Student Employee of the Year Award nominations due April 4
Nominations are due for the first UNM Student Employee of the Year Award by Friday, April 4 at 5 p.m. Submit nominations to: Student Employee of the Year Award in a sealed envelope to the Student Employment Office, Mesa Vista Hall, north lower level.
Students employed through the office are eligible to participate in the awards contest and National Student Employment Week festivities sponsored by UNM’s Graduation Task Force Student Engagement Committee.
For awards, students will be judged on quality of work, initiative, reliability, and professionalism, uniqueness of contribution, community and campus service.
Employers are encouraged to recognize and celebrate the contributions of UNM’s student workforce in a variety of ways.
On Tuesday, April 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. refreshments and entertainment will be provided for student workers and their employers in the SUB Atrium. Limited space is available at a job fair for departments seeking 10 or more students for summer employment.
On Friday, April 18, at noon in the SUB Atrium is the Student Employee of the Year awards ceremony.
For more information, contact Naomi Schmierer, 277-6926.
Dr. Larry Esposito, principal investigator fo rthe Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer onboard the Cassini spacecraft now exploring the Saturn system, will provide a public lecture on “History of Saturn’s Rings.” The talk will be held Friday, April 4 at 7 p.m. in Regener Hall rm. 103. The talk will be accessible to any interested person, and everyone is invited.
Esposito is a world expert on rings surrounding other worlds, and the spectacular rings of Saturn, in particular. Esposito is the discoverer of Saturn’s “F Ring,” a faint outer ring sustained by two “shepherd moons,” made more famous by Irish artist Enya’s album of that name.
In his talk Dr. Esposito will reveal why Galileo, when first looking at Saturn through his telescope, thought that Saturn was “the planet with ears."
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Drivers using Redondo Drive on the west side of campus near Centennial Engineering Building construction will face possible delays over the next two weeks. Traffic will be blocked completely for 5 to 10 minutes at a time as workers maneuver heavy equipment on the construction site. Traffic disruption will begin Monday, March 31 and continue through Friday, April 11.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico Kiva Club sponsors the Larry Casuse Memorial Event 35th Anniversary, Sunday, March 30. The event begins in the University of New Mexico Student Union Building Ballrooms B & C with guest speakers at 5 p.m., followed by a 7:30 p.m. sunset vigil, and culminating with a reception at 8 p.m.
While a student at UNM, Casuse protested the appointment to the UNM Board of Regents of Gallup's mayor, Frankie Garcia, who owned Gallup area bars. Casuse believed Garcia was involved in a conflict of interest that led to exploitation and death of local native people. Following a series of protests that failed to prevent the mayor’s appointment to the Board of Regents, on Friday, March 1, 1973, in an effort to bring attention to the situation, Larry Casuse and Robert Nakaidinae kidnapped Garcia. In the aftermath, Casuse, then a 19-year-old UNM sophomore, was shot and killed.
The 5 p.m. guest speakers are Bob Nakaidinae, Marley Shebala and John Redhouse. They will share their personal remembrances of the event. “The Indian movement was then born…It was born because we must once again regain the balance of good and evil,” Casuse, a former Kiva Club president, said in a 1973 speech.
Kiva Club was founded at UNM in 1952. The organization raises campus and community awareness of native issues. For more information, call the Kiva Club at 277-7236, or email kiva@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico High School Equivalency Program begins a new intensive summer eight-week residential program to provide GED instruction and testing for its participants.
Summer program classes begin on Monday, June 2 and run through Friday, July 25. Approximately 20 students from across New Mexico between the ages of 18-24 will participate in the summer program.
The summer program also includes financial aid workshops, career exploration, leadership training, time management workshop, high ropes course, cultural events, community service projects, and UNM admissions process workshop and other UNM program info sessions. Once UNM HEP participants graduate with their GED, UNM HEP helps place the students into post-secondary institutions, job placement or the military.
Designed to assist 60 migrant and seasonal agricultural workers annually in obtaining their GED, UNM HEP is federally funded by the US Department of Education under the Office of Migrant Education. HEP has been in existence at UNM since 2002 and was awarded another five year grant in 2007.
For more information about the summer program at UNM or about HEP, call Susy Sarmiento at 505-277-0276.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico Center for the Southwest announces the 2008 C. Ruth and Calvin P. Horn Lecture in Western History featuring Sherry L. Smith, history professor and associate director of the Clements Center for Southwest Studies at Southern Methodist University. She will present, “Discovering the Nations Within: Indians, the Counterculture, and the New Left in the ‘Sixties’ West,” Thursday, April 3, at 5:30 p.m. in the Lobo Rooms A & B of the UNM Student Union Building. A reception will follow.
Photo: Sherry L. Smith
The C. Ruth and Calvin P. Horn Endowment Fund supports the C. Ruth and Calvin P. Horn Lectures in Western History and Culture, a distinguished lecture series now in its 23rd year. Calvin and Ruth’s vision for the series was to provide the campus and the larger community access to inspiring speakers who brought history to life by providing perspectives on the West.
By understanding the past we gain new insight into the history of such matters as land use, conservation, access to water, our regional identity, the creative arts and the actions of historical figures.
Past lectures have highlighted well-known western historians such as Paul Hutton, Patricia Nelson Limerick, Marc Simmons, David Weber, Vicki Ruiz, Philip Deloria and Hal Rothman. The late Calvin Horn was one of New Mexico’s most beloved civic leaders. Calvin and Ruth shared a passion for learning and became lead supporters of Manzano Day School and the University of New Mexico.
The lecture is free and open to the public. For information, contact the Center for the Southwest, in the UNM Department of History, at 277-7688, or e-mail, cntrsw@unm.edu
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
‘Building a Bright Future’ to help with new building
‘The Stars Among Us,’ the 2008 College of Education gala, will be held Saturday, April 5 at 6 p.m. in Ballroom C at the UNM Student Union Building. This year’s theme, “Building a Bright Future,” will help fund the CoE’s new Education Office and Classroom Building.
This fun and exciting black tie optional event will include wonderful food, libations, entertainment and a silent auction. Additionally, the Distinguished Alumni Awards and the third Chester C. Travelstead Endowed Faculty Fellowship for Teacher Education award will also be announced at the gala.
“The Gala is a wonderful opportunity to honor those individuals who have been recognized with Distinguished Alumni Awards and the Chester C. Travelstead Endowed Faculty Fellowship for Teacher Education award; as well as to give attendees a first look at some of the COE new building plans,” said Andrew Lipman, CoE development officer. “Those attending will also be treated to entertaining jazz piano with Stu MacAskie and Albuquerque Poetry Slammers.”
The 2008 gala will be dedicated to raising funds for the new education office and classroom building. The plans for, CoE’s Phase II Classrooms, will help replace lost classroom space when the old education classroom building was demolished; utilize a multi-use concept with education classes in the evenings and UNM over-enrolled courses during the daytime hours; modernization that meets new technological demands; consolidation of faculty, staff and students to increase and enhance communication; and allow for new accessibility options for students with disabilities.
The recipients of the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Awards include J. Placido Garcia, Jr. and Debra M. Sandoval-Woodward.
J. Placido Garcia, Jr.
The son of a well-respected educator and superintendent of the Socorro Consolidated Schools, Dr. Garcia began his career in education as a classroom teacher in Los Lunas in 1968. His experience includes work with the Socorro Consolidated Schools, Albuquerque Job Corps for Women, Albuquerque Public Schools, Bureau of Educational Planning and Development at UNM, New Mexico Research and Study Council at UNM and Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute.
Garcia has served on numerous boards and commissions including the UNM College of Education Advancement Council, Higher Learning Commission of the Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the New Mexico Diversity Leadership Council Board of Directors. He has also authored a number of publications including Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation, ‘The student evaluation standards: how to improved evaluation of students’ in 2003.
Garcia earned his BA in secondary education (1969), his MA in secondary education and educational administration (1972) and his Ph.D. in educational administration (1976) all from UNM.
Debra M. Sandoval-Woodward
Currently an art teacher with Level III dual certification at Belen High School, Sandoval-Woodward has been an educator in Central New Mexico for more than 25 years. Sandoval-Woodward earned her BA in Fine Arts an MA both from UNM. She began her teaching career as an art teacher at Menaul High School in Albuquerque. She has also taught at school districts in Belen, Bernalillo and Los Lunas.
Her teaching accomplishments also include a Graduate Tuition Fellowship from the Art Education Department; Teacher of the Year Award (1995); and as a finalist for the 2008 Golden Apple Award, given to the top teachers in New Mexico.
In addition to being an excellent teacher, Sandoval-Woodward is also an accomplished artist having exhibited her arts and crafts at galleries and stores in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, as well as New York City and Los Angeles.
Tickets for the event are $50 per person or $80 for couples. For more information about the event or to make reservations contact Margaret Duran, CoE development specialist at (505) 277-0835.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Cornell Thomas, a candidate for University of New Mexico vice president of Equity and Inclusion, will be on campus, Monday, March 31. A faculty, staff, student open forum is scheduled from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the SUB Acoma Room. Carmen Coustaut, who was scheduled for a campus visit Friday, March 28, cancelled due to illness. She will be rescheduled.
Thomas earned a bachelor’s in music education from the University of Missouri in St. Louis; his master’s in music education from Jackson State University; and his Ed.D. in educational administration, from Texas A&M University.
From 1990–2005, Thomas was professor in the School of Education and special assistant to the chancellor for Diversity and Community at Texas Christian University where he served also served as the university’s affirmative action and Title IX officer.
Prior, he spent four years as a principal with the Dallas Independent School District, two years as an assistant principal, and six years as a teacher.
Thomas is currently vice president of Institutional Diversity at Oklahoma State University where he is responsible for institutional initiatives related to increasing and maintaining diversity within the university community and system, and fostering equal opportunity for all students, faculty and staff.
He is also responsible for assessing, developing, implementing and monitoring university-wide goals and activities designed to improve and promote educational equity and diversity, including the recruitment and retention of minority undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and personnel at all levels.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales (505) 277-5920; cgonzal@unm.edu
Interim UNM Provost Viola Florez announced that Leo Romero, former dean of the UNM School of Law and current law professor, will serve as interim dean of the School of Law effective May 18. Romero will serve in that capacity for the 2008-2009 academic year while UNM conducts a national search for a new permanent dean.
“Leo brings to the position many years of experience as dean and as a faculty member and I am confident that he will provide excellent leadership to the school during his interim role,” Florez said.
Romero previously served as associate dean for Academic Affairs before spending six years as dean of the School of Law. He drafted the “Rules of Procedure Governing Judicial Nominating Commissions” and oversaw the development of this process for selecting judges in New Mexico during his duties as chair of the New Mexico Judicial Selection Commission.
During his time as dean, Romero focused his efforts on expanding the Indian Law Program and the school's International Law course offerings. His efforts led to the establishment of an Indian Law Certificate program and the Southwest Indian Law Clinic. He also helped develop the “U.S.-Mexico Law Journal,” and fostered exchange programs with the University of Granada in Spain, and with law schools in Mexico and Canada under NAFTA.
Romero currently teaches criminal law and procedure classes at the UNM School of Law. His recent publications have dealt with judicial selection issues.
Before joining the University of New Mexico School of Law, Romero practiced criminal law in Washington, D.C., and began his teaching career at the Penn State University Dickinson School of Law as director of clinical studies.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816. E-Mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
Three finalists have been selected for vice president for enrollment management at the University of New Mexico. The candidates are Terry Babbitt, Betty J. Huff and Carmen Alvarez Brown. In accordance with UNM policy, they have been invited to visit campus for interviews with faculty, staff, students and administrators. The interview schedule follows.
If and when others are selected as finalists, they will be notified and asked to participate in the on-campus interview process. UNM will make their names known at that time.
Terry Babbitt will meet faculty, staff, students and the community during an open forum on Friday, March 28, 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Student Union Building, Trailblazer Spirit room. Babbitt has served as UNM interim vice president for enrollment management since July.
Prior to his current appointment, Babbitt served UNM as associate vice president of enrollment management from 2006-07, director of admissions and recruitments services from 2005 to the present, and director of recruitment and outreach services from 1997-2005. He was also director of prospective student services from 1992-97 and director of alumni volunteer programs from 1993-97 at the University of Oklahoma and director of high school/college relations from 1990-92 at East Central University.
Babbitt is a lecturer in UNM’s University College. He earned a bachelor’s in business administration in 1987 from the University of Oklahoma, a bachelor’s in education in 1989 and master’s in human resources in 1992 from East Central University, and a doctorate of education in 2007 from UNM.
Betty J. Huff will meet faculty, staff, students and the community during an open forum on Monday, March 31, 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Student Union Building, Lobo rooms A and B. Huff currently serves as assistant vice chancellor for enrollment services and management at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
From 1997-99, Huff served as assistant vice president for enrollment services at California State University, East Bay. She was also registrar at the University of Kentucky from 1995-97, executive director of enrollment services at California State University, San Marcos from 1990-95, registrar and director of enrollment services at Southeastern Louisiana University from 1988-90, registrar and director of admissions at Louisiana State University, Shreveport from 1984-87, acting dean and associate dean of students at the University of New Orleans from 1981-84, and assistant registrar at the University of Georgia from 1977-81.
Huff was selected as a Fulbright scholar in 1994. She earned a bachelor’s in English in 1973 from the University of South Alabama, and both a master’s in education in 1978 and A.B.D. for doctoral study in public administration in 1981 at the University of Georgia.
Carmen Alvarez Brown will meet faculty, staff, students and the community during an open forum on Tuesday, April 1, 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Student Union Building, Lobo rooms A and B. Alvarez Brown currently serves as assistant vice president for enrollment management and director of undergraduate admissions at Florida International University.
Prior to her current appointments, Alvarez Brown served at FIU as director of admissions from 1989-2002, state articulating officer from 1990-98, associate director of admissions from 1984-89, director of international and graduate admissions from 1976-84, coordinator for international admissions from 1974-76, and admissions evaluator from 1972-1974. She also served the U.S. Agency for International Development Presidential Training Initiative for the Island Caribbean/United School of America Contractors as program manager from 1987-88 and training development specialist from 1986-87.
Alvarez Brown is proficient in written and oral Spanish and English. She earned a bachelor’s in liberal studies in 1975 and master’s in adult education in 1980 from FIU.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales (505) 277-5920; cgonzal@unm.edu
Melanie Sparks, director, University of New Mexico Bookstore, was installed as president of the National Association of College Stores, the professional trade association representing the nation’s $11 billion higher education retailing industry.
Photo: Melanie Sparks
She succeeds William P. Simpson, president and general manager of the University of Connecticut’s UConn Co-op.
As president, Sparks leads in governance of the association’s more than 4,000 members, directing the organization toward its strategic mission to enhance college stores through education, advocacy and utilization of new technologies.
Sparks has been active in regional and national association activities, serving on numerous NACS committees, and joined in the Board of Trustees in 2002. Sparks is also 2007-08 president of the New Mexico College Bookstore Association.
Headquartered in Oberlin, Ohio, the National Association of College Stores represents more than 3,100 collegiate retailers and approximately 1,100 associate members who supply books and other products to college stores.
NACS member stores daily serve America’s college students while supporting the academic missions of higher education institutions everywhere.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
UNM President David J. Schmidly recently hosted a reception for members of the ISTEC board of directors at University House. The board, with members from Latin America and the United States, meets at UNM this week to report on 2007 activities and plan and budget for 2008 initiatives.
Schmidly said, “We are proud to host the ISTEC board of directors for their annual meeting and to have ISTEC call UNM home. One of my goals is to expand international initiatives to include dual degree opportunities so that students can earn both a UNM degree and one from a school abroad. This will help us grow the number of students taking advantage of study abroad.”
ISTEC, the Ibero-American Science and Technology Education Consortium, was founded at UNM in 1990 and is housed at UNM in Hokona Hall. ISTEC is a non-profit organization made up of education, research, industry and multilateral organizations throughout the Americas and the Iberian Peninsula.
The consortium was established to foster scientific, engineering and technology education, joint international research and development efforts among its members, and to provide a cost-effective vehicle for the application and transfer of technology.
“Through ISTEC, 120 universities advance the acquisition of and use of technology for research and education,” said Theo Crevenna, UNM special advisor on Latin America and Iberia. He said ISTEC also provides training and workshops on use of technology and technology transfer.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales (505) 277-5920; cgonzal@unm.edu
Deepak Chopra will discuss health, politics and his latest book, “The Third Jesus” on KNME’s “New Mexico In Focus,” airing on KNME-TV Channel 5 Friday, March 28 at 7 p.m. and repeating at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 30.
Co-hosted by Albuquerque Journal columnist Gene Grant and Santa Fe Reporter’s Alire Garcia, “New Mexico in Focus” looks at social, political, economic, health, education and arts issues beyond “news of the moment.”
Guest panelist Terry Bruner, state director for Senator Jeff Bingaman-D, joins In Focus’s regular panelists – UNM Law School Professor Margaret Montoya, Scott Darnell, communications director for the Republican Party of New Mexico, Jim Scarantino, Weekly Alibi, and co-host, and panel moderator, Gene Grant to tackle the political correctness battle, the politics of “change” and the fight over the future of public TV.
'New Mexico in Focus' discussions are unedited, however in some programs, certain segments may run long. They can be viewed in their entirety at:
http://www.knme.org/newmexicoinfocus.
'New Mexico in Focus" is KNME's primetime news magazine covering events, issues and people shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest.
The show's producer is Kevin McDonald. Support for “New Mexico In Focus” is provided by the 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.
The University of New Mexico has contracted with Livingston Associates to assist in an executive search for the KNME-TV general manager. Tom Livingston will be at KNME-TV to meet with key stakeholders from co-licensed partners, University of New Mexico and Albuquerque Public Schools, Monday, March 31 and Tuesday, April 1.
Community members interested in participating in the process may attend the open forum on Tuesday, April 1 from 1 - 1:50 p.m. in the boardroom at KNME-TV, 1130 University Blvd. NE. Others attending that session include the pledge on-air talent and the community advisor consultant.
Tom Livingston is a public media consultant with 35 years of experience. His company, Livingston Associates, has provided executive search and consulting services to more than 150 public media clients including National Public Radio, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and local stations with services including executive search, strategy, facilitation and professional coaching. Livingston served two terms as vice chairman of the National Public Radio board of directors.
The current KNME-TV General Manager, Ted A. Garcia, was named senior vice president of television content for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Garcia begins his new position July 1.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
“Latinos and the Law,” a class offered by the University of New Mexico School of Law, holds an open discussion about Senator Barack Obama’s recent speech on race relations, Wednesday, March 26 from 3-5 p.m. in the School of Law Forum Room on UNM’s north campus. The class is open to the public.
"Sen. Obama prompted all of us to engage in conversations about race. Having struggled over decades to create a student body that includes constituencies and racial groups that are frequently absent from the national debate, UNM can be a national leader on these issues,” said UNM Law Professor Margaret Montoya, teaching the “Latinos and the Law” class. “Moreover, because law and race are so closely intertwined, the School of Law is well positioned to accept Sen. Obama's invitation and create venues for these discussions."
Class will begin with a student-led discussion, members of the public will then be asked to participate. Students have previously written papers using concepts and analytical methodology from Critical Race Theory, which will be used to start the discussion.
For members of the public attending the class on Wednesday who are unfamiliar with the theory the students will be discussing, the concepts of Critical Race Theory include:
1. Race is ordinary not aberrational; it's difficult to remedy.
2. Racism and its remedies are characterized by "interest convergence"--it advances the interests of elites (materially and financially) as well as the working class (psychically).
3. Race is socially constructed--it's not biological but rather is the result of social relations.
4. Racial formations are not static--different groups are “racialized” in different ways in different plDavid Brookshire at different times.
5. Race is intersectional--persons do not have a unitary identity; instead race, gender, class, sexuality, etc create complexity because of competing and conflicting commitments, preferences and choices.
6. Race is performative--people have different ways of giving expression to their identities through their appearance (cornrows vs Afros), communication styles ("accentless" English vs. Spanglish), lifestyles (living in white neighborhood vs. living in barrio) and these are often coded with race.
UNM students, staff and faculty are invited along with the general public to attend this open class and be part of the discussion. For more information, contact Montoya at montoya@law.unm.edu.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816. E-Mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
On Monday, March 31 UNM Parking and Transportation Services (PATS) will award Lobo Bikes to 10 various UNM Departments by drawing winners out of a selection pool. In order to be eligible, UNM Departments had to enter the drawing during a month-long campaign to cultivate interest in the PATS bike-share program. The drawing will take place at Parking & Transportation Services at 11 a.m.
Funded by a UNM World of Wellness Grant, the Lobo Bikes program is intended to reduce traffic on campus, reduce emissions, and provide a fun and healthy way for departments to conduct business around campus.
“A bicycle is a short-cut and reduces traffic congestion around campus. Using a Lobo Bike can both reduce emissions and greenhouse gases, and also get you where you need to go with more efficiency,” Cynthia Martin, PATS Program Planning Manager said referring to the limited parking available on campus.
For more information visit the Lobo Bikes page from http://pats.unm.edu or contact Danielle Gilliam at 277-0461 or dgilliam@parking.unm.edu.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
Department to be honored April 10 at awards ceremony
The Human Resources Division at the University of New Mexico received Piñon Recognition for commitment from Quality New Mexico recently. Piñon Recognitions are given to companies or organizations demonstrating organizational use of systematic processes for improved outcomes. UNM is one of 21 total companies and organizations qualifying for best practices honors.
All recipients will be honored at the 2008 Quality New Mexico Conference and New Mexico Quality Awards Ceremony April 10-11 at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The awards ceremony will be held Thursday, April 10.
“We're honored to accept the Quality New Mexico Piñon Recognition,” said Helen Gonzales, vice president, Human Resources. “The Human Resources staff have worked very hard on this process and have learned many valuable new skills. We've learned a lot about our strengths and the areas we need to focus on to achieve lasting results. We're committed to continuing the journey to performance excellence."
The "Cycle 2" group, which UNM is a part, includes four that have earned Roadrunner Recognition for demonstrating significant progress in building sound and systematic processes and in attaining improved organizational outcomes.
Quality New Mexico administers the New Mexico Quality Awards that are modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards. The NMQA program assesses and recognizes organizations at three levels: Zia Award for performance excellence, Roadrunner Recognition for progress, and Piñon Recognition for commitment. Join us and become "Committed to a State of Excellence."
A three-hour keynote interactive session by Jim Collins, author of ‘Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Other’s Don’t’ and ‘Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies,” headlines the agenda on Friday, April 11.
For more information about Quality New Mexico, the New Mexico Quality Awards process or the conference and awards ceremony call, (505) 944-2001 or visit: Quality New Mexico.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The impact of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal on the United States and in New Mexico is still felt today. To help understand FDR’s influence on history, both locally and nationally, a special six-city tour, “The Impact of the New Deal on the United States and New Mexico,” by scholar Richard Marold portraying Roosevelt is set on Monday, April 14, at 7 p.m. in University of New Mexico-Gallup’s Calvin Hall Auditorium.
This Chautauqua Lecture Series presentation marks the 75th anniversary of the New Deal, a program Roosevelt established to bring the United States out of the Depression. Some of the programs launched in that era (1933-1945) were the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps, which had a huge impact on New Mexico and the nation.
Sponsors of this lecture series include the New Mexico Humanities Council, the Historical Society of New Mexico and the Achieving the Dream grant initiative of UNM-Gallup.
The Chautauqua Institution was founded in 1874 near the village of Chautauqua, N.Y., as an educational experiment in out-of-school, vacation learning. Today the institution offers many programs in the humanities at varying levels, from summer learner to professional.
For more information, contact Bernadette Fontenelle at UNM-Gallup, 863-7771.
UW vice provost and graduate dean hailed as “Champion of Diversity”
UNM President David J. Schmidly today announced the selection of University of Washington Vice Provost and Graduate Dean Suzanne Trager Ortega as UNM’s Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, culminating a six-month nationwide search.
Photo: Suzanne Trager Ortega
“Dr. Ortega has been a champion of diversity at each of the universities that have been fortunate to have her in major leadership positions, each of them nationally recognized AAU institutions,” said Schmidly in an open letter to the UNM community. “She’s an inquisitive and tireless researcher, an award-winning teacher, and a respected contributor to countless university committees and professional associations. I think she’ll be a perfect fit for UNM as we build on our position as one of the nation’s leading centers for Hispanic and Native American learning to achieve AAU recognition ourselves.”
Schmidly said Ortega would begin her duties at UNM on August 1.
Ortega is excited by the possibilities presented by UNM. “UNM is leading the way for what the great 21st century research universities must become – student centered, community engaged, and enriched by the imagination and talents of the diverse students, staff, and faculty who comprise it. It is a true privilege to be able to join this remarkable university.”
Search committee chair Dr. Julia Fulghum, chair of chemical and nuclear engineering, said the committee was pleased with the high level of interest in the position and the outstanding pool of candidates. She said Ortega received glowing evaluations from across the university community. “Dr. Ortega will be an articulate voice for academic affairs, both within the university and in the external community. She understands that diversity and academic excellence are complementary rather than competing, and is the ideal person to advance our educational and research missions.”
Dr. Ortega began her academic career at Brevard Junior College in Florida and Austin Peay State University in Tennessee before obtaining a Masters of Arts and Doctorate in Sociology at Vanderbilt, where she also served as a Research Assistant Professor.
After 15 years on the Sociology faculty at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, she was named to a succession of senior academic positions before being named Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in 1995, a position she held for five years. She was Vice Provost for Advanced Studies and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri – Columbia, and presently serves as Vice Provost and Graduate Dean at the University of Washington, where she is also Chair of the Graduate Record Exam Board. She is also a member of the Council of Graduate Schools Advisory Committee on Graduate Education and American Competitiveness. Throughout her administrative career, she has continued to teach, research and publish in the field of Sociology.
Dr. Ortega’s curriculum vitae can be found at: Suzanne Trager Ortega curriculum vitae.
Media Contact: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1807 or cell (505) 362-5530; e-mail: mckinsey@unm.edu
Patrick Burns, author of 'In the Shadow of Los Alamos,' will be the UNM Bookstore Saturday, April 12 at 2 p.m. to discuss and sign copies of the book, recently released in paperback. Burns is a singer, songwriter and music teacher in northern New Mexico.
Book cover: 'In the Shadow of Los Alamos' by Patrick Burns.
At the age of 35, in 1928, Edith Warner moved from Pennsylvania to northern New Mexico. She found a house to rent “in the shadow of Los Alamos.”
Warner’s neighbors soon made regular visits to her “tearoom,” getting acquainted, and introducing her to their world and culture. These friends included San Ildefonso Indians and later, in the 1940s, the scientists who arrived to work at the nearby top-secret Los Alamos Lab, including Robert Oppenheimer and Neils Bohr.
Now available in paperback and published by the University of New Mexico Press, In the Shadow of Los Alamos: Selected Writings of Edith Warner presents her essays, journals and incomplete autobiography that survived in spite of her instructions they be burned upon her death. Burns’s useful introduction outlines Warner’s life and sets it in local and historical context, along with a collection of period photographs and a facsimile of Edith’s famous chocolate cake recipe.
Through her writings, readers are offered a look at this modest woman whose friendships with Pueblo Indians and atomic scientists epitomize the paradoxes of life in New Mexico.
For more information, contact Lisa Walden, general book manager, (505) 277-7494 or e-mail lwalden@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Miriam Sagan will be at the UNM Bookstore Wednesday, April 9 at noon to discuss and sign ‘Map of the Lost,’ (Mary Burritt Christiansen Poetry) as part of the UNM Bookstore’s “Wednesdays at Noon Poetry Series” running through the end of April. The UNM Bookstore is located on campus at 2301 Central Ave. N.E.
Book cover: 'Map of the Lost' by Miriam Sagan.
Sagan was born in Manhattan, raised in New Jersey, and educated in Boston. She holds a bachelor’s with honors from Harvard University and a master’s in creative writing from Boston University. She settled in Santa Fe in 1984.
Sagan is the author of more than 20 books. Her most recent is a memoir, ‘”Searching for a Mustard Seed: A Young Widow's Unconventional Story,” (Quality Words in Print, 2004. Winner best Memoir from Independent Publishers, 2004).
Her poetry includes Rag Trade (La Alameda 2004), The Widow’s Coat (Ahsahta Press, 1999), and The Art of Love (La Alameda Press, 1994).
Sagan directs the creative writing program at Santa Fe Community College, and has taught at the College of Santa Fe, University of New Mexico, Taos Institute of the Arts, Aspen Writer’s Conference, around the country, online for writers.com and UCLA Extension.
She has held residency grants at Yaddo and MacDowell, and is the recipient of a grant from The Barbara Deming Foundation/Money for Women and a Lannan Foundation Marfa Residency.
For more information, contact Lisa Walden, general book manager, (505) 277-7494 or e-mail lwalden@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Indigenous Graduate Students’ Conference, April 3 and 4
Indigenous graduate students from various international institutions will share their research in “Planting Seeds of Our Research,” a conference on indigenous/American Indian/Native American methodologies and interdisciplinary work at UNM, Thursday and Friday, April 3-4.
Among discussion topics is the Buffalo as a System of Knowledge and Creativity, Kenya-Africa Indigenous Science in Curriculum, Nanishagi Ruins and Jemez Pueblo, the Degradation of Okanagan Water Systems, Xicana Indigena, Northwest Coast Long QT Syndrome and the Power of Stories in Tribal Archives.
In addition, indigenous undergraduate students at UNM present their research projects in a poster session and hold a silent auction at the dinner on Thursday evening. Gerald Vizenor (Anishinaabe), a prolific author and American Studies professor at UNM, will deliver the keynote address Thursday evening.
“The conference is expected to draw indigenous students from across North America including Canada, many of whom are likely interested in applying to graduate programs or in teaching at UNM,” said Beverly Singer, UNM anthropology professor and event organizer.
Sipapu Secular is a conference jointly sponsored by the Institute for American Indian Research (IfAIR) under the UNM College of Arts and Sciences, Native American Studies, Society of Native American Graduate Students, Native American Studies Indigenous Research Group and the Indigenous Nations Library Program.
The conference is free and open to the public. Registration is required for the Thursday dinner and Friday luncheon. Registration forms are available at: IFAIR.
For more information, contact Beverly Singer (505) 277-3027; or e-mail to mesa@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico’s Office of Career Services and School of Architecture and Planning invite host the Architecture and Planning Career Fair 2008, Wednesday, April 2 from 5 – 7:30 p.m. in George Pearl Hall.
The event serves as the main networking event for UNM architecture, landscape architecture, and planning students, as well as alumni and community members to learn about internships and full-time employment opportunities with local and regional firms and employers of in these professions.
This is an opportunity for job seekers to connect with multiple employers in one day. Job seekers should come prepared, professionally dressed and with plenty of copies of their resume.
The following businesses and organizations will be represented at the fair:
Dekker/Perich/Sabatini
FBT Architects
IDC Architects/Ch2M Hill
Kells & Craig Architects
Reid & Associates
SMPC Architects
UNM AFROTC
US Army Corps of Engineers
Van Gilbert Architect, PC
Wilson & Company, Inc.
For more information about the Architecture and Planning Career Fair, call UNM Career Services at 277-2531.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Internationally renowned human rights activist and photographer Alan Pogue will be speaking at the University of New Mexico’s Student Union Building on Wednesday, March 26, at 7 p.m. Pogue is speaking at UNM as a guest of the UNM Peace Studies and University Honors programs.
Pogue’s photographs have appeared in newspapers and magazines throughout the world, from Japan’s Asahi Shinbum to the UK’s Independent and the Washington Post. Recently, the University of Texas Press published a coffee table book with over 100 photographs representing Pogue’s body of work called “Witness for Justice.”
A former Vietnam battlefield medic prior to becoming a photographer, Pogue will show pictures he has taken throughout his 40 years of photography during his lecture, entitled “Connecting the Dots and Focusing on a Peaceful Future: Vietnam, El Salvador, Haiti, Iraq, Palestine, the U.S./Mexico Border and Death Row.”
Not long after returning from Vietnam in 1968, Pogue began working with migrant farm workers in south Texas while Cesar Chavez was organizing in that area for wage and working condition reform.
Since that time, Pogue has traveled repeatedly to Iraq, worked among Afghani refugees in Pakistan, and documented the continued struggle between Palestinians and Israelis. He was in Haiti during the time of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and after the president was deposed by rebels. Over the years Pogue has also documented prison conditions in the United States and South America, and on Death Row in Texas.
In addition to his lecture, Pogue will also guest teach two Peace Studies classes on Thursday, March 27. The first class, “Causes of Crime,” is at 9:30 a.m. in room 328 of Dane Smith Hall, and the second class, “Nonviolent Alternatives,” is at 11 a.m. in room 132 of Dane Smith Hall. Pogue will also be signing copies of his book “Witness for Justice” at Barnes and Noble in Coronado Mall at 7 p.m. Thursday evening.
These events are co-sponsored by the University of New Mexico Peace Studies Program, University Honors Program and the UNM campus chapter of Amnesty International, as well as Veterans for Peace and the Albuquerque Peace and Justice Coalition.
For more information, please contact Stuart Heady at (928) 724-3091.
Students returned from spring break to find more study room at Zimmerman Library in the reopened basement study area. The remodeled and refurbished basement now includes more study rooms for students, remodeled offices for staff, and compact shelving that will help handle the university’s growing collections.
In addition there are more computer work stations for students. Library Dean Martha Bedard says student demand for computer time is steadily increasing and that has required some change in library policy.
Most library computers will now require a UNM ID for access. There will continue to be some computers in every library for public use, but Bedard says the intent is to allow students priority use of the computers and reduce the wait time for access.
The reopening comes nearly two years after a serious fire burned portions of the periodical collections and sent smoke and soot throughout the building. Last fall, when the basement area was nearly ready for public use, a test of the new fire suppression system caused a water line to burst, and extensive flooding required extensive remodeling.
Now the books are back in the basement area, students have found the new computer stations and all public areas of Zimmerman Library are open.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Proceeds to help support Popejoy Hall and its education programs including the Schooltime Series
Popejoy Hall’s 'April In Paris' is coming to the Hyatt Regency in downtown Albuquerque on Sunday, April 6 from 5 to 9 p.m. Sponsored by Bank of America and Magic 99.5 FM, the event features plenty of food and beverage, a silent auction, and entertainment that includes a cabaret supper show.
Image: Popejoy Hall to celebrate 'April in Paris.'
The silent auction features a variety of gifts and services including several Oriental rugs, weekend packages, advertising packages, artwork, home décor items and much more.
Music is provided by the Steve Figueroa Ensemble, with vocalists Hilary Smith and Tommy Gearhart. Others in the band are Milo Jaramillo on bass, John Bartlitt on drums and Glen Kostur on clarinet. Figueroa and his ensemble will play jazz standards as well as French and French-themed music.
Everyone who pays for a seat to the gala gets a ticket in this year’s raffle. The prize for the raffle is a trip for two to Paris (airline tickets and hotel accommodations). Extra tickets for the raffle are available at $50 each by calling 277-2139. The prize will be awarded the night of the gala.
The evening’s cuisine will be provided by eight of Albuquerque’s favorite restaurants: The Artichoke Café, Cake Fetish, McGrath's at the Hyatt, The Melting Pot, The Range Café, Savoy Bar & Grill, Seasons Rotisserie & Grill, Standard Diner and Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro. Wines are provided courtesy of Vin Iberian Wine Merchants, a New Mexico Corporation.
Tickets are $150 per person for the entire evening or $1,500 for a priority table of 10. To make reservations, call 277-2139.
Proceeds support Popejoy Hall and its education programs including the Schooltime Series that brings more than 33,000 K-12 students and teachers annually to Popejoy, and the Senior Program offering free tickets to low-income senior citizens.
For more information visit: April in Paris.
Media Contact: Terry Davis, (505) 277-9451; e-mail: tdavis@unm.edu
The 2008 Game Developers Conference may have seen more involvement from New Mexico's game development community than ever before, with attendees from the University of New Mexico, Game Production Services, Sandia National Labs and others. The next Rio Grande Game Developers meeting, to be held at the UNM ARTS Lab on Wednesday, March 26, 6-8:30 p.m., will focus on thoughts, experiences and lessons learned from the GDC.
Participants will also be checking in with each other on current and ongoing projects and discussing what members can do to build the game development community and opportunities for budding game developers here in New Mexico.
The UNM ARTS Lab is located at 131 Pine St., NW, one block west of University Boulevard and half a block north of Central Avenue. The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information, email ewhitmore@gmail.com.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
Last year, the University of New Mexico Information Technology Services (ITS) department announced expansion of wireless internet services for parts of UNM’s main campus. Today, wireless Internet access is now available to more than 65 percent of the UNM main campus, as part of the UNM Wireless Expansion Project.
“A year ago, the UNM student body chose campus-wide wireless as its legislative initiative for that coming year,” said Paula Loendorf, director of IT Services for ITS Communications Network Services. “UNM was fortunate to receive a contribution of $750,000 from the New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union (NMEFCU) to begin installation of wireless coverage on campus.”
In 2007, nearly 2,000 students responded to an online survey ITS conducted to determine their priority areas for wireless internet service. The staff at ITS then split the campus into clusters and developed a plan to provide access to those areas students said were most important to them.
This access is intended to provide wireless Internet coverage for outdoor areas around campus, as well as building lobbies and conference rooms. However this does not necessarily provide total wireless coverage to each building.
Prior to the infusion of funding from the NMEFCU, a wireless standard was developed by network administrators from around campus. This standard is based on industry best practices and is designed to ensure that IT resources are effectively managed in support of the University’s mission. The intent of the standard is to protect computers and other electronic devices connected to the UNM network; to provide a consistent experience for wireless users and to reduce interference throughout the air space on campus.
ITS staff, including students hired to assist with the ambitious project, are working with IT agents from various divisions in each of the six clusters to ensure a smooth implementation of the new wireless system. The wireless expansion project, which will continue through August 2009, will be using the new UNM Wireless Standards/.
This is the most recent achievement in ITS’s plan to provide wireless internet access to students across main campus.
“Research has shown that technology is a factor in a student’s decision of what college they attend,” Loendorf added. “If UNM does not meet the expectations of these 18-25 year-olds, they will go elsewhere.”
For more information, please visit: ITS Wireless.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
Suffering from spring fever? Take a tree tour. UNM’s main campus is a nationally recognized arboretum. The dark shapes everyone rushed past during the long winter months are actually trees and shrubs – more than 300 species, many marked by green tags bearing their common and Latin names.
The sidewalks near the duck pond, for example, wind beneath more than a dozen varieties of mature trees: Japanese Pagodas, spruce, catalpa, olive, locust, flowering cherry, two species of willow and three varieties of pine. One of the hallmarks of a botanic collection is its concentration of diversity. A few more steps lead past an impressive patch of prickles: one of Albuquerque’s early xeric plantings, Castetter’s vintage 1940 cactus collection.
The south side of Scholes Hall is home to a venerable stand of Rio Grande Cottonwoods (Populus fremontii ‘Wislizenii’). Near a conspicuous bald patch are two new rustic benches.
“The tree finally lost its integrity and had to be taken down,” said Bryan Suhr, arborculture supervisor. “We asked and were given permission to slab it (create rough lumber from the trunk)… We did not count the rings – there were too many. It was 53-55 years old, a very respectable age for its kind.”
Strictly speaking, the term arboretum refers to trees, but UNM boasts many varieties of greenery worth admiring. The winter jasmine that line the tennis courts are already a frenzy of yellow, and by the end of the month, the huge beds of daffodils around University House should be worth the hike. The ranks of Bradford Pears along the Terrace Mall will soon be leafy and gorgeous, and the wisteria arching over the entrance to the education buildings will start to unfurl. As spring progresses, keep an eye out for blossoming crabapples, cherries and lilacs.
For self-guided tours, visit: Campus Arboretum Tour.
Story by Dottie Webb
Composers from around the world are coming to UNM to present new musical compositions at the 37th Annual John Donald Robb Composers’ Symposium. Concerts will be held Sunday, March 30-Wednesday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m., and Tuesday, April 1 at 2 p.m. in Keller Hall, Center for the Arts. Two additional concerts will be held in the main lobby of the Center for the Arts on Sunday, March 30 at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. There will also be opportunities to meet composers and attend lectures and seminars Monday-Wednesday. All events are free and open to the public.
The Composer’s Symposium is one of the longest on-going festivals of new music in the world, and one that has attained a regional, national and international reputation. It is named in honor of John Donald Robb, who served as dean of the College of Fine Arts from 1942-1957.
The 2008 symposium will feature the music of Gordon Mumma, the final composer in a three year series featuring prominent members of the famous ONCE festivals in Ann Arbor, Mich. Mumma, an early innovator in the field of live electronics, composed and performed for many years with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.
Sunday night’s concert features a performance of contemporary Italian and American composers by Ensemble-in-Residence Duo Alterno.
Other participating composers include Daniel Lentz, Carlo Alessandro Landini and Riccardo Piancentini from Italy, D.J. Wolf from Germany, Yvonne Lee from Massachusetts and Anne Guzzo from Wyoming. Dawn Chambers, Richard Cameron-Wolfe and John Kennedy will also have works performed and UNM composers Richard Hermann, Patricia Repar, Panaiotis, Paul Lombardi, Christopher Shultis and William Wood will have new works premiered as part of the festival.
Steve Peters will present this year’s sound installation, “Filtered Light (Chamber Music 4),” at the UNM Art Museum. “Yada, Yada, Yada: video and music installation” by Panaiotis and Jennifer Predock-Linnell will be on view in the Center for the Arts main lobby.
Topics of daytime seminars include “Composers and the World Wide Web,” “Composition for Beginning Students,” “The ONCE Festival: A Model for the Future?,” and “Composition in a Virtual Reality Environment.”
An event schedule is available at: 2008 Composers Symposium.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
The 2008 Words Afire Festival will premiere plays by national award winners in UNM’s Dramatic Writing Program. This year’s Festival includes Greek tragedies and comedies told through a New Mexico lens, stories of a search for redemption, longing for connection in outer space, struggle to find justice in genocide, a send up of the use of land grants and panic on Central Avenue. All performances will be in UNM’s Rodey Theatre and Experimental Theatre, Center for the Arts, April 17-27.
Adaptations of classic Greek plays include “Pajaros de Mi Sangre: My Blood Birds” by Don Garcia, based on Aristophanes’ “The Birds;” “The Medea Complex” by Patricia Crespin, based on Euripides’ “Medea;” “Aurora: an Adaptation of Alcestis” by Leonard Madrid; and “NUMUNU WAIIPU – THE COMANCHE WOMEN” by Terry Gomez, based on Euripides’ “The Trojan Women.”
There is an evening of one act plays: “Connect: Unravel” by Kamarie Chapman, “April Disappears into Thin Air” by Shannon Rogers and new work by Marz Mráz, “The Feather,” which follows the life of a young man from New Mexico who survives a siege during the Vietnam War through the magic of a feather given to him by his wife.
“PANIC” (the Central Street Project) by Amber Cannon, Theodore Jackson, Magdalene Gallegos and Danae Lopez, marks the first time the festival has commissioned a project. “PANIC” is being written by a group of playwrights who are building an evening off of a common theme.
Special guests for the 2008 Words Afire Festival are directors Scott Vehill and Sheila Tousey and designer Justin Townsend.
Tickets are $15 general, $10 faculty and seniors, and $8 UNM staff and students for performances in Rodey Theatre and $10 general, $8 faculty and seniors, and $7 UNM staff and students for performances in the Experimental Theatre.
Tickets are available at the UNM Ticket Offices, unmtickets.com or 925-5858. For a schedule and more information visit theatre.unm.edu or call 277-4332.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
When a prominent employer transitions to a new human resources/payroll system, there is usually press – and oftentimes it is disheartening. In recent months, headlines such as the following have appeared in papers throughout the country and close to home:
“Payroll system beset from Day 1: Poor management, software failures and breakdowns in training led to a yearlong crisis at L.A. Unified” (LA Unified School District) - Los Angeles Times, Feb. 11
“try software on workers first, fix it later” (Arizona State University) - Wall Street Journal, Sept. 25, 2007
Of course everyone saw the headlines on UNM’s switch to Banner HR/Payroll, right? Wrong… and in this case, no news is indeed good news.
It has been more than two and a half months since UNM made the change from the former human resources system, and it has gone quite well. We have now successfully paid more than seven payrolls out of the Banner HR/Payroll system to the tune of 51,450 payments processed for more than 17,000 employees.
For the majority of campus, the transition was relatively seamless. If not for the massive communications and availability of the pay stub online through LoboWeb employee self-service, many employees might not have noticed a change.
Of course, a new system does not resolve all issues typical in the payment of employees. HR and Payroll are committed to ongoing process improvements to further address the needs of campus.
We’d like to personally take this opportunity to thank the university for the time, effort, and energy that each of you put into making this process a success. The teamwork exhibited in this endeavor has proven once again the amazing things that UNM is capable of accomplishing. A job well done!
Story by Helen Gonzales, Vice President for Human Resources
National Poetry Month comes but once a year, and UNM will celebrate this April with a smorgasbord of poetic delights.
UNM LoboSlam will host the 2008 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational Wednesday, April 2-Saturday, April 5. College poetry slam teams from across the nation will come to Albuquerque to compete for the national CUPSI title, sponsored annually by the Association of College Unions International.
Preliminary bouts will be held at the UNM Student Union Building, April 2-3 at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Semi-finals will be held at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, April 4 at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. The finals and a featured performance by Mexican spoken word troupe Verbolala will be held at the Historic El Rey Theatre, April 5 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the finals will be available at the door, $7 for students, $10 general admission. All other events are free.
In a rare public appearance, Bryan Konefsky, lecturer in UNM’s Department of Cinematic Arts, will exhibit a video installation homage to National Poetry Month at the Harwood Art Center, 1114 7th St. NW, April 4-24. The project, “Let Me Say This About That,” was inspired by some of Konefsky’s favorite local poets. A reception will be held Friday, April 4, 5-8:30 p.m. The Harwood will also present an evening poetry and film in conjunction with the exhibit on April 11, 7-9 p.m.
The UNM Bookstore will present a line-up of New Mexico poets every Wednesday at noon, March 26-April 30.
Featured poets include:
March 26 – V.B. Price and Jennifer Bartlett
April 2 – Lisa Hase, Lisa Gill, Christina Yovovich, Kyle Churney, Gary Jackson
April 9 – Miriam Sagan
April 16 – Diane Thiel, Hakim Bellamy, LoboSlam team members, Sari Krosinsky, John Tritica
April 23 – Chris Wrenn, Amy Beeder, Stefi Weisburd, Phyllis Hoge Thomson, Jeffery Lee
April 30 – Richard Vargas, Levi Romero, Kenneth Gurney, Larry Goodell, Jose Montoya, Jessica Lopez
Guest Professor Valerie Martinez, author of “Absence, Luminescent” and “World to World,” will read poetry on Friday, April 19, in the Student Union Building Fiesta rooms at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, April 19, 3-6 p.m., four UNM poetry M.F.A. students – Kyle Churney, Lisa Gill, Gary Jackson and Christina Yovovich – and instructor Lisa Hase will host an open mic as part of the 39 Hour Poetry Jook Joint Marathon at Out ch’Yonda, 929 4th Street SW.
On Saturday, April 26, UNM students Dan Darling and Damien Flores will read with Meghan Jones and Adam Rubinstein at the 516 ARTS Gallery downtown, 516 Central Ave., at 8 p.m.
Governor Bill Richardson, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez and New Mexico Attorney General Gary King are among a group of political leaders taking turns teaching "The Story of Politics" as part of the University College UNIV 216 classes offered during the second eight-week session of the spring semester. Students enrolled in this one-credit elective explore the world of professions through the stories and firsthand experiences of people who are in the trenches of the work world every day.
In this course, Dan Gutierrez, MPA and UNM Alumnus, brings his experience as president of Two Roads Media and Politics, running various campaigns for national and local elections, along with his experience as the director of the Bernalillo County Office of Economic Development.
Students enrolling in this second eight-week course are graded on the extent in which they engage in discussions with the guest lecturers. The topics covered in the course include: The Reporting Game, Running and Losing, The Media, The Political Game: Local, Statewide and National Issues, Elections: The Mechanics, Money: The Life Blood of Politics, and Women in Politics.
For more information, contact Mary Thomas at maryt@unm.edu. Check out the 40 UNIV 216 discipline specific courses taught by accomplished professionals from the community, professionals associations and UNM Alumni http://www.unm.edu/~carsem/.
The UNM Health Sciences Center will host two meetings for faculty, staff and students to discuss expansion of interdisciplinary activities at the HSC. The meetings will be held Tuesday, April 1 from 4 to 5 p.m. in the College of Pharmacy/College of Nursing Auditorium, and on main campus Monday, April 7 from 3 to 5 p.m. in SUB Ballroom A.
A few of the talking points include:
• Interdisciplinary education makes an impact on the quality of education provided to our students. The goal is to expand those offerings and make them a more integral part of the education for students.
• Committees, composed of key constituents, need to make recommendations regarding the oversight of various IDE activities (faculty members need support in developing interdisciplinary courses).
• Faculty members, staff members and living treasures need to know how to teach interdisciplinary courses.
• The office of IDE needs help in developing a web site that contains an annotated bibliography of articles and resources for interdisciplinary education.
For more information contact College of Nursing Dean Sandra L. Ferketich at, (505) 272-6168 or via e-mail, slferketich@salud.unm.edu.
The University of New Mexico’s Institute for Medieval Studies hosts its 23rd Spring Lecture Series, “Medieval New Mexico: A Celebration of Tradition and Cultural Interaction in the Land of Enchantment,” Monday, March 31–Thursday, April 3. The series includes six lectures and a concert. All sessions will take place in Woodward Hall room 101 on the main UNM campus. The event, supported by a grant from the New Mexico Humanities Council, is free and open to the public.
The series begins with an opening keynote lecture on Monday, March 31 at 7:15 p.m. and continues with 5:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. sessions the following three days. The concert is scheduled Thursday, April 3 at 5:15 p.m. Speakers include internationally known faculty from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Brown University, as well as distinguished local experts on New Mexico’s traditions. The concert features UNM’s Early Music Ensemble under the direction of Colleen Sheinberg, founder member and co-director of Música Antigua de Albuquerque.
The purpose of the series is to explore some of the richly varied traditions that shaped New Mexico’s history and culture—traditions that continue to resonate today. Individual lectures will focus on medieval European traditions that have been transformed through transfer to New Mexico as well as on indigenous traditions that have been enriched through cultural interaction.
The Tuesday afternoon lecture, by the museum director of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, examines creative tension between indigenous and Christian symbols and practices characteristic of Pueblo spirituality, while the Tuesday evening lecture shows how the medieval cult of the Virgin was transformed on New Mexican soil, and brings the story to date by examining the roots of two recent controversies.
Other presentations discuss evidence of a crypto-Jewish tradition in New Mexico that has its roots in the late Middle Ages; the historical and ritual significance of the Matachines dance as practiced both in indigenous Pueblos and in Hispanic communities; and the tenacity and transformation of key Hispanic traditions. The series presents an informative perspective on the rich fusion resulting from the confluence of different historical traditions in New Mexico.
For a complete lecture schedule visit: 2008 Medieval Lecture Series Schedule
For speaker biographies visit: Speaker Biographies
For more information on the series contact Timothy C. Graham, 277-1191, or tgraham@unm.edu
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The UNM Board of Regents recently approved the action to enter in to a contract with Chartwells, the food service vendor recommended by the RFP committee for university food services.
Walt Miller, associate vice president of Student Life and director of the Student Union, said that David Harris, executive vice president of business and finance will have to approve terms of the contract.
The RFP committee, guided by Procurement Services, selected Chartwells from a pool that included Sodexo and the current vendor, Aramark, from scoring on documents from the vendors and from interviews.
Chartwells rose to the top based on several factors including a risk analysis plan, a transition schedule, past performance surveys from clients and a financial proposal.
“The financial plan represented only 20 percent of the total score,” Miller said.
Miller notes that the model this go-round is completely different from eight years ago. “At that time Aramark was the only bidder because of pending construction at the SUB,” he explained.
This time out, the campus community provided a lot of feedback. “Key messages included a desire to promote health and wellness, pricing and variety of options,” Miller said. Shelley Rael, senior clinical nutritionist with the Employee Health Promotions Program, was at the table. “She made us more aware. Her presence leveraged health and wellness, something Dr. Schmidly was also interested in seeing,” Miller said.
He said that he will meet with Chartwells to talk about quality control and other programmatic concerns he wants built into the contract. Aramark protects several managers who won’t be able to be hired away, but there are hourly, unprotected Aramark employees that Miller said might stay on. “We also want to see student employment increased,” he said.
“The recommendation to the Regents was a statement from the entire committee. There was no minority opinion, which helps us move forward,” Miller said. The new contract is set to go into effect June 1.
Springtime is here, and for many people that means days to weeks of wheezing and sneezing as pollen counts go up. While over-the-counter drugs can provide some relief, if running noses, itchy eyes, and scratchy throats are making life miserable year after year then it might be time to see an allergist, says Mark Schuyler, chief of the UNM Health Sciences Center Department of Internal Medicine Allergy/Clinical Immunology Division.
An allergy is an altered reaction in the body to an ordinarily harmless substance called an allergen, Schuyler said. Many substances (such as animal dander, house dust mites and molds) can cause an allergic reaction. Symptoms may occur anywhere in the body but usually appear in the nose, eyes, lungs or skin.
Symptoms can range from those of a common cold, or in severe cases, itching, hives and breathing difficulty, and can affect the sinuses, throat and lungs.
Allergic reactions can be serious. Almost 90 percent of children and 50 percent of adults with asthma have allergies that trigger asthma symptoms, so identifying and learning to control these allergies can be the key to better asthma control.
In general, see an allergist if:
• Nasal allergies are causing secondary symptoms such as chronic sinus infections, nasal congestion or asthma;
• Hay fever is part of your life for several months out of the year;
• Antihistamines and over-the-counter medications aren’t working well and/or have significant side effects;
• Allergies are decreasing the quality of your life.
An allergist can determine which allergens are causing you problems. Treatments can include environmental controls and reduction of exposure, a mix of antihistamines, decongestants, and nasal sprays that can relieve symptoms, and injections for desensitization (allergy shots).
As UNM prepares for the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Higher Learning Commission accreditation process, faculty are called upon to develop and assess learning outcomes. But Thomas Root, outcomes assessment planning manager, says the university must take assessment well beyond the April 2009 accreditation.
As assessment rises in importance at all levels of education, colleges and universities have an opportunity to define what assessment will mean in higher education. Gary Smith, director of the Office of Support for Effective Teaching (OSET) and special assistant to the provost for faculty development, said college-level assessment is the opposite of the No Child Left Behind Act because accreditors are interested in what individual colleges want students to accomplish, rather than imposing standardized criteria.
Root echoed that idea, saying that while accreditation mandates assessment, what the learning outcomes are and how they are assessed will be defined and driven by faculty. The point, Root said, is not just to collect data, but use it to improve teaching and learning. “It’s not about looking good, but about doing good,” he said.
The provost’s outcomes team, established in fall 2006, will form the basis for long-term assessment strategy with the infrastructure to support it. Root said the team will ensure that assessment is followed-up with concrete improvements.
Smith said it’s easy to view assessment as only a tool for accreditation, but it’s important to consider why accreditors expect assessment. Assessment is already integrated into OSET training, within a broad range of faculty support services.
One such resource is “Designing Courses for Effective Student Learning,” an intensive two day institute to help faculty develop courses designed to facilitate diverse learning styles. “A key part of designing a curriculum or course is defining what you want students to have learned when they’re done,” Smith said.
The institute supports goal-oriented course design by encouraging teachers to design courses backwards from outcomes, within the framework of three questions: What should students learn? How should they learn it? How will we know that they’re learning? The institute will next be offered May 22-23, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Another OSET workshop, “Writing Measurable Learning Outcomes,” to be held Monday, April 7, 1-3 p.m., guides participants to write outcomes that are meaningful to faculty and measured through assessment of student learning. Root said that such workshops give faculty an opportunity to discuss problems and find solutions together.
For more information or to register for OSET workshops, visit OSET or call 277-2229.
For the first time, student teams competing in the UNM Technology Business Plan Competition will have the opportunity to compete in the Big 12 Conference New Venture Championship. Representatives from two UNM teams, Surya Skincare and Advanced Pulmonary Systems, will travel to Arlington, Texas on March 25 to compete with other teams from a 10-state region for a valuable package of prizes.
Increasingly, higher education leaders are encouraging private sector investment in innovative products, often developed at the universities themselves, as a means of promoting high-return economic development in their regions. One result of this focus has been the growth of university-based business plan competitions.
The Texas competition, begun in 2005 by the Big 12 Center for Economic Development, Innovation, and Commercialization (CEDIC), offers students solid experience and professional exposure in pitching their plans to startup investors.
· Teams can participate in an Invention to Venture (I2V) workshop created by the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA).
· Investors focusing on university technology commercialization will observe and judge the teams during their plan presentations.
· Each team will create and deliver a two-minute “elevator pitch” of their startup, and the winning team will receive $1,000.
· Teams will hear from previous years’ championship teams about peer suggestions for success.
· Two rounds of formal competition will involve 35-minute presentations by students and intensive questioning by judges on financial projections, marking strategies, organizational structure, and other questions of firm viability.
· The second- and third-place teams will receive $3,000 and $2,000 awards respectively.
· The winning team will receive a cash award of $10,000, legal services valued at $10,000, consulting advice from a panel of experts valued at $10,000, and an invitation to the world renowned Global MOOT CORP Competition at The University of Texas at Austin in May.
Team members traveling to the CEDIC New Venture Championship include Kevin Stevenson, MBA candidate at The Anderson School of Management, with the new venture Advanced Pulmonary Systems, dedicated to providing innovative, non-invasive diagnostic tools for a wide array of bacterial infections of the pulmonary system; and William Reichard and Steven Renfro, Executive MBA candidates, with the startup Surya Skincare, utilizing a nano technology sun block with quantum dot absorption capabilities to more effectively prevent skin ailments. Team members not traveling to Texas include Miles Nelson, Klaus Mueller, Peter Duselis, James Baldwin, and Robin Perini.
On Friday, April 11, The Anderson School of Management will host the third-annual UNM Technology Business Plan Competition. This year, ASM will award $40,000 in prize money to students looking to form their own high-tech startups in New Mexico.
These awards are the Michael Gallegos Prize for Entrepreneurship ($25,000), the TVC Lockheed Martin Prize ($10,000), and the vSpring Capital Prize ($5,000). Venture capital partners have also offered more than $100,000 in seed funding as incentives for UNM teams. For more information, visit: Technology Business Plan.
The Division of Student Affairs holds its annual Student Affairs Recognition Ceremony Wednesday, Apr. 9, from 3-5 p.m. in the Student Union Building. This year’s theme, “The Louies” plays off of the Emmy and Grammy award shows. Three awards will be delivered: Student Affairs Employee of the Year, Student Affairs Student Employee of the Year and Student Services Award, given to UNM faculty and staff.
Nomination forms are available at: www.unm.edu/~ovpsa, click on “updated Student Affairs news and events.”
Nominations must be received by Wednesday, March 12 by 5 p.m. to:
Selection Committee
Division of Student Affairs-Employee of the Year
c/o Natalie Brigance
Scholes Hall, Rm. 229
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
Nominations may also be faxed to the Student Affairs office at: (505) 277-6099
The Student Affairs employee and student employee awards are open to individuals in the Division of Student Affairs who has exhibited outstanding work and effort within their organization or department. The third award recognizes a faculty or staff member who has made outstanding contributions to UNM student life.
Division of Student Affairs staff and students are encouraged to submit nominations for any staff and/or student in each Student Affairs unit who meets the following eligibility criteria:
Student Affairs Employee of the Year
** Contributes significant work and effort to benefit program or department
** Employed a minimum of two years with the Division and have at least .50 FTE status (20hrs/week);
** Previously nominated staff may be nominated again, if they have not won; selection
Committee members are not eligible
Division directors are not eligible
Student Affairs Student Employee of the Year
** Contributes to the goals and missions of their respective department(s)
** Demonstrates behavior of a model employee
** Contributes to their community and the UNM community
** Previously nominated students may be nominated again, if they have not won
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
President Schmidly to host reception for board of directors
University of New Mexico President David J. Schmidly hosts a reception for members of the ISTEC board of directors Wednesday, March 26 from 6-7:30 p.m. at University House. The board, with members coming from Latin America and the United States, meets at UNM for two days to report on 2007 activities and plan and budget for 2008 initiatives.
ISTEC, the Ibero-American Science and Technology Education Consortium, was founded at UNM in 1990 and is housed at UNM in Hokona Hall. ISTEC is a non-profit organization made up of education, research, industry and multilateral organizations throughout the Americas and the Iberian Peninsula.
The consortium was established to foster scientific, engineering and technology education, joint international research and development efforts among its members, and to provide a cost-effective vehicle for the application and transfer of technology.
“Through ISTEC, 120 universities advance the acquisition of and use of technology for research and education,” said Theo Crevenna, UNM special advisor on Latin America and Iberia. He said ISTEC also provides training and workshops on use of technology and technology transfer.
LibLink, an ISTEC initiative, is a consortium of libraries that collects and makes available resources in the member institutions through cooperation, integration and interchange of bibliographical information services to harness education and research in Ibero America.
“Through high-speed electronic access of educational material, LibLink helps library professionals develop knowledge and skills in the administration of information systems. LibLink also promotes development of content and projects in digital libraries to maximize the benefits of access and information to its members,” Crevenna said.
For more information about ISTEC, visit ISTEC.
The Democratic and Republican parties held their New Mexico preprimary conventions last weekend, and those conventions take center stage on this week’s episode of KNME’s “New Mexico in Focus,” airing on Friday, March 21 at 7 p.m. and repeating on Sunday, March 23 at 6:30 a.m. on KNME, channel 5.
Co-hosted by Gene Grant, columnist with the Albuquerque Journal, and Santa Fe Reporter staff writer David Alire Garcia, “New Mexico in Focus” takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic, health, education and arts issues – exploring them in depth, with a critical eye to give them the necessary context beyond the “news of the moment.”
This week, UNM Political Science Professor Lonna Atkeson, former executive director of the New Mexico Democratic Party Laura Sanchez, and Republican political consultant Doug Turner join Alire Garcia to analyze the recent preprimary conventions held by the New Mexico Republican and Democratic parties, the future of the big rDavid Brookshire in the state – including the primary showdown between Republicans Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson to compete for Pete Domenici’s soon-to-be-vacated position.
Then, Weekly Alibi News Editor Marisa DeMarco and KUNM-FM News Director Jim Williams join regular panelists Margaret Montoya with the UNM School of Law and School of Medicine, Scott Darnell, Communications Director for the Republican Party of New Mexico and co-host, and panel moderator, Gene Grant to debate the preprimary convention results and upcoming rDavid Brookshire.
Additional topics of discussion include:
· The state of the economy
· Debate about how dangerous New Mexico is
· Talking race in 2008 – what Barack Obama’s recent speech does to the national dialogue on race, as well as the current presidential race
'New Mexico in Focus' discussions are unedited, however in some programs, certain segments may run long. They can be viewed in their entirety at:
'New Mexico In Focus.'
'New Mexico in Focus" is KNME's primetime news magazine covering events, issues and people shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. The one-hour show brings viewers important topics, opinions and insight in an integrated and cohesive package.
The show's producer is Kevin McDonald. Support for NM In Focus is provided by the McCune Charitable Foundation. Closed captioning has been made possible by a gift from Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs.
Rexall Drug on Menaul, and other pharmacies like it, have disappeared from the landscape taking with them their neighborhood pharmacist; candy counter, medical supplies and magazines. What about other old drug store trappings – the apothecary, show globe and mortar and pestle? Are they all gone, too?
Photo: Dr. John A. Pieper, dean and professor, College of Pharmacy
The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy skillfully educates the modern pharmacist, but also cherishes the history of both the practice and the college. The college currently houses, in very tight quarters, memorabilia from the profession and the professionals who have served communities statewide.
Pill Collector
Dr. John A. Pieper, dean and professor, College of Pharmacy, is equal measure teacher and curator. He recently took a several pharmacy students and a U-Haul to Hobbs where they picked up wood and glass apothecary cabinets replete with current and classic chemical concoctions that belonged to Curtis Lindersmith, Jr. R.Ph., a 50-year pharmacist who owned and operated Nizhoni Pharmacy in Gallup for 30 years.
“For us to accept a collection as large and vast as this one, it had to be appraised first. Pieper said. He said that Lindersmith died in 2005 and that the collection included items dating to the 1910s and 20s with the more recent items dating to the mid 1960s. The cabinets and medicines now grace the dean’s conference room.
Museum of Medicines
One small room in the college is dedicated to housing the museum. The show globes, a traditional medicine display, photos of the college’s early leaders, and even a pre-statehood pharmacist’s license vie for space in the tiny room.
UNM Pharmacy retired faculty member William Fiedler collected items. “We’ve had people donate items to the collection continually over the years,” Pieper said, noting that some of the museum materials are in storage.
A small case at next to the college’s entrance also features a number of items including the original metal College of Pharmacy sign. The college’s first home, from 1948-75, was in what is now the Biology Annex, designed by John Gaw Meem. The 8,000 square foot facility was built for a staggering $150,000.
“Roy Bowers, the first dean of the college, raised money to have Meem design a sign. They raffled off a rod and reel at the state pharmacy association to raise the $250 needed to have it made,” Pieper said.
The Walls Speak
The Biology Annex still bears evidence of its earlier role. Murals depicting traditional and modern medicines were painted in 1950. When the Biology Department took over the building in 1975, the murals were painted over; however, remnants of them remain above the dropped ceiling.
“We would like to see the murals restored and the building become a museum to honor the significant history of pharmacy in New Mexico,” Pieper said.
“Pharmacy is the oldest health professional education program at UNM. The college’s first 30 years were in that building. We recently exceeded 30 years in our existing facility,” Pieper said.
Michel Disco, a 1973 pharmacy graduate, has served as the college’s assistant dean for external programs for four years. She said that the women’s restroom in the Biology Annex still has a trashcan bearing its heritage as “Pharmacy” property.
The college counts its people among its treasures, including Frances Blair, who, in 1949, became one of the first pharmacy faculty members in the United States. Dennis Peña, class of ‘72, served for eight years in the state legislature and is one of four alumni of the College who have served in the New Mexico legislature.
“The College of Pharmacy has graduated 2,500 pharmacists. Of those, approximately 1,000 graduated when the college was in the original building. We would like to reclaim a piece of our history and expose the UNM community to our heritage,” Pieper said.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
John Carr, visiting professor, University of New Mexico Communication and Journalism, presents, “Law and Exclusion from the City: Notes from the Trans-Border Southwest,” Wednesday, April 16 at 11 a.m. in Ortega Hall room 335. Carr’s talk is part of the American Studies Lecture Series.
Carr trDavid Brookshire the ways that people and the spDavid Brookshire they occupy are tangled within legal systems that are called upon to take seriously diversity of place and identity in society. While the law is to remain neutral to differences, people still expect the state and legal system to address their discomfort and even fear of difference, particularly in cities. Carr brings examples illustrating the power of law to exclude people from particularly important symbolic urban spDavid Brookshire in the trans-border Southwest.
Carr completed his doctoral thesis in geography, “The Political Grind: The Role of Youth Identities in the Municipal Politics of Public Space,” at the University of Washington in 2007.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
As new technologies become more widely accessible, universities race to bring those technologies to the classroom. The challenge is to find ways to incorporate technology that genuinely enhance learning. The Office of Support for Effective Teaching provides resources to help UNM faculty meet that challenge.
More than 500 instructors have participated in OSET’s support services since the office formed in fall 2006 as a successor to the Center for the Advancement of Scholarship in Teaching and Learning (CASTL). OSET’s mission is to make teaching and teaching improvement an indispensable part of university life and a key dimension of the professional identity of every faculty member. Part of that mission is helping teachers adapt new teaching tools like clickers, WebCT and ePortfolios to enhance learning.
About 17,000 UNM students are enrolled in Web-enhanced courses. WebCT doesn’t just provide a place to post syllabi, grades and downloadable files; it offers powerful opportunities to increase student learning and motivation.
“Strategies for Enhancing Your Course Using WebCT Vista” will help teachers really enhance Web-enhanced courses by sharing strategies for using WebCT to structure student preparation before class, promote studying and assess learning after class, all in ways that motivate students. The next workshop will be offered Wednesday, March 26, 2- 4 p.m.
Last year, OSET worked with faculty, Media Technology Services, Information Technology Services and the UNM Bookstore to select a single clicker vendor – iClicker – to reduce costs by enabling students to use the same clicker for all classes and to improve support for instructors. Nearly 8,000 UNM students used clickers in their classes this year.
“Teaching with Clickers” explores how to get students actively talking about what and how they are learning – and also teaching each other – even in classes with 100 or more students, and how teachers can get instantaneous feedback on whether students are learning key concepts. The workshop will be held Wednesday, April 2, 2-4 p.m.
Long recognized as effective ways to assess student learning, portfolios are more efficiently generated by students and assessed by instructors now that digital formats have become readily accessible. “ePortfolios – The ‘e’ Makes Things Easier for You and Your Students” will show the results of an ePortfolio pilot project in English 101 and provide opportunities to discuss the potential use of this tool in classes. This brown bag lunch presentation will be held Thursday, April 17, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
For more information or to register for these and other OSET services, visit OSET or call 277-2229.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
United Blood Services and the University of New Mexico Air Force ROTC hosts a UNM blood drive Tuesday, March 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of the UNM Air Force ROTC building at 1901 Las Lomas. Look for the Bloodmobile.
Everyone who donates receives a free music download card and cholesterol test. All donors must be 17 years or older and weigh at least 110 lbs. to be eligible. Before donating, eat well, drink plenty of fluids – no caffeine – and bring a photo ID and/or a donor card.
Numerous UNM student groups sponsored blood drives in 2007 to provide much needed blood to United Blood Services. The result: 649 units of blood collected for hospital patients in New Mexico. United Blood Services honored UNM and these student groups with its “Most Improved Blood Drive” award during the organization’s “Annual Coordinators and Community Partners Recognition.” Campus ROTC organizations are long-time sponsors of UNM blood drives.
For more information please contact Elizabeth Yslas at 277-4502 or log onto: United Blood Services.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Second-year UNM College of Pharmacy student Adriane Irwin was elected this week as National President-Elect of the American Pharmacists Association - Academy of Student Pharmacist (APhA-ASP) at the APhA 2008 Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif. Irwin is the first UNM pharmacy student in the College’s 63-year history to be elected president-elect and she is now the third UNM College of Pharmacy student in the last four years to hold a national office.
Photo: Adriane Irwin
ASP, the student section of APhA, has 30,000 student members from across the nation representing the 102 pharmacy schools in the US. Irwin ran for office against a student from the University of Florida-Gainesville.
Media Contact: Lauren Cruse, (505) 272-3690; e-mail: lcruse@salud.unm.edu
Working parents each summer face the challenge of identifying quality childcare and enrichment programs for their children ages birth to 18. UNM’s Staff Council Work+Life Committee responds to the need providing a presentation about youth summer care and growth opportunities Wednesday, April 9, from 12 to 1 p.m. in the UNM SUB fiesta rooms A&B. Refreshments will be provided.
Naomi Sandweiss, Continuing Education supervisor of Youth Programs, will give a presentation on how to identify summer care, including camps, enrichment programs and internships.
Trish Heaton, staff recruitment specialist in the Department of Human Resources, will give a presentation on UNM’s High School Summer Helper Program.
Prized editions of the March 2008 New Mexico Kids Magazine will be distributed. The publication outlines a wide variety of summer youth programs, camps and schools in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and the East Mountain area. Information about the City of Albuquerque Department of Parks and Recreation programs will also be on hand.
For more information, call 277-1532 or email scouncil@unm.edu.
Cultural landscape documentation, law and adobe buildings focus of courses
This year, the UNM School of Architecture and Planning’s Southwest Summer Institute for Preservation and Regionalism features three courses that can be taken individually or as part of the UNM School of Architecture and Planning’s Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation and Regionalism.
Photo: Miguel Gandert, “Las Trampas,” 2006, from Center Place, Plaza, Square: The Community SpDavid Brookshire of New Mexico, forthcoming from Trinity University Press, Fall 2009.
The courses are:
Cultural Landscape Documentation and Planning: Learning from La Bajada, June 9 – 13
La Bajada cultural landscape, midway between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, includes portions of two roads mythic in American history--El Camino Real and U.S. Route 66. This course introduces methods for documenting and planning for the preservation of historic cultural landscapes through this case study, including guest lectures and fieldwork.
Instructor: Arnold Valdez, Harvard Loeb Fellow, planner, designer; assisted by Eric Delony, former chief, Historic American Engineering Record, and Christopher Marston, architect, Historic American Building Survey.
Preservation Law: A Practical Tool Kit, June 16-20
The course focuses on general principles and fundamentals of preservation law, focusing on Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, as well as state, tribal, and local legislation. Class lectures and discussions will be supplemented with practical case studies.
Instructors: Jan Biella and Katherine Slick, NM Historic Preservation Division, tentatively with John Fowler, director, President’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and guest speakers.
Assessment and Preservation Planning for Adobe Buildings: San Antonio Chapel, June 23 – 27
The course introduces the procedures for conditions assessment and preservation planning for historic adobe buildings. Field study will focus on the 18th-century chapel of San Antonio de Los Lentes, south of Albuquerque.
Instructor: Jean Fulton with Pat Taylor, adobe preservation experts, Cornerstones Community Partnerships, Santa Fe, and guest speakers
Students and professionals in preservation, design, planning, cultural resource management and related fields as well as interested members of the public are welcome to register.
For more information call 277-0071 or visit: http://saap.unm.edu/ or e-mail at hprinst@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Kathleen Sparkes, senior designer for the University of New Mexico Press has won Bookbuilder's West best book design in the reference and scholarly book category for her design of New Perspectives on Pottery Mound Pueblo, edited by Polly Schaafsma. Sparkes has been a designer for the University of New Mexico Press for five years and has freelanced in commercial marketing and publication design.
Winners of the design awards were recently announced at the 37th Annual Bookbuilders West Book Show in Oakland, Calif.
Bookbuilders West is a nonprofit organization founded in San Francisco in 1969 to promote and support book publishing in 13 western states.
For more information, contact Amanda Sutton, UNM Press, 272-7190 or asutton@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico Art Museum presents “S P L A S H: The 14th Annual Juried Graduate Exhibition,” March 25-May 4. An opening reception will be held Friday, March 28, 5-7 p.m. The museum is open Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Tuesday evening, 5-8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m., and during most events at Popejoy Hall. Admission is free.
UNM’s rigorous art program prepares students who produce work at the highest levels of creative and intellectual ability. Meet this next generation of artists and see their forward-looking art work. The exhibit is juried and curated by Suzanne Sbarge, director of 516 Arts.
Special programs related to the exhibit include a series of Tuesday talks by prize recipients:
* Craig Donalson, Friends of Art Prize recipient, April 15, 5:30 p.m.
* May Goldman Chaltiel, Ana Mendieta Prize recipient, April 22, 5:30 p.m.
* Jenna Kuiper, Florence Henri Prize recipient, April 29, 5:30 p.m.
For more information visit UNM Art Museum or call 277-4001.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1583; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
The highlight of the UNM 2008 opera season will be “Eugene Onegin,” with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and text adapted from Alexander Pushkin’s novel in verse by Konstantin Schilowski and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Performances are Thursday, April 24 - Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 27 at 2 p.m. in Keller Hall, UNM Center for the Arts. Tickets are $15/12/10 and are available at UNM Ticket Offices, UNMtickets.com.
During the gestation period of “Onegin,” the paths of art and life crossed for Tchaikovsky. Music history offers few more romantic instances of love at first sight than that between the composer Tchaikovsky and Tatyana, the heroine of Pushkin’s novel. She became a living actuality instead of an imagined illusion. The opera was no longer art for the composer, but a strange crucible of his own existence, exacting a debt of self-denial and atonement.
After finishing the orchestration, Tchaikovsky entrusted “Onegin” to the Moscow conservatory for a series of student performances, to avoid the deadening effects of a conventional production with priming prima donnas in a professional opera house. The composer hoped that an unspoiled student cast could achieve the intimacy and unaffected performance style he had in mind.
At first audiences and critics were tepid and perplexed by the opera’s unorthodoxy. Nearly two years passed before “Onegin” was on its way, propelled by music full of anguish, warmth and drama that touched the secret plDavid Brookshire in the hearts and minds of the listener.
The UNM Opera Theatre production will be directed by Professor Marilyn Tyler, who will be celebrating her 25th year as director of opera studies. The Opera Orchestra will be conducted by Maestro David Felberg in his UNM opera debut. A stellar cast of emerging artists will create the vibrant young characters Tchaikovsky loved so passionately.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1583; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
Bill McKibben and Mike Tidwell will present a free climate activism training and lecture on Wednesday, March 26, in Student Union Building ballrooms A and B. The training will be held 5-6:30 p.m., lecture 7-8 p.m. McKibben is a best selling author and lifelong champion of the environment, while Tidwell is the director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
McKibben's first book, “The End of Nature,” brought global warming into the public eye and is considered a groundbreaking work in environmental studies. His new book, “Fight Global Warming Now,” provides a hands-on guide to stopping the world’s greatest threat, climate change.
He is also the author of “Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future.” In 2007 he launched Step It Up, leading to 1400 local actions in all 50 states demanding that the federal government take action now.
Tidwell has been a climate organizer since 2001. He is the author of “The Ravaging Tide: Strange Weather, Future Katrinas and the Coming Death of America’s Coastal Cities,” as well as other books.
The events are free and sponsored by Bookworks, 1Sky New Mexico and the UNM English department. RSVP by March 21 to Deborah Stephens via e-mail at: deb@1skynewmexico.org.
Media Contact: Sari Michal, (505) 277-1583; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
Three people connected with the University of New Mexico were selected for the 2008 Arts Alliance Bravos Awards. Winners will be honored at the 24th Annual Bravos Awards banquet on April 26 at the Embassy Suites Hotel beginning at 6 p.m.
Suzanne M. Johnston
Johnston, adjunct professor in the UNM Department of Theatre and Dance, is the recipient of the Excellence in Dance award. She has been involved with dance as a performer, teacher and choreographer all her life. She began her professional career dancing in the “Our Gang” (a.k.a. “Little Rascals”) movies. She toured with several well-known ballet companies before going to New York City, performing as a featured Broadway dancer for Jerome Robbins and Agnes DeMille in “Oklahoma,” “High Button Shoes,” “Miss Liberty” and “Call me Madam.” She opened The Suzanne’s School of Classical Ballet in Albuquerque in 1962. In 1972, she founded the New Mexico Ballet Company, where she continues to teach today.
Salomé Martínez-Lutz
Martínez-Lutz, UNM alumna, is the recipient of the Excellence in Theater award. An actor, singer, director and playwright for 37 years, she has enriched the Albuquerque theater community with her talents for nearly 19 of those years. Born and raised in Santa Fe, she received a master’s in theatre from UNM. She attended the Juilliard School of Music Graduate Extension Division, debuted at Carnegie Hall, and was a principal singer/actor for five years with the four-time Obie award-winning Repertorio Español. Martínez-Lutz has written three full-length bilingual plays and is working on a fourth, and has served as president of Teatro Nuevo Mexico from its inception. Locally, she has directed with most of Albuquerque’s theater companies.
Alan Paine Radebaugh
Radebaugh will receive the Excellence in Visual Arts award for his solo show “Mass: Of Our World” at the Jonson Gallery of the UNM Art Museum. The show, which consisted of 36 oil-on-canvas paintings, took two-and-a-half years to realize. Robert Peters, president of the Contemporary Art Society of New Mexico, wrote, “Members of the CAS, upon visiting this work especially created for the Jonson Gallery… were unanimous in their enthusiasm for the artist’s evocation of the shapes and forms found in natural settings and of his ability to express these relationships and rhythms in purely abstract form on the gallery walls.” Born in Boston, Radebaugh moved to New Mexico in 1979. He has been working in the arts his entire career and since 1988 his primary medium has been painting.
Tickets to Bravos are $75 each, or $750 for a table of 10. For reservations call the Arts Alliance at (505) 268-1920. Proceeds from the event’s silent auction benefit the Arts Alliance, which provides programs and services, advocacy and recognition for Albuquerque’s five major arts disciplines.
Media Contact: Sari Michal, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
UNM President David J. Schmidly and Sandia National Laboratories President Tom Hunter have signed a memorandum of understanding to increase cooperation between the two institutions.
Photo: Presidents Tom Hunter, Sandia National Laboratories, and David J. Schmidly, University of New Mexico, sign an MOU between the two partners.
“This MOU brings together two of the greatest gems we have in New Mexico, to partner with one another in a mutually beneficial way – a way that will strengthen UNM, a way that will strengthen Sandia Labs and a way that will be better for all of New Mexico,” said Schmidly.
The partners will work to enhance the opportunities for top students from UNM to find placement at Sandia, and to assure that the university is viewed as one of the most competitive suppliers of top talent to Sandia.
Working together, they will help to secure external funding for research projects in computing and information infrastructure that include LambdaRail, a new, high-speed version of the Internet.
Other highlighted areas include informatics (an emerging area of information research with a wealth of applications in data-rich fields like biology, ecology, climate science and homeland defense), and cognition (targeting rapid advances in health sciences and national security).
Another part of the MOU is the creation of the Institute for Science and Engineering Studies (ISES) that will support joint recruiting and appointments and facilitate shared access to laboratory facilities and intellectual property agreements.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning presents “Planning in Mexico: Traditions and Pedagogy,” a transnational colloquium, Monday, March 31 through Wednesday, April 2. All events are scheduled in George Pearl Hall.
Hosted by the school’s Community and Regional Planning program, the event presents a broad spectrum of Mexican planning issues, from inner city planning in Mexico City to UNESCO naming Morelia a World Heritage City.
For more information, contact Roberto Rodriguez, visiting professor, UNM School of Architecture and Planning, 277-3033 or robrogez@unm.edu.
Schedule of events...
Monday, March 31
10 –10:30 a.m. - Opening session with Dean Roger Schluntz, Vice President of Student Affairs Eliseo “Cheo” Torres and Planning Director David Henkel.
Planning in Mexico
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. - The Planning Paradigm in Mexico: 50 Years of Planning and Processes and Future Prospective for the 21st Century, featuring Juan Jose Chaparro, College of Urban and Regional Planning, Universidad Autonomo del Estado de Mexico.
Planning in Metropolitan Areas
1 – 2 p.m. - Inner City Planning: The Plan for Alvaro Obregon County in Northern Mexico City Metropolitan Area, featuring Sergio Flores, College of Architecture, UNM, Mexico.
2:30 – 4:30 p.m. - Participants are invited to visit the school’s design classes.
5 p.m. - Pearl Hall Speakers Series, featuring Jaime Vargas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Mexico, presenting, “The City of Morelia in Mexico and the Transformations in the 19th Century that lead to a World Heritage City by UNESCO.”
7 p.m. - Reception in George Pearl Hall
Tuesday, April 1
11 a.m. – noon - “Planning in Metropolitan Mexico City Satellite Towns: The Plan for Ixmiquilpan in the State of Hidalgo,” presented by Enrique Soto, urban planning coordinator, UNAM
Planning in Emerging Metropolitan Cities
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. - Juan Angel Demerutis, Centro Universitario de Arte, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad de Guadalajara, presents, “The Plan for Metropolitan Guadalajara, Jalisco: From State to Local Planning.”
Planning and Land Regularization in Mexico
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. - Edith Jimenez, Instituto de Estudios Económicos y Regionales, Universidad de Guadalajara, presents, “Housing Policies and Land Use.”
Wednesday, April 2
Planning in the U.S. – Mexican Border
10 – 11 a.m. - “Urban Development in Ciudad Juarez,” presented by Cesar Fuentes, Colegio de la Frontera, Ciudad Juarez.
11 a.m. – noon - “Planning for a Conurbation Across Borders: El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Chih.,” presented by Sergio Pena, UTEP.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The University Library’s Native Pathway Series will present a brown bag discussion and lecture titled “Preserving Tribal Environments” on Wednesday, March 26 in Zimmerman Library. The brown bag discussion will be from 12 noon to 1 p.m. in the Herzstein Room and the lecture will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Willard Room.
Pinu’u Stout, an underground storage tank specialist, and Margaret Chavez, an education outreach assistant from the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council Office of Environmental Technical Assistance, will be the guest speakers.
OETA was established in 2005 by the All Indian Pueblo Council with support from the 22 pueblos and tribes. The primary mission of the office is to promote, protect and preserve tribal environments by assisting pueblos and tribes in building capacity to enhance tribal values, cultures, lands and health.
The office currently runs several programs including environmental education outreach, underground storage tank compliance assistance, grant writing and management services and water quality.
The event is free and the public is welcome.
The UNM Parking and Transportation Services Department (PATS) wants to remind UNM students, staff and faculty that the deadline to apply for Zipcar and get the annual fee of $35 waived is April 30.
A national car-sharing service, Zipcar provides for-rent vehicles to students, staff, faculty and members of the Albuquerque community who are members of the Zipcar service at hourly and daily rates. Once a member of the service, individuals can reserve and rent vehicles nationwide and in the UK within Zipcar's network of over 5,500 vehicles.
"Anyone who bikes or rides the bus to UNM can benefit from this new program," UNM Parking & Transportation Program Planning Manager Cynthia Martin said. "Faculty and staff who use alternative transportation don't have to drive to UNM anymore if they have an appointment off campus. All they need to do check out a Zipcar for the afternoon."
Members receive their own "prox card," and when they need a vehicle they reserve it either online or by phone. The vehicles are available at an hourly or daily rate which includes gas, vehicle insurance, maintenance, 24/7 roadside assistance and 24/7 customer support, if necessary.
Five vehicles - three Honda Civics, a Toyota Sienna Minivan and a MINI Cooper - are located throughout campus available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you're 18 or older, you're eligible to be a member. Hourly rates start at $9 and include gas, insurance and 180 free miles.
To register for the Zipcar program and take advantage of the free annual membership, visit Zipcar Program. Creating a membership is fast, easy, and free for a year if you apply before the April 30 deadline.
For more information about the Zipcar program contact Parking and Transportation Services at 277-0461.
Event is for seniors due to academic accomplishments and service to UNM
The UNM Alumni Association is hosting the 2008 Senior Conference on Friday, March 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the UNM Student Union Building. The Senior Conference is a daylong event that includes an etiquette lunch, informative sessions and a network reception.
“The Senior Conference is a great opportunity for graduating seniors to prepare for life after college. Seniors will get information on a variety of things ranging from how to manage money, interviewing skills and preparing for graduate school,” said Sue MacEachen, sr. alumni relations officer.
The Senior Conference offers different break out sessions that students can pick and choose to attend. There will also be door prizes including: an iPod Shuffle, a gift from Lieber’s Luggage, UNM Bookstore gift certificates, a Satellite Coffee gift basket and a Kaplan prep course! More information on the event and registration can be found at: 2008 Senior Day.
For more information contact Natalie Armijo at (505) 277-1968 or by e-mail njarmijo@unm.edu.
Associate Professor Grant Meyer will receive the Faculty Acknowledgement Award from University Libraries at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, in the Willard Reading Room at Zimmerman Library. As part of the event, he will deliver a talk, “Fire, Climate, and Erosion in Western Mountain Forests: A Long-Term View.”
Meyer has done extensive research into the history of erosion following forest fires in the West and says climate appears to have been a larger factor in severe fires than was previously recognized. He will explore these findings in his talk, along with implications for future impacts of fire under a warming climate.
The University Libraries Faculty Acknowledgement gives members of the public and the university community an opportunity to explore and understand the current research of faculty members. It also recognizes the scholarly contribution of UNM faculty to the body of human knowledge.
The event is free and open to the public.
The Provost’s Committee for Staff (PCOS) deadline for nominations for the 18th Annual Outstanding Staff and Workgroup Awards, which are presented annually each spring, is Friday, March 28, at 5 p.m. Staff, faculty and students may nominate UNM staff employees including regular current, non-faculty, any full or part-time individual staff or workgroup who has provided extraordinary service to the Provost’s units.
Previously nominated staff or workgroups may be nominated again, provided the nominee(s) is not a past recipient of the award. A workgroup can be comprised of an office, department, division or section. Current Provost’s Committee for Staff members are not eligible for the award and self-nominations will not be accepted.
A selection criterion includes demonstrated extraordinary achievement in one or more of the following areas: service to UNM or the community; exemplify University values (excellence; integrity & professionalism; diversity within the academic community; creativity & initiative; academic freedom; and access & student success) in an exceptional manner; and/or contribute substantially to significant team or department accomplishments.
Members of the Provost’s Committee for Staff will screen nominees. A list of individuals and the workgroup is then forwarded to the Executive Vice President and Provost for Academic Affairs for approval.
Nomination forms must be submitted online at: Nomination form. For more information contact Lina Sandve, Provost's Committee for Staff at 277-1326 or via e-mail: lsandve@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
It was the biggest secret of the 1960s space race, an elite group of astronauts secretly training to be the first spies in space. Millions remember the countdowns, launchings, splashdowns, and parades as the U.S. raced the Soviet Union to the moon, but few know that both countries also ran parallel space programs, whose covert goal was to launch military astronauts on spying missions.
On Saturday, March 22 KNME's "Science Café" will present a short TV segment from "Astrospies," an episode of PBS's award-winning science series NOVA, and a discussion from 10 a.m.-noon at the National Atomic Museum in Albuquerque's Old Town.
In "Astrospies," NOVA delves into the untold story of this top-secret space race, which might easily have turned into a shooting war in orbit. Then, participate in an interactive discussion with local expert Ted Spitzmiller.
Spitzmiller began his professional career in the military at the Army's Ordinance Guided Missile School in Huntsville, Alabama. He went on to nuclear weapons training at Sandia Base in New Mexico, where he taught for two years in the Atomic Weapons Training Group. He has worked for IBM, Intel, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory, from which he retired in 2001.
Admission is free, however reservations are required. Please call Ed Ulman at (505) 277-8296 by Wednesday, March 19 to RSVP.
KNME's Science Café is presented with support from New Mexico Tech, and Lockheed Martin/Sandia National Labs. For more information please contact Ed Ulman at (505) 277-8296 or visit: Science Café.
Media Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1218; e-mail: etodd@knme.org
National Poison Prevention Week is March 16-22 and the New Mexico Poison and Drug Information Center (NMPDIC) is taking part by raising awareness of poison prevention to New Mexicans across the state. The NMPDIC provides help with all types of poisoning situations such as medication errors, product misuses, alcohol misuses and toxic alcohols, animal bites and stings, plants, pet poisonings, pesticides, gasses, chemical spills, hazardous materials, and environmental and occupational exposures.
The center is available to the public and healthcare professionals 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Those needing “poison help” should call the NMPDIC at (800) 222-1222. The center also offers a drug information line at the same telephone number from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday.
As the best resource in New Mexico for any poison-related emergencies, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, the center continues to improve the health of New Mexicans by reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with poisonings, and by encouraging proper use of medications.
NMPDIC staff members answering poison emergency calls are pharmacists who are specialists in poison information. The center also has a medical toxicologist on call 24 hours. These specialists can often guide home treatment, allowing clients to avoid costly medical or emergency department visits.
The New Mexico Poison Center is a public service program of the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center (UNM HSC) and serves as a major teaching site for the UNM College of Pharmacy (UNM COP) and the UNM Department of Emergency Medicine.
For more information on the NMPDIC, visit the center’s web site at New Mexico Poison Control Center.
Media Contact: Lauren Cruse, (505) 272-3690; e-mail: lcruse@salud.unm.edu
Healthy headwaters generate healthy rivers says research
Streams are filters for our landscapes, helping to remove and transform pollutants that drain from their watersheds. As reported in the journal Nature, a team of 31 aquatic scientists across the United States, including University of New Mexico researchers Cliff Dahm and Chelsea Crenshaw, studied how streams remove excess nitrogen that results from human activities.
Photo: The Rio Puerco was one of nine southwestern streams and rivers studied by researchers.
Researchers found that the efficiency of nitrogen removal by biological organisms in small streams deteriorates as nitrate concentrations increase in the water - a pattern that held across nitrate concentrations varying by up to six orders of magnitude and across eight ecological communities or biomes.
“Streams are very effective in reducing the amount of nitrates downstream,” said Dahm, a professor in the biology department. “Nitrogen removal in streams is important because it reduces the potential for eutrophication – the excessive growth of algae and aquatic plants – in downstream lakes, reservoirs, rivers and coastal marine waters. Successfully maintaining quality headwater streams maintains healthier lakes and rivers.”
Eutrophication is linked to problems such as harmful algal blooms and oxygen depletion in plDavid Brookshire such as the Gulf of Mexico, where nitrogen additions from the Mississippi River create a vast zone of oxygen depletion with adverse effects on coastal ocean ecosystems. Excess nitrogen helps increase the potential for eutrophication.
Dahm and Crenshaw, a UNM graduate student, collaborated with researchers at Arizona State and measured nine streams and rivers in the southwestern United States. They found that nitrate levels were much lower than areas with more intense agriculture.
“There’s not the same level of nitrate pollution,” said Dahm. “Wastewater sources were more discrete and distinguishable point sources than in croplands. In southwestern waters, nitrate levels are more clearly linked to human population centers and waste water treatment plants.”
In the first phase of their study, the scientists added small amounts of an uncommon, non-radioactive isotope of nitrogen, N-15, to streams as nitrate, which is the most prevalent form of nitrogen pollution. The added isotope allowed them to measure how far downstream the nitrate traveled and what processes removed nitrate from the water.
These experiments in 72 streams across the U.S. and Puerto Rico spanned a diversity of land uses, including nine urban, agricultural and forest streams in the southwestern United States. The scientists found that the nitrate was taken up from stream water by microorganisms such as algae, fungi and bacteria. In addition, a fraction was permanently removed from streams by a bacterial process known as denitrification, which converts nitrate to nitrogen gas that then escapes harmlessly to the atmosphere.
In a second phase of the study, the scientists developed a model based on the field experimental results that predicts nitrate removal as water flows through small streams into larger streams and rivers. The model showed that the entire stream network was important in removing nitrogen pollution from stream water.
“The effectiveness of streams to remove nitrate was greatest if the streams were not overloaded by nitrogen sources such as fertilizers, wastes from human activities, and waste water treatment plants,” said Dahm.
The largest removal occurred when nitrate entered small healthy streams and traveled throughout the network before reaching larger rivers. The scientists concluded from their research that streams and rivers could be effective filters to help reduce the amount of nitrate pollution exported from landscapes, and thereby reduce eutrophication problems.
“Healthy headwaters generate healthy rivers,” said Dahm. “About half of the state lives along the Rio Grande in central New Mexico. We have to protect our headwaters to have a healthy river.”
The study was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Once again, the University of New Mexico has stepped up to surpass its annual United Way campaign goal by pledging more than $500,000 to the annual fund drive. In this campaign, UNM set a goal of $515,000, and easily surpassed that amount with a total of $568,199, which will go a long way to helping “Make Life Better” for United Way beneficiaries throughout central New Mexico.
"We exceeded our goal,” said campaign co-chair Vi Florez, Interim Provost/Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated to help our community."
Nearly 800 donors helped UNM reach and surpass its goal. Included among that number were 14 individuals who are members of United Way’s Alexis de Tocqueville Society recognizing those contributing at $10,000 or more.
This year UNM increased its campaign goal to $515,000, an increase of more than $40,000 from last year’s goal of $475,000 and more than $20,000 from last year’s record-setting mark of $493,600. UNM’s generosity was overwhelming.
“Thank all those who contributed to the University's campaign,” said Vice President for Athletics and campaign Co-chair Paul Krebs. “The University of New Mexico is a wonderful place and the faculty/staff are committed to making our community better.”
At a special recognition breakfast sponsored by United Way of Central New Mexico, UNM was recognized in five of categories including honorable mentions for increase in donors, increase in participation, campaign dollar increase, percent increase and increase in average leadership gift.
The University’s campaign is one of the largest in the state and demonstrates UNM’s support for friends, family, community and causes of support around the world. One of the many benefits of your donation exists right here at UNM. Donors can designate their gift to any number of UNM departments or programs.
United Way opens the door to many educational possibilities through donor support of scholarships and undergraduate education. More than $100,000 was donated specifically to a variety of programs across the University.
Donors also were able to choose to direct their contribution to the United Way Community Fund or any 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization of choice that helps support dozens of local organizations throughout Central New Mexico working with at-risk children, the elderly, victims of family violence and other neighbors in need.
Thanks to the Corporate Cornerstones Program, which underwrites administrative costs, 100 percent of the money donated goes to help the people in this community who need it most.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The future of the death penalty in New Mexico will be one of the many topics up for debate on KNME TV 5, 'New Mexico In Focus' on Friday, March 14 at 7 p.m.
The judge in the Paul Astorga murder case is hearing new arguments about whether or not capital punishment is constitutional. Joining host David Alire Garcia this week are Kathleen Macrae, Director of the New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty and Steve Suttle, Special Prosecutor from the New Mexico Attorney General's Office.
This week's roundtable will feature regular panelists co-host Gene Grant of the Albuquerque Journal, Margaret Montoya, UNM School of Law / UNM School of Medicine; Jim Scarantino, columnist, The Weekly Alibi; and Scott Darnell, communication director, Republican Party of New Mexico. Their guest this week is Julia Goldberg, editor of the Santa Fe Reporter.
Topics they will discuss include the new look of the Albuquerque Public Schools and Santa Fe Public Schools, the resurgence of the nuclear power industry in New Mexico, and new concerns about polling problems in this
year's crucial elections.
'New Mexico in Focus' discussions are unedited, however in some programs, certain segments may run long. They can be viewed in their entirety at:
'New Mexico In Focus'.
'New Mexico in Focus" is KNME's primetime news magazine covering events, issues and people shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. The one-hour show brings viewers important topics, opinions and insight in an integrated and cohesive package.
The show's producer is Kevin McDonald. Support for NM In Focus is provided by the 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
The UNM Board of Regents has approved a tuition increase ranging between 5 percent and 6.97 percent. The final amount will be decided at a later meeting. The New Mexico Legislature appropriated money for a 2 percent increase for staff and faculty. In the budget presented to the regents, an additional 1 percent increase for faculty members was added as part of the proposed tuition increase.
UNM President David Schmidly recommended the higher amount in order to increase the number and salary stipends for graduate and teaching assistantships, and for a number of other specific items including keeping one of the university libraries open 24 hours a day. The expanded library hours have been a priority for students during budget discussions.
Regents are interested in using some university reserves as part of the budget process, so the administration will conduct a careful review of the reserves and restrictions on their use, and will report back to the regents before their final vote.
The UNM Recycling Program, which began in the spring of 2003, is now diverting more than half of the waste the university generates from the Cerro Colorado landfill. That’s because the recycling program is extensive and recycles an amazing variety of materials.
Some of the recycling is internal. Brush, tree limbs and other green waste from campus landscaping is placed in compost piles. The same goes for sludge taken from the UNM Duck Pond.
Other waste such as scrap tires, motor oil, batteries and electronic scrap is sent to firms that specialize in specific kinds of recycling. UNM recycles more than a dozen kinds of plastic, paper and cardboards.
For the 2007 calendar year UNM recycled 1,754.43 tons of material. Resource Conservation Manager Linda McCormick says, “The state has set a recycling goal of ten per cent and nationally about 30 per cent of material is recycled. We’ve exceeded both the state target and the national recycling average.”
Anyone with questions about UNM Recycling can call Linda McCormick at (505) 269-6131 or email her at lindamcc@unm.edu..
Western portion of canyon actually formed 17 million years ago
Up until recently, it was thought the Grand Canyon was approximately six million years old. That was until researchers in the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of New Mexico discovered otherwise. Using a technique called uranium-lead isotope (U-Pb) dating of water table-type speleothems or cave formations, researchers Victor Polyak, Carol Hill and Yemane Asmerom, were able to determine the western portion of the Grand Canyon actually began to form some 17 million years ago.
That revelation, or “Eureka moment” as Asmerom called it, makes the Grand Canyon almost three times older than originally thought.
The research, which began more than nine years ago, was funded by the National Science Foundation for $250,000 and published recently in the journal Science. The discovery was enabled by the realization that certain cave formations, such as mammillary coatings that form near groundwater tables, allowed researchers to date both parts of the canyon radiometrically accurately for the first time.
“The fact that many Grand Canyon caves contain mammillary speleothems has allowed us to take advantage of advances in U-Pb and U-series analytical techniques in an effort to make the long sought chronology possible,” said Polyak in the article.
As it turned out, the caves and cave deposits, which are located throughout the Grand Canyon, were ideal in that the researchers found both pre-existing and chemical sediments deposited before, during and after the incision of the canyon.
Naturally, the caves preserved and protected them from weathering. With sufficient uranium lead ratios and yield U-Pb dates, the mammillary coatings place the water table within the canyon at a particular place and at an absolute time. The mammillary coatings allow for the incision history of the Grand Canyon to be reconstructed.
“We knew if we could successfully determine the age of these coatings, we could position a pre-existing water table at a certain place in the canyon at a particular time,” said Polyak.
The core data, which included 57 analyses, came from nine mammillary coatings from throughout the canyon, both east and west. The results from the eastern Grand Canyon displayed faster water table descent rates than data from the western Grand Canyon which showed stable, slow drops in the water table. The data showed a slower incision rate in the western portion than the eastern.
The resulting data provided a record of water table deposits as the Colorado River cut through the canyon over millions and millions of years – approximately 17 million for the western portion.
“Based on uranium-lead dates of these deposits and the positions of these deposits throughout the canyon, that the western Grand Canyon is much older than what most scientists have thought,” said Polyak.
“Normally what you’d expect is for the area around the headwaters to be older than what they call the ‘tail of the river,’ said Asmerom. “Here, essentially, you have a 10 million year old pre-history of the western Grand Canyon before the Colorado River became a though-flowing river to the Gulf of California.”
The research may provide further clues and could eventually offer the possibility for a reconstruction of the canyon’s history.
“These results were possible by the convergence of new technical capabilities achieved in our Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory, the conceptual breakthrough in connecting the mammillary to the water table and having samples that had sufficient uranium for dating,” said Asmerom.
For more information on the Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory at UNM visit: Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The UNM Bookstore, located at 2301 Central NE, on the corner of Cornell and Central, celebrates National Poetry Month in April with “Wednesdays at Noon Poetry Series.” Poetry readings kick off Wednesday, March 26 with UNM Press poets Jennifer Bartlett and V.B. Price, followed each Wednesday in April by a lineup of local poets, many UNM students and faculty. A live podcast will be broadcast for each reading.
A list of participating poets follows:
Wed., March 26
V.B. Price
Jennifer Bartlett
Wed., April 2
Lisa Hase
Lisa Gill
Christina Yovovich
Kyle Churney
Gary Jackson
Wed., April 9
Miriam Sagan
Wed., April 16
Diane Thiel
Hakim Bellamy
Loboslam Team members
Sari Krosinsky
John Tritica
Wed., April 23
Chris Wrenn
Amy Beeder
Stefi Weisburd
Phyllis Hoge Thomson
Jeffery Lee
Wed., April 30
Richard Vargas
Levi Romero
Ken Gurney
Larry Goodell
Jose Montoya
Jessica Lopez
For more information, call Anicia Esposito, 277-9752, aespo@unm.edu
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico’s Board of Regents voted to approve UNM’s first official Parent Association today at its full board meeting. Regents’ President Jamie Koch signed a memorandum of understanding with the association giving parents a role in university governance. The Parent Association president will give a report on behalf of all parents at each full Board of Regents meeting.
Photo: Parent Association President Maria Probasco with Dr. and Mrs. Schmidly.
The University of New Mexico’s Board of Regents voted to approve UNM’s first official Parent Association today at its full board meeting. Regents’ President Jamie Koch signed a memorandum of understanding with the association giving parents a role in university governance. The Parent Association president will give a report on behalf of all parents at each full Board of Regents meeting.
UNM’s new association is dues-free and empowers families to play a supportive role in higher education, promotes initiatives to increase student success and provides a forum for parent and student networking.
Parent Association officers are parents of current students and hold two-year terms. The recently elected board has 19 members, including President Maria Probasco, Vice President Heyam Kassicieh, Treasurer Angela Koury, Treasurer-Elect Cathy Kidder, and Secretary Denise Tessier. Janet Schmidly, former classroom teacher and wife of President David J. Schmidly, is the president’s voting designate. Alexandra Roark was elected the voting student designate.
Upon her arrival at UNM, Janet Schmidly joined UNM’s fledgling, grassroots Parent Advisory Board and the president made it a strategic goal to support the group. The Schmidlys formed a Parents Association at Oklahoma State University, which became nationally recognized.
“My goal in the coming year is for the association to establish three Parent Clubs in New Mexico, perhaps in Farmington, Hobbs and Gallup. This will keep our parents connected and in touch with one another,” Schmidly said.
Probasco is a former president of the Alamogordo School Board and ushered two students through the UNM system. She is currently parenting a sophomore.
Goals for her term as association president include:
* Increasing association membership in partnership with organizations such as ENLACE ( ENgaging LAtino Communities for Education initiative) and GEAR-UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs)
* Advocating on issues directly affecting student success
* Assisting in realizing the university’s one-stop-shop concept
* Generating funds for association operations and scholarships
The association has eight standing committees active in event planning, mentoring, multicultural issues, student recruitment and persistence and fundraising. Chairs include parents Maria Acosta, Aaron Baca, Christina Kitsos, Tom Root and Nieves Torres.
The Parent Association is a non-profit organization working in accordance with the university and in compliance with UNM policies and procedures. Division of Student Affairs Vice President Eliseo Torres serves as administrative liaison. Parent Relations Office Manager Laurie Mellas serves as the association’s executive director.
“Parents and families are an integral part of our students’ lives. We’ve incorporated family support into many of our student affairs initiatives,” Vice President Torres said. “The association will boost parent participation to levels that will make a visible difference in student education at UNM.”
For more information, call 277-5915, email parent@unm.edu or visit Parent Association.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
When you were six years old and something went wrong, your mom made you count to 10, then react as a way of making you stop to think. Now a graduate student from the University of New Mexico is working on a technical protocol that gives Internet Service Providers time to stop and think about traffic flow problems on the internet before they have to react.
Photo: Josh Karlin
Josh Karlin is constructing a protocol with his advisor UNM Computer Science Professor Stephanie Forrest. When finished, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can use it to deemphasize and delay data that suddenly comes from an unexpected source for up to 24 hours, until it is clear the data is coming from a legitimate source. That gives the ISPs a little breathing room to react to potential problems.
Right now, nearly 200 times a day, there are odd glitches in the way internet traffic flows. Most of them are small, disappearing quickly within a few hours, but occasionally there is a major problem such as the one on Sunday afternoon, February 24, 2008, when the website “You Tube” disappeared from the World Wide Web. It’s not clear why, but Pakistan Telecom suddenly rerouted You Tube traffic into an internet black hole, stopping web users in most of the world from viewing the site.
Incidents like this fascinate Karlin. He says You Tube got back online by sending out word internationally that they had a problem. “So what happened is the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that were close to Pakistan Telecom, that were in fact forwarding Pakistan’s data, said oh, this is obviously wrong. We’re not going to propagate it. And then they shut it off. They filtered it out and then suddenly the problem disappeared and You Tube was getting data again.”
Most internet users don’t think much about how the internet works. We assume someone, somewhere is in charge; taking care of problems, settling disputes, and punishing troublemakers. But that’s not true. The internet works because hundreds of independent ISPs work cooperatively together to keep traffic running smoothly.
Every computer in the world connected to the internet has an address. Those addresses come from the Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA). That entity assigns the numbers, but it doesn’t police them. “The IANA has been giving out these addresses for a very long time, and people have lost track of where they’ve gone,” says Karlin. “So some companies that were given Internet Protocol addresses have folded or sold it to other companies or broken them down into small blocks and given them out to other people, so nobody really knows what’s where.”
For instance, the University of New Mexico has thousands of internet addresses assigned to it. But there is no agency that monitors whether UNM only uses the addresses it has been assigned. So how does any ISP sort out what is legitimate and what is not?
There are several kinds of services that Internet Service Providers could use to stay abreast of suspicious activity on the internet. Some are propriety, for profit, and can be purchased from a number of companies. Karlin, with funding from the National Science Foundation has already designed a protocol that is fast, functional and free to any ISP that signs up. The Internet Alert Registry sends an email to the ISP when there is suspicious activity in the internet traffic flow that might affect its customers. The registry is available at http://iar.cs.unm.edu/index.php.
The suspicious activity could be anything from a transient glitch to a full scale emergency like the You Tube traffic problem. The email alert is like a warning siren that gives system operators notice to look at the problem and take any corrective action they believe is needed to keep their customers fully connected.
The Internet Alert System and the new protocol will eventually work together so that ISPs receive the alert, and their systems can automatically start deemphasizing the suspicious traffic so that potential problems unfold slowly rather than with an instant crash.
Karlin says the internet began as a messaging system between researchers who trusted each other, and so far the system still basically works on the idea that most of the time messages that are being sent around the world are benign. But as more and more people use the system mistakes are made that cause problems. His new protocol treats the mistakes as mistakes rather than attacks and allows for a positive rather than a punitive solution.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Two University of New Mexico buildings received awards at the Best Buildings Award Banquet sponsored by the New Mexico Building Branch of the Associated General Contractors and Southwest Contractor. George Pearl Hall, home to UNM’s School of Architecture and Planning and Fine Arts and Design Library, received the 2008 Grand Prize of Show.
Photo: George Pearl Hall at night.
In recognizing the building, judges noted, “this project demonstrates how function and aesthetics can blend in a landmark building that has, as its principal function, education. The essential workings of the building are exposed so that architectural students can see firsthand how all aspects of the construction process – structural, mechanical, electrical, fireproofing, sound control, utilities, etc. – come into play.”
The building is named for well-known architect, George Pearl, FAIA, who for many years was a principal in Stevens, Mallory, Pearl, and Campbell, now known as SMPC.
George Pearl Hall is also a winner in Buildings $20 million and over, an honor it shared with the $132 million Barbara and Bill Richardson Pavilion/UNM Children’s Hospital.
Photo: George Pearl Hall
George Pearl Hall was awarded for outstanding specialty work for the sprayed fireproofing and sound insulation installed by ANI. The UNM Children’s Hospital, the largest building project ever undertaken in the state, received a Partnering award.
“These two awards validate the University’s commitment to buildings of high quality that are also memorable expressions of good regional design and constructible architecture. We are grateful to the NM Branch of AGC for their recognition.”
Photo: Barbara and Bill Richardson Pavilion/UNM Children’s Hospital.
Photos of George Pearl Hall taken by Patrick Coulie.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The Science & Society Distinguished Public Talks will present a lecture on Thursday, March 13 at 5 p.m. by Purdue University Professor Emeritus W. Dale Compton. Titled, “Engineering and the System of Healthcare Delivery,” the talk will be held in rm. G at the UNM Conference Center. It is free and open to the public.
Compton is the Lillian M. Gibreth Distinguished Professor of Physics (Emeritus) at the Purdue University School of Industrial Engineering, West Lafayette, IN. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has concluded that a quality healthcare delivery system must provide safe, effective, timely, efficient, and equitable care for its patients. The newspapers cite examples in which elements of the system have failed to meet these objectives. While IOM metrics do not speak directly to the reduction in the cost of healthcare, this is the focus of many complaints. It is timely to ask what, if anything, engineering can do to assist in bringing improvements to healthcare delivery.
A review is undertaken of examples of engineering procedures, techniques, and systems that are currently available that can be of assistance and those for which more research is needed. Recommendations for changes in curricula and for enlarging the capabilities for the interdisciplinary research related to healthcare delivery will be discussed.
Free Parking is available in the adjacent parking lot at 1634 University Blvd., NE. It is paved and well lit. Refreshments will be served beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Science & Society of Distinguished Public Talks are co-sponsored by the Albuquerque Section of the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (IEEE), Sigma Xi (the Scientific Research Society), the Department of Physics & Astronomy, the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Engineering, the University Honors Program and the Division of Continuing Education.
Karessa Bitsoie Silversmith, senior tutor with the Adult Basic Education center and GED program at the University of New Mexico-Gallup, has won the Sarah Belle Brown Community Service Award from UNM. Silversmith received the award at a recent ceremony at UNM’s main campus in Albuquerque.
Photo: Karessa Bitsoie Silversmith
Former Regent Doug Brown established this award in honor of his wife to support and promote the university’s commitment to public service.
“Karessa was selected because of her commitment to her students and her ‘can
do’ attitude in helping them succeed,” said Beth Miller, UNM-Gallup executive director.
“Her goal is to help everyone who walks through the ABE Center doors each day realize his or her potential. Since assuming her position a little over a year ago, our success rates in ABE have vastly improved.”
Prior to coming to UNM-Gallup, Silversmith worked as a data technician for the Gallup McKinley Public Schools, at a local elementary school where current superintendent Esther Macias was principal. At that time, she was enrolled at UNM-Gallup studying for a bachelor’s degree in University Studies. As a student, she participated in the Bridge program at UNM-Gallup, run by Kamala Sharma, associate professor of chemistry.
Bridge sends students from UNM-G to New Mexico State University for a summer term to learn how to conduct scientific research.
After graduating, Silversmith says she decided she wanted to focus on human services.
“I always wanted to do more for our community. When I came to this position, I saw that we are all connected in one way or another, and that if we all do our part we can make change happen,” Silversmith said.
Silversmith says she tries to facilitate change through finding what the needs of the community are and making connections between various agencies and programs she works with, including those of the Navajo Nation and other local government agencies.
Silversmith, a Navajo, was born to the Edgewater Clan for the Tobacco Red Running Into the Water Clan.
“I am proud that this is the first time a Navajo person, and more importantly, a Navajo woman, has received this award,” she said.
Her story came to the attention of Lt. Gov. Diane Denish before the December 2007 commencement ceremonies. Denish mentioned her struggle as a Native American working mother of two, and wife of a soldier, Navy Gunner’s Mate First Class Travis Silversmith, currently deployed on his second tour in Iraq.
“Let this award be a symbol for women who are struggling with all these issues and a symbol for what can be accomplished,” Denish said.
Silversmith said she hopes to use some of the $2,500 award to “honor what Sarah Belle Brown stands for” by paying the expenses of students in the GED program who are academically prepared, yet cannot find a means to pay for their test.
“This act of kindness only attests to the truly altruistic nature of this individual,” said Christine Abassary, ABE program manager. “I salute her dedication am honored to know her.”
Donations to the GED expense fund may be sent to UNM-Gallup, care of the
Executive Director’s office, 200 College Road, Gallup, NM 87305.
Media Contact: Linda Thornton, (505) 863-7565; e-mail: lthornton@gallup.unm.edu
The UNM Student Union Building’s Game Room, cUeNM, hosted a series of 9-ball tournaments for UNM students. The top two students from these tournaments, Stanton McCandish and Peter Sucre, made it to the end of the road at cUeNM’s 9-ball tournament last month, but for them, that was only the beginning. The pair also recently competed in a regional tournament and qualified to compete in a national tournament to be held in Arizona later this year.
Photo: Student Peter Sucre lines up a shot at last month's 9-Ball Pool Tournament hosted by the UNM SUB's game room, cUeNM.
The two winners of the tournament were selected to attend the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) Region 13 Leisure Activities Tournament in Colorado Springs, Colo.
In Colorado, McCandish and Sucre competed against 20 other pool sharks from Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. In the regional competition, Sucre and McCandish finished in second and sixth place respectively. In the process, they qualified for the ACUI Collegiate 9-Ball Championship, which will be held in Arizona later this year.
Chris Blackham, who coordinated the cUeNM tournament, says this type of event “enables students to create relationships both within their university and with other universities.”
Blackham said the tournament also gives students a chance to proudly represent UNM on a national level. cUeNM plans to host similar tournaments in the future. Students interested in participating can stop by cUeNM in the SUB, across from the credit union, or log onto unmsub.com/cuenm for updates.
Media Contact: Matt Henderson, (505) 277-7885; e-mail: edge7@unm.edu
The Board of Directors of the Lobo Development Corporation will hold a special board meeting on Thursday, March 20, at 9 a.m. in the Roberts Room of Scholes Hall on the UNM main campus.
Copies of the agenda will be available at University Communication and Marketing in the Welcome Center (Cornell Parking Structure) at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.
Individuals with disabilities in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified signed language interpreter or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in a Board of Regents’ meeting should contact University Communication and Marketing.
Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats and individuals who need accessible formats also should contact University Communication and Marketing.
Media Contact: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1989; e-mail: mckinsey@unm.edu
Funding by Sandia National Labs and Lockheed Martin aids K-12 teachers
For the 5th year, Sandia National Laboratories has provided financial support for summer science classes for K-12 educators. Personnel from Sandia, UNM College of Arts and Sciences, Albuquerque Public Schools, and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science use these funds to collaboratively develop and offer these free university-level courses in earth science, biology and astronomy for K-12 teachers designed to help enhance their science content knowledge and curriculum within their classrooms.
The collaboration has led to the formation of the Science Education Institute of the Southwest (SEIS), which supports the teaching and learning of science in New Mexico. The skill-building courses also have helped fill requirements for “highly qualified” teachers in meeting the No Child Left Behind standards.
“Sandia National Labs is excited about collaborating with the University of New Mexico and the Museum of History and Natural Science,” said Bruce McClure, manager, Community Involvement, Sandia National Laboratories. “Of course, knowledge and skill in science and related applications are key to the country’s and the Lab’s future success. One of the keys to ensuring that happens rests with the classroom teacher.”
“Most people who teach K-12 science don’t necessarily have a lot of experience with field-based science,” said Matt Nyman, lecturer, Earth and Planetary Sciences. “We started offering the courses in 2005 for middle school teachers in order to provide teachers opportunities to fulfill requirements to become highly qualified.”
SEIS’ mission is to help strengthen K-12 science teaching and learning in New Mexico. SEIS aims to promote advancement in the teaching and learning of science by: providing high quality professional development and research opportunities for K-12 educators; building a network of educators to support best teaching practices and intellectual growth; facilitating partnerships and community involvement to promote high quality science education; and collecting data and publishing the results on the effectiveness of SEIS activities.
“The courses are taught by UNM faculty,” said Nyman. “We take teachers out on weeklong field courses that are immersive in field learning content and skills. The last two summers we have had many successful collaborations including one with the biology department and Professor Tim Lowrey at the Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research site and a second with Dinesh Loomba in Physics and Astronomy. We have also had successful classes where we team teach courses with K-12 classroom teachers.”
Along with summer coursework for K-12 teachers, SEIS has supported middle and high school science teachers as summer research fellows. In this SEIS program, teachers work with UNM researchers and their research groups on current research problems. This provides an important opportunity for teachers to participate in authentic scientific research.
SEIS has also developed a lecture series, in which current classroom teachers meet with future teachers to discuss how they teach science to elementary students. SEIS also has developed a series of hands-on, one-day weekend workshops for K-5 teachers to improve science content knowledge and the teaching of science.
“No Child Left Behind provided a lot of momentum for SEIS to get started,” said Earth and Planetary Sciences lecturer Amy Ellwein. “The generous funding from Sandia National Labs has allowed us to provide a variety of really cool science opportunities for teachers. We could not have developed these programs without this assistance from the labs. Recently, we have taken our programs to the New Mexico Public Education Department to get additional funding to support our efforts.”
The courses are offered through the UNM College of Arts and Sciences. Tuition and course materials are offered at no cost to teachers due to the support of SNL and Lockheed Martin as well as grants from the New Mexico Public Education Department and other sources. Participants can earn three credit hours or a stipend for the weeklong courses.
“We know that a skilled and knowledgeable classroom teacher is critical to developing confidence, interest, and competence in children,” added McClure. “We are very proud at SEIS of the impact we have had on science teaching here in New Mexico, and appreciate the support from Sandia Labs and Lockheed Martin.”
To learn more about SEIS visit SEIS Institute or call Nyman at (505) 277-4355 or Ellwein at (505) 277-1639.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
An educational presentation, touching on the medication treatment of chronic asthma including specific medication, adverse effects and monitoring, will be presented by the Employee Health Promotion Wednesday, March 19, from 12 to 1 p.m. in rm. 1007 at the UNM Business Center. Associate Professor Patricia Marshik, UNM College of Pharmacy, will be the featured presenter.
The presentation is open to all faculty/staff. If you or anyone close to you are impacted by asthma and want to learn details of medication and management, this educational session will be beneficial.
Signup is available via Learning Central at: Learning Central.
For more information contact Rhonda Miranda @ 277-4996
Note: There is no paid parking at the business center. There are parking meters for use on the east side of the building for $1.60/hour.
Though the UNM Provost Search Committee is still in the process of selecting its full slate of finalists, two individuals so far have been notified that they have been chosen as finalists. In accordance with UNM policy, they have been invited to visit campus this week for interviews with faculty, staff, students and administrators. The individuals are Dr. Tito Guerrero III and Dr. Suzanne Trager Ortega and their respective interview schedule with faculty, staff, students and administrators follows.
If and when other individuals are selected as finalists, they will be notified and asked to participate in the on-campus interview process. UNM will make their names known at that time.
Dr. Tito Guerrero III will meet faculty, staff, students and the community during a series of interviews scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, March 10 – 11, 2008. Guerrero currently serves as the Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity at Texas A&M University.
Monday, March 10
9 – 10 a.m. - Staff Forum (SUB Acoma Room)
1:15 – 2:30 p.m. - Faculty Forum (SUB Acoma Room)
Tuesday, March 11
10:15 – 11:15 a.m. - Student Forum (SUB Fiesta Room)
From 2001-2006, Guerrero served as the President of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. He was also President of the University of Southern Colorado (now known as Colorado State University-Pueblo) from 1997-2001, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi from 1991-1997. While at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, he also served as Vice President for Student Affairs and Professor of Education (1989-1991), Kellogg National Leadership Fellow (1987-1990), and Dean of Students (1985-1989).
Guerrero currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Visitors for Air University, United States Air Force. He also serves as an Editorial Board Member for the Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education and the SAM Advanced Management Journal.
Guerrero is a tenured full professor in the Texas A&M University College of Education and Human Development. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Health Education and Biology from Texas A&M University (1970), his Masters of Education from the University of North Texas (1971), his C.A.S. from Harvard University (1974), and his Doctorate in Education, also from Harvard University (1977).
He has served as a Director for the American Council on Education, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and American Humanics, Inc.
Dr. Suzanne Trager Ortega will meet faculty, staff, students and the community during a series of interviews scheduled for Thursday and Friday, March 13 – 14, 2008. Dr. Ortega currently serves as Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Washington.
Thursday, March 13
3 – 4:15 p.m. - Faculty Forum (SUB Santa Ana Room)
4:30 – 5:30 p.m. - Student Forum (SUB Santa Ana Room)
Friday, March 14
9:15 – 10:15 a.m. - Staff Forum (SUB Santa Ana Room)
Ortega was appointed as the Dean of the University of Washington Graduate School and Vice Provost in August 2005. Prior to her appointment, she served five years as the Vice Provost for Advanced Studies and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri - Columbia (MU). Ortega's masters and doctoral degrees in sociology were completed at Vanderbilt University. She also served as assistant/associate graduate dean from 1994-2000 at the University of Nebraska, where she was a faculty member for 20 years.
With primary research interests in mental health epidemiology, health services, and race and ethnic relations, Ortega is the author or co-author of numerous journal articles, book chapters, and an introductory sociology text, now in its 7th edition. An award-winning teacher, she has served on a number of review panels for NSF and NIH and has been the principal investigator or co-investigator on grants totaling more than $6 million in state and federal funds.
Her work to secure funding for and develop successful Ronald E. McNair post-baccalaureate degree, preparing future faculty, Ph.D. completion, and diversity enhancement programs, including the CGS/Peterson’s Award for Innovations in Promoting an Inclusive Graduate Community, are among her most important administrative accomplishments.
Ortega is active in her national disciplinary association, having served on the American Sociological Association (ASA) Advisory Board for Preparing Future Faculty, the ASA Executive Office and Budget committee and currently serving as a member of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior editorial board. In addition, she has served on the Executive Board of the NASULGC Council on Research Policy and Graduate Education and is a past-Chair of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools and Council of Graduate Schools' Boards.
Ortega currently chairs the GRE Board, serves as a member of the National Academies of Science Committee on the Assessment of the Research Doctorate, and is a member of the National Science Foundation’s Human Resources Expert Panel.
Media Contacts: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1989; e-mail: mckinsey@unm.edu or Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
UNM Psychology graduate student Lisa Hagen Glynn is seeking undergraduates who are concerned about their alcohol use in a study on college undergraduate drinking. The study titled, “Talking About Drinking,” looks to examine research on how in-session language of therapists influences the language of clients in a sampling of undergraduate college students via an interaction resembling a therapeutic encounter.
Glynn, who has conducted previous research on couples, addictions, health behavior change and motivational interviewing, is testing one method of treatment over another method to see which works better.
“I hope the study will be beneficial to the UNM community,” said Glynn. “We’re trying to find out if one method of therapy is better than another and how. The goal is to isolate the parts of therapy that work and use those methods to be more efficient to help the most people we can.”
Under the mentoring of Psychology Professor Theresa Moyers, Glynn is currently seeking 80 undergraduates interested in participating in the study. As part of their involvement in the study, participants will receive $20 as well as personalized drinking feedback.
Study sessions will include the completion of some questionnaires and discussing drinking with a clinical psychology graduate student trained to discuss drinking concerns. Sessions will take place on campus and last about two hours. Interested participants must be at least 18 years of age.
Individuals interested in participating should contact Glynn at (505) 925-2335.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Have you ever really wanted to know the chemistry of converting biomass into usable compounds for fuels? A free seminar on “Catalytic Production of Fuels and Chemicals from Biomass Derived Oxygenated Hydrocarbons” on Thursday, March 13 at 2:30 p.m. in Mechanical Engineering Room 218 will feature Jim Dumesic from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Wisconsin.
The seminar will present results for aqueous-phase and vapor-phase reforming of oxygenated hydrocarbons, such as glycerol and sorbitol, allowing a comparison and contrast of the reaction pathways for reforming and water-gas shift reactions in aqueous solutions versus in the gas phase. Dumesic will also show how gas mixtures of H² and CO can be produced at high rates and selectivities from glycerol over platinum-based bi-metallic catalysts at significantly lower temperatures than conventional biomass gasification.
There will be a demonstration of how hydrolymethylfurfural (HMF) can be formed in high yields by dehydration of carbohydrates in a biphasic reactor. The HMF product can be used as a high-value monomer for the polymer industry, or it can be converted catalytically to dimethylfuran for use as a high-octane blending agent in gasoline.
This seminar is sponsored by the Nanoscience and Microsystems (NSMS) Degree Program, the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) and the National Science Foundation Partnership for International Research and Education (NSF PIRE).
UNM faculty members Carmen Nocentelli, assistant professor of English and comparative literature, and Sam Truett, associate professor of history, recently learned they both won long-term fellowships for 2008-2009 at the Newberry Library in Chicago. Nocentelli was chosen the Monticello College Foundation Fellow, and Truett the Lloyd Lewis Fellow in American History.
Photo: Carmen Nocentelli and Sam Truett
Not only have Nocentelli and Truett won two of these eight slots for the University of New Mexico – in the recent past, only the University of Chicago and Northwestern University have claimed more than one slot in a given year – but they were also selected “blind” by committees who had no idea that they were choosing two halves of an academic couple!
In the past, Nocentelli and Truett have been awarded both long-term and short-term fellowships at such research institutions as the Huntington Library in San Marino, Calif., the Newberry Library in Chicago, and the John Carter Brown Library in Providence, Rhode Island, where Truett is currently finishing a stint as a short-term fellow; but this is also the first time they have been awarded fellowships simultaneously at the same institution.
The Newberry Library is one of the world’s leading research libraries in history and literature of Western Europe and the Americas. Each year it awards roughly eight long-term fellowships to scholars in the humanities around the nation, together with a few others reserved for small consortia of universities primarily in the Midwest.
The Newberry Library is arguably the best single research institution in the nation for their two projects. Nocentelli will be finishing her first book, tentatively titled “Islands of Love: Race, Sexuality, and the Euro-Asian Encounter.”
In the book, Nocentelli explores Early Modern Europe’s fascination with the eros of Asia, and ask how travelogues, poems, novels and plays about the Asian contact zone shaped the ways sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europeans conceived of their own racial sexual, and cultural identities. The collections of rare European books at the Newberry Library are uniquely suited to this comparative project, which draws on a broad range of Portuguese, Spanish, English, Italian and Dutch sources.
Truett will be completing research on his second book project, “Old New Worlds: Ruins, Borderlands, and Empire in America.” In this book, Truett examines the U.S. fascination with ruins and antiquity in the nation’s expanding borderlands, from the eighteenth century on.
As they moved west across the Appalachians to the Mississippi, and later into the U.S. Southwest and onto new tourist frontiers in Mexico and Central America, Americans were captivated by the haunted remains of pre-Columbian civilizations, prior French and Spanish empires, and eventually their own ghosts, most vividly expressed in the western ghost town.
Truett will draw on the rich Native American, Latin American and Western Americana collections at the Newberry Library to track this fascination with ruins across the broad sweep of U.S. frontier and borderlands history.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
UNM-Valencia Professor Recognized for Community Contributions
Dr. Richard Melzer, professor of history at UNM-Valencia Campus and author of several books, received a Star Award from the City of Belen for his service to the community. Melzer was one of six community members honored in a recent ceremony held at the Heart of Belen Pavilion.
Melzer has been very active in the Valencia County Historical Society for many years and has penned numerous “La Historia del Rio Abajo” columns in the Valencia County News-Bulletin. He has received several outstanding teacher awards at the Valencia Campus.
His latest book is titled, "Buried Treasures: Famous and Unusual Gravesites in New Mexico History." Other titles include "Breakdown: How the Secret of the Atomic Bomb was Stolen" and "Ernie Pyle in the American Southwest."
During the week of March 10-14, UNM’s Recreational Services will offer free chair massages, free drop in fitness and late night cycling classes, "Ask the Trainer" demos and helpful healthy eating tips as part of its March Madness Fitness Week. Also, don't miss the chance to win a 2008 "Works" pass and a Personal Training package.
Fitness assessment tests will also be available for only $5. Try to be the fitness champ at the agility competition on Tuesday at 4 p.m. How fit are you? So don't miss out on the fun and remember, be fit.
Contact 277-0178 for more information or visit Johnson Center during March Madness.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The UNM Linguistics Department and the Navajo Language Program host a special daylong tribute to the late internationally renowned linguist, Kenneth Hale, Saturday, March 8, in the UNM Kiva Lecture Hall. Hale spent most of his life working with American Indian scholars and language experts, helping them develop dictionaries, research in their languages and teaching students and elders about their languages.
Photo: Kenneth Hale
His students will present papers in his honor. UNM’s visiting professor, Paul Platero, is among those who studied under Hale. Platero, along with other native Navajo speakers, will present their research and findings.
Sherman Wilcox, chair, linguistics, said, “This is one of the best events to happen on campus following the passing of Robert Young, UNM emeritus, who, along with William Morgan, produced several Navajo dictionaries.”
UNM Press publishes the dictionaries. “Navajo language instruction spans more than 30 years at UNM. It is now time to expand and grow the program and give it status,” Wilcox said. With that goal in mind, Wilcox brought Platero into the program this year.
“The research papers presented at this workshop – and many others – are being prepared for publication in an issue of the International Journal of American Linguistics,” Theodore Fernald, Swarthmore College, said. Fernald is heading the workshop.
For a complete workshop schedule visit: Ken Hale Workshop
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The office of the Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of New Mexico hosts, “Unidos en Nuestra Lucha: Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations,” a Latino higher education national policy summit at UNM June 5-7.
The purpose of the summit is to bring together Hispanic/Latino leadership, educators, appointed and elected officials, student leadership and numerous other representatives from public and private sectors throughout the Southwest and other parts of the country to dialogue on selected critical issues that have a societal economic impact on Hispanic/Latino communities.
“Leadership will come together in the spirit of collaboration to reach consensus on recommendations to be translated into strategic policy statements that will be disseminated and presented for implementation nationally,” said Eliseo “Cheo” Torres, UNM vice president of Student Affairs.
The summit topics are:
Higher Education Leadership; Faculty and Administration
Crisis in Higher Education Achievement
Immigration Impact
Towards Math and Science Achievement
“If we are to realize a brighter future that reflects inclusion, educational, professional and economic success, it is our responsibility to continue such collaborative efforts,” Torres said.
For more summit information including registration and hotel information, visit: Latino Summit.
The UNM School of Law’s Tax Law Club assists in tax preparation as part of AARP’s Tax-Aide program. Tax assistance takes place in the School of Law room 2424 Thursdays 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Fridays from noon to 6 p.m. from now until April 11. They will be closed for spring break, March 17-21.
“We have arranged for volunteers who are certified through AARP’s Tax-Aide program to provide tax preparation services for free at the law school. Our site conforms to the guidelines of the other AARP Tax-Aide sites--we have no age or income requirements, however we primarily serve low- to middle-income taxpayers,” said Gabrielle Roybal, Tax Law Club member, adding that they cannot work with complex returns.
Volunteers have been certified through VITA/TCE and e-file all returns they help prepare, both federal and New Mexico state returns.
“We have a walk-in site, so no appointments are necessary. We do ask that people come at least half an hour before our scheduled closing times because of the time it takes to complete and check a return. There is metered parking in front of the law school,” Roybal said.
For more information, call the AARP information center at 830-3097.
Dr. Tito Guerrero III, a finalist for University of New Mexico Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, will meet faculty, staff, students and the community during a series of interviews scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, March 10 – 11, 2008. Dr. Guerrero currently serves as the Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity at Texas A&M University.
Monday, March 10
9 – 10 a.m. - Staff Forum (SUB Acoma Room)
1:15 – 2:30 p.m. - Faculty Forum (SUB Acoma Room)
Tuesday, March 11
10:15 – 11:15 a.m. - Student Forum (SUB Fiesta Room)
From 2001-2006, Dr Guerrero served as the President of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. He was also President of the University of Southern Colorado (now known as Colorado State University-Pueblo) from 1997-2001, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi from 1991-1997.
While at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, he also served as Vice President for Student Affairs and Professor of Education (1989-1991), Kellogg National Leadership Fellow (1987-1990), and Dean of Students (1985-1989). Dr. Guerrero currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Visitors for Air University, United States Air Force. He also serves as an Editorial Board Member for the Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education and the SAM Advanced Management Journal.
Dr. Guerrero is a tenured full professor in the Texas A&M University College of Education and Human Development. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Health Education and Biology from Texas A&M University (1970), his Masters of Education from the University of North Texas (1971), his C.A.S. from Harvard University (1974), and his Doctorate in Education, also from Harvard University (1977). He has served as a Director for the American Council on Education, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and American Humanics, Inc.
For Dr. Guerrero's complete curriculum vitae visit: Dr. Guerrero's Curriculum Vitae
Schedules for the other Provost finalist visits will be released as they become available.
Media Contacts: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1989; e-mail: mckinsey@unm.edu or Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Friday, March 7 at 7 p.m. on KNME TV 5, ‘New Mexico In Focus’ panelists discuss home ownership and how many economists believe subprime lending is the top threat to the nation’s economy.
Guest panelists include Dante DiGregorio, assistant professor, UNM Anderson School of Management; Diana Dorn-Jones, United South Broadway Fair Lending Center; and William Verant, director, Financial Institutions Division, State Licensing and Regulation Department. TJ Trout of 94 Rock FM will also join the panelists this week.
Hosts include journalists Gene Grant and David Alire Garcia, Margaret Montoya, UNM School of Law / UNM School of Medicine; Jim Scarantino, columnist, The Weekly Alibi; and Scott Darnell, communication director, Republican Party of New Mexico.
Other topics they will address include the Iraq War veteran who was sentenced for two years for killing a man he says tried to steal his vehicle; a look at whether or not the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Authority has overstepped its bounds; Gov. Richardson still not endorsing a presidential candidate; and plans for a summer special legislative session to address universal health care.
‘New Mexico In Focus’ discussions are unedited, however in some programs, certain segments may run long. They can be viewed in their entirety at: http://www.knme.org/newmexicoinfocus
NM In Focus is KNME’s primetime news magazine covering events, issues and people shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. The one-hour show brings viewers important topics, opinions and insight in an integrated and cohesive package.
The show’s producer is Kevin McDonald. Support for NM In Focus is provided by the McCune Charitable Foundation. Closed captioning has been made possible by a gift from Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs.
Arts and culture are big business in the Albuquerque metropolitan region, and could get even bigger. Learn how and why at a presentation of the recently released study on the Economic Importance of the Arts and Cultural Industries in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. The presentation will be held Thursday, March 13, 5:30-6:30 p.m., at the KiMo Theatre, near the corner of Central Avenue and Fifth Street.
Christopher Mead, dean of the College of Fine Arts at UNM, and Jeffrey Mitchell, primary author of the report by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) at UNM, will introduce and explain the key findings of this report.
For more information, call the Arts Alliance at 268-1920.
An educational session focusing on helping individuals sort out some of the leading nutrition myths and misinformation that persist will be presented in celebration of March’s National Nutrition Month’s theme: Nutrition: It’s a Matter of Fact. The event, which will be held Thursday, March 13, from 12 to 1 p.m., will be conducted by Shelley Rael, sr. clinical nutritionist in UNM’s Employee Health Promotion Program. It will be held in rm. 1007 at the UNM Business Center.
This session will help you get the facts about nutrition from a nutrition expert, who strives to help everyone realize that no single food or meal can break your diet. This presentation is open to all faculty/staff as well as hospital employees. Please sign up via Learning Central Learning Central.
For more information contact Rael at 272-3989 or 272-4460.
Note: There is no paid parking at the business center. There are self pay parking meters for use on the east side of the building for $1.60/hour.
Workshop in Honor of Ken Hale, University of New Mexico, Department of Linguistics
Saturday March 8, 2008
8:30-9 a.m. - Welcome
9 - 10 a.m. - Elena Benedicto (Purdue University) “At the Intersection of Linguistic Research and Community Empowerment” Read by Ricard Vinas
10 - 11 a.m. - Ellavina Perkins (Navajo Language Academy) “Navajo Passive”
11 - 11:15 p.m. - Break
11:15 - 12:15 p.m. - MaryAnn Willie (University of Arizona) “Navajo Plurals”
Lunch Break
1:45 - 2:45 p.m. - Peggy Speas (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), Ellavina Perkins (Navajo Language Academy), and Theodore B. Fernald (Swarthmore College) “Categories of Quantification in Navajo”
2:45 - 3 p.m. - Gloria Emerson (Diné College, Shiprock) “Acknowledging Ken Hale’s Influence in Applied Linguistics and Education”
3 - 3:15 p.m. - Break
3:15-4:15 p.m. - Ofelia Zepeda (University of Arizona) “The Issue of Documentation of Native American Languages with an Eye Toward Revitalization”
4:15-5 p.m. - Paul Platero (University of New Mexico) “Negative Polarity in Navajo”
5 - 8 p.m. - Dinner
Alternate: Theodore B. Fernald (Swarthmore College) and Ellavina Perkins (Navajo Language Academy) “Complements, Modifiers, and Coordinate Structures”
Asra Q. Nomani, former reporter for the Wall Street Journal and author of “Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of Islam,” will be the special guest speaker at the Sabrina Single Mother’s Scholarship Benefit on Saturday, March 15, 7:30 p.m., at the Albuquerque Journal Theatre, National Hispanic Cultural Center.
Photo: Asra Q. Nomani
The University of New Mexico Women’s Resource Center began offering the Sabrina Single Mother’s Scholarship in spring 2007 to graduate and undergraduate single mothers studying at UNM. An application form for the Sabrina Single Mother’s Scholarship is available at Sabrina Single Mother's Scholarship. The deadline to apply is Friday, Feb. 1.
After Sept. 11, 2001, while on leave from the Wall Street Journal, Nomani became a correspondent for Salon magazine, reporting in Pakistan. She earned an Online Journalists Award for feature reporting for her dispatches.
Nomani was inspired by tragedy and hope following the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 in Karchi, Pakistan. Pearl was staying at Nomani’s home when he was kidnapped.
Nomani was actively involved in the investigation to find Pearl. She is a visiting scholar in the practice of journalism at Georgetown University, leading the Pearl Project, a faculty-student investigation into the Pearl’s murder.
In 2003, Nomani challenged rules at her mosque in Morgantown that required women to enter through a back door and pray in a secluded balcony. She was put on trial at her mosque to be banished. The New York Times wrote about her “Rosa Parks-style activism.” She was the lead organizer of the woman-led Muslim prayer in New York City on March 18, 2005. In September 2006, she co-founded an organization with other Muslim women, Muslims for Peace.
Tickets are $25 reserved section, $15 general or $10 for students, and will be available after Feb. 4 through ticketmaster.com or the NHCC Box Office, 724-4771, nhccnm.org.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
John (Jack) McIver, interim vice president for Research and Economic Development at UNM, has accepted the position of Vice President for Research at the University of Idaho. McIver says he will remain at UNM through the spring semester. McIver took the post of interim vice president for Research and Economic Development last December after the death of Terry Yates.
"This has been a hard decision for me to make since I have spent most of my academic career at UNM," said McIver. "I have lived through and struggled with the changes that brought UNM to its present status as a Carnegie Research University/Very High. I will regret not being a part of the many changes that are in store for this university under the new leadership.
"After seven years in this office I felt that I needed a change and that a new Vice President for Research needed a clean slate. I will miss the many friends and colleagues that I have at this university but am excited by the possibilities of my new position."
McIver came to UNM as a research scientist in 1980 before converting to a faculty member of the Physics and Astronomy Department in 1984. He worked in a succession of leadership posts including chairman of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and associate vice president for Research and Economic Development. His research interests are in the area of laser physics and nonlinear optics, quantum optics and nonlinear science.
Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The UNM Robert Wood Johnson Center for Health Policy co-sponsors “Enhancing the Role of the ‘Public’ in Public Health Policy,” a roundtable discussion, on Thursday, March 13, from 9 a.m. to noon in the Student Union Building Lobo rooms A&B. Lunch will be provided at cost to those who RSVP by March 11 to the student Public Interest Research Group at, unm.pirg@gmail.com.
The roundtable of Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health, or REACH, program directors, includes:
** Aida Giachello, director, Midwest Latino Health Research Center, University of Illinois, Chicago
** Joel Ervice, associate director, Regional Asthma Management and
Prevention Public Health Institute, Oakland, Calif.
** Marianna Kennedy, director, Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board
Following the roundtable, participants will conduct a facilitated discussion on defining UNM’s role in encouraging public participation in the development of sound and effective public health policy with Charlie Alfero, director, Hidalgo Medical Services, New Mexico.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City will honor two UNM Press authors with Western Heritage Awards at a black-tie gala on Saturday, April 12. In the nonfiction category, Max Evans will be recognized for his book, "For the Love of a Horse," while Freelance writer and photographer Nancy Wood will be awarded the photography prize for her book, "Eye of the West."
In his 80+ years, Evans has known, owned, ridden and been thrown by a number of horses. In For the Love of a Horse, the western author pays homage to his favorite horses by sharing their stories and the starring roles they’ve played in his real and literary adventures. The prolific author of 25 books, Evans claims that this book—a tribute to a bygone era in American history and in his own long life—is his favorite.
Focusing on the Grass Roots People of Colorado, the Utes, Taos Pueblo, and homesteaders of Pie Town, New Mexico, Wood devoted nearly 20 years to capturing and cataloguing a vanishing part of the American West. These intimate portraits, achieved through Wood’s long associations with each subject, offer rare glimpses into a forgotten past.
First presented in 1961, the Western Heritage—or Wrangler—Awards celebrate and honor the legacy of those whose works in literature, music, film and television contribute to keeping the spirit and rich heritage of the American West alive.
For UNM Press info or author contact info, contact Amanda Sutton, at (505) 272-7190 or asutton@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
For 31 years, the Tucson-Pima County Public Library has presented the “Southwest Books of the Year,” a list of page-turners and must-reads chosen by its panel of distinguished judges. This year, of more than 250 volumes considered, the University of New Mexico Press had a Top Pick with Dagoberto Gilb’s Hecho en Tejas: An Anthology of Texas Mexican Literature. Rudolfo Anaya and Amy Cordova’s The First Tortilla was a children’s Top Book of the Year.
A total of 39 favorites were noted by panelists. Gilb’s groundbreaking anthology of Texas Mexican writers, Hecho en Tejas, was a Top Pick by being selected by three of the seven panelists as a top ten best book. Corridos, songs, poetry, prose and photos from the 1500s to the present, Hecho en Tejas has been reviewed in all the major Texas media, the publishing trade, and Spanish-language newspapers. Its contributors toured the state last year, reading at community centers and universities.
“[Gilb’s] selections are educational, interesting, funny, eye opening and stirring,” said Southwest Books of the Year panelist Margaret Guerrero.
“The 104 selections range from personal to historical, from bleak to humorous, from youthful to retrospective. It is puro Southwest,” panelist Bill Broyles of Hecho en Tejas, said.
The Mexican folktale, The First Tortilla, written by Albuquerque’s Rudolfo Anaya and illustrated by Amy Cordova of Taos, was chosen by children’s librarian Cathy Jacobus as one of ten children’s Top Books of the Year commending the “bold and vivid illustrations [that] beautifully complement this bilingual story.” Anaya’s latest offering is the award-winning story of a young girl who saves her hungry neighbors by harvesting the corn for her village’s first tortillas.
The Southwest Books of the Year “Notable Books” list contains books that are not Top Picks but are recommended reading nonetheless. Eleven UNM Press titles were on the Notable Books list:
Broken and Reset by VB Price
Cantemos al Alba by Tomas Lozano
Death and Dying in New Mexico by Martina Will de Chaparro
Dictionary of Jicarilla Apache by Melissa Axelrod
The Great Houses of Chaco by John Martin Campbell
Hip to the Trip by Peter Dedek
Legend and Lore of the Guadalupe Mountains by WC Jameson
The Mosquitoes of New Mexico Lewis T. Nielsen
Native American Life-History Narratives: Colonial and Post-Colonial Navajo Ethnography by Susan Berry, Brill de Ramírez
The Shaman and the Water Serpent by Jennifer Owings Dewey
The World in Pancho’s Eyes by JPS Brown
For more information, see the Southwest Books of the Year website: http://www.library.pima.gov/books/swboy/index.cfm.
For UNM Press book cover images or author contact info, please contact Amanda Sutton, publicity, at 505-272-7190 or asutton@unm.edu
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
On Tuesday, March 11, the 11th Annual College of Education Graduate Student Colloquium will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. in the Upper Level (3rd Floor) of the UNM Student Union Building. The colloquium is a free, public event where COE graduate students present their research and professional practices. Approximately 75 students will present their work in poster sessions, roundtables and panels.
Photo: Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer will present the keynote lecture at the 11th Annual College of Education Graduate Student Colloquium.
From 6 to 8:30 p.m., a dinner and a keynote speech will be held in SUB Ballroom A. The keynote speaker features Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer, University of Hawaii. Meyer will speak on "The Integrity of Joy: Indigenous Epistemology, Research and the Changing Face of Academia.”
Doors for Meyer’s speech will open at 7 p.m. for the general public. The entire event is open to all. However, the dinner, which begins at 6 p.m., is complimentary for all COE graduate students and faculty with reservations.
For more information contact Bonnie Leigh Reifsteck at, bonniec@unm.edu or Betsy Noll at, enoll@unm.edu. For more information on the program visit: College of Education.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
UNM presents Sungshin Women’s University Korean Cultural Exhibition in Rodey Theatre, UNM Center for the Arts, on Friday, March 21, at 7 p.m. Tickets are free, but seating will be limited.
The exhibition will feature colorful and elegant Korean traditional costumes covering kingdoms from the Royal Family, the Aristocrats and the Three Kingdom Period Aristocrats. The presentation is aimed at building a cultural exchange and promoting better relations between the two universities.
Tickets are available at ticket offices at the UNM Bookstore, Popejoy Hall and the Pit.
Media Contact: Sari Michal, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
On Friday, March 7, join attorney Roger Michener and registered patent agent Phil Askenazy for an engaging discussion about intellectual property. The talk, titled, “Copyrights, Patents, Trade Secrets Oh My: Intellectual Property Considerations for Startup Firms,” is part of the UNM Technology Business Plan Competition events. The talk will be held in rm. 128 at the Anderson Graduate School from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Michener and Askenazy are members of the firm of Peacock Myers, P.C., the largest intellectual property law firm in the State of New Mexico. The firm handles all phases of intellectual property (national and international), including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, searches, and related litigation.
Lunch will be served. RSVPs are recommended, but not required. For more information e-mail, bizplan@mgt.unm.edu or visit: Technology Business Plan.
Deadline extended to March 7 for fall semester awards
The University of New Mexico Alumni Association is currently accepting applications for a variety of undergraduate and graduate scholarships. Fourteen scholarships are available, including three graduate scholarships, ranging from $335 per semester to $750 per semester or $1,500 per year.
The scholarships cover many categories including: leadership/community service/campus involvement; academic achievement/need based; education; the Harry F. Lee Memorial Scholarship; and female only.
Scholarships applications are available online at: UNM Alumni Association. Click on the Scholarships link for full details on each scholarship. Check individual criteria per scholarship as qualifications may vary.
All applications must be returned by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 7 to the UNM Alumni Relations Office, Hodgin Hall, 1st floor.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
UNM Parking and Transportation Services (PATS) announced the kick-off of their new Lobo Bikes bike-share program, calling for all UNM Departments to enter a raffle to receive a Lobo Bike for a year. Ten winning departments will receive a Lobo Bike equipped with lock, helmet, basket, odometer, maintenance and safety training – cost free.
To enter your department in the raffle, visit Parking and Transportation Services and click on the Lobo Bikes link. A raffle ticket is available for download on the Lobo Bikes page. The response deadline is March 28.
Lobo Bikes can be used to run errands on campus, attend meetings, or for exercise during breaks. The program is funded by a UNM World of Wellness mini-grant and is intended to enhance the health and well-being of employees at UNM.
“As employees become healthier, their productivity increases,” said Cynthia Martin, PATS program planning manager. “Studies have shown workplace wellness initiatives reduce absenteeism and stress, lead to greater employee retention, and overall enhance employee satisfaction.”
In addition to the wellness benefits, Lobo Bikes was also intended to contribute to the larger university-wide goal of environmental responsibility.
“A bicycle is a short-cut and reduces traffic congestion around campus. Using a Lobo Bike can both reduce emissions and greenhouse gases, and also get you where you need to go with more efficiency,” Martin added.
Christine Mermier, acting manager of the Employee Health Promotion Program added, “the great thing about it is you are not only being more efficient for your job by getting across campus a little faster, but it’s fun and it makes you feel good.”
PATS invites all departments to take advantage of this unique opportunity and hopes to increase the program size in the future. Many other universities around the nation, including Harvard, Duke, and the College of William and Mary, have implemented similar bike-loan programs.
For more information visit Lobo Bikes or contact Danielle Gilliam at 277-0461 or dgilliam@parking.unm.edu.
The UNM Parking and Transportation Services (PATS) Department recently announced plans to minimize the incidence of vehicles parked in unauthorized spDavid Brookshire or restricted parking areas around campus during the weekends. Starting March 8, and running through May 10, 2008, vehicles found parked in these spDavid Brookshire will either be ticketed, receive a warning or locked into place with a vehicle boot, depending on the vehicle’s citation history.
Illegally parked vehicles include those parked without a properly displayed permit in reserved spDavid Brookshire or in restricted areas, such as fire lanes and yellow curb areas. UNM visitors can park in zone lots (“A” lot, “B” lot, etc) without a permit during the weekends.
“We would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,” said Clovis Acosta, PATS director. “However, we feel this type of enforcement is essential to enhancing the patron experience at UNM.”
For any complaints during enforcement of this new program on Saturdays, visitors are encouraged to call (505) 934-0394.
Gary Scharnhorst, distinguished professor of English at the University of New Mexico, has penned biographies of Horatio Alger Jr., Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Bret Harte. His most recent biography is of 19th century American journalist Kate Field.
“We have to agree with the Chicago Tribune’s posthumous characterization of Field as perhaps the most unique woman the present century has produced. Scharnhorst has skillfully captured that uniqueness on page after page of this magnificent biography,” wrote Denise D. Knight, 19th-century American literature specialist and distinguished teaching professor of English at SUNY Cortland.
“Kate Field: The Many Lives of a Nineteenth-Century American Journalist,” Syracuse University Press, 2008, brings to life the many lives of Kate Field, an intriguing female journalist of the late 19th century who both reported the news and subsequently became the subject of news reports as one of the first celebrity journalists.
Field, a colorful and unorthodox feminist, served as journalist and contributor to the most recognizable newspapers of the time, including the Boston Courier, the Boston Post, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Herald and the Chicago Times-Herald.
Her circle of friends and professional acquaintances read like a “Who’s Who” of 19th–century literati, counting among her friends Charles Dickens, Susan B. Anthony, Mark Twain, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Oscar Wilde and countless others. She would interview a host of famous people including President Grover Cleveland, Gilbert and Sullivan, and Arthur Rubenstein. Henry James would even model the character of Henrietta Stackpole in The Portrait of a Lady on Kate Field.
“Never a dull moment” epitomizes the story of Field’s life. She was a vocal advocate for black American rights, founded the first women’s club in the United States, made a small fortune promoting the telephone for Alexander Graham Bell, was instrumental in having Yosemite declared a national park, ventured into acting and women’s fashion, and was the first person to appear on stage at the opening of the first permanent Shakespeare theater in Stratford, England. She also became a leading authority on Mormonism.
Field’s story not only provides a look into a fascinating life, it also provides a look into the literary history of mid-to-late 19th century America.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu