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UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

For release - November 7, 2005

UNMGallup Student Senate is hosting a special ceremony to honor U.S. veterans on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 10 a.m. in the Gurley Hall Commons.

The colors will be presented by the Gallup High School ROTC, followed by the National Anthem, a playing of Taps, and a presentation by the UNMGallup Drum Group of the Flag Song. A moment of silence to honor MIAs and POWs will follow.

Several guests of honor will be present, including local veterans and former POWs. Ribbons honoring United States veterans and POWs will be passed out to those attending. Certificates will be given to honor students and faculty and staff who are veterans.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

For Release--November 8, 2005

UNMGallup’s Extended University will present orientation for the Accelerated Master’s of Public Administration on Nov. 22, from 6 to 8 P.M. in Calvin Hall 248C. Dr. Bruce Perlman, director of ÒÁÈ˾þà School of Public Administration, will present the orientation.

Call 863-7618 with questions.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

For release - Nov. 15, 2005

UNMGallup will present its annual Holiday Magic celebration on Sunday, December 4, from 1 to 4 p.m. The event will be in Gurley Hall Commons.

This is an activity for the entire family, and includes entertainment, games, crafts, gifts and refreshments. There will also be an inflatable jumper for the kids. Everything is free.

In addition, there will be pictures with Santa for a donation of a can of food. The food will be given to the Community Pantry.

Call 863-7687 for more information.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

For Release - October 27, 2005

The work of John Hitchcock will go on view at the Ingham Chapman Gallery of the University of New Mexico-Gallup from October 31 until December 9. The show, called “Invisible Invaders,” includes prints, multimedia pieces, computer-enhanced lithography and an interactive installation. Viewers can participate in the latter piece and “win” a small print upon completion of the task.

“Hitchcock uses the language of advertising against itself,” said Jeff Beekman, coordinator of the gallery exhibits.

Hitchcock will give a talk on his work at 6 p.m. on Monday, November 10.

The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Also on view in the Gurley Hall display case during this time frame is the Martin Link collection.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

For Release: October 10, 2005

GALLUP—The bronze sculpture of D’Jean Jawrunner is on view in the Gurley Hall display case through October 21.

Jawrunner is an instructor of art from Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, and director of the college’s bronze foundry program. Although primarily a sculptor in bronze, she also creates metal jewelry and works in other metals. She also hosts an iron pour at the foundry twice a year at Mesalands.

The exhibition in the display case is a series of abstract bronze figures.

The display case may be viewed any time the college is open, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; or Saturday, 8 a.m. to Saturday.

UNMGallup is at 200 College Road.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

October 7, 2005

GALLUP- Michelle Lee-Tsinnajinnie, the granddaughter of Matilda Brown of Rock Springs and a junior at the University of New Mexico-Gallup, recently won a first place award in biological science with an emphasis in marine biology, presented by the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science. Lee-Tsinnajinnie did her research presentation in the evolution of vibrio-fischeri (bio-luminescent bacteria) through a non-native host, Euprymna tasmonica. Lee-Tsinnajinnie says that she was not originally interested in science. However, through the work of her mentor, Kamala Sharma, who teaches chemistry at UNMGallup, she became part of the Bridges program, which helps Native American and Chicano students earn degrees in science and mathematics. "I was exposed to research work in the lab, and I loved it," said Lee-Tsinnajinnie. She plans to transfer in the spring to New Mexico State University, where she will study micro-biology. She hopes to have a career in a medical lab and do cancer research.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release - September 23, 2005

Maggie Mansueto, an adjunct teacher at UNMGallup, is presenting a show called “Seeking Wisdom” on the first Sunday of each month at 11 a.m. on KGLP Public Radio, 91.7-FM. Mansueto intends to cover a wide range of spiritual topics on the show each month.

Mansueto is also a writer, preacher and liturgist, and teaches college success at UNMGallup. With her husband Dr. Anthony Mansueto, chair of the Social Sciences Department at UNMGallup, they lead Seeking Wisdom, a nonprofit research, education and community action organization.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

UNMGallup Press Release - September 27, 2005

The work of Wayne Miyamoto, a printmaker from Hilo, Hawaii, is currently on view at the Ingham Chapman Gallery of the University of New Mexico-Gallup. The exhibition is a series of prints and mixed media works. It will be on view through October 20.

Miyamoto is a Professor of Art and chair of the Printmaking Department at the University of Hawaii.

A closing reception is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 20, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Call 863-7774 for more information. The Ingham Chapman Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: August 3, 2005

GALLUP— Sen. Jeff Bingaman (right) was on campus August 3 to listen to the concerns of local health and nursing administrators regarding some nursing education legislation that he is supporting. Kathy Head (left), chair of UNMGallup's Nursing Program, and others told the Senator that while the legislation encourages nursing students to pursue Doctoral degrees, the attainment of a Master's degree is more critical for local students. Master's degrees enable students to teach for programs like UNMGallup's, thus helping to alleviate the shortage of nurses experienced in rural areas such as Gallup.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 4, 2005

GALLUP—“ Ya'a'teeh” an art exhibition by Glory Tacheenie-Campoy, is on view at the

University of New Mexico-Gallup’s Ingham Chapman Gallery.

The exhibition, a mixed media wall installation, will be on view through September 9.

Gallery hours are Monday through Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information call 505.863.7774, or e-mail artgallery@gallery.unm.edu.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

AUGUST 19, 2005

- Dr. Kamala Sharma, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of New Mexico-Gallup, has been named recipient of the 2005 Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science award.

She will be formally recognized at the annual meeting of SACNAS in Denver Sept. 29-Oct. 2.

Sharma has been active in a National Institute of Health-supported Bridge Program that seeks to foster the transition of American Indian students from community colleges to four-year institutions for completion of the Bachelor of Science degree.  She has recruited and helped nearly 50 American Indians student to make the transition to four-year universities.

“This record stands among the very best in the USA for successful enhancement of American Indian students at the post-secondary level in the sciences,” said Dr. Glenn D. Kuehn, a colleague of Sharma’s from New Mexico State University. “Her transferred students are completing B.S. degrees with 48 percent success. Thus, her students perform slightly better than the average college enrollee in the state of New Mexico once they transfer to a four-year institution. This performance is better than twice the national rate of B.S. degree-completion for all American Indian students in all disciplines.”

Sharma has been with UNMGallup since 2000. She has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology. She is currently administrator of  the Extramural Associates Program of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at UNMGallup.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

AUGUST 24, 2005

Charles Kaplan, principal of UNMGallup’s Middle College High School, was recently informed that MCHS had successfully met criteria specific to the No Child Left Behind Act. The criteria, known as Annual Yearly Progress, are based on graduation rates, attendance rates and student performance. The latter is based on standardized testing done in the spring.

“The state sets the bar,” Kaplan said. “There are levels you have to reach.”

Kaplan explained that if a school does not achieve AYP the first year, the state generally allows another year for the school to show better results by helping it develop a plan to improve. By the second or third year, however, failure to achieve AYP means greater intervention. If a school still fails to achieve AYP after five years, the state can take it over.

MCHS was the only school in McKinley County to meet the AYP criteria.

MCHS, now beginning its fourth year, has also reached its maximum enrollment of 50 and now has a waiting list.

“That speaks to the positive reputation that the MCHS is getting in the community,” Kaplan said.

***

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

UNMGallup is on its way to implementing institutional change through the Achieving the Dream grant. Dr. Christine Marlow, Dean of Instruction, was informed recently that the college is being given the first installment of a $400,000 grant from the Lumina Foundation for Education. Lumina and UNMGallup will be working together over the next four years on the project “Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count”, a new initiative designed to enhance the academic success of low-income and minority students.

UNMGallup will use the grant money to fulfill its role as a learner-centered institution—that is, concentrating on the needs of the learner rather than imposing what the education profession might decree the learner should know.

Site visits of UNMGallup were conducted in the spring by MDRC, an organization that evaluates policies and programs that affect low-income persons. Ten colleges of the 27 participating in the Achieving the Dream initiative were visited. UNMGallup represented one of the smaller colleges evaluated, and was recognized for its notable progress on the initiative.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

GALLUP - "Spirituality and Dialectics," a book by Anthony and Maggie Mansueto, was recently released by Lexington Books, a division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers of Maryland.

Anthony Mansueto teaches philosophy, religious studies and civilization studies at UNMGallup. Maggie Mansueto, a preacher, teacher and liturgist, is also coordinator of the College Success Program at UNMGallup. Together they lead Seeking Wisdom, a nonprofit research, education and community action book.

In Spirituality and Dialectics, the Mansuetos argue against the nihilism that has progressed throughout the West since the Enlightenment and that has led to many of the ills of the post-Modern era. Instead, they make a case for a new social order that offers humans the opportunity to develop their social capacities to the fullest.

Anthony Mansueto is an internationally recognized philosopher and social theorist. Among his published works are Knowing God: Restoring Reason in an Age of Doubt, Religion and Dialectics, and Towards Synergism. He holds a Ph.D. in Religion and Society from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.

Maggie Mansueto studied Theology and Canon Law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome and the University of Dallas, and Human Development at Northwestern University.

Spirituality and Dialectics is available from the publisher, 4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706, 1-900-462-6420, www.lexingtonbooks.com. The book may also be purchased online from amazon.com, or from such retail outlets as Barnes & Noble, Borders and others.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 28, 2005

GALLUP— Dr. Liz Gilbert has been named Assistant Dean of Instruction. Gilbert, who has been at UNMGallup since 1997, is an Associate Professor in Community Health Education. She has been responsible for teaching courses in and coordinating the Community Health Education program.

Her teaching and course development responsibilities have been with lower and upper division courses taught relating to Health Promotion, Campus/Community Partnerships in Health Service Delivery, First Aid/CPR, Stress Management, Multi-cultural Health Promotion, Native American Historical Trauma and Health, Substance Abuse Counseling and Prevention, Basic Body Structures, Personal Health Management and Social/Cultural/Historical Perspectives

of Women's Sports.

She has published and presented at numerous regional, national and international

conferences on health service delivery to diverse populations, service learning/

civic engagement as a pedagogical strategy and community/campus partnerships.

She has also done numerous visiting lectures at other institutions about being a professor at an institution that is predominantly Native American. For the last seven years, she has worked extensively in the area of incorporating service learning and civic engagement into classroom objectives as a means of deepening student learning and community engagement.

She has an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from Vanderbilt University, and a Master’s degree in Health Promotion and Education from Vanderbilt.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

A "healthy traditions" theme will be the focus of an open house set at the UNMGallup Zuni Campus on Tuesday, June 14, from 3-6 p.m.

The afternoon will include information tables on various UNMGallup programs in the rotunda, as well as demonstrations on how to make traditional Zuni foods more healthful while retaining the good taste. A reception by the Executive Director, Beth Miller, will be held from 4-5 p.m., and will include a faculty and staff recognition.

Other scheduled activities include the mudding of the Zuni ovens, a traditional dance group, student-led tours of the newly established Zuni Campus Native Plant Garden (3-4 p.m.), aerobics demonstration with PA system and music in the open area on the campus west of the ovens at 5 p.m., Blackrock Health Walk (one-mile hike up the sandy paths of the Blackrock mesa and back to campus at 5 p.m.), horse shoes and other outdoor games.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

GALLUP - Dr. Elizabeth Miller, executive director of the University of New Mexico-Gallup, on June 13 signed an agreement between the Regents of the University of New Mexico, through UNMGallup, and the Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial concerning storage of ceremonial archives and artifacts.

The agreement stipulated that the common goal of both parties is that the archives and artifacts of the Ceremonial—which have been collected since the inception of the Ceremonial in the 1920s—be safely preserved and that these items form the foundation of a long-term program. UNMGallup will provide storage for the archives and artifacts that should help conserve them. The items will be stored for a period of up to 36 months, with payment for the storage to be assumed by the UNMGallup. The ownership of the items will remain with the Ceremonial Board.

While the items are stored, both UNMGallup and the Ceremonial Board will work to develop a plan for the long-term care and management of the archives and artifacts. They will also identify at-risk items, such as film archives, and look for resources to preserve these items.

“We’re still very much in the early stages of looking at the archives and artifacts,” said Miller. “We believe there are some things of value and others that are of historical interest, such as photographs. As we continue going through the Ceremonial archives and artifacts, we will certainly be thinking of how we can share this record of local history with the public.”

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

GALLUP—An art student at the University of New Mexico-Gallup is one of the eight muralists chosen by the City of Gallup to create art throughout downtown Gallup. The murals, the City hopes, will help brighten Gallup’s faded downtown area, and provide a more enjoyable experience for visitors.

Paul Newman is painting what is officially known as “The Greater Gallup” mural, which encompasses a broad view of the history and culture of Gallup. The seven other painters have taken other, more specific topics having to do with Gallup’s history. Newman and the others worked with the City of Gallup to develop the focus for their murals. It is being painted on the west wall of the City Administration Building on Aztec Street.

“I focused on the things that made Gallup economically. Because 90 percent of history is about people going to work, I decided to portray aspects of Gallup such as coal mining, railroads, Highway 66, movie making, rodeos and Native American culture,” Newman said. Rodeo will actually figure prominently in his mural: the first major figure emerging at this early stage of the painting is a barrel racer.

While steeping himself in the culture and history of Gallup, Newman decided to concentrate on the 1930s through the 1950s. It was during this period, he notes, when travel became common –particularly on the fabled Route 66.

This is Newman’s first mural, and although he is accustomed to working with large canvases, designing a mural has its own innate challenges.

“I decided to make the mural’s shape a part of the overall image, in a sense. It’s supposed to be evocative of the distinctive geological strata, the wind, a balloon filling with hot air, and other such aspects of the local ambience,” Newman said.

Newman has also become familiar with the physical challenges of painting on large surfaces outdoors.

“There are a lot of gymnastics, clambering up and down the scaffolding, and then you’re out in the elements, whatever they are—windy, cold, hot, dusty,” he noted.

There is also the challenge of maintaining the scale as he moves from the original sketches to the mural.

“When you get up to the wall, you’re going to make changes and modifications, and this can change perspective. Also, there are two points of view to consider—features that will look good from a distance, and some that will hold interest close up,” Newman said. Furthermore, there is the ongoing distraction of passersby. Newman says it’s easy to get his attention away from his painting, which starts every day of the week at 8:30 a.m. People are always passing by Newman and his mural on their way to pay their electric bills. “This is a very public process, and I am a distracted sort of painter. Lots of people stop by to talk, but I don’t mind.”

Newman, a relative newcomer to Gallup, arrived in Gallup two years ago after retiring as an administrative professional at the University of Florida. With no more than one previous art course in drawing, he started studying art with UNMGallup Professor Ken Roberts, as well as other instructors such as Laura Bentz, Michael Gambill and Jeff Beekman.

Over the past two years, Newman has developed his own naturalistic style, painting in oils and acrylics. And although he had never thought of doing murals before he applied for and was awarded one of the City of Gallup commissions, he has quickly warmed to the process, meeting the challenges for painting outdoors on a bigger scale with ingenuity and enthusiasm.

“They provided us with high quality acrylic, because it has the greatest endurance outside, and preservation is a problem. I’ll be adding coatings for preservation,” he said. Prior to beginning his mural, he stuccoed the rough wall to get a smooth surface.

As to brushes, he says he uses “everything—cheap and expensive, large and small, sponges, whatever.”

The deadline for the work is sometime in October; Newman believes he’s on target with that schedule.

Some of Newman’s finished works may be seen on view at the Ingham Chapman Gallery at UNMGallup through July 15. The gallery is located in Gurley Hall, and is open Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Thursdays, until 8 p.m.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

For Release: June 29, 2005

GALLUP—Communication between the University of New Mexico and its various branches around the state is sometimes not all it should be. In an effort to improve relations and to invite input, Interim Provost Reed Dasenbrock met with various administrators, faculty, staff and community members on June 28 on the UNMGallup campus.

Among the several meetings Dasenbrock attended was a lunchtime gathering of the Ambassadors, UNMGallup’s community liaison group. He told the Ambassadors that the demographics of college enrollment in New Mexico are changing, and that no longer does ÒÁÈ˾þà have a monopoly in the Albuquerque area, while New Mexico State University monopolizes enrollment in other areas. ÒÁÈ˾þà is now more aggressively reaching out to penetrate the statewide population, and branches such as UNMGallup offer the university the best opportunity to increase enrollment.

He also noted that UNMGallup is critical to ÒÁÈ˾þÒs initiatives regarding diversity, as the Gallup branch enrolls more Native American students than anywhere else in the ÒÁÈ˾þà system.

ÒÁÈ˾þà is working toward a number of incentives to boost enrollment among these populations. Among those is a fast-track, seven-year medical degree, designed for recruitment from middle school, high school, pre-college and college students interested in a career in medicine. Students will be admitted from high school to both the ÒÁÈ˾þà College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine. Local communities will participate in identifying, encouraging and mentoring potential applicants.

“We would want this class to look like the state of New Mexico,” Dasenbrock said, noting that this program is designed to recruit minority students in areas like Gallup, in the hope that the students would want to return to those communities and serve them as doctors. “We don’t have enough doctors, and this might be one way to answer that need.”

Dasenbrock also encouraged listeners not to “play the blame game” in trying to determine why such a large percentage of New Mexico’s college students come to college need transitional help. He said that no purpose is served when colleges blame the high schools, the high schools blame the middle schools, the middle schools blame the elementary schools and those schools blame the home environment. New Mexico, said Dasenbrock, is a complex state and many factors, from public school experiences to home environment, contribute to learning challenges.

Dasenbrock also discussed recent efforts by ÒÁÈ˾þà in regards to preparing students in entrepreneurship and manufacturing, high tech start-ups and work force development.

Besides speaking to the Ambassadors, Dasenbrock met with UNMGallup faculty and staff and toured the Zuni campus.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 3, 2005

GALLUP - Commencement ceremonies for the University of New Mexico-Gallup are set for Thursday, May 12, at 6 p.m. at the Gallup High School gymnasium.

Graduates will be conferred Associate, Bachelor and Master degrees, as well as certificates for GED and vocational programs and diplomas for Middle College High School . More than 300 students are expected to take part in the ceremonies.

Scheduled to speak during the program are Joe Shirley, president of the Navajo Nation, Arlen Quetawki of Zuni Pueblo, and Ruby Wolf, chair of the UNMGallup Local Board. Sandra Begay-Campbell of the ÒÁÈ˾þà Board of Regents will also attend.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

GALLUP - Dr. Dusti Becker has joined UNMGallup as the Program Manager for the Zuni Campus. She has been in the interim position since December.

"Working for UNMG at Zuni is really exciting. Local people seem really enthusiastic about advancing themselves, so it is rewarding to promote our programs and foster new ones,” said Becker, adding that the Zuni staff has been providing some professional development courses to meet needs of local employees.

Becker was most recently a faculty member in the Department of Horticulture, Forestry & Recreation Resources at Kansas State University, and before that was faculty at Indiana University. She teaches a wide variety of natural resources and environmental science topics and is involved in research on the conservation of biological diversity.

Becker, who grew up in North Carolina, completed her BSed. at the University of Virginia. She  joined the U.S. Peace Corps to teach in Kenya, East Africa. She completed a Master’s in Forest Science at Yale University and worked in conservation (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in England) and then with experiential university programs offered by the School for Field Studies in Kenya, Switzerland and Costa Rica.

As a child Becker lived in the tropical forests of Chengmai, Thailand. Since 1994, she has been working with the indigenous community of Loma Alta in western Ecuador to protect tropical forests, water resources to sustain villages, and wildlife. Her research on fog capture prompted local people to establish a tropical forest protected area to conserve water.  With the help of students and Earthwatch volunteers () she researches the ecology of bird communities in western Ecuador and works with rural communities to develop ecological tourism. She has worked with Earthwatch volunteers for over a decade and has fielded over 30 teams during summer and winter breaks.

She and her husband, Dr. Anthony Povilitis, a specialist in endangered species conservation, are hoping to bring their expertise in environmental issues to new programs at UNMGallup.

"People in New Mexico face a lot of challenges and opportunities related to natural resources.  We need to conserve our water, maintain the quality of our forests and rangelands, and protect the many plants and animals that are unique to our region. We have regional opportunities in nature tourism and in production of clean renewable energy from wind and sun, so having a good educational background in natural resources makes sense for UNMGallup students," Becker said.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 26, 2005

GALLUP - A team from the state Public Education Department on a recent routine visit to the University of New Mexico-Gallup found that the college was overwhelmingly in compliance in areas where standards must be met to receive federal Carl Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Grant Program funds.

Focusing on eight areas, the team members said they found the use of technology at the college, particularly in the area of desktop publishing, to be exemplary. Instruction and professional development was called "state of the art," while the team said that the college's career/technical programs provide high skill levels and enable students to fill high wage jobs. Furthermore, the college was cited for programs that have the size, scope and quality needed to meet industry standards and for providing training that prepares students for industry level entry and requirements. The college was also recognized for integrating academic skills with career-technical programs, while the articulation between UNMGallup and the public schools was designated very strong.

An area needing some additional attention, as noted by the visiting PED Team, focused upon the breakdown of data identifying differences in the college's student population in order to better meet instructional needs.

The Perkins Grant provides hundreds of millions of dollars to colleges and public school districts for vocational and career education programs. Nationally about 60 percent of funding goes to K-12 school districts. The remainder goes to colleges and post-secondary schools.

The state PED team, which serves as the monitoring agent for the federal grant, reviewed documents and toured facilities. They also met with instructors and administrators.

"The PED team noted that our career-technical programs could be used as a model for the State of New Mexico , especially due to the articulation and connections between UNMG and the Gallup McKinley County Schools," said Charles Kaplan, CCTE and Middle College High School principal. "We're obviously delighted that the team gave us such a positive review, and we are pleased that we will be able to continue serving our students through this dynamic program."

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 12, 2005

GALLUP - ÒÁÈ˾þà - Gallup will host an Open House on Thursday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Gurley Hall Commons.

There will be demonstrations, refreshments, information tables, a music contest and tours of the campus. There will also be a reception in Ingham Chapman Gallery at 1:30 p.m.

Students from around the area will arrive on campus at 10 a.m. for a tour and some talks on the various programs of study available from UNMGallup . Those who take the campus tour will be eligible for a drawing for free prizes. Tours will be offered throughout the day.

UNMGallup students, employees and others affiliated with the college may participate in a music contest. Participants may perform their original compositions during the contest, which will start at noon in the Commons. Students may enter either of two categories: Category 1, hip-hop, rap, rock, or metal, or Category 2, Acoustic, Country, World, Folk or Instrumental. Prizes will be awarded for the top compositions. Applications are available at UNMGallup Counseling Department, or from Sheryl Williams, 863-7660, or Dougherty Tsalabutie, 863-7671.

The community is invited to attend the open house at any time throughout the day.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 5, 2005

GALLUP - The late Alyse Neundorf, a UNMGallup associate professor of Navajo who died in January 2004, wanted to preserve her native heritage and language. To that end, she taught the "Dine Bisaad" language to children, college students and adults.

Navajo is a creative language, in which metaphor, simile, and personification are used regularly and multiple versions of one-word function to mean the same thing. This duplicity is likely the result of Navajo contact with other cultures: for instance, the Spanish.

"Languages grow with the people," Neundorf wrote. "If the people do not make new terms, the language becomes less able to deal with new situations, and sometimes borrowed terms take over instead."

To Neundorf, Navajo was a "good, healthy language" that should be used to describe anything and everything in the world within human understanding. Borrowed words, she believed, should be kept to a minimum and the descriptive nature of Navajo preserved.

In her posthumously published "A Navajo/English Bilingual Dictionary ($64 hardcover, University of New Mexico Press), Alyse Neundorf offers 1500 noun entries and 300 verbs and adjective to add to readers' knowledge of Navajo and to children learning to read and write in bilingual classrooms. Words selected are terms used in and around school settings.

"Most of our knowledge depends on our ability to internalize and understand our world through language," Neundorf believed. "I hope with the aid of this dictionary, the Navajo students will verbally describe and discover the world in which they live, so they will be able to transfer this knowledge to any situation they may encounter.

A joint endeavor between Neundorf, the Ramah Navajo School Board, Inc., and the University of New Mexico Press , A Navajo/English Bilingual Dictionary is divided into two main parts for each letter of the Navajo alphabet and features words for place names, numbers, body movements and parts, and kinship. Illustrations for commonly used words and an index in English are included.

This dictionary will help Dine speakers and beginners try some new words. Neundorf, after consulting Navajo language scholars and tribal elders, added new words to the dictionary that explain a new concept or were developed to accommodate Navajo contact with other cultures and modernization. In this way, Neundorf's life legacy-to nurture the Navajo language-persists.

A Navajo/English Bilingual Dictionary is available at bookstores, including the UNMGallup bookstore, or directly from the University of New Mexico Press. To order from ÒÁÈ˾þà Press, call 800-249-7737, or visit

Neindorf obtained her PH.D. in linguistics at ÒÁÈ˾þà in 1987. Her dissertation was titled "Bilingualism: A bridge to power for interpreters and readers in the Navajo tribal council. Neundorf joined the faculty of UNMGallup in 1996. She was born in Lukachukai , Ariz. , and was a member of the Two Joining Rivers Clan and a former Miss Navajo. She is survived by her husband Ken and two children of Albuquerque.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 05, 2005

GOOD NEWS!
Tired of bouncing to work or class along College Road? Relief is on the way.

After almost two years of active lobbying with the city government, Dr. Beth Miller has secured a commitment from the city to repair College Road and Gurley Drive. Plans call for rebuilding the road surface, adding a turn lane, improving the crosswalk, adding a retention wall, and changing the exit out of the parking lots.
The work is to be completed this summer.

Following are some details provided by Dr. Miller's office regarding the tentative timeline for the project.

• April 11: City Council will consider the college's request to bury the electrical cable on College Drive. Once the request is approved, which is anticipated, the work will begin immediately and should be completed in May.
• May 4: Bid process for street work to be completed.
• May 10: City Council to approve bid for street work.

Within two weeks following the bid approval the city should announce a completion date for the project. At this time the tentative completion date is August 22.

Plans are being made for alternative access to the campus during the construction periods. Obviously, resurfacing and expansion of our main access roads will limit our ability to use those roads during the summer period. Plans for alternative access will be announced as soon as the basic construction plans are made available outside the city offices.

We will publish more detailed information on the college website as soon as it becomes available.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 9, 2005

GALLUP - ÒÁÈ˾þà Extended University Gallup Campus will present a lecture called "No Child Left Bilingual?" by Lois M. Meyer on March 24 at 7 P.M. in Calvin Hall Auditorium. The lecture is part of the 2005-2006 Native Issues Lecture Series.

The lecture will offer an analysis of U.S. educational policy and its impact on English language learners and their school programs.

The event is free to the public.

For more information, contact Ken Van Brott at 277-7767 or e-mail kenvanb@unm.edu.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

Staff at UNMGallup celebrated the Easter season by distributing Easter baskets donated by the employees to underprivileged children in the area.
Crysta Avila (standing, left) and Kristen Perea (standing, right), both Cosmetology students, helped with the effort, as did Cosmetology Administrative Assistant Denise Silva.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

The UNMG Local Board for 2005 includes two new members: third from left, Gloria Skeet de Cruz, and to her right, June Shack. Returning members are Chair Ruby Wolf, left; Vice Chair Brett Newberry, back, second from right, and Secretary Theresa Dowling, right. Also shown is Dr. Beth Miller, Executive Director.

McKinley County Judge Linda Padilla, left, swears in new UNMGallup Local Board member Gloria Skeet.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 28, 2005

GALLUP - Colombian exile writer and journalist Fernando Garavito will lecture at the University of New Mexico-Gallup on April 21 at 12:30 in the Gurley Lecture Hall. His talk is entitled, "400 Years of the Quijote," which will examine issues of the purity of the Spanish language as represented by Cervantes and the ongoing tendency of Spanish and other native languages to experience change through the acquisition of English forms pressed into native language forms. In the Four Corners region, where there is a substantial tradition of Spanish as well as Native languages, issues of language change are of concern.

Garavito left Bogota , Colombia , after his criticism of the president of that country result in his having to flee. He came to the United States in 2002 and found a home in New Mexico, with the aid of PEN New Mexico-Cities of Asylum, a member of PEN International, the world's oldest human rights organization. In addition to his journalistic writing, Garavito has also written poetry and literature.

The lecture, which will be presented in Spanish with translation into English, is free to the public.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 23, 2005

GALLUP—February 23, 2005 – GALLUP—A world-renowned Native American psychologist, Dr. Terry Tafoya, is scheduled to speak at the University of New Mexico-Gallup on Wednesday, March 9, at 7 P.M. in the Calvin Hall Auditorium.

His keynote presentation will be "Hands, Heart & Head: Cooperative Approaches to Education In A Changing World." A family therapist and bilingual educator, Tafoya incorporates basic elements of clinical techniques and learning acquisition in working with students, colleagues, and communities. Utilizing Native American storytelling, slides and laughter, he explores how cultural and cognitive processing can impede or enhance working effectively with diverse communities.

Using slides, humor, Native American storytelling, and some of the principles of systemic family therapy Tafoya explores these questions with a light-hearted approach to dealing with diversity on an experiential as well as intellectual basis.

Tafoya, who is of Taos Pueblo and Warm Springs heritage, was trained as a traditional Native American storyteller. He has used American Indian ritual and ceremony in his work as a family therapist at the Interpersonal Psychotherapy Clinic, part of the University of Washington’s School of Medicine in Seattle. He is also on the clinical faculty there. Washington State has designated him as the first formally recognized Native Healer for its Ethnic Minority mental Health Specialist program. In addition, he has served as a consultant and expert on various issues, including human sexuality, gender, substance abuse, bilingual education, and others.

He is also a co-founder of the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center.

The college’s Native American Student Club is sponsoring the presentation, with the Student Senate and UNMGallup as co-sponsors.

"Dr. Tafoya is a dynamic motivational speaker on family issues, education and substance abuse prevention," said Kimimila Simms, president of NASC. "This is a unique opportunity for our students and the community to meet this world-renowned Native American psychologist and we encourage everyone to attend."

The lecture is free to the public.

For more information, contact Kimimila Simms, 863-7527.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 15, 2005

GALLUP - Student artists displaying a wide variety of styles and media have their work on display in the art case in Gurley Hall at the University of New Mexico-Gallup. The exhibit, which consists of the work of McKinley County students, grades nine-twelve, will be on view through April 8.

Also on view at the Ingham Chapman Gallery in Gurley Hall is the artwork of area educators.

"I’d like to encourage everyone in the community to visit these exhibits," said Laura Bentz, UNMGallup’s art program coordinator. "From the moment the student exhibition went up, we had numerous comments about the level of creativity and skill displayed in these pieces. I think viewers will be pleasantly surprised by what they see in both exhibits."

An opening reception will be held Thursday, February 24, from 6 to 8 p.m.

The gallery is open Monday through Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 10, 2005

GALLUP - "The Voice of Gallup," KGLP 91.7 fm, is now accessible anywhere in the world by listening online.

Gallup’s only public radio station became available on the World Wide Web as of February 11, announced Frank Bosler, station manager. “This is one way that KGLP has renewed its commitment to serving the Gallup community,” he said.

The station, which went on air in 1992, will increase its signal strength from 100 watts to 880 watts this summer.

“We plan to be here for a long time serving the Gallup community,” Bosler said.

KGLP is available 24 hours a day in real time by going to the web page at www.kglp.org and clicking on the “Listen to KGLP Online” button. A copy of the program schedule, which includes over 35 hours of local programming, is also available for downloading.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 3, 2005

GALLUP- McKinley County Voters approved the University of New Mexico-Gallup's request for a General Obligation Bond of $16 million and one mil Tax Levy on February 1, paving the way for the college to embark on an ambitious five-year period of construction, expansion and renovation.

Key among the forthcoming projects to be funded by the bond will be a new Health Careers Center to accommodate the college's growing Nursing program. Other projects on the drawing board are a new Student Services Center and a Technology Center and Classroom, renovations to the UNMGallup Northside, the Child Care Center , the Maintenance Department, Lions' Hall and existing facilities.

The tax levy funds will go into general accounts and will be used to fund staffing of the new facilities and existing facilities, as well as general operation.

The G.O. Bond will not increase taxes. An existing 2 mil levy from a previous bond election will expire soon, so the new bond mil levy of 2 mils will keep this tax where it was. The tax levy will increase taxes according to the value of homes. For instance, a $100,000 house would be taxed at about $33.

"I would like to thank the voters of McKinley County for their support in the Feb. 1 General Obligation Bond and Tax Levy Election. We at UNMG are thrilled with this demonstration of support," said Beth Miller, Executive Director of UNMGallup.

The results of the voting were as follows: G.O. Bond--1,657 (65.2%) for; 882 (34.7%) against; Capital Improvements Tax, 1,413 (56.2%) for; 1,097 (43.7%) against.

As of this writing, 80 provisional votes remained to be counted but they were not expected to change the vote.

Also on this ballot were elections for ÒÁÈ˾þà Advisory Positions 2 and 3. Gloria Mae Skeet edged over Thomas Payton with 891 votes to his 880 for Position 2. Edwin J. Begay had 511 votes. For Position 3 (Zuni), June Shack won as a write-in over incumbent Ernest Mackel, also a write-in.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -January 24, 2005

EDITORS: Please note change of venue from UNMGallup to El Morro Theatre.

GALLUP - Arctic photographer John Schwieder will speak and present a slide show on the Alaska Wilderness on Friday, Feb. 18, at 7 P.M. in El Morro Theatre, 207. W. Coal. There will also be a showing on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m., in the Commons at the Zuni Campus of UNMG.

Schwieder spent 3 months in the Arctic Refuge, exploring and photographing the flora and fauna. Through his photography, he hopes to bring attention to the ongoing debate in Congress over the fate of the Alaska Refuge, to keep the area free from oil exploration, and ultimately, to see this pristine place receive the permanently protective wilderness status.

The 100-mile stretch of arctic coastal plain in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the only fragment of the United States ' total 1,100-mile arctic coastline not already open to oil and gas development. The oil industry is pushing for access to this area. According to opponents of this drilling, which is supported by the Bush administration, development would lead to production of only 3.2 billion barrels of oil, lessening dependence on foreign oil by only two percent. Were oil and gas development to occur, the U.S. Department of Interior estimates up to a 40 percent decline to the 129,000 animals of the Porcupine Caribou herd, which utilizes the coastal plain as their calving grounds.

"After 20 some years adventuring in Alaska I've seen some wild places and can honestly say there are none wilder than this. Like Yosemite and Yellowstone the purpose of the Arctic Refuge is simply to be and we should just let it be," said Schwieder.

John Schwieder lives in Durango , Colo. , his base to pursue wildlife, landscape and adventure photography. In addition to being a photographer and writer, John works part time as a flight paramedic and has had previous careers as a Denali climbing guide and Alaskan commercial fisherman.

His photography and writings have been published in Alaska Geographic, Milepost, Inside / Outside, Outdoor Photographer, Patagonia , and Paddler magazines and numerous conservation organizations.

Schwieder's presentation will feature Landscape, wildlife and adventure photographs along with discussion about the political history, oil debate and reasons why the Arctic Refuge deserves permanent wilderness protection.

For further information contact Linda Thornton, Senior Public Affairs Representative at UNMGallup, 863-7565, or Dusti Becker, interim director of the Zuni Campus, 782-6012.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -January 24, 2005

GALLUP -Larry Sanderson has been hired as the University of New Mexico-Gallup's Community Affairs Director.

Sanderson, formerly of Hobbs , will be responsible for working in the development and growth of the institution, as well as overseeing the grants program, community education and institutional research.

"I've accepted this position with clear direction to expand UNMGallup's involvement with the community," Sanderson said. " Gallup is unique, and I look forward to learning more about the organizations, institutions and the people who give this community its character."

Sanderson said he would also be looking to bring outside resources in to benefit the campus and community.

He was formerly in private management consulting for national and international clients, particularly involving Internet communications, communications and public affairs. He was also a part-time adjunct professor of business at the College of the Southwest in Hobbs.

Originally from Chicago, he has a Master's degree in management from Purdue.

UNMGALLUP NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -January 21, 2005

GALLUP-UNMGallup was the sole award recipient of a grant from the Public Education Department to develop a dropout prevention model for New Mexico. Five other New Mexico community colleges applied.

The grant of $100,000 will be used to develop a model for middle colleges to retain students, according to MCHS principal Charles Kaplan.

"However, the reason and issues for dropouts and ways to prevent students from dropping out would probably apply to all high schools," Kaplan said.

A social worker will be hired to interact with students and their families. The social worker will explore roadblocks that students and families experience that would have negative impact on the students' ability to complete high school, and then develop strategies to overcome the barriers.

Consultation with regional representatives from other New Mexico colleges will then be initiated. Of particular interest is input regarding barriers faced by students in rural communities. Representatives from other institutions will be invited to Gallup for a series of forums/meetings, where they will first be educated as to the structures, goals and functions of a middle college and then asked for input into developing a middle college dropout prevention program.

Focus groups with current and past middle college students and their families will help determine what types of services might help achieve success. There will also be consultations with national organizations such as the National Consortium of Middle Colleges to collect data and research conducted over the past 30 years of middle college operations.

From this collaboration and collected data, administrators of the grant will develop a curriculum that could be used by other middle colleges as they are established. In June, a multi-day seminar will be held in Gallup where these findings and curriculum will be shared. Representatives from all colleges in New Mexico will be invited.