The UNM Bookstores will be closed Thursday-Saturday, March 4-6 to conduct its physical inventory count. The closure affects all three UNM Bookstores located on Main Campus, North Campus and the West Campus. Regular hours will resume on Monday, March 8.
Additionally, during UNM’s upcoming spring break, the UNM Bookstores, located on Main and North Campus, will be open according to the following schedule:
Spring Break Hours
Monday, March 15 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, March 16 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday. March 17 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday, March 18 – Closed
Friday, March 19 – Closed
Saturday, March 20 - Closed
Monday, March 22 – Regular hours resume
For more information visit: UNM Bookstore
Media Contact: Anicia Esposito, (505) 277-9752; e-mail: aespo@unm.edu
Two annual University of New Mexico scholarships are now available through the International Studies Institute.
The International Public Service Scholarship, made possible by a generous gift from UNM alumnus William J. Cunningham (B.A. 1948, M.A. 1950), seeks “to encourage future generations to dedicate their careers, their vocations, and their legacies to service of the common good” and support students willing “to commit themselves to civil service for the public interest.”
The selection committee will award a one-year long scholarship in the amount of $1,300.
Applicants must be continuing undergraduate students at UNM with a GPA of 3.0 or higher who intend to prepare for a career in international public service. Preference will be given to students pursuing a degree in Asian Studies.
The second scholarship competition, for summer research projects, language training, and/or study abroad programs related to International Studies, will award up to $1,000 per scholarship winner.
To apply, a person must be enrolled as a continuing undergraduate student at UNM, but need not be in one of the International Studies Institute programs (European/Russian/Asian/International Studies), although preference will be given to such students.
Application deadline is Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 5 p.m.
For more information on the scholarships and application forms visit: International Studies Institute. Interested students may also contact Professor Christine Sauer at, sauer@unm.edu or call 277-1963.
A market assessment study pointing to a need for solar technicians and grant money laid the groundwork for UNM-Los Alamos’ newest program. A solar technician concentration was added to the Associate of Science in Applied Technologies degree. The popular program trains technicians in a variety of fields, including nanotechnology, electro-mechanical and manufacturing technology.
Photo: Don Davis
The first solar technology course is offered this semester, with other courses in the concentration to follow this fall. The class is not just for those interested in earning a degree, instructor Don Davis said.
“You can’t beat these classes for homeowners,” Davis said. “You learn everything you need to make your home truly energy efficient. With the current rebates for solar installation, who can pass it up?”
Davis teaches pre-engineering at Los Alamos High School. He has been involved with solar energy for many years. In 1993, he won a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching for his work with solar energy in the classroom.
As the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act puts money into solar energy, opportunities in the field are expanding.
“Solar contractors are springing up everywhere in New Mexico,” Davis said. “Students who earn this degree can go into business for themselves or join an existing company.”
The courses in the program cover both theory and practice. “This program is all about problem solving,” Davis said.
The first course, Photovoltaics I, covers site analysis. Students learn how to take solar irradiance measurements and figure out the best location for solar equipment at a particular site. They learn what equipment works best for different sites.
Students needn’t worry about climbing on a roof in freezing weather. Davis constructed a special indoor practice roof at UNM-LA. Students will learn installation techniques on a real roof without the snow and ice.
In the fall, Davis will offer Photovoltaics II, which builds on the first course. Students will install a large unit on a roof in this class. In his Solar Architecture class, students will learn how to refit existing structures. The course will cover alternative architectures, such as cob houses, rammed earth and earth-berming; site analysis using thermal imaging technologies; and cost versus savings analysis of solar installations.
Davis is excited about new technologies available to solar technicians, such as a device that sits in a yard and calculates how much solar energy the site will receive in a year. Students will get hands-on experience this new technology.
To register, visit la.unm.edu or call (505) 662-0332.
Story by Bonnie Gordon
UNM provides hands-on research opportunities for students as early as freshman year. Marla Wyche-Hall of UNM’s University College said that regardless of students’ area of interest, whether theater or mathematics, they have an opportunity to shine during the University College’s Research Quest – for freshman only – and the Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference. Both events motivate students to engage in peer-reviewed research.
“Participating in research projects and conferences could lead to work opportunities, advanced research opportunities, graduate school possibilities, and offers great networking with faculty and staff on campus and beyond,” Wyche-Hall said.
Gaining research experience is critical to earning prestigious scholarships, said Kiyoko Simmons, University College’s scholarship coordinator.
The undergraduate conference, open to all students, is Wednesday, April 7. The deadline to register is Friday, March 12, by 2 p.m.
“Students think of research as the hard sciences, math and the like, but let’s evoke more thought about it,” Wyche-Hall said. “Participating in a research experience helps the student gain transferable skills, adding to their professional toolbox for life at UNM and beyond.”
Research conference judges look for the same kinds of skills employers do. How well does the student organize and present thoughts? When presenting information, is he sensitive to those outside his discipline? Was she successful in getting her point across?
Freshman might think it’s a hassle, but if led to the water, they will drink, Wyche-Hall said, and once they become participants, they get hooked. She is contacted throughout the year by students looking to present new work or who want to fine tune past projects to take them to the next level.
Participation in the research conferences maximizes a student’s experience at the university and is a powerful addition to a student’s resume and academic vitae, Wyche-Hall said.
Students are encouraged to investigate potential research and scholarship opportunities as early as possible to start building a compelling application.
The next Parent Talk on Wednesday, March 3, 6-7 p.m. in the Dean of Students Conference Room, Student Services Building, second floor, features UNM faculty John Benevidez, Anderson School of Management, and Mary Bowannie, Native American Studies. Learn how students can use professors’ office hours effectively, ask for a letter of recommendation and get the help they need to succeed in the classroom.
Story by Laurie Mellas, Parent Relations Office, Senior Program Manager
The UNM Women’s Resource Center celebrates its 38th anniversary in March and presents a series of events honoring Women’s History Month. In 1981, Congress passed a resolution recognizing Women’s History Week and by 1987 Congress expanded it to the whole of March. To celebrate, WRC will bring the New Mexico Women’s Hall of Fame Exhibit to campus March 1-31.
Sandrea Gonzales, WRC director, said, “ Before 1970, women’s history was rarely the subject of serious study, so every March we take this time to celebrate the accomplishments, struggles and successes of women, past and present.”
Established by the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women in 1986, the N.M. Women’s Hall of Fame inducts women annually to honor community leadership, advocacy and professional accomplishment.
“This display offers an opportunity to learn about some of the amazing pioneering women of New Mexico,” said Summer Little, WRC program manager.
Inductees include Justice Mary Walters, civil rights activist Satoye Ruth Hashimoto, community volunteer Charlesetta “Charlie” Morrissey, and Beverly Coho, a trailblazer in nontraditional career choices for women. For the full list, visit Women's Commission Hall of Fame.
Meet WRC staff on the exhibit’s opening day, Monday, March 1, in the Student Union Building atrium. The exhibit moves to Zimmerman Library on March 8, to the Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center on March 22, and to the School of Law on March 29.
Other WRC Women’s History Month events include:
• Personal Safety and Self Defense Presentation, Monday, March 8, noon, SUB Lobo room A. This free talk includes an interactive tutorial on using body language and verbal skills to prevent assault.
• A bilingual production of Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues,” Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20, 7 p.m., South Broadway Cultural Center. Tickets are $15, benefiting Enlace Comunitario.
• OMG! Only Middle School Girls Conference, Saturday, March 19, 7:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m., UNM-Valencia. Building on the Believe in New Mexico Girls Conference, OMG! highlights middle school girls’ experiences and issues while offering tools to become empowered change agents. Attendance is free. Contact Kathi Brown at (800) 432-9168 or info@nmgirlsinstitute.org.
Co-sponsors include Impact Personal Safety, Las Meganenas and the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women.
The WRC also presents a free film series on Fridays at noon, featuring picks from the WRC film library. Refreshments will be served.
• March 5, Classic Women in the Workforce Films: Historical Short Films
• March 12, Classic Women of World War II Gender Role Films
• March 19, Great Women Artists: Frida Kahlo
• March 26, Great Women Artists: Georgia O’Keefe
Contact the WRC at (505) 277-3716 or visit Women's Resource Center.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal@unm.edu
Faculty, staff and students who have ideas to save money or enhance university revenues are invited to submit those ideas for consideration by the President's Strategic Advisory Team. Ideas submitted by Monday, March 1 will be considered as part of the team's initial goal of recommending costs savings of $2 million to $3 million for the upcoming budget cycle. A form can be found under Strategic Priorities on the President's web site at:
Idea Submission.
For a related story on the President's Strategic Advisory Team visit: President’s Strategic Advisory Team Named.
Media Contact: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1807; e-mail: mckinsey@unm.edu
Recently, e-mail has been a hot topic of conversation on the UNM campus. The IT Department is asking for feedback from all students, faculty and staff on the current e-mail, calendar and messaging systems and to find out what you want and what works best for you.
When you complete the survey, enter your NetID for a chance to win a free Apple iPad. Let IT know what you want in your e-mail and you could win an iPad. To participate visit: E-mail Survey.
Media Contact: Vanessa Baca, (505) 277-0987; e-mail: vjbaca1@unm.edu
'Get In, Gear Out,' that's the thinking at UNM's Recreational Services. Recreational Services is conducting its second annual 'Get In, Gear Out' event that gives faculty, staff and students the opportunity to sell your old outdoor gear that you no longer need and an opportunity to buy someone else's gear you may need.
Bring your used gear to the Outdoor Shop on Wednesday-Thursday, March 3-4 to register for the event. The big sale will be held Friday, March 5 and is exclusively for UNM faculty, staff and students.
So start digging in your garage now to see what you may want to sell. You might make some cash out of this event. Equipment check-in will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. There will also be a silent auction with our used items from the Outdoor Shop. On March 5, the event will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The silent auction will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information visit: Recreational Services.
The University Libraries Indigenous Nations Library program is sponsoring a brown bag lunch and lecture on Wednesday, March 3, 2010. The brown bag lecture will feature Harry Walters, a retired Diné anthropologist speaking about “Where the Diné Stories Happened on the Navajo Reservation: A Geography Lesson” from noon to 1 p.m. in the 2nd Floor Herzstein Reading Room of Zimmerman Library.
Walters will also give a lecture from 3 – 5 p.m. in the Lobo Room of the Student Union Building titled “In the Sacred Manner We Walk: Navajo Ceremonial Order.”
Walters is a retired Diné anthropologist who was director of Ned Hatathli Museum for Diné College and San Juan College. He is a highly respected traditional knowledge teachers.
Both events are open and the public is welcome.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff, engineers, scientists, mathematicians, computer scientists, botanists, psychologists, social workers and counselors are all needed to help judge the 2010 Central New Mexico Science & Engineering Research Challenge. Judging takes place in the Johnson Center South Gym on Friday, March 19, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Join in on the fun of this amazing competition and help do some recruitment for UNM as nearly 600 middle & high school students from across central New Mexico converge on Johnson Center for the 50th anniversary of the 2010 Central New Mexico Science & Engineering Research Challenge.
Interested applicants may signup online at: Judges Form. Simply fill out the form and submit online. Applicants will receive a packet of information at the end of February.
The Office of Research is the 2009-10 Institutional sponsor of the 50th annual Central New Mexico Science & Engineering Research Challenge.
For questions or more additional information, call Karen Kinsman kkinsman@unm.edu or Laura Werner, scifair@unm.edu 277-4916 or visit: Science Fair Judges.
The English department, in association with the University of Westminster, presents the 5th Annual Summer in London program set for July 5 through 31. Read and study Shakespeare plays while seeing productions at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre of Great Britain, Shakespeare’s Globe, and other theaters of London.
A Survey of English Modernism, will center on the Bloomsbury Group, a set of writers, intellectuals and artists who held informal discussions in the Bloomsbury district of London in the early 20th century. The Group includes Virginia Woolf, E.M. Forster, Lytton Strachey and painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. Students will visit the area and see where some of the great literary and artistic experiments in Modernism began.
Application deadline is Monday, March 15, 2010. Scholarships are available.
For more information, visit: Summer in London. Interested individuals may also contact Mary Power at (505) 277-2345 or e-mail, rejoice@unm.edu.
Meet the UNM faculty at the next Parent Talk, Wednesday, March 3, from 6-7 p.m. in the Student Services Building, Dean of Students Conference Room, Rm. 260. Please RSVP for this free event at Parent Talks.
Students’ relationships with UNM faculty and staff are key to accessing research, scholarships, internships and graduate school. Engaging parents and families in the topic “Faculty as Mentors” will be John Benavidez, Anderson School of Management, and Mary Bowannie, Native American Studies.
Benavidez and Bowannie will share some of their experiences as mentors and discuss how students can build professional relationships with members of UNM’s faculty, how to use office hours effectively, ask for a letter of recommendation and identify help to succeed in the classroom.
Benavidez, a lecturer mentoring students who later won national marketing competitions, was named UNM’s Outstanding Lecturer of the Year for 2003-2004; was noted among New Mexico Business Weekly’s “40 Under Forty” in 2006. He received the New Mexico American Marketing Association Recognition of Excellence Award in 2008.
Bowannie incorporates her vast journalism experience in the classroom. She has covered stories on Native America for public radio outlets, tribal newspapers and magazines since 1994. In 2006, she was among recipients of the competitive RTNDF Educator in the Newsroom Fellowship. She mentored students who published the campus’ first Native newspaper.
The Parent Talk series is sponsored by UNM’s Dean of Students’ Family Connection Program and Parent Relations Office, the Parent Association and Extended University’s Media Technology Services.
Students and extended family are welcome. Check-in begins at 5:30 p.m. Light refreshments are served. Parking is availabe for $1.75 per hour in the Cornell Parking Structure near Central and Cornell NE. To visit the Student Services Center (SSC) from the Cornell Parking Structure walk north on Cornell Mall, pass by Popejoy Hall and the Student Union (SUB). At the SUB's north end, go east passing under the Mesa Vista archway to the SSC.
The University of New Mexico’s Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures hosts the 11th annual World Language Expo on Saturday, March 6, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. in Ortega Hall. Workshops, food and presentations from more than 50 different countries are scheduled to complement this year’s theme, “What in the world…?!”
Students from all over New Mexico can participate in Tai Chi, capoeira, watch a Middle Eastern belly dance, visit the on-site zoo in Spanish, German and French, and learn Turkish, Arabic, Hindi, Hungarian, Portuguese, Navajo, American Sign Language and many, many more.
Most activities are in Ortega Hall on the university’s main campus, but weather permitting, some activities, such as martial arts demonstration, chalk art competition and pétanque, will take place near the Duck Pond.
Admission is $2 at the door. Everyone interested in learning about the world is encouraged to attend.
Programs in Foreign Languages and Literatures emphasize the development of language ability in a communicative and cultural context. The program encourages its students to gain a broader appreciation of culture and literature.
For more information visit Foreign Languages and Literatures for the regularly-updated schedule of events and flyer or contact Marina Peters-Newell at (505) 277-4771 or via e-mail, mpnewell@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Additional scholarships are available for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Blending Conference, “Blending Addiction Science and Practice: Evidence-Based Treatment and Prevention in Diverse Populations and Settings.” The conference, which will be held at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Thursday and Friday, April 22-23, will present innovative, science-based approaches that have been proven to be effective in the prevention and treatment of drug abuse and addiction.
NIDA will host the conference in partnership with the University of New Mexico, the University of Arizona and the University of California, San Francisco. The scholarships were made available in part due to the generosity of the University of New Mexico, Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions (CASAA), and the Southwest Node Clinical Trials Network.
Interested students must submit an application by e-mail to Amber Martinez, asmartie@unm.edu or fax (505) 925-2301, by Friday, Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. For more information visit: Scholarship Application.
Additionally, early-bird registration ($79) is ongoing through Monday, March 1, 2010. Discounts are also available for full-time students ($49) enrolled in an academic institution and groups ($69) of four or more from the same organization.
The conference will feature addiction practitioners, clinicians, health care providers, criminal justice professionals, researchers, policymakers and others to learn about the latest research findings and successful prevention, early intervention and treatment approaches from top experts who have played key roles in designing science-based treatment programs – and from practitioners, who have implemented these programs across the country.
For complete conference information visit: NIDA Blending Conference.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Higher education for at least two student veterans will be a little easier with the creation of two new scholarships now available through the Student Veterans at the University of New Mexico (SVUNM). A new merit-based scholarship and a general scholarship will be awarded on a per semester basis the Student Veterans Association announced recently. The deadline to apply for the summer scholarship is Monday, March 15.
"With the high level of veterans returning from honorable service, combined with the often overlooked number of spouses and dependents who are already at UNM, we are absolutely thrilled to be able to provide financial aid past the traditional GI Bill benefits that the VA already provides," Zack Mutchler, President, Student Veterans of UNM.
The scholarships were established by the SVUNM last year. The Student Veterans of the University of New Mexico Scholarship Fund provides assistance in tuition and fees, room and board, and books to eligible Armed Forces Veterans, their spouse or dependent(s) who meet the merit-based or general scholarship criteria. The award is renewable on a semester basis if the student meets the criteria each semester and based on available funding.
The SVUNM Merit scholarship is based on a number of criteria, such as academic performance and leadership potential.
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
• Be an Armed Forces Veteran with a discharge under honorable conditions or be a spouse or dependent of the Veteran
• Be a high school graduate or GED recipient
• Must be an enrolled student of the University of New Mexico either as a full-time undergraduate or full-time graduate student for that specific semester
• Enrolled in a degree seeking program or in University College if fewer than 50 credit hours
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) at time of application
• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
The SVUNM General Scholarship was created by the Student Veterans of the University of New Mexico in 2009 to assist Armed Forces Veterans and their spouse and dependent(s). The scholarship helps cover tuition, fees and books, and is awarded on a semester basis while funds are available. Each year, the Student Veterans of UNM awards a limited number of general scholarships to full-time students from available funds.
Applicant must meet the following requirements:
• An Armed Forces Veteran with a discharge under honorable conditions or be a spouse or dependent(s) of the Veteran
• A high school graduate or GED recipient
• An enrolled student of the University of New Mexico full time as an undergraduate or a full-time graduate student for the semester applying for
• Enrolled in a degree seeking program or in University College if under 50 credit hours
• Meet UNM standards for academic progress
• Must NOT be currently receiving any form of VA Educational Benefits
Monies for the scholarships will come from fundraising efforts by the Student Veterans Association at UNM and through private and corporate contributions, endowments and memorials. Individuals interested in donating to the SVUNM Scholarship fund can do so by contacting the SVUNM at either (505) 974-1080 or via e-mail at, SVUNM.
For more information on the scholarships and application forms visit, Student Veterans at the University of New Mexico or stop by the SVUNM office, 1st Floor, SUB, inside the Lobo Lair, rm. 1053.
A special session to balance the New Mexico budget was postponed a day before its scheduled start this week. This week on New Mexico In Focus find out what that postponement means and speculation on what might really be accomplished when that session convenes on Monday, March 1. New Mexico In Focus airs Fridays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 6:30 a.m. on KNME, Channel 5.1.
Also, this week on New Mexico In Focus, in honor of Black History Month, NMIF Correspondent Tracy Dingmann sits down with a group of community leaders at one of the most famous African-American owned businesses in Albuquerque, Mr. Powdrell's Barbeque House. Additionally, Gene Grant and the roundtable panelists give analysis and opinions on the new GOP Gubernatorial poll, the Gun Bill now sitting on Gov. Richardson’s desk and the new credit card law.
Guests this week include:
• Ron Hinson, president, African American Chamber of Commerce of New Mexico
• Joe Powdrell, business owner, former president, NAACP New Mexico
• Rita Powdrell, business owner, president, African American Museum of NM
Special Guest Panelists include:
• Laura Sanchez, former executive director, New Mexico Democratic Party
• Hess Yntema, former Albuquerque city councilor
Regular Panelists include:
• Sophie Martin, managing editor, DukeCityFix.com
• Jim Scarantino, editor, New Mexico Watchdog
New Mexico In Focus Correspondent:
• Tracy Dingmann, communications director, Center for Civic Policy
Host/Commentator:
• Gene Grant, Weekly Alibi Columnist
New Mexico in Focus can also be seen on KNME’s Digital Channel 9.1 on Saturdays at 5 p.m. Additionally, viewers can also watch it online at: KNME.org.
“New Mexico in Focus” is produced by Kevin McDonald and Kathy Wimmer and closed captioning has been made possible by a gift from Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs.
Get updates, watch, and Follow KNME on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more.
Media Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1812; e-mail: etodd@knme.org
Professor Scott Sanders recently explained the physics of skiing to ESPN correspondent Michael Gross, who produced a report on “Sport Science.” Sanders isn’t a physicist – he’s an English professor whose expertise is turning techno-speak into layman’s terms. Gross’s report specifically featured U.S. Women's ski team member Lindsay Vonn and the downhill events in the Winter Olympics.
To view the video visit: Sport Science: Lindsey Vonn
ESPN audiences know a little bit more about things like the brachistochrone line, carving – as opposed to skidding – in a turn, and aerodynamics, all critical components in downhill skiing.
Gross found Sanders by searching the Web for physics and skiing because Sanders co-authored the book, “The Physics of Skiing” with Dave Lind, his father-in-law, a retired physicist, who, at 91, still skis when he can get a ride up to the lifts. “For the past 8-10 years or so he has had no answering machine and no access to email, so I've been handling Winter Olympics requests,” Sanders said.
Sanders job in co-authoring the book was to take the complex information and make it readable. “I took the tech stuff out and put it in the back of the book as tech notes. We wanted a book that lay people, skiers and ski experts could read to understand the dynamics and physics of turning on the slope,” he said.
ESPN talked to him on the phone twice. He explained to Gross that the tenet, “The shortest distance between two points is a straight line,” doesn’t really work for downhill. That’s where the brachistochrone line comes in. It represents the curve between two points in a vertical plane, along which the skier needs the shortest time to travel.
Sanders also described the dynamics of curving, versus skidding. “Skidding causes the skier to lose energy and slow down, but carving allows the skier to stay on the fall line as long as possible without falling down,” he said.
Finally, Sanders described the aerodynamics of skiing – what position does the skier need to be in to reduce drag. Lind, his co-author father-in-law, was a physicist for Boeing during World War II. He designed torpedoes that travel quickly with minimize resistance through water.
Gross used Olympic skier Lindsay Vonn as his example. Sanders said, “What makes her better than everybody else, among other things, is that she uses longer skis, which give her a longer edge to ski on. She has a strong ability to see and stay on the fall line, to stay pointing down. Aerodynamically, she stays low so that the air slips over her more easily. Vonn has enormous strength, maintaining balance and controlling an incredible amount of force with her thigh muscles when she makes those turns.”
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu or Scott Sanders, (505) 345-5705; e-mail: ssanders@unm.edu
UNM’s Pyle featured in The Strad
Music Associate Professor Pamela Pyle is featured in the March issue of The Strad, a leading journal of string music. The article, “Playing with a Pianist,” addresses collaborative relationships between string players and pianists. Pyle was a student of Samuel Sanders, who championed the importance of accompanists and coined the term “collaborative pianist,” which casts the relationship as an equal partnership.
In the article, Pyle says, “I think the best performances are truly collaborative in nature, where both people contribute and have a real dialogue about the music as they’re working.”
Pyle teaches piano and collaborative piano at UNM. She earned her Master of Music at Juilliard. She has collaborated with members of the Juilliard, American, Ying and Mendelssohn String Quartets.
Other experts interviewed in the article include Itzhak Perlman, with whom Pyle has collaborated.
Read the full article http://www.thestrad.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=1457 (subscription required).
The 2010 Viola F. Cordova Symposium features the S.A.G.E. Council in a free retrospective, “Honoring Self Determination through Action and Prayer,” on Wednesday, March 10, 1-5 p.m. at the UNM Student Union Building Lobo room. A reception follows the presentation by S.A.G.E. leaders.
Sacred Alliances for Grassroots Equality, founded in 1996 and closed in 2009 due to the economic downturn, led a coalition of native and non-native peoples to advocate for the protection of revered lands and ritual sites used by ancestral indigenous peoples and on behalf of disenfranchised communities. S.A.G.E. leaders including Bineshi Albert, Amber Carrillo, Laurie Weahkee and Sonny Weahkee will speak about S.A.G.E.’s legacy and lessons.
Viola Cordova was the first Native American woman to receive a doctorate in philosophy. She sought to honor Native American thought and presence in the academy. The event is sponsored by the Institute for American Indian Research, Department of Native American Studies and Indigenous Nations Library Program.
Contact Native American Studies at (505) 277-3917 or e-mail, nasinfo@unm.edu.
Transform your educational experience this summer and earn six credits studying at historic Schloss Dyck castle near Dusseldorf, Germany. The Summer in Germany program titled, The Ministry of Illusion: From Weimar to Nuremberg, is set for June 7 through July 2. Students will learn about the period before WWII and the Nuremberg trials and their legacy.
Scheduled are excursions to Berlin, Weimar, the Buchenwald concentration camp, the site of Nazi rallies in Nuremburg, the Palace of Justice and the international military trials.
Jason Wilby, visiting Assistant Professor of German will teach Myths, Dreams, Illusions: Ideology and the Cultural Reproduction of Reality and Antoinette Sedillo-Lopez, Professor at the UNM School of Law, will teach The Nuremberg Trials.
Eligible participants should be full-time students enrolled at a New Mexico college or university. No knowledge of German is required. Application deadline is Friday, April 2, 2010. Scholarships are available.
For more information visit: Summer in Germany. Interested individuals may also call Kathryn Padilla at (505) 277-2613 or e-mail, katppad@unm.edu
The Department of Spanish & Portuguese, Chicano Hispano Mexicano Studies, Southwest Hispanic Research Institute, Latin American and Iberian Institute, Foreign Languages and Literatures, American Studies, and the Department of Student Affairs will co-host the 16th annual UNM Conference on Ibero-American Culture and Society, “Moros, Moriscos, Marranos y Mestizos: Alterity, Hybridity Identity in Diaspora.”
The conference will be held on Feb. 25 through Feb. 27. On Thursday, the event will be held in the Student Union Building, Acoma, Isleta and Sandía rooms. On Friday, it will move to at the National Hispanic Resource Center. On Saturday, participants have the option of touring the Santa Fe Museum.
“Moros, Moriscos, Marranos y Mestizos” seeks to recognize and remember the 400th anniversary of the removal of 300,000 Spanish Christians (Moriscos) and the largest ethnic cleansing to take place in Western Europe until the twentieth century.
“We are considering historic and contemporary texts, traditions, and expressive culture from Moorish, Jewish, Christian and Native American encounters in Iberia and the Americas,” said Enrique Lamadrid, the director of Chicano Hispano Mexicano Studies.
The event will emphasize the historical questions of religious difference and violence, yet it will also explore the many ways that literature, folklore, festivals, music, visual art can provide a place for exchange and cross-cultural understanding.
“We are all working for better intercultural communication, especially between Moslems, Christians, and Jews,” Lamadrid said.
The key note speakers, Anouar Majid from the University of England and Michelle Hamilton from the University of Minnesota, will present the lecture “Pure Selves Impure Bodies” and “The Fall of Muslim Granada and the Expulsion of the Jews,” respectively.
There will also be performances by the Zevk Emsemble who will perform, “Music of the Morisco Diaspora: From Spain to North Africa and Turkey” and Las Inditas Nuevomexicanas who will perform “Música Mestiza de Nuevo México.
Participants must register to attend. Registration is $100 for professors and $50 for graduate students. Participants who also wish to attend the tour of the Santa Fe Museum as part of the conference will be charged $25 person at the museum.
For more information, visit the web site at Moros y Mestizos Conference.
Story by Jazmyn Bradford
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The UNM chapter of the Hispanic Engineering and Science Organization (HESO) is sponsoring a Science Extravaganza primarily for high school students enrolled in the NM MESA program on March 6, at the Kiva on the UNM main campus from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. About 250 students are expected to participate in the half day of presentations and projects.
The Science Extravaganza gives high school students a glimpse of the kind of problems that that engineers solve and lets them try their skills in team projects such as building a bridge with everyday materials or creating a structure that will safely cradle an egg dropped from a predetermined height.
“It starts to get them thinking. About what engineers do,” says Will Brenneman, treasurer of the organization. A popular exhibit is the FSAE race car UNM mechanical engineering students design, build and race as a senior project. “Students say to themselves I could do that,” says Brenneman.
Several organizations including Ball Aerospace & Technologies, Proctor & Gamble, and the U.S. Navy will talk to students about job opportunities.
The Science Extravaganza is a yearly project of HESO, one of the largest and most active student organizations at UNM. HESO sponsors the event as part of its work with the Mexican American Engineers and Scientists organization.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
University of New Mexico Provost Suzanne Ortega today released the names of four finalists for the position of dean at the UNM School of Architecture and Planning. They include Paul H. Gleye, Geraldine Forbes Isais, Keith Diaz Moore and Katherine Schwennsen. Open forums for faculty, staff and the UNM community will be scheduled prior to each candidate's visit.
Paul H. Gleye
Gleye is a professor in the Department of Architecture and Landscape Architecture at North Dakota State where he also served as chair from 1998-2008. He led a professional program with 22 faculty, more than 600 students and an operating budget of $600,000 annually. Gleye also developed the Master of Architecture program at the school and led a successful strategic planning process in 2000, revised in 2008, that resulted in “Vision 2014” development plan. He also oversaw four accreditation visits resulting in the highest level of national accreditation for the architecture and landscape architecture programs at North Dakota State.
Gleye received his Ph.D. in Urban Planning from UCLA in 1983, an M.A. in International Relations from the Boston University Overseas Program (1967) and his bachelor’s from the University of Wyoming in French and German (1965).
Geraldine Forbes Isais
Forbes Isais is professor and director of the Architecture Program at the University of New Mexico, positions she’s held since 2005. She is responsible for more than 280 graduate and undergraduate students, 15 full-time, 18 part-time faculty and an annual budget of $1.2 million. She is currently implementing the Program’s recently approved curriculum capitalizing on a director initiated, but faculty driven revision to the Program’s mission and strategic plan.
Forbes Isais earned her Master of Architecture in 1986 from California Polytechnic University (Pomona, Calif.). She also pursued graduate studies in Cultural Anthropology and Ethnomusicology from 1976-78 at California State University, Fullerton. Forbes Isais received her B.A. in Cultural Anthropology, also from California State University, Fullerton.
Keith Diaz Moore
Diaz Moore is currently an associate professor and chair in the Design and Planning at the School of Architecture at the University of Kansas, and is associate faculty of the Gerontology Center. In his role as chair, Diaz Moore has facilitated his department in transitioning from a Bachelor of Architecture to Master of Architecture professional degree, creating a Ph.D in the Architecture program, and enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration between Design, Architecture and Engineering. He has also increased faculty grantsmanship and graduate enrollment.
Diaz Moore received his Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2000 and earned his Master of Architecture from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (1992) and his Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign (1988).
Katherine (Kate) Lee Schwennsen
Schwennsen is currently the coordinator for the Design Studies Program and associate dean for Academic Programs, both in the College of Design, and also professor in the Department of Architecture at Iowa State University. She has spent much of academic life at Iowa State University and has held a variety of positions at the school since 1978 including research assistant, coordinator of Professional Development, assistant professor, associate chair for Research and Extension and Academic Affairs, both in the Department of Architecture, and also the position of associate professor.
Schwennsen also earned both her Master of Architecture in 1980 and a B.A. in Architecture (1978), from Iowa State.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The University of New Mexico, in consortium with California State University Long Beach, will once again host the Deutsche Sommerschule von New Mexico, or German Summer School of New Mexico, to be held June 22 through July 23 at Taos Ski Valley.
Now in its fourth decade, students come together for four and a half weeks to speak only German, both inside and outside the classroom. This total immersion approach helps students gain near-native fluency.
The program is open to students of all ages and academic backgrounds who have completed three semesters of college-level German or the equivalent. Courses range from the intermediate third-year level to advanced graduate seminars.
Application deadline for admittance is May 31, 2010. Scholarships are available.
For more information about the German Summer School, call 277-7367 or e-mail, schule@unm.edu.
Katherine H. Karlsgodt, assistant research scientist in the department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA will present a talk titled, “A Multimodal Approach to Understanding Working Memory Function and Dysfunction,” on Monday, March 1, at 11 a.m. in the MRN Large Conference Room at Pete and Nancy Domenici Hall on UNM’s North Campus. The lecture is free and the public is welcome.
Photo: Katherine Karlsgodt
Working memory is a core cognitive process that may be a critical component of many higher level processes as well as daily life functions. However, working memory performance is subject to a great deal of individual variation, both within healthy individuals and in patient populations.
Her work takes a multi-modal approach to understanding what factors contribute to this variation and what its implications are. One central application of this work is in schizophrenia, as impairments in working memory and the executive functions are among the most consistent and debilitating cognitive deficits associated with the disorder.
Functional imaging studies have demonstrated that these behavioral impairments are associated with differences in the regional activation patterns in brain areas commonly implicated in working memory tasks. However, neuroimaging studies of working memory in schizophrenia have generated conflicting findings of hypo- and hyper-activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and other brain regions.
Although recent literature suggests that a model evaluating prefrontal physiology in relationship to behavior or task difficulty may reconcile these discrepant results, it is not clear which model best explains the full range of differences between patients and controls. In this talk, she incorporates functional changes as seen on fMRI, structural changes as seen using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and behavioral measures to gain a fuller picture of the alterations that occur in this circuitry.
By assessing these differences across a variety of samples (recent-onset subjects, genetic high risk subjects, clinical high risk (“prodromal”) subjects, and genetic animal models of schizophrenia) she will discuss how such changes may fit into the full spectrum of the disorder as well as approaches to determining what the underlying basis of these changes might be.
Redondo Drive between the University of New Mexico Bookstore and Popejoy Hall will be closed on Saturday, Feb. 27 while the UNM Physical Plant installs upgrades to the Bookstore’s air conditioning and heating.
According to Hans Barson, University Facilities Engineer, every effort will be made to keep one lane of Redondo Drive open, but currently this cannot be assured.
Those members of the public who wish to park at the Cornell Parking Structure should enter UNM at the Central and Stanford intersection. Yale Boulevard many also be used to access areas west of Popejoy Hall.
For more information, contact Barsun at 269-5094.
iPhone users can now let AT&T know exactly where they want stronger coverage here on campus. AT&T and IT are working to increase cell phone and iPhone coverage here at UNM, and a new app called "Mark The Spot" is available to tell AT&T just where all the "dead zones" really are. "Mark the Spot" will mark a GPS location on campus where there is no cell or iPhone coverage and report it back to AT&T.
You can download the app for free at: iTunes Mark the Spot.
Premieres abound, and from the comedy of “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” to the satire of “The Great Negocio” to vibrant dance in “Meta/Morph,” the Department of Theatre and Dance offers something for everyone this season. “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” plays through Sunday, Feb. 28, Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m. in the Experimental Theatre.
Photo: Rachel Corona as Jean and Drew Glover as Gordon, in “Dead Man’s Cell Phone.”
This new comedy by MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient and Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl is the odyssey of a woman forced to confront her assumptions about morality, redemption and the need to connect in a technology-obsessed world. UNM Assistant Professor Kristen Loree directs this local premiere.
“The Great Negocio” is a collaborative creation and the master’s thesis production project of director Laurel Butler for the UNM graduate program in theatre education and outreach. It is a physical comedy/dance-theatre/contemporary clown commentary on American corporate logic. This allegorical adventure follows the journey of a lone clown as he is unwittingly mistaken for the new temp by an ensemble of bizarre and eccentric employees. “The Great Negocio” runs March 4-14, Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 14 at 6 p.m. in the Experimental Theatre.
The choreography of UNM’s dance faculty will be showcased in “Meta/Morph” March 5-14, Friday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday 2 and 6 p.m. in Rodey Theatre. With artistic direction by Associate Professor Donna Jewell, the concert features the premiere of “É só isso,” choreographed by guest artist Armando Duarte. In this work, dancers interact with each other and the “outside-inside-and-in-between” scenic space by creating visual images that illustrate the musical arrangements by Caetano Veloso and José Miguel Wisnick, Brazilian contemporary composers and lyricists.
Another feature of the concert is “Parsons Etude,” part of the American Dance Legacy Institute’s Repertory Etudes Dance Instructional Collection, curated and directed by Carolyn Adams and Julie Adams Strandberg. The re-staging of this historic work is led by Laura Bennett, programs and operations director, American Dance Legacy Institute, with Assistant Professor Mary Anne Santos Newhall as the rehearsal coach.
Visit theatre.unm.edu or call theatre at (505) 277-4332 or dance at (505) 277-3660. Tickets are available at the UNM Ticket Offices, (505) 925-5858 or UNM Tickets.
Story by Kathleen Clawson; Photo by Max Woltman.
Kadeshia Matthews applied to UNM on a whim when she saw an advertisement seeking a newly-minted professor to take a joint appointment in English and Africana Studies. “I had planned to stay on or near the east coast,” Matthews said. She is from Washington, D.C. and earned her graduate degrees at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md.
Photo: Kadeshia Matthews
She doesn’t know how to drive and found herself in a western city with an automobile mentality. She lives close enough to walk to campus or a bus stop. She’s getting used to urban sprawl. She’s also getting used to UNM and the size of the Department of English faculty.
Although soft-spoken, more inclined to teach through discussion than lecture, she can raise her voice. “African-American literature needs to be considered a critical part of American literature. Students hear about diversity, but their understanding is limited. African-American voices need to be a part of American literature, not just read in Africana Studies classes. Everyone can benefit from what we have to offer,” she said. She also charged the Africana Studies faculty to raise their individual profiles across campus.
During a celebration of 40 years of Africana Studies at UNM, she’s working to raise the department’s visibility and academic profile by organizing “Elaborating the Africana Studies Intellectual Project,” a series of roundtable discussions. The next installment is Wednesday, Feb. 24, noon-1:15 p.m. in the Africana Studies office on the fourth floor of Mesa Vista Hall.
“African American history is American history. You can’t understand the history without an understanding of the role of race in constructing American identity. Race has played a role in who is considered ‘American,’” she said.
“Science says there is no biological basis for race, but it is a social reality. Problems arise when people impose a hierarchy: My race is better than yours,” Matthews said.
Matthews’ dissertation, “Becoming the Black Subject: Violence, Domesticity and Black Masculinity in Mid-20th Century African American Literature,” looks at representations of black manhood in literature as well as hip hop and movies. “I explore the function of violence in these representations of what it means to be a black man,” she said. She is working on turning the dissertation into a book.
Matthews currently teaches Foundations of Africana Studies and Anger, Voice and Violence in Black Women’s Stories. She looks at the representation of black women as “loud mouths” who always “talk back.” “Black women are presented as always communicating displeasure. Their anger is seen as grotesque,” she said. Matthews said that it does an injustice to black women who know their own minds and speak them.
Story by Carolyn Gonzales
Although the conversation at this time of year is usually around the current legislative session, a bill from the 2009 legislative session is about to impact UNM employees. House Bill 573, Adjustment of Retirement Plans declares lump sum payments of accrued annual leave made after July 1 shall be excluded from the calculation of salary when retiring from the Educational Retirement Board.
If an employee would like the payment of annual leave to be figured into salary calculations for retirement, the employee must have the leave payout prior to July 1. To avoid missing this deadline, staff must follow the process outlined below.
Employees may only retire on the first of a given month. The last day of employment may be any time in the prior month, but an employee’s official retirement begins the first day of the following month.
To ensure the necessary paperwork is completed in time, staff paid bi-weekly must have all separation paperwork submitted to the Division of Human Resources no later than June 4. The separation date for bi-weekly employees must be by June 18, and the lump sum payout will be issued June 25.
For staff paid monthly, separation paperwork must be submitted to the Division of Human Resources by May 10. Monthly employees’ separation date must be by June 30, and the payout will be issued June 30.
Any errors or incomplete paperwork will delay this process. As this is a legislative bill, there are no extensions or exceptions for employees who do not receive their lump sum payment before July 1. Please allow as much time as possible to get the necessary paperwork processed. Health Sciences Center faculty should consult the Academic Affairs Office and main campus faculty the Faculty Contracts & Services Office to determine applicable deadlines.
Contact the HRPR Support Center at (505) 277-HRPR (4777).
Story by Helen Gonzales, vice president, Human Resources
The WOW Pass offers benefits eligible staff and faculty a ticket to a World of Wellness through Recreational Services’ Fitness Program, in partnership with the Employee Health Promotion Program. Using tuition remission, staff and faculty can get free access to one-on-one health assessments and more than 30 classes offered every week.
WOW programs are designed to support participants from beginners to fitness gurus. Fitness Coordinator Samantha Fernandez advises those just beginning a fitness routine to start small. She said once you’re over the initial hump, you’ll feel better and have more energy. “Don’t give up right away.”
WOW offers a holistic slate of courses for mind and body wellness. Fernandez said with free access to all classes, some WOW Pass participants find themselves trying out – and enjoying – things they never thought would interest them.
Staff and faculty can take employee-only E-Fitness classes on north and main campuses, including power yoga, step aerobics and circuit training classes taught by personal trainers. Fernandez said some like having the low-pressure option of employee-only classes.
The WOW Pass also provides access to Recreational Services classes, including Pilates, cycling, tai chi, zumba, salsa, kickboxing, capoeira, outdoor bootcamp, water aerobics, taijutsu and meditation. Students and community members can also get a pass to all Recreational Services classes through The Works.
Most classes are clustered around noon and in the early evening, along with at least one early morning class and two Saturday classes. Cycling classes, with only 14 bicycles, fill up quickly, while the popular zumba, an aerobic-dance fusion set to international music, typically has 30-40 participants.
WOW Pass participants are encouraged to get the included pre- and post-fitness assessments each semester. Testing measures cardiovascular, muscular strength and endurance, body composition and flexibility. An exercise physiologist helps participants use test results to set goals and track progress.
Fernandez said accomplishing the individualized goals of this “fitness prescription” helps participants stay motivated. She cautioned against becoming daunted by comparisons to others and said fitness goals should be viewed as “challenging yourself.”
Call (505) 277-0178 or visit Recreational Services.
Many staff and faculty contributed to meet the $1 million Live United goal. Among them are the executive council and coordinators for UNM’s United Way campaign.
Photo: The Executive Council and coordinators of UNM's 'Live United' campaign in front of a thermometer indicating the amount of money this years campaign raised at UNM.
“The community is constantly giving to UNM,” said Ray Sykes, Human Resources projects specialist. “The United Way campaign is a great way to show how much UNM can give back.”
Serving both on the executive council and as coordinator for the Division of Human Resources helped Sykes see both the big picture of the campaign and the view on the ground. The council sets the overall campaign strategy and coordinators reach out to staff and faculty in their areas.
Giving back to the community is also important to Kim Kloeppel, fiscal and planning officer and United Way coordinator for Student Affairs. She sees the campaign as an extension of the community service work she does through her church and in other ways. She has been involved with UNM’s United Way campaign for about eight years.
After donating to the campaign for several years, Assistant Professor Rob DelCampo became the coordinator for the Anderson School of Management at the request of Dean Doug Brown. He said the focus this year on increasing participation rather than on the amount of individual contributions empowered people to give what they could and made it an easier pitch.
Sykes said it’s also an “easy organization to help champion” because donors can give to any 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and 100 percent of donations goes to the selected charity, thanks to the Corporate Cornerstones program.
Sykes said very few organizations hit the $1 million mark, and doing it two years in row is a sign of the university community’s commitment. “With everybody doing a little, we can do a lot.”
Graduate architecture students Gary Vincent and Eric Haskins are among the winners of the Potomac Valley Brick’s first international sustainable architectural design competition, Brick-Sustainable. The competition, open to students and professionals, was an assignment in Stephen Dent’s Design and Technology graduate studio. Vincent and Haskins’ design won in the whole building design category.
Potomac Valley Brick launched its design competition to find innovative ideas to showcase brick in sustainable new design uses. They received 95 entries from 18 countries. “We actively involve students in competitions to hone their skills and gauge their abilities against other students and professionals alike,” Dent said
Participants were asked to address issues of net-zero energy, material innovation, use of brick as a primary thermal material and the design challenges of creating a diplomatic campus near Camp David. The design was for both residential and meeting facilities.
“I set up the competition as a class assignment because it was a net-zero energy project – the design had to relate to environmental performance,” Dent said. He said brick is not used much regionally.
Vincent appreciated working with a different material and designing for a different climate. He said, “It forces you back to the fundamentals of the design process rather than relying on what you’ve seen and done before. One key to our success was focusing on the material and the site climate, and how they both informed the building – what made the building a brick building, rather than any other material, and why did it belong on that site?”
The students worked in teams. “With an overlay of construction and environmental issues, graduate students wouldn’t be able to complete a design alone, but they could as a team. They learned to work collaboratively, as it is done in the profession,” Dent said. Vincent and Haskins were a good team. “They were successful because they had complementary skills and a good working relationship.”
PVB is flying the six winning entrants to Washington, D.C. to take part in the awards ceremony and presenting them each with a $2,000 cash prize.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only half of New Mexicans meet the physical activity recommendations of 30 minutes, five days a week. Employee Health Promotion Program developed the Step Up program to enlighten employees about their current physical activity levels and encourage increasing physical activity with walking and other modes of exercise.
The eight-week program runs March 1-April 25. All who sign up receive a free pedometer to count steps. Participants are required to track their steps daily and report logged steps once a week to EHPP. Participants who report steps six out of the eight weeks and complete pre- and post-program fitness measurements will be entered into a raffle for prizes. Additionally, six local gyms throughout Albuquerque are offering a free week-long membership to Step Up participants. The gyms are UNM’s Johnson Gym, Defined Fitness, Sports and Wellness, YMCA, Gold’s Gym, and Sports Clubs of N.M.
It is estimated that the average American takes approximately 2,000 steps daily, about one mile. The goal of the Step Up program is to get participants up to the CDC’s recommendation of 10,000 steps daily, about five miles. This may seem overwhelming, but try adding 500 steps daily until reaching the goal.
Increase steps by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or resisting taking the shuttle around campus. Add activities to such as walking, jogging, aerobics, playing sports and dancing.
Registration is on-going through Friday, Feb. 26. Individual registration costs $10 and team registration is $5 per person. For more details and to register visit: Step Up Program or call (505) 272-4460.
Story by Tara Vig, health educator, Employee Health Promotion Program
During Black History Month, many recall Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words of a promised land. Yet after 40 years of wandering the academic desert, does anyone see the promised land? That question confronted both audience and keynote speaker Anna Deavere Smith at Africana Studies’ 25th annual Black History Month Kick-off Brunch.
Photo: Anna Deavere Smith
“We are in the promised land,” Smith said. “All of you in this room have been a part of fulfilling that promise.”
Smith is an acclaimed actor, playwright and professor. She received the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant in 1996, founded and directed the Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue and appeared in “The Practice," “Presidio Med” and “The West Wing.”
Smith performed a series of monologues, many drawn verbatim from interviews she conducted, portraying experiences many blacks have had in “the academic desert” and struggles blacks go through today. She likens her performances to “walking in their words.”
“Acting is my medium,” Smith said.
From an excerpt of Charalayne Hunter-Galt on education and equality to a piece by a volunteer doctor who recalled his experiences of inequality and abandonment in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Smith’s performance urged the audience to continue the struggle for academic equality, but also to remember compassion and kindness once equality is achieved.
“As you walk across the desert, remember love,” she said. “We need to look for what’s on our hearts.”
“Our hearts were broken in those days. We first have to recognize the brokenness, but not by achieving what white people have,” Smith said. “We need to find a way to spread grace and kindness worldwide. This will give us the opportunity to do well.”
Smith told the audience as they walk across the desert not to be numb to the struggles of others and to remember Martin Luther King Jr.’s image of compassion, kindness and grace.
“Associate with the broken hearted,” she said. “You have it in you to be good.”
Africana Studies and African American Student Services host several events commemorating Black History Month. Call (505) 277-5644 or (505) 277-5645.
Story by Jazmen Bradford
Safety walk scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m.
The University of New Mexico community remains vigilant following a stabbing incident that occurred on campus on Feb. 15. Campus safety and security are a prime concern at UNM and there are many individuals on campus who are trying to ensure the safety of all faculty, staff and students as well as visitors to the UNM campus who come here to live, learn, work and play.
The University has taken a number of steps to expand security on UNM’s main campus. UNM has increased its security presence by supplementing existing police and security resources with outside security staff. Police have also increased patrols throughout the campus, and continue to work diligently to solve this crime. If you have information, please call UNM Police at 277-2241.
“The new staff has been deployed throughout the campus as walking patrols,” said UNM Police Chief Kathy Guimond. “They are visible resources for the campus community during evening hours. These patrols will continue for the foreseeable future.”
In light of recent events, Dr. Eliseo "Cheo" Torres, Vice President for Students Affairs, will be re-instating the "Campus Safety Walk" program and is requesting campus wide participation. The first meeting and walk will take place on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. in the area near Saggios in the Student Union Building. The meeting will start with a brief background, goals and instructions, followed by the campus safety walk at 6:30 p.m.
The walk is an opportunity to become actively engaged in security initiatives and is critical to the University's planning component for lighting, blue light phones, signage, and other outdoor items that make the campus safer and easier to negotiate. Groups will be assigned a quadrant of the main campus, and given a map, a checklist and flashlight. Please RSVP to Natalie Brigance at 277-0952 or e-mail, natalieb@unm.edu to confirm your attendance.
"Students, parents, staff and faculty are very concerned about safety on campus and this is also one of our biggest priorities,” said Torres. “We are gathering to walk the campus on Thursday evening with a checklist to compile a list of safety problems including lighting, landscape hazards and security issues. We will share these recommendations with the appropriate offices on campus, to prevent incidents like the recent one.
"We also want to promote the free personal safety and self defense presentation offered by the Women's Resource Center on March 8 at noon in conjunction with Impact Personal Safety."
Some of the most important security measures members of the UNM community need to remember is travel through campus with your friends or classmates in the evenings, try to avoid dark areas and be aware of your surroundings. If you notice suspicious activity, please contact UNM Police at 277-2241.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The Provost Committee for Staff (PCS) announced Julie Torres, Danelle Callan and Renee Delgado as the spring 2010 recipients of its Academic Support Scholarship.
In partnership with the Human Resources department, PCS created this scholarship to help support staff who use tuition remission benefit to obtain a degree or professional certificate or attend professional development classes.
“I was not expecting to receive this award,” Delgado said. She is working on a doctorate in educational psychology. “I was fortunate to receive this award as it came when I needed it most.”
This $250 award helps UNM employees cover the costs of academic books, course fee(s) and other related course supplies.
Callan, finishing a master’s in economics, said, “I was really excited. I had been applying since I decided to go back to school, but never had any luck. When I applied this time around, I hoped I would get selected because my fiancé just started back at school and money was tight. The scholarship makes a huge difference because books are expensive. It was a real relief to have it covered.”
The scholarship will be awarded each semester and recipients of this award will be selected by members of the PCS.
To increase the number of staff receiving this assistance, this scholarship will not be made to the same student in successive semesters.
With the current economic situation, the rising cost of books and the various issues of getting through each day UNM staffers are encouraged to applying for next year’s award as soon as it is available.
“It helped me purchase my books,” said Julie Torres, a master’s student in history.
“Archaeology, National Identity and the Coup in Honduras: Tourism and the Role of the Ancient Maya,” a lecture by Dario Euraque, professor of history, Trinity College, is set for Monday, March 8 at 1 p.m. in the Center for the Arts room 2018.
Photo: Dario Euraque
On June 28, 2009, the duly elected President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya Rosales, was ousted in a coup denounced around the world. The regime installed soon after was never recognized by any country in the international community. New ministers were imposed, and all high-level government officials were removed.
A little known story in the midst of the broader political crisis concerned the illegal ouster of Honduras´ director of the Institute of Anthropology and History, the state agency charged with protecting, restoring, researching and promoting the country´s cultural heritage, including its ancient archaeological past. This aspect of Honduras´s national identity is often associated with the tourism drawn to the country´s world famous ancient Mayan city in Copan, near the Honduras-Guatemala border.
This talk addresses the eerie question: what role did the Ancient Maya play in the aftermath of the coup in Honduras in June 2009?
Euraque has taught at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. since 1990, when he received his Ph.D. in Latin American and Caribbean history from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Between June 2006 and September 2009 he served the Honduran government as the Director of the Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History (IHAH). Euraque was ousted as director of the IHAH, in the aftermath of the military coup against President Manuel Zelaya Rosales that began on June 28. Euraque’s publications include: Reinterpreting the "Banana Republic": Region and State in Honduras, 1870s-1972 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1996); Conversaciones Históricas con el Mestizaje en Honduras y su Identidad Nacional (San Pedro Sula: Centro Editorial, 2004); Historiografía de Honduras (Tegucigalpa: Instituto Hondureño de Antropología e Historia, 2009).
Euraque is currently working on a book about the June 28 coup and cultural policy in Honduras. It is tentatively titled: Lempira Executed once More: Culture, National Identity, Tourism and the Ancient Maya in Modern Honduras.
The American Studies Department presents a series of lectures beginning Monday, Feb. 22, 2-3:30 p.m. in Ortega Hall 335, when Jennifer Denetdale, associate professor of history, Northern Arizona University, presents, "Indigenous Women Naming Violence: Colonialism, Native Nations and Globalization."
On Thursday, Feb. 25, 2-3:30 p.m. in the History Common Room in Mesa Vista Hall, Margo Tamez, Ph.D. candidate in American Studies, Washington State University, presents, "Nádasi'né' nde' isdzáné begoz'aahi' shimaa shini' gokal Gową goshjaa ha'áná'idiłí texas-nakaiyé godesdzog, or “Recovering Lipan Apache Women's Histories, Laws, and Lands in El Calaboz Ranchería, Texas-Mexico Border.”’
On Monday, March 1, 2-3:30 p.m. in Ortega Hall 335, Elizabeth Castle, assistant professor of American Indian Studies, University of South Dakota, presents, "Before Avatar Made Native Cool: Native Women's Activism in the Red Power Movement."
These lectures are free and open to the public. For more information, email
amstudy@unm.edu.
New Connections Establish Regional Services to Improve Research and Resource Sharing
Regional optical networks (RONs) in four Western States have agreed to expand and share network services in support of advanced research, operations, and support of academic, economic development, and inter-regional services. Pacific Northwest Gigapop (PNWGP), Front Range GigaPoP, New Mexico/University of New Mexico (UNM), and the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC) announced the formation of the Western Regional Network (WRN), a multi-state partnership to ensure robust, advanced, high-speed networking availability for research, education, and related uses through the sharing of network services.
As a result of this collaboration among WRN members, the potential for shared applications among communities across the west has increased. These RONs provide networking services to the following states: Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Washington, and Wyoming.
“This new collaboration allows New Mexico/UNM to reinvent regional networking by establishing programmatic services within RONs,” said Gil Gonzales, UNM CIO. “WRN will help New Mexico, as wel as UNM’s faculty and students gain access to private high speed networks from faculty offices and labs to our regional partners.”
“WRN provides opportunities to benefit all participants in obtaining better services and lower costs. Networking offers tremendous economies of scale, which the WRN participants will be exploiting for the benefit of their members,” said Jim Dolgonas, President and CEO of CENIC. “For CENIC, WRN will not only provide us the ability to offer our members more diverse and therefore robust networking but also the ability to acquire commodity networking at lower costs for our members.”
“WRN creates a wonderful new and flexible vehicle for us to work together as we explore the challenges and opportunities facing our communities across the region” said Amy F. Philipson, executive director, PNWGP.
The Front Range GigaPoP is pleased to be partnering with CENIC, PNWGP, and New Mexico/UNM on this new, exciting endeavor that provides cost savings in the commodity and R&E areas, enhances opportunities via inter regional networking, peering, and new arrangements with vendors, stimulates new research opportunities for our members, and improves resiliency in our Wide Area Network made possible through cost effective back up paths,” said Marla Meehl, FRGP.
WRN will provide access to shared NLR, Internet2, Pacific Wave, and other regional fiber and IP based services for academic and economic development initiatives. This regional affiliation ensures a reliable connection to high-speed networks and research destinations.
The Western Regional Network will initiate services to partners in Spring 2010. For more information visit: Western Regional Network or contact Gil Gonzales, CIO UNM, Western Regional Network, at wrn@unm.edu or by telephone at, (505) 277-3486.
Media Contact: Vanessa Baca, (505) 277-0987; e-mail: vjbaca1@unm.edu
The Anderson School of Management is hosting an open house for anyone interested in pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree. The informational open house will be held on Tuesday, March 2, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., in the Jackson Student Center located just west of the Anderson School on the UNM Campus.
Anderson faculty and advising staff will be on hand to answer questions and explain the ten different MBA concentrations offered by the Anderson School. Participants can find out more about entrance requirements and everyone who attends the open house will receive an “Application Fee Waiver” form. Prospective students can turn in the form with their application to waive the $50 Anderson application fee.
Anderson’s Full-time MBA program is ideal for those with a non-business undergraduate degree who are looking to begin or advance a managerial career. The 22-month program focuses on building fundamental business skills while still allowing students to specialize in one or more areas. For more information about Anderson MBA programs visit mba.mgt.unm.edu/future.
Free parking is available in the lot to the north of the Anderson School on a first-come, first-served basis and additional parking can be found in the structure next to Popejoy Hall or at paid meters along Las Lomas.
The Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs will celebrate Mitchell Hall's Renovation with an Open House on Wednesday, March 3 from 3 - 5 p.m. in Mitchell Hall. Mitchell Hall is a 1950 building that has been renovated to modern classroom standards. The Program begins at 3 p.m. and everyone is invited. Light celebratory fare will be offered.
Over the last year, Mitchell Hall was transformed from one of the oldest classroom buildings on campus into a technologically advanced, thoroughly modern teaching and study center for the 21st century student.
After two years of planning, development and construction, preparations to reopen Mitchell Hall – one of the most important buildings at the University of New Mexico – are almost complete and the building will be ready in time to hold classes for the spring semester.
“I am delighted to be able to turn this important building back over to the students. I think they’ll find that it has been transformed into a space that will engage them and enrich their learning experiences,” said UNM Provost Susanne Ortega.
While the exterior of the building was left much the same as the original Mitchell Hall, the interior has been redesigned and refinished to provide a streamlined, more energy efficient study environment. A new deli, with indoor and patio seating available, has also been added to Mitchell Hall for students, staff and faculty to grab a bite in between classes or waiting to meet with study partners.
UNM Students, staff and faculty who spent time in the old Mitchell Hall will be glad to hear that in addition to improving Mitchell Hall’s old restrooms, additional restrooms have been added on the first floor.
In addition, the following improvements have also been added to Mitchell Hall.
• Wireless internet, ceiling mounted digital projectors and screens in every classroom
• Enhanced teacher stations and podiums
• A separate computer classroom equipped with 26 workstations
• A walk-up computer counter, much like the one located in the Student Union Building
• Small informal seating areas
• New furniture for students and instructors
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
Nominations are due for the UNM Student Employee of the Year award by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24. Submit nominations to Lisa Delgado in the Dean of Students Office, Student Services Center, Room 280 or via e-mail at, ldelgado@unm.edu.
National Student Employment Week will be celebrated at UNM April 12-16. For the first time, UNM’s top honoree will also compete for the regional title. UNM’s Graduation Task Force Student Engagement Committee organizes the recognition ceremony and other celebratory events during the week.
Staff and faculty are invited to submit a completed nomination form along with a letter describing the employee’s accomplishments. Qualities to keep in mind when nominating are reliability, quality of work, initiative, professionalism and uniqueness of contribution.
Eligibility criteria:
1) Must be employed through the UNM Student Employment Office as an undergraduate or graduate student
2) Must have completed or expect to complete at least six months of employment during the period of June 1, 2009 to May 31, 2010,
3) Must have completed six credit hours at UNM during Fall 2009,
4) Must be enrolled for six credit hours at UNM for Spring 2010, and
5) Must be in a degree seeking college for both fall 2009 and spring 2010 semesters.
For more information contact Lisa Delgado, ldelgado@unm.edu.
UNM's Electrical & Computer Engineering Department (ECE) will hold its annual spring pre-college Open House on Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 4 to 7 p.m. The event is open to high-school juniors and seniors and their parents and teachers.
Topics will include scholarship deadlines, support available to students, job outlooks, the research focus areas in ECE@UNM, and a chance to see some of the cutting-edge research that's going on in labs that are not usually open to the public.
Visitors can drop in at ECE's lobby between 4 and 6 p.m. for self-guided lab tours. At about 6 p.m. there will be a brief, informative presentation and Q&A. There will be a prize drawing open to high-school juniors and seniors who attend.
Individuals who plan to attend should preregister at the event Web site, ECE Open House, which also includes information about the event and maps to the ECE building and of the UNM campus.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Robert Hitchcock, professor and chair of the Department of Anthropology at Michigan State University will talk on “Death of Myth, Environmental Change, Politics, and Coping Strategies among the San of Southern Africa on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 4 p.m. in the Hibben Center Room 105.
Photo: Robert Hitchcock
Hitchcock has worked with San peoples in Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe for the past 30 years. In addition he has worked with indigenous peoples in Guatemala, Hawaii, Calfornia, Canada, the Great Plains, and the southwest, as well as with various groups in eastern and central Africa.
The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored as part of the Anthropology Colloquia Series by the UNM Anthropology Department, the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, the Alfonso Ortiz Center for Intercultural Studies, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Anthropology Graduate Student Union.
For more information call 505-277-4524
Nicole Prause, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Idaho State University will present a talk on “Approach Motivation, Alcohol and Health Risk Decision Making on Monday, Feb. 22, at 11:45 a.m. in the large conference room at 1101 Yale Blvd. NE.
Photo: Nicole Prause
Correlational research has long suggested an association between alcohol consumption and sexual risk taking that may be misleading. The "alcohol myopia" theory was proposed to explain results that appeared contradictory, such that intoxication predicted more conservative sexual behaviors (e.g., higher rate of condom use).
The present series of studies attempts to make sense of the cognitive effects of sexual motivation on decision-making, the impact of alcohol on sexual motivation, and the relationships amongst alcohol, sexual motivation, and decision-making. Using psychophysiological measures (EEG, genital response) and mathematical models (Balloon Analogue Risk Task, multidimensional scaling, Iowa gambling), the relationships amongst these three variables (alcohol, sexual arousal, and sexual risk taking) are parsed to test predictions of alcohol myopia.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Ellen Gonzales, a registered patent attorney with a solo patent practice in Albuquerque will give a short talk on Thursday, Feb. 25, at noon in Room 3010 of the Domenici Education Center on the UNM North Campus. Her talk is titled “I Have a Great Idea – Now What? Intellectual Property Basics for Inventors.”
Photo: Ellen Gonzales
Gonzales received a B.S. degree in Biology from MIT in 1994. After graduation, she worked as a lab technician for a research lab facility jointly operated by Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. She graduated from Stanford Law School in 1999. Gonzales was a patent attorney for the Santa Clara-based biotechnology company, Affymetrix, Inc., until 2001 when she joined an Oregon based intellectual property firm.
She returned to Albuquerque in 2004, and began a solo practice where she provides patent and trademark prosecution services for a variety of clients in various technology fields.
The talk is sponsored by STC.UNM. For more information on the seminar and to register online visit: STC.UNM or contact Denise Bissell at 272-7310 or dbissell@stc.unm.edu.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
UNM landscape architecture graduate students Yekaterina Yushmanova, Kristina Guist, Maggie Ryan and Aaron Coffeen are winners in the ENYA (Emerging New York Architects) International Ideas Competition, a biennial architectural competition for emerging professionals.
Photo: Yekaterina Yushmanova’s design, titled, “Activating the Void,” proposed to reactivate the space between the river banks, reconnect the neighborhoods to the site, and restore the site’s ecological function.
They competed while students in Assistant Professor Katya Crawford’s Competition Studio 505 in the UNM School of Architecture and Planning.
Yushmanova won 3rd prize, Guist the student prize, Ryan an honorable mention and Coffeen received a special selection. Crawford’s students made a good showing. Of the top eight awards, UNM students earned three.
Crawford said that the project involved an area where the oldest aqueduct exists along the Harlem River. “In the 1970s, the bridge was closed to pedestrian access. The goal of the competition was to connect Manhattan and the Bronx,” she said. The project was advertised as an architecture competition, but Crawford got approval to approach it from a landscape architecture perspective. Crawford and several of the students traveled to New York for several days to investigate the site. They then worked on the project the rest of the semester.
Yushmanova’s design, titled, “Activating the Void,” proposed to reactivate the space between the river banks, reconnect the neighborhoods to the site, and restore the site’s ecological function. She proposed two conceptual methods: reaching and peeling. Reaching is achieved by introducing galleries, art studios and piers that reach toward each other from opposite sides of the Harlem River.
Peeling separates existing layers from the ground plain to heal severed connections. She proposed lifting the railroad tracks several feet above ground to allow the river to connect to its flood plain in the form of a restored marshland and pedestrian and bike paths come off the slopes, adapting the elevated highway on/off ramps, relinking the High Bridge and the High Bridge Park to the city’s greenway system.
The competition was open to all design students and young professionals who have completed their education at the undergraduate or graduate level within the past 10 years of each year’s competition announcement.
“It was good for the students to work outside the state, in an area that is culturally and environmentally very different from New Mexico,” Crawford said.
“The winners had diverse approaches to design. I was thrilled with their success,” Crawford said. Crawford earned her master of landscape architecture at UNM in 2005 and taught as an adjunct professor until she was hired into a tenure-track position in fall 2009.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The Spanish and Portuguese Graduate Student Association is sponsoring, “Let’s Salsa” featuring Son Como Son at El Rey Theater, 624 Central Ave. SW, on Friday, Feb. 26, from 8 p.m. until midnight. Admission is $10; tickets may be purchased in advance from Martha Hurd in Ortega Hall 235, or at the door the night of the dance. The fundraising event benefits research and travel funding for graduate students in the department.
Come out and support the S&P grad students, dance the night away to amazing music in a relaxed environment, and bring as many people along as you can.
For more information contact (505) 277-5601 or GSA@gmail.com.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
After a month of budget debates, memorials and other issues, the 49th Legislative Session for the State of New Mexico was set to end at mid-day on Thursday, Feb. 18. On this episode of “New Mexico in Focus,” lawmakers will talk about their accomplishments and disappointments. New Mexico In Focus” airs on Friday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. on KNME-TV channel 5.1 and repeating on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 6:30 a.m.
Hosted by Gene Grant, columnist for the Weekly Alibi, “New Mexico in Focus” takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic, health, education, and arts issues and explores them in-depth, with a critical eye to give them context beyond the “news of the moment.”
Also, “New Mexico in Focus” correspondent Terrie Sayre will interview Dr. Richard Warshak, author of “Divorce Poison: How to Protect Your Family From Bad-Mouthing and Brainwashing.”
Then Gene Grant and “The Line” roundtable panelists give their analysis and opinions of the legislative session, in addition to the following topics:
• A new program allowing 10th graders to get their diploma two years early and enroll in community colleges
• Half of the charges against PRC Commissioner Jerome Block Jr. and have father have been dropped
• It’s “no” to naked bike-riding in Albuquerque
Joining Grant and regular panelists Sophie Martin and Jim Scarantino will be Laura Sanchez, former executive director of the N.M. Democratic Party and former N.M. Democratic Party chairman John Wertheim.
New Mexico in Focus can also be seen on KNME’s Digital Channel 9.1 on Saturdays at 5 p.m. Additionally, viewers can also watch it online at: KNME.org.
“New Mexico in Focus” is produced by Kevin McDonald and Kathy Wimmer and closed captioning has been made possible by a gift from Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs.
Media Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1812; e-mail: etodd@knme.org
Understanding the interface between social and ecological systems is crucial for effectively addressing pressing environmental challenges. According to Phil Robertson, Chair of the National Science Foundation’s Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) Network and professor of ecosystem science at Michigan State University, “solutions to problems that range from climate change to over-exploitation of environmental resources to nitrogen pollution require more than knowledge about the biophysical environment or knowledge about how humans react to such problems. Crucially, knowledge is needed about the interface – how the biophysical and social domains interact.”
Robertson observes that environmental research in the U.S. and elsewhere has traditionally been conducted in separate spheres with few formal interactions. In part, he says, this is due to the absence of a unifying framework that provides the potential to understand interactions and feedbacks. “In particular, new frameworks are needed to help us understand how humans perceive the critical services provided by ecosystems, how these perceptions change behavior and institutions, and how behavioral and institutional change in turn feeds back to affect ecosystems and their ability to deliver future services.”
With this in mind, researchers from the LTER Network have organized a symposium to discuss LTER’s Integrative Science for Society and Environment (ISSE) framework, which was developed exactly with this kind of issue in mind, at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting Feb. 18-22, 2010, in San Diego, Calif. Scott Collins, a Biology professor at the University of New Mexico and Principal Investigator of the Sevilleta LTER site, leads the effort to develop this framework.
The symposium will feature three examples of how LTER’s framework can provide insights into how ecosystems and society interact including:
1. Socio-Ecological Interactions in Coastal Marine Ecosystems of Southern California by Daniel C. Reed (University of California at Santa Barbara), working at the Santa Barbara Coastal LTER site;
2. A Socio-Ecological Approach to Landscape Fragmentation and Development in Central New Mexico by Michael Agar (University of Maryland) and Scott L. Collins (University of New Mexico), working at the Sevilleta LTER site; and
3. Linking Ecological and Social Processes in Metropolitan Baltimore Watersheds by Mary L. Cadenasso (University of California – Davis) and Steward T.A. Pickett (Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies), working at the Baltimore Ecosystem Study LTER site.
The ISSE framework seeks to understand societal and environmental linkages in ecosystems as disparate as arctic tundra, eastern forests, deserts, croplands, and cities. Collins’ and Agar’s presentation, for example, will address some of the social and political drivers of growth and fragmentation in the Albuquerque area, and the impacts of growth on water quality and quantity in the Middle Rio Grande region. The marine, urban, and rangeland studies featured in this symposium demonstrate the value of an integrated, long-term, comparative research program in socio-ecological research, and point to new policy options for managing environmental change.
The LTER Network, now in its 30th year, is comprised of 26 sites funded by NSF to pursue basic research in ecology and environmental science. Since 1980 the sites have conducted research to better understand ecological phenomena in both natural and managed ecosystems. A broad variety of ecosystems are represented in the Network, including tundra, forest, grassland, desert, urban, and marine sites, among others. For further information, including a list of current sites and principal investigators, see www.lternet.edu.
The Mission of the LTER Network is to provide the scientific community, policy makers, and society with the knowledge and predictive understanding necessary to conserve, protect, and manage the nation’s ecosystems, their biodiversity, and the services they provide.
Contacts: McOwiti O. Thomas, (505) 277-2638; e-mail: tmcowiti@lternet.edu or Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The Provost and the Vice President of Human Resources have announced the merging of the Staff Dispute Resolution Department and Faculty Dispute Resolution. The new name will be Ombuds/Dispute Resolution Services for Faculty and Staff.
The change was the result of a report presented to the Provost and Vice President of Human Resources by Staff Dispute Resolution and Faculty Dispute Resolution reporting the activities and outcomes of these programs and their parallel to a majority of Ombuds programs across higher education.
In addition, a report from the State Risk Management Division praised UNM for its leadership statewide in the area of Alternative Dispute Resolution and the success of these programs in "contributing toward cost savings for both the university and the state."
Dr. Jean Civikly-Powell will be Ombudsperson for Faculty and Jonathan R. Armendariz will be Ombudsperson for Staff and will continue to provide dispute resolution services for faculty and staff.
The University of New Mexico Campus Police have released a composite sketch for a person of interest they would like to interview in connection with the stabbing that took place on the UNM campus Monday night. The stabbing occurred near the Anthropology building on the west side of UNM's main campus. Anyone with any information in regard to the incident should call the UNM Police Department at 277-2241.
Sketch: Person of interest in Monday night's stabbing near UNM's Anthropology building.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The UNM School of Architecture and Planning hosts “Infrastructure and the Urban Landscape: A competition for revelation through photography,” an open competition for submissions of photographic representation that reveals beauty, or a striking quality, in the artifacts and systems of infrastructure.
The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, March 31 at 5 p.m. They can be left at the reception desk in Pearl Hall, the School of Architecture and Planning. Mailed submissions can be mailed to Infrastructure Competition/School of Architecture and Planning/2401 Central Ave. NE/MSC 04 2530/1 University of New Mexico/Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001.
Entrants are limited to one submission that must comprise:
• 1 photographic image with a maximum size of 11X17
• Photograph must be mounted on foam core with the entrants name and contact information in an envelope on the back
• Entry must include a separate sheet with title/caption, and a 150-200 word narrative complementing the image
• A labeled CD with the image at a minimum 300 dpi resolution with title/caption and narrative, name/contact information for the entrant.
By submitting work, individuals are giving permission for the display of the work in one or more exhibits and publication in a catalog with no compensation.
The goal of the competition is to reveal the presence of infrastructure in the landscape and to begin to reposition infrastructure as systems providing collective identity and urban legibility, adding to the urban experience, shaping urban form and incorporating both social and ecological functions. It is a call to advocate for the profound social, cultural and ecological possibilities in re-conceptualizing infrastructure as a visible part of a complex, interconnected urban network.
The jury may make a $500 award for the first place winner, two merit awards of $200 each and up to three honorable mentions. Jury decisions are final.
All entries, or a selection, depending upon number of entries, will be exhibited in the School of Architecture and Planning, Pearl Hall, from April 14-30. Another exhibition may take place in a downtown Albuquerque venue.
Competition jurors are:
Miguel Gandert, professor, Communication & Journalism, UNM
Laurie Moye, coordinator, Regulatory Relations and Public Participation, PNM
Roland Penttila, supervisor, Stormwater Management Section, City of Albuquerque
Carolyn Robbins Siegel, architect, Albuquerque Bio Park, member, ABQ Arts Board
Jim Stone, associate professor, Art & Art History, UNM
For more information contact Alf Simon at asimon@unm.edu or 277-4120.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The International Task Force luncheon usually features faculty describing programs they teach abroad. This time, the world came to the luncheon. Iranian civil engineering graduate student Mohammad Julalpour explained the difficulties he faced in coming to UNM.
Photo: Iranian civil engineering graduate student Mohammad Julalpour, center, explains to the International Task Force the difficulties he faced in coming to UNM.
He said that for him, it was a two-year process that required getting a visa and passport, demonstrating ability to pay, applying to UNM, getting accepted, filing an I-20, or certificate of visa eligibility for nonimmigrant F-1 student status, taking exams, being interviewed and going through security checks.
Because the U.S. has no embassy in Iran, Julalpour had to travel to another country to apply for a visa. Additional issues arose because he planned to study engineering. U.S. governmental concerns about Iran, terrorism and nuclear development required that he provide a letter – and subsequent clarification – from his advisor indicating he would not be working in a sensitive area.
Other student panelists were Olu Abosede, Nigeria, an bachelor’s in engineering; Linda Pehkonen, Sweden, master of business administration; Junfu Han, China, bachelor’s in art; Santosh Chandrasekar, India, Ph.D. in Communication & Journalism; Rebeca Gibrail, Brazil, Ph.D. in Organizational Learning and Instructional Technology; Yuri Morales, Mexico, master of public administration.
International Programs Specialist Linda Melville said, “International students go through a lot to come here to study. It requires persistence and determination as well as a great deal of money. I don’t think most people at UNM know that.”
Twenty members of the campus community - faculty, deans, staff, students and administrators – have been nominated for and have agreed to serve on the President’s Strategic Advisory Team. The members’ list is on the President’s website at: President's Strategic Advisory Team.
The team’s goal is to recommend to the President ideas to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and fiscal soundness of UNM. Over the next several months, they will explore, evaluate and recommend ways the University can contain costs, increase revenues and provide the most effective and efficient use of existing resources. The charge to the committee and its objectives can be found at: Committee Charge and Objectives.
The team’s work has already begun and everyone can keep abreast of their activities on a special web page that will be linked to the President’s website. There are also be opportunities on the website for everyone to contribute their ideas for cutting costs and increasing efficiencies. A form can be found on the President's web site at: Strategic Priorities.
Ideas submitted by March 1 will be considered as part of the team's initial goal of recommending costs savings of $2 million to $3 million for the upcoming budget cycle.
Media Contact: Susan McKinsey, (505) 277-1807; e-mail: mckinsey@unm.edu
Student Health Counseling Services sponsors Healthy Body Image Screening Day Wednesday, Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in SHAC, formerly known as the UNM Student Health Center, Room 155.
SHAC offers anonymous screenings for eating disorders as well as information on how to stop letting food, weight and calories affect healthy eating. This will be the second time this event has been held, said Stacey Lowe, a licensed professional clinical counselor at Student Health Counseling Services.
The screenings are designed to teach students about nutrition, exercise and body image to help students stop unhealthy eating habits before they evolve into full-blown eating disorders.
Students can fill out a free online survey at: Self-Help Tools, from which individuals can screen for a range of mental health conditions.
“The main goal of this event is to increase student awareness of body image issues and eating disorders, provide educational materials, self-screening tools (online and in-person) for anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders,” Lowe said.
Once screening is complete, students can receive feedback about their scores, along with referral information to campus resources.
“Awareness of eating disorders is important because constant focus on weight, calories and body image can be isolating, obsessive and even life threatening,” Lowe said.
For more information about SHAC screening or getting healthier call (505) 277-4537.
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will host a meeting titled, 'Space Environment, Inside and Out,' with guest speaker George Aldrich. Aldrich works for NASA as its White Sands Chemical Specialist and "Master Sniffer." The meeting will be held, Thursday, Feb. 18 with a meet and greet at 5:30 p.m., pizza at 6 p.m. and the presentation at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the UNM Centennial Engineering Center Auditorium located at Central Ave. and University Blvd. It is free.
"Space Environment, Inside and Out” encompasses Aldrich's work at NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) as a Chemical Specialist and "Master Sniffer. It focuses on controlling materials put inside the capsule (environment inside) because of the toxicity and odor of the materials. It focuses on the environment outside the capsule being hot, cold and under vacuum.
Aldrich will also discuss experiments/material testing using liquid nitrogen and the vacuum system and about some of our other testing in other areas to provide information on what we do at WSTF.
The Signature Program for Child Health Research will give a series of brief presentations and round table discussions led by successful UNM Health Science Center researchers. Learn more about research at UNM, network with colleagues, establish collaboration, find a mentor/mentee or just enjoy some stimulating discussion. The event, titled ‘3x5x5’ (3 speakers, 5 slides, done by 5), will be held Wednesday, Feb. 24 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in rm. 2112 at the Domenici Center.
Speakers and Topics...
* Theresa Cruz, Associate Scientist III, Prevention Research Center, Pediatrics
Topic: Acculturation and the Risk of Violence among Hispanic/Latino Youth
* Julia Hess, Post Doc: Prevention Research Center, Pediatrics
Topic: Research on Youth and Migration: Implications of Ethnographic Perspectives for Promoting Health and Well-being
* Alexis Handal, Assistant Professor: Master of Public Health, Family Community Medicine
Topic: Impact of Maternal Occupation in the Ecuadorian Flower Industry on Child Development
For more information please contact Leslie Trickey at 272-4462 or e-mail at, letrickey@salud.unm.edu
The UNM College of Nursing has received a $150,000 grant from the Hearst Foundation to create a scholars program for Native American and Hispanic students entering graduate programs.
UNM will identify three Hispanic and/or Native American students who are currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing (BSN) program or have recently graduated with a BSN. Each student will receive financial support while earning a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree.
As part of the scholars program, the UNM CoN plans to develop a pipeline for these students so once they complete their MSN they enter the Ph.D. in Nursing program under the newly developed Health Policy concentration. This will help the college increase the overall number of nursing students knowledgeable in health policy, and the number of Native American and Hispanic students in graduate programs.
“There is a great need for more nursing scholars in health policy, particularly those who represent populations where health disparities are the greatest,” said Dr. Nancy Ridenour, dean at the UNM CoN. “Although Hispanic and Native American undergraduate nursing students at UNM reflect the ethnic population of New Mexico, they are underrepresented in graduate school at both the master’s and doctoral levels.”
The Hearst Foundation was founded by William Randolph Hearst in 1945. The main objective of the organization is to provide resources for organizations and institutions working in the fields of education, health, culture and social service. For more information visit: Hearst Foundation.
The three finalists for the dean of the UNM School of Engineering will visit campus over the course of the next two weeks to meet with faculty, staff and students. The candidates include Daniel Fleetwood, Patrick O'Shea and Gregory Washington.
Photo: Centennial Engineering Center
Daniel Fleetwood
Wednesday-Thursday, Feb. 24-25
Daniel Fleetwood, professor and chair of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at Vanderbilt University will be on campus on Wednesday-Thursday, Feb. 24-25. He will have opportunities to meet in open forums with students, staff, faculty and the community.
Wednesday, Feb. 24
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Open forum with students
Stamm Commons, Centennial Engineering Center
4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Open forum with presentation for faculty, staff, students and community
Centennial Engineering Center Auditorium.
Thursday, Feb. 25
8:30 a.m. to 9:20 a.m.
Open forum with School of Engineering staff
Centennial Engineering Center Auditorium
9:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.
Open forum with School of Engineering faculty
Centennial Engineering Center Auditorium.
Patrick O’Shea
Monday-Tuesday, March 1-2
Patrick O’Shea, chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland will visit campus on Monday-Tuesday, March 1-2. O’Shea will also have open forums with students, staff, faculty and the community.
Monday, March 1
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Open forum with students
Stamm Commons, Centennial Engineering Center
4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Open forum with presentation for faculty, staff, students and community
Centennial Engineering Center Auditorium
Tuesday, March 2
8:30 a.m. to 9:20 a.m.
Open forum for School of Engineering staff
Centennial Engineering Center Auditorium
9:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.
Open forum with School of Engineering Faculty
Centennial Engineering Center Auditorium
Gregory Washington
Tuesday-Wednesday, March 3-4
Gregory Washington, interim dean for the School of Engineering at Ohio State University will visit campus on Wednesday-Thursday, March 3-4. Washington will also have open forums with students, staff, faculty and the community.
Wednesday, March 3
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Open forum with students
Stamm Commons, Centennial Engineering Center
4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Open forum with a presentation for faculty, staff, students and the community
Centennial Engineering Center Auditorium.
Thursday, March 4
8:10 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Open forum for School of Engineering staff
Centennial Engineering Center Auditorium
9:10 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Open forum for School of Engineering faculty
Centennial Engineering Center Auditorium.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
CASAA Professor Angela Bryan to present NIDA-funded research at the 8th Blending Conference at the Albuquerque Convention Center April 22-23
Professor and Director of the Health Psychology Program in the Department of Psychology, Angela Bryan knows all too well the dangers facing adolescents after years of research studying teens and risky behavior. Even more danger lurks for troubled teens when alcohol becomes part of the mix. Bryan, who is also a researcher at the UNM Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions (CASAA), and her research into alcohol and the role it plays in sexual risk-taking among detained adolescents.
Photo: Angela Bryan
In two recent papers, one in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology and one in the journal Pediatrics, Bryan discusses her research that compared three different interventions designed to reduce risky sexual behavior among adolescents involved with the criminal justice system. The research, which was funded by a $1.3 million grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, centers on the role of alcohol and risky sexual behavior.
“The focus of the research was to explore risk-taking with substances like alcohol and marijuana and to find ways to encourage healthier behavior among adolescents in the criminal justice system,” said Bryan. “Kids at any level of the criminal justice system, whether they are detained, arrested or on probation, have higher rates of risky sexual behavior than their non-criminally involved peers – and this behavior has great potential to compromise their health. Beginning to be sexually active is a normal part of development, of course, and the goal or our program of research is to make sure kids make this developmental transition in a way that protects their own health and that of their partners”
Bryan, along with former students and post doctoral research associates, has discovered in her research that an HIV/STD risk reduction intervention that included alcohol content was better than two other interventions at influencing both cognitions related to condom use (i.e., confidence in one's ability to use condoms) as well as condom use behavior at both three months and twelve months post-intervention.
The intervention methods utilized in Bryan’s research include information on controlling the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and prevention; interactive activities including group discussions about how to talk to your partner, and where to get and how to use condoms, and actual practice at handling condoms and getting comfortable with them. In the intervention that included alcohol content, Bryan introduced a third component, which has proven successful in reducing substance use with other populations, called motivational enhancement therapy (MET). In Bryan’s work, they do MET in groups of peers.
“It’s a slightly different group format with an upside,” said Bryan. “Adults can talk all day long to kids, but when their peers talk about how they protect themselves, it works well with adolescents. They seem to listen to their peers. On balance, the modality seems to work well with kids.”
The research was conducted among 14-17 year-olds in the Denver-area. Bryan is now conducting similar research in the Albuquerque-area. The intervention is promising, but Bryan points out that it doesn’t work perfectly nor does it work well for everyone.
“It may be that some of us have a basic biological predisposition that influences how we respond to these types of psychosocial interventions,” said Bryan. “There are probably genetic differences that lead to differences in how our brains are wired that makes it more difficult for some people to change their behavior.”
"In our ongoing work at UNM, we’re collecting DNA as well as a brain scan using functional magnetic resonance imaging at the Mind Research Network on campus to try to understand if there are biological differences that determine how kids respond to this type of intervention versus something else. The goal is to help them all engage in healthier behavior. However, it’s probably not a one size fits all solution.”
This work is again funded by a $2.5 million grant from NIAAA.
One other limitation of Bryan’s prior work was that alcohol isn’t the only drug that seems related to adolescent risky sexual behavior. “Our interventions so far have only addressed alcohol use, and we know that for adolescents especially there is a lot of heavy marijuana use. So we conducted a longitudinal study with a different set of adolescents in the Denver-metro area to see whether marijuana use and sexual risk behavior were associated.”
Bryan’s research, funded by a $1 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), showed that marijuana use was related to sexual risk behavior over time, and that this relationship was very complex, differing for girls versus boys, and depending upon whether the relationship was with a serious or casual partner.
This work laid the foundation for Bryan’s most recent grant from NIAAA, where she will compare three different versions of an intervention to reduce sexual risk. This study will take place with adolescents who are involved with the juvenile justice system in New Mexico, and will compare interventions that try to increase safer sexual behavior, incorporating content on alcohol, both marijuana and alcohol, or focusing exclusively on safer sexual behavior alone.
8th Blending Conference at the Albuquerque Convention Center April 22-23
Bryan will present her NIDA-funded research at the 8th Blending Conference at the Albuquerque Convention Center April 22-23. The National Institute on Drug Abuse will host the conference in partnership with UNM, the University of Arizona and the University of California, San Francisco. Titled, ‘Blending Addiction Science and Practice: Evidence-Based Treatment and Prevention in Diverse Populations and Settings,’ the conference will present innovative, science-based approaches that have been proven to be effective in the prevention and treatment of drug abuse and addiction.
The conference is presented by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in conjunction with the Southwest Node and the California-Arizona Node of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN). The two-day event has evolved into NIDA’s signature conference. For more information visit: 8th Blending Conference.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The Physical Plant Department's e-mail service will be unavailable from Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 5 p.m. through Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 8 a.m. Please call PPD personnel directly by phone or PPD's front office at 277-2421 for further assistance. All work order requests should be directed to 277-1600.
For a related story visit: PPD's iService Desk Unavailable Feb. 17-24
For more information about the Physical Plant visit: Physical Plant Deaprtment.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
The UNM School of Architecture and Planning and the Santa Fe Chapter of Architecture for Humanity is showing the film, “One Peace at a Time – about a messed up world and how we could fix it,” on Monday, Feb. 22, at 6:30 p.m. in the George Pearl Hall auditorium. Pearl Hall is on the corner of Central and Cornell on the UNM campus.
The screening of the film is a fundraiser for the rebuilding of Haiti; suggested donation is $10.
The film is written and directed by Turk Pipkin. It was filmed in 20 countries with insight from Nobel Laureates Muhammad Yunus, Steve Chu and Desmond Tutu.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Jennifer A. Baird, president and CEO of Accuri Cytometers, Inc. will present a case study in a talk on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2 at 12 p.m. in the Domenici Education Center, Room 3010 on the UNM North Campus. Baird's talk titled, “To Boldly Go…” will describe principles and lessons learned on developing entrepreneurial technology companies, using Accuri Cytometers as a case study.
Photo: Jennifer Baird
As co-founder and CEO of a successful start-up turned second-stage commercial life science tools company, Baird will describe the process of identifying and qualifying a market opportunity, how she raised $27M to support the growth of the company, how her team developed and marketed the technology and products, and what is next on the horizon for this fast growing company.
The talk is sponsored by STC.UNM. For more information on the seminars and to register online visit: STC.UNM or contact Denise Bissell at 272-7310 or dbissell@stc.unm.edu.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The Provost’s Committee for Staff seeks nominations for the annual Outstanding Staff and Workgroup Awards, presented annually each spring. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Feb. 26, at 5 p.m. Staff, faculty and students may nominate UNM staff including regular current, non-faculty, any individual staff or workgroup who has provided extraordinary service to the Provost’s units.
Previously nominated staff or workgroups may be nominated again, provided the nominee(s) is not a past recipient of the award. A workgroup can be comprised of an office, department, division or section. Current Provost’s Committee for Staff members are not eligible for the award and self-nominations will not be accepted.
Selection criteria includes demonstrated extraordinary achievement in one or more of the following areas: extraordinary service to UNM or the community, exemplify university values (excellence; access with support to succeed, integrity; diversity; respectful relationships; freedom, and sustainability) in an exceptional manner; contribute substantially to significant team or department accomplishments.
Nomination forms must be submitted online at: Outstanding Staff and Workgroup Awards Nominations or contact Beverly Shead at 277-4242 or bls2593@unm.edu.
The Geography Department and the Regents' Speaker Endowment will present a talk by UNM Art and Art History Assistant Professor Catherine Page Harris. The lecture titled, "Border and Lines: Invisible Boundaries and Their Ecologies," will be held Wednesday, Feb. 24 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., in Bandelier East, rm. 106. The lecture is free and all are invited.
Harris teaches Art and Ecology in the Art and Art History Department at UNM. She received her MFA from Stanford University and her MLA from UC Berkeley. Harris received a fellowship at the Vermont Studio Center, created a Sustainability Master Plan for their campus and a solo art show. Her work has been shown in venues from the Lab in San Francisco to Emily Harvey Gallery in New York City and the Center for Land Use Interpretation in Wendover, Utah.
Jarred W. Younger, instructor in the Department of Anesthesia, Division of Pain Management at Stanford University School of medicine will present a talk on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 11:45 in the Mind Research Network’s large conference room. The title of the talk is “Prescription Opioid Analgesics Rapidly Change the Human Brain.”
Photo: Jarred W. Younger
In this talk, Younger will be sharing the results of a recent pilot trial in which they investigated the impact of opioids on the human brain. Individuals with chronic low-back pain were given oral morphine at analgesic dosages for one month. Images of their brain were taken before and after the month of morphine administration. They found a number of regions where grey matter volume changed over time.
In several of those regions, the degree of change was significantly correlated with the amount of morphine consumed. They then conducted a series of post-hoc tests to determine which regional changes were associated with wanted opioid outcomes (i.e., pain relief), and which were associated with negative outcomes (increased anxiety and depression, dependence, and craving).
The results suggest that neuroplastic changes occur rapidly after opioid administration, and that beneficial and adverse outcomes may involve different neural mechanisms. The findings will be discussed in the context of proper pain management, the neurobiology of addiction, and the need to identify individuals who are susceptible to adverse opioid outcomes.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Regents Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the Water Resources Program Bruce Thomson has received a 2010 New Mexico Earth Science Achievement Award. Thomson’s research is focused on the chemistry and treatment of inorganic contaminants in ground water, especially arsenic and uranium. Recent research projects have dealt with issues associated with the reuse of treated waste water.
Photo: Bruce Thomson
Thomson has served on several local, state, and national committees dealing with water issues, including 10 years of service on the Water Quality Protection Advisory Board, which reports to the City of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County and the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority.
The award is sponsored by the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, a non-regulatory research and science division of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro and the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department in Santa Fe. The awards were initiated in 2003 to honor those often unrecognized champions of earth science issues vital to the future of New Mexico.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
UNM Prevention Research Center Assistant Professor and CTSC scholar, Alberta Kong, who also is in the Division of Adolescent Medicine in Pediatrics, was recently selected as the recipient of the Abbott Nutrition Young Investigator Research Award of the Western Society for Pediatric Research.
Selection was based upon the strength of her curriculum vitae, articles submitted and a strong nominating letter. Abbott Laboratories supports a cash prize for the recipient. The Young Investigator Award was presented to Kong on in late-January at the Western Regional Meeting in the Pacific Repertory Theater-Golden Bough in Carmel, Calif.
As part of the awards ceremony, Kong also gave a talk titled, “Use of Community-Based Participatory Research to Create, Implement and Test a School-Based Health Center Intervention with Multi-ethnic Adolescents to Improve Nutrition and Physical Activity."
This is the last full week of the New Mexico Legislature’s 2010 session, and lawmakers are hard at work dealing with the state’s massive budget shortfall. “New Mexico in Focus” correspondent Elaine Baumgartel talks with David Abbey, director of New Mexico’s Legislative Finance Committee, House Minority Whip Keith Gardner (R- Roswell), Senate Minority Floor Leader Stuart Ingle (R-Portales), House Majority Floor Leader Ken Martinez (D-Grants) and Senator John Arthur Smith (D-Deming) to get an inside view on budget and other battles taking place at the Roundhouse. New Mexico In Focus” airs on Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. on KNME-TV channel 5.1 and repeating on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 6:30 a.m.
Hosted by Gene Grant, columnist for the Weekly Alibi, “New Mexico in Focus” takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic, health, education, and arts issues and explores them in-depth, with a critical eye to give them context beyond the “news of the moment.”
Then Grant and this week’s “The Line” panel will tackle the ongoing budget discussion and other pertinent isuses. Joining Grant will be regular panelist Jim Scarantino and guest panelists Gabriel Sanchez, University of New Mexico political science professor, Laura Sanchez, former executive director of the New Mexico Democratic Party, and Harry Van Buren, professor at UNM’s Anderson School of Management.
Among the topics up for debate this week are:
• The budget wrestling match
• Issues with the Environment Improvement Board
• The struggle over reforms for the New Mexico State Investment Council
• One Farmington Man wants a White History Month
• Albuquerque’s Mayor Berry examines the need for a downtown arena.
New Mexico in Focus can also be seen on KNME’s Digital Channel 9.1 on Saturdays at 5 p.m. Additionally, viewers can also watch it online at: KNME (www.knme.org).
“New Mexico in Focus” is produced by Kevin McDonald and Kathy Wimmer and closed captioning has been made possible by a gift from Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs.
Media Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1812; e-mail: etodd@knme.org
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has honored University of New Mexico Hospitals (UNMH) with the Pathway to Excellence designation making it one of only 75 hospitals in the nation and the only hospital in New Mexico with the distinction.
The Pathway to Excellence designation identifies the elements of a positive work environment where nurses can flourish. The designation recognizes the professional satisfaction of nurses at UNMH and identifies it as one of the best places to work.
“At UNMH, we are committed to professional growth, patient care and excellence in practice,” said Sheena Ferguson, chief nursing officer at UNMH. “This designation confirms to the public that nurses working here know their efforts are supported, and should encourage other nurses to join their colleagues in this desirable and nurturing environment.”
For an organization to earn the Pathway to Excellence® distinction, it must successfully undergo a thorough review process that documents foundational quality initiatives in creating a positive work environment — as defined by nurses and supported by research. These initiatives must be present in the facility’s practices, policies, and culture. Nurses in the organization verify the presence of the criteria in the organization through participation in a confidential online survey.
The ANCC, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association (ANA), provides individuals and organizations throughout the nursing profession with the resources they need to achieve practice excellence. ANCC's internationally renowned credentialing programs certify nurses in specialty practice areas; recognize healthcare organizations for promoting safe, positive work environments through the Pathway to Excellence Program®; and accredit providers of continuing nursing education
The University of New Mexico has released the names of three finalists for the position of dean at the UNM School of Engineering. They include Daniel Fleetwood, Patrick O'Shea and Gregory Washington. Provost Suzanne Ortega announced the finalists Thursday. Open forums for faculty, staff and the UNM community for each candidate will be scheduled prior to each candidates visit.
The finalists include:
Daniel Fleetwood is a professor and chair of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at Vanderbilt University, where he also holds an appointment in the Department of Physics. He received his Ph.D. in Solid State Physics, and his M.S. degree in Experimental Physics at Purdue. He served as an associate dean for research at Vanderbilt from 2001-2003.
Fleetwood has previously served as a distinguished member of the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories. His research interests include the effects of ionizing radiation on microelectronic devices & materials, the origins of 1/f noise in semiconductors and semiconductor devices and metals, thermally stimulated current methods to profile defects in insulators and radiation hardness assurance test methods. Fleetwood will be on campus Feb. 24 - 25 to meet with faculty, staff and students.
Patrick O'Shea is the chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. from the University of Maryland, and served as a project leader at the University of California Los Alamos National Laboratory. His research interests include charged particle beam technology and application, and applied electromagnetic and nonlinear dynamics. O'Shea will visit campus March 1-2.
Gregory Washington is the interim dean in the School of Engineering at Ohio State University. He is a professor of Mechanical Engineering and received his Ph.D. and M.S. at North Carolina State University. His research interests are in the field of dynamic systems and control with an emphasis in smart materials. Current projects include the utilization of smart structures in the next generation of active antenna, and the development of control techniques for the control of mechatronic systems. Washington will visit campus March 3-4.
On Friday, Feb. 19 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., the Anderson School of Management will offer an instructional seminar on developing startup firm financial statements. Join Accounting faculty member Ann Brooks in ASM 1064 for a lunch and presentation on how to create excellent financial projections for your entrepreneurial firm.
This seminar is required for participants in the UNM Technology Business Plan Competition, but all students are welcome! RSVP to Jennifer Bayley at 277-6172 or bayley@mgt.unm.edu. For more information visit: Technology Business Plan.
The UNM Technology Business Plan Competition is open only to UNM students or recent graduates and expected prizes total $40,000. The competition fosters entrepreneurial activity and offers students exposure to venture capital and angel funders as well as legal, accounting, and banking professionals.
The competition takes place on Friday, April 16 at the Anderson School, and team presentations are open for everyone to observe. Operational funding for the financial skills seminar and the competition is provided by the NM Wired Initiative.
Do you like the idea of meeting new and interesting people connected with UNM? How about exchanging ideas and experiences in a casual environment over dinner? Then a unique program titled, Dinner for 12 Strangers, might just be your calling. Sponsored by the UNM Alumni Association, the 'Dinner for 12 Strangers' program is an opportunity for alumni to connect with UNM students, faculty and other alums when local alumni host a dinner in their home in an effort to make UNM a smaller and friendlier place.
The 2010 dinners celebrating Lobo Day—UNM’s 121st birthday, will take place on Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 25-27. The UNM Alumni Association is currently seeking participants, either as a hosts or guests. All the dinners will take place in Alumni homes. Hosts and guests may choose the day of their choice.
If you are interested in hosting, attending a dinner or looking for more information visit: Dinner for 12 Strangers or contact Sue MacEachen, 505-277-5808.
To register mail or fax it the form to:
UNM Alumni Relations
MSC 01-1160
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001
Fax – (505) 277.6844
Be sure to visit the UNM Alumni Association to find out all the latest news and notes about fellow alumni.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The Physical Plant Department's iService Desk will be unavailable beginning Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 5 p.m. through Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 8 a.m. To place work orders during this period call PPD's Work Control office at 277-1600.
For a related story visit: Physical Plant E-mail Outage
For more information about the Physical Plant visit: Physical Plant Deaprtment.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
University of New Mexico President David J. Schmidly today announced the formation of a special advisory group to the President whose mission is to sharpen UNM’s focus on containing costs in both academic and non-academic areas.
Schmidly said, “I am identifying a group I’m calling the “President’s Strategic Advisory Team” to assist me in developing ideas for cost containment and for streamlining organizational structure. I am so impressed with the quality of talent at this university that I have no doubt we have the capability internally to make a major difference.”
Details of the initiative, posted on the President’s website, specify that the objective is to design and evaluate possible scenario models that will “provide the greatest levels of efficiency, communication and accountability within operational processes, both in academic and administrative areas; optimize UNM’s ability to carry forth its mission and abide by its core values; create tangible savings; and aspire to create a model organizational structure for the modern public research university in the post-economic meltdown world of the 21st century.”
To accomplish this, the advisory team, which will include faculty, students, staff and administrators, will be asked to initially focus on eight key areas, including purchasing, energy efficiency, health benefit strategies, information technology, communication and marketing, leveraging the talents and productivity of faculty and staff, efficiency in the utilization of space and facilities, and generation of revenue from other sources.
"We've already begun with major savings in our health benefits and energy costs with a total of $10 million saved, along with the elimination of one vice presidency and a senior position in our legal staff. But we must do more,” Schmidly said. “For example, we spend almost $96 million on information technology because we have not looked to better centralize this important function. I feel certain we can improve processes and save substantial money."
Regarding the launch of this initiative in the middle of the 2010 legislative session, Schmidly said, “President Obama has challenged us to ‘transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age,’ so regardless of the outcome of the legislative session, we must do this.”
The advisory team’s members will be announced this week and they will go to work immediately. “Our focus must be to contain costs by streamlining processes and administration so as to better invest in the classroom and our students. As soon as the team has recommendations, I will be ready to consider them.”
John Kantner, anthropological archaeologist and Vice President of the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe, New Mexico reviews research on Chaco Canyon and advances the theory that it was a place of pilgrimage in the 11th Century A.D.
Photo: John Kantner
He talks about the great houses scattered throughout the region and their uses and mentions the roadways that lead to Chaco. Kanter discusses the factors that lead him and other anthropologists to conclude that the canyon was a costly signal of status for religious leaders.
His lecture titled “Chaco Canyon: Costly Signaling and the Evolution of Pilgrimage Centers” was sponsored by the UNM Department of Anthropology, the Alfonso Ortiz Center for Intercultural Studies, the Anthropology Graduate Student Union, the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
To listen to the lecture visit: Chaco Canyon: Costly Signaling and the Evolution of Pilgrimage Centers.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The Office of Support for Effective Teaching presents the fifth annual Success in the Classroom: Sharing Practices that Work, a university-wide, free conference on teaching and learning, on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Student Union Building. The luncheon keynote address will be given by Chris Anson on “Engaging Writing – What It Means for Student Learning in YOUR Class.”
Photo: Chris Anson
Anson is director of the Campus Writing and Speaking Program at North Carolina State University and a past president of the Council of Writing Program Administrators.
Success in the Classroom provides a forum for instructors to share insights into successful teaching and learning. The conference defines classrooms broadly as learning environments – including virtual, laboratory, online, field and experiential.
The professional-conference-style presentations are based on applied research and classroom experience. Presenters come from many disciplines, including earth and planetary sciences, English, math, Spanish, medicine, Africana studies, education, business, anthropology and physics. Oral presentation topics include using field experiences, independent thinking in the classroom, using clickers for student engagement, communicative teaching strategies, cultural constructs in teaching and learning, and activity-based learning.
For the second year, the conference also offers a poster session, on view throughout the day with presenters available 1:30-2:15 p.m. Poster topics include active learning, reading and writing in algebra, peer learning facilitators, evaluating second language writing, student-centered learning, and teaching with digital games.
Reservations are required to attend the conference luncheon, but no pre-registration is required for workshops. To register, contact OSET at (505) 277-2229 or oset@unm.edu. Visit OSET.
To watch a video of last year’s keynote speech by Janice Denton, visit Let’s Talk Publicly About Scholarly Teaching.
Researchers at the University of New Mexico have been awarded $37 million in competitive grants from funds appropriated for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Health Science Center researchers have been awarded $21 million in grants. Researchers on the UNM main campus have been awarded $16 million.
The grants are primarily from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes for Health, although some grants were awarded by state agencies using federal ARRA funds.
Most grants are health related research on topics ranging from mapping brain function with molecules to exploring the effects of arsenic on skin cancer. Main campus research includes a study of new generation research composites for radiation and impact hazard; biomedical research into optimizing a low cost portable machine for diagnosing disease; securing concurrency in computer systems and improvements in the division of arthropods collection for the Museum of Southwestern Biology.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The Center for English Language and American Culture is looking for people interested in becoming conversation partners with UNM international students. The students come from many different countries—Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Vietnam and places in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East—and represent a linguistic smorgasbord.
“Conversation partnering gives the international students the opportunity to practice English in an informal setting, as well as the opportunity for someone in the University community to practice a foreign language without having to renew their passport,” said Ben Sienicki, CELAC.
The conversation partner get-togethers are informal – not tutoring sessions – Sienicki said, and can take place once or twice a week for about an hour, or for however long the partners decide, at a location of their choosing. Partners arrange meeting times and place and should commit to meeting for the remainder of the semester.
For those with questions or interest, e-mail Ben Sienicki, bsienick@unm.edu, and include preference for a particular language or country of origin. For those with no specific preference, CELAC can match with students who are looking for a partner.
CELAC, UNM’s intensive English as a Second Language program, is located in Mesa Vista Hall, 277-4032.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The Division of Student Affairs will celebrate National Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) week Feb. 15-19, by hosting a necessities drive for Cuidando Los Niños and the Albuquerque Rescue Mission. The drive will run Feb. 12-19 with donation boxes for each charity located on the first and second floors of the Student Union Building.
The mission of Cuidando Los Niños is to provide high-quality, early-childhood development and therapeutic services that meet the special needs of children experiencing homelessness; provide support services that assist their families to become rehoused and stronger; and be a community leader and advocate for social change necessary to break the cycle of homelessness.
They wish list includes: diapers (especially sizes 5 & 6), diaper wipes, batteries (size AA, AAA and D are most needed), nitrile exam gloves, toiletries, copy paper, car seats, toys, clothes, books and small household items.
The Albuquerque Rescue Mission provides food, shelter, clothing, training, education, and mentoring to Albuquerque’s homeless men, women and children daily. They are currently in need of men’s boxers and briefs (sizes 30-36), razors and shaving cream.
For more information visit: Random Acts of Kindness
Media Contact: Dorene Dinaro, (505) 277-5299; e-mail: ddinaro@unm.edu
The Science & Society Distinguished Public Talks series presents 'Toward Prediction of North American Droughts’ with David Gtuzler on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 5 p.m. in rm. C of the UNM Conference Center located at 1634 University Blvd. N.E. A meet and greet will also be held prior to the talk at 4:30 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public. Plenty of free parking is available.
Photo: David Gutzler
Gutzler is a professor in UNM’s Earth and Planetary Sciences Department specializes in climatology, meteorology, interactions between Earth's atmosphere and its hydrosphere, biosphere, cryosphere and lithosphere and predictability of weather and climate.
Gutzler will discuss efforts to improve climate prediction capabilities across a wide range of time scales. He’ll focus on prediction of drought with the understanding that “drought” can be a very difficult concept to quantify.
Recent severe drought across the western United State has motivated a coordinated study of the physical mecahnims that may cause prolonged drought conditions in the U.S. These studies were mandated by Congress as part of a 2006 bill authorizing the development of an integrated drought information system.
Using a combination of historical data analyses, sensitivity studies using dynamic models of the atmosphere, and scenarios of long-term climate change, researchers have found that extended periods of cold tropical Pacific Ocean temperature or ‘La Niña’, can generate droughts across the southern tier of the U.S. via changing continental precipitation patters, especially when amplified by forcing warm Atlantic Ocean temperatures. Researchers have also found that projected 21st Century temperature increases (from global warming) would generate widespread drought in the continental interior by increasing evaporation rates, even if precipitation increases.
The Science & Society Distinguished Public Talks series are co-sponsored by Albuquerque Section of the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (IEEE), Sigma Xi (the Scientific Research Society), the Department of Physics & Astronomy, College of Arts & Sciences, University Honors Program, and the Division of Continuing Education.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
NIDA to partner with UNM, the University of Arizona and the UC-San Francisco
The University of New Mexico’s Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions (CASAA), Clinical Trials Network (CTN) Southwest Node will play a key role in the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) 8th Blending Conference next spring at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Titled, ‘Blending Addiction Science and Practice: Evidence-Based Treatment and Prevention in Diverse Populations and Settings,’ the conference will present innovative, science-based approaches that have been proven to be effective in the prevention and treatment of drug abuse and addiction.
The unique, two-day conference invites addiction practitioners, clinicians, health care providers, criminal justice professionals, researchers, policymakers and others to learn about the latest research findings and successful prevention, early intervention and treatment approaches from top experts who played key roles in designing science-based treatment programs – and from practitioners, who have implemented these programs across the country.
NIDA will host the conference in partnership with UNM, the University of Arizona, and the University of California, San Francisco on Thursday and Friday, April 22-23, 2010, in Albuquerque.
“It is a very exciting opportunity for the Southwest Node to host the 2010 NIDA Blending meeting,” said UNM Principal Investigator Michael Bogenschutz. “These meetings are designed to increase awareness of the science of addiction treatment and to enhance the interaction between researchers and clinicians. The meetings always attract many of the biggest names in addictions research, and provide an unmatched opportunity for the exchange of ideas between research scientists and clinicians in the field.”
The conference is designed to narrow the "translational gap" by disseminating science-based findings and placing them directly into the hands of practitioners. These science advances range from the latest findings on screening and brief intervention, co-occurring disorders, drug courts, and prescription opioid abuse to the Blending Team products which address motivational interviewing, buprenorphine, and motivational incentives.
Early hotel reservations are highly recommended with another local high-profile event, ‘Gathering of Nations,’ being held the same weekend. Blocks of rooms for conference attendees have been secured at the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque and also the DoubleTree Hotel Albuquerque, which are both within walking distance to the Albuquerque Convention Center. For hotel information visit: Albuquerque Logistics.
Additionally, early-bird registration ($79) is currently underway through March 1, 2010. Discounts are also available for full-time students ($49) enrolled in an academic institution and groups ($69) of four or more from the same organization. For complete information visit: NIDA Conference registration.
The Southwest Node includes the University of New Mexico’s Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions (CASAA) and seven community treatment programs providing inpatient and outpatient, urban and rural psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. New Mexico is the first “minority majority” state, and its clinical populations include large proportions of Native American and Hispanic clients. For more information visit: Southwest Node.
The conference is presented by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in conjunction with the Southwest Node and the California-Arizona Node of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN). The two-day event has evolved into NIDA’s signature conference. For more information visit: 8th Blending Conference.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
In response to faculty requests for improvements in federal grant proposal development and electronic routing processes, Vice President for Research Julia Fulghum has announced that we have selected and are in negotiations with Cayuse to provide UNM Main and Branch Campuses with proposal development and electronic proposal routing software.
Cayuse was selected by a committee of faculty and staff who evaluated the software proposals. The roll out, training, and implementation will take place over the next month with Cayuse424 going live on March 1, 2010. The software is delivered via a Web browser in the Software as a Service (SaaS) model, with minimal IT involvement required and sophisticated error-checking and configurable routing and approval processes.
Initial in person training for researchers and staff for this new system will be held on Friday, Feb. 12. Additional training seminars will be held at various locations starting Feb. 15. For more information and a detailed training schedule, visit: Research Proposal Development.
Nearly 400 middle and high school students from Albuquerque and surrounding areas will participate in the Central Region Science Olympiad scheduled at the University of New Mexico Saturday, Feb. 6. Registration for the event begins at 6:45 a.m. at Dane Smith Hall. A number of competitions will follow throughout the day and the event will conclude with an awards ceremony from 4-5 p.m. in Woodward Hall, rm. 101.
The Science Olympiad is a middle and high school event that encourages interest and achievement in science through team competition. The events include projects, which are built ahead of time, such as a balsa wood bridge, a catapult, balsa wood plane, mousetrap vehicle, or a battery buggy.
Other events require that students demonstrate expertise in an area of science, such as meteorology, chemistry, astronomy, anatomy & physiology, biology, or experimental design. The third type of event requires that students apply process skills, such as performing chemical lab tests or using geologic data
to analyze a geologic problem.
Karen Kinsman, director of the Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM) Outreach Programs, said the Olympiad provides UNM with an opportunity to support middle and high school students as they explore the wonders of science.
“We are pleased to provide a venue for aspiring scientists to further realize their potential as they develop their knowledge and skills through the Science Olympiad,” she said.
The event’s flagship sponsor is Sandia National Laboratories. Also providing support are Ethicon, the UNM Office of Research, and UNM School of Engineering. There are Science Olympiad competitions in all 50 states and in Canada. In New Mexico, Science Olympiad teams involve more than 3,000 students.
The Central Region Science Olympiad is a prelude to the 50th annual Central New Mexico Science & Engineering Research Challenge, which takes place Friday, March 19-20. It is sponsored by the UNM Office of Research.
For questions or more additional information, call Karen Kinsman, kkinsman@unm.edu or Laura Werner, scifair@unm.edu, 277-4916 or visit: STEM.
Media Contact: Karen Kinsman, (505) 277-4916; e-mail: kkinsman@unm.edu
Results of a report by the New Mexico Higher Education Prevention Consortium on student use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs at seven state higher education institutions was released recently. The report, written by the UNM Campus Office of Substance Abuse Prevention (COSAP), an on-campus program of UNM’s Center on Substance Abuse, Alcoholism, and Addictions (CASAA) and the UNM Student Health & Counseling Center, is the first-ever statewide survey of college alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use in New Mexico.
“The report presents both positive and negative findings,” said John Steiner, COSAP Health Educator and the project’s director. “Many New Mexico college students who drink are choosing safe behaviors such as designated drivers and moderating their drinking. However, students also report behaviors often associated with serious consequences, academic problems and the development of continuing substance abuse problems that can negatively impact their post college lives.”
To view the report visit: College Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use in New Mexico.
The data presented in the report was conducted in fall 2008 via the New Mexico Student Lifestyles Survey developed at the University of New Mexico. It includes measures of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use behaviors and attitudes from more than 3,000 students at seven colleges from around the state.
The purpose of the report is to present New Mexico Student Lifestyles Survey data on ATOD prevalence, binge drinking, academic/other negative consequences associated with alcohol use, drinking and driving, underage access to alcohol, risky alcohol consumption locations and student protective behaviors. The report also features approaches to comprehensive ATOD prevention at institutions of higher education across New Mexico, and describes the history and work of The New Mexico Higher Education Prevention Consortium.
The consortium consists of five, four-year institutions including Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico Highlands University, New Mexico State University, Western New Mexico and UNM. A pair of two-year institutions, including Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute and San Juan College also participated. The colleges and universities were selected based on geographical distribution, size, and diversity.
“An environment that supports healthy decision making and lifestyles is one of the keys to student success,” said Jill Anne Yeagley, COSAP Program Manager. “Binge drinking, DWI, and overconsumption all contribute to academic problems and should be considered in higher education’s retention efforts.”
“Addressing the alcohol and drug use of our young adults is to address the future prosperity of New Mexico,” added Steiner.
The grant and study date back to 2005 when the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) Office of Substance Abuse Prevention (OSAP) issued a request for proposals for prevention programs aimed at reducing alcohol-related motor vehicle crash mortality among 15- to 24-year-olds. A 4.5 year grant in excess of $500,000 was awarded to UNM COSAP to fund a statewide higher education alcohol and other drug prevention coalition.
COSAP’s objectives in the grant were two-fold: first to support the formation and development of a statewide higher education consortium aimed at addressing ATOD use on New Mexico college campuses and second, to enhance prevention programming efforts at UNM. Grant funding for the consortium ends on June 30, 2010.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
A group of distinguished alumni will be recognized by the University of New Mexico Alumni Association for their community efforts on Thursday, Feb. 11 at the Hotel Albuquerque. The honorees include John Echohawk, Joe Diaz, Alan Morgan and Anita Obermeier. The event gets underway with no host cocktails at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. The Hotel Albuquerque is located in Old Town at 800 Rio Grande Blvd. The deadline to R.S.V.P. is Friday, Feb. 5.
John EchoHawk ('67 BS, '70 JD)
Echohawk is the executive director and co-founder of the Native American Rights Fund, will receive the James F. Zimmerman Award. The Zimmerman Award is given to a UNM alum who has made a significant contribution, bringing fame and honor to the university or the state. A member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, Echohawk serves on numerous national boards related to Native American affairs He was a member of the Clinton-Gore and the Obama-Biden transition team for the Department of the Interior.
Joe Diaz ('59 BBA, '65 JD)
The Erna S. Fergusson Award for exceptional accomplishments, commitment or distinguished service to UNM will be given to Joe Diaz. Diaz is an attorney of counsel to the Modrall Sperling law firm. He served as Bernalillo County Attorney from 1973 to 1990.
Alan Morgan
Former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Alan Morgan will receive the Bernard S. Rodey Award in recognition of his leadership efforts in education. Morgan served 12 years as the chief state school officer, and was the interim New Mexico Secretary of Education while helping create and oversee the state's Public Education Department. Currently he is vice president for US Government Relations for Pearson Inc., the largest education products and services company in the world.
Anita Obermeier
The UNM Alumni Association Faculty Teaching Award recognizes outstanding teaching and service to students. Associate Professor of English Anita Obermeier will receive the 2010 award. Obermeier teaches courses in medieval literature and in medieval studies. She is the faculty advisor for the Medieval Studies Student Association.
To R.S.V.P. for the event contact the Alumni Relations Office at (505) 277-5808 or (800) 258-6866 or via e-mail at, alumni@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Douglas M. Brown, dean of the Anderson School of Management will speak on Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 12 p.m. in the Acoma Room at the Student Union Building. His topic will focus on the national economic crisis. Brown says the financial meltdown of 2008 was ignited by a blowtorch of greed, distortion of risk/reward, and absence of oversight and of checks and balances.
Photo: Doug Brown
Business in general, and banking in particular, will be spending time in the pubic penalty box for years to come. Emergence will depend on how well we are able to craft new rules of ethical conduct and how well we adhere to them.
This talk is sponsored by STC.UNM and box lunches will be provided. The talk is free and the community is welcome.
For more information on the seminars and to register online, visit: STC Registration or contact Denise Bissell at 272-7310 or dbissell@stc.inm.edu.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
Gloria Valencia-Weber, professor of Indian Law at the UNM School of Law, will talk about “Cross Cultural Research at Santa Clara Pueblo: Going Beyond the Law” on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 4 p.m. in Hibben Room 105. Her talk will explore a long-term project at Santa Clara Pueblo arising from the 1978 Supreme Court decision in Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez.
Photo: Gloria Valencia-Weber
In this case, which is among the most cited in U.S. decisions, the Supreme Court upheld the Pueblo’s authority to enforce its own rules for eligibility for membership.
The Santa Clara Pueblo ordinance expressly treats the female members who marry non-members differently than it does male members who “outmarry.” The ordinance denies membership to the children of the female members, but grants membership to children of the similarly situated male members.
The decision affirmed the sovereignty of Santa Clara Pueblo (and all tribes) and the authority of the tribe to self govern. Today, this decision underlies the development of tribal governance across many subjects, not just membership. The decision also is a startling opposite of the jurisprudence of equal protection under the constitution. This decision continues to provoke critiques and reviews from strict constructionalists as well as from feminists.
The lecture is sponsored by the UNM Department of Anthropology, the Anthropology Graduate Student Union, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The lecture is free and the public is welcome.
Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is making political waves once again, this time on the national stage as the honorary chairman of the new political organization, “Our America Initiative.” Does his involvement in this group mean he’s laying the groundwork for a presidential run in 2010? This week “New Mexico in Focus” correspondent Sarah Gustavus asks him this and more in an exclusive one-on-one interview.
New Mexico In Focus” airs on Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. on KNME-TV channel 5.1 and repeating on Sunday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 a.m. Hosted by Gene Grant, columnist for the Weekly Alibi, “New Mexico in Focus” takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic, health, education, and arts issues and explores them in-depth, with a critical eye to give them context beyond the “news of the moment.”
Then Juan Sepulveda, director of the White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanic Americans, talks to “New Mexico in Focus” about the newly proposed changes to “No Child Left Behind.”
Grant and the “The Line” panel will tackle the results of the 2010 New Mexico Legislative Session at its halfway point, the turmoil continuing at the University of New Mexico, and a proposed budget boost for New Mexico’s research labs. Joining Grant and regular panelists Jim Scarantino and Sophie Martin will be Marisa DeMarco, news editor for the Weekly Alibi and Laura Sanchez, former executive director for the New Mexico Democratic Party.
New Mexico in Focus can also be seen on KNME’s Digital Channel 9.1 on Saturdays at 5 p.m. Additionally, viewers can also watch it online at: KNME (www.knme.org).
“New Mexico in Focus” is produced by Kevin McDonald and Kathy Wimmer and closed captioning has been made possible by a gift from Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs.
Media Contact: Evy Todd, (505) 277-1812; e-mail: etodd@knme.org
The University of New Mexico’s 2009 United Way theme, “Live United” was based on the belief that humans are all connected and interdependent. Extending a hand to one disadvantaged person in the community can influence the conditions of many others. To that end, UNM once again set a lofty goal of $1 million and surpassed it by raising $1,010,604. Additionally, this year, more hands were extended as UNM added 243 new donors.
“Thank you to all the individuals who contributed to make life better in central New Mexico,” said President Schmidly. “Even in difficult times, it is heartening to see the triumph of the human spirit and how we take care of each other as a community.”
More than 2,000 donors helped UNM reach and surpass its goal. Included among that number were 28 members of United Way’s Alexis de Tocqueville Society contributing at $10,000 or more per household, and 167 members of Women in Philanthropy contributing at $1,000 more per household.
Despite a tough economy, the UNM community really stepped up. Main campus employees contributed more than $664,045; UNMH more than $300,000; and Valencia Campus, Medical Group, Foundation and retirees brought in much of the rest.
Honorable mention goes to UNM students. Paw print cutouts were sold again this year at coffee shops and eateries in the Student Union building where kids bought 1,600 paws at $1 apiece for the cause.
Jenny Shroba, student liaison for United Way said, “It was uplifting to see the $1 paws painted across the walls of the SUB and coffee shops each day while going to class. It truly shows that UNM students not only have Lobo Pride, but a sense of compassion for the New Mexico community as well.”
The University’s campaign is one of the top five in Central New Mexico and demonstrates UNM’s support for friends, family, community and causes of support around the world. One of the many benefits of your donation exists right here at UNM. Donors can designate their gift to any number of UNM departments or programs. United Way opens the door to many educational possibilities through donor support of scholarships and undergraduate education.
Donors also were able to choose to direct their contribution to the United Way Community Fund or any 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization of choice which helps support thousands of organizations throughout the country working with at-risk children, the elderly, victims of family violence and other organizations in need.
“It was an exciting opportunity to coordinate this campaign with such a large group of caring UNM people who make such a wide reaching impact in our community,” said Connie Beimer, Special Assistant Strategic Initiatives: Office of VP Research & Economic Development. “The fact that we were able to increase the number of people who give each year, as well as the number of dollars contributed, is a phenomenal achievement by UNM faculty, staff and students. It truly is amazing in these tough economic times to see the generosity of people to help those in need.”
Media Contact: Mara Kerkez, (505) 277-1989; e-mail: marakez6@unm.edu
Pre-game reception also scheduled
The University of New Mexico Parent Association is partnering with UNM athletics to offer the 2nd annual “Parent Day at the Pit” special event Saturday, Feb. 20. Tip-off for the UNM vs. Air Force men’s basketball game is set 1:30 p.m.
A pre-game reception, hosted by the Parent Association, will be held at the University Stadium’s End Zone Club at 11:30 a.m. (located at the south end of University Stadium). Pre-registration is required online at: UNM Parent Association.
Tickets for the pre-game reception are $5 per person. Enjoy refreshments, an appearance by special guests Lobo Louie and Lucy and Steve Stucker from KOB TV Eyewitness News Today, door prizes and more. Proceeds from a silent auction benefit the Parent Association’s scholarship fund. Pre-registration is required online at UNM Parent Association or call (505) 277-0839.
UNM students, both undergraduate and graduate, who attend the university and are enrolled in at least six credit hours receive free admission into athletic events with a valid Lobo Card. Additionally, students may purchase up to three $10 discount tickets at the Pit ticket office for their guests/parents/family members.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Valerie Romero-Leggott, vice president for diversity at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, was honored recently at the Sweeney Convention Center in Santa Fe with the 16th Annual Hispano Round Table (HRT) “Walking the Talk” Award for her commitment to creating positive change in the community.
Photo: Valerie Romero-Leggott
Individuals are nominated by organizations or private citizens, and are reviewed by screening committees of the League of United Latin American Citizens Civil Rights Commission of New Mexico. The honor is also known as the Chavez Y Chavez award, named after renowned Latino leaders, Cesar Chavez and U.S. Senator Dennis Chavez.
Romero-Leggott received her bachelor’s degree at Harvard University of Cambridge, Mass. in 1982. She earned her medical degree at the UNM School of Medicine. As vice president for diversity, Romero-Leggott promotes the racial, ethnic, geographic, and socio-economic diversity in the HSC. One of her major duties is to provide a forum for discussing issues concerning underrepresented and disadvantaged populations.
Established in 1984, the HRT is comprised of 50 member organizations, and collectively represents over 50,000 individuals in New Mexico. The HRT was formed to provide a clearinghouse for Hispano organizations to exchange information and organize on matters of interest. For more information, visit Hispano Round Table.
All IT-related University policies are being reviewed, and where appropriate, will be revised. The proposal to review and revamp these policies - prior to the end of May 2010 - is available on the IT Standards and Policies page at: IT Policy Proposed Revisions.
IT's intent is to give the UNM community several months to review and provide feedback on any proposed Policy revision, rather than just the normal 30-day comment period. Additional notices will be sent out when actual drafts of these revised Policies are available for review and feedback.
Contact Mike Carr, director of Security and Quality Assurance, 277-1212 or mcarr@unm.edu, with feedback.
Media Contact: Vanessa Baca, (505) 277-0987; e-mail: vjbaca1@unm.edu
The Students of Latin American Studies, History Graduate Students Association, and the Feminist Research Institute present Heidi Tinsman, associate professor of history, University of California, Irvine, who will deliver the lecture, “Buying Into the Regime: Grapes, Gender, and Consumption in Cold War Chile and the U.S. (towards a transnational history),” on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Building Acoma Rooms A&B. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.
Photo: Heidi Tinsman
The 12th Annual International Conference on Treatment of Addictive Behaviors (ICTAB-12), sponsored by the UNM Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions (CASAA), is set for Sunday – Wednesday, Feb. 7 – 10, 2010, at the Eldorado Hotel in Santa Fe, N.M. The 2010 Conference Theme is “Evidence-Based Treatment in Real World Systems: Maximizing Service, Value, and Outcome.”
Today, there are many treatments to help persons and families affected by alcohol and drug problems that have strong scientific evidence that they are effective. However, how to make these treatments widely available is a challenge for individual treatment providers, treatment programs, and state and Federal agencies responsible for alcohol and drug treatment.
ICTAB-12 brings together an international group of leaders in bridging the gap between science and service delivery who will give plenary talks about Federal policy initiatives, state reimbursement models, innovative service-delivery approaches in other countries, innovative approaches in the criminal justice system, and cost- and cost-effectiveness issues. Many other scientists also will be presenting their latest research on innovative treatments and research to better understand the problems of those with alcohol and drug problems.
Two one-day pre-conference workshops, featuring UNM faculty members, will also be offered as part of the conference on Sunday, Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
UNM Professors Robert J. Meyers and Jane Ellen Smith host Workshop A: Working with Family Members to Engage Treatment-Refusers into Treatment: CRAFT. This pre-conference workshop will provide an introduction to Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT). CRAFT is an empirically-supported treatment that teaches skills to the family members of treatment-refusing substance abusers. The goals of CRAFT are to teach these distressed family members how to engage resistant substance abusers into treatment while also improving their own psychosocial functioning. Lecture, role-plays, and group exercises will be used.
Additionally, William R. Miller, Professor Emeritus, and Assistant Professor Theresa B. Moyers, will conduct Workshop B: Training and Supervision of Motivational Interviewing (MI). This workshop will introduce participants to a model for evaluating trainee needs in learning motivational interviewing and discuss strategies for tailoring MI training to meet those needs. We will introduce participants to instruments for evaluating MI competence and discuss new research pertaining to active ingredients of this clinical method.
Since 1979, ICTAB has been communicating recent therapeutic methods and research knowledge to professionals working with the addictive behaviors. Committed to the integration of science and practice, ICTAB brings together international professionals from a variety of disciplines. An enduring focus of ICTAB is on commonalities in the etiology, process, and treatment of alcohol/drug abuse and other addictive behaviors.
For more information on the pre-conference workshops and a list of featured presentations, call for papers, registration forms, registration fees, deadlines and accommodations visit: ICTAB-12. For more information on the host hotel visit: Eldorado Hotel.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
The first Qualitative Cafe Brown Bag of 2010 is set for Thursday, Feb. 11, from 12 to 1 p.m. in rm. 252 in the College of Nursing building. The first lecture, given by the Department of Family and Community Medicine’s Chrissy Getrich and Andrew Sussman, is titled "Theory building and representation in qualitative research: How do we show what we know?" Bring a lunch and any interested colleagues and or students—all are invited.
Qualitative researchers employ a variety of analytic strategies to make sense of the information we gather. Through this interpretive process researchers often seek to build theory and devise creative strategies to represent complex findings. By sharing with diverse communities of interest, researchers are challenged to capture this complexity and communicate the richness of work.
Drawing from an ongoing qualitative study of HPV vaccine health policy issues, Getrich and Sussman will generate discussion about how qualitative researchers address theory building and representation.
For more information contact Casey Burnett, College of Nursing Research Department, (505) 272-0684.
Native Diné (Navajo) storyteller Sunny Dooley will share her culture’s rich artistic heritage on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 3:30 pm in the Willard Room in Zimmerman Library. Dooley is a storyteller, poet, playwright, lecturer, and folksinger from the Four Corners region of the southwest from a community called Chi Chil' Tah (Where the Oaks Grow). She has been telling the Origin and Creation Stories of the Dine' people for the past 20 years.
The traditional stories that Dooley recounts are the same stories that have been handed down from one generation to the next in her family. The stories that she tells are stories that have been told from her matrilineal clan of the Saltwater People.
The Diné stories create the world view of its people and their relationship to their surroundings. The stories carries within its context an understanding of why people, places, and things are the way they are; they share wisdom and an understanding of the past and present and make a linkage to the future. The Stories, call Hané, in its re-telling is believed to recreate the world each time it is told and therefore is considered an art form that is not only precious but sacred.
Having Diné (Navajo) as her first language, Miss Dooley is one of the primary storytellers to interpret her People’s stories with its rich cultural, traditional and historical context into English. She is the first in her family to interpret these stories of the Dine Peoplé for everyone to enjoy.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information contact Mary Alice Tsosie at mtsosie@unm.edu or 277-8922.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu
The International Task Force has two upcoming events. On Tuesday, Feb. 16 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Roberts Room in Scholes Hall, Linda Melville, UNM Office of International Programs & Studies, presents on the “International Student Experience at UNM.”
Approximately 900 international students pursue degrees at UNM each year. These students are critical to the internationalization efforts of the University. Come hear a panel of international students from diverse backgrounds and programs discuss what their experiences have been as international students at UNM. We will ask students to share the reasons they chose UNM, the cultural adjustment issues they have faced and their impressions of academic life.
On Tuesday, March 9, same time, same place, the guest speaker is Catherine Spillman, Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Commercial Service and export promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Spillman recently relocated to the U.S. Export Assistance Center in Santa Fe for a two-year domestic assignment after five years in Japan.
The Commercial Service has a variety of programs designed to assist export ready companies and educational institutions to develop or expand their international sales. Spillman will speak about the role and mission of the Commercial Service and its programs, particularly as they can be used to recruit international students.
Refreshments will be provided for both events. RSVP to Kathryn Padilla-Aguilar at katpad@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The School of Architecture and Planning will be hosting its Spring 2010 lecture series, a semester-long series, beginning on Feb. 1 with Wendell Burnette of Wendell Burnett Architects in Phoenix, Ariz. All lectures begin at 5:15 p.m. in George Pearl Hall Auditorium. They are free and open to the public.
The speakers include:
Feb. 1 - Wendell Burnette from Wendell Burnette Architects in Phoenix, Ariz.
Feb. 19 - Adele Santos from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Feb. 26 - Michael Soule
March 5 - Rob Livesey from Ohio State University
March 26 - “The Creative Process,” a presentation and symposium event
March 29 - Marc Treib from University of California, Berkley
April 9 - TBA
For more information about the lecture series call (505) 277-2903.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
Students who come from small high schools without libraries are sometimes overwhelmed when they reach UNM and find four on-campus libraries with complex electronic databases. That’s where the Indigenous Nations Library Program at University Libraries can make the transition easier.
Two INLP instructors Paulita Aguilar and Mary Alice Tsosie work with students on a one-to-one basis to make sure they know how to use and critically evaluate print and electronic information. They also teach visiting high school classes how to conduct research at a library.
The INLP program reaches out to students by holding personalized research assistance hours in Mesa Vista Hall near El Centro de La Raza, African American Students Services and American Indian Student Services. Aguilar also works with the Jemez Pueblo Charter School, the Santa Fe Indian School and the Native American Community Academy so their students are comfortable using electronic databases.
Tsosie works with students and is responsible for arranging lectures on topics of particular interest to the Native American community. Students come to Zimmerman Library with questions ranging from ‘How do I select a topic in Native American philosophy?’ to ‘How do I find books and journal articles about Native Americans in sports?’
The program was established in 2004 with seed money from a bill passed by the New Mexico legislature to provide Native American library outreach and information literacy services to New Mexico Native American communities and to UNM students.
The INLP librarians say students don’t need to wait for a drop-in lab to get help. They can contact the librarians directly. Paulita Aguilar can be reached at paulita@unm.edu or Mary Alice Tsosie at, mtsosie@unm.edu.
The showcase, “Sharing Best Practices: Culture and Diversity,” which will recognize how diversity is embraced on campus and how it can lead to increased retention of students, faculty and staff, will be held on Feb. 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the SUB Ballroom C.
“I think it’s a great way for us to come together and highlight the many programs we offer,” said Jennifer Gomez-Chavez, the director at Title V Educational Initiatives, one of the departments sponsoring the event.
The discussion, which will be sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Title V and the Health Sciences Center Office of Diversity, is currently encouraging academic departments, student organizations, and student affairs programs to join in by presenting their own best practices.
The goal of the event is to recognize what UNM is doing as a whole to promote increased recruitment and retention of diverse facility, staff and students, Gomez-Chavez said.
Participants can create a 30-minute presentation, table-top poster or exhibit to demonstrate what methods and practices they employ that will improve the campus through recruitment and retention of people of varied backgrounds, heritages and identities.
All participants will be nominated for the Luminaria Award, which will be given to programs that have demonstrated an understanding of the importance culture and diversity and have fostered that within the UNM community.
For more information about the event or to participate, call (505) 277-7763.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu