2009, fall
DESCRIPTION
Volume 29, Number 1. Four favorite profs answer questions with no textbook answers; Remembering Alea Nadeem, the child not forgotten; Dancing with a tiger by the tail; Defining fitness; and Green Chile Q&ATRANSCRIPT
T H E UN I V E R S I T Y O F N EW MEX I C O | A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N
+Remembering Alea+Defining fitness
+Chile Q&A+Gifted coach
+Homecoming 2009: Lobo Knights!
M A G A Z I N E
GaBI’SDaNCINGDReaM
FALL
2009
The University of New Mexico Alumni Association
MSC 01-1160
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Nonprofit Org
US Postage Paid
Permit No. 222
Burl., Vt. 05401
The 2009 UNM Alumni Association Homecoming posterfeatures PEAK APRIL, by artist Angus Macpherson, ’74 BBA.The acrylic-on-canvas painting will be in the permanent
collection at Hodgin Hall. Angus writes about this work:PEAK APRIL is part of a continuing series of paintings
studying our magnificent New Mexico stormy skies. While Ipainted it in my studio here in Albuquerque, it was inspired bythe foothills in Glorieta, New Mexico. The storm was happeningjust a bit farther north in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Thetime of year was April. We all were ready for some rain, and towitness the storm was a peak experience – the idea for the title.
Just around the mountain from the painting’s inspirationalsetting, 35 years earlier, Angus met Roy Johnson while bothworked at Brush Ranch. Roy now owns Sumner & Dene Galleryin Albuquerque, where Angus’ work will be exhibited in aone-person-show, “Paintings from a Wet Planet,” September 1-26.
Angus has been named a 2009 Local Treasure by theAlbuquerque Art Business Association. Watch for the awardspresentation at the Albuquerque Museum in September.
PEAK APRIL by Angus MacphersonSigned limited edition $50Unsigned limited edition $35Order using the form in the enclosed homecoming brochureor online at unmalumni.com/homecoming.
P O S T E R
For more information about Angus Macpherson’swork, go to angusmacpherson.com.
L O O K AT T H I S !This issue of Mirage includes a special pull-out schedule
for UNM Homecoming 2009. Save it and join us!
L O O K I N G AT :12 Quirky Questions
edited by Mary Conrad
Four favorite profs answer questions with no textbook answers.
16 The Child Not Forgottenby Steve Carr
When Alea Nadeem was a child, her father held her against her will in Iraq.
Freed after four years, she joined the Air Force to protect the United States.
20 Dancing with a Tiger by the Tailby Mara Kerkez
Gabi Rojas, ‘08 BA, doesn’t let disease curtail her dancing career.
24 Defining Principalsby Alexis Kerschner
Two leaders of New Mexico’s Defined Fitness gym say their business
changes lives.
ON THE COV ER :
DANCING WITH HEART:
Gabi Rojas, ’08 BA, made her
alma mater proud as a contestant
on FOX-TV’s So You Think You
Can Dance.
26 Going Verdeby Sari Krosinsky
In Mexico, Nathan Campbell explores the use
of jatropha as a profitable plant for farmers
and green fuel producers.
28 Red or Green?edited by Mary Conrad
So you thought all Hatch chile came from Hatch.
Not so. But Gene Baca thinks it should.
L O O K I N G A R O U N D :3 ALBUM
Catch up with your friends through the years.
4 A Year of Challengesand ChangeA message from UNM President David J. Schmidly.
5 UNM LINKSHappenings around campus.
30 DEVELOPMENT:Extraordinary Life,Extraordinary Giftby Michelle G. McRuiz
E. Gerald Meyer, ‘50 PhD, will give his wondrous
art collection to the University Art Museum.
32 A Sign of Respectby Jim Belshaw
Daily Lobo alumni create a scholarship in
memory of their esteemed professor, the
late Hank Trewhitt.
34 ATHLETICS:Gridiron Giftby Carolyn Gonzales
Mike Locksley has a gift for coaching
Lobo football.
36Aumni Outlook
20
CONTeNTS
George Fischbeck, ’49 BA, ’55 MA,Woodland Hills, California, now devoteshimself to volunteering at the LA Zoo(he brings animals to cheer rest-homepatients), as well as LAPD’s VolunteerSurveillance Team. He also raises moneyfor firefighter charities.
Paul Miller Wighaman, ’53 BSIE,Lancaster, Pennsylvania, taught at MenaulSchool in Albuquerque; CumberlandValley School District, Mechanicsburg,Pennsylvania; California University ofPennsylvania, California, Pennsylvania;and was industrial advisor, PennsylvaniaDepartment of Education for 11 years.The final 10 years of his career were spentat Millersville University, Pennsylvania.
Bo
bb
yTa
may
o
Fall 2009, Volume 28, Number 1, THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO:David J. Schmidly, President; Karen A. Abraham, Associate Vice President,Alumni Relations; Mary Conrad, Editor; Kelly Ketner, Echo Creative, Art Director.
UNM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Ruth M. Schifani, President, Albuquerque; Steve Chreist, President Elect,Albuquerque; Gene Baca, Treasurer, Corrales; Judy Zanotti, Past President, Albuquerque; Monica Armenta, Albuquerque;Randy Royster, Albuquerque; Waneta Tuttle, Albuquerque; Kathie Winograd, Albuquerque.
MIRAGE is published three times a year, in April, August, and December, by the University of New Mexico Alumni Association for the University’s alumni and friends.Address all correspondence to UNM Alumni Relations Office, MSC 01-1160, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001. Send all Album information to theattention of Margaret Weinrod. Send all changes of address to the attention of Records. Send all other correspondence to the attention of Mary Conrad. To comply withthe ADA and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, UNM provides this publication in alternative formats. If you have special needs and require an auxiliary aid or service, pleasecontact Mary Conrad. Phone: 800-258-6866 (800-ALUM-UNM) or 505-277-5808. E-mail to Mary Conrad: [email protected] or [email protected]. Web address:www.unmalumni.com
aLBUmcompiled by Margaret Weinrod.
Look for afriend on
every page!Keep us posted!
Send your news to:Margaret WeinrodThe University of New Mexico
Alumni AssociationMSC 01-11601 University of New MexicoAlbuquerque NM 87131-0001
Better yet, email your news to:[email protected].
Please include your middle name or initial!Fall (August) deadline: May 1Winter (December) deadline: September 1Spring (April) deadline: January 1
34Mirage was the title
of the University of
New Mexico yearbook
until its last edition
in 1978. Since that
time, the title was
adopted by the alumni
magazine which
continues to publish
vignettes of
UNM graduates.
12
f a l l 2 0 0 9 3M I R A G E m a g a z i n e2
GEORGE FISHBECK
Ch
rist
ian
Ho
rstm
ann
Alf
red
oM
ore
no
Bo
bb
yTa
may
o
L O O K AT T H I S !This issue of Mirage includes a special pull-out schedule
for UNM Homecoming 2009. Save it and join us!
L O O K I N G AT :12 Quirky Questions
edited by Mary Conrad
Four favorite profs answer questions with no textbook answers.
16 The Child Not Forgottenby Steve Carr
When Alea Nadeem was a child, her father held her against her will in Iraq.
Freed after four years, she joined the Air Force to protect the United States.
20 Dancing with a Tiger by the Tailby Mara Kerkez
Gabi Rojas, ‘08 BA, doesn’t let disease curtail her dancing career.
24 Defining Principalsby Alexis Kerschner
Two leaders of New Mexico’s Defined Fitness gym say their business
changes lives.
ON THE COV ER :
DANCING WITH HEART:
Gabi Rojas, ’08 BA, made her
alma mater proud as a contestant
on FOX-TV’s So You Think You
Can Dance.
26 Going Verdeby Sari Krosinsky
In Mexico, Nathan Campbell explores the use
of jatropha as a profitable plant for farmers
and green fuel producers.
28 Red or Green?edited by Mary Conrad
So you thought all Hatch chile came from Hatch.
Not so. But Gene Baca thinks it should.
L O O K I N G A R O U N D :3 ALBUM
Catch up with your friends through the years.
4 A Year of Challengesand ChangeA message from UNM President David J. Schmidly.
5 UNM LINKSHappenings around campus.
30 DEVELOPMENT:Extraordinary Life,Extraordinary Giftby Michelle G. McRuiz
E. Gerald Meyer, ‘50 PhD, will give his wondrous
art collection to the University Art Museum.
32 A Sign of Respectby Jim Belshaw
Daily Lobo alumni create a scholarship in
memory of their esteemed professor, the
late Hank Trewhitt.
34 ATHLETICS:Gridiron Giftby Carolyn Gonzales
Mike Locksley has a gift for coaching
Lobo football.
36Aumni Outlook
20
CONTeNTS
George Fischbeck, ’49 BA, ’55 MA,Woodland Hills, California, now devoteshimself to volunteering at the LA Zoo(he brings animals to cheer rest-homepatients), as well as LAPD’s VolunteerSurveillance Team. He also raises moneyfor firefighter charities.
Paul Miller Wighaman, ’53 BSIE,Lancaster, Pennsylvania, taught at MenaulSchool in Albuquerque; CumberlandValley School District, Mechanicsburg,Pennsylvania; California University ofPennsylvania, California, Pennsylvania;and was industrial advisor, PennsylvaniaDepartment of Education for 11 years.The final 10 years of his career were spentat Millersville University, Pennsylvania.
Bo
bb
yTa
may
o
Fall 2009, Volume 28, Number 1, THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO:David J. Schmidly, President; Karen A. Abraham, Associate Vice President,Alumni Relations; Mary Conrad, Editor; Kelly Ketner, Echo Creative, Art Director.
UNM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Ruth M. Schifani, President, Albuquerque; Steve Chreist, President Elect,Albuquerque; Gene Baca, Treasurer, Corrales; Judy Zanotti, Past President, Albuquerque; Monica Armenta, Albuquerque;Randy Royster, Albuquerque; Waneta Tuttle, Albuquerque; Kathie Winograd, Albuquerque.
MIRAGE is published three times a year, in April, August, and December, by the University of New Mexico Alumni Association for the University’s alumni and friends.Address all correspondence to UNM Alumni Relations Office, MSC 01-1160, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001. Send all Album information to theattention of Margaret Weinrod. Send all changes of address to the attention of Records. Send all other correspondence to the attention of Mary Conrad. To comply withthe ADA and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, UNM provides this publication in alternative formats. If you have special needs and require an auxiliary aid or service, pleasecontact Mary Conrad. Phone: 800-258-6866 (800-ALUM-UNM) or 505-277-5808. E-mail to Mary Conrad: [email protected] or [email protected]. Web address:www.unmalumni.com
aLBUmcompiled by Margaret Weinrod.
Look for afriend on
every page!Keep us posted!
Send your news to:Margaret WeinrodThe University of New Mexico
Alumni AssociationMSC 01-11601 University of New MexicoAlbuquerque NM 87131-0001
Better yet, email your news to:[email protected].
Please include your middle name or initial!Fall (August) deadline: May 1Winter (December) deadline: September 1Spring (April) deadline: January 1
34Mirage was the title
of the University of
New Mexico yearbook
until its last edition
in 1978. Since that
time, the title was
adopted by the alumni
magazine which
continues to publish
vignettes of
UNM graduates.
12
f a l l 2 0 0 9 3M I R A G E m a g a z i n e2
GEORGE FISHBECK
Ch
rist
ian
Ho
rstm
ann
Alf
red
oM
ore
no
Bo
bb
yTa
may
o
a YeaR OF
They say that universities are“Ivory Towers,” distant and somehowremoved from the tumult of the outsideworld. That was certainly not thecase with the economic downturn,as UNM, like other public universitiesacross the country, was forced toaccommodate it.
We were relatively lucky. Whileour sister public institutions acrossthe Southwest were forced to layoff faculty and staff, cancel classes,and, in one case, eliminate an entirecollege, we at UNM were able toadjust by pausing hiring andsalary increases and by reducingadministrative costs. I’m especiallyproud of some of our employees,who took voluntary furloughs tosupport our academic mission.
As with any period of economicchallenge, this one produced enormousstresses within our institution, butthe result has been what I hope willbe a much better dialogue betweenmy office and administration and thefaculty, staff, and students. For a longtime now, there’s been much “talking”at UNM but not enough “listening,”and the trials we faced during thisacademic year have hopefully setus on a new course.
Our students, parents, and recentgraduates told us that applying to UNMwas too cumbersome, that we weretoo slow in processing applicationsfor admissions and financial aid, andthat it was too difficult for them toadd and drop classes. In addition tostreamlining and modernizing theentire process, we’ve opened two“one-stop” student service centers anddrastically cut the time it takes toevaluate and respond to applications.We’re already seeing greater numbersof applicants, with increases in thenumbers of National Scholars andgraduate students in particular.
We’ve made progress, too, on theathletic field, thanks to the talentsand discipline of our players, coaches,and staff. While I’m always proud ofour victories, I’m even more impressedwith the improvements we’ve seen inthe grades and graduation rates ofour student-athletes. We must neverforget that the primary responsibilityof our athletic program is to educateour students.
All in all, it was a satisfying ifchallenging year, and we’re on apositive trajectory for the future.
This has been a year of enormous challenges, not just for UNM
but for a nation coping even now with the ripple effects of a deep
and prolonged recession that is perhaps the most serious economic
ordeal our country has faced since the Great Depression.
T R I O O F P R E S I D E N T S :
UNM President David J. Schmidly
enjoys the company of Alumni
Association presidents current
and past, Ruth Schifani, left, and
Judy Zanotti, as the Association
thanked its donors and volunteers
at a summer reception.
UNMLINKSRESEARCHCONNECTIONSchaco cocoa? Inhabitants of ChacoCanyon apparently drank chocolatefrom cylinders about a thousandyears ago. That’s the finding ofDistinguished Professor ofAnthropology PPaattrriicciiaa LL.. CCrroowwnn andher collaborator at the HersheyCenter of Health and Nutrition, W. Jeffrey Hurst, published inPNAS, the National Academy of Science journal.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003593.html#more
risky business: After years ofresearch studying teens and riskybehavior, associate professor ofpsychology Angela Bryan knows all toowell the dangers facing adolescents.Even more danger lurks when alcohol becomes part of the mix.Bryan’s research into alcohol and therole it plays in sexual risk-takingamong detained adolescents is featured in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of Consultingand Clinical Psychology. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003606.html#more
humidity in hawaii: Hawaii is muchmore than a tourist hotspot – it’s a researcher’s dream, even if youhave to get up at 2 in the morningto gather data. Just ask climatechange researchers from UNM and the University of Colorado whohave taken to the Big Island lookingfor an ideal low-humidity locationto help decipher the distribution of water vapor in the atmosphere.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003705.html#more
never underestimate: Results fromthe first-ever, independent disabilitysurvey of over 33,000 householdsshow that substantially moreAmericans live with paralysisand/or spinal cord injury than formerly estimated. The UNMCenter for Development andDisability, with Anthony Cahill asprincipal investigator and projectdirector, initiated the survey inconjunction with the Christopherand Dana Reeve Foundation. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003894.html
STUDENTCONNECTIONSnew alumni: About 2,450 studentsreceived degrees in May fromUNM’s Albuquerque and ExtendedUniversity campuses, as follows:1,632 bachelor’s degrees, 477 master’s degrees, 75 doctorates, 95 juris doctorates, 75 medical doctorates, 85 pharmacy doctorates,five graduate certificates, and nineeducation specialists. Nearly 160 additional students receivedassociate degrees and certificatesfrom the Gallup, Los Alamos, Taos, and Valencia branches.Approximately 750 students participated in commencementexercises, held in Tingley Coliseumat Expo New Mexico (StateFairgrounds) because of renovationsto The Pit. Antonio Flores, president and chief executive officer of the Hispanic Associationof Colleges and Universities, delivered the keynote address.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003960.html
f a l l 2 0 0 9 5
Bill Kaiser, ’54 BSED, Tucson, Arizona, hasbeen inducted into the LPO Illinois ValleyCommunity College Hall of Fame. He playedbaseball and football for two years at UNM.
Bob Lee, ’55 BSHP, appeared in the spring issue of Mirage as having a show of his paintings. Instead, the Los Lunas (New Mexico) Museum of Heritage and Artshow was a memorial exhibit. Our recordswere incomplete regarding Bill’s death in1993. We apologize for the confusion.
Daniel J. O’Brien, ’56 BSME, has beenelected 2009 president of the Western StateBar Conference, a forum for the interchangeof ideas among bar association leaders in 17 states. He is with O’Brien & Ulibarri inAlbuquerque.
Herb Wimberly, ’57 BAED, Las Cruces, has received an honorary doctorate fromNew Mexico State University where he was the men’s golf coach for 31 years.
Grace Hernandez Fink, ’58 BSHP, Bob Fink ’59 BSCE, Lakewood, Colorado,and Jim Johnson, ’69 BSCE, Corrales,attended a reception for host families at theMountain Ranch Club in Coors Field lastwinter celebrating the completion of theColorado Rockies development program for their 21 top prospects.
Laurens C. Hammack, ’59 BS, ’64 MA, and his wife, Nancy Stopper Hammack,’64 BA, own Complete ArchaeologicalService Associates (CASA) in Cortez,Colorado, which provides archaeological surveys for area business and public entities,required when new construction is plannedon tribal lands. Laurens attended a New Mexico Archaeological Society anniversary celebration of Frank Hibben’sfirst Pottery Mound field school, of whichLaurens is one of three surviving alumni.
F. Chris Garcia, ’61 BA, ’64 MA,Albuquerque, has been inducted into theSilver Horizons New Mexico 2009 Senior Hallof Fame. Chris is a former UNM presidentand distinguished professor emeritus ofpolitical science.
Joy Mason Campbell, ’62 BAED, hasbecome a successful book artist after retiring as a teacher. She is a partner inArtistas de Santa Fe. Her book art pieceshave been accepted into shows in Portland,Albuquerque, and Santa Fe. Her work canbe seen at ww.joymcampbellbookartist.com.
Linden M. Knighten, ’62 BS, Paso Robles,California, has retired as chief technologyofficer of the Los Angeles County Office of Education. He is a former editor-in-chiefof the Daily Lobo and president of theAssociated Students.
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e4
aLBUmCHaLLeNGeSaND CHaNGe
B Y D A V I D J . S C H M I D L YPresident, The University of New Mexico
Ch
rist
ian
Ho
rstm
ann
a YeaR OF
They say that universities are“Ivory Towers,” distant and somehowremoved from the tumult of the outsideworld. That was certainly not thecase with the economic downturn,as UNM, like other public universitiesacross the country, was forced toaccommodate it.
We were relatively lucky. Whileour sister public institutions acrossthe Southwest were forced to layoff faculty and staff, cancel classes,and, in one case, eliminate an entirecollege, we at UNM were able toadjust by pausing hiring andsalary increases and by reducingadministrative costs. I’m especiallyproud of some of our employees,who took voluntary furloughs tosupport our academic mission.
As with any period of economicchallenge, this one produced enormousstresses within our institution, butthe result has been what I hope willbe a much better dialogue betweenmy office and administration and thefaculty, staff, and students. For a longtime now, there’s been much “talking”at UNM but not enough “listening,”and the trials we faced during thisacademic year have hopefully setus on a new course.
Our students, parents, and recentgraduates told us that applying to UNMwas too cumbersome, that we weretoo slow in processing applicationsfor admissions and financial aid, andthat it was too difficult for them toadd and drop classes. In addition tostreamlining and modernizing theentire process, we’ve opened two“one-stop” student service centers anddrastically cut the time it takes toevaluate and respond to applications.We’re already seeing greater numbersof applicants, with increases in thenumbers of National Scholars andgraduate students in particular.
We’ve made progress, too, on theathletic field, thanks to the talentsand discipline of our players, coaches,and staff. While I’m always proud ofour victories, I’m even more impressedwith the improvements we’ve seen inthe grades and graduation rates ofour student-athletes. We must neverforget that the primary responsibilityof our athletic program is to educateour students.
All in all, it was a satisfying ifchallenging year, and we’re on apositive trajectory for the future.
This has been a year of enormous challenges, not just for UNM
but for a nation coping even now with the ripple effects of a deep
and prolonged recession that is perhaps the most serious economic
ordeal our country has faced since the Great Depression.
T R I O O F P R E S I D E N T S :
UNM President David J. Schmidly
enjoys the company of Alumni
Association presidents current
and past, Ruth Schifani, left, and
Judy Zanotti, as the Association
thanked its donors and volunteers
at a summer reception.
UNMLINKSRESEARCHCONNECTIONSchaco cocoa? Inhabitants of ChacoCanyon apparently drank chocolatefrom cylinders about a thousandyears ago. That’s the finding ofDistinguished Professor ofAnthropology PPaattrriicciiaa LL.. CCrroowwnn andher collaborator at the HersheyCenter of Health and Nutrition, W. Jeffrey Hurst, published inPNAS, the National Academy of Science journal.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003593.html#more
risky business: After years ofresearch studying teens and riskybehavior, associate professor ofpsychology Angela Bryan knows all toowell the dangers facing adolescents.Even more danger lurks when alcohol becomes part of the mix.Bryan’s research into alcohol and therole it plays in sexual risk-takingamong detained adolescents is featured in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of Consultingand Clinical Psychology. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003606.html#more
humidity in hawaii: Hawaii is muchmore than a tourist hotspot – it’s a researcher’s dream, even if youhave to get up at 2 in the morningto gather data. Just ask climatechange researchers from UNM and the University of Colorado whohave taken to the Big Island lookingfor an ideal low-humidity locationto help decipher the distribution of water vapor in the atmosphere.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003705.html#more
never underestimate: Results fromthe first-ever, independent disabilitysurvey of over 33,000 householdsshow that substantially moreAmericans live with paralysisand/or spinal cord injury than formerly estimated. The UNMCenter for Development andDisability, with Anthony Cahill asprincipal investigator and projectdirector, initiated the survey inconjunction with the Christopherand Dana Reeve Foundation. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003894.html
STUDENTCONNECTIONSnew alumni: About 2,450 studentsreceived degrees in May fromUNM’s Albuquerque and ExtendedUniversity campuses, as follows:1,632 bachelor’s degrees, 477 master’s degrees, 75 doctorates, 95 juris doctorates, 75 medical doctorates, 85 pharmacy doctorates,five graduate certificates, and nineeducation specialists. Nearly 160 additional students receivedassociate degrees and certificatesfrom the Gallup, Los Alamos, Taos, and Valencia branches.Approximately 750 students participated in commencementexercises, held in Tingley Coliseumat Expo New Mexico (StateFairgrounds) because of renovationsto The Pit. Antonio Flores, president and chief executive officer of the Hispanic Associationof Colleges and Universities, delivered the keynote address.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003960.html
f a l l 2 0 0 9 5
Bill Kaiser, ’54 BSED, Tucson, Arizona, hasbeen inducted into the LPO Illinois ValleyCommunity College Hall of Fame. He playedbaseball and football for two years at UNM.
Bob Lee, ’55 BSHP, appeared in the spring issue of Mirage as having a show of his paintings. Instead, the Los Lunas (New Mexico) Museum of Heritage and Artshow was a memorial exhibit. Our recordswere incomplete regarding Bill’s death in1993. We apologize for the confusion.
Daniel J. O’Brien, ’56 BSME, has beenelected 2009 president of the Western StateBar Conference, a forum for the interchangeof ideas among bar association leaders in 17 states. He is with O’Brien & Ulibarri inAlbuquerque.
Herb Wimberly, ’57 BAED, Las Cruces, has received an honorary doctorate fromNew Mexico State University where he was the men’s golf coach for 31 years.
Grace Hernandez Fink, ’58 BSHP, Bob Fink ’59 BSCE, Lakewood, Colorado,and Jim Johnson, ’69 BSCE, Corrales,attended a reception for host families at theMountain Ranch Club in Coors Field lastwinter celebrating the completion of theColorado Rockies development program for their 21 top prospects.
Laurens C. Hammack, ’59 BS, ’64 MA, and his wife, Nancy Stopper Hammack,’64 BA, own Complete ArchaeologicalService Associates (CASA) in Cortez,Colorado, which provides archaeological surveys for area business and public entities,required when new construction is plannedon tribal lands. Laurens attended a New Mexico Archaeological Society anniversary celebration of Frank Hibben’sfirst Pottery Mound field school, of whichLaurens is one of three surviving alumni.
F. Chris Garcia, ’61 BA, ’64 MA,Albuquerque, has been inducted into theSilver Horizons New Mexico 2009 Senior Hallof Fame. Chris is a former UNM presidentand distinguished professor emeritus ofpolitical science.
Joy Mason Campbell, ’62 BAED, hasbecome a successful book artist after retiring as a teacher. She is a partner inArtistas de Santa Fe. Her book art pieceshave been accepted into shows in Portland,Albuquerque, and Santa Fe. Her work canbe seen at ww.joymcampbellbookartist.com.
Linden M. Knighten, ’62 BS, Paso Robles,California, has retired as chief technologyofficer of the Los Angeles County Office of Education. He is a former editor-in-chiefof the Daily Lobo and president of theAssociated Students.
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e4
aLBUmCHaLLeNGeSaND CHaNGe
B Y D A V I D J . S C H M I D L YPresident, The University of New Mexico
Ch
rist
ian
Ho
rstm
ann
MISCELLANEOUS CONNECTIONSto our credit: A Site Visit Team fromthe Higher Learning Commissionspent several days on campus inthe spring and recommended thatUNM be reaccredited in goodstanding for another 10 years. The team was complimentary ofUNM’s student learning, teaching,discovery and application of knowledge, and commitment toengagement and service, as well as its being positioned to take onfuture challenges. The team askedfor reports on shared governanceissues and on ongoing efforts toimprove undergraduate advising.
summer reading: UNM ProvostSuzanne Ortega says Antonio’s Gunand Delfino’s Dream by acclaimedLos Angeles Times journalist SamQuinones will be the inauguralwork of the Lobo ReadingExperience, a summer reading program for UNM Freshmen.http://www.unm.edu/news/09AprNewsReleases/09-04-28Reading.htmlRead it for yourself and tell us whatyou think at www.unmalumni.com.
be a lobo: UNM’s animated institutional spot – Be a Lobo. BeYourself. – has won the NationalCouncil for the Advancement andSupport of Education’s (CASE)Circle of Excellence Gold Medal.This is the highest award that CASEgives for televised commercialspots. Take a look at the spot athttp://beyourself.unm.edu
new mexico to hollywood:Dreamworks Animation andCerelink DMG are partnering
to render its cg 3D films in New Mexico. UNM and the State of New Mexico have made this possible with state-of-the-art technology infrastructure. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003654.html#more
BUILDINGCONNECTIONSgoing west! UNM has brokenground for its UNM-West Phase Ibuilding, northeast of the Rio Rancho City Hall. The 42,000square foot, two-story building will provide space for classrooms, a learning commons, a small bookstore, a food service area, and offices.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003598.html#more
galluping forward: BecauseMcKinley County voters said “yes” to UNM-Gallup’s $8 million GeneralObligation bond issue, the college isrehabilitating and replacing some ofits aging structures. Improvementsinclude rehabilitation of GurleyHall, razing and replacing Lions’Hall, building a new childcare facility, and building a new maintenance facility.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003597.html#more
long-wave go-ahead: UNM and New Mexico Commissioner ofPublic Lands Patrick Lyons havesigned an agreement to commenceconstruction of the first two sitesof the Long Wavelength Array(LWA) on state trust lands inCatron and Socorro counties.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003792.html#more
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e6
good as goldwater: After toughnational competition, Jessica Martin,a senior pursuing her BS in biology,and Anna Vestling, also a senior pursuing a BS in biochemistry, willreceive Goldwater Scholarships.Junior Abdullah Feroze, working on a BS in biology, received anhonorable mention. The programseeks outstanding students who plan to pursue a career in the sciences.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003860.html#more
build it and they will come:Communities across New Mexicostruggle with decline in city centersand a need to reestablish theiridentities and forge plans for futuredevelopment. Enter the communityoutreach arm of the UNM School of
Architecture and Planning – theDesign Planning Assistance Center– “staffed” by UNM students.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003768.html#more
pharmacy pride: For the first time in the College of Pharmacy’s64-year history, one of its students,Adriane Irwin, was installed as thenational president of the AmericanPharmacists Association Academyof Student Pharmacists, a 33,000-member organization.
I AM: Students in the advertisingcampaigns course at UNM’sAnderson School of Managementhad a rare opportunity to workwith the Central IntelligenceAgency. UNM was one of only threeuniversities in the nation selectedby the CIA and EdVenture Partners
to participate in the CIA CollegiateMarketing Program. As part of thissemester-long program, studentsformed their own marketingagency, Inspire AndersonMarketing (I AM). http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003718.html#more
got game: assistant professor for electrical and computer engineering Pradeep Sen and five of his students who conceived and developed simple versions ofcomputer games received awardsfrom STC.UNM. Sen and STC.UNMhelped them navigate the legal hurdles and copyright their games,one of which is now in Beta testingwith Xbox, while development isproceeding with the others. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003743.html#more
aLBUm
f a l l 2 0 0 9 7
Rudolfo Anaya, ’63 BAED, ’69 MA, ’72 MA, Albuquerque, has published a newinstallment in his Sonny Baca mystery series,Shaman Winter (UNM Press). His latest children’s book, Juan and the Jackalope, is expected out this fall.
Charles Atkinson, ’63 BAMU, Columbus,Ohio, recently completed his term as president of the American MusicologicalSociety and celebrated the appearance ofhis book, The Critical Nexus: Tone-System,Mode, and Notation in Early Medieval Music, in the series AMS Studies in Music(Oxford University Press, 2008).
Robert E. Whelan, San Antonio, ’67 BA’76 MA, having retired from the Air Force asa lieutenant colonel in 1993, is now a Texaslicensed nursing home administrator.
Robert E. Callary, ’68 MA, is author ofPlace Names of Illinois (University of IllinoisPress, 2008). He is professor of linguistics atNorthern Illinois University, DeKalb, and canbe contacted at [email protected].
Sharon Weichman Crocker, ’68 BA, San Diego, recently retired after 10 yearswith Edward Jones Investments. She plansto pursue her musical interests as a pianistand work with artists in galleries. She would like to hear from old friends at [email protected].
Amado M. Padilla, ’69 PhD, is the chairmanof psychological studies in education atStanford University. He has been elected aninaugural fellow in the American EducationResearch Association, and is editor of theHispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences.
Marilyn K. Price, ’69 BAED, ’78 MA, hashad paintings juried into the New MexicoWatercolor Society spring show. She retiredas deputy director of the New MexicoDepartment of Health in 2006 and now livesin Embudo, raising produce for Farmers’Markets. She continues to be an analyst forthe New Mexico State Legislature.
Roy Rummler, ’69 MMED, Nampa, Idaho,was guest conductor with the Meridian(Idaho) Symphony Orchestra at the premierof his “Petite Concerto for Two Harps andOrchestra.” Roy has over 100 publishedarrangements and compositions to his creditand is author of The Wrong Bottom Lineand How to Change It, a book for businessand education. He can be contacted [email protected].
Lenny Miele, ’70 BA, East Falmouth,Massachusetts, is the author of Voice of theTide: the Cape Cod Heritage of KatherineLee Bates (Spinner Publications, 2009).
+MOReUNMLINKS
Ring in the new!
Trade in the old!
Show off the Lobo, Hodgin Hall,the Sandias, and UNM with
every handshake. The official UNMring – designed by students andalumni – is now available.
Trade in your old UNM ring for a discount on the new style.
In a variety of sizes, styles, and prices. You’ll find the perfectfit at Jostens.com
Jostens.com
MISCELLANEOUS CONNECTIONSto our credit: A Site Visit Team fromthe Higher Learning Commissionspent several days on campus inthe spring and recommended thatUNM be reaccredited in goodstanding for another 10 years. The team was complimentary ofUNM’s student learning, teaching,discovery and application of knowledge, and commitment toengagement and service, as well as its being positioned to take onfuture challenges. The team askedfor reports on shared governanceissues and on ongoing efforts toimprove undergraduate advising.
summer reading: UNM ProvostSuzanne Ortega says Antonio’s Gunand Delfino’s Dream by acclaimedLos Angeles Times journalist SamQuinones will be the inauguralwork of the Lobo ReadingExperience, a summer reading program for UNM Freshmen.http://www.unm.edu/news/09AprNewsReleases/09-04-28Reading.htmlRead it for yourself and tell us whatyou think at www.unmalumni.com.
be a lobo: UNM’s animated institutional spot – Be a Lobo. BeYourself. – has won the NationalCouncil for the Advancement andSupport of Education’s (CASE)Circle of Excellence Gold Medal.This is the highest award that CASEgives for televised commercialspots. Take a look at the spot athttp://beyourself.unm.edu
new mexico to hollywood:Dreamworks Animation andCerelink DMG are partnering
to render its cg 3D films in New Mexico. UNM and the State of New Mexico have made this possible with state-of-the-art technology infrastructure. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003654.html#more
BUILDINGCONNECTIONSgoing west! UNM has brokenground for its UNM-West Phase Ibuilding, northeast of the Rio Rancho City Hall. The 42,000square foot, two-story building will provide space for classrooms, a learning commons, a small bookstore, a food service area, and offices.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003598.html#more
galluping forward: BecauseMcKinley County voters said “yes” to UNM-Gallup’s $8 million GeneralObligation bond issue, the college isrehabilitating and replacing some ofits aging structures. Improvementsinclude rehabilitation of GurleyHall, razing and replacing Lions’Hall, building a new childcare facility, and building a new maintenance facility.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003597.html#more
long-wave go-ahead: UNM and New Mexico Commissioner ofPublic Lands Patrick Lyons havesigned an agreement to commenceconstruction of the first two sitesof the Long Wavelength Array(LWA) on state trust lands inCatron and Socorro counties.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003792.html#more
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e6
good as goldwater: After toughnational competition, Jessica Martin,a senior pursuing her BS in biology,and Anna Vestling, also a senior pursuing a BS in biochemistry, willreceive Goldwater Scholarships.Junior Abdullah Feroze, working on a BS in biology, received anhonorable mention. The programseeks outstanding students who plan to pursue a career in the sciences.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003860.html#more
build it and they will come:Communities across New Mexicostruggle with decline in city centersand a need to reestablish theiridentities and forge plans for futuredevelopment. Enter the communityoutreach arm of the UNM School of
Architecture and Planning – theDesign Planning Assistance Center– “staffed” by UNM students.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003768.html#more
pharmacy pride: For the first time in the College of Pharmacy’s64-year history, one of its students,Adriane Irwin, was installed as thenational president of the AmericanPharmacists Association Academyof Student Pharmacists, a 33,000-member organization.
I AM: Students in the advertisingcampaigns course at UNM’sAnderson School of Managementhad a rare opportunity to workwith the Central IntelligenceAgency. UNM was one of only threeuniversities in the nation selectedby the CIA and EdVenture Partners
to participate in the CIA CollegiateMarketing Program. As part of thissemester-long program, studentsformed their own marketingagency, Inspire AndersonMarketing (I AM). http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003718.html#more
got game: assistant professor for electrical and computer engineering Pradeep Sen and five of his students who conceived and developed simple versions ofcomputer games received awardsfrom STC.UNM. Sen and STC.UNMhelped them navigate the legal hurdles and copyright their games,one of which is now in Beta testingwith Xbox, while development isproceeding with the others. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003743.html#more
aLBUm
f a l l 2 0 0 9 7
Rudolfo Anaya, ’63 BAED, ’69 MA, ’72 MA, Albuquerque, has published a newinstallment in his Sonny Baca mystery series,Shaman Winter (UNM Press). His latest children’s book, Juan and the Jackalope, is expected out this fall.
Charles Atkinson, ’63 BAMU, Columbus,Ohio, recently completed his term as president of the American MusicologicalSociety and celebrated the appearance ofhis book, The Critical Nexus: Tone-System,Mode, and Notation in Early Medieval Music, in the series AMS Studies in Music(Oxford University Press, 2008).
Robert E. Whelan, San Antonio, ’67 BA’76 MA, having retired from the Air Force asa lieutenant colonel in 1993, is now a Texaslicensed nursing home administrator.
Robert E. Callary, ’68 MA, is author ofPlace Names of Illinois (University of IllinoisPress, 2008). He is professor of linguistics atNorthern Illinois University, DeKalb, and canbe contacted at [email protected].
Sharon Weichman Crocker, ’68 BA, San Diego, recently retired after 10 yearswith Edward Jones Investments. She plansto pursue her musical interests as a pianistand work with artists in galleries. She would like to hear from old friends at [email protected].
Amado M. Padilla, ’69 PhD, is the chairmanof psychological studies in education atStanford University. He has been elected aninaugural fellow in the American EducationResearch Association, and is editor of theHispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences.
Marilyn K. Price, ’69 BAED, ’78 MA, hashad paintings juried into the New MexicoWatercolor Society spring show. She retiredas deputy director of the New MexicoDepartment of Health in 2006 and now livesin Embudo, raising produce for Farmers’Markets. She continues to be an analyst forthe New Mexico State Legislature.
Roy Rummler, ’69 MMED, Nampa, Idaho,was guest conductor with the Meridian(Idaho) Symphony Orchestra at the premierof his “Petite Concerto for Two Harps andOrchestra.” Roy has over 100 publishedarrangements and compositions to his creditand is author of The Wrong Bottom Lineand How to Change It, a book for businessand education. He can be contacted [email protected].
Lenny Miele, ’70 BA, East Falmouth,Massachusetts, is the author of Voice of theTide: the Cape Cod Heritage of KatherineLee Bates (Spinner Publications, 2009).
+MOReUNMLINKS
Ring in the new!
Trade in the old!
Show off the Lobo, Hodgin Hall,the Sandias, and UNM with
every handshake. The official UNMring – designed by students andalumni – is now available.
Trade in your old UNM ring for a discount on the new style.
In a variety of sizes, styles, and prices. You’ll find the perfectfit at Jostens.com
Jostens.com
f a l l 2 0 0 9 9
GIVING CONNECTIONSmaximizing minorities in medicine: A four-year, $2.94 million grant fromthe National Institutes of Health ofGeneral Medical Sciences, aimed toenable minority students to reachtheir goals, has been awarded tothe Initiatives to Maximize StudentDiversity. The student researchprogram is led by nationally recognized faculty and program co-PI’s Maggie Werner-Washburne,professor, biology, and Steve Phillips,associate program director. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/004001.html#more
more minority success: The NationalInstitutes of Health has awardedUNM a four-year, $1.39 milliongrant to help train and developunder-represented minority graduate students – to assist themto perform successfully in the biomedical science/engineeringdoctoral programs. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003740.html#more
biology across disciplines: UNM’sProgram in InterdisciplinaryBiological & Biomedical Sciences(PiBBs) has received a five-year,$970,000 grant from the NationalInstitute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the NationalInstitutes of Health for a secondphase of its interdisciplinary biological research endeavors.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003924.html
virtual lab: A $185,000 donation fromDell in hardware, software, andservices has helped the AndersonSchool of Management create a pilot
for the next generation of virtuallaboratory, which enables students tocomplete course specific homeworkfrom anywhere, at anytime with a broadband connection. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003975.html#more
golden plans: The TamarindInstitutue, UNM’s world-renownedlithography studio and gallery, hasbeen awarded $100,000 by theNational Endowment for the Artsto support its 50th anniversaryexhibition and catalogue.“Impressive Impressions: FiftyYears of Tamarind Lithographs”(working title) will be organized by Tamarind in collaboration withthe UNM Art Museum. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003988.html#more
kids and cancer: St. Baldrick’sFoundation, a non-profit organizationdedicated to raising money forchildhood cancer research, awarded a grant of $85,000 to the UNM department of pediatricsto help treat more kids on clinical trials (their best hope for a cure)or for further research.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003595.html#more
gift with soul: UNM’s Comadre aComadre program in the College of Education has been awarded a $54,000 grant from Con AlmaHealth Foundation. Comadre aComadre serves Hispanic/Latinawomen and their loved onesthrough advocacy, education, information, resources, and support about breast health and breast cancer. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003646.html#more
+MOReUNMLINKS aLBUm
Ruth M. Schifani, ’70 BA, ’76 JD, has beennamed “New Mexico Best Lawyers BankingLawyer of the Year” in 2008 by BestLawyers. The Albuquerque resident is ashareholder and member of the executivecommittee at Modrall Sperling. Ruth is alsopresident of the UNM Alumni Association.
Dennis Bierner, ’71 BAED, Phoenix, is areading intervention specialist at theAbraham Lincoln Traditional School.
Virginia R. Dugan, ’71 MA, ’75 EDSP, ’92 DED, ’95 JD, Albuquerque, has beendesignated a 2009 “Southwest SuperLawyer” by Super Lawyers magazine for the third consecutive year. She practices at Atkinson & Kelsey.
Ted Baca, ’72 BS, ’76 JD, Albuquerque, hasbegun a three-year term as presiding judgeof the 2nd Judicial Court.
Mark B. McFeeley, ’72 JD, Albuquerque,has retired from the US Bankruptcy Court in the District of New Mexico with the rankof chief judge.
Patricia George, ’73 BSNU, has taken early retirement from Presbyterian Hospitalin Albuquerque after a 25-year career as anurse, and moved to San Cristobal Island in the Galápagos where she is opening aluxury bed and breakfast.
Maria Elena Schacknies, ’73 BAED, ’74 MA,is currently involved in a project called“Lincoln at the Crossroads Alliance.” MariaElena is president of Cultura International,and can be reached at [email protected] orwww.culturainternational.net. She lives inBaltimore, Maryland.
Suleiman “Sul” Kassicieh, ’74 BS, ’75 MBA,was recently named Distinguished Professorof Management at UNM’s Anderson School. He holds the Anderson School ofManagement Endowed Chair in EconomicDevelopment and Regents’ Professor ofManagement of Technology.
Gary Martinez, ’75 BBA, is now senior vicepresident/business banking group managerat the Albuquerque office of Century Bank.
Brian Levant, ’74 BUS, Van Nuys,California, was in Albuquerque for severalmonths last winter directing Jackie Chan’snew action-comedy, The Spy Next Door.
Daniel J. O’Brien, Albuquerque, ’75 BA,’80 MBA, ’83 JD, is 2009 president of theWestern States Bar Conference. His law firm is O’Brien & Ulibarri.
Hang a Duck Pond on Your Tree!
The UNM Parent Association is offeringits second holiday ornament,
designed by artist Jana Fothergill, featuring a favorite UNM location, the Duck Pond. At $18.89 each, the 3"x 3" metal ornament can bepurchased exclusively at the UNMBookstore (http://bookstore.unm.edubeginning in late August). All proceedssupport the Parent Association. Call505-277-5915 or email [email protected] more information.
8 M I R A G E m a g a z i n e
art advances: The UNM Art Museumhas closed for renovations. Thetemporary loss to art lovers willbring a big long-term gain, adding8,000 square feet of gallery space, an updated print studyroom, storage space and administrative offices. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003796.html#more
connected campus: A new UNMStudent Recreation Center willbring the campus communitytogether, engage students, andsupport student life on campus,according to Eliseo “Cheo” Torres, vice president for student affairs.Architects have come up with athree-story building that will attachto Johnson Center with a bridge.Construction could begin in a year.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003946.html#more
NEWCONNECTIONSrecent regents: Santa Fe attorney JJEE ““GGeennee”” GGaalllleeggooss, ’56 BA, ’60 LLB,and undergraduate EEmmiillyy ““CCaattee””
WWiissddoomm, a junior biology and chemical engineering major, havejoined the UNM Board of Regents.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/004012.html
law dean: Kevin Washburn has beenselected to lead the UNM School of Law as its newest dean and full professor of law. Washburn began his tenure at UNM in June.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003697.html#more
ed dean: Richard Howell, ’72 BS, ’73 MA, ’83 PhD, has been selectedto lead the UNM College ofEducation as its newest dean.
Howell, who is also a faculty member in the department of educational leadership and organizational learning, had served previously as interim dean.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003823.html#more
art dean: James Linnell has beenappointed acting dean of theCollege of Fine Arts. Previously,Jim served as CFA senior associatedean. Linnell, a writer and director,has taught at UNM since 1975.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003702.html#more
engineering dean: Arup Maji,, chair of the department of civilengineering, has been appointedinterim dean of the School ofEngineering at UNM. Maji hasserved as chair of civil engineeringsince 2005. He has been a professor at UNM since 1988. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003996.html#more
gallup gains: Sylvia Rodriguez Andrewbegan her service as director of the UNM-Gallup campus thissummer. She previously served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at AntiochUniversity in Los Angeles, and as dean and professor in theCollege of Social Work at San Jose State University.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/004005.html#more
¡felicitaciones! Susan Tiano, professorof sociology, has been appointeddirector of the UNM Latin American& Iberian Institute.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003728.html#more
f a l l 2 0 0 9 9
GIVING CONNECTIONSmaximizing minorities in medicine: A four-year, $2.94 million grant fromthe National Institutes of Health ofGeneral Medical Sciences, aimed toenable minority students to reachtheir goals, has been awarded tothe Initiatives to Maximize StudentDiversity. The student researchprogram is led by nationally recognized faculty and program co-PI’s Maggie Werner-Washburne,professor, biology, and Steve Phillips,associate program director. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/004001.html#more
more minority success: The NationalInstitutes of Health has awardedUNM a four-year, $1.39 milliongrant to help train and developunder-represented minority graduate students – to assist themto perform successfully in the biomedical science/engineeringdoctoral programs. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003740.html#more
biology across disciplines: UNM’sProgram in InterdisciplinaryBiological & Biomedical Sciences(PiBBs) has received a five-year,$970,000 grant from the NationalInstitute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the NationalInstitutes of Health for a secondphase of its interdisciplinary biological research endeavors.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003924.html
virtual lab: A $185,000 donation fromDell in hardware, software, andservices has helped the AndersonSchool of Management create a pilot
for the next generation of virtuallaboratory, which enables students tocomplete course specific homeworkfrom anywhere, at anytime with a broadband connection. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003975.html#more
golden plans: The TamarindInstitutue, UNM’s world-renownedlithography studio and gallery, hasbeen awarded $100,000 by theNational Endowment for the Artsto support its 50th anniversaryexhibition and catalogue.“Impressive Impressions: FiftyYears of Tamarind Lithographs”(working title) will be organized by Tamarind in collaboration withthe UNM Art Museum. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003988.html#more
kids and cancer: St. Baldrick’sFoundation, a non-profit organizationdedicated to raising money forchildhood cancer research, awarded a grant of $85,000 to the UNM department of pediatricsto help treat more kids on clinical trials (their best hope for a cure)or for further research.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003595.html#more
gift with soul: UNM’s Comadre aComadre program in the College of Education has been awarded a $54,000 grant from Con AlmaHealth Foundation. Comadre aComadre serves Hispanic/Latinawomen and their loved onesthrough advocacy, education, information, resources, and support about breast health and breast cancer. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003646.html#more
+MOReUNMLINKS aLBUm
Ruth M. Schifani, ’70 BA, ’76 JD, has beennamed “New Mexico Best Lawyers BankingLawyer of the Year” in 2008 by BestLawyers. The Albuquerque resident is ashareholder and member of the executivecommittee at Modrall Sperling. Ruth is alsopresident of the UNM Alumni Association.
Dennis Bierner, ’71 BAED, Phoenix, is areading intervention specialist at theAbraham Lincoln Traditional School.
Virginia R. Dugan, ’71 MA, ’75 EDSP, ’92 DED, ’95 JD, Albuquerque, has beendesignated a 2009 “Southwest SuperLawyer” by Super Lawyers magazine for the third consecutive year. She practices at Atkinson & Kelsey.
Ted Baca, ’72 BS, ’76 JD, Albuquerque, hasbegun a three-year term as presiding judgeof the 2nd Judicial Court.
Mark B. McFeeley, ’72 JD, Albuquerque,has retired from the US Bankruptcy Court in the District of New Mexico with the rankof chief judge.
Patricia George, ’73 BSNU, has taken early retirement from Presbyterian Hospitalin Albuquerque after a 25-year career as anurse, and moved to San Cristobal Island in the Galápagos where she is opening aluxury bed and breakfast.
Maria Elena Schacknies, ’73 BAED, ’74 MA,is currently involved in a project called“Lincoln at the Crossroads Alliance.” MariaElena is president of Cultura International,and can be reached at [email protected] orwww.culturainternational.net. She lives inBaltimore, Maryland.
Suleiman “Sul” Kassicieh, ’74 BS, ’75 MBA,was recently named Distinguished Professorof Management at UNM’s Anderson School. He holds the Anderson School ofManagement Endowed Chair in EconomicDevelopment and Regents’ Professor ofManagement of Technology.
Gary Martinez, ’75 BBA, is now senior vicepresident/business banking group managerat the Albuquerque office of Century Bank.
Brian Levant, ’74 BUS, Van Nuys,California, was in Albuquerque for severalmonths last winter directing Jackie Chan’snew action-comedy, The Spy Next Door.
Daniel J. O’Brien, Albuquerque, ’75 BA,’80 MBA, ’83 JD, is 2009 president of theWestern States Bar Conference. His law firm is O’Brien & Ulibarri.
Hang a Duck Pond on Your Tree!
The UNM Parent Association is offeringits second holiday ornament,
designed by artist Jana Fothergill, featuring a favorite UNM location, the Duck Pond. At $18.89 each, the 3"x 3" metal ornament can bepurchased exclusively at the UNMBookstore (http://bookstore.unm.edubeginning in late August). All proceedssupport the Parent Association. Call505-277-5915 or email [email protected] more information.
8 M I R A G E m a g a z i n e
art advances: The UNM Art Museumhas closed for renovations. Thetemporary loss to art lovers willbring a big long-term gain, adding8,000 square feet of gallery space, an updated print studyroom, storage space and administrative offices. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003796.html#more
connected campus: A new UNMStudent Recreation Center willbring the campus communitytogether, engage students, andsupport student life on campus,according to Eliseo “Cheo” Torres, vice president for student affairs.Architects have come up with athree-story building that will attachto Johnson Center with a bridge.Construction could begin in a year.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003946.html#more
NEWCONNECTIONSrecent regents: Santa Fe attorney JJEE ““GGeennee”” GGaalllleeggooss, ’56 BA, ’60 LLB,and undergraduate EEmmiillyy ““CCaattee””
WWiissddoomm, a junior biology and chemical engineering major, havejoined the UNM Board of Regents.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/004012.html
law dean: Kevin Washburn has beenselected to lead the UNM School of Law as its newest dean and full professor of law. Washburn began his tenure at UNM in June.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003697.html#more
ed dean: Richard Howell, ’72 BS, ’73 MA, ’83 PhD, has been selectedto lead the UNM College ofEducation as its newest dean.
Howell, who is also a faculty member in the department of educational leadership and organizational learning, had served previously as interim dean.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003823.html#more
art dean: James Linnell has beenappointed acting dean of theCollege of Fine Arts. Previously,Jim served as CFA senior associatedean. Linnell, a writer and director,has taught at UNM since 1975.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003702.html#more
engineering dean: Arup Maji,, chair of the department of civilengineering, has been appointedinterim dean of the School ofEngineering at UNM. Maji hasserved as chair of civil engineeringsince 2005. He has been a professor at UNM since 1988. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003996.html#more
gallup gains: Sylvia Rodriguez Andrewbegan her service as director of the UNM-Gallup campus thissummer. She previously served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at AntiochUniversity in Los Angeles, and as dean and professor in theCollege of Social Work at San Jose State University.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/004005.html#more
¡felicitaciones! Susan Tiano, professorof sociology, has been appointeddirector of the UNM Latin American& Iberian Institute.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003728.html#more
f a l l 2 0 0 9 1 1M I R A G E m a g a z i n e1 0
HONORABLE CONNECTIONSgood fellow: DistinguishedProfessor of Biology Eric Charnovhas been elected a Fellow of theAmerican Academy of Arts &Sciences. Charnov’s research combines ideas from ecology, economics, and evolution to understand the life history, reproductive, and foraging decisions of plants and animals,including humans. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003897.html#more
top honor: Regents’ Professor ofHistory Ferenc Szasz is UNM’s 54thAnnual Research Lecturer. He presented a public lecture entitled“Abraham Lincoln and RobertBurns: Connected Lives andLegends” in the spring. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003712.html#more
regents profs: College of Arts andSciences professors Linda Hall, history, Zachary Sharp, earth & planetary sciences, and Margaret
Werner-Washburne, biology, havebeen named Regents Professors for 2009-2012 – a title thatacknowledges senior faculty fortheir accomplishments as teachers,scholars, and leaders in university affairs, as well as their work intheir national and internationalscholarly communities.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/004008.html#more
top teachers I: Margaret Connell-Szasz,professor of history, and Mary
Domski, assistant professor of philosophy, received the 2009Awards for Teaching Excellence
in the College of Arts and Sciences.Additionally, Jennifer Richter,American Studies, and LeighJohnson, English, were the graduate student recipients. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003902.html#more
top teachers II: The Faculty SenateTeaching Enhancement Committeeand the Office of Support forEffective Teaching annually honorfaculty with campus-wide teachingawards. Ursula Shepherd (honors) wasnamed the 2009-2011 PresidentialTeaching Fellow. OutstandingTeachers of the Year are SudhakarPrasad (physics and astronomy),Christine Sauer (economics), andElizabeth Yeater (psychology). http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003957.html#more
society president: Ziarat Hossain, associate professor of family studies in the department of individual, family, and communityeducation, has been elected president of the Society for Cross-Cultural Research. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003691.html#more
PUBLISHING CONNECTIONSmainly twain: DistinguishedProfessor of English Gary Scharnhorstedited Mainly the Truth:Interviews with Mark Twain,published by the University of Alabama Press and featured in thepress’ spring/summer catalog. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003722.html#more
a couple of books: Barbara McCrady,director of the Center onAlcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions (CASAA) andDistinguished Professor ofPsychology, and Rutgers Universityprofessor Elizabeth Epstein wroteOvercoming Alcohol Problems, A Couples-Focused ProgramTherapist Guide and theWorkbook for Couples. The twobooks have been published as part of Oxford University Press’“Treatments That Work.”http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003725.html#more
playwright writes: Elaine Avila, theatre associate professor, premiered Naked Singularity, apiece about black holes and animalbridegrooms, at Richard Foreman’sOntological-Hysterical Theater inNew York City. She also published anarticle in the Canadian TheatreReview about her collaborationwith award-winning writer PaulYee, Pangaea Arts, and CantoneseOpera performers.
magnifique maxine: Maxine Thévenot,associate organist and choir director,recently released a new CD,L’Orgue Magnifique. The album,recorded in Philadelphia on the1933 Skinner organ at GirardCollege Chapel, includes work by John Burge, Jeanne Landry,Martin Stacey, and Louis Vierne.http://www.unm.edu/~market/
cgi-bin/archives/003797.html#more
aLBUmRichard L. Speegle, ’75 BA, ’77 MA, hasretired after 33 years with the US ForestService and Bureau of Land Management inTaos and Durango, Colorado. He developedearly river-management practices on the Rio Grande and Rio Chama Wild and ScenicRivers. He was also federal project managerfor the Durango Mountain Resort andSilverton Ski Areas environmental impactstatements. He is now involved in realestate, construction, and property management in Durango.
Ilene Strizver, ’75 BAFA, is founder of The Type Studio in Westport, Connecticut.She is a noted typographic educator, consultant, designer, and writer, specializingin all aspects of visual communication, from the aesthetic to the technical.
Linda Vozar Sweet, ’76 BA, is chair of the college success department at EasternNew Mexico University-Ruidoso. Her galleryin Jemez Springs, Jemez Mountain Pottery,remains open in summer.
Sandra L. Brantley, ’77 BA, ’97 PhD, iscoauthor with Jean-Luc E. Cartron, ’95 PhD,David C. Lightfoot, Jane E. Mygatt, ’84 BS,’98 MS, and Timothy K. Lowrey of A FieldGuide to the Plants and Animals of theMiddle Rio Grande Bosque (UNM Press,2008). The guide covers the area from CochitiDam to Elephant Butte Reservoir with 800 color photographs and descriptions of more than 700 plants and animals.
Stephen Ciepiela, ’77 BA, ’80 MAPA,received the Harry E. Kinney “GoodNeighbor” Award as part of theAlbuquerque Chamber of CommerceCorporate Citizenship Awards. Steve is president and founder of Charles Stephensand Company, a financial consulting firm.
Janis Keene, ’77 MS, Albuquerque, has been appointed president of JuniorAchievement of New Mexico. Janis spent 27 years with APS before joiningJunior Achievement.
Bruce McMaster, ’77 BA (History/Art),Albuquerque, says he started two local companies, Zephyr Wagon Works (greenhouses, bicycle wagons) andMountain Sun Foods (dehydrated southwest food and cuisine).
Joseph A. Sholtis, ’77 MSNE, Tijeras, wasappointed to serve as a member of theNational Academy of Sciences, NationalResearch Council, Radioisotope PowerSystems Committee to review NASA’s space use as well as DOE’s and NASA’sdevelopment of RPSs in the future.
+MOReUNMLINKS
f a l l 2 0 0 9 1 1M I R A G E m a g a z i n e1 0
HONORABLE CONNECTIONSgood fellow: DistinguishedProfessor of Biology Eric Charnovhas been elected a Fellow of theAmerican Academy of Arts &Sciences. Charnov’s research combines ideas from ecology, economics, and evolution to understand the life history, reproductive, and foraging decisions of plants and animals,including humans. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003897.html#more
top honor: Regents’ Professor ofHistory Ferenc Szasz is UNM’s 54thAnnual Research Lecturer. He presented a public lecture entitled“Abraham Lincoln and RobertBurns: Connected Lives andLegends” in the spring. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003712.html#more
regents profs: College of Arts andSciences professors Linda Hall, history, Zachary Sharp, earth & planetary sciences, and Margaret
Werner-Washburne, biology, havebeen named Regents Professors for 2009-2012 – a title thatacknowledges senior faculty fortheir accomplishments as teachers,scholars, and leaders in university affairs, as well as their work intheir national and internationalscholarly communities.http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/004008.html#more
top teachers I: Margaret Connell-Szasz,professor of history, and Mary
Domski, assistant professor of philosophy, received the 2009Awards for Teaching Excellence
in the College of Arts and Sciences.Additionally, Jennifer Richter,American Studies, and LeighJohnson, English, were the graduate student recipients. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003902.html#more
top teachers II: The Faculty SenateTeaching Enhancement Committeeand the Office of Support forEffective Teaching annually honorfaculty with campus-wide teachingawards. Ursula Shepherd (honors) wasnamed the 2009-2011 PresidentialTeaching Fellow. OutstandingTeachers of the Year are SudhakarPrasad (physics and astronomy),Christine Sauer (economics), andElizabeth Yeater (psychology). http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003957.html#more
society president: Ziarat Hossain, associate professor of family studies in the department of individual, family, and communityeducation, has been elected president of the Society for Cross-Cultural Research. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003691.html#more
PUBLISHING CONNECTIONSmainly twain: DistinguishedProfessor of English Gary Scharnhorstedited Mainly the Truth:Interviews with Mark Twain,published by the University of Alabama Press and featured in thepress’ spring/summer catalog. http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003722.html#more
a couple of books: Barbara McCrady,director of the Center onAlcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions (CASAA) andDistinguished Professor ofPsychology, and Rutgers Universityprofessor Elizabeth Epstein wroteOvercoming Alcohol Problems, A Couples-Focused ProgramTherapist Guide and theWorkbook for Couples. The twobooks have been published as part of Oxford University Press’“Treatments That Work.”http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003725.html#more
playwright writes: Elaine Avila, theatre associate professor, premiered Naked Singularity, apiece about black holes and animalbridegrooms, at Richard Foreman’sOntological-Hysterical Theater inNew York City. She also published anarticle in the Canadian TheatreReview about her collaborationwith award-winning writer PaulYee, Pangaea Arts, and CantoneseOpera performers.
magnifique maxine: Maxine Thévenot,associate organist and choir director,recently released a new CD,L’Orgue Magnifique. The album,recorded in Philadelphia on the1933 Skinner organ at GirardCollege Chapel, includes work by John Burge, Jeanne Landry,Martin Stacey, and Louis Vierne.http://www.unm.edu/~market/
cgi-bin/archives/003797.html#more
aLBUmRichard L. Speegle, ’75 BA, ’77 MA, hasretired after 33 years with the US ForestService and Bureau of Land Management inTaos and Durango, Colorado. He developedearly river-management practices on the Rio Grande and Rio Chama Wild and ScenicRivers. He was also federal project managerfor the Durango Mountain Resort andSilverton Ski Areas environmental impactstatements. He is now involved in realestate, construction, and property management in Durango.
Ilene Strizver, ’75 BAFA, is founder of The Type Studio in Westport, Connecticut.She is a noted typographic educator, consultant, designer, and writer, specializingin all aspects of visual communication, from the aesthetic to the technical.
Linda Vozar Sweet, ’76 BA, is chair of the college success department at EasternNew Mexico University-Ruidoso. Her galleryin Jemez Springs, Jemez Mountain Pottery,remains open in summer.
Sandra L. Brantley, ’77 BA, ’97 PhD, iscoauthor with Jean-Luc E. Cartron, ’95 PhD,David C. Lightfoot, Jane E. Mygatt, ’84 BS,’98 MS, and Timothy K. Lowrey of A FieldGuide to the Plants and Animals of theMiddle Rio Grande Bosque (UNM Press,2008). The guide covers the area from CochitiDam to Elephant Butte Reservoir with 800 color photographs and descriptions of more than 700 plants and animals.
Stephen Ciepiela, ’77 BA, ’80 MAPA,received the Harry E. Kinney “GoodNeighbor” Award as part of theAlbuquerque Chamber of CommerceCorporate Citizenship Awards. Steve is president and founder of Charles Stephensand Company, a financial consulting firm.
Janis Keene, ’77 MS, Albuquerque, has been appointed president of JuniorAchievement of New Mexico. Janis spent 27 years with APS before joiningJunior Achievement.
Bruce McMaster, ’77 BA (History/Art),Albuquerque, says he started two local companies, Zephyr Wagon Works (greenhouses, bicycle wagons) andMountain Sun Foods (dehydrated southwest food and cuisine).
Joseph A. Sholtis, ’77 MSNE, Tijeras, wasappointed to serve as a member of theNational Academy of Sciences, NationalResearch Council, Radioisotope PowerSystems Committee to review NASA’s space use as well as DOE’s and NASA’sdevelopment of RPSs in the future.
+MOReUNMLINKS
MARY POWER S H E W H O F I N D S L O S T D O G S
English professor Mary Power received her BA from Regis Collegein Weston, Massachusetts, and her MA and PhD in English fromthe University of Wisconsin-Madison. She drove to UNM from
Madison in her “new Bermuda-blue Volkswagen convertible,” straightout of graduate school. She’d interviewed for a job and was “advised by
profs at Wisconsin that UNM treated its people well.”
Hometown:
Barrington, Rhode Island
First job: Assistantproduce clerk at McQuade’sMarket inRiverside, Rhode Island.
Worst teaching story: I overslept andmissed most of the first exam I wassupposed to give here in MitchellHall. Students had to phone to wakeme up, and it was a large class. Inmy defense, I can only say it was a 7:30 a.m. exam.
Best teaching story: I’m delightedwhen I know I’ve taught studentsliterature that has made a differencefor them. I’m happy when studentssend me postcards from Ireland, and even more so when they go on and receive advanced degrees in Irish literature.
If you weren’t teaching, what would you do? I’d be a lawyer specializing inhuman or civil rights.
Favorite Joyce book: That’s like askingabout one’s left arm or one’s rightarm. Ulysses, probably, but I alsolove Dubliners and Portrait andyearn to know more aboutFinnegans Wake.
Favorite place to visit in England:London, most certainly. I taughtthere for UNM one semester. Armedwith a guide book, I took long walksfrom one end of the city to the other,and read all the blue plaques on thehouses of famous people. In that wayI got to know the city and some ofits layers of history fairly well. I amlooking forward to teaching UNMstudents in London either nextsummer or some summer soon.
Best sabbatical experience: Working withturn-of-the-century manuscriptsand newspapers at the NationalLibrary of Ireland on Kildare Streetin Dublin, and making some keydiscoveries about Joyce’s works and their contexts.
Hidden talent: Hmmmm… probablyfinding lost dogs.
Which would you read for fun (pick one):
romance mystery science fiction biography
Mysteries most certainly—I really enjoy PD James, Elizabeth George, and Donna Leon especially among contemporary writers and Sherlock Homes, Wilkie Collins, and Sheridan Le Fanu among earlier writers.
X
DIRK C . G IBSON S E R I A L LY S P E A K I N G
Associate professor of communication Dirk C. Gibson is an expert source for print and broadcast media on serial killers and mass communication, and has published two recent books on serial murderers. He received a BS in communication from Southern Illinois
University and an MS and PhD in communication from Indiana University.
FACULTY PROFILeSQUIRKYQUeSTIONS
Mirage asks the questions
that have nothing to
do with your grade.
f a l l 2 0 0 9 1 3M I R A G E m a g a z i n e1 2
aLBUmGeorge Stanfield, ’77 BBA, Albuquerque,has been named to the UNM AndersonSchool of Management’s Hall of Fame. He is responsible for all Bank of the Westoperations in 72 retail locations and fourcommercial banking centers in New Mexico,Oklahoma, and Arizona.
Brian Burnett, ’78 BSCE, ’80 MSCE, now serves on the Presbyterian HealthcareServices board of directors. He is also chairfor the boards of Quality New Mexico andthe Association of Commerce and Industry.Brian is president of Bohannan Huston in Albuquerque.
Fairlee Winfield Carroll, ’78 PhD, ofScottsdale, professor emerita of linguisticsand cultural studies at Northern ArizonaUniversity, is author of BUFFALOed, a novel,available at amazon.com. Her interest wassparked by her grandmother’s stories ofworking in the Montana home of renownedartist Charles M. Russell.
Antoinette Sedillo López, ’79 BUS, is acoauthor, with Barbara L. Shapiro and MerriRudd, of the second edition of Family Law in New Mexico (Abogada Press), written tohelp the ordinary person understand howthe system operates.
Debra Levy Martinelli, ’79 BA, is the principal and owner of LevyMart PublicRelations in Norman, Oklahoma, where shelives with her husband, Johnny, ’77 BUS.Her firm offers a full range of PR services.
Marsha Bol, ’80 MA, ’89 PhD, is now director of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. Formerly, she was director of the New Mexico Museum.
DEBRA LEVY MARTINELLI
Hometown: Chicago
First job: Janitor on the Illinois tollway. I was lucky to have it and learned a lot.
Favorite detective series (fiction):
That’s easy – Sherlock Holmes.
Current project: I’m finishing a bookon outer-space public relations. It’s my first e-book, published byBentham Science Publishers. I’malso writing about the commercialcauses of for-profit serial murder. I was asked by a group representingthe West Mesa victims to write a book about them. It would be a dramatically different book, withthe victims and their families making up a third of it. My brainsays don’t do it; my heart says do.
Hidden talent: Not music – I’m alwaysone beat off the real beat. I’m agentle and kind person who has ahard time in the world full of meanpeople. I’m a reader and writer.
Have you ever wanted to be a detective
rather than write about killers? No, Iwould pass out when I saw blood.
If you didn’t write about the criminal
world, what would you write about?
I actually used to write about product safety, product recalls.
But publishers are much moreinterested in serial murderers.
What music do you listen to in order to
clear your mind? It’s strange in that I leave [the gory] stuff behind. Itdoesn’t stay with me. But I havegone through a dozen researchassociates! I don’t watch shows like CSI – I’m scared by them. I love reggae, especially UB40.
Dream job: Teaching and researchingin a place where decisions arebased totally on students’ needs.
Most complex serial killer case (pick one):
Jack the Ripper Night Stalker
Ted Bundy other: The Mad Butcher of ClevelandXB
ob
by
Tam
ayo
FOR 4 FAVORITE PROFSE D I T E D B Y M A R Y C O N R A D
MARY POWER S H E W H O F I N D S L O S T D O G S
English professor Mary Power received her BA from Regis Collegein Weston, Massachusetts, and her MA and PhD in English fromthe University of Wisconsin-Madison. She drove to UNM from
Madison in her “new Bermuda-blue Volkswagen convertible,” straightout of graduate school. She’d interviewed for a job and was “advised by
profs at Wisconsin that UNM treated its people well.”
Hometown:
Barrington, Rhode Island
First job: Assistantproduce clerk at McQuade’sMarket inRiverside, Rhode Island.
Worst teaching story: I overslept andmissed most of the first exam I wassupposed to give here in MitchellHall. Students had to phone to wakeme up, and it was a large class. Inmy defense, I can only say it was a 7:30 a.m. exam.
Best teaching story: I’m delightedwhen I know I’ve taught studentsliterature that has made a differencefor them. I’m happy when studentssend me postcards from Ireland, and even more so when they go on and receive advanced degrees in Irish literature.
If you weren’t teaching, what would you do? I’d be a lawyer specializing inhuman or civil rights.
Favorite Joyce book: That’s like askingabout one’s left arm or one’s rightarm. Ulysses, probably, but I alsolove Dubliners and Portrait andyearn to know more aboutFinnegans Wake.
Favorite place to visit in England:London, most certainly. I taughtthere for UNM one semester. Armedwith a guide book, I took long walksfrom one end of the city to the other,and read all the blue plaques on thehouses of famous people. In that wayI got to know the city and some ofits layers of history fairly well. I amlooking forward to teaching UNMstudents in London either nextsummer or some summer soon.
Best sabbatical experience: Working withturn-of-the-century manuscriptsand newspapers at the NationalLibrary of Ireland on Kildare Streetin Dublin, and making some keydiscoveries about Joyce’s works and their contexts.
Hidden talent: Hmmmm… probablyfinding lost dogs.
Which would you read for fun (pick one):
romance mystery science fiction biography
Mysteries most certainly—I really enjoy PD James, Elizabeth George, and Donna Leon especially among contemporary writers and Sherlock Homes, Wilkie Collins, and Sheridan Le Fanu among earlier writers.
X
DIRK C . G IBSON S E R I A L LY S P E A K I N G
Associate professor of communication Dirk C. Gibson is an expert source for print and broadcast media on serial killers and mass communication, and has published two recent books on serial murderers. He received a BS in communication from Southern Illinois
University and an MS and PhD in communication from Indiana University.
FACULTY PROFILeSQUIRKYQUeSTIONS
Mirage asks the questions
that have nothing to
do with your grade.
f a l l 2 0 0 9 1 3M I R A G E m a g a z i n e1 2
aLBUmGeorge Stanfield, ’77 BBA, Albuquerque,has been named to the UNM AndersonSchool of Management’s Hall of Fame. He is responsible for all Bank of the Westoperations in 72 retail locations and fourcommercial banking centers in New Mexico,Oklahoma, and Arizona.
Brian Burnett, ’78 BSCE, ’80 MSCE, now serves on the Presbyterian HealthcareServices board of directors. He is also chairfor the boards of Quality New Mexico andthe Association of Commerce and Industry.Brian is president of Bohannan Huston in Albuquerque.
Fairlee Winfield Carroll, ’78 PhD, ofScottsdale, professor emerita of linguisticsand cultural studies at Northern ArizonaUniversity, is author of BUFFALOed, a novel,available at amazon.com. Her interest wassparked by her grandmother’s stories ofworking in the Montana home of renownedartist Charles M. Russell.
Antoinette Sedillo López, ’79 BUS, is acoauthor, with Barbara L. Shapiro and MerriRudd, of the second edition of Family Law in New Mexico (Abogada Press), written tohelp the ordinary person understand howthe system operates.
Debra Levy Martinelli, ’79 BA, is the principal and owner of LevyMart PublicRelations in Norman, Oklahoma, where shelives with her husband, Johnny, ’77 BUS.Her firm offers a full range of PR services.
Marsha Bol, ’80 MA, ’89 PhD, is now director of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. Formerly, she was director of the New Mexico Museum.
DEBRA LEVY MARTINELLI
Hometown: Chicago
First job: Janitor on the Illinois tollway. I was lucky to have it and learned a lot.
Favorite detective series (fiction):
That’s easy – Sherlock Holmes.
Current project: I’m finishing a bookon outer-space public relations. It’s my first e-book, published byBentham Science Publishers. I’malso writing about the commercialcauses of for-profit serial murder. I was asked by a group representingthe West Mesa victims to write a book about them. It would be a dramatically different book, withthe victims and their families making up a third of it. My brainsays don’t do it; my heart says do.
Hidden talent: Not music – I’m alwaysone beat off the real beat. I’m agentle and kind person who has ahard time in the world full of meanpeople. I’m a reader and writer.
Have you ever wanted to be a detective
rather than write about killers? No, Iwould pass out when I saw blood.
If you didn’t write about the criminal
world, what would you write about?
I actually used to write about product safety, product recalls.
But publishers are much moreinterested in serial murderers.
What music do you listen to in order to
clear your mind? It’s strange in that I leave [the gory] stuff behind. Itdoesn’t stay with me. But I havegone through a dozen researchassociates! I don’t watch shows like CSI – I’m scared by them. I love reggae, especially UB40.
Dream job: Teaching and researchingin a place where decisions arebased totally on students’ needs.
Most complex serial killer case (pick one):
Jack the Ripper Night Stalker
Ted Bundy other: The Mad Butcher of ClevelandX
Bo
bb
y Ta
may
o
FOR 4 FAVORITE PROFSE D I T E D B Y M A R Y C O N R A D
Hometown: Parsippany, New Jersey
First job: Landscaping, house-painting,and construction work over thesummers of high school and college.
Most rewarding case: When a neighbor’schild came rushing to my homesaying her mother was choking
on something. It turned out shewas in a full cardiac arrest and I performed CPR on her until EMS arrived and helped run thecode at the scene. She left the hospital several weeks later in good condition.
Most important advancement in health
worldwide: Broadly, it would have to be modern water sanitation systems. As far as cutting edge scientific discoveries go, I believeadvances in stem cell research holdthe greatest promise for massivemedical applications.
If you weren’t a physician, what would
you do? I was on track to work for NASA as an exobiologist – a scientist who tries to discover/study life extra-terrestrially.
Administration or patient care?
My heart and my self-image are as an emergency physician.
Favorite stress-reliever: Playing withmy kids and Tai Chi
Favorite healthy food: Chicken
Favorite junk food: Chocolate
Hidden talent: I like to do carpentry.
Which would you read for fun (pick one):
mystery science fiction biography
other: I’m a Dean Koontz fan.X
PAUL ROTHF R O M E T T O E R
Paul Roth is executive vice president for health sciences and dean ofthe School of Medicine. He received his BS and MS in biology fromFarleigh Dickinson University and his MD from George Washington
University. He enrolled in the UNM family medicine residency program in 1976.
SUSAN B. T IANO C E R E B R A L G A R D N E R
Hometown: I was born in Santa Fe,and raised in Los Alamos. At 11 Imoved to Honolulu with my mom.
First job: I worked for my father at our sporting goods store in Los Alamos after graduating fromhigh school. I did everything butsell guns.
First trip out of the country: My family hada cabin in Truth or Consequences,New Mexico. As little kids mybrother and I would go with ourparents across the border toJuarez, Mexico.
Worst teaching story: My first semesterat UNM (1989), I was assigned to a
sociology 101 class with 700 students,all expecting a beloved facultymember, Pat McNamara, to teachthe class. Their first reaction was“You’re not Pat McNamara!” Once, a singing telegram, complete withballoons and strip dancers, wasdelivered in the middle of class.There was a place in Woodward to
project visuals to the entire audience.Someone got up there and starteddoing obscene hand gestures inshadow over my head where Icouldn’t see. The class was crackingup. Finally a police officer who wasin the class said, “Dr. Tiano, I’mgoing to fix your problem,” andescorted the student out. But by
the end of the semester, theyclapped for me, gave me a standingovation. After that I could teachmost anything.
Best teaching story: My first semesterat Michigan State University, I wasvery strict about tests, time, etc. I was kind of mean. One day a student comes to me and says, “Iflunked my test because I didn’thave time to finish it.” He was ajock, on the football team, kind ofthe stereotype of a lazy student. I was very skeptical, but said,“Okay, you can take it right now.”He sat down and took it right thenand made a perfect score! Afterthat my tendency has been tobelieve students and to make surethey have a chance to show whatthey know.
What different career would you pursue if you could? I’d probably be a horticulturist or botanist. I loveplants. I love to plant. The planetneeds growing things. I try hard to balance my too cerebral life with gardening.
Hidden talent: Dancing. All kinds. Ball room. Country. Nightclub.Swing. Competition.
Susan B. Tiano is director of the UNM Latin American and Iberian Institute and professor of sociology. She earned a BA and an MA in sociology from Colorado State University, and a PhD in sociology from Brown. She received the UNM Alumni Association 2009 Faculty Teaching Award.
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e1 4 f a l l 2 0 0 9 1 5
aLBUm
Patti R. Watson, ’80 BA, has been electedchair and chief executive officer of Cooney,Watson & Associates, a full-service advertising,marketing, public relations, and video production firm in Albuquerque.
Cynthia Fry, ’81 JD, Corrales, is now chiefjudge on the New Mexico Court of Appeals.She has served on the court for eight years.
Daniel P. Gmyrek, ’81 BSPH, Weber City,Virginia, has been named the HospitalPreceptor of the Year for the East TennesseeState University College of Pharmacy.
Teresa L. Knott, ’81 BUS, Elliott City,Maryland, has been appointed director of the Tompkins-McCaw Library for theHealth Sciences and associate universitylibrarian for the VCU Libraries at VirginiaCommonwealth University.
Sarah D. Smith, ’81 JD, formerly director of ethics and compliance for PNMResources, now teaches full time as the Rust Professor for Business Ethics at UNM’s Anderson School.
Pete Maggiore, ’82 MS, was recently recognized for his contributions to environmental remediation by the AmericanSociety of Mechanical Engineers. Pete is senior vice president of North Wind, an environmental engineering business, in its Los Alamos office.
Joseph F. Medina, ’82 BSHE, has been CEOand manager of Home Clean Home residentialcleaning services in Española since 2001.
Carol June Rogers, ’82 BSED, Youngstown,New York, is president-elect of the New York State Association for theEducation of Young Children. She is professor and coordinator of human services/early childhood education programsat Niagara County Community College.
Charles V. Garcia, ’83 BBA, has joinedMiller Stratvert law firm in Albuquerque.
PATTI WATSON
Most interesting Latin American leader (pick one):
Hugo Chávez Michelle Bachelet Felipe Calderón
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner other:
Why?While he didn’t do great things for human rights, he did more for the status of women and families, education, access to healthcare, among other things, to empower and strengthenthe population.
Fidel CastroXB
ob
by
Tam
ayo
Bo
bb
y Ta
may
o
Hometown: Parsippany, New Jersey
First job: Landscaping, house-painting,and construction work over thesummers of high school and college.
Most rewarding case: When a neighbor’schild came rushing to my homesaying her mother was choking
on something. It turned out shewas in a full cardiac arrest and I performed CPR on her until EMS arrived and helped run thecode at the scene. She left the hospital several weeks later in good condition.
Most important advancement in health
worldwide: Broadly, it would have to be modern water sanitation systems. As far as cutting edge scientific discoveries go, I believeadvances in stem cell research holdthe greatest promise for massivemedical applications.
If you weren’t a physician, what would
you do? I was on track to work for NASA as an exobiologist – a scientist who tries to discover/study life extra-terrestrially.
Administration or patient care?
My heart and my self-image are as an emergency physician.
Favorite stress-reliever: Playing withmy kids and Tai Chi
Favorite healthy food: Chicken
Favorite junk food: Chocolate
Hidden talent: I like to do carpentry.
Which would you read for fun (pick one):
mystery science fiction biography
other: I’m a Dean Koontz fan.X
PAUL ROTHF R O M E T T O E R
Paul Roth is executive vice president for health sciences and dean ofthe School of Medicine. He received his BS and MS in biology fromFarleigh Dickinson University and his MD from George Washington
University. He enrolled in the UNM family medicine residency program in 1976.
SUSAN B. T IANO C E R E B R A L G A R D N E R
Hometown: I was born in Santa Fe,and raised in Los Alamos. At 11 Imoved to Honolulu with my mom.
First job: I worked for my father at our sporting goods store in Los Alamos after graduating fromhigh school. I did everything butsell guns.
First trip out of the country: My family hada cabin in Truth or Consequences,New Mexico. As little kids mybrother and I would go with ourparents across the border toJuarez, Mexico.
Worst teaching story: My first semesterat UNM (1989), I was assigned to a
sociology 101 class with 700 students,all expecting a beloved facultymember, Pat McNamara, to teachthe class. Their first reaction was“You’re not Pat McNamara!” Once, a singing telegram, complete withballoons and strip dancers, wasdelivered in the middle of class.There was a place in Woodward to
project visuals to the entire audience.Someone got up there and starteddoing obscene hand gestures inshadow over my head where Icouldn’t see. The class was crackingup. Finally a police officer who wasin the class said, “Dr. Tiano, I’mgoing to fix your problem,” andescorted the student out. But by
the end of the semester, theyclapped for me, gave me a standingovation. After that I could teachmost anything.
Best teaching story: My first semesterat Michigan State University, I wasvery strict about tests, time, etc. I was kind of mean. One day a student comes to me and says, “Iflunked my test because I didn’thave time to finish it.” He was ajock, on the football team, kind ofthe stereotype of a lazy student. I was very skeptical, but said,“Okay, you can take it right now.”He sat down and took it right thenand made a perfect score! Afterthat my tendency has been tobelieve students and to make surethey have a chance to show whatthey know.
What different career would you pursue if you could? I’d probably be a horticulturist or botanist. I loveplants. I love to plant. The planetneeds growing things. I try hard to balance my too cerebral life with gardening.
Hidden talent: Dancing. All kinds. Ball room. Country. Nightclub.Swing. Competition.
Susan B. Tiano is director of the UNM Latin American and Iberian Institute and professor of sociology. She earned a BA and an MA in sociology from Colorado State University, and a PhD in sociology from Brown. She received the UNM Alumni Association 2009 Faculty Teaching Award.
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e1 4 f a l l 2 0 0 9 1 5
aLBUm
Patti R. Watson, ’80 BA, has been electedchair and chief executive officer of Cooney,Watson & Associates, a full-service advertising,marketing, public relations, and video production firm in Albuquerque.
Cynthia Fry, ’81 JD, Corrales, is now chiefjudge on the New Mexico Court of Appeals.She has served on the court for eight years.
Daniel P. Gmyrek, ’81 BSPH, Weber City,Virginia, has been named the HospitalPreceptor of the Year for the East TennesseeState University College of Pharmacy.
Teresa L. Knott, ’81 BUS, Elliott City,Maryland, has been appointed director of the Tompkins-McCaw Library for theHealth Sciences and associate universitylibrarian for the VCU Libraries at VirginiaCommonwealth University.
Sarah D. Smith, ’81 JD, formerly director of ethics and compliance for PNMResources, now teaches full time as the Rust Professor for Business Ethics at UNM’s Anderson School.
Pete Maggiore, ’82 MS, was recently recognized for his contributions to environmental remediation by the AmericanSociety of Mechanical Engineers. Pete is senior vice president of North Wind, an environmental engineering business, in its Los Alamos office.
Joseph F. Medina, ’82 BSHE, has been CEOand manager of Home Clean Home residentialcleaning services in Española since 2001.
Carol June Rogers, ’82 BSED, Youngstown,New York, is president-elect of the New York State Association for theEducation of Young Children. She is professor and coordinator of human services/early childhood education programsat Niagara County Community College.
Charles V. Garcia, ’83 BBA, has joinedMiller Stratvert law firm in Albuquerque.
PATTI WATSON
Most interesting Latin American leader (pick one):
Hugo Chávez Michelle Bachelet Felipe Calderón
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner other:
Why?While he didn’t do great things for human rights, he did more for the status of women and families, education, access to healthcare, among other things, to empower and strengthenthe population.
Fidel CastroX
Bo
bb
y Ta
may
o
Bo
bb
y Ta
may
o
caLUMNI PROFILeTHe CHILD
NeVeR FORGOTTeNB Y S T E V E C A R R
The US remembered the
child kidnapped by her
father in Iraq; now Alea
Nadeem serves her country
in the US Air Force.
f a l l 2 0 0 9M I R A G E m a g a z i n e1 6 1 7
aLBUmKarin Pogna Johnson, ’83 MEd, Austin, is in her 6th year as principal at RunningBrushy Middle School in Leander, Texas. She is currently working on her PhD inschool improvement at Texas StateUniversity. She is coauthor of “What Makesan Effective Principal?” in Leadership inFocus: The Journal of Australasian SchoolLeaders (Winter 2008).
Kathleen Romero, ’83 BA, has joinedHearing Health Care Centers in its audiologypractice in Albuquerque.
Julie Downs Goodnight, ’84 BAR, nearSalida, Colorado, is in the second season ofher horse-training TV show, Horse Masterwith Julie Goodnight. She travels the countryto work with horses and riders in her clinicswhile shooting the TV makeover show. Herweb address is www.juliegoodnight.com.
Tom Arms, ’84 BSEE, St. Louis, Missouri, is an energy engineer at Tetra Tech.
David W. Dallas, ’84 BAED, Albuquerque,has received the Master Teacher-ElementarySubject Matter Outstanding GraduateStudent Award from the Jones Institute of Educational Excellence and the TeachersCollege at Emporia State University inKansas where he has earned his MA. Healso received the Graduate Student ResearchAward for his research in elementary scienceinstruction in New Mexico. David has beenteaching in APS.
Jane E. Mygatt, ’84 BS, ’98 MS, is coauthorof A Field Guide to the Plants and Animalsof the Middle Rio Grande Bosque (UNMPress, 2008). See more at the entry forSandra L. Brantley, ’77 BA.
Steve McKee, ’85 BBA, Albuquerque, has a new book, When Growth Stalls: How ItHappens, Why You’re Stuck, and What toDo About It. He is president of the McKeeWallwork Cleveland agency, which offersplanning, creative, and media services.
Eddie Tafoya, ’85 BA, ’92 MA, is author of The Legacy of the Wisecrack: Stand-upComedy as the Great American LiteraryForm (BrownWalker Press, 2009). Eddie is an associate professor of American literatureand creative writing at New MexicoHighlands University in Las Vegas.
Art DeLaCruz, ’87 BUS, has been electedto a four-year term as Bernalillo CountyCommissioner, District 2.
Joline Gutierrez-Krueger, ’87 BUS, Tijeras,New Mexico, last year received a first placeaward from the Society of ProfessionalJournalists Top of the Rockies journalismcompetition for her personal columns in theAlbuquerque Journal.
Ch
rist
ian
Ho
rstm
ann
S P E C I A L A G E N T , M A ’ A M : Alea Nadeem returned to UNM to take part in a US Air Force commissioning ceremony associated with springcommencement. Alea credits UNM and the Air Force ROTC with starting her on the path to becoming a special agent.
Courage, strength, determination, and patriotism motivate
all who join the United States military.
While some follow in their parents’ and grandparents’ footsteps,
others, such as US Air Force Lieutenant Alea Nadeem, ’08 BA,
are motivated by unique life experiences.
After her rescue as a child from Iraq and her homecoming
with her mother in America, Alea Nadeem knew she wanted
to serve the country that “never forgot its child.”
IN THE BEGINNINGBorn in Toledo, Ohio, to a Catholic
mother, Cindy, and a Muslim father,Saddam, Alea and her sister, Ayesha,seemed to have a normal Americanchildhood made unique only by theirCatholic-Muslim upbringing.
But their life changed as theirfather, once a loose-practicing Muslim,changed. “The older he got, the moreextreme he became with his Islamicbeliefs,” Alea says.
As a result, her parents separatedwhen Alea was 7 and Ayesha, 2. “But I was still in a very happy home,” with her father coming over for dinnerand spending time with the girls onweekends, Alea recalls.
Then, one day in 1991, while in the second grade, Alea learned thatshe and Ayesha and their parents were going to a land they knew only as their father’s homeland.
“He told my mom that his motherwas sick and that he wanted to takemy sister and I to visit her before shedied,” Alea says. “I just remembertelling the teacher I was going to begone for two weeks. She gave me a pile of homework. I was excited! It was like two weeks off!”
A WORLD AWAY…Unbeknownst to Alea, Ayesha, and
their mother, the girls were headed foran odyssey they would never forget.They arrived in Mosul, Iraq, to spendtime with their grandmother, Adeba,then in her 60s. But she wasn’t sick.Her “illness” had been a ruse to takethe girls away from their mother.
“We visited my sick grandmother,who wasn’t really sick,” says Alea. “She had a knee injury and was not on her deathbed at all.”
Curiosity and suspicion began toarise. Still, the children didn’t knowwhat their father was planning.
caLUMNI PROFILeTHe CHILD
NeVeR FORGOTTeNB Y S T E V E C A R R
The US remembered the
child kidnapped by her
father in Iraq; now Alea
Nadeem serves her country
in the US Air Force.
f a l l 2 0 0 9M I R A G E m a g a z i n e1 6 1 7
aLBUmKarin Pogna Johnson, ’83 MEd, Austin, is in her 6th year as principal at RunningBrushy Middle School in Leander, Texas. She is currently working on her PhD inschool improvement at Texas StateUniversity. She is coauthor of “What Makesan Effective Principal?” in Leadership inFocus: The Journal of Australasian SchoolLeaders (Winter 2008).
Kathleen Romero, ’83 BA, has joinedHearing Health Care Centers in its audiologypractice in Albuquerque.
Julie Downs Goodnight, ’84 BAR, nearSalida, Colorado, is in the second season ofher horse-training TV show, Horse Masterwith Julie Goodnight. She travels the countryto work with horses and riders in her clinicswhile shooting the TV makeover show. Herweb address is www.juliegoodnight.com.
Tom Arms, ’84 BSEE, St. Louis, Missouri, is an energy engineer at Tetra Tech.
David W. Dallas, ’84 BAED, Albuquerque,has received the Master Teacher-ElementarySubject Matter Outstanding GraduateStudent Award from the Jones Institute of Educational Excellence and the TeachersCollege at Emporia State University inKansas where he has earned his MA. Healso received the Graduate Student ResearchAward for his research in elementary scienceinstruction in New Mexico. David has beenteaching in APS.
Jane E. Mygatt, ’84 BS, ’98 MS, is coauthorof A Field Guide to the Plants and Animalsof the Middle Rio Grande Bosque (UNMPress, 2008). See more at the entry forSandra L. Brantley, ’77 BA.
Steve McKee, ’85 BBA, Albuquerque, has a new book, When Growth Stalls: How ItHappens, Why You’re Stuck, and What toDo About It. He is president of the McKeeWallwork Cleveland agency, which offersplanning, creative, and media services.
Eddie Tafoya, ’85 BA, ’92 MA, is author of The Legacy of the Wisecrack: Stand-upComedy as the Great American LiteraryForm (BrownWalker Press, 2009). Eddie is an associate professor of American literatureand creative writing at New MexicoHighlands University in Las Vegas.
Art DeLaCruz, ’87 BUS, has been electedto a four-year term as Bernalillo CountyCommissioner, District 2.
Joline Gutierrez-Krueger, ’87 BUS, Tijeras,New Mexico, last year received a first placeaward from the Society of ProfessionalJournalists Top of the Rockies journalismcompetition for her personal columns in theAlbuquerque Journal.
Ch
rist
ian
Ho
rstm
ann
S P E C I A L A G E N T , M A ’ A M : Alea Nadeem returned to UNM to take part in a US Air Force commissioning ceremony associated with springcommencement. Alea credits UNM and the Air Force ROTC with starting her on the path to becoming a special agent.
Courage, strength, determination, and patriotism motivate
all who join the United States military.
While some follow in their parents’ and grandparents’ footsteps,
others, such as US Air Force Lieutenant Alea Nadeem, ’08 BA,
are motivated by unique life experiences.
After her rescue as a child from Iraq and her homecoming
with her mother in America, Alea Nadeem knew she wanted
to serve the country that “never forgot its child.”
IN THE BEGINNINGBorn in Toledo, Ohio, to a Catholic
mother, Cindy, and a Muslim father,Saddam, Alea and her sister, Ayesha,seemed to have a normal Americanchildhood made unique only by theirCatholic-Muslim upbringing.
But their life changed as theirfather, once a loose-practicing Muslim,changed. “The older he got, the moreextreme he became with his Islamicbeliefs,” Alea says.
As a result, her parents separatedwhen Alea was 7 and Ayesha, 2. “But I was still in a very happy home,” with her father coming over for dinnerand spending time with the girls onweekends, Alea recalls.
Then, one day in 1991, while in the second grade, Alea learned thatshe and Ayesha and their parents were going to a land they knew only as their father’s homeland.
“He told my mom that his motherwas sick and that he wanted to takemy sister and I to visit her before shedied,” Alea says. “I just remembertelling the teacher I was going to begone for two weeks. She gave me a pile of homework. I was excited! It was like two weeks off!”
A WORLD AWAY…Unbeknownst to Alea, Ayesha, and
their mother, the girls were headed foran odyssey they would never forget.They arrived in Mosul, Iraq, to spendtime with their grandmother, Adeba,then in her 60s. But she wasn’t sick.Her “illness” had been a ruse to takethe girls away from their mother.
“We visited my sick grandmother,who wasn’t really sick,” says Alea. “She had a knee injury and was not on her deathbed at all.”
Curiosity and suspicion began toarise. Still, the children didn’t knowwhat their father was planning.
“On the last night we were supposedto be there, my dad came to get us andsaid, ‘hey, we’re going to go visit thefamily,’” Alea recalls. He took the girls totheir aunt’s house, where they “played,and had a good time. We started gettingtired and sleepy. Then, our father justleaves. He just left us there.”
The girls were scared. Everyonewas talking in Arabic. They knew theywere with family, but they had just metthem a little over a week before. Theycried themselves to sleep.
Alea and Ayesha stayed at theiraunt’s house for more than a week.They were brought food, but didn’t seetheir family otherwise. They had no ideawhat was going on. Then one day, theyheard someone screaming in English.
“’Oh my God! It’s my mom!’” Alearecalls saying. “I can hear her cussingand I’m trying to race downstairs. Mymom had somehow found us. Theywere holding her back and not lettingher get to me and my sister. Then, mydad shows up and it just got chaotic.”
Unfortunately for the girls, theirmother was powerless in a land wherewomen had no rights. “My mom, shecouldn’t really do anything,” Alea says.Frightened, the girls would not let goof their mother. They got into the carand drove back to their grandmother’shouse where they had been staying.
“My dad’s trying to tell us that ’yourmother left you. She didn’t want you andthat’s why I took you girls,’” Alea says.“He was saying really horrible things thatan 8-year-old should probably neverhear a father say about their mother.”
It soon became clear to Alea thatsomething was terribly wrong as hermother started packing her sister’sbags, but not hers.
“It was one of those moment’s inyour life where you are like, ‘What?’ Iwas only 8, but I just had this awfulfeeling,” Alea recalls. “My mom finishespacking my sister’s bags and takes thesuitcases down to the car.”
According to Alea, Cindy turns tolook at their father and says, “Sam,”
which is what she called him, “How can you make me do this?”
He put a gun to her head and said,“Choose.”
Cindy looked at her oldest daughterand said, “I’m so sorry, Alea. I have to takeyour sister. You know she’s just a kid.”
Alea was numb. She knew her sisterwas going back to the United States andshe was staying in Iraq against her will.
“It’s very difficult to see your motherand sister walk away,” Alea says. “That’sone scenario in my life I’ve dealt withover and over again.”
Cindy left with Ayesha, and Aleabegan her new life in the Middle East,going to school and trying to acceptthat she didn’t have a mother – at leastnot one she was able to see daily. Herdad had multiple wives and they triedto take on a motherly role, but it wasalways different for Alea.
THE GULF WAR…In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait.
The American presence initiated withOperation Desert Storm would lead to Alea’s ticket home.
“When the (first) Gulf War started,America came to Iraq,” she remembers.“I don’t care what people say aboutthat war because it freed me out ofthat country.”
She vividly recalls the day in 1994when an American helicopter landed in Mosul on a humanitarian mission. “I was still young, 10 years old, but Iremembered the American flag. Whenthey landed, all these kids, mostlymales, were surrounding the helicopter.The troops were dropping candy and the
kids were all grabbing it. I rememberthinking, ’I’ve got to get to the frontand tell them to take me home.’”
Determined, Alea somehow made itto the helicopter. Speaking Arabic andEnglish, Alea said, “Hi. My name isAlea. I’m from Toledo, Ohio. I need togo see my mom. Can you take me?”
The soldier replied, “Where’s your passport?”
“I’m 10 years old and wondering,‘What’s a passport?’” Alea recalls.
“‘I just told you I’m missing mymom. I need to go back home. Takeme!’” she pleaded. “And, well, he didn’t,”Alea says. “I was heartbroken.”
But they didn’t forget about her.
BACK IN THE STATES…Back in the United States, Cindy
was talking to the police and the FBI,trying to convince authorities of herdaughter’s case. She worked countlesshours fighting for her daughter’s freedom.
Cindy had trouble convincing theauthorities because she and Saddamhad joint custody of the girls, and shehad accompanied the girls willingly tothe Middle East. But once the AirForce corroborated, the FBI finallybelieved her… and took action.
“Sam” had business in Ohio. TheFBI froze his assets and the money hewas living off of in the Middle East. Hehad to fly back to figure out what wasgoing on. He flew into Canada wherehe was tracked, but he couldn’t bearrested there – no jurisdiction. The FBItricked him to cross the border, to Detroit.
“My mom told him she couldn’tcross into Canada, but that if he met
her at the border point, she [could],”says Alea. “As soon as he touched theground (on the American side), theFBI arrested him, and told him he wasn’t getting out of jail until he told them where I was.”
Saddam made a call back to theMiddle East and told his brother todrive Alea to the Jordanian border,since the US didn’t have diplomaticrelations with Iraq at the time.
“It was like something out of amovie,” Alea says. “We met at the border. The FBI came and got me out.My mom was there and I came back to the United States.”
TO SERVE HER COUNTRY…
It was engraved in Alea’s mind that“the United States of America neverforgot their child,” she says. She was motivated to serve her country inorder to preserve what the US hadgiven back to her – freedom.
“I wanted to be a special agent (so I could) to be a part of the sameorganization that helped get me out of Iraq,” she says. “They cared enoughabout me to come and get me. Noother country in the world does that.It’s something I don’t take for granted.America cares.”
On September 11, 2001, Alea was a junior at a Catholic high school whenterrorists struck the US. As soon asshe graduated, she went to a local USAir Force recruiter and said, “Whatdeploys? Send me over there so I canhelp. I thought I was going to be on aplane in a week.”
Instead, she ended up in basictraining at Kirtland Air Force Base(KAFB), where she became a cop inthe security forces, with plans still tobecome a special agent in the FBI.
AT UNM…While in training at KAFB, she met
Judy Ortiz-Aragon, a civilian admissionsofficer with the AFROTC at UNM.
“She asked me if I wanted to commission and be an officer,” Aleasays. “I told her I wanted to be an FBIagent.” Ortiz-Aragon told Alea aboutthe Air Force Office of SpecialInvestigation, a very demanding path.
“My first impression of this younglady was that she was bright andenthusiastic with a desire to serve her country,” Ortiz-Aragon says.
In the fall of 2004, Alea went bythe AFROTC office to inquire aboutthe program, its requirements, andhow it would affect her status in theNew Mexico Air National Guard. Alea became a cadet and started at UNM in spring 2005.
“Lt. Nadeem’s natural desire andobvious potential left no question in mymind that she would be a tremendousasset to our program and UNM,” Ortiz-Aragon says.
During her senior year, Alealearned she would become a specialagent in the Air Force upon her commissioning. In training now, she is scheduled to deploy in 2010.
“It was a dream come true. I got tobe in the Air Force and to have theopportunity to serve my country. And,I was going to get to be a special agentfor the same organization that savedme,” Lt. Nadeem says, smiling. “I reallyowe a lot to Judy and UNM because I was on a whole different path before I met her.”
She completed her degree at UNM in criminology with a minor in aerospace studies and was commissioned as an officer in 2008.
“Lt. Nadeem has encountered manyobstacles in her life and always facedthem with courage, an outstandingattitude, and a sense of respect,” saysOrtiz-Aragon. “Lieutenant Nadeem is a hero in my book!”
“If I could say one thing to UNM,my teachers, and of course, Judy,”Alea says, “it would be ’Shukran,’which means ’thank you’ in Arabic.”
“They cared enough about me to come and get me. No other country in the worlddoes that.” —Alea Nadeem
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e1 8 f a l l 2 0 0 9 1 9
aLBUmBryce Rumbles, ’87 BA, Middle River,Maryland, has a full-time position at theCatonsville branch of the Baltimore CountyPublic Library.
Lucretia M. Tippit, ’87 PhD, ofAlbuquerque, is a winner in the 2008 New Mexico Book Awards for her book The Pageant Unveiled. The Christian novelexplores the life of a woman pastor as sheresponds to her calling and struggles withher temptations.
Alan Dils, ’89 BBA, UNM head men’s tenniscoach, was voted the 2009 Mountain WestConference coach of the year, a distinctionhe also received in 2000, 2004, and 2008.He holds the highest winning record in program history at 184-117.
Lillian Montoya-Rael, ’89 BA, ’98 MBA,Santa Fe, has returned to designing, developing, and implementing communityprograms. She helps corporate and non-profit leaders navigate through strategic and organizational challenges.
Denise M. Torres, ’89 BBA, ’93 JD, Las Cruces, is a member of the New Mexico Judicial Performance EvaluationCommission. She is president of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association Boardof Directors and was selected for inclusion in the 25th anniversary edition of The BestLawyers in America. She is a partner of the Saenz & Torres law firm.
AJ Salazar, ’89 BA, ’93 JD, Alcalde, New Mexico, is the director of the New Mexico Bureau of Elections. He oversees elections and voter issues.
Marjorie Bond, ’90 BS, ’92 MA, has beenpromoted to full professor at MonmouthCollege in Monmouth, Illinois. Her area ofinterest is statistics education, and she workswith the Survey of Attitudes TowardStatistics, developed at UNM.
DENISE M. TORRES
Ch
rist
ian
Ho
rstm
ann
“On the last night we were supposedto be there, my dad came to get us andsaid, ‘hey, we’re going to go visit thefamily,’” Alea recalls. He took the girls totheir aunt’s house, where they “played,and had a good time. We started gettingtired and sleepy. Then, our father justleaves. He just left us there.”
The girls were scared. Everyonewas talking in Arabic. They knew theywere with family, but they had just metthem a little over a week before. Theycried themselves to sleep.
Alea and Ayesha stayed at theiraunt’s house for more than a week.They were brought food, but didn’t seetheir family otherwise. They had no ideawhat was going on. Then one day, theyheard someone screaming in English.
“’Oh my God! It’s my mom!’” Alearecalls saying. “I can hear her cussingand I’m trying to race downstairs. Mymom had somehow found us. Theywere holding her back and not lettingher get to me and my sister. Then, mydad shows up and it just got chaotic.”
Unfortunately for the girls, theirmother was powerless in a land wherewomen had no rights. “My mom, shecouldn’t really do anything,” Alea says.Frightened, the girls would not let goof their mother. They got into the carand drove back to their grandmother’shouse where they had been staying.
“My dad’s trying to tell us that ’yourmother left you. She didn’t want you andthat’s why I took you girls,’” Alea says.“He was saying really horrible things thatan 8-year-old should probably neverhear a father say about their mother.”
It soon became clear to Alea thatsomething was terribly wrong as hermother started packing her sister’sbags, but not hers.
“It was one of those moment’s inyour life where you are like, ‘What?’ Iwas only 8, but I just had this awfulfeeling,” Alea recalls. “My mom finishespacking my sister’s bags and takes thesuitcases down to the car.”
According to Alea, Cindy turns tolook at their father and says, “Sam,”
which is what she called him, “How can you make me do this?”
He put a gun to her head and said,“Choose.”
Cindy looked at her oldest daughterand said, “I’m so sorry, Alea. I have to takeyour sister. You know she’s just a kid.”
Alea was numb. She knew her sisterwas going back to the United States andshe was staying in Iraq against her will.
“It’s very difficult to see your motherand sister walk away,” Alea says. “That’sone scenario in my life I’ve dealt withover and over again.”
Cindy left with Ayesha, and Aleabegan her new life in the Middle East,going to school and trying to acceptthat she didn’t have a mother – at leastnot one she was able to see daily. Herdad had multiple wives and they triedto take on a motherly role, but it wasalways different for Alea.
THE GULF WAR…In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait.
The American presence initiated withOperation Desert Storm would lead to Alea’s ticket home.
“When the (first) Gulf War started,America came to Iraq,” she remembers.“I don’t care what people say aboutthat war because it freed me out ofthat country.”
She vividly recalls the day in 1994when an American helicopter landed in Mosul on a humanitarian mission. “I was still young, 10 years old, but Iremembered the American flag. Whenthey landed, all these kids, mostlymales, were surrounding the helicopter.The troops were dropping candy and the
kids were all grabbing it. I rememberthinking, ’I’ve got to get to the frontand tell them to take me home.’”
Determined, Alea somehow made itto the helicopter. Speaking Arabic andEnglish, Alea said, “Hi. My name isAlea. I’m from Toledo, Ohio. I need togo see my mom. Can you take me?”
The soldier replied, “Where’s your passport?”
“I’m 10 years old and wondering,‘What’s a passport?’” Alea recalls.
“‘I just told you I’m missing mymom. I need to go back home. Takeme!’” she pleaded. “And, well, he didn’t,”Alea says. “I was heartbroken.”
But they didn’t forget about her.
BACK IN THE STATES…Back in the United States, Cindy
was talking to the police and the FBI,trying to convince authorities of herdaughter’s case. She worked countlesshours fighting for her daughter’s freedom.
Cindy had trouble convincing theauthorities because she and Saddamhad joint custody of the girls, and shehad accompanied the girls willingly tothe Middle East. But once the AirForce corroborated, the FBI finallybelieved her… and took action.
“Sam” had business in Ohio. TheFBI froze his assets and the money hewas living off of in the Middle East. Hehad to fly back to figure out what wasgoing on. He flew into Canada wherehe was tracked, but he couldn’t bearrested there – no jurisdiction. The FBItricked him to cross the border, to Detroit.
“My mom told him she couldn’tcross into Canada, but that if he met
her at the border point, she [could],”says Alea. “As soon as he touched theground (on the American side), theFBI arrested him, and told him he wasn’t getting out of jail until he told them where I was.”
Saddam made a call back to theMiddle East and told his brother todrive Alea to the Jordanian border,since the US didn’t have diplomaticrelations with Iraq at the time.
“It was like something out of amovie,” Alea says. “We met at the border. The FBI came and got me out.My mom was there and I came back to the United States.”
TO SERVE HER COUNTRY…
It was engraved in Alea’s mind that“the United States of America neverforgot their child,” she says. She was motivated to serve her country inorder to preserve what the US hadgiven back to her – freedom.
“I wanted to be a special agent (so I could) to be a part of the sameorganization that helped get me out of Iraq,” she says. “They cared enoughabout me to come and get me. Noother country in the world does that.It’s something I don’t take for granted.America cares.”
On September 11, 2001, Alea was a junior at a Catholic high school whenterrorists struck the US. As soon asshe graduated, she went to a local USAir Force recruiter and said, “Whatdeploys? Send me over there so I canhelp. I thought I was going to be on aplane in a week.”
Instead, she ended up in basictraining at Kirtland Air Force Base(KAFB), where she became a cop inthe security forces, with plans still tobecome a special agent in the FBI.
AT UNM…While in training at KAFB, she met
Judy Ortiz-Aragon, a civilian admissionsofficer with the AFROTC at UNM.
“She asked me if I wanted to commission and be an officer,” Aleasays. “I told her I wanted to be an FBIagent.” Ortiz-Aragon told Alea aboutthe Air Force Office of SpecialInvestigation, a very demanding path.
“My first impression of this younglady was that she was bright andenthusiastic with a desire to serve her country,” Ortiz-Aragon says.
In the fall of 2004, Alea went bythe AFROTC office to inquire aboutthe program, its requirements, andhow it would affect her status in theNew Mexico Air National Guard. Alea became a cadet and started at UNM in spring 2005.
“Lt. Nadeem’s natural desire andobvious potential left no question in mymind that she would be a tremendousasset to our program and UNM,” Ortiz-Aragon says.
During her senior year, Alealearned she would become a specialagent in the Air Force upon her commissioning. In training now, she is scheduled to deploy in 2010.
“It was a dream come true. I got tobe in the Air Force and to have theopportunity to serve my country. And,I was going to get to be a special agentfor the same organization that savedme,” Lt. Nadeem says, smiling. “I reallyowe a lot to Judy and UNM because I was on a whole different path before I met her.”
She completed her degree at UNM in criminology with a minor in aerospace studies and was commissioned as an officer in 2008.
“Lt. Nadeem has encountered manyobstacles in her life and always facedthem with courage, an outstandingattitude, and a sense of respect,” saysOrtiz-Aragon. “Lieutenant Nadeem is a hero in my book!”
“If I could say one thing to UNM,my teachers, and of course, Judy,”Alea says, “it would be ’Shukran,’which means ’thank you’ in Arabic.”
“They cared enough about me to come and get me. No other country in the worlddoes that.” —Alea Nadeem
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e1 8 f a l l 2 0 0 9 1 9
aLBUmBryce Rumbles, ’87 BA, Middle River,Maryland, has a full-time position at theCatonsville branch of the Baltimore CountyPublic Library.
Lucretia M. Tippit, ’87 PhD, ofAlbuquerque, is a winner in the 2008 New Mexico Book Awards for her book The Pageant Unveiled. The Christian novelexplores the life of a woman pastor as sheresponds to her calling and struggles withher temptations.
Alan Dils, ’89 BBA, UNM head men’s tenniscoach, was voted the 2009 Mountain WestConference coach of the year, a distinctionhe also received in 2000, 2004, and 2008.He holds the highest winning record in program history at 184-117.
Lillian Montoya-Rael, ’89 BA, ’98 MBA,Santa Fe, has returned to designing, developing, and implementing communityprograms. She helps corporate and non-profit leaders navigate through strategic and organizational challenges.
Denise M. Torres, ’89 BBA, ’93 JD, Las Cruces, is a member of the New Mexico Judicial Performance EvaluationCommission. She is president of the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association Boardof Directors and was selected for inclusion in the 25th anniversary edition of The BestLawyers in America. She is a partner of the Saenz & Torres law firm.
AJ Salazar, ’89 BA, ’93 JD, Alcalde, New Mexico, is the director of the New Mexico Bureau of Elections. He oversees elections and voter issues.
Marjorie Bond, ’90 BS, ’92 MA, has beenpromoted to full professor at MonmouthCollege in Monmouth, Illinois. Her area ofinterest is statistics education, and she workswith the Survey of Attitudes TowardStatistics, developed at UNM.
DENISE M. TORRES
Ch
rist
ian
Ho
rstm
ann
aLUMNI PROFILe
hDespite her rheumatoid arthritis,
Gabi Rojas, ’08 BA, dances her
way into the nation’s heart.
S H E C A N D E F I N I T E LY D A N C E ! After leading a dance workshop in Carlisle gym, Gabi Rojas walks through her choreography for FOX-TV’s So You Think You Can Dance.
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e2 0
DaNCINGWITH a
TIGeR BY THe TaIL
f a l l 2 0 0 9 2 1
aLBUmKenneth W. Miller, ’90 BA, ’92 MA, has coauthored with David Niven, DeathJustice: Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas, and theContradictions of the Death Penalty(LBJ Scholarly). He is a faculty associate inthe School of Justice and Social Inquiry atArizona State University in Phoenix.
Jeannete Otero V. Baca, ’91 DED, is an associate professor of counseling at New Mexico Highlands University in Rio Rancho. She assumes the role of president of the New Mexico CounselingAssociation this summer for 2009-2010.
Cmdr. Raymond Gabriel, ’91 BAE, GalesFerry, Connecticut, has become the 11thcommanding officer of the Los Angeles classfast-attack submarine US Providence. Heassumed command from Michael Holland,’89 BS, of San Diego.
Lori Renee Ostlund, ’91 MA, San Francisco,received the 2008 Flannery O’Connor Awardfor her short story collection, The Bigness of the World (University of Georgia Press,October, 2009). The award encourages gifted emerging writers by bringing theirwork to a national readership.
Linda Torres, ’91 EDSP, has been namedprincipal at Albuquerque’s Rio Grande High School.
Sam S. Kassem, ’92 BSEE, is a federal program manager/engineer in Washington,DC. He lives in Spotsylvania, Virginia.
Michael Stockham, ’92 BA, has beennamed to the Texas Rising Stars 2009 list of attorneys. He practices at Thompson & Knight in Dallas.
Lisa Arciniega, ’93 MS, ’01 PhD,Albuquerque, has coordinated the multidiscipline addictive behaviors programfor the New Mexico Veterans Affairs HealthCare System for three years.
Nicholas, ’93 MA, ’05 PhD, and KristinHenry Chapin, ’93 BS, San Francisco,founded the non-profit GalaxyGoo in 2005.It promotes science literacy by bringingtogether scientists, teachers, programmers,web developers, artists, and writers to collaborate on educational software and curriculum materials.
Robert H. Davidson, ’93 BA, Phoenix,owns the advertising design firm Davidson &Belluso, recognized for its healthcare designwork on two recent campaigns. It receivedgold and bronze 2009 National AsterAwards, as well as silver and merit awardsfrom the 26th National Annual HealthcareAdvertising Awards.
B Y M A R A K E R K E Z
Ch
rist
ian
Ho
rstm
ann
Hello, Gabrielle Rojas. I understand why you once
surrendered your dream. By all outward appearances
it seemed the logical thing to do. But you were born to
dance. And, anyway, the fates just love messing with logic.
Gabrielle Rojas was on her way to UNM Student Services to speak with an advisor regarding her chosenfield of marine biology, when her momsuggested a slight detour to look intodance classes. Among the postings on the callboard that day was an open audition for a four-year dancescholarship. That notice awakened a sleeping giant within Gabi, which surprised the 19-year-old because she thought she’d killed it long ago.
CHUCKING LEMONSThat life threw Gabi lemons early
on is an understatement. But did she make lemonade? Nope. Shechucked ’em back.
The first lemon whizzed by whenshe found the courage to try out forthe dance scholarship… and got it.
“It would be an understatement tosay that when Gabi came to our auditionjust out of high school, a young slip of
a thing in a miliskin leotard, the dancefaculty was speechless,” says JudithChazin-Benahum, DistinguishedProfessor Emerita of Dance. “Wesighed after her presentation. Her choreography was original and flawless,raw and beautiful at the same time.”
Marine biology was not Gabi’s first passion. She had chosen it onlybecause all hopes of dancing had beencrushed the day she was diagnosedwith rheumatoid arthritis.
DIAGNOSISWe interview at Carlisle Gym in
a room that measures no more than300 square feet. The floors are gray,the walls worn white. Long-paned mirrors slightly reduce the amount of floor space but provide reflections of an ethereal New Mexico sky.
I hold the sight and my tongue inorder to allow the sinewy dancer, now24, time to nourish and recharge on
aLUMNI PROFILe
hDespite her rheumatoid arthritis,
Gabi Rojas, ’08 BA, dances her
way into the nation’s heart.
S H E C A N D E F I N I T E LY D A N C E ! After leading a dance workshop in Carlisle gym, Gabi Rojas walks through her choreography for FOX-TV’s So You Think You Can Dance.
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e2 0
DaNCINGWITH a
TIGeR BY THe TaIL
f a l l 2 0 0 9 2 1
aLBUmKenneth W. Miller, ’90 BA, ’92 MA, has coauthored with David Niven, DeathJustice: Rehnquist, Scalia, Thomas, and theContradictions of the Death Penalty(LBJ Scholarly). He is a faculty associate inthe School of Justice and Social Inquiry atArizona State University in Phoenix.
Jeannete Otero V. Baca, ’91 DED, is an associate professor of counseling at New Mexico Highlands University in Rio Rancho. She assumes the role of president of the New Mexico CounselingAssociation this summer for 2009-2010.
Cmdr. Raymond Gabriel, ’91 BAE, GalesFerry, Connecticut, has become the 11thcommanding officer of the Los Angeles classfast-attack submarine US Providence. Heassumed command from Michael Holland,’89 BS, of San Diego.
Lori Renee Ostlund, ’91 MA, San Francisco,received the 2008 Flannery O’Connor Awardfor her short story collection, The Bigness of the World (University of Georgia Press,October, 2009). The award encourages gifted emerging writers by bringing theirwork to a national readership.
Linda Torres, ’91 EDSP, has been namedprincipal at Albuquerque’s Rio Grande High School.
Sam S. Kassem, ’92 BSEE, is a federal program manager/engineer in Washington,DC. He lives in Spotsylvania, Virginia.
Michael Stockham, ’92 BA, has beennamed to the Texas Rising Stars 2009 list of attorneys. He practices at Thompson & Knight in Dallas.
Lisa Arciniega, ’93 MS, ’01 PhD,Albuquerque, has coordinated the multidiscipline addictive behaviors programfor the New Mexico Veterans Affairs HealthCare System for three years.
Nicholas, ’93 MA, ’05 PhD, and KristinHenry Chapin, ’93 BS, San Francisco,founded the non-profit GalaxyGoo in 2005.It promotes science literacy by bringingtogether scientists, teachers, programmers,web developers, artists, and writers to collaborate on educational software and curriculum materials.
Robert H. Davidson, ’93 BA, Phoenix,owns the advertising design firm Davidson &Belluso, recognized for its healthcare designwork on two recent campaigns. It receivedgold and bronze 2009 National AsterAwards, as well as silver and merit awardsfrom the 26th National Annual HealthcareAdvertising Awards.
B Y M A R A K E R K E Z
Ch
rist
ian
Ho
rstm
ann
Hello, Gabrielle Rojas. I understand why you once
surrendered your dream. By all outward appearances
it seemed the logical thing to do. But you were born to
dance. And, anyway, the fates just love messing with logic.
Gabrielle Rojas was on her way to UNM Student Services to speak with an advisor regarding her chosenfield of marine biology, when her momsuggested a slight detour to look intodance classes. Among the postings on the callboard that day was an open audition for a four-year dancescholarship. That notice awakened a sleeping giant within Gabi, which surprised the 19-year-old because she thought she’d killed it long ago.
CHUCKING LEMONSThat life threw Gabi lemons early
on is an understatement. But did she make lemonade? Nope. Shechucked ’em back.
The first lemon whizzed by whenshe found the courage to try out forthe dance scholarship… and got it.
“It would be an understatement tosay that when Gabi came to our auditionjust out of high school, a young slip of
a thing in a miliskin leotard, the dancefaculty was speechless,” says JudithChazin-Benahum, DistinguishedProfessor Emerita of Dance. “Wesighed after her presentation. Her choreography was original and flawless,raw and beautiful at the same time.”
Marine biology was not Gabi’s first passion. She had chosen it onlybecause all hopes of dancing had beencrushed the day she was diagnosedwith rheumatoid arthritis.
DIAGNOSISWe interview at Carlisle Gym in
a room that measures no more than300 square feet. The floors are gray,the walls worn white. Long-paned mirrors slightly reduce the amount of floor space but provide reflections of an ethereal New Mexico sky.
I hold the sight and my tongue inorder to allow the sinewy dancer, now24, time to nourish and recharge on
Wok chicken and vegetables. At 5’4"and all muscle, with a tiny bit of fat,the girl looks terrific. Since she hadjust performed an electrifying moderndance routine for a dance history class,she easily gutted a couple hundredcalories – in five minutes!
Gabi talks to me between bites. “Iwas 13 when I got diagnosed. I went to the doctor because my body startedfeeling achy and my index fingerswelled up and stayed that way.”
When the doctor told Gabi she hadrheumatoid arthritis her first thought was,“Isn’t that something old people get?”
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is achronic, systemic disease and age ofonset can be anywhere from childhood(Juvenile RA) to the 50s. It producesinflammation in the joints, causingswelling, stiffness, and pain. It eventuallyleads to bone destruction and damageto ligaments, tendons, and cartilage.
“It was weird,” Gabi continues, “butwhen somebody put a name to what Ihad, it came on full force. Just like thatall my joints – fingers, wrists, hips,knees, shoulders – stiffened up.”
The occasional aspirin for a boo-booturned into a pharmacopeia of intenseprescriptions. But living with pain 24/7 relegated their myriad side effects to second place. Relief was the all-consuming focus and it wouldbe slow in coming.
Soon after being diagnosed, Gabi was performing a dance solo
at Albuquerque Academy, where she attended 6th through 12th grade. Hard though she tried, her knees gave out and she fell.
“My mom was there that day,” Gabirecalls in a whisper. “She came to meand held me. We were both shaking.That’s when I started to cry…because I realized there was nothing I could do.I just couldn’t work through the pain.”
For the next three years, actionsthat most people take for granted –like eating, sleeping, bathing, and getting dressed – became extremelychallenging for Gabi, but none more sothan the rethinking of dance, the objectof her affection that she’d identifiedwith going back to the womb.
CIRCUS START During gestation, a place where
most budding babies hear the externalsounds of music or voices, Gabi heardthe internal rhythms of her mother. “Mymom was doing splits and somersaultswhen I was in there,” she muses.
Rosalinda Rojas is trained in ballet,modern dance, gymnastics, and manyforms of circus art. She began hercareer with the Puerto Rican BalletCompany and went on to apprenticewith the Dance Theater of Harlem. Butwait a minute. Did I hear circus art?
In 1989, Rosalinda packed up herdaughter and let go the daily routine of New York for circus dreams,screams, and loud roars. Little Gabididn’t seem to mind. No kidding! She was off to the join the circus, the Big Apple Circus, no less.
Life under the big top was the perfect venue for Rosalinda to be bothperformer and teacher of platformacrobatics, an art form Gabi quicklyabsorbed and began performing herself. When Rosalinda saw herdaughter’s inherited talent and love for dance, she taught her everythingabout the art she knew.
“I was performing in an off-Broadwaycircus rendition of A Comedy ofErrors,” Rosalinda recalls. “During abreak outside, Gabi, just about 2,began dancing in a puddle, Gene Kellystyle! A man with white hair and agroomed beard walked by and said,’That kid can dance.’ I knew he wasright before I heard the words. Theman was (film director/choreographer)Jerome Robbins.”
After Gabi’s diagnosis, Rosalindadecided it was time to settle down. Shehad felt a connection with New Mexicowhen passing through the state yearsbefore, and chose it for their new home.
TIGER’S TAIL I listen to Gabi recount the five
stages of grief she went through:denial, anger, bargaining, despair, andacceptance, the last being the most difficult. While many children withJuvenile RA eventually grow out of it,Gabi did not.
She has lived with the disease for11 years now, but I hear no traces ofbitterness or resentment in Gabi’s voiceany more than I see visible signs ofdeterioration on her body.
On her 18th birthday, when shesaw that the state of her disease wasunchanged, Gabi began to rethink herattitude toward it. If RA was going tobe with her for the duration of her life,she was going to make a consciouseffort to redirect the energy.
Shortly after adopting this new attitude, Gabi found a new “rheumy” – hip lingo for rheumatologist. He prescribed new medication, Enbrel, ashot she self-administers once a week,which promptly and effectively reducedher symptoms. A renewed zeal for life ensued.
“I became more involved in how Itook care of myself, from stretchingand working out to new eating habitsand positive thinking,” she says. “When
I made the decision to own my diseaseis when I began to grow as a personand as a dancer.”
These days, Gabi no longer viewsthe disease as a handicap but more atiger that she has by the tail. It’s not a thing to be ignored, but she haslearned to keep it at bay.
“I have a disease,” she continues,“but it does not have me.”
I sense the ghost of a lemon gone by.
JOINING THE PROSEarlier, I had the privilege of watching
Gabi perform an acro-contemporarydance. Acro is defined by its athleticcharacter and its unique choreographiccombining of classical dance with precision acrobatic elements. ThinkCirque du Soleil. You know: Up in the
sky. It’s a ballerina! It’s an acrobat! It’s a contortionist! No, wait. It’s anacro-dancer!
Cirque du Soleil is definitely not your grandma’s circus. It’s a kaleidoscope of dazzling costumes,original music, and supremely talented,creative dancers who swing, spin,hang, and fly, and come together tocreate magic and mystery.
Gabrielle Rojas auditioned for andearned a spot on the Cirque du Soleilteam while a freshman at UNM. The requirements to be part of theCirque family? Suffice it to say, Cirquescouting agents show up at theOlympics and world championshipssearching for talent.
While Gabi may have been perfecten pointe, she was a nonstarter for the company’s current show. The partfor which she auditioned required acontortionist move she was unable toexecute. The RA notwithstanding, I
suspect that even the most seasoneddancer would have difficulty wrappinga leg around his or her head.
Nonetheless, Gabi is in Cirque’sdatabase pending a part that is theright fit. And it will happen, becausethe girl has dance and circus in her blood.
The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater,forerunner of Cirque du Soleil, isamong the best-regarded dance companies in the world. As she hadwith Cirque, Gabi went through around of grueling, intense auditions forentry into Alvin Ailey’s BFA program,after graduating from UNM. Alvin Ailey required a routine in three forms:ballet, jazz, and modern dance. Yetagain, Gabi made the grade. But to her great disappointment, she could
not come up with the tuition requiredfor the program.
One man’s devastation is anotherman’s discovery, and what Gabi discovered then was a new level ofconfidence and a much needed boostto her self-esteem. Two of the greatestdance companies in the world hadgiven her a thumbs-up. Fly lemon, flyyyyy!
However, self-esteem alone wouldnot put food on the table. So Gabigrabbed the classifieds and before anyone could say “one tall, skinnyvanilla soy, double shot, no foam, extrahot, caramel macchiato,” she landed a gig at a trendy New York City coffeehouse as barista. Sound move …except the fates showed up again.Dang if they don’t have a way of getting into Gabi’s face – this time inthe form of her good friend Jesse. Hewas off to try out for the reality TV
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e2 2 f a l l 2 0 0 9 2 3
Ch
rist
ian
Ho
rstm
ann
aLBUmJerinda Schell, ’93 BS, is practicing familymedicine at ABQ Health Partners Juan TaboHealthcare Center.
Patricia Jaramillo Avila, ’95 BA,Albuquerque, started a new company,Sportsmix, in 2008. She organizes adultsports leagues and social activities.
Jean-Luc E. Cartron, ’95 PhD, is coauthorof A Field Guide to the Plants and Animalsof the Middle Rio Grande Bosque (UNMPress, 2008). See more at the entry forSandra L. Brantley, ’77 BA.
De Haven Solimon Chaffins, Paguate,New Mexico, ’95 BAFA, had a show of herpaintings last winter at the Institute ofAmerican Indian Arts Museum Store inSanta Fe. Traditional pueblo (Laguna) motifsplay an important part in her imagery.
Liz E. Davenport, ’95 MA, Albuquerque, isa chaos consultant. Her business is “OrderFrom Chaos,” focusing on how to makepeople’s lives simpler. Her first book wasOrder From Chaos: A Six Step Plan forOrganizing Yourself, Your Office, and YourLife. Her websites are [email protected] www.orderfromchaos.com. We apologizefor erroneously listing Liz as ElizabethDavenport, ’75 BA, in the spring Mirage.
James Lujan, ’95 BSED, ’98 MA, ’00 EDSP,Albuquerque, is now principal of Ernie PyleMiddle School.
Melanie Romero, ’95 BSME, Belen, New Mexico, has invented the“Snapbagger” to make bagging one’s leaves a “snap.” To see what she achieved,visit www.snapbagger.com.
Angela Adams, ’96 BS, recently spent time in Japan as a Fulbright MemorialScholar. Angela has been in education, most recently as Vista Grande Elementarylibrarian in Rio Rancho.
Adrian Chernoff, ’96 BSME, ’99 MEME,’99 MBA, was featured on MIT’s site as the Inventor of the Week. Adrian is chiefinnovation officer at Ideation Genesis inBoulder, Colorado.
Zachary J. Cook, ’96 BA, ’03 JD, Ruidoso,has been appointed by New MexicoGovernor Bill Richardson to serve as StateRepresentative in House District 56. He is anattorney with the H. John Underwood firm.
Michelle Linn-Gust, ’96 MS, ’08 PhD,Albuquerque, is president-elect of theAmerican Association of Suicidology and chair of the survivor division.
Diana Luce, ’96 JD, Lovington, New Mexico,is chief deputy assistant district attorney for Lea County.
Find out what happened on page 38.
Mind, body, and soul, Gabrielle Rojas is a dancer.
Wok chicken and vegetables. At 5’4"and all muscle, with a tiny bit of fat,the girl looks terrific. Since she hadjust performed an electrifying moderndance routine for a dance history class,she easily gutted a couple hundredcalories – in five minutes!
Gabi talks to me between bites. “Iwas 13 when I got diagnosed. I went to the doctor because my body startedfeeling achy and my index fingerswelled up and stayed that way.”
When the doctor told Gabi she hadrheumatoid arthritis her first thought was,“Isn’t that something old people get?”
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is achronic, systemic disease and age ofonset can be anywhere from childhood(Juvenile RA) to the 50s. It producesinflammation in the joints, causingswelling, stiffness, and pain. It eventuallyleads to bone destruction and damageto ligaments, tendons, and cartilage.
“It was weird,” Gabi continues, “butwhen somebody put a name to what Ihad, it came on full force. Just like thatall my joints – fingers, wrists, hips,knees, shoulders – stiffened up.”
The occasional aspirin for a boo-booturned into a pharmacopeia of intenseprescriptions. But living with pain 24/7 relegated their myriad side effects to second place. Relief was the all-consuming focus and it wouldbe slow in coming.
Soon after being diagnosed, Gabi was performing a dance solo
at Albuquerque Academy, where she attended 6th through 12th grade. Hard though she tried, her knees gave out and she fell.
“My mom was there that day,” Gabirecalls in a whisper. “She came to meand held me. We were both shaking.That’s when I started to cry…because I realized there was nothing I could do.I just couldn’t work through the pain.”
For the next three years, actionsthat most people take for granted –like eating, sleeping, bathing, and getting dressed – became extremelychallenging for Gabi, but none more sothan the rethinking of dance, the objectof her affection that she’d identifiedwith going back to the womb.
CIRCUS START During gestation, a place where
most budding babies hear the externalsounds of music or voices, Gabi heardthe internal rhythms of her mother. “Mymom was doing splits and somersaultswhen I was in there,” she muses.
Rosalinda Rojas is trained in ballet,modern dance, gymnastics, and manyforms of circus art. She began hercareer with the Puerto Rican BalletCompany and went on to apprenticewith the Dance Theater of Harlem. Butwait a minute. Did I hear circus art?
In 1989, Rosalinda packed up herdaughter and let go the daily routine of New York for circus dreams,screams, and loud roars. Little Gabididn’t seem to mind. No kidding! She was off to the join the circus, the Big Apple Circus, no less.
Life under the big top was the perfect venue for Rosalinda to be bothperformer and teacher of platformacrobatics, an art form Gabi quicklyabsorbed and began performing herself. When Rosalinda saw herdaughter’s inherited talent and love for dance, she taught her everythingabout the art she knew.
“I was performing in an off-Broadwaycircus rendition of A Comedy ofErrors,” Rosalinda recalls. “During abreak outside, Gabi, just about 2,began dancing in a puddle, Gene Kellystyle! A man with white hair and agroomed beard walked by and said,’That kid can dance.’ I knew he wasright before I heard the words. Theman was (film director/choreographer)Jerome Robbins.”
After Gabi’s diagnosis, Rosalindadecided it was time to settle down. Shehad felt a connection with New Mexicowhen passing through the state yearsbefore, and chose it for their new home.
TIGER’S TAIL I listen to Gabi recount the five
stages of grief she went through:denial, anger, bargaining, despair, andacceptance, the last being the most difficult. While many children withJuvenile RA eventually grow out of it,Gabi did not.
She has lived with the disease for11 years now, but I hear no traces ofbitterness or resentment in Gabi’s voiceany more than I see visible signs ofdeterioration on her body.
On her 18th birthday, when shesaw that the state of her disease wasunchanged, Gabi began to rethink herattitude toward it. If RA was going tobe with her for the duration of her life,she was going to make a consciouseffort to redirect the energy.
Shortly after adopting this new attitude, Gabi found a new “rheumy” – hip lingo for rheumatologist. He prescribed new medication, Enbrel, ashot she self-administers once a week,which promptly and effectively reducedher symptoms. A renewed zeal for life ensued.
“I became more involved in how Itook care of myself, from stretchingand working out to new eating habitsand positive thinking,” she says. “When
I made the decision to own my diseaseis when I began to grow as a personand as a dancer.”
These days, Gabi no longer viewsthe disease as a handicap but more atiger that she has by the tail. It’s not a thing to be ignored, but she haslearned to keep it at bay.
“I have a disease,” she continues,“but it does not have me.”
I sense the ghost of a lemon gone by.
JOINING THE PROSEarlier, I had the privilege of watching
Gabi perform an acro-contemporarydance. Acro is defined by its athleticcharacter and its unique choreographiccombining of classical dance with precision acrobatic elements. ThinkCirque du Soleil. You know: Up in the
sky. It’s a ballerina! It’s an acrobat! It’s a contortionist! No, wait. It’s anacro-dancer!
Cirque du Soleil is definitely not your grandma’s circus. It’s a kaleidoscope of dazzling costumes,original music, and supremely talented,creative dancers who swing, spin,hang, and fly, and come together tocreate magic and mystery.
Gabrielle Rojas auditioned for andearned a spot on the Cirque du Soleilteam while a freshman at UNM. The requirements to be part of theCirque family? Suffice it to say, Cirquescouting agents show up at theOlympics and world championshipssearching for talent.
While Gabi may have been perfecten pointe, she was a nonstarter for the company’s current show. The partfor which she auditioned required acontortionist move she was unable toexecute. The RA notwithstanding, I
suspect that even the most seasoneddancer would have difficulty wrappinga leg around his or her head.
Nonetheless, Gabi is in Cirque’sdatabase pending a part that is theright fit. And it will happen, becausethe girl has dance and circus in her blood.
The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater,forerunner of Cirque du Soleil, isamong the best-regarded dance companies in the world. As she hadwith Cirque, Gabi went through around of grueling, intense auditions forentry into Alvin Ailey’s BFA program,after graduating from UNM. Alvin Ailey required a routine in three forms:ballet, jazz, and modern dance. Yetagain, Gabi made the grade. But to her great disappointment, she could
not come up with the tuition requiredfor the program.
One man’s devastation is anotherman’s discovery, and what Gabi discovered then was a new level ofconfidence and a much needed boostto her self-esteem. Two of the greatestdance companies in the world hadgiven her a thumbs-up. Fly lemon, flyyyyy!
However, self-esteem alone wouldnot put food on the table. So Gabigrabbed the classifieds and before anyone could say “one tall, skinnyvanilla soy, double shot, no foam, extrahot, caramel macchiato,” she landed a gig at a trendy New York City coffeehouse as barista. Sound move …except the fates showed up again.Dang if they don’t have a way of getting into Gabi’s face – this time inthe form of her good friend Jesse. Hewas off to try out for the reality TV
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e2 2 f a l l 2 0 0 9 2 3
Ch
rist
ian
Ho
rstm
ann
aLBUmJerinda Schell, ’93 BS, is practicing familymedicine at ABQ Health Partners Juan TaboHealthcare Center.
Patricia Jaramillo Avila, ’95 BA,Albuquerque, started a new company,Sportsmix, in 2008. She organizes adultsports leagues and social activities.
Jean-Luc E. Cartron, ’95 PhD, is coauthorof A Field Guide to the Plants and Animalsof the Middle Rio Grande Bosque (UNMPress, 2008). See more at the entry forSandra L. Brantley, ’77 BA.
De Haven Solimon Chaffins, Paguate,New Mexico, ’95 BAFA, had a show of herpaintings last winter at the Institute ofAmerican Indian Arts Museum Store inSanta Fe. Traditional pueblo (Laguna) motifsplay an important part in her imagery.
Liz E. Davenport, ’95 MA, Albuquerque, isa chaos consultant. Her business is “OrderFrom Chaos,” focusing on how to makepeople’s lives simpler. Her first book wasOrder From Chaos: A Six Step Plan forOrganizing Yourself, Your Office, and YourLife. Her websites are [email protected] www.orderfromchaos.com. We apologizefor erroneously listing Liz as ElizabethDavenport, ’75 BA, in the spring Mirage.
James Lujan, ’95 BSED, ’98 MA, ’00 EDSP,Albuquerque, is now principal of Ernie PyleMiddle School.
Melanie Romero, ’95 BSME, Belen, New Mexico, has invented the“Snapbagger” to make bagging one’s leaves a “snap.” To see what she achieved,visit www.snapbagger.com.
Angela Adams, ’96 BS, recently spent time in Japan as a Fulbright MemorialScholar. Angela has been in education, most recently as Vista Grande Elementarylibrarian in Rio Rancho.
Adrian Chernoff, ’96 BSME, ’99 MEME,’99 MBA, was featured on MIT’s site as the Inventor of the Week. Adrian is chiefinnovation officer at Ideation Genesis inBoulder, Colorado.
Zachary J. Cook, ’96 BA, ’03 JD, Ruidoso,has been appointed by New MexicoGovernor Bill Richardson to serve as StateRepresentative in House District 56. He is anattorney with the H. John Underwood firm.
Michelle Linn-Gust, ’96 MS, ’08 PhD,Albuquerque, is president-elect of theAmerican Association of Suicidology and chair of the survivor division.
Diana Luce, ’96 JD, Lovington, New Mexico,is chief deputy assistant district attorney for Lea County.
Find out what happened on page 38.
Mind, body, and soul, Gabrielle Rojas is a dancer.
nNew Mexico’s gym and fitness powerhouse, Defined Fitness,
begins each month with no customers. But by the end of
each month, and every month, it has thousands, at five
locations throughout the state.
aLUMNI PROFILe
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e2 4 M I R A G E m a g a z i n e f a l l 2 0 0 9 2 5
aLBUmHolly Shumas, ’96 BA, is a licensed marriage and family therapist in California.Her second novel, Love and Other NaturalDisasters (2009), was recommended byWorking Mother and Parenting magazines.Her website is http://www.hollyshumas.com.
Onesimo C. Vigil, ’96 ASDH, ’97 BSDH,Albuquerque, is CEO for Inteli-Care, and ownsan investment company, MJRC Holdings. Hehas written Chicano Millionaires, publishedthis spring by Authorhouse.
Wryan Capps, ’97 BBA, of Moss Adams inAlbuquerque, has received the Institute ofCertified Construction Industry FinancialProfessionals designation.
Margret Carde, ’97 JD, Santa Fe, a professional artist for 40 years, had anexhibit of her work, called “Sky Paintings,”at the Coady Contemporary Gallery last winter.
Mike Prinzo, ’97 BBA, ’99 MBA,Albuquerque, recently joined Meyners +Company as manager of the business andtax services department.
Jason C. Bousliman, ’98 BA, ’01 JD,Albuquerque, has been promoted to shareholder in the Modrall Sperling law firm.
Julia Chacon, ’98 BAFA, ’98 BS, Santa Fe,has a new flamenco company, InspiraciónFlamenca, which was featured on the TravelChannel. She was featured on Santa FePublic Radio’s Gotta Dance.
Patrick Conlon, ’98 MS, Downers Grove,Illinois, has been elected a Fellow of theNational Academies of Practice:Distinguished Practitioner of the NursingAcademy. The NAP advises public policymakers on healthcare issues from the perspective of expert practitionersand scholars.
Jessica M. Hernandez, ’99 BA, ’02 JD,Albuquerque, has been elected to the RodeyLaw Firm’s board of directors. She practicesin the areas of product liability, employment,and general civil litigation.
Sara R. Traub, ’99 BS, ’02 MA, ’08 JD,Albuquerque, has joined the law firm ofPregenzer, Baysinger, Wideman & Sale as an associate. She practices in the areas of estate planning, taxation, estate administration, and elder law.
Joshua K. Conaway, ’00 BA, Albuquerque,has been promoted to shareholder at thelaw firm of Hatch, Allen & Shepherd.
Christopher J. DeLara, ’00 JD, ’00 MPA,Albuquerque, is a partner and shareholderof Guebert Bruckner where he practices in the areas of insurance bad faith, professional liability, medical negligence, and complex litigation.
Two of Defined’s leaders, AnndeeWright Brown, ’92 BAA, and Traci Wolf,’84 BA, ’88 JD, spend their days helpingpeople transform their lives and, alongthe way, helping build Defined into acommunity-minded fitness empire.
Anndee, the CEO, is a strikingbrunette with an athletic build, hearkening back to her days as a gymnast at UNM. Traci, the president,is blonde and slim, with intense eyesand delivery. They’ve been workingtogether for a long time, often finishing
each other’s sentences or looking toeach other for clarification.
Their eyes shine with pride as theydescribe a gym that builds it businessevery month on customer loyalty,health and wellness, and the belief thata gym should keep its membership byproviding the best product at the bestprice, not by year-long contracts. Aone-time fee for joining lasts a lifetime,even if the member leaves for years.The membership fee has been raisedonly three times in 30 years.
DeFININGPRINCIPaLS
B Y A L E X I S K E R S C H N E R
No
rman
Jo
hn
son
Ph
oto
gra
ph
y
Two leaders of a premier
New Mexico gym say their
business is all about health,
fitness, and changing lives.
“People in the industry think we’recrazy,” says Anndee. “And they alwaysask us why it works. It’s because we’renot just about selling membership.We’re about health, fitness, and changing lives.” Customers will pay for those, even in a down economy.
“People will give up a Starbucks for what we offer,” Andee says.
DEFINING MOMENTSAnndee and Traci met more than
20 years ago, when Defined was justbeginning.
Traci had been hired as legal counsel for Defined and was workingwith owners Bo and Trish Fowler whohad acquired the gym as part of a legalsettlement. Today Traci’s law firm, Wolf and Fox, works on contracts,development, and acquisition for Defined.
“It’s pretty amazing that this formerly small business now keepstwo-and-a-half attorneys busy fulltime,” she says.
Anndee’s history with Definedbegan while teaching in an after-schoolgymnastics program for kids. One ofthe children in the class was theFowlers’ daughter.
One day after the children’s class,Anndee went out into the rain to sellcandy bars for the program. Trishbought her whole box of 20.
“Trish said I was crying out in thepouring rain – I don’t quite rememberthat,” says Andee, chuckling.
A week later, the UNM weight roomclosed for the summer and Anndeeneeded a place to work out to stay inshape for the upcoming gymnasticsseason. She asked Trish for a job atDefined, where she could work out for free. Trish handed her a key
and told her to open the gym at 4:30 the next morning.
COMMUNITY MUSCLEMany years later, Defined is
succeeding in a notoriously toughindustry.
Among Defined’s precepts is meeting customer expectations for newequipment and the latest offerings.
While there is a typical schedule for replacing equipment, Anndee andTraci exceed it. The old equipment is often donated to various entities,including UNM.
When the cardio equipment at theDefined location in Albuquerque’s farnorth heights was replaced early in itslife cycle, Defined contacted the newstrength and conditioning coach forthe UNM football team; all the slightlyused equipment is now going to theUNM athletics complex.
Next up for Traci and Anndee is the launch and expansion of“Community Muscle,” the non-profitarm of Defined that is responsible forphilanthropic endeavors, including support for UNM, the Lobos, the Lobo Club, and much more.
DEFINING SATISFACTIONAt the end of the day, Defined is
about fitness and life changes. “What I love is that you really
change and affect people’s lives,” saysAnndee. “I can’t tell you how manytimes a member says, ’I’ve lost 30pounds and I feel great.’ You’re a place and an environment to inducepositive change in people’s lives. That feels good.”
F E E L I N G G O O D !
T H E Y S H O U L D !
Traci Wolf, left, and Andee
Wright Brown are president
and CEO, respectively, of
Defined Fitness, a thriving
New Mexico gym and
fitness business.
nNew Mexico’s gym and fitness powerhouse, Defined Fitness,
begins each month with no customers. But by the end of
each month, and every month, it has thousands, at five
locations throughout the state.
aLUMNI PROFILe
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e2 4 M I R A G E m a g a z i n e f a l l 2 0 0 9 2 5
aLBUmHolly Shumas, ’96 BA, is a licensed marriage and family therapist in California.Her second novel, Love and Other NaturalDisasters (2009), was recommended byWorking Mother and Parenting magazines.Her website is http://www.hollyshumas.com.
Onesimo C. Vigil, ’96 ASDH, ’97 BSDH,Albuquerque, is CEO for Inteli-Care, and ownsan investment company, MJRC Holdings. Hehas written Chicano Millionaires, publishedthis spring by Authorhouse.
Wryan Capps, ’97 BBA, of Moss Adams inAlbuquerque, has received the Institute ofCertified Construction Industry FinancialProfessionals designation.
Margret Carde, ’97 JD, Santa Fe, a professional artist for 40 years, had anexhibit of her work, called “Sky Paintings,”at the Coady Contemporary Gallery last winter.
Mike Prinzo, ’97 BBA, ’99 MBA,Albuquerque, recently joined Meyners +Company as manager of the business andtax services department.
Jason C. Bousliman, ’98 BA, ’01 JD,Albuquerque, has been promoted to shareholder in the Modrall Sperling law firm.
Julia Chacon, ’98 BAFA, ’98 BS, Santa Fe,has a new flamenco company, InspiraciónFlamenca, which was featured on the TravelChannel. She was featured on Santa FePublic Radio’s Gotta Dance.
Patrick Conlon, ’98 MS, Downers Grove,Illinois, has been elected a Fellow of theNational Academies of Practice:Distinguished Practitioner of the NursingAcademy. The NAP advises public policymakers on healthcare issues from the perspective of expert practitionersand scholars.
Jessica M. Hernandez, ’99 BA, ’02 JD,Albuquerque, has been elected to the RodeyLaw Firm’s board of directors. She practicesin the areas of product liability, employment,and general civil litigation.
Sara R. Traub, ’99 BS, ’02 MA, ’08 JD,Albuquerque, has joined the law firm ofPregenzer, Baysinger, Wideman & Sale as an associate. She practices in the areas of estate planning, taxation, estate administration, and elder law.
Joshua K. Conaway, ’00 BA, Albuquerque,has been promoted to shareholder at thelaw firm of Hatch, Allen & Shepherd.
Christopher J. DeLara, ’00 JD, ’00 MPA,Albuquerque, is a partner and shareholderof Guebert Bruckner where he practices in the areas of insurance bad faith, professional liability, medical negligence, and complex litigation.
Two of Defined’s leaders, AnndeeWright Brown, ’92 BAA, and Traci Wolf,’84 BA, ’88 JD, spend their days helpingpeople transform their lives and, alongthe way, helping build Defined into acommunity-minded fitness empire.
Anndee, the CEO, is a strikingbrunette with an athletic build, hearkening back to her days as a gymnast at UNM. Traci, the president,is blonde and slim, with intense eyesand delivery. They’ve been workingtogether for a long time, often finishing
each other’s sentences or looking toeach other for clarification.
Their eyes shine with pride as theydescribe a gym that builds it businessevery month on customer loyalty,health and wellness, and the belief thata gym should keep its membership byproviding the best product at the bestprice, not by year-long contracts. Aone-time fee for joining lasts a lifetime,even if the member leaves for years.The membership fee has been raisedonly three times in 30 years.
DeFININGPRINCIPaLS
B Y A L E X I S K E R S C H N E R
No
rman
Jo
hn
son
Ph
oto
gra
ph
y
Two leaders of a premier
New Mexico gym say their
business is all about health,
fitness, and changing lives.
“People in the industry think we’recrazy,” says Anndee. “And they alwaysask us why it works. It’s because we’renot just about selling membership.We’re about health, fitness, and changing lives.” Customers will pay for those, even in a down economy.
“People will give up a Starbucks for what we offer,” Andee says.
DEFINING MOMENTSAnndee and Traci met more than
20 years ago, when Defined was justbeginning.
Traci had been hired as legal counsel for Defined and was workingwith owners Bo and Trish Fowler whohad acquired the gym as part of a legalsettlement. Today Traci’s law firm, Wolf and Fox, works on contracts,development, and acquisition for Defined.
“It’s pretty amazing that this formerly small business now keepstwo-and-a-half attorneys busy fulltime,” she says.
Anndee’s history with Definedbegan while teaching in an after-schoolgymnastics program for kids. One ofthe children in the class was theFowlers’ daughter.
One day after the children’s class,Anndee went out into the rain to sellcandy bars for the program. Trishbought her whole box of 20.
“Trish said I was crying out in thepouring rain – I don’t quite rememberthat,” says Andee, chuckling.
A week later, the UNM weight roomclosed for the summer and Anndeeneeded a place to work out to stay inshape for the upcoming gymnasticsseason. She asked Trish for a job atDefined, where she could work out for free. Trish handed her a key
and told her to open the gym at 4:30 the next morning.
COMMUNITY MUSCLEMany years later, Defined is
succeeding in a notoriously toughindustry.
Among Defined’s precepts is meeting customer expectations for newequipment and the latest offerings.
While there is a typical schedule for replacing equipment, Anndee andTraci exceed it. The old equipment is often donated to various entities,including UNM.
When the cardio equipment at theDefined location in Albuquerque’s farnorth heights was replaced early in itslife cycle, Defined contacted the newstrength and conditioning coach forthe UNM football team; all the slightlyused equipment is now going to theUNM athletics complex.
Next up for Traci and Anndee is the launch and expansion of“Community Muscle,” the non-profitarm of Defined that is responsible forphilanthropic endeavors, including support for UNM, the Lobos, the Lobo Club, and much more.
DEFINING SATISFACTIONAt the end of the day, Defined is
about fitness and life changes. “What I love is that you really
change and affect people’s lives,” saysAnndee. “I can’t tell you how manytimes a member says, ’I’ve lost 30pounds and I feel great.’ You’re a place and an environment to inducepositive change in people’s lives. That feels good.”
F E E L I N G G O O D !
T H E Y S H O U L D !
Traci Wolf, left, and Andee
Wright Brown are president
and CEO, respectively, of
Defined Fitness, a thriving
New Mexico gym and
fitness business.
T
aLUMNI PROFILeB Y S A R I K R O S I N S K Y
GOING VeRDe
A rugged Mexican plant holds potential
as a clean biodiesel fuel — and as a
career-maker for Nathan Campbell.
Nathan’s answer: Jatropha.According to Nathan, jatropha is a
rugged perennial plant that can growon marginal land without irrigation, soit doesn’t have to supplant land that’sviable for food crops. It yields 10 timesmore fuel than soy-based oil and can begrown at a lower cost than food-basedoils. Jatropha even aids in rejuvenatingland by putting nitrogen back in thesoil and preventing erosion.
To top it all off, jatropha alreadygrows wild in the region. “You’ll find
that wherever the Portuguese andSpanish have been, it’s used as a hedgecrop,” Nathan says.
He’s working to develop a localstrain into a higher yield strain.
Lack of awareness has preventedthe biofuel industry from reaching itspotential in Mexico. Nathan hopes tochange that.
Starting in “land-rich and money-poor”rural areas in Veracruz, Nathan and fellow alum David Kiston, ’07 BA, spentthe past year reaching out to communal
Two years ago in Xalapa, Mexico, pollution impelled
Nathan Campbell, ’08 BUS, to search for a sustainable,
biodiesel fuel that wouldn’t compete with food supplies or
deforest the countryside—or pollute the air. But what?
farmers, trying to persuade them togrow jatropha and demonstrating thepracticality and simplicity of theprocess. The farmers are often alreadyfamiliar with the plant, but they knowit by other names, such as piñon.
According to Nathan, biodiesel producers want to contract with localfarms. (Separate, small farms are asafer bet than one large farm, becauseblights are less likely to affect allcrops.) But the farms often operate as ejidos – combining communal ownership and individual use – with strict regulations that the producers don’t want to deal with.
Nathan and David have put togethera proposal to act as middlemenbetween the farmer and the largebiodiesel producers, facilitating both parties’ goals.
Nathan hopes the model will support farmers’ needs, combine profit and philanthropy, and ultimatelyproduce enough fuel both for local use and for export to the US. Heemphasizes the “three pillars of sustainability” – society, economy, and environment.
That outlook reflect’s Nathan’sbackground in UNM’s SustainabilityStudies Program, directed by biologyprofessor Bruce Milne.
“Nate’s project reverberates witheverything we learned about in thoseearly sustainability courses… He hasfolded it into bold, creative practicesthat are authentically sustainable,”Milne says.
Nathan helped to build the program’s signature biodiesel van andsolar trailer. He still experiments withdesigns. He says biodiesel technologyis simple and largely open source –available to the public. In Mexico, itcan be built using local plumbing parts.
“My dad has been in the naturalgas business for a long time,” he says.“I guess I’m the next generation ofenergy entrepreneurs.”
Postscript: Nate came home to New Mexico in May after workingabout 60 miles from “swine fluground zero.” His plans to returnare in flux.
F O R F U R T H E R R E A D I N G :“Mali’s Farmers Discover a Weed’s PotentialPower,” New York Times, September 9, 2007.www.nytimes.com
“Could jatropha be a biofuel panacea?” BBC News, July 8, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e2 6 f a l l 2 0 0 9 2 7
aLBUmMaura Lewiecki, ’00 MLA, Albuquerque, is the fourth recipient of the School ofArchitecture and Planning’s Maureen Walter Alumni of the Year Award, given in recognition of service to the school and the community.
Seddah Moya, ’00 BS, ’05 MD, completedher residency at Winnie Palmer Hospital inOrlando and then joined La Clínica deFamilia in Las Cruces, where she is the clinic’s first staff obstetrician/gynecologist.
Kenneth Brooks, ’01 BUS, Roswell, New Mexico, has retired after a long careerin the mental health field, most recently as acase-manager. He now does volunteer work.
David Chavez, ’01 BBA, Albuquerque, hasbeen promoted to senior advisor at Maestas& Ward Commercial Real Estate. He specializesin project leasing and investment sales.
Edward J. Potthoff Jr., ’01 BSCE,Albuquerque, has been promoted to transportation business group leader at HDR Engineering.
Jennifer E. Reinhart, ’01 BS, Albuquerque,now works as a senior tax accountant atPulakos & Alongi, preparing and reviewing taxreturns for the firm’s private sector, nonprofitclients, and government contractors.
Ryley Webb-Hendry, ’01 BBA, ’03 MS,was promoted to chief operating officer ofHank Haney International Junior Golf Academyon Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Davis Begay, ’02 BUS, has been appointedHonorary Consul General of Japan. His official appointment by the government of Japan was approved by the US StateDepartment in April.
Barbara Oakland, ’02 BS, is now on thestaff of ABQ Health Partners as a physicianassistant.
Kristin Martinez, ’03 BBA, Rio Rancho, has joined New Mexico Community Capital (www.nmccap.org) as its firstEntrepreneur-in-Residence. She was founderand CEO of Sound Point, a venture
JENNIFER E. REINHART
Mic
hae
l W
ilsh
er
Mic
hae
l W
ilsh
erM E X I C A N S U N S E T S :
Concerned about pollution in
Mexico, Nathan Campbell set
out to find a clean, sustainable
source of fuel.
T
aLUMNI PROFILeB Y S A R I K R O S I N S K Y
GOING VeRDe
A rugged Mexican plant holds potential
as a clean biodiesel fuel — and as a
career-maker for Nathan Campbell.
Nathan’s answer: Jatropha.According to Nathan, jatropha is a
rugged perennial plant that can growon marginal land without irrigation, soit doesn’t have to supplant land that’sviable for food crops. It yields 10 timesmore fuel than soy-based oil and can begrown at a lower cost than food-basedoils. Jatropha even aids in rejuvenatingland by putting nitrogen back in thesoil and preventing erosion.
To top it all off, jatropha alreadygrows wild in the region. “You’ll find
that wherever the Portuguese andSpanish have been, it’s used as a hedgecrop,” Nathan says.
He’s working to develop a localstrain into a higher yield strain.
Lack of awareness has preventedthe biofuel industry from reaching itspotential in Mexico. Nathan hopes tochange that.
Starting in “land-rich and money-poor”rural areas in Veracruz, Nathan and fellow alum David Kiston, ’07 BA, spentthe past year reaching out to communal
Two years ago in Xalapa, Mexico, pollution impelled
Nathan Campbell, ’08 BUS, to search for a sustainable,
biodiesel fuel that wouldn’t compete with food supplies or
deforest the countryside—or pollute the air. But what?
farmers, trying to persuade them togrow jatropha and demonstrating thepracticality and simplicity of theprocess. The farmers are often alreadyfamiliar with the plant, but they knowit by other names, such as piñon.
According to Nathan, biodiesel producers want to contract with localfarms. (Separate, small farms are asafer bet than one large farm, becauseblights are less likely to affect allcrops.) But the farms often operate as ejidos – combining communal ownership and individual use – with strict regulations that the producers don’t want to deal with.
Nathan and David have put togethera proposal to act as middlemenbetween the farmer and the largebiodiesel producers, facilitating both parties’ goals.
Nathan hopes the model will support farmers’ needs, combine profit and philanthropy, and ultimatelyproduce enough fuel both for local use and for export to the US. Heemphasizes the “three pillars of sustainability” – society, economy, and environment.
That outlook reflect’s Nathan’sbackground in UNM’s SustainabilityStudies Program, directed by biologyprofessor Bruce Milne.
“Nate’s project reverberates witheverything we learned about in thoseearly sustainability courses… He hasfolded it into bold, creative practicesthat are authentically sustainable,”Milne says.
Nathan helped to build the program’s signature biodiesel van andsolar trailer. He still experiments withdesigns. He says biodiesel technologyis simple and largely open source –available to the public. In Mexico, itcan be built using local plumbing parts.
“My dad has been in the naturalgas business for a long time,” he says.“I guess I’m the next generation ofenergy entrepreneurs.”
Postscript: Nate came home to New Mexico in May after workingabout 60 miles from “swine fluground zero.” His plans to returnare in flux.
F O R F U R T H E R R E A D I N G :“Mali’s Farmers Discover a Weed’s PotentialPower,” New York Times, September 9, 2007.www.nytimes.com
“Could jatropha be a biofuel panacea?” BBC News, July 8, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e2 6 f a l l 2 0 0 9 2 7
aLBUmMaura Lewiecki, ’00 MLA, Albuquerque, is the fourth recipient of the School ofArchitecture and Planning’s Maureen Walter Alumni of the Year Award, given in recognition of service to the school and the community.
Seddah Moya, ’00 BS, ’05 MD, completedher residency at Winnie Palmer Hospital inOrlando and then joined La Clínica deFamilia in Las Cruces, where she is the clinic’s first staff obstetrician/gynecologist.
Kenneth Brooks, ’01 BUS, Roswell, New Mexico, has retired after a long careerin the mental health field, most recently as acase-manager. He now does volunteer work.
David Chavez, ’01 BBA, Albuquerque, hasbeen promoted to senior advisor at Maestas& Ward Commercial Real Estate. He specializesin project leasing and investment sales.
Edward J. Potthoff Jr., ’01 BSCE,Albuquerque, has been promoted to transportation business group leader at HDR Engineering.
Jennifer E. Reinhart, ’01 BS, Albuquerque,now works as a senior tax accountant atPulakos & Alongi, preparing and reviewing taxreturns for the firm’s private sector, nonprofitclients, and government contractors.
Ryley Webb-Hendry, ’01 BBA, ’03 MS,was promoted to chief operating officer ofHank Haney International Junior Golf Academyon Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Davis Begay, ’02 BUS, has been appointedHonorary Consul General of Japan. His official appointment by the government of Japan was approved by the US StateDepartment in April.
Barbara Oakland, ’02 BS, is now on thestaff of ABQ Health Partners as a physicianassistant.
Kristin Martinez, ’03 BBA, Rio Rancho, has joined New Mexico Community Capital (www.nmccap.org) as its firstEntrepreneur-in-Residence. She was founderand CEO of Sound Point, a venture
JENNIFER E. REINHART
Mic
hae
l W
ilsh
er
Mic
hae
l W
ilsh
er
M E X I C A N S U N S E T S :
Concerned about pollution in
Mexico, Nathan Campbell set
out to find a clean, sustainable
source of fuel.
GeNe BaCaG
ene Baca, ’82 BS, is senior vice president of Bueno Foods in
Albuquerque, and president and one of the founders of the
New Mexico Chile Association. He says he has been “associated
with Bueno since birth” but began making it his career after
graduating from Harvard Law school in 1986. Bueno Foods was started in 1951 by
Gene’s father and uncles. Today, Gene shares the company’s operation with his
four sisters – Jackie Baca, ’79 BA, ’83 MBA, is president – and his mother – all UNM
alumnae. Bueno developed the first commercial roasting and freezing process for
chile. Gene is treasurer of the UNM Alumni Association Board of Directors.
aLUMNI PROFILeReD ORGReeN?
“Bred on red and weaned on green,”Gene Baca answers questions about our state’s beloved plant.
Mirage: Many of our readers may notknow that New Mexico has an officialstate question. Would you tell themwhat it is?
Gene Baca: The question is “Red orgreen?” If you’re a Lobo and/or a New Mexican, you know that we’re not talking about stop lights!
Mirage: Why is chile so important in New Mexico that it warrants an official question?
Gene: We New Mexicans love our chile.It’s more important to us even thanoranges are to Florida or potatoes toIdaho. In many respects, it defines our
culture and heritage. My family is likemany New Mexican families: we eatchile at virtually every meal. AtThanksgiving, we serve red chileinstead of gravy with our mashed potatoes. Chile is a huge party of family traditions and celebrations. My kids started eating it at age 2.
Mirage: How important is the growthand harvesting of chile to our state?
Gene: It’s extremely important. Thechile industry contributes $250 millionto the state’s economy. It provides3,000 full-time jobs and 10,000 part-timejobs. And it comprises primarily long-term,
family-owned farmers and companieswho are committed to New Mexico.
Mirage: I understand that the industryhas changed in recent years. How?
Gene: The main change is the growthof chile production in foreign countries– Mexico, Peru, and China in particular.Labor costs in those countries are justa fraction of ours, and regulation ismuch less stringent. Consequently, our costs have increased, and it’s hard to keep prices competitive.
New Mexico acres planted in chilehave declined from 35,000 acres in themid 90’s to just over 10,000 acres lastyear. Long-term farmers are gettingout of the industry; many will nolonger grow chile because of plant disease and labor shortages. Chilecrops have gone unpicked becausevery few people want to work pickingchile (the average age of a chile pickeris in their 60’s). Changes in immigrationpolicy have created a critical laborshortage in the industry for farmersand processors.
All of this is happening at the sametime that consumption is skyrocketing.
Mirage: What can be done to give thechile advantage back to New Mexico?
Gene: Mechanical harvesters and automatic de-stemmers would make a huge difference. Until they becomeavailable, all the work has to be doneby hand. The New Mexico ChileAssociation is working on automationas well as on establishing New Mexicochile certification so consumers can be sure they’re getting the real thing.As it stands now, Hatch green chiledoesn’t even have to come Hatch!
Mirage: What can Mirage readers doto help safeguard New Mexico chile?
Gene: The main thing they can do isrequest and make certain they’re buyingreal New Mexican chile! If you see“Hatch green chile” available on themarket before it’s been harvested inNew Mexico, chances are pretty goodit’s not from Hatch! We want to keepNew Mexico the chile capital of the US!
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e2 8 M I R A G E m a g a z i n e f a l l 2 0 0 9 2 9
aLBUmdevelopment and business advisory company. Most recently, she was founder,director, and CFO of a biotech startup,Acoustic Cytometry Systems, in Los Alamos.
Cecilia Travick-Jackson, ’03 PhD, has beengranted tenure and advanced to the rank ofassociate professor at California LutheranUniversity in Thousand Oaks, California.
Jordan Bell, ’04 MS, ’07 PhD, works ininpatient psychiatry at New Mexico VeteransAffairs Health Care System in Albuquerquewhere he provides group and individual psychotherapy, assessment, training, and consultation.
Jeff Fisher, ’04 BSCS, has graduated from Baylor University School of Law. Aftertaking the Texas Bar Exam, he will return to Albuquerque to spend one year as a judicial clerk for Federal District Judge James O. Browning.
Kelly Bee, ’05 BA, Albuquerque, is the chieffinancial officer at Holistic ManagementInternational.
Lindsey Blessing, ’05 BS, graduated fromParker College of Chiropractic and hasreturned to Albuquerque to join Life Source Chiropractic.
Adabel Allen, ’06 BFA, is pursuing a second bachelor’s degree and is involvedwith the new arts management program at the UNM College of Fine Arts. She isemployed part-time as the arts facilitator/educator for Art for Health through theUNM Employee Health Promotion Program. A show of her work, “Convergence, mixedmedia prints,” will be part of Albuquerque’sartscrawl in August.
Elizabeth Barber, ’06 BBA, Englewood,Colorado, started working with Moss Codilisas an XML template specialist and help-desksupport for SQL and JAVA. She also doespublic relations, marketing, and event planning with RedElephantMediaGroup.comand RemixCulture.com.
Maralyn M. Beck, ’06 BA, Los Angeles, isthe marketing communications coordinatorfor American Honda Motor Company inTorrance, California. She works in the campaign management department, overseeing all national marketing campaignsfor the North American Honda enterprise.
James Bloom, 06 BBA, Albuquerque, issales executive in the commercial salesdepartment of Lovelace Health Plan.
Adriane Irwin, ’06 MS, has been electedpresident of the American PharmacistsAssociation’s Academy of StudentPharmacists. She is a third-year pharmacystudent at UNM.
No
rman
Jo
hn
son
Ph
oto
gra
ph
y
E D I T E D B Y M A R Y C O N R A D
T H E R E A L T H I N G :
Gene Baca’s family has been in
the chile business for decades.
Now Gene is working to keep
New Mexico chile authentic.
GeNe BaCaG
ene Baca, ’82 BS, is senior vice president of Bueno Foods in
Albuquerque, and president and one of the founders of the
New Mexico Chile Association. He says he has been “associated
with Bueno since birth” but began making it his career after
graduating from Harvard Law school in 1986. Bueno Foods was started in 1951 by
Gene’s father and uncles. Today, Gene shares the company’s operation with his
four sisters – Jackie Baca, ’79 BA, ’83 MBA, is president – and his mother – all UNM
alumnae. Bueno developed the first commercial roasting and freezing process for
chile. Gene is treasurer of the UNM Alumni Association Board of Directors.
aLUMNI PROFILeReD ORGReeN?
“Bred on red and weaned on green,”Gene Baca answers questions about our state’s beloved plant.
Mirage: Many of our readers may notknow that New Mexico has an officialstate question. Would you tell themwhat it is?
Gene Baca: The question is “Red orgreen?” If you’re a Lobo and/or a New Mexican, you know that we’re not talking about stop lights!
Mirage: Why is chile so important in New Mexico that it warrants an official question?
Gene: We New Mexicans love our chile.It’s more important to us even thanoranges are to Florida or potatoes toIdaho. In many respects, it defines our
culture and heritage. My family is likemany New Mexican families: we eatchile at virtually every meal. AtThanksgiving, we serve red chileinstead of gravy with our mashed potatoes. Chile is a huge party of family traditions and celebrations. My kids started eating it at age 2.
Mirage: How important is the growthand harvesting of chile to our state?
Gene: It’s extremely important. Thechile industry contributes $250 millionto the state’s economy. It provides3,000 full-time jobs and 10,000 part-timejobs. And it comprises primarily long-term,
family-owned farmers and companieswho are committed to New Mexico.
Mirage: I understand that the industryhas changed in recent years. How?
Gene: The main change is the growthof chile production in foreign countries– Mexico, Peru, and China in particular.Labor costs in those countries are justa fraction of ours, and regulation ismuch less stringent. Consequently, our costs have increased, and it’s hard to keep prices competitive.
New Mexico acres planted in chilehave declined from 35,000 acres in themid 90’s to just over 10,000 acres lastyear. Long-term farmers are gettingout of the industry; many will nolonger grow chile because of plant disease and labor shortages. Chilecrops have gone unpicked becausevery few people want to work pickingchile (the average age of a chile pickeris in their 60’s). Changes in immigrationpolicy have created a critical laborshortage in the industry for farmersand processors.
All of this is happening at the sametime that consumption is skyrocketing.
Mirage: What can be done to give thechile advantage back to New Mexico?
Gene: Mechanical harvesters and automatic de-stemmers would make a huge difference. Until they becomeavailable, all the work has to be doneby hand. The New Mexico ChileAssociation is working on automationas well as on establishing New Mexicochile certification so consumers can be sure they’re getting the real thing.As it stands now, Hatch green chiledoesn’t even have to come Hatch!
Mirage: What can Mirage readers doto help safeguard New Mexico chile?
Gene: The main thing they can do isrequest and make certain they’re buyingreal New Mexican chile! If you see“Hatch green chile” available on themarket before it’s been harvested inNew Mexico, chances are pretty goodit’s not from Hatch! We want to keepNew Mexico the chile capital of the US!
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e2 8 M I R A G E m a g a z i n e f a l l 2 0 0 9 2 9
aLBUmdevelopment and business advisory company. Most recently, she was founder,director, and CFO of a biotech startup,Acoustic Cytometry Systems, in Los Alamos.
Cecilia Travick-Jackson, ’03 PhD, has beengranted tenure and advanced to the rank ofassociate professor at California LutheranUniversity in Thousand Oaks, California.
Jordan Bell, ’04 MS, ’07 PhD, works ininpatient psychiatry at New Mexico VeteransAffairs Health Care System in Albuquerquewhere he provides group and individual psychotherapy, assessment, training, and consultation.
Jeff Fisher, ’04 BSCS, has graduated from Baylor University School of Law. Aftertaking the Texas Bar Exam, he will return to Albuquerque to spend one year as a judicial clerk for Federal District Judge James O. Browning.
Kelly Bee, ’05 BA, Albuquerque, is the chieffinancial officer at Holistic ManagementInternational.
Lindsey Blessing, ’05 BS, graduated fromParker College of Chiropractic and hasreturned to Albuquerque to join Life Source Chiropractic.
Adabel Allen, ’06 BFA, is pursuing a second bachelor’s degree and is involvedwith the new arts management program at the UNM College of Fine Arts. She isemployed part-time as the arts facilitator/educator for Art for Health through theUNM Employee Health Promotion Program. A show of her work, “Convergence, mixedmedia prints,” will be part of Albuquerque’sartscrawl in August.
Elizabeth Barber, ’06 BBA, Englewood,Colorado, started working with Moss Codilisas an XML template specialist and help-desksupport for SQL and JAVA. She also doespublic relations, marketing, and event planning with RedElephantMediaGroup.comand RemixCulture.com.
Maralyn M. Beck, ’06 BA, Los Angeles, isthe marketing communications coordinatorfor American Honda Motor Company inTorrance, California. She works in the campaign management department, overseeing all national marketing campaignsfor the North American Honda enterprise.
James Bloom, 06 BBA, Albuquerque, issales executive in the commercial salesdepartment of Lovelace Health Plan.
Adriane Irwin, ’06 MS, has been electedpresident of the American PharmacistsAssociation’s Academy of StudentPharmacists. She is a third-year pharmacystudent at UNM.
No
rman
Jo
hn
son
Ph
oto
gra
ph
y
E D I T E D B Y M A R Y C O N R A D
T H E R E A L T H I N G :
Gene Baca’s family has been in
the chile business for decades.
Now Gene is working to keep
New Mexico chile authentic.
c
DeVeLOPMeNTeXTRaORDINaRY LIFeeXTRaORDINaRY GIFTB Y M I C H E L L E G . M c R U I Z
Chemistry. Engineering. Western art. You don’t need a
postgraduate degree to figure out which item in this set doesn’t fit.
E. Gerald Meyer, ’50 PhD, has spent six decades working as an
instructor, chemist, chemical engineer, and dean, and he admits
that these occupations are “a long, long way from art.” But this
accidental art collector turned an inheritance from his grandparents
into a world-class collection, and UNM stands to benefit from it.
Gerry recently decided to make a planned gift-in-kind of the entire
collection, which is worth millions of dollars, to the UNM Art Museum.
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e3 0 f a l l 2 0 0 9 3 1
aLBUmKwaku Sraha, ’06 BBA, Albuquerque, is an accountant with New Mexico Voicesfor Children.
Michelle Brito, ’08 BBA, Albuquerque, has joined Meyners+Company as a staffaccountant in the business and tax services department.
Erik J. Coleman, ’07 BA, recently graduatedfrom the US Coast Guard Recruit TrainingCenter in Cape May, New Jersey, with therank of Coast Guard Seaman.
Jessica L. Daniels, ’08 BBA, Albuquerque, hasbeen hired by KPMG as an audit associate.
Nick Grieco, ’08 BBA, has joined theAlbuquerque office of Grant Thornton as atax associate, responsible for tax support.
Chad A. Itokazu, ’08 BBA, has settled in asa financial advisor at Ameriprise FinancialServices in Honolulu.
Josie Jaramillo, ’08 BBA, has joined Grant Thornton in Albuquerque as an auditassociate, responsible for inventory testingand observations, as well as managing cashand fixed assets accounts.
Ryan Jones, ’08 BBA, is a staff accountantin the assurance department at Meyners +Company in Albuquerque.
Karin Vandergaarden-Jayne, ’08 BS,Albuquerque, has joined the staff of Health Care ABQ Health Partners where she will specialize in gastroenterology.
Lauren Vaughn, ’08 BBA, Redondo Beach,California, was recently hired by AmericanHonda Motor Company in Torrance,California, as a regional case manager in the customer relations department.
Ma R R I a Ge SEd Snow, ’81 BA, ’83 JD,
and Amy McGrane
Rachael Ferranti, ’95 BA, and Jason Leffler
Kerry Akin, ’99 BBA, and Roy M. Stickler
Martha Pino, ’99 BA, and Eric Jewell, ’85 BBA
Felecia Thomason, ’99 AALA, ’03 BUS,and Kristian Kluzinski
Emily A. Finnan, ’00 BA, and Christopher Quaka
Elena Sanchez, ’02 BA, and Ajay Shashikant Rao
Jonathan Blaich, ’03 BBA, and Margaret Radigan
Dominic Gachupin, ’04 BUS, and Sandy Bromley
An
dre
w C
arp
enea
m
E. Gerald Meyer, ’50 PhD,will give his wondrous artcollection to the UniversityArt Museum.
W H AT I T ’ S A L L A B O U T :From the perspective of 90 yearsand a Harley seat, University ofWyoming professor and dean emeritus Gerry Meyer says life is about giving.
For information on making gifts to UNM, please visit the UNM Foundation
Website at www.unmfund.org or call 1-800-UNM FUND (866-3863).
seemed to be the best place becausethe collection would be viewed by lotsof people, much is New Mexico art, and I was born in Albuquerque.”
CHEMISTRY ALL OVER THE MAP
After graduating from Roswell’sNew Mexico Military Institute, Gerryearned bachelor's and master’s of science degrees at Carnegie Tech, now Carnegie Mellon University in1940 and 1942 respectively. He workedfor the Bureau of Mines as a chemicalengineer and then joined the US Navy,serving in World War II. After the warGerry returned to Albuquerque towork for the New Mexico School ofMines (now New Mexico Tech) in itsresearch laboratory. When the lab relocated to Socorro, Gerry’s wifebalked at the idea of moving, so Gerry instead matriculated at UNM in the new PhD program in chemistry.He completed his work in 1950 (the degree was awarded in 1951)after doing dissertation research at Los Alamos. From 1950 to 1963, hewas a professor, research director, andgraduate school dean at the Universityof Albuquerque, and then New MexicoHighlands University.
In 1963, Gerry became professor of chemistry and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the Universityof Wyoming (UW) in Laramie. After 12 years as dean, he spent another six as vice president of research andgraduate studies and professor of energy and natural resources.
AN ANTI-RETIREMENTPLAN
Gerry claims to have semi-retiredin 1990, but what this emeritus professorand dean considers semi-retirementwould be full-time employment tomany. He still goes to UW daily to workon committees, “help the dean do somethings, and try to support the collegein various and sundry ways.”
He’s been a member of theAmerican Chemical Society (ACS) for 70 years and is past ACS nationalcouncilor and chair of the ACS Wyomingsection. He also has close ties with theAmerican Institute of Chemists – he ispast president and a current director –as well as the American Institute ofChemical Engineers. Gerry’s company,Advanced Clean Coal Technology,works on proprietary coal technologythat treats coal as a raw material forproducing clean fuel and chemicals. He holds 18 US and foreign patents,mostly on coal refining technologies.
The fact that Gerry will turn 90 inNovember doesn’t slow him down much.He rides a Harley and has participatedin the Senior Olympic Games for years,in runs from 1.5K to 10K. His wife ofnearly 65 years, Betty, died three yearsago. Today, his companion, Barbara,enjoys traveling with him but passes on the Harley rides.
For Gerry, life is not about whatone takes, but what one leaves behind.“What I am most proud of is having theopportunity to leave some type of legacy,”he says. “For me, that’s my kids, mystudents, and the art collection.”
AN EYE FOR QUALITYIn the late 1800s, Gerry’s
grandparents, Louis and Anna Ilfeld, owned a prosperous generalmerchandise store in Albuquerque.While Louis focused on sheep andwool, Anna turned her gaze to fine art.
“My grandmother bought paintingsdirectly from the Taos artists,” Gerrysays. “One of them is by Bert Phillips[founder, in 1898, of the Taos ArtColony]. On the back he wrote, ‘This isa painting of an Indian chief, paintedespecially for Mrs. Louis Ilfeld.’”
Gerry and his sister eventuallyinherited the collection, at whichpoint Gerry became serious aboutexpanding it. “I realized they werefantastic,” he says of the works. “Overthe years I’ve learned a lot aboutAmerican art. I’ve been acquiringworks by the Cowboy Artists ofAmerica, which was founded in the1950s by Charlie Dye, Joe Beeler, and John Hampton.”
Gerry’s collection would make anyWestern art buff salivate. However, healso has etchings and lithographs bymodern masters such as Marc Chagall,Pablo Picasso, James Whistler, GrantWood, John Steuart Curry, andNorman Rockwell.
Gerry’s three sons haven’t shownparticular interest in the collection,and Gerry naturally began to wonderwhat would happen to it. “I got tothinking about where would be a goodplace for this art,” he says. “UNM
c
DeVeLOPMeNTeXTRaORDINaRY LIFeeXTRaORDINaRY GIFTB Y M I C H E L L E G . M c R U I Z
Chemistry. Engineering. Western art. You don’t need a
postgraduate degree to figure out which item in this set doesn’t fit.
E. Gerald Meyer, ’50 PhD, has spent six decades working as an
instructor, chemist, chemical engineer, and dean, and he admits
that these occupations are “a long, long way from art.” But this
accidental art collector turned an inheritance from his grandparents
into a world-class collection, and UNM stands to benefit from it.
Gerry recently decided to make a planned gift-in-kind of the entire
collection, which is worth millions of dollars, to the UNM Art Museum.
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e3 0 f a l l 2 0 0 9 3 1
aLBUmKwaku Sraha, ’06 BBA, Albuquerque, is an accountant with New Mexico Voicesfor Children.
Michelle Brito, ’08 BBA, Albuquerque, has joined Meyners+Company as a staffaccountant in the business and tax services department.
Erik J. Coleman, ’07 BA, recently graduatedfrom the US Coast Guard Recruit TrainingCenter in Cape May, New Jersey, with therank of Coast Guard Seaman.
Jessica L. Daniels, ’08 BBA, Albuquerque, hasbeen hired by KPMG as an audit associate.
Nick Grieco, ’08 BBA, has joined theAlbuquerque office of Grant Thornton as atax associate, responsible for tax support.
Chad A. Itokazu, ’08 BBA, has settled in asa financial advisor at Ameriprise FinancialServices in Honolulu.
Josie Jaramillo, ’08 BBA, has joined Grant Thornton in Albuquerque as an auditassociate, responsible for inventory testingand observations, as well as managing cashand fixed assets accounts.
Ryan Jones, ’08 BBA, is a staff accountantin the assurance department at Meyners +Company in Albuquerque.
Karin Vandergaarden-Jayne, ’08 BS,Albuquerque, has joined the staff of Health Care ABQ Health Partners where she will specialize in gastroenterology.
Lauren Vaughn, ’08 BBA, Redondo Beach,California, was recently hired by AmericanHonda Motor Company in Torrance,California, as a regional case manager in the customer relations department.
Ma R R I a Ge SEd Snow, ’81 BA, ’83 JD,
and Amy McGrane
Rachael Ferranti, ’95 BA, and Jason Leffler
Kerry Akin, ’99 BBA, and Roy M. Stickler
Martha Pino, ’99 BA, and Eric Jewell, ’85 BBA
Felecia Thomason, ’99 AALA, ’03 BUS,and Kristian Kluzinski
Emily A. Finnan, ’00 BA, and Christopher Quaka
Elena Sanchez, ’02 BA, and Ajay Shashikant Rao
Jonathan Blaich, ’03 BBA, and Margaret Radigan
Dominic Gachupin, ’04 BUS, and Sandy Bromley
An
dre
w C
arp
enea
m
E. Gerald Meyer, ’50 PhD,will give his wondrous artcollection to the UniversityArt Museum.
W H AT I T ’ S A L L A B O U T :From the perspective of 90 yearsand a Harley seat, University ofWyoming professor and dean emeritus Gerry Meyer says life is about giving.
For information on making gifts to UNM, please visit the UNM Foundation
Website at www.unmfund.org or call 1-800-UNM FUND (866-3863).
seemed to be the best place becausethe collection would be viewed by lotsof people, much is New Mexico art, and I was born in Albuquerque.”
CHEMISTRY ALL OVER THE MAP
After graduating from Roswell’sNew Mexico Military Institute, Gerryearned bachelor's and master’s of science degrees at Carnegie Tech, now Carnegie Mellon University in1940 and 1942 respectively. He workedfor the Bureau of Mines as a chemicalengineer and then joined the US Navy,serving in World War II. After the warGerry returned to Albuquerque towork for the New Mexico School ofMines (now New Mexico Tech) in itsresearch laboratory. When the lab relocated to Socorro, Gerry’s wifebalked at the idea of moving, so Gerry instead matriculated at UNM in the new PhD program in chemistry.He completed his work in 1950 (the degree was awarded in 1951)after doing dissertation research at Los Alamos. From 1950 to 1963, hewas a professor, research director, andgraduate school dean at the Universityof Albuquerque, and then New MexicoHighlands University.
In 1963, Gerry became professor of chemistry and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the Universityof Wyoming (UW) in Laramie. After 12 years as dean, he spent another six as vice president of research andgraduate studies and professor of energy and natural resources.
AN ANTI-RETIREMENTPLAN
Gerry claims to have semi-retiredin 1990, but what this emeritus professorand dean considers semi-retirementwould be full-time employment tomany. He still goes to UW daily to workon committees, “help the dean do somethings, and try to support the collegein various and sundry ways.”
He’s been a member of theAmerican Chemical Society (ACS) for 70 years and is past ACS nationalcouncilor and chair of the ACS Wyomingsection. He also has close ties with theAmerican Institute of Chemists – he ispast president and a current director –as well as the American Institute ofChemical Engineers. Gerry’s company,Advanced Clean Coal Technology,works on proprietary coal technologythat treats coal as a raw material forproducing clean fuel and chemicals. He holds 18 US and foreign patents,mostly on coal refining technologies.
The fact that Gerry will turn 90 inNovember doesn’t slow him down much.He rides a Harley and has participatedin the Senior Olympic Games for years,in runs from 1.5K to 10K. His wife ofnearly 65 years, Betty, died three yearsago. Today, his companion, Barbara,enjoys traveling with him but passes on the Harley rides.
For Gerry, life is not about whatone takes, but what one leaves behind.“What I am most proud of is having theopportunity to leave some type of legacy,”he says. “For me, that’s my kids, mystudents, and the art collection.”
AN EYE FOR QUALITYIn the late 1800s, Gerry’s
grandparents, Louis and Anna Ilfeld, owned a prosperous generalmerchandise store in Albuquerque.While Louis focused on sheep andwool, Anna turned her gaze to fine art.
“My grandmother bought paintingsdirectly from the Taos artists,” Gerrysays. “One of them is by Bert Phillips[founder, in 1898, of the Taos ArtColony]. On the back he wrote, ‘This isa painting of an Indian chief, paintedespecially for Mrs. Louis Ilfeld.’”
Gerry and his sister eventuallyinherited the collection, at whichpoint Gerry became serious aboutexpanding it. “I realized they werefantastic,” he says of the works. “Overthe years I’ve learned a lot aboutAmerican art. I’ve been acquiringworks by the Cowboy Artists ofAmerica, which was founded in the1950s by Charlie Dye, Joe Beeler, and John Hampton.”
Gerry’s collection would make anyWestern art buff salivate. However, healso has etchings and lithographs bymodern masters such as Marc Chagall,Pablo Picasso, James Whistler, GrantWood, John Steuart Curry, andNorman Rockwell.
Gerry’s three sons haven’t shownparticular interest in the collection,and Gerry naturally began to wonderwhat would happen to it. “I got tothinking about where would be a goodplace for this art,” he says. “UNM
+MORe DeVeLOPMeNT
w
a SIGN OFReSPeCT Trewhitt accepted the honor in
spirit, but declined the offer to put his name on it.
Albuquerque Journal reporter DanMcKay remembers what Trewhitt said:“His exact words were: ‘I’m not dead yet.’”
So the handful of new reporters –Andy Lenderman, Dan McKay, KateNash, and Martin Salazar – began their
award without their mentor’s name onit. But it would be only two yearsbefore that sad change came.
Trewhitt, 75, died in 2003. He had been teaching at UNM since 1989and coached writers at the studentnewspaper, the Daily Lobo. It was agroup of those Daily Lobo veteranswho wanted not only to honor theirmentor, but also to honor their experience at the student newspaper.
After graduating from UNM,Trewhitt joined the Santa Fe New Mexican and covered Los Alamosduring the dawn of the nuclear age. He went on to the ChattanoogaTimes, the Baltimore Sun and US News & World Report, where he became one of the shining stars of the diplomatic news field.
Despite that impressive and intimidating resume, Trewhitt’s officewas a place for students to come andshoot the breeze about the world with the man who was at once theirdemanding editor and their good friend.
“He had a profound effect on all ofus,” Alexis Kerschner says. “He taughtus the best way to change the world wasto understand it. He was the kind ofmentor who changed your relationshipwith the world. He never held himselfabove us. You kind of sat in his cruddyoffice and talked about the world.”
The award comes with $500, all ofit from the pockets of young reporters,a group of people not known to
command high salaries. Nonetheless,they chose to give.
“For me the money wasn’t much ofa concern,” says Albuquerque Journalreporter Martin Salazar. “The DailyLobo gave me so much more than Iever could give back anyway. It taughtme how to be a reporter, to work underdeadline pressure. It gave me confidence,
too. After working for the Lobo, when I walked through the door of theAlbuquerque Journal, it wasn’t asscary as it might otherwise have been.I knew what deadlines were. I knewwhat it took to put a story together.That’s what the Lobo gave me.”
Five hundred dollars may not soundlike a lot of money, unless you’re a student scratching out a living whilescratching out an education at thesame time.
“It could help you do severalthings,” Leslie Hoffman says. “It couldhelp you buy books; it could help youmake rent; it could help put gas in yourcar. You could use it for a lot of things.”
Along the way, the original fourfounders picked up more members.Some stayed in journalism; others nowwork in different fields. All maintainthe Hank Trewhitt Daily Lobo AlumniAward, just as they all maintain anunflagging admiration for the manwhose name is affixed to it.
“We were all so impressed withHank because he was such a gooddemonstration to us that you didn’tneed an Ivy League education to coverthe White House,” Dan McKay says.“He covered it and he worked for thesame Daily Lobo we had. He was sucha smart guy and he was so encouragingto us all that we believe his nameneeds to be connected to the DailyLobo in a permanent way.”
When a handful of Hank Trewhitt’s former journalism students told
him they were digging into their own shallow pockets to provide
money for a scholarship to be named in his honor, the distinguished
former diplomatic correspondent and UNM journalism professor
was moved to tears. But he was still Hank Trewhitt, still the tough,
clear-eyed reporter who was in the first UNM journalism class to
graduate (1949). He was a man who looked at the world stripped
bare of its dazzling sideshows until all that was left was the clarity
a reporter of Trewhitt’s caliber sought.
3 2 f a l l 2 0 0 9 3 3M I R A G E m a g a z i n e
Mirage
file
ph
oto
: M
ary
Co
nra
d
Journalism alumni
remember their
mentor with the
Hank Trewhitt
Daily Lobo
Alumni Award.
B Y J I M B E L S H A W
aLBUmRenee Ortiz, ’04 BSEE, and Brett Rodriguez
Christopher Wilcox, ’05 MS, and Jennifer Berlin
Melissa Lopez, ’06 BSNU, and Favian Sedillo
Kimberly Saunders, ’07 BAED, and Guy Gemmer
Emmanuel R. Flores, ’08 BSCS, and Jennifer Ortiz
Angelica Garcia, ’08 BA, and Kyle Zink
Iphigeniz Kerfoot, ’08 MA, and Keith Carey, ’07 BSME
Beverly Valencia, ’08 BSED, and Christopher Gene Armijo
IN MeMORIaMRandolph Victor Seligman, ’36William B. Castetter, ’37Eloisa Loeb, ’38Kitty Flint Livingston, ’40Ray A. Thompson, ’41Leo R. Harmon, ’42Frances Tyler, ’42Doris Ann Boyes, ’45Richard G. Orcutt, ’45Lupe P. Gutierrez, ’46Billirene E. Lloyd, ’46Willis A. Smith, ’46Mable Price Alexander McMahan Rogers, ’47Sara Louise Drypolcher Vogel, ’48Albert O. Bemiss, ’49Rex Chambers Jr., ’49LeRoy H. Huenefeld Jr., ’49Leonard Maynard, ’49Ismael V. Sanchez, ’49Victor H. Zabel, ’49Eric I. Baca, ’50Eloy D. Chavez, ’50, ’56Armen M. Donian, ’50David A. Salazar, ’50George L. Zimmerman, ’50James L. Breese, ’51Wilhelmina Burns, ’51Milton R. Handly, ’51James Hudgins, ’51Ferdinand H. Kruse, ’51Jerome Levy, ’51Jim Matthews, ’51Walter Perkowski, ’51Catherine Broome Thorsen, ’51LeRoy Edwin DeSoto, ’52Edwin J. Gignac, ’52Billy W. McLaughlin, ’52Eugene Joseph Casella, ’53Russell M. Ervin, ’53Mary Ann Gonzales, ’53Betty Jean Wiley, ’53
W O R D S T H A T H E L D
S W AY : A star diplomatic
correspondent for US News
& World Report and a
former Daily Lobo reporter,
Hank Trewhitt shared his
experience with his UNM
journalism students –
who listened well.
“He taught us the best way to change the world was to understand it.”
—Alexis Kerschner
+MORe DeVeLOPMeNT
w
a SIGN OFReSPeCT Trewhitt accepted the honor in
spirit, but declined the offer to put his name on it.
Albuquerque Journal reporter DanMcKay remembers what Trewhitt said:“His exact words were: ‘I’m not dead yet.’”
So the handful of new reporters –Andy Lenderman, Dan McKay, KateNash, and Martin Salazar – began their
award without their mentor’s name onit. But it would be only two yearsbefore that sad change came.
Trewhitt, 75, died in 2003. He had been teaching at UNM since 1989and coached writers at the studentnewspaper, the Daily Lobo. It was agroup of those Daily Lobo veteranswho wanted not only to honor theirmentor, but also to honor their experience at the student newspaper.
After graduating from UNM,Trewhitt joined the Santa Fe New Mexican and covered Los Alamosduring the dawn of the nuclear age. He went on to the ChattanoogaTimes, the Baltimore Sun and US News & World Report, where he became one of the shining stars of the diplomatic news field.
Despite that impressive and intimidating resume, Trewhitt’s officewas a place for students to come andshoot the breeze about the world with the man who was at once theirdemanding editor and their good friend.
“He had a profound effect on all ofus,” Alexis Kerschner says. “He taughtus the best way to change the world wasto understand it. He was the kind ofmentor who changed your relationshipwith the world. He never held himselfabove us. You kind of sat in his cruddyoffice and talked about the world.”
The award comes with $500, all ofit from the pockets of young reporters,a group of people not known to
command high salaries. Nonetheless,they chose to give.
“For me the money wasn’t much ofa concern,” says Albuquerque Journalreporter Martin Salazar. “The DailyLobo gave me so much more than Iever could give back anyway. It taughtme how to be a reporter, to work underdeadline pressure. It gave me confidence,
too. After working for the Lobo, when I walked through the door of theAlbuquerque Journal, it wasn’t asscary as it might otherwise have been.I knew what deadlines were. I knewwhat it took to put a story together.That’s what the Lobo gave me.”
Five hundred dollars may not soundlike a lot of money, unless you’re a student scratching out a living whilescratching out an education at thesame time.
“It could help you do severalthings,” Leslie Hoffman says. “It couldhelp you buy books; it could help youmake rent; it could help put gas in yourcar. You could use it for a lot of things.”
Along the way, the original fourfounders picked up more members.Some stayed in journalism; others nowwork in different fields. All maintainthe Hank Trewhitt Daily Lobo AlumniAward, just as they all maintain anunflagging admiration for the manwhose name is affixed to it.
“We were all so impressed withHank because he was such a gooddemonstration to us that you didn’tneed an Ivy League education to coverthe White House,” Dan McKay says.“He covered it and he worked for thesame Daily Lobo we had. He was sucha smart guy and he was so encouragingto us all that we believe his nameneeds to be connected to the DailyLobo in a permanent way.”
When a handful of Hank Trewhitt’s former journalism students told
him they were digging into their own shallow pockets to provide
money for a scholarship to be named in his honor, the distinguished
former diplomatic correspondent and UNM journalism professor
was moved to tears. But he was still Hank Trewhitt, still the tough,
clear-eyed reporter who was in the first UNM journalism class to
graduate (1949). He was a man who looked at the world stripped
bare of its dazzling sideshows until all that was left was the clarity
a reporter of Trewhitt’s caliber sought.
3 2 f a l l 2 0 0 9 3 3M I R A G E m a g a z i n e
Mirage
file
ph
oto
: M
ary
Co
nra
d
Journalism alumni
remember their
mentor with the
Hank Trewhitt
Daily Lobo
Alumni Award.
B Y J I M B E L S H A W
aLBUmRenee Ortiz, ’04 BSEE, and Brett Rodriguez
Christopher Wilcox, ’05 MS, and Jennifer Berlin
Melissa Lopez, ’06 BSNU, and Favian Sedillo
Kimberly Saunders, ’07 BAED, and Guy Gemmer
Emmanuel R. Flores, ’08 BSCS, and Jennifer Ortiz
Angelica Garcia, ’08 BA, and Kyle Zink
Iphigeniz Kerfoot, ’08 MA, and Keith Carey, ’07 BSME
Beverly Valencia, ’08 BSED, and Christopher Gene Armijo
IN MeMORIaMRandolph Victor Seligman, ’36William B. Castetter, ’37Eloisa Loeb, ’38Kitty Flint Livingston, ’40Ray A. Thompson, ’41Leo R. Harmon, ’42Frances Tyler, ’42Doris Ann Boyes, ’45Richard G. Orcutt, ’45Lupe P. Gutierrez, ’46Billirene E. Lloyd, ’46Willis A. Smith, ’46Mable Price Alexander McMahan Rogers, ’47Sara Louise Drypolcher Vogel, ’48Albert O. Bemiss, ’49Rex Chambers Jr., ’49LeRoy H. Huenefeld Jr., ’49Leonard Maynard, ’49Ismael V. Sanchez, ’49Victor H. Zabel, ’49Eric I. Baca, ’50Eloy D. Chavez, ’50, ’56Armen M. Donian, ’50David A. Salazar, ’50George L. Zimmerman, ’50James L. Breese, ’51Wilhelmina Burns, ’51Milton R. Handly, ’51James Hudgins, ’51Ferdinand H. Kruse, ’51Jerome Levy, ’51Jim Matthews, ’51Walter Perkowski, ’51Catherine Broome Thorsen, ’51LeRoy Edwin DeSoto, ’52Edwin J. Gignac, ’52Billy W. McLaughlin, ’52Eugene Joseph Casella, ’53Russell M. Ervin, ’53Mary Ann Gonzales, ’53Betty Jean Wiley, ’53
W O R D S T H A T H E L D
S W AY : A star diplomatic
correspondent for US News
& World Report and a
former Daily Lobo reporter,
Hank Trewhitt shared his
experience with his UNM
journalism students –
who listened well.
“He taught us the best way to change the world was to understand it.”
—Alexis Kerschner
L
aTHLeTICSGRIDIRON GIFT
Lobo Head Football Coach Mike Locksley was born in
Washington, DC on Christmas Day in 1969. His mother got the
tax deduction for the year. College football got the makings of
a gifted coach. And now Lobo fans hope they got the man who
can make the Lobos a leader in the Mountain West Conference
and take a bite out of a big dog in a bowl game of repute.
(He says he’s a Washington Redskins fan. There’s the
bow on my present.)
Locksley came to UNM after a successful tenure at the University ofIllinois under Head Coach Ron Zook.There Locksley started out as runningbacks coach and recruiting coordinator,then moved to offensive coordinatorcoaching tight ends, and finally, inaddition to calling plays for the Illinioffense, he coached quarterbacks.
In 2007, under Locksley’s tutelage,the Illinois offense led the Big Ten forthe second straight year, finishing fifth inrushing nationally. Locksley led Illinois
recruiting and was named the No. 5recruiter in the Big Ten and among thetop-20 nationally by Sports Illustrated.
Zook is confident in Locksley’s ability to lead the Lobos. “He’ll be a success as a coach, recruiter, andambassador for the UNM program,”Zook says. “He’s in the business for the right reason – to help young men reachtheir goals. It’s all about the players.”
Before Illinois, Locksley worked for Zook at the University of Florida fortwo seasons, earning recognition
UNM's new head football coach,
Mike Locksley, gives his best to
Lobo football.
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e3 4 f a l l 2 0 0 9 3 5
aLBUmIN MeMORIaMSonia B. Haas, ’54Harriet Riebe Kircher, ’54John R. Mitchell, ’54Robert H. Hannifin, ’55Robert L. Hurd, ’55John B. Johnson, ’56Keith Charles Wilson, ’56Katheryn E. Lawson, ’57Esequiel Kelly Montoya, ’57James M. Windsor, ’57Lucy Zartman Dobkins, ’58, ’64Gordon S. Stevens, ’58Gloria H. Trujillo, ’58 Silas Vialquin “Billy” Barela, ’59Perry Jay Hollifield, ’59Richard E. Panzer, ’59Gretchen Lemm House, ’60Harry Richard Larsen, ’61Roy E. Smith Jr., ’61Russell Allan Bowren, ’62Robert A. Cooper, ’62Helen Marie Fahs, ’62Jerry Donald Nesbitt, ’62, ’73Arie Poldervaart, ’62Margaret (Marnie) Spiegel Collister, ’63Henry M. Holle, ’63Albert Wayne Johnson, ’63William E. Perret, ’63, ’81John P. Scarbrough, ’63Annette Goldberg Weintraub, ’63Ida M. Wood, ’63John E. Breden, ’64Jane V. Burrows, ’64Douglas E. Jackson, ’64, ’69Richard H. Cravens III, ’65Henry J. Pyzik, ’65Kathleen M. Bostetter, ’66Patricia “Trish” Robison Fernandez, ’66Robert Neil Horton, ’66Rosaline Mogg, ’66Paul Henry Wiater, ’66Allan R. Wilson, ’66, ’70Arthur A. York, ’66Diane Marie Iverson, ’67Darrel E. Newell, ’67Frances Eileen Cozzens Parsons, ’67GP “Duke” Duquette, ’68Anna Jane Fair, ’68Connie M. Sanchez, ’68, ’76Elizabeth A. Annulis, ’69Ricardo R. Barros, ’69, ’73John J. Bittner, ’69Laura S. Hall, ’69Pete J. Lucero, ’69Michael Lee Olives, ’69Linda Claire Thompson, ’69Richard A. Wortman, ’69, 72 Marjorie Johnson Cooper, ’71Malcolm “Mack” A. Edwards Jr., ’71Jocelyn James, ’71, ’75, ’85Larry A. Perez, ’71, ’81
Alf
red
o M
ore
no
B Y C A R O L Y N G O N Z A L E S as a Top-25 recruiter when the 2003class was rated seventh nationally by Rivals.com.
Former University of Florida quarterback Chris Leak recalls, “CoachLocksley instills confidence in all hisplayers and has the courage to maketough decisions. At the same time, heis a compassionate man who will listento his players and coaching staff.”
At the University of Maryland, wherehe spent the prior six years, Locksleywas running backs coach and recruitingcoordinator. In 1999, the Terps led theACC in rushing yards and ranked 12thin the nation behind the running ofAll-American Lamont Jordan.
LOCKSLEY LOREFootball wasn’t Locksley’s lone
sport as a youth. At the Boys and Girls Club he played whatever sportwas going on. At Washington DC’sBallou High School he played basketball and football, which he then pursued at Towson University in Maryland, eventually dropping basketball in favor of football.
Locksley received a bachelor’s inbusiness marketing in 1992, makinghim the first in his family to earn a college degree. Pursuing a businessdegree was a natural course of actionfor Locksley, who says, “I was alwaysselling popsicles or buying candy in bulkand selling it out of a book bag when I was a kid.” The lessons he learnedstill apply to his coaching career.
“Recruiting is similar to sales. Ifthey like you, they’ll buy from you.Football, athletics, is a people-driven business. If you’re selling a productyou believe in, they will buy,” he says.
While at Towson, Locksleyinterned summers at the US House
of Representatives for New YorkCongressman Major Owens.
“I had no intentions of playingfootball until my third year in college,”Locksley says, adding that he had beena team leader. “I had two kids when I was still playing, which made memore mature.”
Those two little kids are nowyoung men. Mike, Jr., 20, is a UNMsophomore, looking perhaps to playLobo basketball. Meiko is 17 and a senior at La Cueva High School.Locksley and his wife, Kia, have twoother children, Kai, 11, and Kori, 9.
LOBO LOCKSLEYLocksley bought into Albuquerque
and UNM. “The location is great. Wehave big blue skies every day and no Florida humidity… and UNM hasranked academic programs in business,law, and medicine,” he says.
Locksley credits athletic leadershipunder UNM Vice President Paul Krebsand institutional leadership underUNM President David Schmidly as instrumental to his decision to take the job.
“They are big-picture people with avision for athletics… I was enticed tocome here because of the possibilities,”he says. “We are in it to compete for the Mountain West, go on to achampionship, and graduate players.”
The Mountain West Conferenceisn’t an up and comer, Locksley says.“It is already there.” Three MWCteams were in the top 15 last year.
Locksley says he wants the UNMstudents to get involved: “Students arethe ones – not professors, not coaches,but students – who are invested in the university.”
Check out golobos.com for fall athletic schedules.
W A T C H A N D S E E :Lobo Head Football CoachMike Locksley observed a lotabout his new team at thespring Cherry-Silver game.
L
aTHLeTICSGRIDIRON GIFT
Lobo Head Football Coach Mike Locksley was born in
Washington, DC on Christmas Day in 1969. His mother got the
tax deduction for the year. College football got the makings of
a gifted coach. And now Lobo fans hope they got the man who
can make the Lobos a leader in the Mountain West Conference
and take a bite out of a big dog in a bowl game of repute.
(He says he’s a Washington Redskins fan. There’s the
bow on my present.)
Locksley came to UNM after a successful tenure at the University ofIllinois under Head Coach Ron Zook.There Locksley started out as runningbacks coach and recruiting coordinator,then moved to offensive coordinatorcoaching tight ends, and finally, inaddition to calling plays for the Illinioffense, he coached quarterbacks.
In 2007, under Locksley’s tutelage,the Illinois offense led the Big Ten forthe second straight year, finishing fifth inrushing nationally. Locksley led Illinois
recruiting and was named the No. 5recruiter in the Big Ten and among thetop-20 nationally by Sports Illustrated.
Zook is confident in Locksley’s ability to lead the Lobos. “He’ll be a success as a coach, recruiter, andambassador for the UNM program,”Zook says. “He’s in the business for the right reason – to help young men reachtheir goals. It’s all about the players.”
Before Illinois, Locksley worked for Zook at the University of Florida fortwo seasons, earning recognition
UNM's new head football coach,
Mike Locksley, gives his best to
Lobo football.
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e3 4 f a l l 2 0 0 9 3 5
aLBUmIN MeMORIaMSonia B. Haas, ’54Harriet Riebe Kircher, ’54John R. Mitchell, ’54Robert H. Hannifin, ’55Robert L. Hurd, ’55John B. Johnson, ’56Keith Charles Wilson, ’56Katheryn E. Lawson, ’57Esequiel Kelly Montoya, ’57James M. Windsor, ’57Lucy Zartman Dobkins, ’58, ’64Gordon S. Stevens, ’58Gloria H. Trujillo, ’58 Silas Vialquin “Billy” Barela, ’59Perry Jay Hollifield, ’59Richard E. Panzer, ’59Gretchen Lemm House, ’60Harry Richard Larsen, ’61Roy E. Smith Jr., ’61Russell Allan Bowren, ’62Robert A. Cooper, ’62Helen Marie Fahs, ’62Jerry Donald Nesbitt, ’62, ’73Arie Poldervaart, ’62Margaret (Marnie) Spiegel Collister, ’63Henry M. Holle, ’63Albert Wayne Johnson, ’63William E. Perret, ’63, ’81John P. Scarbrough, ’63Annette Goldberg Weintraub, ’63Ida M. Wood, ’63John E. Breden, ’64Jane V. Burrows, ’64Douglas E. Jackson, ’64, ’69Richard H. Cravens III, ’65Henry J. Pyzik, ’65Kathleen M. Bostetter, ’66Patricia “Trish” Robison Fernandez, ’66Robert Neil Horton, ’66Rosaline Mogg, ’66Paul Henry Wiater, ’66Allan R. Wilson, ’66, ’70Arthur A. York, ’66Diane Marie Iverson, ’67Darrel E. Newell, ’67Frances Eileen Cozzens Parsons, ’67GP “Duke” Duquette, ’68Anna Jane Fair, ’68Connie M. Sanchez, ’68, ’76Elizabeth A. Annulis, ’69Ricardo R. Barros, ’69, ’73John J. Bittner, ’69Laura S. Hall, ’69Pete J. Lucero, ’69Michael Lee Olives, ’69Linda Claire Thompson, ’69Richard A. Wortman, ’69, 72 Marjorie Johnson Cooper, ’71Malcolm “Mack” A. Edwards Jr., ’71Jocelyn James, ’71, ’75, ’85Larry A. Perez, ’71, ’81
Alf
red
o M
ore
no
B Y C A R O L Y N G O N Z A L E S as a Top-25 recruiter when the 2003class was rated seventh nationally by Rivals.com.
Former University of Florida quarterback Chris Leak recalls, “CoachLocksley instills confidence in all hisplayers and has the courage to maketough decisions. At the same time, heis a compassionate man who will listento his players and coaching staff.”
At the University of Maryland, wherehe spent the prior six years, Locksleywas running backs coach and recruitingcoordinator. In 1999, the Terps led theACC in rushing yards and ranked 12thin the nation behind the running ofAll-American Lamont Jordan.
LOCKSLEY LOREFootball wasn’t Locksley’s lone
sport as a youth. At the Boys and Girls Club he played whatever sportwas going on. At Washington DC’sBallou High School he played basketball and football, which he then pursued at Towson University in Maryland, eventually dropping basketball in favor of football.
Locksley received a bachelor’s inbusiness marketing in 1992, makinghim the first in his family to earn a college degree. Pursuing a businessdegree was a natural course of actionfor Locksley, who says, “I was alwaysselling popsicles or buying candy in bulkand selling it out of a book bag when I was a kid.” The lessons he learnedstill apply to his coaching career.
“Recruiting is similar to sales. Ifthey like you, they’ll buy from you.Football, athletics, is a people-driven business. If you’re selling a productyou believe in, they will buy,” he says.
While at Towson, Locksleyinterned summers at the US House
of Representatives for New YorkCongressman Major Owens.
“I had no intentions of playingfootball until my third year in college,”Locksley says, adding that he had beena team leader. “I had two kids when I was still playing, which made memore mature.”
Those two little kids are nowyoung men. Mike, Jr., 20, is a UNMsophomore, looking perhaps to playLobo basketball. Meiko is 17 and a senior at La Cueva High School.Locksley and his wife, Kia, have twoother children, Kai, 11, and Kori, 9.
LOBO LOCKSLEYLocksley bought into Albuquerque
and UNM. “The location is great. Wehave big blue skies every day and no Florida humidity… and UNM hasranked academic programs in business,law, and medicine,” he says.
Locksley credits athletic leadershipunder UNM Vice President Paul Krebsand institutional leadership underUNM President David Schmidly as instrumental to his decision to take the job.
“They are big-picture people with avision for athletics… I was enticed tocome here because of the possibilities,”he says. “We are in it to compete for the Mountain West, go on to achampionship, and graduate players.”
The Mountain West Conferenceisn’t an up and comer, Locksley says.“It is already there.” Three MWCteams were in the top 15 last year.
Locksley says he wants the UNMstudents to get involved: “Students arethe ones – not professors, not coaches,but students – who are invested in the university.”
Check out golobos.com for fall athletic schedules.
W A T C H A N D S E E :Lobo Head Football CoachMike Locksley observed a lotabout his new team at thespring Cherry-Silver game.
C H A P T E R C H O I C E S
7 Salt Lake City 1st Friday Happy Hour at Iggy’s22 Los Angeles College Fair/Recruiting Training
12 Norcal Green Chile Roast & Picnic12 Las Vegas Green Chile Roast12 Chicago Chapter Green Chile Fiesta13 Washington, DC 40th Annual Taco Picnic/Chile Roast13 Los Angeles 17th Annual Green Chile Roast13 New York Area Fall Business Meeting & Dinner14-18 Atlanta College Fair Participation19 Atlanta Green Chile Roast21-25 Atlanta College Fair Participation26 Austin “Absolute Ambience” Annual Green Chile Roast29 Washington, DC College Fair Participationthru Nov. NorCal, Los Angeles, San Diego California College Fair Participation
3 Los Angeles TV Viewing Party: Lobos vs. Texas Tech9 Chicago College Fair Participation9 Seattle College Fair Participation27-28 Las Vegas College Fair Participation31 Lobos at SDSU: Tailgate & Gametbd Sacramento Area Potluck Chile Picnictbd New York Area Fall Event
21 Austin “From Grape to Lips” Hill Country Wine Tasting Tour28 Lobos at TCU: Tailgate & Game
5 Austin “Food, Friends, Frolic”: Annual New Mexican Potluck Gathering & Gifting
6 San Diego Holiday Dinner & Social9 San Diego & LA Pre-Game Party and Game:
Lobo Men’s Basketball at University of San Diego
Events, dates, and times are subject to change. Please contact the Alumni Relations Office at505-277-5808 or 800-258-6866 or go to www.unmalumni.com for additional information.
Yes! to Young Alumni!
Homecoming takes on variousmeanings for the AlumniAssociation this fall.
First, there’s the traditional meaningof coming home to your alma mater to celebrate friendship, connection,
memories, fall, and football! We hopeyou’ll do just that and join us for “Lobo Knights,” Homecoming 2009,October 20-24. Knights, damsels, kings,queens, and jesters, all are welcome!
If you can’t be here in person, weknow you’ll want to visit us online.Soon our re-energized and redesignedwebsite will make you feel like you’veset foot on campus and in Hodgin Hall.Please send us your email address (to [email protected]) so we can “howl” out our web news to you!
For even more interaction with usand with your fellow alums, check outour UNM Alumni Association fan page
on facebook.com. For the most currentupdates, sign up at Twitter to followUNM Alumni Association news.
Homecoming may turn temporarilyinto home-moving for the Alumni staffin Hodgin Hall this fall. (All contactinformation will stay the same.) Shortlyafter the “Lobo Knights” have put awaytheir armor, demolition will begin. We’llbe turning Hodgin Hall into a veritablecastle, renovating its floors, outfittingmeeting rooms, creating interactive displays, and generally spiffing up!
It’s going to be an interesting andexciting year! I look forward to sharingit with you.
2009 Homecoming(s)!Ruth Schifani, ’70 BA, ’76 JD | President, UNM Alumni Association
July 30 Graduate School Planning Workshop,
Hodgin HallAugust20-21 Welcome Back Days21 St. Clair Crush and Wine TastingSeptember TBD “How to NET from WORKING It”
Workshop, Hodgin HallOctober3 YA Migration to UNM vs. Texas Tech
Football Game, Lubbock, TX23 UNM Homecoming Reception, SUB
Events, dates, and times are subject to change.Please contact the Alumni Relations Office at 505-277-5808 or 800-258-6866 or go towww.unmalumni.com for additional information.
aLUMNI OUTLOOK aLBUmIN MeMORIaMRobert Edward Perryman Sr., ’71Lansing A. Wallace, ’71John Knox Wooten Jr., ’71Madeline Ammons, ’72Albert S. Gonzales, ’72Ernest Evans Kilker, ’72Richard William Skeean, ’72Marlene C. Bradshaw, ’73Harold Ettinger, ’73Marjorie Ann Kendall, ’73Lynne Wonderlin Rehder, ’73Leopoldo S. Calanche, ’74Harrell Jennings Day, ’74, ’82Carol Jean Vigil, ’74, ’78David Cavan Bruer, ’75Douglas Richard Franklin, ’75, ’79Paul Richard Kruse, ’75, ’81Dorothy F. Verkuilen, ’75Douglas Allison Carmichael, ’76, ’84Anita Johnson, ’76Richard Matthews, ’76Holly Lynn Anlian, ’78, ’87 Michael Thomas Lynch, ’78Elizabeth A. Wilkins, ’78Sara Margaret Carlton Cochran, ’79Patrick Jude Raymond, ’79Shauna I. Steele, ’80Doreen M. Mehs, ’81John Patrick Andrews, ’82Athena Lorraine McDivitt, ’82, ’99Eugene Crabtree, ’84Roy William Ankerry, ’86, ’87Stephen Joseph Ley, ’86Matthew Laurin Porter, ’87Erica Marie Armer, ’88Sidney L. Conner, ’88Elizabeth Ann Daniels, ’89Michael Brett Johnson, 89 Lewis Lee Peshlakai, ’89Linda Bell Foster, ’90. ’99Jeanette Norwood Baca, ’91John Rodney Woodrow II, ’91Sandra Lynn Ottomeyer, ’92Mela Eve Mondragon, ’93, ’96Scott William Barz, ’94, ’95Neal Wade Martinez, ’95Russell Eugene Kinderdine, ’97Roman Antonio Archuleta, ’98Donna Gayle Farnell Bianchetti, ’98Schanna Lynn Griego, ’99Christine Susan Fellows, ’00Greg Philip Martin, ’01Rebekah Ann Strunk, ’01, ’02Deborah K. LaPointe, ’03Sheila D. Gorman, ’04, ’05Rose Wilson Ebaugh, ’07Kendra Lipinski, ’08
William H. Huber, emeritus facultyMuriel Edwards Lowrance, staffCecil L. Poppe, staff
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e3 6 f a l l 2 0 0 9 3 7
T R A V E L I N G I N 2 0 1 0
The 2010 UNM Alumni Association travel program is in development, but we’re anticipating still more exciting trips to wonderful destinations.
Check back with us at www.unmalumni.com for more destinations and dates.
April Tulip Time in Holland & Belgium – Avalon WaterwaysJune Vikings, Kings & Castles Ocean Cruise – GoNext TravelAugust Flavors of Burgundy & Provence – Avalon WaterwaysOctober Mediterranean Tapestry Ocean Cruise – GoNext Travel
Trips, dates, and prices are subject to change. For additional information, contactCharlene Chavez Tunney at the Alumni Relations Office at 505-277-5808 or 800-258-6866.
T H E C A L M B E F O R E T H E R A P I D S : Rafters prepare to go through the Pilar raceway on a Young Alumni adventure in northern New Mexico in June.
Mar
ia W
olf
e
C H A P T E R C H O I C E S
7 Salt Lake City 1st Friday Happy Hour at Iggy’s22 Los Angeles College Fair/Recruiting Training
12 Norcal Green Chile Roast & Picnic12 Las Vegas Green Chile Roast12 Chicago Chapter Green Chile Fiesta13 Washington, DC 40th Annual Taco Picnic/Chile Roast13 Los Angeles 17th Annual Green Chile Roast13 New York Area Fall Business Meeting & Dinner14-18 Atlanta College Fair Participation19 Atlanta Green Chile Roast21-25 Atlanta College Fair Participation26 Austin “Absolute Ambience” Annual Green Chile Roast29 Washington, DC College Fair Participationthru Nov. NorCal, Los Angeles, San Diego California College Fair Participation
3 Los Angeles TV Viewing Party: Lobos vs. Texas Tech9 Chicago College Fair Participation9 Seattle College Fair Participation27-28 Las Vegas College Fair Participation31 Lobos at SDSU: Tailgate & Gametbd Sacramento Area Potluck Chile Picnictbd New York Area Fall Event
21 Austin “From Grape to Lips” Hill Country Wine Tasting Tour28 Lobos at TCU: Tailgate & Game
5 Austin “Food, Friends, Frolic”: Annual New Mexican Potluck Gathering & Gifting
6 San Diego Holiday Dinner & Social9 San Diego & LA Pre-Game Party and Game:
Lobo Men’s Basketball at University of San Diego
Events, dates, and times are subject to change. Please contact the Alumni Relations Office at505-277-5808 or 800-258-6866 or go to www.unmalumni.com for additional information.
Yes! to Young Alumni!
Homecoming takes on variousmeanings for the AlumniAssociation this fall.
First, there’s the traditional meaningof coming home to your alma mater to celebrate friendship, connection,
memories, fall, and football! We hopeyou’ll do just that and join us for “Lobo Knights,” Homecoming 2009,October 20-24. Knights, damsels, kings,queens, and jesters, all are welcome!
If you can’t be here in person, weknow you’ll want to visit us online.Soon our re-energized and redesignedwebsite will make you feel like you’veset foot on campus and in Hodgin Hall.Please send us your email address (to [email protected]) so we can “howl” out our web news to you!
For even more interaction with usand with your fellow alums, check outour UNM Alumni Association fan page
on facebook.com. For the most currentupdates, sign up at Twitter to followUNM Alumni Association news.
Homecoming may turn temporarilyinto home-moving for the Alumni staffin Hodgin Hall this fall. (All contactinformation will stay the same.) Shortlyafter the “Lobo Knights” have put awaytheir armor, demolition will begin. We’llbe turning Hodgin Hall into a veritablecastle, renovating its floors, outfittingmeeting rooms, creating interactive displays, and generally spiffing up!
It’s going to be an interesting andexciting year! I look forward to sharingit with you.
2009 Homecoming(s)!Ruth Schifani, ’70 BA, ’76 JD | President, UNM Alumni Association
July 30 Graduate School Planning Workshop,
Hodgin HallAugust20-21 Welcome Back Days21 St. Clair Crush and Wine TastingSeptember TBD “How to NET from WORKING It”
Workshop, Hodgin HallOctober3 YA Migration to UNM vs. Texas Tech
Football Game, Lubbock, TX23 UNM Homecoming Reception, SUB
Events, dates, and times are subject to change.Please contact the Alumni Relations Office at 505-277-5808 or 800-258-6866 or go towww.unmalumni.com for additional information.
aLUMNI OUTLOOK aLBUmIN MeMORIaMRobert Edward Perryman Sr., ’71Lansing A. Wallace, ’71John Knox Wooten Jr., ’71Madeline Ammons, ’72Albert S. Gonzales, ’72Ernest Evans Kilker, ’72Richard William Skeean, ’72Marlene C. Bradshaw, ’73Harold Ettinger, ’73Marjorie Ann Kendall, ’73Lynne Wonderlin Rehder, ’73Leopoldo S. Calanche, ’74Harrell Jennings Day, ’74, ’82Carol Jean Vigil, ’74, ’78David Cavan Bruer, ’75Douglas Richard Franklin, ’75, ’79Paul Richard Kruse, ’75, ’81Dorothy F. Verkuilen, ’75Douglas Allison Carmichael, ’76, ’84Anita Johnson, ’76Richard Matthews, ’76Holly Lynn Anlian, ’78, ’87 Michael Thomas Lynch, ’78Elizabeth A. Wilkins, ’78Sara Margaret Carlton Cochran, ’79Patrick Jude Raymond, ’79Shauna I. Steele, ’80Doreen M. Mehs, ’81John Patrick Andrews, ’82Athena Lorraine McDivitt, ’82, ’99Eugene Crabtree, ’84Roy William Ankerry, ’86, ’87Stephen Joseph Ley, ’86Matthew Laurin Porter, ’87Erica Marie Armer, ’88Sidney L. Conner, ’88Elizabeth Ann Daniels, ’89Michael Brett Johnson, 89 Lewis Lee Peshlakai, ’89Linda Bell Foster, ’90. ’99Jeanette Norwood Baca, ’91John Rodney Woodrow II, ’91Sandra Lynn Ottomeyer, ’92Mela Eve Mondragon, ’93, ’96Scott William Barz, ’94, ’95Neal Wade Martinez, ’95Russell Eugene Kinderdine, ’97Roman Antonio Archuleta, ’98Donna Gayle Farnell Bianchetti, ’98Schanna Lynn Griego, ’99Christine Susan Fellows, ’00Greg Philip Martin, ’01Rebekah Ann Strunk, ’01, ’02Deborah K. LaPointe, ’03Sheila D. Gorman, ’04, ’05Rose Wilson Ebaugh, ’07Kendra Lipinski, ’08
William H. Huber, emeritus facultyMuriel Edwards Lowrance, staffCecil L. Poppe, staff
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e3 6 f a l l 2 0 0 9 3 7
T R A V E L I N G I N 2 0 1 0
The 2010 UNM Alumni Association travel program is in development, but we’re anticipating still more exciting trips to wonderful destinations.
Check back with us at www.unmalumni.com for more destinations and dates.
April Tulip Time in Holland & Belgium – Avalon WaterwaysJune Vikings, Kings & Castles Ocean Cruise – GoNext TravelAugust Flavors of Burgundy & Provence – Avalon WaterwaysOctober Mediterranean Tapestry Ocean Cruise – GoNext Travel
Trips, dates, and prices are subject to change. For additional information, contactCharlene Chavez Tunney at the Alumni Relations Office at 505-277-5808 or 800-258-6866.
T H E C A L M B E F O R E T H E R A P I D S : Rafters prepare to go through the Pilar raceway on a Young Alumni adventure in northern New Mexico in June.
Mar
ia W
olf
e
UNM
aLUMNI.COM
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e3 8
+MORe aLUMNI PROFILeDancing with a Tiger, from page 23…
show So You Think You Can Danceand wanted to know if she was interested? Get out!
And there went our future diva,tooling down Broadway at 3 a.m., lugging a suitcase full of food and herfavorite blankie, while diverting therain with her trusty purple umbrella.You’d think she would have been relatively alone at that hour, but 100fellow contestants were already waitingin line when Gabi showed up. She
waited for nearly 12 hours before getting her turn.
Gabi regales me with details aboutthe experience, but beyond her havingchosen a modern dance routine, andmaking it through the first round of auditions, I can say no more.Contestants are contractually prohibitedfrom publically speaking about theevent until a contestant is eliminatedor until, well, they say so.
THE COMPLEAT DANCERMind, body, and soul, Gabrielle
Rojas is a dancer. Inner self and outerself have integrated and now speakwith one voice, and that voice bothexpresses and heals through form andmovement. What the fates have instore for her is anyone’s guess, butthey do seem to favor her. Besides, it’s obvious that resistance is futile.
Ch
rist
ian
Ho
rstm
ann
AW E S O M E !
Dancer Gabi Rojas
awed a master
class at UNM
on a visit home
between national
performances.
Honor a new graduate or commemorate your own or a loved one’s days at UNM
with a personalized brick in front ofHodgin Hall, the UNM Alumni Center.
Each $100 purchase of a brick supportsHodgin Hall’s maintenance and renovation as well as UNM AlumniAssociation projects.
New Grad Special! $75 per brick for graduates within the past 5 years!
To purchase a brick, contact the UNM Alumni Association Office at 505-277-5808 or 800-258-6866. Find out more at www.unmalumni.com/makegift/bricks.htm.
SOMeTHINGNeW to Howl About!
Coming This Fall: The All-New Redesigned UNMAlumni.com.
Send your email address to [email protected] to be among
the first sneak-peek visitors to the site.
T H E R E S T O F T H E S T O R Y
Oh, the agony of defeat. Or is it? Gabi made it to the top 20 on So You ThinkYou Can Dance, out of thousands of contestants, and even got a patented,“Woo-hooooooo!” from judge Mary Murphy.
Her strength throughout lay in her solo performances, all of which unfortunatelywere not aired on the show, but fortunately still run and receive many hits on You Tube.
Temporarily not in the best of spirits, Gabi remains gracious as ever. “It was such an honor to dance beside such incredibly gifted dancers who share love for dance like myself. I made some really wonderful friends in the process and continue to root for them.”
We’re still rooting for you, too, Gabi.
Watch Gabi’s So You Think You Can Dance audition on youtube.com.
UNM
aLUMNI.COM
M I R A G E m a g a z i n e3 8
+MORe aLUMNI PROFILeDancing with a Tiger, from page 23…
show So You Think You Can Danceand wanted to know if she was interested? Get out!
And there went our future diva,tooling down Broadway at 3 a.m., lugging a suitcase full of food and herfavorite blankie, while diverting therain with her trusty purple umbrella.You’d think she would have been relatively alone at that hour, but 100fellow contestants were already waitingin line when Gabi showed up. She
waited for nearly 12 hours before getting her turn.
Gabi regales me with details aboutthe experience, but beyond her havingchosen a modern dance routine, andmaking it through the first round of auditions, I can say no more.Contestants are contractually prohibitedfrom publically speaking about theevent until a contestant is eliminatedor until, well, they say so.
THE COMPLEAT DANCERMind, body, and soul, Gabrielle
Rojas is a dancer. Inner self and outerself have integrated and now speakwith one voice, and that voice bothexpresses and heals through form andmovement. What the fates have instore for her is anyone’s guess, butthey do seem to favor her. Besides, it’s obvious that resistance is futile.
Ch
rist
ian
Ho
rstm
ann
AW E S O M E !
Dancer Gabi Rojas
awed a master
class at UNM
on a visit home
between national
performances.
Honor a new graduate or commemorate your own or a loved one’s days at UNM
with a personalized brick in front ofHodgin Hall, the UNM Alumni Center.
Each $100 purchase of a brick supportsHodgin Hall’s maintenance and renovation as well as UNM AlumniAssociation projects.
New Grad Special! $75 per brick for graduates within the past 5 years!
To purchase a brick, contact the UNM Alumni Association Office at 505-277-5808 or 800-258-6866. Find out more at www.unmalumni.com/makegift/bricks.htm.
SOMeTHINGNeW to Howl About!
Coming This Fall: The All-New Redesigned UNMAlumni.com.
Send your email address to [email protected] to be among
the first sneak-peek visitors to the site.
T H E R E S T O F T H E S T O R Y
Oh, the agony of defeat. Or is it? Gabi made it to the top 20 on So You ThinkYou Can Dance, out of thousands of contestants, and even got a patented,“Woo-hooooooo!” from judge Mary Murphy.
Her strength throughout lay in her solo performances, all of which unfortunatelywere not aired on the show, but fortunately still run and receive many hits on You Tube.
Temporarily not in the best of spirits, Gabi remains gracious as ever. “It was such an honor to dance beside such incredibly gifted dancers who share love for dance like myself. I made some really wonderful friends in the process and continue to root for them.”
We’re still rooting for you, too, Gabi.
Watch Gabi’s So You Think You Can Dance audition on youtube.com.
T H E UN I V E R S I T Y O F N EW MEX I C O | A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N
+Remembering Alea+Defining fitness
+Chile Q&A+Gifted coach
+Homecoming 2009: Lobo Knights!
M A G A Z I N E
GaBI’SDaNCINGDReaM
FALL
2009
The University of New Mexico Alumni Association
MSC 01-1160
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131-0001
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Nonprofit Org
US Postage Paid
Permit No. 222
Burl., Vt. 05401
The 2009 UNM Alumni Association Homecoming posterfeatures PEAK APRIL, by artist Angus Macpherson, ’74 BBA.The acrylic-on-canvas painting will be in the permanent
collection at Hodgin Hall. Angus writes about this work:PEAK APRIL is part of a continuing series of paintings
studying our magnificent New Mexico stormy skies. While Ipainted it in my studio here in Albuquerque, it was inspired bythe foothills in Glorieta, New Mexico. The storm was happeningjust a bit farther north in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Thetime of year was April. We all were ready for some rain, and towitness the storm was a peak experience – the idea for the title.
Just around the mountain from the painting’s inspirationalsetting, 35 years earlier, Angus met Roy Johnson while bothworked at Brush Ranch. Roy now owns Sumner & Dene Galleryin Albuquerque, where Angus’ work will be exhibited in aone-person-show, “Paintings from a Wet Planet,” September 1-26.
Angus has been named a 2009 Local Treasure by theAlbuquerque Art Business Association. Watch for the awardspresentation at the Albuquerque Museum in September.
PEAK APRIL by Angus MacphersonSigned limited edition $50Unsigned limited edition $35Order using the form in the enclosed homecoming brochureor online at unmalumni.com/homecoming.
P O S T E R
For more information about Angus Macpherson’swork, go to angusmacpherson.com.