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 places 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 races 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 races.
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 traces the ways that people and the spaces 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 spaces 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 Spaces 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 prom