Programs - Noxious weeds)
• Invasive Weeds
• Russian Knapweed
• Yellowstar
• UC Davis
Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The final phase of the Yale Boulevard Roundabout project on the University of New Mexico’s north campus is scheduled to begin on Saturday, Dec. 1, and the project will be completed on Jan. 11, 2008.
In this phase of the project, Yale Boulevard will be opened from Lomas to Camino de Salud. Yale will then be closed from Camino de Salud to Tucker during this time while Camino de Salud west of Yale will be reopened to traffic.
The detour through the Physics parking lot will remain open to allow access to Camino de Salud east of Yale. Commuters, students and staff traveling to the Law School, Health Sciences Center or parking areas will be diverted west to the intersection of Camino de Salud and Tucker to avoid construction.
By starting this phase on a Saturday, instead of Monday, Dec. 3, the contractor will be able to reconfigure the construction site with lighter traffic in the area. The detour road will be established when regular pedestrian and vehicular traffic return to campus that Monday.
Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
UNM Parking and Alternative Transportation Services (PATS) announced that beginning Saturday, Dec. 1, and lasting through the expected completion of the Yale Boulevard roundabout construction in mid-January, the shuttle routes for the G and Q parking lots and the Redondo shuttle route will be adjusted to accommodate the needs for the final phase of construction.
The G and Q lot shuttles will no longer stop for students at the intersection of Tucker and Yale Boulevard. Students needing to stop at that location will need to take the Redondo shuttle. Both routes will stop on Camino de Salud, just west of Yale Boulevard. The remaining bus stops on each route will remain open.
A map detailing the changes will be available at www.unm.edu/parking.
PATS also announced that the South parking lot will also be closed from Dec. 15-Jan. 21. The South Lot shuttle route will not be in service during this time. All South Lot permit holders are encouraged to park in the G and Q parking lots during this time. South Lot will re-open and shuttle service will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 22.
If you have questions or need additional information about either of these items, please check the PATS Web site at Parking and Alternative Transportation Services, call 277-1483 or email parktran@unm.edu.
The University of New Mexico School of Law is ranked among the top 25 law schools both for Hispanic enrollment and granting degrees to Hispanics, as reported in the December 3 issue of Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education.
UNM ranks 22 in Hispanic enrollment. Of UNM’s 344 law school students, 93, or 27 percent, are Hispanic. They are balanced by gender – 47 are male, 46 are female.
In graduating Hispanics, UNM’s law school ranks 24. Of the 117 students receiving their juris doctorate, 25, or 21 percent, are Hispanic. Again, at UNM the gender balance is virtually equal –13 males and 12 females received their degrees.
Suellyn Scarnecchia, dean of the UNM School of Law, said, “We take great pride in striving to reflect in our student body the population of our state and the clients our graduates will serve. The rich ethnic diversity of our students, faculty and staff creates one of the best learning environments among law schools nationally.”
St. Thomas University School of Law in Florida conferred the most law degrees to Hispanic students in 2006, while Florida International University had the greatest percentage of Hispanic law school graduates.
UT-Austin topped the list of law schools enrolling the most Hispanics, while Florida International University had the greatest percentage of Hispanics enrolled in law school. The state of Florida also has more schools on the list, with seven total.
According to the lists, nationally, Hispanic women outpace Hispanic men both in enrollment and degrees granted. Hispanic women outnumber Hispanic men in 15 of the 25 schools listed for total enrollment.
“The numbers for women are even higher for the top 25 schools with degrees granted, with Hispanic women outnumbering Hispanic men in 19 of the 25 schools,” the article reports.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Questions abound about how Albuquerque should handle its growth. Developer incentives are one approach, but making it is both a complicated and important issue for the future of the Duke City. This topic, and the use of aliens to promote New Mexico tourism, are the issues featured on ‘New Mexico In Focus,’ on KNME Channel 5 on Friday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. and repeated on Sunday, Dec. 2 at 6:30 a.m.
This week’s guests are Gerry Bradley, researcher, NM Voices for Children; Michael Cadigan, Albuquerque city councilor; Chuck Gara, New Mexico chapter chairman, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties; Dan Serrano, vice president, Westside Coalition of Neighborhood Associations; and panelists Javier Benavidez, outreach director, Conservation Voters New Mexico; and Jeffry Gardner, columnist, The Albuquerque Tribune
‘New Mexico in Focus’ is KNME, Channel 5’s prime-time news magazine show covering events, issues and people shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. The one-hour show concentrates on bringing viewers important topics, and opinions and insight in an integrated and cohesive package.
Co-hosted by Santa Fe Reporter’s David Alire Garcia and Albuquerque Journal columnist Gene Grant, ‘New Mexico in Focus’ takes a 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.”
The Producer of ‘New Mexico in Focus’ is Kevin McDonald. 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
University of New Mexico Executive Vice President for Administration David W. Harris has announced the appointment of Helen Gonzales as Vice President for Human Resources. Gonzales was selected in an internal search.
“The University is fortunate to have a number of senior human resource professionals with solid experience. Helen is exceptional in that she has extraordinary operational and management skills coupled with solid understanding of how organizations work,” said Harris.
Harris created a five-member search committee to assist in the interview process, and all applicants received an interview. The committee unanimously recommended Gonzales.
Gonzales has been with UNM since 1993, serving as associate director of Human Resources. She has also taught a wide range of graduate and undergraduate courses at the Anderson School of Management and the College of Education. Prior to coming to UNM, Gonzales conducted training and organizational development for a number of health care, aerospace, state and federal government organizations. She has worked in the human resources field for 25 years.
Gonzales has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University, Los Angeles and a Master of Business Administration from California State University, Long Beach. She has also earned a Higher Education Management Development Program Certificate from Harvard University.
Media Contact: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1989; e-mail: mckinsey@unm.edu
Former house of noted UNM archaeologist to be devoted to education, research and community outreach
Brothers Dennis and Douglas Lutz, whose family homesteaded to New Mexico Territory a century ago, have announced plans to restore the Frank C. Hibben property in Albuquerque. The Hibben property, which is located at 3005 Campus Blvd. N.E. in the Nob Hill area, will be an exhibit, and education and research center available to the public when completed. It will feature the famous Hibben collection of world wide animal head mounts and be developed in a manner that is consistent as possible with Dr. Hibben’s original bequest.
Photo: A stuffed hippopotamus head in the Hibben House.
Dr. Hibben (1910-2002) was a noted archaeologist, prolific author, outdoor adventurer, big-game hunter, philanthropist and larger-than-life friend and inspiration to many. The legendary, charismatic, popular and sometimes controversial University of New Mexico anthropology professor spent nearly 70 years on the UNM faculty and directed the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology for half of its 75-year existence. Most of all, Hibben was a passionate educator, researcher and conservationist whose legacy will energize the project.
Dr. Dennis Lutz, a professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, is an alumnus of the UNM School of Medicine. He’s a noted expert on Montana place names and postal history, and the founder of the Old Soo Depot Transportation Museum and Western History Research Center in Minot, N.D.
His brother, Douglas, is president of High Desert State Bank in Albuquerque and president-elect of the Independent Community Banker’s Association of New Mexico. The brothers share the same enthusiasm and dedication for western historical preservation, research and education.
“It is hoped that upon completion the Hibben House can serve as a model for collaboration between the private and public sector, including other museums and universities,” said the Lutz brothers. “Much work remains to make this ambitious and visionary project a reality.”
Devoted to education, research and community outreach, the Hibben House will be dedicated in late-2010, the 100th anniversary of Frank Hibben’s birth.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The 44th annual ASUNM Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair runs Wednesday, Nov. 28 through Friday, Nov. 30 in the UNM SUB Ballroom. More than 90 booths featuring arts and crafts including jewelry, pottery, t-shirts, soaps and more on display. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 28-29 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30.
Photo: A sampling of arts and crafts at one of the many booths at the ASUNM Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair.
All of the crafts in the fair are original works. No commercial or handmade procuts that have been imported are allowed. The guidelines, which are set by the ASUNM Crafts Studio, are designed to celebrate the diversity of handmade goods within the state of New Mexico.
For more information call 277-6544.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The 13th Annual UNM Print Sale runs Thursday and Friday, Dec. 6 and 7 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Arts Building printmaking lab, room 142.
Graduate student high-end work is interspersed with undergraduate pieces for a nice mix. Hundreds of prints reflecting all printmaking methods will be available, including examples of lithography, intaglio, relief and screen-printing. Prices range from $1 to $200 depending upon the experience of the printer.
The print sale is always a great and affordable way to buy “real” art as holiday gifts.
Tau Sigma Delta honors top 20 percent of students of architecture and allied arts
Virginia Raybon, a 2000 graduate of Cibola High School, was recently inducted into Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society in the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning. She is an undergraduate architecture student.
Photo: Virginia Raybon
The school’s dean, Roger Schluntz, announced induction of eight graduate and two undergraduate students into UNM’s Gamma Lambda chapter of the national organization.
Raybon, daughter of Virginia and Grady Raybon, plans to continue her architectural education by pursuing a master’s degree. “In the future as a licensed architect, I hope to design a wide variety of spaces with a focus on affordability,” Raybon said.
Tau Sigma Delta National Honor Society is the only honor society recognized in the fields of architecture and the allied arts, which includes landscape architecture and community and regional planning.
Undergraduate inductees working toward a bachelor of arts in architecture are Mark Paz and Virginia Raybon.
Tau Sigma Delta, founded in 1913 at the University of Michigan, is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies, giving Tau Sigma Delta the high rating of most distinguished honor societies in other educational fields.
Inducted students, who are nominated by the director of their respective programs, are in the top 20 percent of their class.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The Maxwell Museum of Anthropology’s Director’s Lecture Series features museum director James Dixon, Thursday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. Dixon will discuss global warming and its effect on archeological remains.
View exhibits in archeology, ethnology, osteology, photography and the Office of Contract Archeology at the recent acquisitions exhibit opening Friday, Dec. 7, from 6-8 p.m.
Looking for that perfect holiday gift? The Maxwell Museum Shop’s annual sale is Friday, Dec. 7, from 6-8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 8, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Museum Association Members save 30 percent while the general public saves 20 percent on all items.
“On behalf of all staff at the museum I would like to thank all who have supported the Maxwell in this anniversary year and all the years leading to it. Without the help of our supporters we could not have accomplished the many exhibits, events, education programs, fine collections and research that have made the museum a local and regional treasure,” Dixon said.
For more information call 277-1400 or visit Maxwell Museum.
From experimental art to “Beowulf” in 3-D, fulldome productions go beyond the planetarium. Two of the world’s leading experts in fulldome production will present the history, current state and possible future of the fulldome medium on Friday, Nov. 30, 2-4:30 p.m. at the University of New Mexico ARTS Lab Garage, 123 Pine St. NE., near the intersection of Central Avenue and University Boulevard.
Fulldome – large-format, immersive, high-resolution, digital dome theater – is a young, powerful and rapidly diffusing medium. New Mexico is a major focal point for fulldome production, education and research.
In “Fulldome: The State of the Medium,” ARTS Lab Immersive Media Director David Beining and Multimedia Development Specialist Hue Walker will describe and demonstrate the state of fulldome technology, market, productions and programming. To demonstrate the state of fulldome production, clips from DomeFest and other programs will be screened in the gDome.
For more information and registration, visit: ARTS Lab Fridays
The University of New Mexico’s Center for Science, Technology, and Policy is a co-sponsor of the Santa Fe Council on International Relations’ fall 2007 International Lecture Series on “Safety in a Nuclear World: Fears, Hopes, and Realities.” The fourth and final speaker, Richard L. Garwin, presents, “Getting the Best Deal We Can: A Practitioner’s View,” on Saturday, Dec. 1, at 3 p.m. at The Forum, College of Santa Fe.
Garwin is IBM Fellow Emeritus at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY. He has served as director of the Watson Laboratory, director of Applied Research at the Watson Research Center and a member of the IBM corporate technical committee. He has been professor of public policy at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
From 1994 to 2004 he was Philip D. Reed Senior Fellow for Science and Technology at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York. Dr. Garwin has testified before many Congressional committees on matters involving national security, transportation, and energy policy and technology.
He is author or coauthor of Nuclear Weapons and World Politics (1977), Nuclear Power Issues and Choices (1977), Energy: The Next Twenty Years (1979), Science Advice to the President (1980), Managing the Plutonium Surplus: Applications and Technical Options (1994), and Megawatts and Megatons: A Turning Point in the Nuclear Age?, with Georges Charpak, 2001.
Garwin received a B.S. in physics from Case Institute of Technology, Cleveland, in 1947, and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Chicago in 1949.
Following Garwin’s talk, a panel including Michael P. Peters, president, St. John’s College and former executive vice president of the Council on Foreign Relations; Maurice Katz, former science advisor to the US Ambassador to the IAEA; and Andrew L. Ross, director, Center for Science, Technology, and Policy, UNM, will join Garwin in addressing questions from the audience.
For more information, contact Andrew L. Ross, at aross@unm.edu or (505) 277-7391. For reservations go to www.santafecouncil.org or phone (505) 982-4931.
Feel that chill in the air? See the sparkle in your co-workers’ eyes? It must be that time of year again - time to celebrate the University’s longest standing tradition - "Hanging of the Greens." On Friday, Nov. 30, enjoy thousands of glowing luminarias lighting beautiful paths throughout campus, thanks to hundreds of students and the coordination of the UNM Mortar Board Senior Honor Society. The event starts outside of Popejoy Hall at 5:45 p.m.
Or if a roaring fire is more to your liking, join the entire campus community for an open house at University House with hot chocolate, a steaming cup of posole and Lorraine’s famous biscochitos starting at 6 p.m.
Student organizations will spend the day decorating main campus with thousands of luminarias. Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to meet at Popejoy Hall to begin a caroling tour that will conclude with a reception at University House and the traditional presentation of the wreath to President and Mrs. David Schmidly.
Interim Provost/Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Viola Florez will accept this year's wreath for President Schmidly, who will be in Guadalajara giving a keynote address.
Attendees are asked to bring an unwrapped children's book to place under the University House tree. Books will be donated to UNM Children's Hospital.
Hanging of the Greens has been a tradition since the 1930's started by Lena C. Clauve, a former UNM student and UNM Dean of Women. The tradition started with students driving to the Sandia mountains, where they would gather greenery which they would use to decorate the Student Union Building.
Mortar Board began sponsoring Hanging of the Greens in the 1950s and added the luminarias as decoration. The buildings of the main campus at the University of New Mexico are outlined with luminaria for the event. The Mortar Board organizes the event each year as a part of its mission to promote service and community outreach.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Volunteers sought to help with event
UNM students, faculty and staff have the opportunity to recycle old personal computers, cell phones, clock radios, cords, TV sets, DVD Players, VCRs and other electronic items in an environmentally safe way on Saturday, Dec. 1. The event, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be held at the far west end of the T Lot on the corner of Lomas and University N.E.
The UNM Staff Council Environs Committee, UNM Recycling and UNM Information Technology Services are sponsoring the electronic recycling event, which is meant for “personal” electronics only. UNM departmental electronics cannot be discarded and will not be accepted at this event.
Additionally, all personal data must be removed or overwritten on both personal computers and cell phones because they may be commercially refurbished and reused.
To remove personal data from a PC visit: PC Data Removal.
For information regarding the removal of cell phone data visit: Cell Phone Recycling Data.
The staff council Environs Committee is searching for volunteers to help with the event. If interested, call Linda McCormick at 269-6131 or via e-mail at, lindamcc@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The University Libraries Indigenous Nations Library Program’s Native Pathways Lecture Series will host Robert Robideau, prominent AIM leader, in two events on Wednesday, Nov. 28. Robideau will participate in an informal brown bag discussion from 12 - 1 p.m. in the Herzstein Room on the second floor of Zimmerman Library.
Robideau will also present a lecture, “AIM: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” at 3 p.m. in the Willard Reading Room on the first floor of Zimmerman Library. Robideau, a member of the White Earth Ojibwe tribe, is a prominent AIM activist.
In 1975, he was accused of killing two FBI agents, along with Darrell Butler and Leonard Peltier. Butler and Robideau were acquitted in 1976, but Peliter was convicted.
Since being acquitted of the charges, Robideau has worked to free Peltier. He has served as the director of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee and continues to lecture around the country.
His lecture will cover the founding of AIM, what they are doing today, and what they have planned for the future. He will also speak about the Leonard Peltier case.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Kristi Michelle Merdler, a 1993 Santa Fe High School graduate, was recently inducted into Tau Sigma Delta National Honor Society at the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning. The school’s dean, Roger Schluntz, announced induction of eight graduate and two undergraduate students into UNM’s Gamma Lambda chapter of the national organization.
Photo: Kristi Michelle Merdler
Tau Sigma Delta National Honor Society is the only honor society recognized in the fields of architecture and the allied arts, which includes landscape architecture and community and regional planning.
Merdler, daughter of Stephen and Margaret Merdler, will receive her master’s degree in architecture in December. She earned her undergraduate degree in criminology from UNM in 1997.
“I always longed to follow my father – a designer in Santa Fe –but chose a different path of study as an undergraduate. After graduation, I became more interested in design and architecture through photography and travel. I began my architectural education at the Santa Fe Community College by taking some introductory classes in design, CAD and art,” she said.
After three semesters at SFCC, she applied to various architecture schools to continue her studies with one goal in mind – to become an architect.
Within the next six months Merdler plans to begin an internship with a firm in Santa Fe to become better informed about the field and practice of architecture as well as to prepare for the architecture licensing exam.
Although her father was her original inspiration, Merdler had another mentor.
“Deborah Auten, an architect in Santa Fe, has been my mentor since I began my graduate studies at UNM. She has offered me ideas and suggestions regarding school, my work, internship decisions as well as informing me about her practice and her philosophy,” Merdler said.
Tau Sigma Delta, founded in 1913 at the University of Michigan, is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies, giving Tau Sigma Delta the high rating of most distinguished honor societies in other educational fields.
Inducted students, who are nominated by the director of their respective programs, are in the top 20 percent of their class.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Tau Sigma Delta honors top 20 percent of students of architecture and allied arts
The University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning recently inducted 14 members into Tau Sigma Delta National Honor Society. The school’s dean, Roger Schluntz, announced induction of eight graduate and two undergraduate students into UNM’s Gamma Lambda chapter of the national organization.
Tau Sigma Delta National Honor Society is the only honor society recognized in the fields of architecture and the allied arts, which includes landscape architecture and community and regional planning.
Undergraduate inductees working toward a bachelor of arts in architecture are Mark Paz and Virginia Raybon.
Graduate inductees working toward a master of architecture are Andrew Werth, Maria Morrisey, Kenneth Marold, Terry Schreck, Garoline Itoi and Kristi Merdler.
Julie McGilvray and Amos Arber are working toward a master of landscape architecture.
Kileen Mitchell, Aaron Sussman, Nathania Tsosie and Michael Furze are pursuing a master of community and regional planning.
Tau Sigma Delta, founded in 1913 at the University of Michigan, is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies, giving Tau Sigma Delta the high rating of most distinguished honor societies in other educational fields.
Inducted students, who are nominated by the director of their respective programs, are in the top 20 percent of their class.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
University of New Mexico President David J. Schmidly and Sara Koplik, President of the North Campus Neighborhood Association, have named the members of the North Golf Course Community Advisory Board. The advisory board will provide UNM’s President and Board of Regents with parameters and recommendations for future uses of UNM’s north golf course.
“I have said from the beginning that I am seeking a win-win scenario when it comes to the north golf course,” said Schmidly. “UNM will one day have to make use of this property, but it will be with community agreement as to the footprint of the golf course and input on potential uses.”
Koplik will chair the nine-member board. “I look forward to resolving this long-standing issue between the university and the community,” Koplik stated. “I believe that by working together we can preserve this cherished green space, protect urban wildlife, and further the educational goals of the university.”
The membership and charge of the North Golf Course Community Advisory Board follows:
NORTH GOLF COURSE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD COMPOSITION
The North Golf Course Community Advisory Board shall be comprised of nine (9) representatives of organizations and individuals who, as neighboring residents, will be most affected by the project, who use the golf course and/or the periphery path, or whose unique knowledge of development, preservation or negotiation could be especially beneficial.
Matt Barnes, Vice President of the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico
Sara Koplik, President of the North Campus Neighborhood Association (Chair)
Cara McCulloch, A.I.A.
Garret Price, Vice President, Pulte Homes
Paul Kienzle, J.D.
Tim Davis, Member North Golf Course Association
Ted Martinez, President Emeritus, Central New Mexico Community College
Mardon Gardella, President, Federation of University Neighborhoods
Norton Kalishman, MD, Program Director, McCune Foundation
UNM Staff – Andrew Cullen and Kim Murphy (non-voting)
CHARGE...
The Community Advisory Board will provide the President of the University of New Mexico, its Board of Regents, and any potential future developers with recommendations and the parameters for:
Determining the footprint for a regulation nine (9) hole golf course;
Enhancing and improving the North Golf Course and periphery jogging/walking/bike path including: water conservation, habitat restoration, utilization of native plant species, and sustainable golf course management techniques;
Suggesting funding sources to cover enhancements and improvements;
Establishing the North Golf Course as a teaching environment for sustainability, conservation, and habitat restoration; and
Constructing a legal framework between the University and the people of New Mexico, to preserve the golf course and agreed upon green space and to determine the available footprint for UNM’s future building needs.
Any agreement reached will pertain only to the North Golf Course.
TIMELINE...
The Advisory Board will work as expeditiously as possible, to bring about a resolution that is beneficial to all parties. Final recommendations will be submitted to the President of the University of New Mexico.
Media Contact: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1989; e-mail: mckinsey@unm.edu
Nathania Tsosie, a 1996 graduate of Navajo Preparatory School, has been inducted into Tau Sigma Delta National Honor Society at the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning. The school’s dean, Roger Schluntz, announced induction of eight graduate and two undergraduate students into UNM’s Gamma Lambda chapter of the national organization.
Photo: Nathania Tsosie
Tau Sigma Delta National Honor Society is the only honor society recognized in the fields of architecture and the allied arts, which includes landscape architecture and community and regional planning.
Nathania Tsosie, who earned her undergraduate degree in anthropology from UNM, is pursuing a master of community and regional planning. Tsosie is the daughter of Nathan and Laura Tsosie of Piñon, Ariz.
Tsosie currently works for the Masters in Public Health Program at the UNM School of Medicine. Her interest in public health is a motivating force.
“I am interested in working in public health, particularly in tribal communities where infrastructure for basics such as plumbing and roads is lacking,” she said. Tsosie said she is considering launching her own public health research and consulting firm following graduation.
Tau Sigma Delta, founded in 1913 at the University of Michigan, is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies, giving Tau Sigma Delta the high rating of most distinguished honor societies in other educational fields.
Inducted students, who are nominated by the director of their respective programs, are in the top 20 percent of their class.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
UNM President pledges independent audit to certify strength of university finances
The University’s $143 million institutional bond issue took a major step forward today with approval by the New Mexico Board of Finance. The university got further good news with word today that bond rating agencies Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s have given the university a strong Aa3/AA rating.
“This is an excellent bond rating and signals to us that now is the time to go after these institutional bonds. This is the best window of opportunity,” said UNM President David J. Schmidly.
“We understand that UNM must become more self-sufficient in our capital improvement program for there is much to get done. Given its many competing needs, we cannot expect the state to finance this work for us in a timely manner nor should we.”
The heart of this institutional bond issue is the work proposed for UNM’s academic facilities. Classroom modernization, the renovation of the Lockheed-Martin building for the Student Success Center, and phase two of the College of Education - UNM’s highest capital priority - all directly impact the student experience.
The bond issue also features major work on the university’s two premiere athletic facilities – the Pit and University Stadium – among others projects.
“Each and every one of these projects relates back to our mission,” said Schmidly. “Our first priority is to the success of our students. So we want to assure them that these projects will not impact on their tuition or fees or on UNM’s operating funds.”
In response to questions from some Board members, President Schmidly is requesting the university’s outside auditors, Moss Adams and KPMG, to publicly present their independent audit of 2007 university finances in an open session of the UNM Board of Regents as early as January. He is also directing the independent auditors to undertake a long-term projection of the University’s future finances that will also be made public.
“When public doubt is cast about our finances, that is harmful to the institution. I want to dispel any lingering doubts,” said Schmidly. “ I am very mindful that, during my tenure as president, I intend to leave the University of New Mexico in the strongest financial position possible.”
President Schmidly and other UNM officials presented Board of Finance members with details on how the debt service on the bond issue will be paid.
They stressed that several projects can move forward with the understanding that revenues generated as part of the university’s commercial real estate development initiative be dedicated to fund the associated debt service.
They expressed confidence that the potential revenues that will be generated from the development of these real properties will far exceed the commitment of debt service for the 2007 bond issue. They also stressed that the bond issue does not make use of the north golf course property as a revenue source.
Media Contact: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1989; e-mail: mckinsey@unm.edu
Joe G. Maloof has announced funding for the James Bell Scholarship, which will be awarded annually to a University of New Mexico football student-athlete who has exhausted his eligibility but still requires coursework to graduate. The first scholarship will be awarded for the 2008-09 academic year.
James Bell, a 1977 Albuquerque High graduate, was a UNM football letterman in 1978-79, and ’81. A defensive back, Bell went on to play professionally with the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League.
On Sept. 19, 1986, in a game against the British Columbia Lions, Bell suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed.
Current University of New Mexico head coach Rocky Long was Bell’s position coach at UNM during the 1979 season. And, ironically, when Bell was injured, Long was on the opposite sideline, serving as an assistant coach for the B.C. Lions.
After extensive rehabilitation, Bell eventually regained the ability to walk on his own. He currently lives in Albuquerque where he serves as the director of Bell Community Development Corp., a non-profit program that assists low to moderate-income families who are first time home buyers or are looking for a home to rent.
"I wanted to do something special to recognize a former teammate who has a wonderful spirit," said Maloof, who was a teammate of Bell's and a three-year Lobo letterman in the 1970s. "I really appreciate James Bell and how he has carried himself through some really tough times. I want this scholarship to live on in his name. I'm proud to know James and it's fantastic what he has accomplished in his life."
“We really want to thank Joe for establishing such a generous and meaningful scholarship,” said Long. “James Bell was a great competitor and a great person. Earning a college degree is the most important aspect of attending a university. It’s great that future Lobo football players will have this opportunity.”
“It’s amazing to have an individual who was a former teammate and a good friend just to remember you and show that he cares,” said Bell. “It means a great deal to me and I know it does to coach Long, who I care for greatly. I can’t thank Joe enough for the contribution that will benefit a fellow Lobo, and eventually, a UNM graduate. The scholarship keeps me tied to UNM.”
Preparations are under way for the third annual conference, “Success in the Classroom: Sharing Practices that Work,” planned for a full day, Thursday, Feb. 21, at the University of New Mexico Student Union Building.
“Fifty-eight faculty members presented on various aspects of teaching effectiveness in the past two conferences,” said Gary Smith, professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences, and director of the Office of Support for Effective Teaching (OSET).
“This multi-disciplinary conference focusing on university-wide teaching has experienced tremendous success in previous years,” he added.
For the 2008 conference, proposed presentations focus on physics, math, business education, computer sciences, online learning, medical education, course design and assessment practices.
“It’s an exceptionally rich feast focusing on aspects of teaching and learning from many different perspectives,” Smith said.
This year, Deana Richter, director, Teacher and Educational Development at the UNM School of Medicine, joins Smith and James Burbank, English, in organizing the conference.
Richter said, “This partnership shows the spirit of cooperation and shared interests between the north campus and main campus and between the humanities and the sciences.”
A special focus this year will be a number of presentations on use of writing assignments to enhance learning in different learning contexts. This conference thread will demonstrate how writing provides a key approach to teaching critical thinking skills across all academic disciplines.
Faculty members who have topics they wish to present during the conference are encouraged to visit the OSET web page to sign up. The process is very simple and takes only a few minutes. Prospective presenters may sign up at the following link-- OSET Success. Everyone is encouraged to save the date on their calendars and come to learn fresh ideas for enhancing student learning.
For more information, contact Gary A. Smith, director, Office of Support for Effective Teaching, 277-2348, gsmith@unm.edu; James Burbank, English, 277-7436, jimbu@unm.edu; Deana Richter, director, Teacher & Educational Development (SOM), 272-5858, DRichter@salud.unm.edu.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzlaes, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Anderson School of Management to offer application fee waiver
Interested in getting a graduate degree from UNM's Anderson School of Management? ASM will host a Graduate Programs Information Fair on Wednesday, Nov. 28 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The fair will give those interested in pursuing a higher degree from the Anderson School the opportunity to learn about the MBA, EMBA, MACCT and Post-Masters Certificates programs. Admission is free and light refreshments will be served.
Current students, alumni, faculty, career services, and academic advisors will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice. There will also information about upcoming GMAT prep workshops and GMAT classes and, as an added incentive, everyone who attends will receive a $50 Anderson application fee waiver.
The Graduate Programs Information Fair will take place in the new Anderson Student Center at 1924 Las Lomas NE, just west of the Anderson School on the UNM campus.
For more information go to: Student Prospects.
Effectively immediately, a security system is in operation for access into the Basic Medical Sciences Building (BMSB) and the Basic Research Facility (BRF) buildings. Any persons requiring access into these buildings before 5:30 a.m. and after 6 p.m., Monday through Friday and all day on the weekends, will need to use their HSC School of Medicine ID badge.
The doors which will be in operation on the card system are: BMSB Plaza doors on the East side, as well as the double doors into the BRF located on the North side. Please note, keys will no longer work.
Your badge needs to have been properly coded by Hospital Security; you can check this by trying your badge during business hours. The badge should be swiped over the square black box located next to the doors for access. If properly coded the doors will automatically open.
When there are special events occurring after business hours or on the weekends, the process would be to send an e-mail to Randy Talley, Mgr Technical Security Ops, RTalley@salud.und.edu and/or Vito Capobianco, Director of Security UNMH, vjcapobianco@salud.unm.edu. It is best to give at least a 48 hour notice if possible so they can schedule the opening and re-locking of the doors.
For more information contact Kathryn Doodeman, administrative coordinator, Executive Dean's Office, School of Medicine at, 272-2321.
New Mexico In Focus panelists look at the implications of Tom Udall’s apparent decision to enter the U.S. Senate race. What will it mean, not only for that race to replace Pete Domenici in Washington, but also the three other congressional races that are now up for grabs? ‘New Mexico In Focus’ airs Friday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. and repeats on Sunday, Nov. 25 at 6:30 a.m. on KNME TV 5.
Other topics this week include the battle over oil and gas drilling in the Galisteo basin and a preview of the Santa Fe Film Festival, which kicks off on Wednesday, Nov. 28.
‘New Mexico In Focus’ is co-hosted by Santa Fe Reporter’s David Alire Garcia and Albuquerque Journal’s Gene Grant. Guests this week are Stephen Rubin, deputy director, Santa Fe Film Festival and filmmaker John Lore. Guest panelists are Scott Darnell, New Mexico Republican Party, and Duke City Fix blogger Sophie Martin.
‘NM In Focus’ takes an in-depth, critical look at social, political, economic, health, education and arts issues, to give them context beyond “news of the moment.”
‘NM In Focus’ is KNME, Channel 5’s prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues and people shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. The one-hour show brings viewers important topics of our time in an integrated and cohesive package.
Kevin McDonald is ‘NM In Focus’ producer. Support for the program is provided by MCune 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
Filmmaker Sterlin Harjo will attend the screening of his film, “Four Sheets to the Wind,” on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. in the UNM Student Union Building Theater. A native of Holdenville, Okla., and a member of the Seminole and Creek nations, Harjo will be at the screening to introduce the film and answer questions.
Photo: Sterlin Harjo
Harjo studied painting at the University of Oklahoma before tackling screenwriting and film theory at the university’s film and video-studies program. Harjo completed development on “Four Sheets to the Wind” through the Sundance Institute’s Filmmakers Lab. In 2004, the Sundance Institute awarded him an Annenberg Fellowship, and “Four Sheets to the Wind” was a finalist for the NHK Award.
“Four Sheets to the Wind” begins with Cufe Smallhill’s father, who never has much to say, but one day, he is quieter than usual. When Cufe finds his father dead beside a bottle of pills, he does as he promised and drags the body out to the family pond, unceremoniously sinking it to the bottom. But everyone in the community is expecting a big funeral, so Cufe, his cousin, and his mom decide to fake one. In the midst of mourning, Cufe realizes he is compelled to explore the world outside the reservation and find a more fulfilling life. His sister, Miri, comes from Tulsa for the funeral and invites him to visit her in the big city. She opens the door for Cufe into a new world.
Harjo’s wonderfully crafted first feature is a fresh and delightful film about healing and the ties that bind people together. Harjo creates a rich Oklahoma atmosphere with its rural landscapes and easy country rhythms, infusing the entire film with a warm sense of humor, while Cody Lightning and Tamara Podemski give charming performances as Cufe and Miri.
The UNM native community hosts Indigenous Day/Sterlin Harjo potluck before the screening, at 4 p.m. in Native American Studies, Mesa Vista Hall 3080. Native American poet and UNM English professor Joy Harjo brings Sterlin Harjo to UNM in conjunction with a graduate seminar course on indigenous film she is co-teaching with Lurline McGregor.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzlaes, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Albuquerque author Rudolfo Anaya’s latest children's book, “The First Tortilla” has been chosen for the Land of Enchantment Book Award, an award designed to encourage New Mexico youth to read books of high literary quality. The award is sponsored by the New Mexico Library Association and the New Mexico International Reading Association and includes master reading lists for children and young adults.
“The First Tortilla” is the story of a young Mexican girl who saves her village by making the first tortilla with the help of the Mountain Spirit. Taos artist Amy Cordova illustrated the book.
Rudolfo Anaya, widely acclaimed as one of the founders of modern Chicano literature, is professor emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico. Anaya was presented with the National Medal of Arts for literature in 2001 and his novel “Alburquerque” won the PEN Center West Award for Fiction.
He is best known for the classic “Bless Me Ultima,” now being read nationwide as part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ “Big Read” program. The Albuquerque Museum Foundation named him its “Notable New Mexican” in April 2007.
“The First Tortilla” is available at bookstores, online, or directly from the University of New Mexico Press: 800-249-7737 or UNM Press.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzlaes, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Big names have already announced plans to run for the U.S. Senate when Pete Domenici retires next year. Along with Tom Udall, Martin Chavez, Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce, the field includes other candidates voters may not have heard much about. This week, ‘New Mexico In Focus,’ which airs Friday night, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. and repeats Sunday, Nov. 18 at 6:30 a.m., introduces two lesser known candidates -- one a small town newspaper publisher and the other a high school English teacher.
Find out why they want to run and what lesson educator Zack Boatman hopes to teach his students by venturing into national politics.
Protecting our young people from the onslaught of alcohol advertising is also a topic on NM In Focus this week. The alcohol industry spends an estimated $2 billion annually on advertising, much of it targeting teens. Host Gene Grant sits down with one of the leading experts on alcohol advertising impacts, to find out what state leaders can do to shield young people from countless TV, radio and magazine ads.
Co-Hosted by Santa Fe Reporter staff writer David Alire Garcia and Albuquerque Journal 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.”
This week’s guests are Zack Boatman, and Leland Lehrman, U.S. Senate candidates; and Santa Fe High School students John Biddle, Louis Demella and Elena Valdez. Also featured is Dr. David Jernigan, executive director, Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth.
New Mexico In Focus, KNME, Channel 5’s prime-time news magazine show covers the events, issues, and people shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. The one-hour show concentrates on bringing viewers important topics of our time, and all the opinions and insight they are used to, in an integrated and cohesive package.
Producer of ‘New Mexico In Focus’ is Kevin McDonald. Support for has been provided by McCune Charitable Foundation. Closed Captioning of has been made possible by a gift from Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs.
Media Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1218; e-mail: etodd@knme.org
UNM United Way campaign co-chairs Viola Florez, Interim Provost/Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs are leading the charge in this year's UNM United Way campaign drive. Along those lines, the UNM United Way committee has announced several incentive prizes to encourage potential donors to turn their pledge forms in during the month of November.
Photo: United Way campaign co-chairs Viola Florez and Paul Krebs fill in the UNM United Way thermometer near the Duck Pond indicating how much money has been pledged to UNM's United Way campaign.
Prizes include a pair of tickets to sit with President David J. Schmidly at a men’s and or women’s basketball game, a pair of tickets to see the traditional Irish folk band, The Chieftains, and Lobo wear and tickets to the men’s basketball game against Weber State.
To be eligible, pledge forms must be turned in to the University Controllers office at the UNM Business Center by Friday, Nov. 30. The mail stop code is MSC 01 1300.
If you did not receive a pledge form or need a replacement, forms may be picked up at these locations:
* Office of the Provost, Scholes Hall 2nd floor, suite #240 reception desk
* Executive Dean’s Office for School of Medicine & Health Sciences Center, Basic Medical Science Center, rm. 177 reception desk
* Office of the Vice President for Research & Economic Development, Scholes Hall 3rd floor, suite #327 reception desk
* The Student Union Building, student help desk
* Athletic Administration Building, reception desk
For more information on UNM's United Way campaign visit: UNM United Way.
For a Mini Giving Box display visit: Mini Giving Box.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Katherine “Kak” Slick, one of the most accomplished historic preservationists in the country, presents, “Linking Preservation and Sustainability,” Friday, Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. in George Pearl Hall, the new home for the School of Architecture and Planning, located on Central Ave. and Cornell NE. The event is free and open to the public.
Slick was appointed State Historic Preservation Officer by Governor Bill Richardson in 2003 after 30 years of community involvement in historic preservation.
Chris Wilson, director, historic preservation and regionalism program in the UNM School of Architecture and Planning, said, “Kak Slick has worked at every level of government agencies and non-profit organizations – from the Citizens Committee for Historic Preservation in Las Vegas to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the President’s Council for Historic Preservation.
“She is a visionary who understands how the 40-year-old grassroots historic preservation movement is about the sustainability of the built environment and of our communities.”
Slick, one of two Pearl Fellows this year, was a close personal friend of George Pearl, the architect for whom the UNM School of Architecture and Planning and Fine Arts and Design Library building is named. She valued his advice on the restoration of the plaza and the Montezuma Hotels in Vegas, and they worked together to develop the New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance.
“George Pearl was a marvelous person to spend time with reflecting on what makes a detail, building, place, landscape, tradition or community work,” Slick said.
“I would love to be able to discuss with him the intersection, and for some disconnect, between sustainability and preservation in caring for and sustaining those aspects of ‘place’.”
Slick said the concept of sustainable development first occurred internationally in the 1980s and was initially viewed as an environmental issue. But preservationists, she said, recognized their work as going hand-in hand with the concept.
“For those of us involved in preservation, the idea of being sustainable goes well beyond “greening” buildings. It is about being environmentally and culturally responsible, and recognizing the past as an integral part of the present, so that communities continue to be viable.”
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzlaes, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Linda Melville, international advisement specialist in the Office of International Programs and Studies, has been named the 2007 recipient of the Bruce Tracy Award, given for excellence in the field of international education. The Bruce Tracy Award is given to a NAFSA – Association for International Educators – member whose professional and personal contributions to the field of international education go beyond normal job expectations.
Photo: Linda Melville
The award was granted by the NAFSA Region II award selection committee. Region II, the largest geographic region in the U.S., is an eight state region that includes New Mexico.
Melville said, “Looking at the letters of recommendation, I am truly overwhelmed by all of the extremely kind words – as well as the number of people who wrote letters on my behalf. I am really fortunate to have such wonderful colleagues and friends in international education and in higher education.”
Melville was recognized as a professional who devotes a great deal of personal time to programs for international students and toward campus internationalization efforts, provides significant leadership at the regional and national level, and as a member who reflects the ideals and goals of the professional association through her professional commitment and dedication to the field of international education.
Melville was nominated by her colleagues Heather Greene and Christina Rosado-Maher, who collected letters of support across campus. Vice President for Student Affairs Eliseo Torres wrote, …”Since the U.S. government implemented dramatic changes in the issuance of student and scholar visas post September 11th, the University of New Mexico has relied heavily upon Ms. Melville’s expertise in visa laws to ensure that we follow the regulations.”
Tom Bogenschild, director, Office of International Programs and Studies, wrote, “Linda’s contributions to international education have been profound, and have reached students, scholars, and colleagues locally, statewide, region-wide, and nationally.”
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzlaes, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The annual Viola F. Cordova Symposium will be held Monday, Nov. 19, 1-6 p.m., in celebration of Native American Heritage Month. The editors of “How It Is: The Native American Philosophy of V.F. Cordova” will give a lecture at 1 p.m. followed by a book signing at 4 p.m. in the UNM Student Union Building Acoma room.
Viola Cordova was the first Native American woman to receive a Ph.D. in philosophy. Even as she became an expert on canonical works of traditional Western philosophy, she devoted herself to defining a Native American philosophy. Although she died of a brain aneurysm before she could complete her life’s work, some of her colleagues have organized her pioneering contributions into this provocative book.
The speakers include Kathleen Dean Moore, distinguished professor of philosophy at Oregon State University; Kurt Peters, associate professor of ethnic studies and director of the Native American Collaborative Institute at Oregon State University; Ted Jojola, UNM regents’ professor of community and regional planning; and Amber Lacy, graduate student in the Department of Philosophy at Oregon State University.
The event, sponsored by the Department of Native American Studies, is free and open to the public. For more information contact NAS at 277-3917 or nasinfo@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico Department of Parking and Transportation Services (PATS) is currently offering an online customer service survey to measure and improve the department’s services to UNM students, staff and faculty. The survey will include questions related to the specific services students, staff and faculty have used in the previous year.
For example, people who select “Alternative Transportation” will be asked about the methods of alternative transportation (carpooling, bicycling, etc) they use, while people utilizing the PATS Web site will be asked to provide feedback to later improve the site.
All members of the UNM community participating in the survey will be entered into a drawing for the following prizes:
1st prize - $100 gift certificate to the UNM Bookstore (one winner)
2nd prize - $50 gift certificate to the UNM Bookstore (one winner)
3rd prize - $32 of coupons to park at the Cornell Parking Structure. This equals 20 hours worth of free parking (five winners).
For more information, please contact the Department of Parking and Transportation Services at 277-1928 or visit Parking Survey to take the survey.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
International Studies at the University of New Mexico is offering its first “Journey to the Sacred Traditions of India,” a spring semester 2008 course. The fully accredited tour is scheduled for March 15 – 30, during spring break; UNM students who participate would miss one week of regular classes. The trip is open to the public.
The purpose of the trip is to experience spirituality as it is practiced in northern India. Emphasis will be on understanding the major religious and sacred traditions, their practices, beliefs, history and their relationship to modern Indian society.
Tour members will observe and participate in rituals and ceremonies of the various traditions in their historical places of worship.
Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh and Yogic traditions originated in India; Islam, Baha’i and Christianity are imported. All are uniquely influenced by Indian culture and people. Students will meditate with the Buddhists, do Puja with the Hindus, do Seva with the Sikhs, pray with the Christians, visit Muslim mosques and do yoga with the yogis.
Kirpal S. Khalsa, sociology and yoga professor at UNM-Taos has organized the trip and course. Khalsa said, “Spirituality is best understood through practice and experience.”
Khalsa lived in India for 11 years during which time he conducted numerous trips throughout the subcontinent. The trip will cost approximately $3,500: includes airfare from Albuquerque, lodging, local travel, special classes and meals.
If interested in learning more about the trip, an informational meeting with Khalsa, including yoga, a Power Point presentation and chai, spiced Indian tea, is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 1, noon, at the Med 2 building in Taos: Medical Arts Plaza, 1398 Weimer Road, across from Holy Cross Hospital.
For more information about the trip visit: India Trip or contact Khalsa at kirpals@kiit.com.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
University of New Mexico-Gallup will light up the night Tuesday, Nov. 27, at 5:30 p.m. in front of Gurley Hall when the college turns on the electric luminarias outlining the buildings to mark the official start of the holiday season. The “Illumination Celebration” is free and open to the public.
Hot apple cider and hot chocolate will be served in Gurley Hall Commons and a special visit from Santa Claus is planned for children.
For more information call Linda Thornton at (505) 863-7565.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Dr. Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert, a professor at Northern Arizona University, elected to serve as the 2007-2008 National Indian Education Association (NIEA) President. He was sworn in during the NIEA’s 38th Annual Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii. Last year, he served on the NIEA board of directors, and was elected by the board to be the president-elect in 2006.
Photo: Dr. Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert
He succeeds Verli-Ann Malina Wright, a Native Hawaiian, who ended her one-year term as president on the last day of the convention, according to the NIEA by-laws.
Gilbert is an enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe and is from the village of Moenkopi in northeastern Arizona. Dr. Gilbert is a Professor of Education at Northern Arizona University (NAU), Flagstaff, Arizona.
He also served as Chair of the Educational Specialties Department (Special Education, Gifted Education, Bilingual/Multicultural Education, Career/Technical Education, and Educational Technology) in the College of Education at NAU.
His expertise is Curriculum and Instruction, American Indian education and Bilingual/Multicultural education and has extensive experience as an administrator, faculty and researcher in higher education.
There were three expiring terms for the Board of Directors; Verlie Ann Malina-Wright (Native Hawaiian), Vice Principal of Kula Kaiapuni `O Anuenue, Hawai`i, who served this past year as president, Cameron Cuch (Northern Ute/Wampanoag), and Shirley Begay (Navajo Nation), Superintendent of Apache County, Arizona.
The National Indian Education Association, a 501(c) (3) organization, was founded in 1969 to support traditional Native cultures and values, to enable Native learners to become contributing members of their communities, to promote Native control of educational institutions, and to improve educational opportunities and resources for American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians throughout the United States.
As a 38 year old membership-based, nonprofit organization, NIEA registration for the convention includes a full year of member incentives, updates and a quarterly newsletter.
For more information concerning registration and membership call (202) 544-7290 or visit National Indian Education Association.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
How many judges, district attorneys and public defenders does New Mexico need to properly run its justice system? Researchers at the University of New Mexico and the New Mexico Sentencing Commission presented the findings of a workload study designed to answer that question to the Legislative Finance Committee.
The New Mexico Sentencing Commission is a state agency that is located on the UNM campus and shares facilities with the UNM Institute for Social Research (ISR) and the ISR Center for Applied Research and Analysis. The research head for the workload study is UNM/ISR researcher Linda Freeman, M.A.
The report – entitled “A Workload Assessment Study for the New Mexico Trial Court Judiciary, New Mexico District Attorneys’ Offices and New Mexico Public Defender Department" – was conducted by the New Mexico Sentencing Commission and the UNM Institute of Social Research. Vital to the research was the expertise of the National Center for State Courts and the American Prosecutor’s Research Institute. The project was funded by the New Mexico Legislature.
This study is the first in the nation in which all three components of the justice system were studied simultaneously. While the Legislative Finance Committee and New Mexico Department of Finance staffs determine the net need of each case based on the existing judges, attorneys and staff members, this report includes an assessment of current and potential future staffing needs of the New Mexico Judicial system.
This assessment leads to statewide findings that under current level of cases in New Mexico courts, the trial courts need an additional 24 full-time District Court judges, four Metropolitan Court judges, seven Magistrate Court judges. New Mexico District Attorney’s offices need an additional 41 attorneys, nine investigators, three victim witnesses, 16 full-time and one half-time support staff, while Public Defenders offices in New Mexico need an additional 41 attorneys and 45 full-time support staff.
In addition to determining current personnel resource needs for the New Mexico judiciary, prosecutors and defenders, this workload assessment created a model that will allow Sentencing Commission staff members to forecast staffing needs and make annual updates of the results presented in the published study.
“Accurate information about our justice system is the Sentencing Commission’s first step in making rational adult and juvenile justice policy,” said New Mexico Sentencing Commission Chair Joe Caldwell, who served as both a district attorney and district court judge before being appointed by Governor Richardson to head the Sentencing Commission.
The judiciary and the district attorneys had independently conducted similar workload studies in the past. No assessment has ever been done of the resource needs for indigent defense in New Mexico, as provided by the Public Defender Department. The result has been what Supreme Court Chief Justice Edward Chavez called "a three legged stool with two legs."
According to Caldwell, every year legislators – led by Rep. Henry "Kiki" Saavedra – introduce legislation to correct this problem. Saavedra has been a leader in including public defender and district attorney staffing in all judge bills. This study gives New Mexico Legislators a clearer idea about the exact needs of these three parts of the justice system.
“Planning which involves every branch of government should always be done this way,” said Caldwell.
The New Mexico Sentencing Commission, which also oversees the state’s Sex Offender Management Board and Justice Information Sharing Council, produces as many as 12 research reports each year. This study, as well as over 50 other research reports can be found at New Mexico Sentencing Commission.
Role of culture in therapy addressed
Joseph Gone, American Indian psychologist, presents “Keeping Culture in Mind: Exploring Aboriginal and Western Therapeutic Integration in a First Nation Treatment Center,” at the UNM Psychology Colloquia, Friday, Nov. 16 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Bobo Room of Hodgin Hall. This event is free and open to the public.
Gone is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, clinical area, and the Program in American Culture, Native American Studies, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He earned his bachelor’s in psychology at Harvard University in 1992 and his doctorate in clinical and community psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2001.
As a cultural psychologist, Gone addresses in his research the key dilemma confronting mental health professionals who serve Native American communities, namely how to provide culturally appropriate helping services that avoid the neo-colonial subversion of local thought and practice. He has published articles and chapters concerning the ethnopsychological investigation of self, identity, personhood and social relations in American Indian cultural contexts vis-a-vis the mental health professions.
For more information, call Steven Verney, 277-0633.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzlaes, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
University of New Mexico pediatrician Dr. Andrew Hsi has been honored by New Mexico Voices for Children (NMVC) as the 2007 Voice for Children award winner in the Medical Professional category. Hsi is a professor and the director of the Division of General Pediatrics at the UNM Health Sciences Center.
Photo: Dr. Andrew Hsi
As an experienced pediatrician, he has focused on developing systems of care for children and families affected by prenatal alcohol and drug exposure, family violence, parental mental illnesses, and unsupported teen parenting. His research interests has included investigation into how primary care providers can structure patient encounters for primary and secondary prevention of complicated behaviorally-involved problems such as illicit drug use and domestic violence.
This is not the first award Hsi has received for his work in pediatric care. In 1999, he received the first national Humanism in Medicine Award from the American Association of Medical Colleges, the accrediting organization for U.S. medical schools, and as an advocate for children in Albuquerque, he was awarded the Children’s Champion Award in 2001 from All Faith’s Receiving Home.
NMVC is celebrating its 20th anniversary by honoring 20 outstanding individuals or organizations that have made important contributions to the well-being of New Mexico’s children over the past 20 years.
Founded in 1987 by a group of pediatricians, NMVC is a progressive, nonpartisan, statewide advocacy organization. NMVC works to eliminate child poverty and improve the health and well-being of New Mexico's children, families and communities by shaping public policy. For more information on NMVC, visit New Mexico Voices.
Media Contact: Lauren Cruse, (505) 272-3690; e-mail: lcruse@salud.unm.edu
The 32nd annual Turkey Trot, sponsored by UNM’s Recreational Services, is set for Saturday, Nov. 17 at University Arena. A children’s half-mile event is scheduled for 10 a.m., while a three-mile adult run is set to begin at 10:45 a.m. Pre-registration continues through Friday, Nov. 16 for $13. On race day, late-registration will be held, but the fee will be $14.
Exclusively designed T-shirts will be awarded to the first 200 participants who register. Children’s age divisions are 6-7, 8-9 and 10-12, while adult divisions are 13-16, 17-23, 24-30, 31-37, 38-45 and 46-54. Prizes include turkeys, chickens and Cornish hens in each age division.
The Pit is located on UNM’s South Campus at University Blvd. and Avenida de Cesar Chavez near The Pit.
Additionally, a food drive will be conducted as part of the event. Participants and spectators are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item on race day for donation to a local food bank.
Registration may either be completed in person or by mail. Recreational Services is located on the UNM campus in Johnson Center, rm. 1102. Office hours are Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Completed registration forms and checks, payable to Recreational Services, may be sent to: UNM Recreational Services, Johnson Center, Rm. 1102, MSC04 2600, Albuquerque, N.M., 87131.
For more information or for a registration form call 277-0178.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The Provost’s Committee for Staff (PCS) is seeking scholarship applicants for its Staff Academic Support Scholarship for the Spring 2008 semester. The scholarship, in its third year, is designed to help support staff who utilizes their tuition remission benefit. This is an opportunity for UNM staff to apply for limited financial support to be used to help cover the cost of academic books, course fees and supplies. Three $250 scholarships will be awarded.
Eligibility requirements include: course(s) must be used toward degree or certificate completion or professional development; passed UNM Employment Probationary Status; Be at least a .50 FTE UNM employee; Must have a “Meet expectations” or better on most recent Performance Review.
Application guidelines include a completed application form available online at: Staff Academic Support Scholarship. A statement outlining academic path and benefit of these funds towards your academic degree are also required as part of the application process. The deadline to submit a completed application is Friday, Nov. 30, 2007.
A fund to help support the scholarship has been established through an account at the UNM Foundation. UNM employees interested in contributing to this fund will have the option to do so through payroll deductions. The goal is to grow the fund and provide increased financial support to our staff.
The United Way is another avenue in which you may give to the scholarship award by designating your donation to the UNM Provost Support Scholarship fund, which will continue to increase the number of awardees per semester.
This is the sixth semester the scholarship award has been in existence and the staff’s need in financial assistance is apparent by receiving more than 50 applicants for the Fall 2007 semester.
For more information contact Lina Sandve at 277-1326 or via e-mail at: lsandve@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
One Fish. Two Fish. Red Fish. Blue Fish, wrote Dr Seuss. But what about Sick Fish? Sometimes even little aquarium fish need surgery. Fish surgery is the focus of KNME Science Café, Saturday, Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Albuquerque Aquarium – Biopark near Old Town.
Science Café kicks off with “Fish Surgery,” a short TV segment from an episode of the PBS national series NOVA scienceNow, which looks at how veterinary medicine has caught up with Americans’ love for their number one choice of pet: the fish. Café participants can then engage in an interactive discussion with a local expert about how the Albuquerque Aquarium handles fish surgeries: what goes on, the difficulties involved, and answers questions about anything with fins. Come prepared for a lively discussion.
Admission is free, however a reservation is required and seating is limited to the first 70. Please call 848-7180 to RSVP.
This 13th KNME Science Café is presented with support from New Mexico Tech, Lockheed Martin/Sandia National Labs and the American Chemical Society - Central New Mexico Local Section.
KNME-TV presents Science Café six or more times per year 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 café atmosphere. Take part or listen to the discussion. It’s fun, casual and laid back... Be curious, amazed and have fun at KNME Science Café. For more information call: (505) 277-1218 or (505) 848-7180.
East of Albuquerque, the Sandia Mountains magnificently rise up as a jewel in the crown of Albuquerque’s natural treasures -- the bosque, the Rio Grande and the volcanos. There is perhaps no other American city so dominated by a natural icon. Endlessly beautiful, awe inspiring, ever changing and timeless; they leave an indelible mark.
KNME presents an hour-long special local production, “The Sandias,” which premieres Monday, Nov. 12 at 9 p.m. and will be aired throughout the month: Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 18 at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m.; Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 8 p.m.; Thursday, Nov. 22 at 9 p.m.; Sunday, Nov.25 at 1 p.m.; and Monday, Nov. 26 at 9 p.m.
View “The Sandias” at: The Sandias. Partial funding for the production of “The Sandias” was provided by the Albuquerque Tricentennial Committee.
This 60-minute high definition documentary by KNME focuses on the remarkable light show on Sandia Crest along with the fascinating ecology, geology, rich history and overall appreciation of the Sandia Mountains.
Cities prize the attributes that make them distinctive and foster community. And in most cases they have created one: St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, Paris’ Eiffel Tower, and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. As Albuquerque grows into a big city, it needs an icon. Looking east, the choice is obvious.
“Along with the Rio Grande, the bosque and the volcanos, the Sandia Mountains frame Albuquerque in a magnificent way,” said Michael Kamins, KNME executive producer.
“We are blessed with environmental assets found in few other urban areas. No wonder we are so popular. Urban sprawl, dwindling water supply, and other growth problems continue as threats, making the same old questions even more relevant today. What will it be like to live in Albuquerque in the next few decades? How do we preserve the things we love, that make us unique? How do we educate residents about the importance of our natural resources so they sustain our community for future generations?
“Although Albuquerque has been wise to preserve many things, the job is not done and probably never will be,” Kamins said. “Fortunately we still have options. Albuquerque is not a place to be treated carelessly and New Mexicans’ quality of life is dependent on how well we all treat the natural gifts around us. Perhaps ‘The Sandias’ will help New Mexicans find a deeper respect for these mountains.”
In appreciation of these mountains, KNME follows the story of environmental lighting designer Jito Coleman creating the crest lighting for the Tricentennial.
In “The Sandias,” Geologists Sean Connell, New Mexico Tech, and Jayne Aubele, New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, give fascinating insights into billions of years of geologic history. UNM paleontologist Barry Kues conducts a fossil tour of the crest’s 300 million year old sea life.
Author Mike Smith shares stories gathered for his new book Towns of the Sandias, while Robert Julyan, co-editor, Field Guide to the Sandia Mountains, explores the mountain’s life zones, which vary as much as going from Albuquerque to British Columbia. Learn also about the Sandia’s reclusive rattlesnakes and renowned rosy finches. Painter Wilson Hurley and others share their love of the mountains.
The magnificent Sandias also speak for themselves. Raging snowstorms, tranquil autumn afternoons and spring blooms are photographed in HD video motion pictures. Taken from different perspectives, at different times of day and year, “The Sandias” captures the presence of the mountains.
Professor of Music Bradley Ellingboe will receive a Faculty Acknowledgement Award from University Libraries on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. in the Willard Room of Zimmerman Library. He will also present a short talk titled, “A Life in Music.” Ellingboe will discuss his compositions and the path that led him to become a composer of choral music.
Ellingboe and the UNM Concert Choir have just release a CD, “Fast Falls the Eventide” a collection of sacred and familiar songs as well as pieces specially written and arranged for the choir. The CD features an original composition by Ellingboe, “Be Music, Night”.
The event is free and open to the public, and a reception will follow the lecture.
UNM Graduate Student Sushmita Roy spent last summer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the lab of Manolis Kellis, an assistant professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, who specializes in developing computational algorithms for decoding the information present in the genomes of organisms.
Photo: Graduate Student Sushmita Roy
As part of her internship, Roy played a small part in a large project analyzing the genomes of 12 fly species. The paper describing the project and its results was released this week in the journal “Nature.”
In her summer project, she analyzed statistical properties of the fly regulatory network, computationally predicted by Kellis’ lab, with nodes representing genes and edges representing regulatory control exercised by a “regulator” gene on a “regulate” gene.
This led to the identification of network nodes with different types of connectivity. Nodes with high-connectivity were themselves regulators controlling important events in the growth and development of flies.
Roy says the edges in the network also had non-random properties. Edges had a higher chance of existing between genes functioning in the same fly tissue, rather than in different tissues.
The identification of these statistical properties helped the researchers to clarify the biological significance of the predicted regulatory network of developing flies, which can provide insight into important developmental events in higher organisms.
The title of the journal article is “Discovery of Functional Elements in 12 Drosophila Genomes Using Evolutionary Signatures.” Roy is listed as one of the co-authors on the article.
Roy is working on her Ph.D. in Computer Science applying statistical algorithms to understand living systems. Her advisors, Assistant Professor of Computer Science Terran Lane and Professor of Biology Margaret Werner-Washburne are guiding her efforts to apply statistical algorithms to understand living systems.
Her internship in the MIT summer program was sponsored by the Program in Interdisciplinary Biological and Biomedical Sciences (PIBBS) at UNM and (Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Interfaces program and was arranged by Bruce Birren, director of the Microbial Sequencing Center and co-director of the Genome Sequencing and Analysis program at the Broad Institute at the MIT and UNM Biology Professor Margaret Werner-Washburne.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
UNM scientists play active role in research
Scientists of the Pierre Auger Collaboration, which includes researchers in the University of New Mexico’s Physics and Astronomy Department in the College of Arts and Sciences, announced today that Active Galactic Nuclei or AGNs, are the most likely candidate for the source of the highest-energy cosmic rays that hit Earth. The results will appear in the Nov. 9 issue of the journal Science.
Using the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina, the largest cosmic-ray observatory in the world, a team of scientists from 17 countries found that the sources of the highest-energy particles are not distributed uniformly across the sky.
Instead, the Auger results link the origins of these mysterious particles to the locations of nearby galaxies that have active nuclei in their centers.
Supermassive black holes that are devouring large amounts of matter are thought to power AGNs. They have long been considered sites where high-energy particle production might take place. They swallow gas, dust and other matter from their host galaxies and spew out particles and energy.
While most galaxies have black holes at their center, only a fraction of all galaxies have an AGN. The exact mechanism of how AGNs can accelerate particles to energies 100 million times higher than the most powerful particle accelerator on Earth is still a mystery.
“We looked at our cosmic rays and tried to see if they correlated with a category of astrophysical sources [the AGNs] because there aren’t enough of them to come from any one source,” said UNM Professor John Matthews. “Normally you would say it should be some bright object in the sky. The trouble is they aren’t. We’re stuck trying to correlate what we actually measure with possible sources. The AGNs are supermassive black holes and that’s what’s cool about them.”
“There are very few events to measure to help make the correlation,” said graduate student J. Doug Hague, another researcher from UNM. “Imagine your telescope only gives you one photon a month. How would you determine where the stars are? Here it takes a year or more with one single light pulse [one cosmic ray] at a time.”
Cosmic rays are protons and atomic nuclei that travel across the universe at close to the speed of light. When these particles smash into the upper atmosphere of our planet, they create a cascade of secondary particles called an air shower that can spread across 40 or more square kilometers (15 square miles) as they reach the Earth’s surface.
“It turns out that supermassive black holes tend to be everywhere and they are incredibly efficient at converting gravitational energy into other forms of particle beams,” said Matthews.
Other UNM scientists participating in the research include Professor Michael Gold, Instrumentation Specialist Bill Miller and Post Doctorate Bernie Becker.
This particular field of study at UNM was initiated by Physics and Astronomy Professor John Linsley in the early-1960s when he set up an experiment on the West Mesa in Albuquerque. His concept of placing detectors spread out over a certain area is similar to the method used by the Pierre Auger group which captured records of cosmic ray showers through an array of 1,600 particle detectors placed 1.5 kilometers (approximately one mile