Winter 2012 Centennial Legacy

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Message from the President

Dear UTEP Alumni and Friends, UTEP is one of only 12 colleges and universities across the country invited to join an "Opportunity Nation" campaign whose goal is to promote economic opportunity, social mobility and access to the American Dream. The campaign was officially launched in November at the Opportunity Nation Summit in New York City, with the participation of several UTEP representatives, including three UTEP students who were designated as Opportunity Nation Scholars.

One of the primary goals of this initiative is to increase awareness, especially among historically underrepresented minorities , of the critical importance of a college education in achieving upward mobility in our society. We are pleased that this national campaign is so well aligned with UTEP 's mission of providing access and excellence opportunities to all young people across this Paso del Norte region. Since our founding in 1914 as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy, UTEP has served as a pathway to social and economic success for more than 100,000 graduates and their families , and greatly enhanced our collective quality of life .

On May 2-3, 2012 as part of the Opportunity Nation campaign, UTEP will host a two-day campus open house - "UTEP Opportunity Days " - to which we will invite the entire El Paso community. With a robust program of free lectures , educational activities, and fun events, there ' ll be something for everyone You ' ll learn more about Opportunity Days on page 38.

Opportunity Days will also begin building excitement for UTEP 's rapidly approaching Centennial celebration. From now through the end of 2014 , we will be commemorating the inspiring history of UTEP 's first 100 years, and celebrating the exciting future that awaits all of us as we stride confidently into UTEP 's second century of distinguished service to this U.S.-Mexico border region.

To commemorate this major milestone in UTEP 's history, we commissioned a University Mace. As may be seen on this magazine 's cover and in the story on page 11 , this new Mace is an extraordinarily beautiful work of an that captures the story of UTEP 's distinguished history and our grounding in this Chihuahuan Desert region. It was created by UTEP alumna and metalsmith Beverly Penn , with support from TEP faculty and staff members Rachelle Thiewes , Kate Bonansinga , Liz Thurmond , and especially Frank Medina, manager of the W.M. Keck Center for 3-D Innovation in the College of Engineering , who applied his expertise in cutting-edge additive manufacturing technology to the creation of the exquisite University seal on the Mace. ow, that 's a great example of interdisciplinary collaboration!

The Mace conveys honor , accomplishment , learning and scholarship , and its association with special events such as Convocation and Commencement denotes tradition, solemnity and a commitment to excellence. This magnificent new Mace will become part of the lasting legacy of UTEP 's Centennial.

All of you, our UTEP alumni, are our legacy too - our most important living legacy. As we prepare for campus celebrations associated with Opportunity Nation this spring and our Centennial commemoration between now and the end of 2014, we hope that you will join us in spreading UTEP 's story - from the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy, to the College of Mines and Metallurgy, to Texas Western College and finally UTEP - and the significant impact of UTEP Miners - that 's all of you! - in this Paso del Norte region and the world beyond We know that UTEP 's success is best measured by the accomplishments of our graduates , and by that measure , we are all doing extraordinarily well! Thanks to all of you for serving as such great examples of TEP 's powerful legacy. We look very much forward to celebrating our 100th birthday with each and every one of you.

Go Miners' d)/a4lajfJ

M AGAZl"IE

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO PRESIDENT DIANA NATALIC I O

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS

CHRIS LOPEZ

EDITOR - IN - CHIEF

JENN CRAWFORD

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CONTENTS © 2012 BY THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO UTEP MAGAZINE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Near ly 2,000 studen ts walke d acro ss the sta ge at the Don Ha skin s Center Dec. 10 t o receive thei r di plo mas and j oin the Miner Nation .

Learn about the history of Memorial Gym, get a glimpse of the First Lady of Basketball's UTEP memories, and read updates about the Centennial Celebration planning and the ongoing Centennial Campaign.

UTEP President Diana Natalicio was selected to receive the Orden Mexicana de/ Aguila Azteca by Mexican President Fe lipe Calderon.

As part of Opportunity Nation, UTEP wi ll host a

UTE P Pres ident Diana Natalicio awarded the President's Medal to former UT System Board of Regents Chair James Huffines.

Take

Members of the School of Nursing's class of 1961 recall their experiences.

UTEP ALUM GIVES BACK

Mike Loya thri ves on taking risks.

By Laura L. Acosta • Photos by J R. Hernandez & Laura Tre j o

The oldest of seven high-achieving brothers and sisters in a first-generation Mexican-American family , Mike Loya learned early that taking chances would help him stand out in a highl y competitive household and rise above his humble roots It was a lesson that helped him succeed at The University of Texas at El Paso and later at Harvard.

Loya 's parents , Anita and Miguel, migrated to the United States from Mexico for a better life. Neither of them attended high school , but both parents taught their children that education will lead to success.

Loya was the first in his famil y to earn a college degree. He received his bachelor 's in mechanical engineering from UTEP in 1977 and his M B.A. from Harvard two years later.

Today, Loya is president of Vital Inc. , the orth and South American arm of the Vital Group , one of the largest energy trading companies in the world , and he said UTEP taught him how to succeed. However , he added that UTEP engineering students can enhance their chances of success by combining their engineering education with a strong foundation in business .

This fall, Loya returned to his alma mater to pledge $10 million to UTEP, the largest donation to date to the University 's Centennial Campaign The University will use the money to develop integrated engineering and business education models that enhance its research capabilities

"I am fortunate that I can give something back to an institution that provided so much for me ," he said.

Of the $10 million , $ 2 million went to the Mike Lo ya Distinguished Chair in Engineering, which will support the college 's research initiatives and graduate student development ; the Anita Machen Loya Graduate Fellows Program in Engineering ; and the Anita Machen Loya Innovation Fund in Engineering , which supports the practical application of the college 's engineering initiatives through entrepreneurship by providing startup funds for projects with technology-transfer potential. Both are named after his mother.

The remainder of the donation will be shared by the colleges of engineering and business administration to prepare students in those colleges LO work at the interface of technology and societ y.

"Like many engineers I know , Mike Loya is not a big talker , but he 's certainly a big doer ," UTEP President Diana Natalicio said "This major gift repr e sents his generous spirit , his passion for higher education , his love for his family , his loyalty to UTEP and his continued commitment to this El Paso region where his highly successful life got its start ."

Lo ya's advice to the next generation is to take chances as he did when he was a UTEP student.

"Take the first step ," Lo ya told the El Paso Times in October. "You don 't have to worry about where the journe y is going to take you. Don't worr y where you 're going LO end up five or 10 years from now. Just take the first step ."

Mike Loya '77

the University of Texas at El Paso earne d national recognition this past summer as two of its colleges' graduate programs were ranked among the best at graduating Hispanics.

The September issue of Hispanic Business magazine listed UTEP's College of Business Administration (CoBA) as the best in the nation for the second year in a row, and its College of Engineering as the second best, behind Georgia Institute of Technology.

"These rankings are particularly noteworthy because they are composed of multidimensional criteria, including reputation, faculty, and retention rates, not solely numbers of students," said Junius Gonzales , UTEP provost. "The colleges truly epitomize excellence and further advance UTEP's national prominence."

Other business graduate programs ranked in the top 10 include Yale UniversiL y, Stanford UniversiL y and the Universil y of Virginia. UT Austin was ranked No. 2.

CoBA enrolled 403 Hispanic graduate students during the 2010-11 academic year, representing 76 percent Hispanic graduate enrollment. A total of 140 M.B.A. degrees were awarded that year, 104 of which went to Hispanic students.

"We al the College of Business

Daniel MartinezMaster of Bus ness Adm1r11strat1on stud.rt

Alicia RomoCivil rngineeri1g Ph.D. student

Administration are happy and excited to have had this distinction for the second year in a row," said Robert Nachtmann, D.B.A. , dean of CoBA. "This nationally recognized accomplishment is a testament to our college 's and University's standard of excellence in higher education."

CoBA is the only regional business school Lo be accredited by the Association Lo Advance Collegiate Schools of Busines (AACSB). Fewer than 5 percent of business schools worldwide have earned this designation.

In the College of Engineering, 137 of the 365 students enrolled in 2010-11 were Hispanic A LoLal of 164 postgraduate degrees were awarded LhaL year , 49 of which were given to Hispanic students.

LaListically, the college enrolls Lhe greatest percentage of Hispanics on the Top 10 list with 37.5 percent, followed closely by the University of Texas al San Antonio\\ ith 2 percent.

"Our ranking is evidence of our commitment Lo this region by promoting engineering as an optimal career choice, and by providing a high-quality research experience Lo our graduate student through our ever-expanding research and development activities," said Richard choephoersLer, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering.

The 32 million upgrade to the tudent Recreation Center was unveiled to an enthusiastic , and healthy, group of Miners in fall 2011.

The impressive expansion is a direct reflection of efforts by The University of Texas at El Paso LO become a national research (Tier One) institution , said Hector Munoz , director of UTE P's Recreational Sports Department.

"This building is a Tier One building , as far as the infrastructure," Munoz said. "It 's a dream come true, and it 's definitely long overdue ."

According to Munoz, more than 4,000 students , faculty and staff are expected Lo visit the facility on a daily basis.

The seed for the building upgrade was planted in spring 2006 when students pushed for a referendum Lo increase recreation fees Lo fund an expanded swimming and fitness center. The Texas Legislature approved the referendum during its 2007 session. University officials conducted a groundbreaking in October 2009.

The new stale-of-the-art gym includes an indoor 1/8-mile running track, multiple levels devoted LO free weights and cardiovascular equipment, a 12 ,000-square-fooL hardwood floor , an indoor soccer court, a recreational area for a future juice bar or food vendor , fully equipped locker rooms, and most noticeably, a "one-of-a-kind " climbing wall , according to Brian Carter , associate director for recreational sports

''To say the wall is the gym's focal point is an understatement. Immediately upon entering , visitors are greeted by a towering 39-foot climbing wall that stretches to the top of the three-story building

"Walking in from the main entrance and seeing that wall is very overwhelming. It's also quite a workout. I've tried it a few times, and even I get exhausted, " said Caner, a former triathlete

The climbing wall includes high endurance and boulder climbing sections - each used for specific training purposes. Users must complete safety courses before they can attempt to scale the wall. Experienced climbers may "test out " of the course for immediate certification if they can demonstrate proper knowledge and safety of the course.

"What we 've developed is a different kind of indoor climbing experience for everyone at the University," Carter said .

Senior psychology major Eugenia Vega has worked at the recreation center for three years. She said the new facility will provide a great workout experience. The older building, which includes the swimming pools , is closed for renova tion.

"I think what they have done (with the new building) is amazing ," she said. Vega added later that she looks forward to when the entire complex is complete.

Munoz said several phases still await development , such as an expansion of the multipurpose field outside the gym.

"The work is never really done ," Munoz said

THIS BUILDING IS ATIER ONE BUILDING, AS FAR AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE. IT'S A DREAM COME TRUE, AND IT'S DEFINITELY LONG OVERDUE."

Hector Munoz, director of UTEP's Recreational Sports Department

After more than 10 years and $300 million, many of the notable construction projects around The University of Texas at El Paso are close to completion, but UTEP officials have plenty of work left for those familiar orange construction barrels.

The most anticipated opening on campus will be the Chemistry and Computer Science Building this spring. FaculL y and staff began to move into Lhe $69.2 million, 145 ,827-square-foot building in December 2011. It should open to students in spring 2012, about three years after the project broke ground.

University officials expect the new building Lo provide opponuniLies for interdisciplinary research that will snowball into a host of innovative ideas, technologies, businesses and career

fields such as computational chemistry, computational science, bioinformaLics and nano technologies.

The Student Recreation Center, which used to be the Swimming and Fitness Center, celebrated the opening of a $32 million, 90,000-square-fooL upgrade in fall 2011. Additions included a 1/8-mile running track, a rock climbing wall and extended exercise area The project 's founh phase will include three racquetball couns and a sand volleyball coun and should finish in summer 2012.

The $8 million Schuster Avenue exit ramp project on Interstate 10 was completed in December 2011. The Texas Department of Transportation project included an additional exit lane , a "flyover " bridge that spans Schuster Avenue and

enters the campus via University Avenue, and a new westbound entrance ramp. Campus officials said student population growth , which is expected to reach 30 ,000 by 2020, made these improvements necessary.

Many of the vehicles that use the new off-ramps may use the $12.43 million University Parking Garage on Schuster. The five-level , 244 ,672-square-fooL center can accommodate 696 vehicles and opened in January. IL will be bookended by surface lots that can hold 57 and 49 vehicles.

Two new projects involve major University thoroughfares and promote efforts to make the core campus more pedestrian friendly. The value of this concept goes to the core of UTE P's mission , said Ed Soltero, director of Planning and

Construction. He said studies show that pedestrian areas are key factors in student retention

"Along with our academic growth, we have to show excellence in our environment ," he said.

The first project , which began in December 2011 , is widening the Hawthorne treet walkway to about 12 feet along the western curb from University Avenue to Rim Road. It should be completed during the spring 2012 semester. The second project is the creation of a pedestrian plaza on Wiggins Drive that will incorporate the former tudent Health Center site It is tentatively scheduled to begin in March 2012.

Both projects will include a combination of shade trees , shade structures , lighting,

landscaping and benches , Soltero said. Landscaping will help create areas where water can percolate into the ground.

Early Hawthorne concepts include "pocket parks " that include seating , vegetation and slatted structures that manipulate shade. Soltero called each a mini oasis where people could stop and relax .

He said UTEP President Diana atalicio has helped conceptualize the Wiggins Plaza project where pedestrian and vehicular traffic share public space and blend in a safe and orderly way. The initial artist 's renderings show an elliptical space that incorporates part of the area in front of the Universit y Library and stretches to the vacant area northwest of the Health ciences and Nursing Building. There is a

Along with our academic growthl we have to show excellence in our environment."

Ed Soltero Director of Planning and Construction

chance the benches could have electrical hook-ups powered by photovoltaic solar panels The plans were to be finished in January 2012.

One of the interesting aspects of the initial design was the inclusion of a labyrinth - or walking maze - that measures 20 feet in diameter. Soltero said it could be used as an opportunity to meditate

While the drive is toward a more pedestrian-friendly campus, these innovations still allow for vehicle usage , said Greg Mc icol , associate vice president for facilities services.

"Cars will be allowed to pass through the plaza , but will be required to slow down as they weave through it ," he said.

UTEPMast er Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.) students and faculty are all smiles at The University ofTexas ef Occupational at El Paso's College of Health Sciences Th erapy Program because in July, the Celebrates

R e-Accreditation 'W//////////////////////////////////////////////////// national Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) approved the program's 10-year accreditation, the longest allowed Occupational therapy is a profession that focuses on health and well-being through participation in activities of everyday life.

As a result of accreditation, UTEP's M.O T. graduates can take the certification exam for occupational therapists administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.

"This assures students that our program is meeting the same standards as other programs across the country - that when they graduate from the UTEP M O.T. program, they will be just as qualified, if not more so, than other M.O.T. graduates in other parts of the country," said M.O.T. Program Director Stephanie Capshaw, O.T.D.

The program, which has 53 registered students , graduates about 15-20 students per year, many of whom stay in the El Paso/Las Cruces area to meet the region's health care needs in hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, skilled nursing facilities, public schools, early intervention agencies, pediatric clinics, and mental health agencies.

The UTEP occupational therapy program was established as a cooperative program with The University of Texas Medical Branch in 1991. Administrative control transferred to UTEP six years later. In 2005, it moved from a bachelor's level program to an entry-level master's program that can be completed in about 30 months.

UTEP

Fall Enrollment

JUMPS FOR RECORD 13TH YEAR

The number of students who registered for fall 2011 classes at The University of Te x as at El Paso increased for the 13th straight year. The 22,640 students enrolled is a 2.4 percent increase from the previous fall.

Craig Westman, Ph .D. , associate vice president for student solutions and outcomes integration, said the sustained growth in student population reflects the value that the students and their families see in the kind of education they can receive at UTEP, which offers 70 bachelor 's degrees, 79 master's degrees and 19 doctoral degrees.

"UTE P continues Lo offer an exce llent education at a very affordable price," h e said.

Westman auributed th e University 's success at attracting first-time students to numerous community outreach efforts - many of which have been in place since before the students were born The number of new students ballooned to 2 ,839 this fall from 2 ,605 in 2010.

"Every departm ent is involved in getting the word out that UTEP is an

excellent, research-driven institution that makes its graduates highly desirable in the job market ," Westman said. "That message is delivered from El Paso high school seniors Lo potential doctoral students around the world."

One of the bigger increases - 9.7 percent - was in the category of doctoral/special professional degrees The University reported 656 Ph.D. students this year compared to 600 last year. That is a strong indicator that UTEP is moving toward its goal of becoming a national research (Tier One) institution , said Ben Flores , Ph .D., acting dean of UTE P 's Graduate School.

''CONTINUESUTEP TO OFFER AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION AT A VERY AFFORDABLE PRICE."

Craig Westman, Ph.D. Associate Vice President for Student Solutions and Outcomes Integration

FACULTY

• THE PROMISE OF RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION : EVALUATING CURRENT SCIENCE AND PRACTICE contributor Deborah K Reed , Ph D., ass istant professor of education

Russian Fulbright Scholar Studies

Latino Politics at UTEP

Among the thousands of students at The University of Texas at El Paso rushing to classes , Aleksandra "Sasha" Piginesheva is one of the farthest from home

Piginesheva is a graduate student from Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service in Russia. The 27-yearold is researching Latino politics at UTEP through the Fulbright Scholars Program , a distinguished international student , facult y and professional exchange program.

'Tm very, very happy to be here in this city, community and University because it 's a great place," said Piginesheva , who arrived in El Paso in August. "I hope I will be very successful and my visit will be very fruitful. "

During her 10-month stay, she will closely examine historical accounts of contributions of Latinos and Latinas in American politics ; interview peop le who participated in the Chicano Movement ; and talk to local and federal Latino and Latina politicians

Since its inception in 1946 , the Fulbright program has funded the exchange of more than 300 ,000 scholars among more than 155 countries. Each year , about 2 ,800 U.S students and scholars receive grants to study, teach and conduct research in other countries, and almost 5 ,000 foreign students and scholars come to th e United States, according to the program's website.

Irasema Coronado , Ph.D. , associate provost at UTEP, said the University offered to be Piginesheva 's host school after seeing she had an interest in Latino politics

"We learn a lot from our Fulbright scho lars, " she said "I've already been very impressed with Sasha's knowledge of Chicano history, the Chicano movement and the Voting Rights Act - all of the things that have made the inclusion of Latinos/as in U.S politics possible. "

uI'M VERY, VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE IN

THIS CITY, COMMUNITY AND UNIVERSITY BECAUSE IT'S A GREAT PLACE."

Aleksandra "Sasha" Piginesheva

UN BESO DEL INFIERNO by Jose de Pierola , Ph D , ass ista nt professor of creat ive writing

• ROMANTICISM AND PLEASURE . edited by Thomas H Schm i d, Ph D., associate professor of Engl ish , et al.

• TO EVERYTHING ON EARTH : NEW WRITING ON FATE COMMUNITY, AND NATURE . contr i butor Shelley Armitage , Ph D., professor of English

• PARALLEL ATTRIBUTE DECISIONS IN THE PRESENCE OF HUMAN MISTAKES : CORRECTING THE PLACEMENT OF ATTENTION VIA HOLISTIC , SYSTEMIC THINKING. by Eric D Smith , Ph D , assistant professor of industr ial , manufacturing and systems engineering

• HACIA UN DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE DEL SISTEMA DE PRODUCCIONCONSUMO DE LOS HONGOS COMESTIBLES Y MEDICINALES EN LATINOAMERICA : AVANCES Y PERSPECTIVAS EN EL SIGLO XXI . contr i butor Fernando R. Jimenez Arevalo , Ph D.• assistant professor of market ing

• CITIES AND CITIZENSHIP AT THE U.S.- MEXICO BORDER : THE PASO DEL NORTE METROPOLITAN REGION by Kathleen Staudt, Ph D , professor of po lit ica l science , et al.

• STRUCTURAL VIROLOGY. contributor Chuan River Xiao , Ph D., assistant professo r of chem istry

• INVITING EVERYONE : HEALING HEALTHCARE THROUGH POSITIVE DEVIANCE , by Arvind Singha! , Ph D., professo r of communicat ion , et al.

• COMMUNICATIVE FEEDBACK AND LEADERSHIP IN A RURAL SCHOOL SETTING by Debora Zamorano , Ph D., lecturer in languages and lingu istics

• MUSIC IN THE WESTERN : NOTES FROM THE FRONTIER contributor Charles Le inberge r, Ph D., associate professor of music

• HISPANICS IN THE SOUTHWEST: ISSUES OF IMMIGRATION. EDUCATION HEALTH AND PUBLIC POLICY, cont r ibutors Blanca Arau j o,

TACTICAL SILENCE IN THE NOVELS OF MALIKA MOKEDDEM , by Jane E Evans , Ph D, assoc iate professo r of languages and li nguist ics

Ph.D ., ass istant professor of teacher education , and Heriberto Godina , Ph D., assoc iate professo r of literacy and biliteracy

of Malika Mokeddem

Evani

SEVEN UTEP FACULTY HONORED FOR OUTSTANDING TEACHING

Their commitment to teaching and ability to deliver excellence in the classroom earned seven UTEP faculty members The University of Texas System Regents ' Outstanding Teaching Awards during an August ceremony at UT Austin.

The UTEP honorees were Keith Erekson , Ph.D., assistant professor , Department of History; Bridget Kanter , Ph D., assistant professor , Department of Geological ciences; Larry Lesser, Ph D., professor, Department of Mathematical ciences; Carolyn Mitchell, senior lecturer , Department of Communication; tacey awards, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Communication; Stephen Stafford, Ph.D., professor, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering; and Rachelle Thiewes , professor , Department of An.

"We are very pleased and proud that another outstanding group of UTEP faculty members is being recognized by The University of Texas ystem Board of Regents," said UTEP President Diana Natalicio. This is the third straight year UTEP faculty have earned the honor. "Each of these prestigious awards is a testament to the quality of UTEP faculty teachers and mentors and their dedication to UTEP 's mission of providing our 21st century students with excellent educational opportunities. "

This is the third year that the regents have honored faculty members who demonstrate extraordinary classroom performance and innovation at the undergraduate level. The system has nine academic institutions.

UTEP 's Carolyn Mitchell was chosen from all of the UT ystem contingent faculty awardees to make a presentation to the Board of Regents that reflected why she was selected and to talk about her philosophy of teaching and student success stories.

The 72 honorees shared $1.8 million in cash awards. Tenured faculty members earned $30,000, tenure-track faculty received $25 ,000 and contingent faculty collected $15 ,000 Besides the cash awards , winners also received a bronze medallion and a certificate commemorating their achievement.

The rigorous selection process included an examination of the candidates ' teaching performance during the past three years by campus and external judges.

Evaluations by students, peer faculty and external reviewers considered a range of activities and criteria, including classroom expertise, curricula quality, innovative course development and student learning outcomes.

"It is our system's responsibility to provide an exceptional education to our students , and we believe this award program not only furthers that goal , but helps promote a culture of excellence that produces better teaching , better learning and, ultimately, better prepared graduates to enter our workforce," said UT System Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa , M.D.

UTEP Alumni

Recognized as Triumphant Hispanics

Hundreds of community leaders showed their support as six Hispanic Borderland residents - including two UTEP alumni - were recognized for their philanthropic contributions to the El Paso/Las Cruces region Their achievements in arts , business , education, communi ty service , as well as government and science , were celebrated.

The honorees ' life stories were shared during the 12th Annual McDonald 's Hispanos Triurifadores Award presentation at the Wyndham El Paso Airport Hotel in September. Honorees were recognized for their community service , good moral character, accomplishments that go be yond

the call of duty, and for being positive role models for younger members of the community.

Richard Castro, El Paso and Las Cruces McDonald 's president and member of UTEP 's 2014 Commission , said the honorees ' stories inspire others , especially the local students who attended the event.

"Hopefully one day, (the students ') stories can be the ones that are being told ," Castro said .

Among the honorees were UTEP alums Hector Holguin , a scientist and entrepreneur , and historian and writer Fred Morales.

Holguin graduated from Texas Western

College , now UTEP, in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. He spent most of his career as an engineer and software developer Holguin is the founder and president of SecureOrigins Inc ., a company that is developing software to make transporting goods between countries more secure and efficient Morales graduated from UTEP in 1980 with a Bachelor of Ans in Chicano studies. He has written 21 books on El Paso and Juarez history. Morales is the founder and curator of the El Paso/Juarez Historical Museum. He also gives historical walking tours. -

From pumpkin carving to a "Scariest Dessert" contest, UTEP's Haunting Homecoming 2011 was a spooky good time. The week kicked off with the royalty pageant, where judges selected the king and queen and their court. The fun continued with student activities related to the Haunting Homecoming theme, reached a high point during the campuswide parade and pep rally, and climaxed with the Miner football team's 31-17 win against the Colorado State University Rams.

During a private tour of The University of Texas at El Paso in August 2011, Alan D. Bersin, who was then U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner, spoke with UTEP President Diana Natalicio about developing a curriculum that would focus on international trade.

According to CBP officials , although many universities teach transportation and supply chain management, no known institution of higher education provides instruction on international trade, global distribution of goods, and bilateral and multilateral trade regulation.

Since that conversation in August, UTEP has initiated a task force of representatives from several international trade organizations, leaders from other universities, and CBP to develop a program that would allow graduates to enter the workforce with a degree or certificate that emphasizes the skills needed to have a career in global trade compliance , either in the private or public sector.

"A curriculum that addresses the existing need for international trade studies will help us develop better strategies to attain longterm economic and socia l benefits for the U.S. and our trading partners," Bersin said. "l have great confidence that The University of Texas at El Paso, under the leadership of President Natalicio, has the vision to accomplish this goal."

"Because of UTEP's border location , we are uniquely positioned to provide students with firsthand experience in international trade and trade regulation," Natalicio said. "We believe that this innovative curriculum will be a valuable addition to our College of Business Administration offerings as we prepare students to compete for professional, managerial and entrepreneurial

positions in the 21st century international trade industry."

According to Robert Nachtmann, D.BA, dean of UTEP 's College ofBusiness Administration , most of the topical content for a professional degree and the development of a professional certification is in place. UTEP will work with national and international partners to develop a global professional certification. What college leaders will need to do, Nachtmann said, is organize the programmatic flow of content and develop the program logistics that will best serve the life and work requirements of candidates for this innovative trade optimization curricu lum.

"UTEP's College of Business Administration's core strategy is global enterprise and cross-border business," he said. "Our faculty and corporate partners from both sides of our El Paso/Juarez border are well prepared to deliver a professional program in Global Trade Optimization.

"Global trade competitiveness is essential for the U.S. economy, and this program is one more step for UTEP on its way to Tier One through its mission of access and exce llen ce, and it moves UTEP closer to becoming the first national research university with a 21st century demographic. "

Potential courses to be included in the curriculum include U.S. trade regulations, Constitutional law, negotiations and conflict reso lution , export administration regulations, import metrics, and copyright and patent law. The importance of accreditation and students' involvement in internships is also being discussed.

A meeting with task force representatives is scheduled for spring 2012.

CENTENNIAL LECTURE SERIES KICKS OFF

Two distinguished speakers kicked off a new UTE P lec ture series in 2011 tied to the Univers it y's 100th anniversary in 2014.

The Centennial Lect ure Series brings speakers to cam pu s to share their perspectives on a broad range of contemporary issues that are likely to impact soc iety and c ultur e.

"In this series, we 're going to be focusing on and contemp lating the second 100 years, " said UTEP President Diana Natalic io, whose vision is for the University to become t he first national research university with a 21st ce ntur y stud ent demographi c.

The inaugural spea ker -J erry Porras, Ph.D., the Lane Professor of Organizational Behavior and Change, Emeritus, at Stanford Univers it y - said a university 's v is ion is the platform for creat in g a great in stitution

His October remarks outlined the elements an organization needs to be enduring ly successful, whi ch include ambitious goals, core va lu es and a purpose for existing.

"Vis ion is rea ll y at the base for creating enduri ng greatness," sa id Porras, a 2011 Distinguished Alumnu s at UTEP. "If you don 't start with a fantastic vision ... 1 don't think you ' ll be ab le to achieve endur in g greatness. "

The El Paso native earned his bachelor 's in electrica l engineering in 1960 from Texas Western College (now UTEP). He received an M.B.A. from Corne ll Univers it y and a Ph.D. in management from the University of Ca liforni a, Lo s Ange les, before he j oin ed

Stanfo rd 's Graduate Schoo l ofBusiness in 1972.

Steve H. Murdock, Ph.D., th e Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Professor of Socio logy at Rice University and former director of the U.S. Bureau of the Census , delivered the second Centennial Lecture in late November. He said an educated Hi spanic population in Texas and across the co untr y is the key to the future economic success of the state and th e nation.

Murdock show ed how Hispanics will make up 62 percent of the n at ion's population b y 2050, but the compara tive numbers between 1999 a nd 2009 s how ed a growing percentage who were econom ica ll y disadvantaged because fewer were earn in g college degrees. He also pointed to data that showed that higher in comes were commensurate w ith high SAT scores.

"Education is the sing le best predictor of future weal th lt 's the key to success," Murd ock said. "We are not doing what we need to do in co ll eges and universities to h ave an educated population." ~

UTEP HOSTS Hate Crimes ROUNDTABLE

Use your smartphone to scan this code to watch Centennial Lecture videos.

You can also view the videos at newsuc.utep edu.

Hate crimes are like an insidious disease that can ravage the body and mind in countless and so metimes unforeseen ways, UTEP Provost Junius Gonzales said during his opening rem arks at the Univer s ity's hate crimes roundtable in September.

The roundtable, sponsored by the El Paso Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and The University of Texas at El Paso's Department of Social Work, brought together feder al, sta te and local la w enforcement, victims' assistance personnel, and UTEP students and facult y to discuss the history of hate cr ime and its current sta te in American society.

"This is a unique partnership between the law enforcement, social services a nd academic community to raise awareness of hate crime legislation and the prosecution of hate cr ime s, while also considering the origins and treatment of hate crimes nationally and locally," said Mark Lusk, Ed.D., chair of UTEP's social work department.

Hate crimes are criminal offenses against a person or property motivated in who le or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.

Among the presenters was Saeed Mody, trial attorn ey with the Civil Rights Divi sion of the U.S. Department of Ju stice in Was hington , D.C. Mody discussed federal hat e crime statutes including the Ma the w Sheppard and James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act, and gave examples of cases that have been prosecuted under the s tatute s

"W hat's interesting about hate crime cases is that it's the only type of case where you have to prove motive," Mody said. ~

Left : UHP President D1c111a Nata ll c10 and Steve H Murdock, Ph.D

Right: Jerry Porras, Ph.D

EXAMNNG BORDER HEALTH

By Laura L. A cos ta

Thousands of commuters cross th e U.S.-Mex ico border from El Pa so , Texas , into Ju arez eve r y day to access hea lth care serv ices , wo rk , vis it family or shop for groce ri es.

A team of UT EP researchers led by Hecto r Balcazar, Ph.D , regional dean of The Univers it y of Texas Hea lth Science Ce nt er at Hous ton, Sc hool of Public Health (UTS PH ), El Paso Regional Campus, is lookin g at Hi s pani cs livin g in El Paso to find out what eco nom ic , cultural , family and mobilit y factors a re a ffecti ng health along th e U.S.Mexico bo rd er.

Fund ed by th e Hi spa ni c Hea lth Di spa riti es Research Ce nt er (HHDRC ), a UTEP-UTSPH co ll aborative , Balcazar an d co -in ves ti gator Josia h M. Heyman , Ph.D. , chai r of UTEP 's Socio logy and Anthropolog y Departme nt ; Maria Ama ya, Ph.D., professor of nur sin g; and Osva ldo Mor e ra, Ph.D. , asso ciat e professor of psyc holog y, have worked for the last t wo yea rs with a sur vey that exam in es th e hea lth ca re utilization patterns o f El Paso residents.

"The Hi s panic Hea lth Di sparities Resea rch Ce nt er is trying to use thi s sur vey to understand the different factors th at may give cl ues to how we can begin addressing hea lth problems , so t hat we ca n be more a li gned in how we ca n ameliorate health disparit ies by understanding people's beha vio rs, " sa id Balcazar, HHDRC's co-director.

From 2009 to 2010 , bi lingual interviewers visited 1,002 hou se hold s throu ghout El Paso County to co ll ect a nswe rs to 143 questions th at addressed a ra nge of topics , including soc ial position and d emog raphi c ch ara cteri sti cs , se lf-r epo rted health statu s , tobacco/substance u se an d violence , and access and barri ers to health ca re.

Res pondents an swe red qu es tion s about th e prevalence among family members of chronic disease s s uch as diabetes, ca ncer and hyperten sion . Th ey also gave information on health- care barri ers and wheth er or not th ey had sought medical care in th e U.S. or Mexico in th e las t three years , or if a medical cos t ranging from $25 to $100 wo uld be difficult to pay.

"One of the uniqu e thin gs about being here on th e bord er is that there is so much influ ence coming from Mexico beca use of people go in g back a nd forth ," sai d Lisa Lape yrous e, Ph .D. , a po std octora l fellow at the HHDRC who is exa minin g the data to produce manu scripts and ot her information for publication an d di ssem in at ion.

Acco rdin g to Balcazar, t ra ns- mobilit y is one o f the border 's maj or charac teri sti cs , and resea rchers are exploring the impli ca tion s of hea lth disparities among bord er crossers.

La ck of hea lth insurance and preventive ca re , along with language and cultural barriers, h ave created a disproportionately hi gh prevalenc e a mon g Hi s pani cs for certain

hea lth co nditi on s suc h as asthma, obesit y, HI V/A ID S and tub ercu lo sis.

"We live in man y ways in two different wo rld s, " Balcazar sa id. "Th e bord er it self is a ve ry unique milieu and we wa nt to recognize some of it s chara cteristics , like trans-border mobilit y. "

The bes t way to find out why p eop le mo ve back and forth across the bord er is by asking a lot o f qu estio n s, he said.

The su rvey found that respondents w ith in co mes between $10 ,000 and $20,000 a re more likely to t rave l to Ju arez than res ponde nt s with incom es o f $40 ,000 or more. Mobile respondents also are more likely to ha ve lo we r incomes because of langua ge barriers, immigration sta tus and relat ed soc io-cul tural factors

Less acc ulturat ed and poorer Hi spa

are more likel y to ha ve access to health care and other se r v ices across the border.

The survey also found that people continue to cross the border , mainly for work or to vis it fami ly, regar dless of the surge of v iol e nc e in Juarez.

An anal ys is on m e ntal health and the effect of stress on border crossers found that people who reported low stress had a decline in their depressive symptoms once they crossed into Juar ez. How eve r , for people who were really stressed out, going across the border didn't make any difference.

"I think what that analysis really speaks to is that there is so m ething protective or there is some way that people are ben efi ting from crossing the border ," Lape yrouse said.

Based on s urve y re sults , r esea rchers also are lookin g at m a mmograph y and whether women with or without health insuran ce ha ve more mammograms in El Paso or Juarez. Lape y rouse found that women who have health insurance are more likel y to ha ve th e ir m a mmograms in the U.S., but uninsur ed women who rel y on Mexican h ea lth ca re services are more lik ely to have a mammogram than thos e who are insured.

The survey has become a springboard for more resea rch. Out of the 1,002 households , UTEP socio logi st Jo siah Heyman ha s se lected 300 respondents and asked them additional question s about their ex periences na v igating the h ea lth care system to see what barriers the y ha ve had to overcome.

Balcazar estimates that it will take another yea r a nd a half to analyze all the survey data. The next challenge will be to d eve lop community inter ve ntions bas ed on the resu lt s.

"The surv ey is just beginning to give us some initial data that we hope to filter to the community," Balcazar said.

UTEP Schoo l of Nursing Dean and HHDRC Direc tor Elia s ProvencioVasquez, Ph.D., said that the survey has provided resea rchers with va luable information about how to address health care issu es in the community, which will eventua ll y be disseminated to health care providers.

"What we find should be sent out to the community to say, 'These are the t ypes of questions doctors and nurs es should ask , and th ese are the t y pes of program s a nd clinics that we should be developing in our co mmunit y,"' he said.

POSITION:

Regional Dean and Professor, The Uni versi t y of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , School of Public Health , El Paso Regional Campus

EDUCATION:

Ph.D. in International Nutrition, Cornell University

HOBBIES:

Enjo ying family activities like cooking, going out for a nice meal, playing tennis, traveling wit h the family, wa tching exciting programs like history, travel, cooking, movies

I CHOSE MY CAREER BECAUSE

I enjoy giving to public health and participating in making our communities a better wo rld to live in for everyone.

MY GREATEST INSPIRATION IS my wife and children, my mom

THE BEST PART OF MY JOB IS ...

wo rking with people, the diversity of activities, sta ying fresh in mind and sp irit , being positive and ready to tackle new cha llenge s and opportunities.

3-D MEDICAL MODELING

Keck Center Supports Advances in Diagnostics, Research and Surgery Prep

For th e pas t decade, th e 3 -0 med ica l mod elin g prog ram within th e WM. Kec k Ce nt er for 3 -D Inn ova ti on in t he UTEP Co ll ege o f En gin ee rin g has bee n manu fac tur ing re pli cas o f hum a n bod y part s for El Pas o s u rgeon s to u se as dia gnos ti c or pr e-surgi cal too ls . Cent er ma na ge r Fra nk Medina and h is team of stud ent resea rchers are workin g und er th e leade rshi p of Kec k Ce nt er fo und er and directo r Pro fesso r Rya n Wicker, Ph.D , to c rea te 3 -0 mod els using a numb er of ad va nc ed mat e ria ls a nd ma nufa cturin g tec hnolo g ies to simu lat e th e an atom ies o f spines , ab domina l aneur ys ms, ca rdi ovasc u lar and crani ofa cial abn orm a liti es, human jaw bones and eve n th e hum a n bra in.

Th is mu lt id imensiona l modeli ng app roa ch a ll ows sur geo ns to stud y a phys ica l renditi on of a s pec ifi c pati ent , and thu s po tenti all y imp rove th e surgi cal out co mes , whil e dec reasing th e tim e the pat ient spend s in the operatin g room, an d in man y cases redu cin g t he cos t of surger y. Wicker sa id he would lik e to also ex tend t he Kec k Ce nt er's se rvices to El Pa so ve terin ar ia ns to help ad va nce th e health ca re of th eir a nima l pa ti ent s.

The pro cess begin s wit h a pati ent 's CT or MR I sc an and tra ns form s t hese images into a 3 -0 co mpu ter mod el. Models can then be manu fact ured us in g ad van ce d materi a ls s uch as thermop las ti cs or metal s in 3 -D printin g or add iti ve ma nufacturin g ma chin es t hat bu il d compl icat ed mod el s up in laye rs beg innin g w it h not hi ng, rat her th an th e subt rac ti ve pro cess of car ving out a sh ape fro m an ex istin g bl ock of metal or pl as ti c.

Th e Kec k Ce nt er als o has th e capa cit y to produ ce personali zed h ip and kn ee repla ce ment pa rt s, as well as fa cial pros th eti cs a nd skull plat es, usin g 3 -0 print ing tec hn olog ies . In o ne pro ce dur e t hat rece ntl y rece ive d FDA a ppro val , an elec tron bea m is use d to me lt medi calgrad e metals and all oys to re p li cat e th e bones or joint s for prosth eti c s urge r ies or im plant s

Wicke r, who hold s t he end owe d Mac int os h Murch ison Chair in En ginee rin g, h as partnered for man y year s

20 u t ep ma gazine ut e p .e d u

wi th Stanford Un ive rs it y to fabr icat e mod els t hat as sist in ca rdi ov ascu lar resea rch. His team is abl e to co nst ru ct models of th e ca rdio vasc ul ar sys tem , whi ch in turn help s bo th Stanford and UTEP resea rchers id entify th e ori gin and path ology of hea n di se ase

The techno log ies t hey hav e deve lop ed ex tend bey ond hea lth and h ave bee n us ed ex ten sive ly by hi s Stanford co lleag ues to st ud y co mpli ca ted fl ow sys tems, suc h as th ose foun d in a ir cra ft engi ne t ur bin e blades.

Th e Kec k Ce nt er's co mm erc ial and exp eri ment a l addi ti ve man u fact u rin g capab il ities h ave grown from one ma chin e in 2000 to more th an 30 mac hin es to d ay, in cl udin g two patent ed and seve ra l pa tentpendin g tec hn olog ies deve lope d by Kec k Ce nter resea rchers

"Th e re is a n increasing n ee d fo r mode li n g in med icin e a nd in manufa cturin g," Medin a sa id. "U TEP h as rece ive d requ es ts fro m Fo rtun e Top 10 Co mp ani es , loca l inve n to rs a nd the UTEP resea rch co mmun it y fo r help with protot y pin g"

Frank Medina

POSITION:

W.M. Keck Ce nte r for 3- D Inno va t io n Ma nager

EDUCATION:

M.S in Mec han ica l Engi neer i ng and pur suing a Ph D in Material Sc ien ce, UTEP

HOBBIES:

I don ' t hav e hobbi es, per se. I spe nd my fr ee t ime with my ki ds and f ami ly.

I CHOSE MY CAREER BECAUSE

I always wa nt ed to know ho w th i ngs wo r k, es pec iall y th e mecha nical mec hani sms in my t oys

MY GREATEST INSPIRATION IS my dad and mom and th e mentor s I have at UTEP

THE BEST PART OF MY JOB IS be ing able to des ign and help peopl e and comp anies

Doctor Uses Keck Center Models to Prepare for Surgery

Most of us take our spines for granted. The spine keeps our body mobile and flexible, and protects our vital neural structure, our spinal cord When things go wrong with the spine, it is painful, often crippling, and can even lead to a disability.

For El Paso orthopedic surgeon Dr. Gregory Misenhimer, treating a child with a spinal disorder such as spinabifida or sco lio sis is exceptionally challenging because the child's bones are sti ll growing, and the extent of a deformity may be unknown until the patient reache s adulthood, when surgery is less effective For Misenhimer, treating difficult cases of scoliosis has become his passion.

That is why Misenhimer turned to the W.M. Keck Center for 3-D Innovation more than a decade ago for help with his more complex spina l surgeries. Misenhimer considers himself a problem-solver, and he appreciates working with other problemsolvers, such as the researchers in the College of Engineering who manufacture spinal replicas for him to study before surgery and to use as an observational aid in the operating room.

"I am a visual person, and having the opportunity to hold a spinal model in my hands, and being able to study it for weeks before the surgery, is invaluable," he said. "Each time I study the model, I discover somet hing new. Being able to differentiate between congenital deformities and normal bones, for example, is very helpful to me."

Twelve-year-old Stephanie Tapia has experienced the benefits of having her spina l model in Misenhimer's hands. Last year she had such a severe case of sco lio sis, with an BO-degree curvature of the spine, that she was destined

This multidimensional modeling approach allows surgeons to study a physical rendition of a specific patient, and thus potentially improve the surgical outcomes.

for paralysis. Her rib cage was also crus hing her lung s Tapia's mother, Leticia , signed a consent form to have the spina l model manufactured by UTEP to assist in her surgery.

"Dr. Misenhimer told me he wou ld study the model until he was comfortable wit h doing any surgery on my daughter," Leticia Tapia said.

In the operating room, Misenhimer used sutures and medical tape to hang Stephanie Tapia's spinal model from an IV pole, so that he could see firsthand where to cut the bone and straighten her spine .

"The earlier we can operate on a child," Misenhimer said, "the more correctable the spine can be." He also was able to reconstruct and realign Tapia's ribcage so that she can now breathe normally.

"We are so grateful for Dr. Misenhimer for curing our daughter of sco liosis ," Leticia Tapia said. " He is a very caring and gifted doctor."

Misenhimer has shared UTEP 's spina l replicas with colleagues around the country, and at meetings.

" Having UTEP as a partner is priceless to my patients and to me," he said. ~

<PROFESSOR HELPS WITH FIGHT AGAINST POLIO

In the globa l push to eradicate po li o, Arvi nd Sing ha! , Ph.D ., possesses s kill s that many medica l do ctors and epide mi olog ists do not: he ha s the ability to develop effec ti ve com muni catio n strat eg ies to reach un w illin g families, mobiliz e co mmuniti es and in0u ence policy.

Singha! , who among hi s man y roles is th e Samuel Shi rl ey and Edna Holt Marston Endowed Professo r of Commun ica tion at Th e Uni ve rsit y of Texas at El Pa so, se rv es on the Ind ependent Monitorin g Board of the Global Polio Eradication 1nitiative. It is a nin e-m emb er board of int ernationall y recog niz ed publi c hea lth expe rt s that was instituted in fall 2010 b y th e Wor ld Hea lth Asse mbl y. It s members trave l to various countries to w itn ess first hand a nd be part of polio eradication efforts.

"O ur charge is to monitor progress, 0ag problems , and applaud as necessar y," sa id Singha!, who trave led to Nige ri a in summer 2011. "If there is a prob lem, we say t here is a bi g prob lem and yo u need to addr ess it now. Th e worl d ha s mad e tr emen d ous progress to eradic ate polio. We are (so) cl ose. But th e la st ya rd h as been quite elu sive"

Polio , a disease ca u sed by a v iru s, ca uses se rious illnes s, paral ysis and in seve re cases, dea th , accordin g to th e Ce nt e rs fo r Disease Control and Pr eve ntion. It was once preva lent in the United Stat es and ma ny other countries. Polio cla im ed th e li ves o f th ousa nds each yea r unti l a vacc in e was create d in 1955.

After sma llpo x, poli o is the seco nd maJor disease on a globa l agenda for erad ica ti o n . Billions of dollars have been spe nt and the numb er of new polio cases h as dropped to a few hundred in 2011 from more than 350 ,000 cases a year in the mid-1980s , Si ngha! said. Howeve r, Indi a, Pa ki sta n , Afghanistan and Niger ia still strugg le to eradica te polio, an d several cou ntri es routinely have localized ou tbr eaks, he added.

"If you beco me paralyzed at a n ear ly age and yo u li ve a life of 60 or 70 yea rs, yo u' re affecting a who le ho st of li ves that a re ta kin g care of yo u ," he sa id. "It 's a bi g iss ue."

Singha!, who for 25 yea rs h as worked in the area of co mmuni ca ti on and soc ial

change in doze n s of co untri es, became directly in volve d w ith combating po li o in 2008 when UN ICEF asked him to assess th e po li o erad icatio n initiative in ln dia. In December 2010 , he was in vited to serve o n th e Independent Monitoring Board a nd is th e onl y member without medi ca l doctor or ep id emi o log ist cred ential s.

Ot he r board memb ers includ e Dr. J effr ey P Kaplan , former CDC dir ec tor ; Sir Liam Donald so n , head of the United Kin gdom 's equi va lent of CDC; and Dr. Ciro d e Quadros of th e Sa bin Vaccine In stitute. Th e board report s to the h ea d s of the World Hea lth O rga niz at ion, UN ICEF, CDC, the Board of Rotary Int erna tional and the Bi ll a nd Me li nda Ga tes Foundati on - organiza ti ons th at h ave long been involved in th e effort to eradicate po li o

Sin gh a! h as been highl y vocal about the import a nce of impl ementing commu ni ca ti on strateg ies to reach resistant parents wh o ot herw ise wo uld not allow vaccinators to administer the polio shot to their chi ldr en.

"When you ha ve t hose kind s of res is tances at the micro level - at the h ouse hold level - the y are mostly co mmuni ca ti ve in natur e," he sa id.

"Eradicat in g polio is not JU St a techni ca l iss ue. It is a co mplex hum an b ehavioral iss ue "

In north ern Nigeria , mal e vacc inator s are not allowed into women 's compounds, and in certai n po cket s of Indi a, th ere ma y be an issue in ge ttin g the Im ams ' approval for the polio drops. In Paki stan and Afghanis tan, th ere are te rritorial boundaries that vaccinat ion tea ms ca nnot cross

Sin gha! brings hi s global expe ri ences back to the UT EP classroom and effective ly uses storytelling as a way to make hi s lec tures accessib le to stude nt s, sai d Monica Alvillar, a former graduate student at UTE P a nd thesis adv isee of the professor.

"I was familiar wit h hi s wo rk and hi s wo rld-tr avel exper ienc es," she sa id. "I found ea rl y on that he wo uld en co ura ge me to v iew thing s from different persp ec ti ves. 1 felt lik e I was a lways being chall en ged to t hink about thing s in ways I h adn 't ima g in ed. "

Mil ena Muna , a gra duat e student in co mmuni ca tion at UTEP, sa id Sin gh al 's class

By Stephanie Sanchez

was not like othe rs She said his teaching st yle in volve d int en se class int eractions, with each stud en t sharing expe ri ences and thoughts abo u t what they were lea rnin g. In stead of using Powe rP oint pre se ntation s a nd being th e foca l point o f the lecture, s he sa id he was a fa cilit ator, often using hi s fie ld-based ex pe ri ences as an entry point to di sc uss ion s.

"T hrou gh hi s s tori es, he made me tra ve l around th e world without leaving El Pa so," Muna sa id "Hi s approac h to th emes lik e soc ia l JUSt ice is addict ive, an d I was exc it ed as never before to attend hi s Monday class. I was eager, not onl y to h ea r from him , but to hea r from my peers and to shar e my stor ies." ~

Arvind Singhal) Ph.D.

POSITION:

Sa mu el Shirle y and Edna Holt Marston Endo we d Professor and Director, Soc ial Justice Initiati ve, UTEP Department of Commu nication

EDUCATION:

Ph.D. in Communicat ion Th eo r y and Research, University of Sou th ern Ca liforni a

HOBBIES:

Reading, writing , stor ytelling, traveling , walking

I CHOSE MY CAREER BECAUSE it just happened.

MY GREATEST INSPIRATION IS Mahatma Gandhi and th e ideals he li ved for.

THE BEST PART OF MY JOB IS to be in the privileged position to fuel the potenti al th at li es in yo ung people.

Photos courtesy of Arvind Singhal

CURRENT RESEARCH. PRACTICE, 1od POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

t. I

G ~llltl I.Jlulter n Ctirlalan A.,.._

In the United States , false confessions and i n crim i nating statements lead to w~o~gful . conv1et1ons 1n appro x imately 25 percent of c ases , according to the Innocence Project, a nat ional litigation and public policy org_aniza tion deaicated to ex oner at i ng wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing.

$11 MILLION GRANT

Helps Elicit the Truth

A team of world-renowned investigators led by Christian Meissner, Ph.D. , associate professor of psycholog y and criminal justice at UTEP, is developing new methods of collecting information from cooperative and uncooperative witnesses by improving investigative interview practices.

Meissner and Harmon Hosch , Ph.D. , a psychology professor, received an $11.5 million grant from the High Value Detainee Interrogation Group and the Federal Bureau of Inves tigation to fund their project, "Intelligence , Inter v iewing and Interrogation ."

The five-year study looks to identify, understand and de velo p strong, reliable , evidence-based approaches that improve investigators ' inter viewing capabilities , Hosch said.

According to Meissner, the research explores behavior in interviews by tr ying to understand how people provide information and under what conditions the y are willing to pro v ide information.

In doing so, invest igators seek to create interrogation approaches that ma xi mize the likelihood of eliciting accurate information.

Now in its second year, research is under way in three areas: elicitation, interrogation and credibility assessment.

Interviewers use elicitation to get the most information from an interview

Meissner uses mnemonics or techniques that can help jog a person's m emor y to elicit information from a witness about a certain incident. In one scenario, the interrogator may ask the witness to mentally travel back in time to the location where the y acquired the information and think about the context in which they acquired the information

"There are a number of other mnemonics that will work, and some of it depends on the type of information that yo u 're tr y ing to elicit ," Meissner said.

By Laura L. Acosta

In the area of interrogation , investiga tors are leveraging what the y know about social • psychology and human behavior to de ve lop methods that lead to cooperation.

Researchers are looking at social influence tactics that are effective in persuading noncooperative witnesses to comply during an interrogation.

By conducting studies in the University 's Inves tigative Inter viewing Research Laboratory, researchers ha ve found that aggressive or manipulative tactics do not produce the best information. Instead, techniques that develop rapport with the interviewee lead to the best information.

"The question is , how can we interrogate them in a way that obtains cooperation from them and induces them to be willing to share that information? " Meissner said.

The third area dea l s with how an interviewer can determine if the witness is telling the truth or lyi ng.

According to Meissner , interrogation approaches that produce anxiety tend to have negative effects on credibility assessment. On the other hand , rapportbased approaches to inter view ing and interrogation actually enhance credibility assessment judgments because they effectively elicit cues to deception that are only prese nt in those who lie

Another study b y James Wood , Ph.D. , UTEP professor of psycho logy, looks at factors that influence the accuracy of information when interviews are conducted through an interpreter. Findings show that information is lost because of selective editing and memory loss. The study also found that it becomes more difficult for interrogators to build rapport with the inter v iewee through an interpreter.

In addition to the research conducted at UTEP, the grant is funding projects at 14 institutions throughout the world. They

Pho t o by Laura Tr ej o

include the University at Albany SUNY; Florida International University; Roger Williams University in Rhode Island; the University of Portsmouth , England; the University of Gothenburg, Sweden; and Charles Stun University, Australia.

"There are a growing number of scholars who are looking at interviewing and interrogation in the criminal and intelligence context , and what we 've done is to identify the leading scholars in this area across geographical boundaries," Meissner said.

Hosch and Meissner hope that the "Intelligence , Interviewing and Interrogation" project will generate new knowledge about how humans interact under interrogation and also change how interrogation is done by developing and

implementing new methods.

Researchers are working with federal training centers , federal law enforcement offices and U.S. government entities that conduct interrogations and interviews.

"The idea is that we start in the lab. We move to the training facilities to do some replication and extension of the lab work, then we move it into training and doctrine , and then we study it out in the field, " Meissner said.

Funding is also helping to support a master 's student, six Ph .D. students, and two postdoctoral researchers, and a multitude of undergraduate students - the next generation of researchers , Hosch said. ~

Christian Meissner, Ph.D.

Christian Meissner's fascination with how people think and what they remember has helped him become a leading experimental cognitive psychologist.

An associate professor of psychology and criminal justice at UTEP since 2005, Meissner has received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the departments of justice, defense, and homeland security to conduct research on the psychological processes that influence investigative interviews, interrogations and confessions.

Meissner's Investigative Interviewing Research Laboratory at UTEP focuses on the social and cognitive psychological processes that underlie the interviewing of individuals in forensic settings

He is serving as a visiting scientist and program director of Law and Social Sciences at the National Science Foundation through July 31, 2012.

Harmon Hosch) Ph.D.

Harmon M Hosch, the Helen M.C. & J. Edward Stern Professor of Psychology at UTEP, chose his career because he and his wife, Jeanne decided that the freedom to research what he wanted to focus on was of greater value to them than the higher earning potential they had working on others' research projects in the government and private domains.

As such, he considers designing studies to better understand human social interactions, and watching his students mature in their scientific development, the best part of his job.

A member of the UTEP faculty since 1975, Hosch has served as the director of the Office of Sponsored Projects, as chair of the Department of Psychology, and as associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts. He also is the founding director of UTEP's Center for Law and Human Behavior.

When Edward Castaneda, Ph.D., professor and chair of UTEP's Department of Psychology, submitted a grant proposal to the National Institute on Drug Abuse to fund the University's Vulnerability Issues in Drug Abuse (VIDA) research training program, he needed help assembling a top-notch team of researchers from across disciplines who would contribute their expertise to the program's success.

Castaneda enlisted the help of the Proposal Development Team, or DevT, in the University's Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP). The team brought together 11 UTEP professors from the colleges of science, health sciences and liberal arts to collaborate in activities that integrate the neuroscience and socio-cultural dimensions of drug use among vulnerable Hispanics.

"The Affinity Research Group model specializes in getting people to see outside the box," Castaneda said. "They have this whole approach to breaking down those barriers and coming together with a common definition that transcends disciplines and unites people in a common vision."

Castaneda is one of about 250 faculty members that the DevT has assisted with grant proposal submissions since the group officially formed in 2008 under the leadership of Roberto Osegueda, Ph.D., UTEP's vice president for research and Ann Q. Gates, associate vice president for research.

The University's success in attracting external research funding can be attributed to faculty and staff members whose competitive research proposals garnered $70 million in new awards from federal, state and private agencies and foundations during the 2010-11 fiscal year.

UTEP's DevT works behind the scenes to provide faculty the support they may need to prepare winning grant proposals

"Many faculty are very successful in writing (the proposal) on their own," Gates said. "But if they would like (help) with an RFP (request for proposal), we will work with them to brainstorm on different ways to extend and present their ideas and to identify people on campus who may be able to contribute."

Support for proposal development can be traced back to the Office of Sponsored Projects in the 1980s. Under the direction of Harmon Hosch, Ph.D., the office developed a culture of searching for extramural funding.

"We tried to foster a helpful approach and met with lots of individual faculty and departments to see how we could provide useful service," said Hosch, who was the ORSP's director from 1985-88. The operation expanded from two full-time employees to include an additional staff member whose primary duty was to help faculty locate funding sources and develop proposals. The office, which also created training programs to help

faculty develop and manage successful proposals, eventually changed its name to the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects, Hosch said Today, the ORSP includes nearly 30 staff members who assist with proposal development assistance, compliance and post-award monitoring.

The DevT's team consists of Gates, who along with Florence Dick, coordinator for preaward services; Maria L. Picard-Ami, proposal development specialist; Claudine Riccillo, associate director; and new team member Andrea Tirres, provide a full spectrum of services that include assistance in the development, composition and editing of proposals; identification of funding sources; proofing submissions; and organizing workshops.

Last spring, the DevT launched JumpStart, a series of intensive workshops designed to help professors at all ranks prepare competitive grant proposals. DevT members guide them through idea development, budget preparation, and goal setting to ensure that concepts are presented clearly and concisely.

"The process provides continuity," Picard-Ami said. "There is constant feedback from their peers because it's one team that's working together through the whole semester "

CENTER: FACULTY SWITCH PLACES WITH STUDENTS IN ART EXHIBITION

By Jo e Ve larde

Future Shows

ANNUAL UTEP JURIED STUDENT ART EXHIBITION

April 12 - May 5

Rubin & L Galleries

ANNUAL UTEP ALUMNUS EXHIBITION

April 5 - May 5

Project Space

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN TALKS: SLANGUAGE (MARIO YBARRA. JR. & KARLA DIAZ)

May 24 - Sept. 5

L Gallery

ART EXPLORING SCIENCE: NEW PRINTS AND DRAWINGS BY SEAN CAUFIELD

May 24- Sept. 5

Project Space

RECENT VIDEO WORKS FROM THE URBAN MIDDLE EAST

Sept. 13 - Dec. 15

Rubin & L Galleries & Project Space

HOURS OF OPERATION

The Rubin Center is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., until 7 p.m. on Thursdays, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Admission is free

academics. ute p.ed u/ vi su aIarts 915-747-6151

The tables will turn on 26 art faculty of The Univers ity of Texas at El Paso who agreed to h ave t heir multidi sc ipl i ned talents assessed dur ing th e 20 11 UTEP Depa rtm ent of Art Bien ni a l Faculty Exhibition that beg ins Jan. 26 at the Stanlee & Gerald Ru bin Ce n ter fo r the Visua l Arts.

Kate Bonansinga , director of the Rubin Center , ca ll ed the exhib ition a tradition in con temporary art, just as it is a tradition with the UTEP art depa rt ment.

"Eac h tim e I tr y to enh ance th e ex hi bi ti on in a way that firs t and fo remost benefi ts t he facu lty a rt ists and, second, creates an interest ing exhibit ion," she sa id. "The faculty graciously agreed to accommodate this reversa l of the usual paradigm of the facult y evaluating the students, and the st udents had their say. (T hey were complimentary, and w ithout fail.) "

The ex h ibition prov ides a sn aps hot of fac ul ty research undertake n in the art depa rtm ent, sai d Vince n t Burke, M.F.A , assistant p rofesso r of an. "As mento rs, educators, and profess ional artists , it is important for the faculty to share their current work with ou r students and the publ ic ," he said.

Burke said that art is a core discip line in the liberal arts, and is vita l to the h uman sp ir it. Quot ing writer Jay Griffiths, he said, "the grea test a rti sts do not make t heir bes t wo rks of art in clay or pa int or sou nd or wo rd s; they make t hem rig h t inside us, withi n the heart of t he reader or the audience. "

The exh ibit, curated by Gwen Chanzit , cura tor of modern and contempora ry an at t he Denver Art Museum , is schedu led to close Ma rch 24.

Tucked in the heart of the UTEP campus is a place that offers a wealth of in formation in a serene and colorful setting.

The Centennial Museum and Chih u ahuan Desert Gardens h ave permanent exhibits that focus on the natural and cultural history of the region. The museum 's recent temporary exh ibit s were "In His Own Words: The Life and . Work of Cesa r Chavez " and "A River Interrupted , Making the Case for Cha n ging our Management of the Rio Grande. "

W Warner "Bill " Wood, Ph.D., museum director, said the exhibits ha ve changed dramatically from when the museum opened in 1937. Back then , the museum , wh ich was the first in El Paso , covered all specia lti es.

"It was an art , history and everything museum (w hen it first opened)," sa id Wood , who came to UTEP in 2010. "The exhibits have changed drastically and they 're going to change more over the next decade. "

Al ready changes are visible i n the multicolored, wooden floor ga ll er ies.

The third floor geology , paleontology , cultural histor y and mammal and bird galleries have undergone a major face li ft. Th e backdrops of each case, which used to be white , are now adorned with relevant images and th e ceilings have been painted to resemble the sky, which gives each exh ibit a lively feel.

Wood has planned other museum updates, including working with a comm itt ee he formed to update the museum 's mission and vision sta tements. As these changes are appro ved, the museum will begin to transform to fit its new mission: igniting the imagination, stimu lati n g thought, and provid ing innovative educa ti onal experiences celebrating and deepening understanding of life in th e Chihuahuan Desert.

CENTENNIAL MUSEUM RECEIVES MODERN UPDATES

By St ephanie Sanchez

Exhibits

TEMPORARY EXHIBITS:

Jan. 17 - Dec. 6 - "Nuestra Casa," or "Our Home," a new UTEP faculty and student exhibit

Jan. 31 - May 5 - "Raramuri, the Foot Runners of the Sierra Madre ," a traveling exhibit

May 29 - Aug. 25 - "Peanuts Naturally," a traveling exhibit

Sept. 13 - Dec. 15 - "Sanda de Exploraci6n Ferroviaria Tripulada ," or "Manned Railway Exploration Probe," a traveling exhibit to be hosted with the Rubin Center

PERMANENT EXHIBITS:

Geology Gallery: a gallery of rocks and minerals in El Paso and UTEP's mining and railroad history, volcanoes, earthquakes and more

Paleontology Gallery : a gallery of invertebrate and vertebrate fossils of the region, from algae 2 billion years old to dinosaurs in Big Bend

Cultural History Gallery: a gallery of people who have inhabited the Chihuahuan Desert and El Paso region, and surrounding Southwest

Mammal and Bird Gallery: a gallery of birds and mammals of the Chihuahuan Desert

HOURS OF OPERATION

The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesda y through Saturd ay. Parking permit s can only be obtained from the museum office s inside the Centennial Museum. Admission is free.

museum.utep.edu 915-747-5565

[HA IN[R:

STUDENT, MUSICIAN & ENTREPRENEUR

By J oe Ve l arde • Photo by Amanda Staples

It's 4 in the afternoon and the falling sun is breaching the windows and illuminating this small boutique. Looking around, there are half-dres se d mannequins wearing strange and unique de signer shirts. The paint on the shop's interior walls smells fresh, and the tiled floors feel as though the y've been newly pressed.

In wa lk s UTEP sophomore biolog y major Stephen Escarzaga carry ing boxes of what looks like more sh irt s.

"Sorry I'm late," he said. "I had to run a few errands."

Escar zaga carries a load - literally and figuratively. He is not just an employee of The Proper Prints hop; he is also partowner.

The student entrepreneur is also a loving son and boyfriend, a lo ya l friend and the guitarist for one of the city's newest and most exciting bands, The D.A.

Hi s band has reached many sma ll milestones this past year. It wo n the Sunland Park Race Track and Casino's Battle of the Bands, performed in Austin for the city's annual South By Southwest arts festival, appeared in El Paso's inaugural Neon Desert Music Festival and opened for bands such as nationally recognized Sparta

But he' s too busy to re st on hi s laurels . Escarzaga estimated that he works, practices, perform s and studi es nearly 70 hours a week Nonetheless, he maintains a calm and confident demeanor.

"I think I just take it one day at a time, really," he said. " It seems like a lot, though everything just kind of fits into its groove. "

A week for Escar za ga includes nine credit hours of classes, including organic chemistry, approximately 30 hours of band rehearsal, an additional 20 hours of studying and a significant amount of time at The Proper.

Mark Martinez, co-owner of the print shop at 4126 N. Mesa St., Suite E, sai d Esc ar za ga can balance his responsibilities because he loves everyone he's wi th and everything he does.

"Other people wou ld crack under all of that pressure - but Stephen ju st stays coo l," said Martinez, a junior digital media major. "That's why he does what he does, every single day."

Part of the reason Escarzaga is successful is that he learned discipline at a young age. He is a self-taught guitarist and learned through repetition He said he has used the same tenacity to master other tasks from music to printmaking to academics, "es pecially organic chemistry." He tears into each problem with tireless precession, as if he was practicing for his next big gig.

Martinez considers his friend to be a perfectionist.

"I don't think anyone would be able to do what Stephen does, and never as wel l as he does," he said ~

Soring 2012 Theater Performances at Ulf P

The Department of Theatre and Dance and the UTEP Dinner Theatre have some exciting performances lined up for the spring semester, from a world premiere musical by Tony Award-winning lyricist Tim Rice to a rendition of the classic Shakespeare tragedy Othello

Lute! (world premiere )

J a n 27-2 9; Fe b 1-4 , 8 -12

U TEP Dinn e r Theatr e/ Union Ballro om

Pachuco Zoot

Feb. 10-19

Wise Famil y Theatre

The Seagull

Ma rch 14-18

Studio Th ea tr e

Guys and Dolls

April 13-15 , 18-22 , 25-29 ; Ma y 2-6

UTEP Dinn er Th e atre/ Union Ballro om

Noises Off

Ap r il 20-2 9

W ise Fa mil y Th ea tr e

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Jul y 6-8 , 11-15 , 18-22

U TEP Dinn er Theatre/Union Ballroom

Othello

Jul y 27-Au g. 5

Wi se Famil y Th e atr e

INFORMATION :

For performances at the Wise Family Theatre or Studio Theatre, contact the Department of Theatre and Dance at 915-747-5118. For Dinner Theatre performances in the Union Ballroom, contact 915-747-6060 or the Ticket Center at 915-747-5234.

50 YEARS AND COUNTING

Memorial Gym Has Served Generations efMiners

The 1966 NCAA basketball championship won by Texas Western College is among the grandest moments in the history of The University of Texas at El Paso. The story of the building where that team played its home games began 50 years ago and continues today.

Memorial Gym opened in December 1961 to give the Miners a new home court. Up until then , the team had used venerable Holliday Hall - built in the early 1930s and capable of seating around 500 - and the El Paso County Coliseum for its home games.

With the new building came a new basketball coach, Don Haskins , whose team won its first game at the new ven ue on Dec. 9, 1961. The team's success, especially after winning the national championship five years later, created a fan base that turned the gym into an ear-splitting, bursting-at-the-seams box of thunder.

The arena originally was designed to seat 4,000 , but officials installed 16 sets of retractable wooden bleachers so it could fit around 5,200. Crowds almost were on top of the court and they made an impact. Intimidated opponents helped the Miners achieve a 168-16 home record when they rendezvoused at the sports hall at Randolph Drive and Robinson Avenue.

As the crowds grew, University officials agreed to move some games to the coliseum, which seated 8,260, but fans continued to love Memorial Gym.

"It was nice to have our own home. Everybody was so close to the floor. You felt as if you were part of the game," said Marilyn Cromeans, daughter of former Miners trainer Ross Moore. Cromeans, a retired elementary school teacher, earned her bachelor 's from TWC in 1958. "It was a nice change from the coliseum, which was so big and impersonal. (Me morial) was our gym and it was a fun , rocking place. "

The team 's continued success necessitated a new arena, so the University built the Special Events Center, which opened in Januar y 1977 and can seat more than 12,000. It was renamed the Don Haskins Center 20 years later , a few da ys before the coach was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Ev en with the more palatial basketball home across the street, Haskin s occasionally would conduct team practices at Memorial Gym, said Hector Munoz, director of UTEP's Recreational Sports Department (RSD).

"He liked the place," said Munoz, whose office was in the gym until the RSD

consolidated at the new Student Recreation Center (formerly the Swimming and Fitness Center) on th e north side of campus.

Memorial Gym has been renovat ed and expanded since then to better serve the University 's student population. Through the yea rs , it has been home to academic classes, the RSD and intercollegiate women's athletics. The women's basketball team played there from 1974-91 and the women 's volleyball team has played there since its inception in 1974.

The initial purpose of the building, aside from its basketball duties, was to house the college's P.E. and health education class es, according to an article in the April 21 , 1961 , e dition of The Prospector. The article announced that The University of Texas Board of Regents had approved the new building 's name to honor the Texas Western College students

who had been killed in se rvice to their countr y The building 's budget was JUSL shy of $1 million , accordi ng to th e stale Annu a l Financial Report.

UTEP 's RSD dir ec ted open re crea tion , intramural s, Uni ve rs it y sports club s a nd ou tdoor adv e ntur e programs while head quart ered at the tri-leve l, 88,25 1- sq uar e-foot gym, which allra cted about 900 students dai ly, Munoz sa id.

He toured the building a nd exp lain ed how it conti nu es to se rve the Universi t y as a ce nt er for the Army ROTC training and kinesiology classes , includin g basketball , vo ll eyba ll , fencing and mania! arts. He po int ed out weight rooms that now are for strength and co nditi on in g classes.

"There is no open recreation here anymore ," he said as he wa lk ed down the ha ll toward the aux ili ary gym , whi ch was ad d ed abou t 20 years ago. "Thi s place is stri ctly for academics a nd non- c red it classes now We ll, a lmo st s tri ctl y. The comp lex also is used Lo stor e mat erial s for th e Hask ins Ce nt e r and the Departm ent of Kin es io log y.

Munoz walked past the front foyer , which st ill has comfortable sofas , a foosball tab le , message boards and troph y cases. Basketball and vo ll eyba ll classes we re being cond ucted in the main gy m . He sa id it was the stude nt s who brought th e buildin g Lo life on a dai ly basis, espec ially as the st ud e nt popu lation g rew and beca me mor e aware of the facilit ies.

Kezito "Zes u" Ekechukwu, a sop hom o re pre-pharm acy sLUd ent , sa id he apprec iated Memorial Gym as a place where he cou ld shoo t baskets , play pick-up games and find a comfortab le place to stud y and meet friends before o r afte r classes.

"I have a whole coun to myself ," he said before his bask etball class began.

Whil e th e ro le of the building has changed throu gh th e years , it s till se rves the Un ivers it y and w ill conti nu e to do so, said Greg McNicol, ass ista nt vice president for facilities se r vices. ~

There probably were about 100 athletes there: football, baske t ball and some track guys, and I mus t say t hey were a ll fine gentlemen. l don 't know if they were afra id of Don, but they were very nice.

We had a cafeteria in the dorm , wh ich l just loved. We had four li ttle boys of our own , so it was boys, boys, boys eve r yw here. I was th e only fema le, exce pt for the cooks.

1 think the communit y was very supportive of our college, everybody was, and they g reeted us very warmly. Women cal led on me, and l loved that. There was just a warm feeling here.

We kind of inherited t he [basketball] team that had already b een recru ited and played, and most of t hem lived in t he do r m. They we re nice guys.

Th ey did (s tart winning right awa y). We had good attendance. People were ve r y much behind us. It was great. Don 's tea m played the fi rst game in Memoria l Gym. They had jus t comp leted [the gym], and on our way to Miners Hall [that first clay] we drove by Memorial Gym so he could show us th e gym. He was so proud of it.

After two yea rs in Miners Hall on t he campus, we di d move into a home o f our own in Coronado Hills. Don's team s kept winning, and by 1966 our Texas Western team was winning on a national lev el.

1966 : The NCAA Championship Game

The game was in College Park, Md., which is just right ou tside of Wash ington, D.C We had had a gam e the night before

and beaten Utah, who was ve r y good I mea n, this was t he Final Four. Kentucky had beate n Duke Un ive r sity. It was a rea ll y pres t igious group of schools and we were just th rilled to death to be th ere.

Th e day of our game, l can re member th inking 'We ll, we ' re here, we 've done so we !I. Wha tever happens , JUSt happens ' And then , I could see that we were going to w in. I rememb e r look ing clown at our c hee rleaders , and they were so cute. I think we had a band t here too. We were sitt ing beh ind the team, so I h ad my eye on Don , and he was just going about bu s iness. And th e n when we actually won th e game, we all went running down to t he floor. There was j ust a h andful o f us because everybody else was for Ke n tucky. It was closer for them to get to the game. We JUSt had a handful of peop le, ma ybe 100 people, who were reall y, rea lly thrilled. l can remember Don kind of lifted me up and whirled me around when I got clown to the floor with h im

After that , we went to a res taurant and had a celeb rator y dinner , I guess you'd ca ll it , and it was so much fun. Talk about high sp ir its and h ap pi ness. Th e n we al l went back to th e mote l an d we stayed up a ll nigh t long. Our charter fl ight was going to leave ear ly the next morning. Eve r yo ne ran fr om room to room and visited. No one wanted to go to sleep, so we never changed clo t hes , we were jus t happy , h appy people.

A bus came and got us at 5:30 o r 6 and took us to the airport We boarded the p lane, came straight back to El Paso , and our p il ot sa id, "Well fo lks, t h e re's a rea ll y big crowd clown there at the a irport." We h ad little TV monitors by our sea ts , and

we could see the crowd ri gh t there. [The pilot] said, "I'm just go ing to let th e m see ou r p lane," so he circled the whole town and came back and lancl ecl. There mu st have been about 10 ,000 peo pl e ther e It was awesome.

2006 : Glory Road. the mouie

The people who portra ye d us [in th e 2006 movie Glory Road] were darling peopl e. Don and Josh Lucas became real close friend s. I h ad a chance to know Em il y Deschane l, who p layed me. I always felt so flatter ed that the y' d pick so mebod y lik e her. We went down to New Orleans where the y were doing some film ing on the movi e, and I becam e acq u ain ted w it h h er cl ow n t here. For the last six years, Emily has been s tarr ing in th e TV ser ies Bones.

I think ma ybe the y had to overclramatize some of the b lack issue s [in the movi e] t hat we never thoug h t any t h in g abou t , to tell you the truth. We had some really great guys [on the team], and the y all played at cliffe relll t imes. Don wanted to pla y hi s best p layers; he wanted to win And nobody thought any thi ng about it. I' m sure he p layed a ll t he black players at one time here in El Pa so - I can't even remember. As a matter of fact , when we got back from th e tournament and the w in, somebody ca ll ed, and h e had a real so uth ern accent. He sa id , "Me and my buddies have this bet that yo u all p layed just black pla ye rs when yo u beat Kentuck y. Diel you 1 " And 1 sa id , "I don 't remember " I know he thought I was crazy, but it didn 't matter to me. I co ul d not even remembe r th at we had played just black kids in that final game. It was a wonderfu l tim e to come her e. l neve r, ever regretted it. We love El Pa so; we've never wanted to leave here.

Mary Haskins grew up in Oklahoma. After hi gh school, she went to Ohlahoma A&M , now 011/ahoma State University, where she looli a business co urse. She married Don Hasliins in 1951. They had four sons, one of whom has died , and three g randsons. She worked as a tra vel agent at Sun Travel for 30 yea rs and reti ree/ in 2007 Don Haskins died in 2008. Mary Ha sliins still resides in El Paso.

From left: Brent, Don, Steve, David, Mary and Mark Haskins are pictured in 1966, shortly afte ~ the ifexas Western men's basketball team won the national championsnip game

2014 CO(YHYllSSIDN CALLS ON commUNITY to be Part of Legacy

As The University of Texas at El Paso approaches its 100th birthday in 2014 , it will schedule commemorative activities , and organizers want as many members of the Miner Nation to be involved as possible.

But there is more to this ce lebration than fun and games, said Richard J. Daniel, Ph.D., associate vice president for university advancement and specia l projects.

"This celebration should not sole l y be based on a number of events or activities," said Daniel , vice chair of the UTEP 2014 Commission and liai son to President Diana Natalicio. "There also wi ll be some level o f ground in g in the sense that there will be some type of legacy this Centennia l will leave behind."

The commission , a group of 100 commun it y and campus leaders led by Honorary Chair and UT System Board of Regents Vice Chair Paul L. Foster,

StoriesbyStephanieSanchez

is planning the celebrat ion s. Edward Escudero and Laura Tate Goldman are co-chairs.

The comm i ssion is focused on leaving a la sting impression on everyone in the border region, Escudero said.

"It's important for us to identify ways to leave a lasting impact through the Centennial Celebration," h e said. "We're putting in place campus projects that s tud ents, alumni, faculty, staff and th e El Paso community can enjoy and appreciate lon g after the celebration is over. "

The celebration kicked off wi th the awarding of the University 's 100,000th degree during Spring Commencement 2011. In the fall , the new Universi ty Mace was unv eiled, and President Natalicio began ho sting intimate round table discussions called Centennial Conversations wit h stude nt s, faculty and staff abo ut the University 's Centennial. Festivities w ill continue at th e end of the spr ing 2012 semester when the Un ivers it y participates in Opportunity Nation, a national grassroots e ffort to promote the importance of a college educat ion and tie that to social and economic opportunities.

During that event, th e University will s ho wcase camp u s programs and generate exci tement about it s Centennial.

Th

e ce lebrati on ki cked off wi th the awarding of the Uni vers ityJs 1OOJ000th degree du ring Sp ri ng Comm ence ment 2 011.

centennial campaign

QUICKLY APPROACHES GOAL

Just one yea r after the public launch of At the Forefront: The Centennial Campaign for UTEP, the University has fulfilled nearly 70 percent of the campaign's $200 million goal.

The campaig n - t h e mo st ambitious and comprehensive fundraising effort in UTEP's history- surpassed the $137 million mark in October. When it was publicly launched during the University 's annual Fall Convoca tion on Sept. 14, 2010 , it had already raised $100 million.

Funds raised will build th e University's e ndo wmen t , ad vance camp u s infr as tru ct ur e, provide finan cia l

support for students, and encourage the recruitment a nd retention of hi ghl y competitive faculty who enhance research and academics.

"We laun c h ed the [qu iet phase of the] UTEP Centen nial Campaign in 2007 and set a goal of $200 million, " President Diana Na ta licio sa id during a press conference in October. "Based on the generous response to date from UTEP alumni and friends, we believe our original goa l w ill prove to b e far too modest. "

Sylv ia Acosta, Ph D , UTEP's associate vice president for development and

alumni re lations, said the Un ivers it y is benefitting from the generous contrib ution s of its many friends and private sector partners, as we ll as from a tremendous response to the cam pai gn by alumni , who recognize the importance of giving back to their alma mater.

"We're ahead of schedule because our alumni and fri ends believe ," Acosta said. "They believe in UTEP, they believe in our students, t h ey believe in the importan ce of higher educat ion , and they know firsthand how an ed u cation can transform lives , commu nit ies a nd fami li es." ~

Mex ica n Pr es id ent Felip e Ca ld eron selected UTEP

Pres id ent Dian a Nata li c io to receive th e O rd en Mex ican a de! Aguila Azteca (Mex ica n Or d er of the Aztec Eagle) at a cere mony in Dece mber at th e Mex ica n Cultural ln stitut e in Washington, D.C.

The Orden Mex icana d el Agu ila Azteca . is th e highest decoration awarded by th e Mexican govern ment to foreign nati on a ls whose work has benefited Mexico and Mexicans.

"1 am deeply hono red to receive thi s recognition from Pr eside nt Ca ld eron for our co ntribution s to provide ac cess and exce ll ence to th ousa nd s of tal ent ed Mexica n and Mexican-American stud ent s at UTEP," Pr es ident Na tali cio sa id. 'Tm espec ia ll y pl ease d to receive thi s award from di sting ui shed Ambassador of Mexico to th e United States Arturo Sa rukhan . UTEP highl y va lu es our longstand in g co ll aborat ions wi th sis ter uni ve rs iti es a nd resea rc h ce nt ers across Mexico, and we ar e ve ry proud of our man y Mexican a nd Mexican-American alumni and students. "

Sa rukhan pr es ent ed Pres ide nt Nata li c io with the medal. In a lett er announ c in g th e

award, he pr aised her fo r he r com mitment to provide access to out s tand in g hi ghe r edu cat ion to yo un g, tal en ted Mexicans who co mmut e to Th e University of Texas at El Pa so eve r y da y from Ju a rez, Mexico, a nd for he r visionary poli cy o f fa cili tating th e enro ll ment of a large majo rit y o f Mex ica nAmer ican students

"Th e Mexican Gove rnm ent fully recog niz es the pro moti on of bilin guali s m but moreover , of the concep t o f ' bi nationalism ' that yo u have ac ti ve ly ca rri ed ou t throu ghout yo ur long an d distinguished academ ic career ," Sa rukh an wro te. "Und er yo ur lea dersh ip, UTEP s ta nd s to d ay as a paradi g m ; as a tru e bi nat ion al, multicultura l a nd diverse uni ve rsit y th at ge nuin ely under s tands th e d ynam ics a nd ce rtainly , the needs o f a third e ntit y kn own as th e MexicoU.S. border "

Th e Orden Mexicana del Ag uila Azteca was estab li s hed in 1933. Previous rec ipi en ts in cl ud e forme r New Mexico

Gov. Bill Rich ard so n , fo rm er U.S. Se n. Edward Kenn edy, former Pr es id ent Dw ight Eisenhower, Microsoft fo und e r Bill Gates, poet Gary So to, and p hil ant h rop ist and found e r of Starkey Lab William F Austin. ~

President Receives Highest Decoration by Mexican

Government

THE ORDEN MEXICANA DEL AGUILA AZTECA

is the highest decoration awarded by the Mexican government to foreign nationals whose work has benefited Mexico and Mexicans.

The UriMnltyof Joas at B Paso's efforts to increase access to an excellent education will be highlighted during the spring 2012 semester, as the University assists in a nationwide campaign to promote opportunity, social mobility and entry to the American Dream.

In a crusade called Opportunity Nation, UTEP will be among 200 educational institutions, businesses, non-profits and military organizations to formulate a plan to create better skills, jobs and communities The effort was launched in November at the Opportu,nity Nation Summit in New York.

OPPORTUNITY NATION SCI-IOLARS

< UT EP st ude nts Gabrie la Terr azas, senior psychology major, and Jacob Bilb o, sen ior multidisc ip linary studies major

"UTEP has been invited to participate in this nationwid e campaign to mak e people , specifically minoriti es, aware of the importance of a college education and how it opens doors and opportunities, ultimately leading to the American Dream ," said Presi dent Dian a Na talicio. "Fo r nearl y a century, our University has been the gateway to helping st ud ents , mainl y low-in co me Hispanic students, ac hieve social and eco nomic success. ln line with Opportunity Nation's goa ls, UTEP has been dedi ca ted to increa sing th e access to academic exce ll ence to all yo un g people " Presid ent Na tali cio; UTEP alumna Dr. Willarda V. Edwards , former pr es ident of th e Nat ional Med ical Association; Pat Mora , po et and author; and Wood y Hunt , chairm an and CEO of Hunt Co mpanies , ln c., we re in vited to join th e Opportunity Nation Leadership Co un cil. They are working wi th hi gh-l eve l perso nalities suc h as New York Ma yor Michael Bloomberg, TlME Mana ging Editor Rick Stenge l and musician/producer Wi\1.1.Am.

UTEP alrea dy ha s s tarte d to pl an its role in th e ca mp aign

The Un iversi t y will play hos t to UTEP Opportunity Days: Access to Opportunities for Success, a two-da y event in ea rly Ma y that will sho wcase th e University's programs , generate excitement for its Cen tenn ia l an ni versary in 2014, an d se rve as a major outreach initiati ve to ex po se stud ent s and tl1.eir families to the opportunities ge nera ted by a co lle ge educa ti on.

Th e first day w ill co nsis t of a co nference that will bring nati ona l ex perts to El Paso to discuss "O pp ortunit y" as a co re Ameri can va lue. Loca l audiences will he lp d e fin e chall enges and pot enti al so lution s. Da y t wo will include a major outreac h initiative to expose middle school student s from the Paso de! No n e reg ion to th e o pp ortu niti es genera ted by a co ll ege ed uca ti on with participation by UTEP faculty and st ud ent s in research, art isti c a nd athl etic demonstrations. Th e t wo-day eve nt wi ll conclude wi th an even in g s how presented by UTEP pe rforming groups and special guest a rti sts.

"UTEP sees itself in this Opportuni t y Nation campaign as a mod el institution that can go out and demonstrate to the country and world that we are doing so me great

things here to educate our students, so they can have th e socia l mobilit y and eco nomic opport uniti es our education provides ," said Richard J. Daniel, Ph D , associate vice president for university advancement and s pecial proje cts. "We see that it is our respons ibilit y as an institution to help provide a brid ge. To take them where they are , bring th em to the institution and bridge them to th e nex t level, whether it 's gra duat e school, profess ional school or th eir first professional po s ition. "

University s tudent s across th e co untr y will play an imp ort ant part in Opportunity Na ti on as Opportunity Nat ion Sc holars Among them are three UTEP stud ent sAna Martinez, Jes us Smith and Kri st in e Velasquez.

Ana Martin ez , a se nior stud yin g political sc ien ce and English/American Lit erat ur e in the Co ll ege of Liberal Arts, h as represented the Uni ve rsi t y at va rious activities and eve nts as a Min e r Ambassador.

Sh e said she is happ y to h elp UTEP with this ca mpai gn

"I really beli eve in th e campaign to bring bac k eco nomic mobilit y to th e stud ent s and bring that vo ice back to us. We will let o ur co mmunit y - not o nl y our lo ca l community but communities throu ghout the n ation - know that th ere are some problems go in g on wi th regard to educa ti on ," s he sa id. "Th ere a lso are ve ry visi bl e so luti ons. It ju st takes a gro up to co me to get her and form that initi ati ve in order to hear that vo ic e out and brin g so luti ons to fruition. "

J es u s Smith , a g rad uat e stud ent stud ying socio logy in th e Co ll ege of Lib era l Arts , helped es tab li s h th e Rain bow Miner

Initiati ve, a pro g ra m formed within UTEP's Stud ent Deve lopm ent Ce nt er that is dedicated to lesb ian, gay, bisexua l and transgendered s tudent s , facult y and staff on campus , as we ll as "heterosexua l a lli es. "

Smith ha s a passio n for soc ia l eq ua lit y for all a nd sa id Oppo rtunit y Na ti o n is in lin e w ith hi s int eres ts .

"Oppo rtunit y Na tion is dedicated to overcom in g som e forms of soc ia l inequality through economic em pow erment ," he said. "By cra ftin g forms of eco nomi c opportunity, it can all ow for eco nom ic equality, which is great."

Kristine Velasquez, a De ce mb er 2011 graduate who earned bachelor 's d eg rees in

chemistry and biolo gy, provides financia l lit eracy mentoring to fellow UTEP students . She is part of Money Matters, a program designed to help s tud ents mana ge th eir money so th ey can meet their financial and edu ca tional goals.

Toda y, Ve la squ ez is co mmitt ed to giving back to this nation and it s people . Her pa ss ion to succeed comes fram her gra ndmoth er , Ign acia Rodrigu ez , who left Mexico at age 15 as a n orphan a nd with on ly a first-grade education. Rodriguez d ee pl y rooted in h er gra nddau ght e r a love for America because of th e econom ic opportuniti es it pro vid ed her.

"As an American at UTEP, l see th e grea t academic opportunities," s he sa id "l understand other co untrie s don 't have th ese opportunities. I n America, we have an ob li ga tion to reac h out and h elp , n ot only fellow Americans but a lso people of ot her co untries. We are g ive n these opportun iti es. I'm just fortunat e for eve r y thin g America ha s given me and my family."

Through th e ca mp a ign , she wi ll work with hundred s of co ll ege stud en ts throughout th e co untr y to help make the ir comm uniti es aware of th e imp ortance of a college edu ca ti o n , a nd how it leads to improv ed soc ioe co nomic opp o rtuniti es. ~

' ' UTEP sees itself in this Opportunity Nation campaign as a model institution that can go out and demonstrate to the country and world that we are doing some great things here to educate our students, so they can have the social mobility and economic opportunities our education provides."

Richard J. Daniel, Ph.D.

Associate Vice President for University Advancement and Special Projects

2 0 l l

Congratulations, Graduates!

The University of Texas at El Paso celebrated the accomplishments of the Class of 2011 during three Winter Commencement ceremonies on Dec. 10. Nearly 2,000 students walked across the stage at the Don Haskins Center to

receive their diplomas and become fullfledged members of the Miner Nation. Among the candidates were the first class of seven Master of Social Work (MSW) graduates. Launched in the fall of 2010, UTEP's MSW program is the first in the nation that prepares students to address the social and health needs of families and communities in the U.S.-

Mexico border region. Winter Commencement also marked the first time that the University Mace was used at a UTEP graduation ceremony. Created by alumna and metalsmith Beverly Penn , the Mace will be part of the lasting legacy of UTEP's Centennial commemoration in 2014.

Th e Unive rsit y of Texas at El Paso 's n ew H e alth Sciences and Nu rs ing (H SN) Building is a dr a mati c exa mpl e of th e d y n amic trans fo rmati on th at th e UTEP ca mpus is ex p eri encin g, Universit y Pr es id ent Dian a N atali cio sa id durin g th e facilit y' s g rand opening ce lebration on Sept. 29.

She was joined b y Th e Universit y of Tex as Sy st em Chanc ellor Francisco Ci ga rroa , M.D .; U T Syst em Board of Rege nts Vic e Chairman Paul L. Fost er ; UT System Regent Steve n Hicks; form e r U T System Board of Rege nts Chairman Jam e s R. Huffin e s ; c ommunit y and busine ss leaders ; stud ents ; facult y ; and staff for the official opening of one of th e University 's most highl y anticipated building projects .

"This state-of-the-art fac ilit y is a tangibl e s y mbol of UTEP 's commitment to - and leadership in -p r ov iding s tud ents w ith acc e ss to exce ll e nt progr a ms in nursing and h e alth professions education and r e search ," Pre sident Natalicio said

Use your smartphone to scan this code to watch a video about the Health Sciences and Nursing Building

You can also view the video at newsuc

From left: UT System Board of Regents Vice Cha irm an Paul L. Foster; fo rmer UT System Board of Regent s Chairman James R. Huffines ; UTEP Pre sident Di ana Natalicio; and School of Nursing De an Eli as Pro vencioVa sq ue z, Ph D., cut a st r ing of orange nursing gloves to symbo li ze the grand opening of the UTEP Health Sciences and Nursing Building.

In UTEP 's Si mu lati on Center, nur sing st ud ents practi ce on state -of- · the-art programmable mannequins that simu late life-threatening and non- life-thre ateni ng scenarios.

UTEP' s Simulation Center Labs are equipped with video cameras th at are mon itor ed in the center's control room, where facult y can watch and eva lua t e th eir st uden ts.

Clinical Laboratory Science Professor Delfin a Dominguez leads a tour of the 4,5 00 -square-foot Human Immunolog y and Infectious Disease Laboratory, where resear ch is conducted on human infectious diseases, vacc in es ar e developed and blood chemistries are analyzed.

Thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, UTEP's Simulation Center features technologically advanced hospital -equipment such as Hoyer lift s (pictured), IV pumps, feeding tubes and ventilators.

UT System student regent John Davis Rutkauskas holds an infant mannequin, which is used to siITTu late deliveries in UTEP's Simulation Center.

UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa, M D., and Huffine s tour UTEP 's Simu lation Center.

From left, Foster, Natalicio and UT System Regent Steven Hicks wa lk across UTEP's pedestrian bridge, which connects the S-3 parking lot to the HSN Building's outdoor terrace.

Tom and Dayna Curlin stand in the Barbara Price and Jack V. Curlin Plaza, named after Thomas Curlin's parents, who were ardent supporters of UTEP. Loc ated in the heart of the HSN, the plaza provides a serene desert garden environment that accommodates outdoor activities and informal

The Metabolic, Nutrition and Exercise Research (MINER) Laboratory on the fourth floor of the He alth Sciences and Nursing Building provides space for researchers to study body composition, bone density and risks for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.

From left: Cigarroa, Curtis and ProvencioVasquez get a bird'seye view of the new HSN Building from the Univer sity Librar y.

The HSN Building is located on the south end of Wiggins Road on the UTEP campus. The 130,000-squarefoot Bhutanese-style structure includes labor atories, research space, classrooms and a simulation center where students train in "real life" health scenarios. ~

NURSES REUNllE AFTER 50 YEARS

By Laura L. Acosta • Pho!o by Laura Trejo

ifty years after graduating from the Hotel Dieu School of Nursing , five students from the class of 1961 reunited at The Universit y of Texas at El Paso to reminisc e about their school da ys and share their jo y of nursing with UTEP student s

The Hotel Dieu School of Nµrsing was • established in 1898 by the Sisters of Charity. The school was transferred to The University of Te x as System in 1971. Five years later , the UT System placed the School of Nursing under UTEP 's administrative oversight. Today, UTEP 's School of Nursing serves more than 1,600 students.

Patricia Fashing St1:1elpnagel , Willie Flournoy Streeter, Inez Munoz Mahon , Virginia McKibbenJones and Louisa · Martinez Villanueva were five of 22 students who met in Augyst 1958 at the Hotel Dieu -

School of Nursing in downtown El Paso.

One student dropped oui'-ol) tpe fj'rst day of the semester. Tfie class had dyVindled 'to eight studen,ts by the time the y reached graduation three years later: '

"The education requirements were pretty stiff," remembered Mahon , who was the school 's student body president. "The first day one qui(. She said, ' I can't take this ' and we said, 'We haven 't done anything , yet. "'

The women came from different walks of life but shared the same ambi(ion: to help people. · ·

Patricia Fashing Stuelpnagel followed in her mother 's footsteps. Her mother graduated from a nursing program in St. ' , Paul, Minn ., in 1927, similar to Hotel Dieu 's hospital-based nursing diploma program.

Stuelpnagel spent most of her career in Denver , retiring three years ago . In her early

days as a nurse , she used glass syringes , and needles were sterilized in a steam autoclave and reused.

She said each of her peers did something special after graduation Stuelpnagel and Virginia McKibbenJones went to San Antonio together to pursue their bachelor's degrees in nursing. ·

' Jones wanted to become a nurse from the time she was 4 years old. She was raised by her father, a doctor in the U.S. Army, and her stepmother , a nurse. As an Army child, she traveled the world before her family settled in El Paso. She met Inez Munoz Mahon when both attended Loretto Academy.

After graduation , Jones and Mahon enrolled in nursing school together. Jones remembered how she and her classmates had practiced by giving shots to one another and inserting nasogastric tubes through

"You give more love than you receive) but that)s what nursing is all about.))

Luisa Martinez Villanueva '61

their noses.

Before retiring in 2002, Jones traveled the world practicing nursing and teaching. She and her husband , an ophthalmologist, and her three children went on medical missions to countries including the Dominican Republic and China.

When Mahon's credits did not transfer to the University of Californ ia, Los Angeles, Bachelor of Nursing program, she decided to change her career and become a lawyer until Jones' father persuaded her to stay with nursing.

Mahon lived in Colorado and returned to school for her bachelor's degree after her oldest child was in college. She eventually earned her master's and worked as a nurse practitioner in the U.S. , Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

She remembers her days at the Hotel Dieu School of Nursing as an incredible learning experience.

"As a charity hospital, it covered the whole state and we got to see everything," Mahon said. "And the students were medical students, nursing students, dental students , nutrition and psychology. " ·

One of Mahon's most memorable moments occurred when she and her lab partner, Willie Flournoy Streeter, spilled a tuberculosis sample.

"We closed the windows, turned the air conditioner off and every one put masks on ," she said , adding that the room caught on fire . "But we made it through ."

Willie Flournoy Streeter was the first black student enrolled at the H0tel Dieu School of Nursing. She wanted to be an artist but a counselor convinced her to go into nursing instead.

Streeter earned her bachelor 's degree from California State Universi ty, Los Angeles and went to work for a veteran's hospital in Los Angeles. She worked as a public health nurse for 30 years.

Before retiring in 2007, Streeter worked as the public health liaison at Los Angeles County - USC Medical Center and as part of a public health surveillance unit that cares for females with syphilis in Los Angeles.

Mahon remembered the discrimination her friend was subjected to while they were nur sing students.

"It was really sad. We ' d go Downtown to

eat and some places would just not serve us, " she said. "Willie was cool about it , but I wouldn 't be cool about it. "

Out of the five classmates , Louisa Martinez Villanueva was the only one who stayed in El Paso after graduation Villanueva had 10 siblings. Her father encouraged her seven brothers to attend school but he wanted hi s daughters to become domestic workers

Instead , Villanueva got married, but her husband died when she was 28 years old , leaving her with two children to raise on her own

She enrolled at the Hotel Dieu School of Nursing nine months after her husband 's death.

She worked as a nurse for 34 ye ars until a stroke in 2010 forced her to quit.

Villanueva 's career was an adventure. For 14 years , she cared for undocumented immigrants at a detainment center in El Paso.

Earl y one morning in September 1970, one of Villanueva 's neighbors knocked on her door asking for help to deliver a friend 's baby. Word spread quickly, and soo!l Villanueva was working days and delivering babies at night - something she conti nued for the next 20 years.

She said working as a nurse was a great experience

"You give more love than you receive, but that 's what nursing is all about ," she said.

Lindsey Valderrama, a UTEP prenursing student , was inspired after listening to the five nurses share their life stories.

Valderrama worked as a scrub tech in the U.S. Army for eight years. Her goa l is to go on humanitarian missions after she receives her nursing degree .

"It was incredible to hear their journey throughout nursing ," she said. "I really enjoyed hearing about their missions to different countries and how they used their nursing skills throughout the world ," she said

The reunion was an opportunity for old friends to catch up.

"These people have been so close to me ," Jon es said. "I grew up in the Army so I never stuck with anybody. These are my closest friends. " '1

Pictured on page 44, from left: Class of 1961 Hotel Dieu School of Nursing graduates Patricia Fashing Stuelpnagel, Willie Flournoy Streeter, Louisa Martinez Villanueva, Virginia McKibben Jones and Inez Mufioz Mahon.

LAW PROGRAM

When we send these students out all over the country) we)re sending out the face ef El Paso .

Lisa S o t o V is itin g A ssoc i at e Prof esso r 46 ute p ma g azin e ute p. ed u

Th e jo urn ey to law sc hoo l was n ot easy for UTEP a lumnu s Feli x Va le n z uela, bu t he is grateful for th e help he rece ive d fro m Th e Un ive rsit y of Tex as al El Paso's Law Sc hool Pr e para ti o n Ins t itut e (LSPI).

Va le n z ue la, wh o ea rn ed hi s law d eg ree fro m Ya le, sa id th e institut e helped him und e rs tand th e lega l p ro fess ion , p repare for t he Law Sc hoo l

Adm iss ion Test and ap pl y to co ll eges

He is a mo ng th e mo re t h an 30 0 UTE P s t ud ent s LO ge t int o law sc h oo l w ith th e hel p o f t he Uni ve rs it y's LSPI pro g ra m Th e 200 3 UTE P g ra du ate pra ise d W illi a m G. Weave r, Ph .D., and Rob ert

Webk in g, Ph D, fo r s ta rt ing t he prog ra m in 1998. It in cludes h ig h sc hool a nd co llege co mp onent s th at build on each o th er and opp ortuni ties for cl erk s hi ps dur ing law sc hoo l. The co ll ege LSPI has t wo p h ases, wh ich a re he ld durin g t he s umm e r. In eac h phase, s LUd ent s a re expec ted to au e nd classes fro m 8:3 0 a. m . LO aro un d 5 p.m . fi ve d ays a week.

Stu de nt s lea rn about lega l th ough t , resea rch a n d wri tin g. Th ey d eve lop an alyt ica l a nd c ri t ica l read ing s kil ls; a re ex p ose d to law s LUd en ts, fa cu lt y a nd lega l pro fess iona ls in th e El Paso co mmun it y; pr e pa re fo r t he LSA T;

OF THE LSPI STUDENTS ACCEPTED TO LAW SCHOOL SINCE THE PROGRAM

' I WERE MEXICAN' AMERICAN 7 : I - WERE WHITE

come up with s tr ategies to beco me attra cti ve to law sc hool s; a nd ge t assistance selecting a nd app lyin g to law sc hoo l. There also is th e law school boot camp, which LSPI s tud ent s ta ke th e s umm e r befor e th e first yea r of law sc hoo l.

"(Organizers) have it so we ll mapped ou t ," said Va lenzue la , who works as a legal clerk fo r U.S. Distric t jud ge Philip R. Mart in ez in El Paso. "Stu d ent s don 't really notice until a few yea rs afte r ward that LSP I d oes n't j ust prepare yo u to take the test, it doesn 't ju s t prepare you for yo ur first yea r of law schoo l, but it ac tu all y prepares you for life as a lawyer. "

Amanda K. Escobar, who graduated from UTEP in 2011 with bachelor 's degrees in political science and history and who completed both phases of LSP l, sa id the program tested her desire to be a lawye r. It gave her a taste of how dif ficu lt law schoo l cou ld be , but also the co nfid ence to k now s he cou ld s ucceed.

"It 's really intense ," she sa id "I think the program is grea t because it gives yo u an opportuni t y to really exper ience if law sc hoo l is really what you want to do. "

Escobar said she rece ived her LSA T scores in October and pl a ns to apply to at leas t 15 sc hool s with th e help of Weave r and hi s tea m 'T m pretty sure if I didn 't go throu gh th e program, I wouldn't be go ing to la w sc hoo l," sh e sa id "I think that 's true for a lot of students who go throu gh th e pro gra m It 's not because they 're not sma rt enou gh or th ey we ren't go in g to ge t good enoug h sco res (o n the LSAT), but because th e classes a re so diffe rent a nd th ey pr epare you to succee d. "

Weave r, who continues to oversee the program , and Webking came up wi th the program 's concept af ter a student who h ad a good grade poi nt average was not accep ted to law school. LSAT scores and the student 's approac h to law sc hool app li cat ions were to blame, Weaver said.

Sin ce the program starte d , it has helped increase the numb er o f Mexican -Am erican lawyers.

Of the LSPI students accepted to law school since the · program began, 8 1 percent we re Mex ican-American , 15 percent whit e and 3 perce nt we re black. Thirt y-t hree percent of all LSPI students have enroll ed at To p 15-ra nk ed law schoo ls.

However , mu ch more nee d s to be done to ge t more Latino students into the lega l field.

In Tex as , Hi s pani cs mak e up arou nd 8 perce nt of th e bar, but are 37 perc ent of th e popu lat ion. In El Pa so, th ey mak e up 38 perce nt of the bar but 82 perce nt o f the population, acco rdin g to an LSPI information packet.

"The repr ese nt ati on of Mexican-Americans in law sc hoo l is absolutely abysmal, " sa id Weaver , who a lso has a law degree. "We 're a state that no w will be approaching 40 percent Latin o/ Latina in ve ry short order, but they are hi ghl y und err epresen ted in la w. From a hi sto rical perspective, if you don 't have representation in law then no one is looking out for you. "

Lisa Soto, a lawyer , visit in g associate professor at UTEP and LSPI outrea ch coo rd inator, sa id LSP l stud ents who go on to law sc hool offer a unique perspective in the cl assroom because o f their

' WERE BLACK

experience

li vin g o n th e bo rd er.

"Law is powe r," she sa id "When we se nd th ese s tud ents out a ll over th e co untr y, we're se ndin g out th e face of El Pa so. To me, it 's important Lo build th e sk ill a nd maximi ze their growt h before we send them off. We wa nt th em to experie nce success; we want them to do well. The t im e we have to wo rk w ith them , we really do put our hearts into it. " ~

Felix Valenzuela and Amanda Escobar are graduates of the LSPI program Valenzuela earned a law degree from Yale University and works as a legal clerk for U S District Judge Phi lip R. Martinez in El Paso Escobar graduated from UTEP in 2011 and plans to apply to at least 15 law schools.

100 FACES & PLACES ·i Emplqyee Support Needed far Successful Giving Campaign

By Rebecca

here are a hundred differe nt rea so ns

twhy UTEP 's faculty and s taff choo se to g ive back to UTEP. The most commo n response is, "I want LO help students fulfill th eir dreams. " Whether it is vo lunte e rin g th ei r Lim e as mentors Lo s tud ent s, se r vi ng as advisers for student organizatio n s, working in offices, o r teaching in classrooms and labs, UTEP empl oyees s hap e ca mpus life.

It is th erefo re esse ntia l that the UTEP Fam il y Ca mpai gn ta ke a centra l place i n th e University 's maJor fundrai sin g effort, At the Forefront: Th e Ce nt ennial Campaig n for UTEP. The Family Campaign is expand in g its effo rt s fro m one yea r LO two, beg innin g in Januar y 2012 a nd ending in Septe mb er 2014 , just in time LO ce lebrat e UTEP 's 100th

birthday.

Th e Annual Giving Office, which is spearheading the facu lt y and s taff effort , believes that expa ndin g th e w ind ow of g ivin g will provide mor e oppo rtunit y fo r emplo yees to consider how mu ch to give , a nd encour age tho se who already are giving to increase the amount of their gift.

"Our faculty and staff a re the backbone o f this institution," sa id Sa mantha Dena , director of annual giv in g and donor relations. "Th ey provide supp ort and mak e a major impa ct on the future ofUTEP and our st udents. Through th e ir parti cip ation in the Family Campaign, the y are reaffi rmin g their co mmitm ent LO th e success of our stud ent s."

Dena cited the leade rship o f th e Depar tm ent of Geological Sciences , whe re

100 percent o f the facu lt y has co mmitt ed LO th e UTE P Famil y Campaign. Ann y Morrobel-Sosa, Ph.D. , d ea n of th e Co ll ege of Sc ience , sa id she expected nothin g less from one of th e Uni ve rsit y's founding departments.

"To thos e whom much is give n , mu ch is ex pected," she sai d quoting former U.S. Pr eside nt J ohn F. Kenn edy.

As part of th e Famil y Campaign, emplo yees w ill receiv e a digita l news lett er hi ghlightin g the wo rk of UTEP empl oyees who are lifetim e donors (those who have co mmitted to give to UTEP as long as th ey are em pl oye d ). The "100 Fa ces and Pl aces" newsletter also will introduce emp loyees LO littl e kno w n or uniqu e location s around ca mpu s.

Emplo yee tax -d edu ctibl e g ift s wi ll be accepted b y chec k or through pa yro ll d edu ction , and ca n be ea rmark ed for a particular department or pro gra m , or ca n be directed to a brand ne w e ffo rtUTE P's campus transformation project.

The initiative w ill encourage more wa lkin g on campus and includes plans for wider sid ewa lk s and more benches, tab les a nd sh ade trees.

Downey a nd Dan ie l Perez • Ph o t o by La ur a Tr ejo

UTEP Plans to Open MILITARY SERVICE CENTER

Th e Unive rsit y of Texas at El Paso plan s to open in s pring 2012 a n ew "one-stop shop " in th e U TEP librar y w h e re m e mb e r s of th e milit ary - active duty , vete ran s and famil y m ember s - ca n find inform a tion to ease access and streamline th eir academic journey through high e r ed ucation.

Craig Westman, Ph.D., associate vice president for student so lution s and o ut co m es int egra ti on , sa id the n ew Military Se r v ice Center w ill provide answers to qu es tion s about registration, admissions, militar y benefits, financial aid , counse ling , acad em ic advisi n g and disabled s tudent services.

Th e sy n e rg is ti c co ll aborat io n is th e initial phase of a multipron ge d effort b y th e University to res pond to the growing academic n ee d s of so ldiers , veterans and their families. It w ill b e don e in co njun ctio n wi th U TEP 's Divisio n of Student A ffa ir s a nd Office for Undergraduate Studies.

Westman, the proj ec t's point p e rson , sa id th at th e U nive rsit y's Military Services Office w ill r elo ca te to the Uni ve rsit y

Librar y from the Academic Se r v ices Buildin g and probabl y incr ease its staff , w hi c h includ es four full-tim e e mplo yees and five work-s tud y s tud e nt s, severa l of w hom a re milit a r y ve tera n s.

"Th ese s tud e nts do a grea t job ," he said. "Th ey know about military benefit s, speak th e (militar y) lan g ua ge , and know import a nt co nt ext ual iss u es. "

Th e ce nt er w ill occupy a b o ut 3, 000 square fee t in th e north wing of the librar y's second floor that had been a temporar y home for an en g ineering space resear ch program. It s busin ess hours prob a bl y w ill s tart as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m week da ys, but Westman said a dditional hours w ill b e added as n ee d ed . Futur e e fforts will include addit ional online c urri c ulum and supplementa l resources at UTEP 's Fort Blis s office, w hi c h h as b ee n in operation for t wo years.

"We ha ve developed an ex p e rtis e in (Ve teran 's Administrat ion) education benefit s and app lication pro cesse s a nd ha ve b ee n inter es te d in ad ditional outreach op p ortu niti es ," sa id Holl y

Denne y, dir ec tor of UTE P 's Militar y Services Office, w ho added th at the University wa nt ed to pro vid e a co mpl ete hi gher e du ca tion picture to military families.

The one-stop s hop w h e re military, ve terans and th eir famili es ca n ge t th e right answers in a tim ely m a nn e r w ill be h elpful t o na v iga te the co ll ege ex p er ien ce , sa id H ector At ilan o , an Army vete ran , so phomore business major , and wo rkstudy student in D e nn ey 's office.

The plan co m es on th e h ee ls of the University b e in g nam ed a "MilitaryFriendly Sc h oo l " for th e secon d year in a row in th e Oc tober 2011 iss u e of G.l. J obs , a monthl y m agaz in e th at ca ters to military p ersonn e l in tran sition.

The University merit s th e d es ig nation , sa id Arm y Co l. Jo se ph A. Si m on elli Jr. , Fort Bli ss garr iso n commander.

"Th ey 've cont inu e d to r efi n e their ca pabilit y to pro v ide th e best se r v ice and higher educational experience to our militar y co mmunit y, " h e sa id.

By Da ni e l Pe r ez

Ph ot o by J R Hernandez

or th e third co n sec uti ve ye ar , jun io r nur sing m aj or Ris pe r Kam aiyo fini shed at th e to p o f her ga me.

"I re memb e r loo kin g into her eyes ju s t befo re t he race was ove r ," said Min er cross co untr y head coa ch Pau l Er eng, s pea kin g about th e NCA A Cro ss Co untr y Ch amp ionship s in Nove mb e r. "Th e re is somet hin g th at hap pen s wh en a runn e r reac hes th e ir e moti onal , ment a l and p hys ica l thr es hold Lik e wres tl ers in a wres tlin g ma tch , so meo n e is bound to fa llRispe r has neve r fa ll en ."

In jus t thr ee yea rs, Kim a iyo, a sta nd- out athl ete o ri gin a ll y from Ken ya , h as kept th e legacy of Min er cro ss countr y ali ve and intac t. In additi on , she has mana ge d to kee p a so lid gra d e point ave rage, s pendin g 30 hour s a wee k in cl ass and maint a inin g a grue lin g t ra inin g sc hedul e th at in vo lves 20 hou rs of p rac ti ce pe r wee k.

That's 50 hou rs o f sc h oo l, lab wo rk a nd her s po rt Thi s d oes n't includ e th e tedi o us a nd so met im es ment a ll y drainin g reg im en of trave l a nd st ud y tim e. In fac t , s he est im ates th at s he wo rk s cl ose to 6 0 o r 70

hour s a wee k.

How do es she d o it 7 Eas il y, she says. W ith a so ft vo ice and a s mil e to wa rm t he hea rt s o f he r pi ckaxe -w ieldin g fa ns, t hi s fi ght er h as neve r anti cip ated "hittin g th e ca nvas "

Sin ce sh e wa s in si xth g rad e, s he h as be en takin g it on e d ay at a tim e, on e mil e mark er at a tim e .

With a 3 67 GPA , thi s thr ee -tim e AllAmeri ca n beca me th e fir st wo man in prog ram and co nfe rence hi s tor y in 2010 to cla im bac k-t o -b ac k Mo unt ai n Regio n titl es. Th e 2010 C-USA Athl ete of th e Year and NCAA Mo unt ain Reg ion Athl ete o f th e Yea r cl oc ked th e 25th-b es t tim e o f 20:12. 7 at th e NCAA Champi on s hip s, g ivin g h er thr ee Top 25 fini shes at th e nati o na l mee t.

In many cases, Kimai yo ta kes to her s tudi es the sam e way she ta kes to th e field . Lik e many long di stance runn er s, she find s uniqu e ways to pri oriti ze her d is tan ces and d iv id e th em into sm all and qui ckl y re ach ed goa ls. Sh e d oes th e sa me t hin g in th e cl ass ro om

"Sh e's ve r y good abo ut as kin g for ass ignm ent s , resc hedulin g exa ms and kee pin g up with he r s tudi es," sa id J ose

Bl anco , Ph .D., profess or of clini ca l nur sin g.

Bl an co has watc hed a dili ge nt Kim a iyo grow. Like th e long strid es s he ta kes on th e fi eld , she ad ap ts herse lf in th e cl assroo m

"Sh e is a ve r y we ll di sciplin ed and hard work e r," Bl a nco sa id. "With h er ta lent , s he co uld go a nywh ere and do an ythin g."

Ereng says a cro ss countr y runn er may or may n ot be "built" for th e sport However , he attri b ut es Ki maiyo's success to he r ab il ity to ad ap t to t he chall enges she faces and th e d edi ca ti on s he s hows in ord er to co nqu e r th ese ch all enges.

"At UTEP, we t ra in all of our runn ers to co mp ete at th e hi ghes t leve l of th e s po rt , but we s till and always in sis t th at th ey are stud ent s fir s t ," Er engsaid. "Ri sp er und ers tand s thi s, and she handl es h er se lf with mu ch g ra ce ."

As for Kim aiyo, it 's as thou gh grace is all sh e k n ows.

"I neve r rea ll y feel pr ess ur ed b y an yt hin g ," s he sa id with a so ft smi le. "I ju st tell myse lf , ' OK , t hi s is what n ee ds to be do ne. Let's do it. "' ~

MINER MANIA

Photos by J.R. Hernandez

With spring sports under way, these Miner women are athletically and academically poised to make the Miner Nation proud.

Gabriela Vazquez Gonzalez

Sport: Tennis

Class: Sophomore

Major: Biology

Hometown: Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

The Miners are expecting great things from women's tennis player Gabriela Vazquez Gonzalez, who came to UTEP as a freshman in 2010 after being the top-rated junior player in Puerto Rico in singles in every age bracket. In her freshman year, she competed in the top flight of each of the four fall tournaments, often squaring off against juniors or seniors In addition, she earned a C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal as a freshman for a GP.A. of 3.75 or greater and was named to the Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Kayla Banica Thornton

Sport: Basketball

Class: Sophomore

Major: Criminal Law

Hometown: El Paso

Kayla Banica Thornton graduated from Irvin High School in El Paso as the schoo l's record holder for points (1,953) and was named the 1-4A Female Athlete of the Year by the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame As a freshman at UTEP in 2010-11, she ranked second on the team in double-doubles (3), free-throws made (61) and attempted (90), offensive rebounds (68) and rebounds per game (5.8).

Shang-Fan Huang

Sport: Golf Class: Senior

Major: Marketing

Hometown: Sugar Land, Texas

A four-time member of the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll, Shang-Fan Huang excels on the golf course and in the classroom As a junior at UTEP, she was ranked second on the team in stroke average (76.4) and was the Miners' top finisher a team-leading five times in 11 competitions. She was named to the All-Conference USA Second team in 2009-10 and 2010-11, and as a sophomore, she tied for second place at the Conference USA Championships with a score of 212.

Andrea Vautrin

Sport: Rifle

Class: Sophomore

Major: Nursing

Hometown: Cusseta, Ga.

Andrea Vautrin set a new National Army JROTC record in 2009 while attending Chattahoochee County High School in Georgia and was ranked first in the nation. During the 2010-11 season - her freshman year at UTEP - she recorded an average of 577.9 in air rifle, which was third best on the team, and shot a 580 or higher in five matches

With A New Game

By Joe Velarde • Photos by J R Hernandez

Senior Guard Kim Smith dribbles past a New Mexico State University player Nov. 29 The UTEP win was part of an 11-game winning streak for the Miners.

The UTEP women's basketball team brought fresh faces and a new attitude to its 2011-12 season.

"We put in the work during the off-season and made the adjustments we needed to make, " said head coach Keitha Adams, the winningest coach in program history, who is in her 11th year at the helm.

Starting off undefeated in their first 11 games of the season, it 's clear that all the hard work paid off.

The Miners were heavily plagued by inJury during the 2010-11 season, though still managed to topple Southern Methodist University in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament before being ousted by the University of Houston during the second round.

In the 2011-12 season, second-year transfer student Gloria Brown has shined once again as her towering 6-2 figure has proven to be a force down in the paint. Brown averaged a .590 field goal percentage and racked up 32 blocks for UTEP through Dec. 31.

Among the new faces is undeclared freshmanjenzel Nash, who came into the Don Haskins Center heavily recruited, and as a favorite for the Miners.

Nash started the season as the first Parade Magazine All-American recruited in UTEP history, and averaged 37.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game at Worthing High School in her native Houston.

While Nash has dug her heels into the court at the Don Haskins Center, it has been sophomore El Pasoan Kalya Thornton who has really shined, averaging 8.8 points per game at a .539 field goal percentage, just behind team-leader Brown in points with 115 as of Dec. 31.

The name of the game is effort, and Adams is known for pushing her team to the limits. With the chips falling in place, these ladies look to be having a "turn-head " season. §11

"We put in the work during the offseason and made the adjustments we needed to make.))

Keitha Adams Women's Basketball Head Coach

The Miners Start

By Joe Velarde • Photos by Josh Garc ia

With eight freshmen and two sophomores on the roster, UTEP Men's Basketball coach Tim Floyd is laying the foundation for long-term success. Add in the fact that the Miners are also making noise in college basketball recruiting circles by targeting some top high school seniors to add to the mix in another year, and everything is pointing to championship basketball in the years ahead.

Co uld it be that Flo yd 's pl an is to ha ve it all co me togeth er in tim e for th e University 's Ce ntenni a l ce lebrat io n in 20147 It s ur e looks that way.

Now in hi s seco nd yea r as head coach , Flo yd lik es the look of his young , talented team.

"These are yo ung guys , though they 've mad e ma ny impro ve men ts, " Fl oy d sa id "The y' re mu ch more comfortable on the floor now We' re all still lea rnin g as we go."

After spe nding the fir s t part o f the seaso n o n the bench du e to injur y, sen io r cr imin a l justice major Gabe McCulley

ha s lit th e spark ig nitin g thi s yo un g and fr es h squad. Co min g back onto the co urt , McCulley had a st rong showi ng in De ce mb e r's Di a mond Hea d Cla ss ic in Ha waii, helpin g th e Miners take third place. Averaging 11.8 points per game , this senior is sure to leave a mark on this flo uri shing group of ballers.

Draft ed as th e No 24 s ma ll forward in the country, fr es hman g ua rd Julian Washburn ha s had a fiery s tart in orange in blu e, averaging 9.9 po int s per ga me and third on the tea m in points as o f ea rl y J anuary. Expect some noise from this rookie d ow n the road.

"These are young guys) though they)ve made ma1!J improvements. They)re much more corefortable on the floor now. We)re all still learning as we go.))

Tim Floyd M ens Basketball Head Coach

It would be hard to mention Mine r success without noticing another rookie , who in his senior yea r at O'Gorman High School in Sioux Falls , S D. , was the Gatorade and McDona ld 's Player o f the Year. As of early J anua ry, freshman Cedrick Lang led the Miners in field goal percentage at .689, tailing Washburn in points with 11 2.

Suffice it to say, these Miners are charged and read y. Onl y time will tell when Floyd will unleash the pickaxe on the C-USA , and as the numbers look -t he league had better be ready.

MINERS AROUND THE YARD:

A Semester in Sports

By Joe Velarde • Photo by Josh Garcia

It was anot her fall seaso n to remember for the Miner Nation. Picks were up and stretc hed clear across University Field to the Sun Bowl, ce lebrat ing th e tremendous athlet icism of the University's hard-working and dedicated student ath let es.

On the vo ll eyba ll court, the Miners were se rv ing up a slew of outstanding players, like sop homor e business major Xitlali Herrera and sophomore psychology major Jeane Horton, who finished the season wi th All Conference USA first team hono rs. Sen ior psychology major Stepha nie Fi g ueroa excelled both on and off th e court. For the seco nd seaso n in a row, s he was

awa rd ed the C-USA All- Academ ic medal for her Oawless 4.0 G.P.A. Figueroa comp lete d th e season rank ed first in the conference with se r vice aces (.36).

Senio r Shan g-Fan Huang closed out the woma n's golf season heroically Fan shot for 14-over-par at 930 (78-77 -75 ) to tie for 21st pla ce and lead UTEP at the Blue Raiser lnvitational in Tennessee in October. The Miners pick their seaso n up this February in Peoria, Ariz.

UTEP Tenni s finished a triumphant seaso n , finishing with a combined 39-35 in singl es and 18-17 in doub les. Standout s includ ed the doubles pairing of Caro lina

Deluca and Marie LeBlond. The t wo did a doozy on Akron's Angelina Joga suria, closing out the match 8- 1 during th e North Texas Classic in November. Th e ladies return to action Jan. 27.

Senior accounting maJor Ali x Moncada help ed tip the Miners in the win column w ith riOe this seaso n. The Elite 88 and tw o- tim e NRA First Team All-American outshined her com peti ti on during their final showing of th e season in November against Nevada. The Miners sho t for an aggregate 2350, whil e Moncada finished her season post 592, a seaso n high. The Miners r eturn to the range Jan 28.

Miner Soccer has Bright,d future

For just a few short seconds during the final minutes of the Miners ' soccer season, it seemed as though they wou ld strike gold inside the Mike Rose Soccer Complex in Memphis.

Knotted up at one goal apiece, The University of Texas at El Paso players kept their hopes alive aga in st rivals and undefeated Memphis Tigers at the Conference-USA Championships in November. As the clock reached the 100-minute mark, it was Tiger Kaitlyn Atkins who snuck the ball past nearly unbreakable freshman education major Sarah Dilling , making the final score 2-1.

Dilling , who was playing on the cusp of her finest game all season, had amassed a total of 10 saves - just before Christab le O duro 's corner kick to Atkins sealed the Miners ' fate.

'Tm super proud of our team ," UTEP head coach Kevin Cross sa id. "They showed the heart and character that we knew that they had. During conference we had a few tight games and tied a few that we were winning so we put it a ll together and got healthy m the tournament. I told them that I was really proud of them and I couldn't ask any more of them. They had an exce ll ent season."

The setback brought to a close the Miners ' tremendous run at the tournament, in addition to their 2011 campaign. UTEP toppled second-seed Colorado College, 2~1, in th e quarterfinals on Nov. 2 , advanced mto the finals on penalty kicks (0-0; 3-1) over Rice on Nov. 4 , before ultimat ely com in g up just shy versus the homestanding Tigers. The future appears bright for the Orange

"'I'm super proud ef our team . They showed the heart and character that we knew that they had."

Kevin Cross Women's Soccer Head Coach

and Blue, who have piled up 136 victories whi le posting 10 straight winning seasons. Thirteen individuals started 10-plus matche s for UTEP in 2011, with nine either freshm en or sophomores.

Sophomore Lauren Katada w ill return in 2012 having stacked five goals and five assists on 12 shots. Also returning will be physical therapy major Tess Hall , who w ill lead the Miners as a sen ior after gammg an additional six goa ls and five assists in 2011.

A few weeks after UTEP brought the season to a close , freshman science major Azia Nicho lson was awarded a spot on the 2011 Capitol One All-District 7 first team. She was tabbed as a second-team All C-USA performer and was a key cog for the Miners. Sh e tied for fifth on the squad in goa ls (four) and ass ists (three). During league action she was particularly strong, scoring three time s. Nicho lson boasts a 4.0 GPA and is pursuing a degree in biology

Senior Kat ie Dorman

The high and low points of one of t e greatest seasons in UTEP basketball history occurred just days apart in March of 1992.

On March 14, BYU's Kevin Nix.on sank a 54-foot shot from beyond halfcourt , lifting the Cougars to a 73-71 victory over the Miners in the championship game of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in Fort Collins, Colo

A little more than a week later, UTEP

ra ie to stun top-see .........i.w:d.1.1..Iound he "Swe endary two decade remains t me in "The ree NCAA 1 en. le the 1966 nat

team is justifiably the most recognized in school history, the 1991-9 d- which finished 27-7 - may b hes revered On Feb 11, 20th anniversary dur versus Tulane, with m pected to attend adly, three major mp n uad - Haskins, Gym Bice an Howard - have passed away . The

Texas Bar President Comes Home

In a hom eco ming fit for a statesma n , UTE P alumnus Bob Bl ack co nv ened th e first mee tin g of th e board of directors of the Sta te Bar of Te xas on Sept. 16 in th e Hall of Champions at UTEP's Larr y K. Durham Cente r.

Bla ck, who was sworn in as president of the Texas Bar Associat ion in June , ea rn ed his bachelor 's degree in histor y in 1977 from UTEP. In September, he was named a UTEP 2011 Distinguish ed Alumnu s and was honored during Homecoming ce remonies in late October.

"It 's customary for the newl y e lected president to host the first dinn er for me mbers of th e bar in a ci t y of his choosing," Black told the 300 members in att enda nce. "l chose UTEP because this is my home , as it always will be my home. "

Durin g hi s s pe ec h, Black laud ed Bill Weaver, Ph.D. , for hi s work as dir ecto r of UTE P's Law Sc hool Preparation Ins titut e and presented him with a plaque from the bar association that hon ored th e program for its accomplishments. According to in s titut e statis ti cs, more than 60 percent of its students h ave cont inu ed their educa tion at top-tier law schools such as Yale, Har va rd and Stanford.

Sen ior U.S. District jud ge David Briones said he was impressed with Black 's dedication and commitment to UTEP, especially the La w Schoo l Preparation In stitute.

"It helps when you have a person of great authority ass isting in the development of a yo ung person 's ca reer and progress," sa id Briones, who attended the Sept. 16 dinner. " Being from El Paso and being from UTEP, l think Black understands the ma keup of the UTEP s tud e nt body, and his passion for th e University is unwavering." ~

Young Alumni Connect Through New Network

By St e ph an i e Sa nc hez • Ph ot o b y La ur a Trej o

After gra duatin g from Th e Uni ve rsit y of Texas al El Paso, yo ung alumni are not staying away; th ey' re eme rging from all ove r th e border region to s how off their Miner spirit and camarade ri e.

The UTE P Young Alumni Ne twork is givin g rece nt g raduat es an outlet to reconnect to th e University. The group provides aca d emi c , soc ial , athletic , comm unit y se r vice a nd career networking programs. Recent gra du ates ge t th eir firs t experie nce as yo ung a lumni at th e UTEP Grad Fair, where a one-year memb ers hip to th e Alumni Assoc iati o n is includ ed in th ei r Grad Pac k .

"Th e UTEP Alumni Association is in ves ted in th e co ntinu ed deve lopment of a comprehensive Youn g Alumn i Ne twork ," said Ri chard Dani e l, Ph.D. , assoc iate vice pr es id e nt for univ e rsit y adva ncement and executive d irecto r for a lumni re lations.

"lt 's a program ba se d on best practices that ca n help to brid ge outreach , membership deve lopm ent and se rvice de liv er y on behalf of th ese rece nt g raduat es."

Th e Na ti ona l Educational Alumni

Tru st (N EAT ) awa rd ed th e UTEP Alumni Association a g rant in May 2011 for outreach eve nt s and programs tar ge ted to yo un g alumni.

"Th e pl a nnin g gra nt ha s a ll owe d us to s uppl eme nt our e ffo rt s to d eve lo p opp ortuniti es to en gage o ur yo un g alumni, " Daniel said. "We starte d with a yo un g a lumni mi xe r thi s fa ll and expect to offe r oth er opportuniti es in th e near future. It's imp o rt a nt for us to es tab li s h a program gea red to yo un g alumn i as th e gro up represents a significa nt percentage o f o ur alumni base."

When elected to th e UTEP Alumni Associat ion Board in 2011 , Art Glori a, th e board 's v ice president o f public a nd s tud ent relati ons, sa id hi s m a in goal was to create a group for yo un g a lumni Soo n after, the network was laun ched.

"It 's ba sica ll y pan o f th e assoc iati on , and we provide events for yo un g peo ple to network and mingl e," sa id Gloria, a 2008 po li tical sc ience graduate "Eve ntua lly , we' ll hav e a le ctur e series on how to gro w with in yo ur career, how to mee t other peo pl e in the cit y who are yo un g profess iona ls a nd how to beco me engaged with University ac ti viti es." ~

For more informat i on, vis i t www. f acebook.com/utepyo u ngalum ni

ARE MORE THAM 94 ,000 UTEP ALUMMI WORLDWIDE BECOMIMG AM ALUMMI ASSOCIATIOM MEMBER IS SIMPLY THE BEST WAY TO STAY COMMECTED TO UTEP!

Alum Honored for Service to Military Veterans

By Daniel Perez

UTEP alumnus Alfonso Batres, Ph D., earned the 2011 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Career Achievement Medal in September for his efforts during almost 30 years to build a national network of small, community-based centers where veterans traumatized by combat can obtain counseling, job assistance, medical referrals and other services.

Batres, a disabled Vietnam War veteran and clinical psychologist, was appointed in 1994 as the chief officer of Readjustment Counseling Service with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C. Among his accomplishments are the expansion of the number of Vet Centers to 300 from 200 six years ago , and the development and launch of 50 Mobile Vet Centers in the past t wo years.

The El Paso native is the son of Alfonso and Alicia Batres, who promoted their belief in education to their four sons and one daughter He enrolled at UTEP after his Army tour and earned his bachelor 's degree in ps ychology from The University of Texas at El Paso in 1975.

"The basic education and skills I received at UTEP were second to none in rigor and quality. It laid the foundation for the rest of my academic achievements," Batres said He subsequently earned two ma ster ' s degrees and a doctorate in psychology.

The " Sammie " is the highest award bestowed on a civil servant outside the government and the career medal recognizes the signific ant accomplishments of a federal employee throughout a lifetime of achievement in public service. ~

UTEP Alumna Climbs Corporate Ladder

By Chris Lechuga

Some 20 years after completing a bachelor's degree in accounting at The University of Texas at El Paso, Maria Castaii6n Moats earned a seat on the leadership team of Price waterhouseCoopers (P wC), one of the world's largest accounting firms, when she was named chief diversity officer in July 2011. As the first Latina in her new position at PwC, she said her education from UTEP was critical in her development as an accountant and as a professional.

"It was the right thing to stay in El Paso," Castaii6n Moats said "I don't have a job; I have a career, and I happen to love it."

Castaii6n Moats began at UTEP in 1986 and spent her time studying at the ne wly built University Library and playing intramural sports after a full day of classes and working part-time at a local Walmart. After becoming the first in her family to graduate from college, in 1990, she became a certified public accountant and started working for Bank of America before joining PwCfour years later. Her hard work and dedication immediately made a mark at the firm.

"Maria always thinks about the people on her team and how we can make their experience at the firm more positive," said Paul Gendron, North Texas market assurance leader at PwC. "She has a passion for her work at PwC, and she consistently displa ys this passion in everything she does for her clients and her PwC teams. " ~

UTEP Alumnus Helps Realize MLK

Memorial

By Chris Le c huga

On Aug. 28, 1963, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of the most significant public addresses in American history as he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Nearly 50 years after the "I Have a Dream" speec h, a movement to forever commemorate the historic event and honor the man who spearheaded the national civil rights movement came to fruition with help from Robert Wingo, advertising executive and alumnus of The University of Texas at El Paso.

Wingo, as a member of the Martin Luther King Jr National Memorial Project, played an instrumental role in helping create the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial that was dedicated Oct. 16 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

"It was a thrill of a lifetime to be involved in something as momentous as building this memorial for Dr. King," Wingo said. "It's a humbling experience to participate at that level."

The movement was initiated by Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity in the late 1990s to honor its prestigious member. In the early years, the group sought public, corporate and Congressional support for the $120 million project.

Wingo, president and chief executive officer of El Paso-based Sanders / Wingo Adver t ising Agenc y, became involved in 2001 when he helped organize one of the first benefit dinners in El Paso to raise funds and support for the monument in the region. The successful event netted nearly $100,000 toward the project and helped the 1973 UTEP graduate and 2002 Gold Nugget Award recipient to be named to the memorial's Board of Directors in 2004.

For more about th e memorial , vi sit www buildthedream org

Former Miners' Prosthetics Innovation Helps Many

By Daniel Perez

A UTEP alumnus who has revolutionized the prosthesis industry in developing nations through lo w-cost, easy-to-assemble products said his desire to help others is tied to a snide remark.

El Paso native Roger Gonzalez, Ph.D., recalled how, as a youngster, he ridiculed another child with a disability. The comment earned him a stern rebuke from his father.

Gonzalez earned his bachelor's in mechanical engineering from UTEP in 1986 but began to focus on biomedical research as he earned his master's and doctoral degrees from UT Austin. He joined the faculty at LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, in 1996 and decided to see how, with the help of his biomedical and mechanical engineering students, he could assist people with missing legs in developing countries.

His research team created a cost-effective, highly durable and easy-to-make prosthetic knee in 2004 that has benefitted people in Asia, Africa and South America He became the founder and president of LIMBS International, a nonprofit group, in 2011.

Gonzalez visited UTEP in November to discuss his work with faculty and students. He said he developed discipline and multiculturalism at UTEP, which have helped him achieve success as he integrates his work with universities and clinics around the world

"It's an opportunity to build a network where people can work on a project that makes a difference ," he said.

Noe Vargas Hernandez, Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanic al engineering, said Gonzalez's work is a prime example of how engineering can dramatically improve the quality of life. The two have discussed possible future collaborations.

To learn more about Gonzale z' s nonprofit, visit limbsinternational.org

• Thaddeus A Steele John F Cook 1B BA '77). El Paso Ruth Ellen M Jacobson Sr (BA '33) was mayor, was recognized by the El (B S Ed '70) was named to the posthumously inducted into Paso Yucca Council of Boy Scouts CIMA Hospice 2011-12 Woman's the 10th class of the UTEP of America at the Good Scouts Advisory Board in June Athletic Hall of Fame in October Dinner in August for his continued for his athletic accomplishments support of scouting programs in Michael J. Kennedy (BA '76), while attending the Unive rsi t y. the Sou th west. history teac her, head softball Whi le at UTEP. Stee le was named coach and freshman foot ball Best All-Around UTEP Athlete Martha A. Cooper (B.S '79; coach. retired in July from Del during the 1930-31 and 1931-32 M.S. '83) was named to the Valle High School in El Paso after seasons CIMA Hospice 2011-12 Women's 38 years of coaching high school Advisory Board in June sports

• James M Peak {BA '58). Robert E "Bobby " Doyle (BA William D "Danny" McKillip a fundraising executive at ·721, a former Woonsocket High (BA '71; M.S. '74) retired in June Peak Fundraising in El Paso School track and cross country after 41 years of coaching El Paso and fundraising consultant at coach and seven- time Ocean State High School's track and cross El Paso Lighthouse for the Blind, Ma rathon winne r, was honored country team. McKillip led the El was recognized in July by the El and posthumously inducted into Paso High School Tigers to five Paso Downtown Lions Club as the Rhode Island Heritage Ha ll of state championships throughout Outstanding Lion of the Year. Fame in June for his contr ibut ions his career. to Rhode Island sports.

Laurie R Miller {BA '75) was

• Abel Aldaz Jr. (BA '67) James R. "Jim " Forbes (BS Ed named to the CIMA Hospice completed his second term ·791, boys basketball coach at 2011-12 Women's Advisory Board as chair of the Retired Andress High School in E l Paso, in June. and Senior Vo lunteer Program's was inducted into the 10th class (RSVP) board of directors in June. of the UTEP Athletic Hall of Michael F Ouatrini (B.S '75; RSVP provides volunteers to Fame in October for his athletic Ed.D '03). of El Paso. retired from Central Oklahoma organizations accomplishments while attending the San Elizario Independent who fulfill essential community UTEP Forbes· accomplishments School District in July after more services, including cooking and include recording 20 double- than 15 years as the district 's delivering meals doubles in 61 games and superintendent. Quatrini has led averaging 10.74 rebounds in 27 the district longer than any other Bernadette C. Flynn Low (BA games during the 1971-71 season. superintendent from the nine '66; MA '69). a ret ired professor He also was part of the 1972 U S districts in El Paso County of English, was granted the men's Olympic basketball team. rank Professor Emerita by the Roberto "Robert " Rivera Community College of Baltimore Gabriel S Gaytan Sr (BA '79), (B S C E. ' 71). a professional County Board of Trustees in graphic artist. art instructor and engineer for more than 30 years May after more than 37 years of television producer at El Paso retired from El Paso County 's Road service CCBC grants emeritus Community College , introduced his and Bridge Department in July status only to retired / retiring new mural "Twin Serpents" on a Rivera, throughout his career, has college employees who have had concrete freeway support column worked on projects including the distinguished careers, helping in El Paso's Lincoln Park in August. McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater improve the growth. stre ngth and Gaytan has two previous works located in Fra nklin Mountains integrity of the college. Flynn Low on display in the park and also State Park. the El Paso County is a resident of Darling ton. Md. has his work displayed in private courthouse and El Paso County collections and public bui ldings morgue

J Roberto Oaxaca (BA '69; across Texas, New Mexico, M B A '75), attorney, joined injury Nevada and California

Ernst E Roberts (MA ' 75) litigation and trials firm Scherr & of El Paso, was named interim Legate PLLC in El Paso in August. Zelma Jane Barnum Gragg president of El Paso Community (BA ' 76 ; M Ed. ' 98) graduated College in July Miguel "Mickey" Solis IB S with a Ph.D in educationa l '64). a lawyer and former El psychology from Texas A&M Ronald R. "Ron" Rush 1B BA Paso County Commissioner, was University in May '70). president of title insurance posthumously honored in June by and escrow/ closing services the El Paso Bar Association for his William B. "Bill " Hooten (BA company Lawyers Title of El Paso. contributions to the bar. '70). treasurer of Hooten Real was elected vice president for Estate in El Paso, was elected corporate representation of the El an officer of the El Paso Central Paso Central Business Association

• Dwayne M . Aboud (BA Business Association's board of in June. The association is an 70) was named to the directors in June The association El Paso downtown shopping CIMA Hospice 2011-12 is an El Paso downtown shopping and information networking Women's Advisory Board in and information networking organization. benefitting June organization , benefitting business-to-business , businessbusiness-to-business , business- to-government and bu siness -toIrene Chavez {BA ' 79) was to-government and business-to- consumer relations named senior vice president consumer relations and area manager of the Kaiser Armenia D. Smith {B S Ed ' 72; Permanente San Jose Medical James K. Horan {BS Ed ' 78; M Ed '85) was named principal at Center in San Jose, Calif. in July. M.Ed. '88) was appointed principal Eastwood High School in El Paso at Most Holy Trinity Catholic in June. Schoo l in El Paso in July.

Josefina V Tinajero IB S Ed ' 73; M.Ed. '76), dean of UTEP's College of Education, was appointed to the Parents as Teachers board of directors in July. The Parents as Teachers organ izat ion deve lops curricula that support a parent's role in promoting schoo l readiness and healthy development of children

Jose L. "Joe" Vargas {B.S EE. '73). a professional engineer, joined Emerging Solar Technologies as an energy consultant in June. EST, located in Anthony, N.M., installs and maintains state-of-the-art solarbased systems for residential and commercial applications

Donald L. Williams (BA '73). attorney/ mediator and counselor at law at the El Paso-based Law Offices of Donald L Williams, was honored at the State Bar of Texas annua l meeting in San Antonio for his exceptional service to the public and legal profession in June.

• Charlene Alba (B BA '84) was named to the CIMA Hospice 2011-12 Women's Advisory Board in June.

George P. Andritsos (B BA '89) was appointed to the El Paso Bar Association board of directors in June

Anthony P. "Tony " Benitez (B BA '80). a Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow and New York Life Insurance Co agent of El Paso. received the Minority Small Business Champion of the Year Award from the Small Business Administration's El Paso District Office in June The award recognizes indi viduals who have fulfilled a commitment to support minority entrepreneurship

Nora F Ellis (BBA '85) was named to the CIMA Hospice 2011-12 Women's Advisory Board in June.

Victor H Hernandez (B BA '83). a member of the Lubbock City Council, was appointed by the Texas Municipal Retirement System Board of Trustees to the Advisory Committee of Retirement Matters in June

Shahidul H. Joarder (MS ' 88 ), a professional engineer at Dewberry's New York City office. was promoted to department manager of mechanical. electrical and plumbing services in June.

Gloria A Magallanez {B S Ed '83; M Ed '91). of El Paso. was named principal of Ysleta Independent School District's South Loop Elementary School in June.

David A Montoya {B S '86). specia l agent in charge in the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General , Western Area Field Office in Denver. was nominated to the position of inspector general in the Department of Housing and Urban Development by President Barack Obama in July.

Marian E. "Marnie " Rocha {BA '88; M.Ed. '05). of El Paso, was named principal of Alderete Middle School by the Canutillo (Texas] Independent School District in July

Carla A. Sierra {BA '85; M.A. '98) was promoted to administrative director of marketing and communications for Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare in El Paso in August

Sandra J "Sandi" Smith (B.SEd '81) was named to the CIMA Hospice's 2011-12 Women's Advisory Board in June •

Ricardo "Rick" Barraza Jr (B S '98). of El Paso was named head football coach of San Elizar io High School (Texas] in June

Rocio E Benedicto (BA ·91). a mathematics educational specialist and project coordinator at New Mexico State University, was sworn in as a member of the El Paso Independent School District 's Board of Trustees in August. Benedicto is a resident of El Paso

Soma Dutta (B BA '95), of Prescott Valley, Ariz , was inducted into the 10th class of the UTEP Athletic Hall of Fame in October for her athletic accomplishments while attending UTEP. Dutta became only the second female to win a National Collegiate Athletic Association championship in rifle smallbore, as well as being a three-time AllAmerican for the Miners during the 1990, 1991 and 1992 seasons She also held the University 's record score of 1,171 for eight years She competed in the Olympics. represent ing India . in 198l 1988, 1992and 1996

Gary E. Edens (B B.A. ' 90; M PA and Gynecology at Texas Tech

teachers and administ rators

Henry J Mineros (B.S. N '02; Rob Kurz and Pops Mensah'94; Ed.D. '071 was appointed University Health Sciences in professional development

M.B.A. ·111 was appoi nted director Bonsu, who currently play in the interim vice president of student Center's Paul L. Foster Schoo l of including technology and of emergency services at Del Sol NBA. affairs at UTEP in August Medicine in July. curriculum development. Medical Center in El Paso in June. Edens is a recipient of the UTEP Mineros will provide oversight to Stacie K. Townsend (B B.A. Distinguished Achievement Award Marco A. Salcido (B S.N Raul Bencomo Jr. (B B.A '04). the emergency department and '09; M B.A. '111. a former UTEP fo r his service to students. The '98). of El Paso, was appointed an independent financial advisor the ER Fast-Track Services. softball stando ut, played for award is the University's highest administrative director for at LPL Financial Services in El Great Britain in the Wo rld Cup of staff recognition emergency services at Del Sol Paso, was recognized as a top Hugo Olivares (M Acy '09). a softball in July. Townsend is a law Medical Center in June. financial advisor and named to Texas Certified Public Accountant. student at the Un iversity of Iowa Sandra K. Flores (B.A. '99, M.Ed. the LPL Financial Freedom Club in joined Licon Engineering Co. as in Iowa City '06). a mathematics teacher at Javier E Salgado (B.S '94; August. a distinction based upon a senior accountant in August Fabens [Texas] High Sc hoo l, was M.A. '981 was named princ ipal at an annual production ranking of all Oliva res wi ll be man agi ng the Alejandro Vidales Jr. (B.A. '00). named 2012 Secondary Teacher Parkland Midd le School in El Paso registered advisers. accounting depar tment and a Socorro [Texas] municipal judge, of the Year for the E l Paso region in June. coordinating company financial received an award in August from by Region 19 in August Region 19

Marian L. Bennett (M Ed '051 reviews and audits. Workforce Solutions Upper Rio serves school districts in El Paso Ivette Savina (BJS '96, M.Ed. joined the Onate High School Grande for supervising Workforce and Hudspeth counties, aiding '03). of Canutillo, Texas, was faculty in Las Cruces as volleyball

Lourdes G. Pacheco (BS C E Solutions' summer work program. teachers and administrators named principa l of Northwest coach in July Bennett is a 1996 ' 08; M.S. 101 was prom oted t o in professional development Early College High School by the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame graduate engineer in the El Paso including technology and Canutillo Independent School inductee for her role in volleyball operations office of Professional • Kristofer B. Adams curriculum development. District in July coaching and training. Service Industries Inc. in June (B B.A. '101. a former UTEP Professional Service Industries football wide receiver,

Samuel "Sammy " Garza Norma L. Sierra (BS Ed '90; Jerry W. Brem (M.Ed '001 was Inc. is a na tional eng inee ring, signed with the NF L's Chicago (B.S '961. of Irving, Texas, was M.Ed. '021. of E l Paso, was named named principal of Columbus consulting and test ing fi rm. Bears in July inducted into the Rio Grande principal of Ysleta Independent [Texas] High School in June Valley Sports Hall of Fame in June School District's LeBarron Park

Kelly E Parker (B.A. '04). a Sarah A. Burchett (B.A. ·111. for his accomp lishments as an Elementary School in June. Daryl W. Cole (B M S former UTEP assistant soccer of El Paso, joined business data outstanding quarterback for the '091. El Paso Department of coach and former UTEP women's process ing company Datamark Harlingen Cardinals, the UTEP Roberto Strongman (B.A. Transportation director, received soccer player. play ed for Canada Inc. as an intranet document Miners and the Canadian Foot bal l '93; M.A. '951 was promoted to the 2011 Camino Real Excellence in the 2011 Women's Wo rl d Cup in admin istrator in Ju ly. League. associate professor with tenure in Transportation Award in June. She also was the 2004 and at the University of California. August for having demonstrated 2010 Most Valuable Player of the Daniel E. Chavez (B S C S ·11 I Thomas Gamboa Jr. (B S '98; Santa Barbara in June. leadership in advancing W League. the highest women's of El Paso, jo ined business data M.Ed. '051 was named head coach transportation. soccer league. processing company Datamark of boy's baske tba ll at Socorro Aleta "Michelle " Taylor (B B.A. Inc. as a software sup port High School in El Paso in July. '961 was promoted in June to Oniel Cousins (B M S '071. Jaime "Jimmy " Port illo engineer in July. market controller at Las Palmas former UTEP football lineman. (B.A. '02; B.A. '051. of El Paso, Daniel Gomez (BJS. '97). of Del Sol Healthcare in El Paso. joined the NFL's Cleveland Browns completed the sixth and final Carlos M Silva , Jr (B.A. '101 El Paso, was named principal as an offensive tackle in August. installment of his comic book joined the Silver City Sun-News of Ysleta Independen t School Obadele 0. Thompson (B B.A. series Hell Paso. The Story of in New Mexico as a reporter in District's North Star Elementa ry '97). of Austin, was inducted Samuel F. Hogue (Ed D '081. Dallas Stoudenmire in August June. School in June into the 10th class of the UTEP principal of Andress High School The new issue was premiered in Athletic Hall of Fame in October in El Paso. was named Pr incipal of September at All Star Comics in Alexander I. Solot (B MS '11). Kimberly R Hayes (B B.A. ' 98). for his athletic accomplishments the Year for the Texas Assoc iat ion El Paso. a former UTEP football standout of El Paso. joined business data while attending UTEP, which of Secondary School Principa ls in tackle. signed with the NFL's processing company Datamark include winning 200 meter titles Education Service Center Region Gustavo E Gus " Schneider Tampa Bay Buccanee rs in August. Inc. as a comme rcial ma nager in 1996 and 1997 and recording 19 (B.A. '04). a Phoen ix- based in July. the fastest 1OD-meter time in the attorney for business counseling James E. Thomas II (BB.A. world, which stood for 12 years. Raymond J. Karpovage (B.A. firm Bryan Cave. received the '101. a former UTE Pquarterback, Gerallyn M "B.B " Jones Thompson was an Olympic bronze '061 received a Juris Doctor "New Volunteer Attorney of the signed with the Tri-City Fever (B BA '981 was promoted in June medalist in the 100 meters in degree from the University of Year" award in June for donating Indoor Footba ll League team in to tape operations and asset 2000 and holds a standing world Memphis Cecil C Humphreys 130 pro-bona hours to numerous June. management supe rvisor at oil re cord of 5.81 seconds in the School of Law in May 20 11 cases refe rr ed t o him by Vo lunteer and gas company ExxonMobil in 55-meter dash. Lawyers Program. Trevor L. Vittetoe (BB.A. '10). a Houston Quinton N Martinez (BA '091. former UTEP footba ll quarterback,

Sandra T. Tolliver (M Ed '921. of a sports reporter for the San Bernadette R Segura (B.A. signed with the NF L's Chicago Charmaine A Martin (B.S '911 El Paso, was featured in the 2012 Angelo [Texas] Standard-Times. '01). a staff attorney at Texas Rio Bears in July. was named Texas Tech Health edition of Dos Gatos Press' Texas was honored with the Best in Grande Lega l Aid in El Paso, was Sciences Cente r Pa ul L Foster Poe try Ca lendar. Dos Gat os Press Sc ripps quar ter ly awa rd in featu re app oin ted to t he Proj ect BR AVO School of Medicine's Outstanding is an Austin nonprofit corporation writing for the first quarter of board of directors in Ju ne. Project Faculty of the Year in August. that supports poe try writers in 2011. Bravo is a nonprofit community Martin is an assistant professor Texas and the Southwest. action program that provides of family and community medicine

Victor Santana -Melgoza (B.A. socia l se rvices to elde rly, disabled in El Paso. '081 launched diversity and social and low-income res id ents, • Loretta G Aguilar injus tice educa tion consulting inc lud in g hous ing, hous ing David R Medina (BJS '99; (B J S '03). a first grade company Diversity Talks in June. counseling and foreclosure M.Ed. '011 was named principal at bil ingual teache r at The company website is www. avoidance services. Pasodale Elementary School in El Tornillo [Texas] Elementary diversityta lks.com Paso in June. School, was named 2012

Marlon A. Terry (BM S '071 Eleme nt ar y Teache r of the Year Paola Riveillo Mijares (B.A. jo in ed the st af f of the Un ivers ity

Ginger Pineda Raya (B B.A. fo r the El Paso region by Region '07). of El Paso, joined CIMA of Mary land Eas tern Shores as '99; MP.A. '031. of El Paso. was 19 in August. Region 19 serves Hospice as a provider relations assistant basketball coach in Ju ly. appointed clinical administrator school districts in El Paso and executive in July.

Throughout his coaching ca reer, for the Department of Obstetrics Hudspe th counties, aiding Terry has coached Matt Walsh.

William C. "Bill" Herndon

A LARGER -TH A N- LIFE FIGURE

By Danie l Perez

(now UTEP) in

later By th e tim e he return ed to UT EP, he a lrea d y was an

ern ation a ll y recog niz

scientist fo r hi s wo rk in ex pe rim ent a l chemi str y. Hi s th eo reti ca l wo rk includ ed th e ori g ins o f what wo uld becom e nano sc ien ce.

Lo ng-tim e co ll eag ues Law rence Ell zey, Ph D., and Kei th Pann ell , Ph D., both UTEP profess or s o f chemistr y, rememb ered Hernd on as a sc hol a r and a fri end

"He was one-o f-a -kind ," Ell zey sai d "He had g reat d r ive and live d w ith a grea t d ea l o f h appin ess. "

Pa nn ell sa id He rnd o n o ft en s hared a j oke as he ushered yo u into hi s offi ce LO di sc uss h is lates t resea rc h whil e ope ra mu sic pl aye d in t he backgro und "He was a gr ea t g u y who exce ll ed as a c hemi s t ," he sa id. Ma rco Olguin , a UTEP d octo ral swd em , sa id He rn do n in spi red him , mot iva ted him and c han ge d hi s life

"I owe him a d ebt I ca n neve r repay, " sa id O lguin , a g raduat e s LUdenl und e r He rndon from 2003-0 8.

Hernd o n is s ur vive d by hi s w ife , Nanc y; hi s so ns Willi a m and Matth ew; a g ra nd ch ild , Lu cas; a nd h is broth er Robert .

McCarty

By Daniel Perez

Form e r UTEP Athl eti c Dir ec tor Geo rge C. McCa rt y, th e man credit ed with hirin g Don Has kin s a nd rec ruitin g UTEP 's fir s t bl ac k ath le tes, di ed Nov 30 , 2011 , in Marbl e Fa ll s, Texas. He wa s 96

McCa rt y, a nati ve Texa n , acce pt ed a sc ho lars h ip lo pl ay fo otb a ll for New Mex ico A& M - now Ne w Mex ico Stat e Uni ve rsit y (N MSU) He left sch ool to se rve as a bomb er pil ot in World Wa r 11 , but re turn ed in 1947 to fi ni sh hi s d eg ree and begi n hi s s uccess ful p ro fess io na l life as a n athl eti cs co ach , admini strat o r and fund raise r at aca d emi c in stituti on s in cludin g Th e Uni ve rsit y o f Texas al El Paso.

He ca me to Texas Wes tern Co ll ege - now UTEP - in 1953 LO coac h bas ket ba ll.

Throu gh th e yea rs he a lso bec ame th e co ll ege's Dea n o f Men and eve ntu all y athl eti c dir ec tor until he left in 197 0.

McCart y helped int eg rat e college s port s in th e So uth with th e signin g of bl ac k b as ketb a ll pl aye r Charli e Bro w n in 19 56, hir ed futur e Ha ll of Fa me bas ketball coac h Don Ha s kin s in 196 1 a nd oth ers who se tea ms b ro ught unpr ecedent ed s uccess LO th e Uni ve rsit y, and use d a co mbin ation o f g rit a nd Sou th ern charm to rai se fund s for th e athl eti cs p rogra m "He was a mag ic ian ," sa id Eddi e Mull ens, fo rm er UTEP s port s inform ati on dir ec tor fr om 1962 -70 He chu ckl ed at his for mer boss 's abi lity to fi nd d onors "a d ay or t wo befor e pay roll. "

Lo ngtim e El Paso spo rt s w riter Ray Sa nchez sa id McCa rt y playe d a sig ni fica nt ro le in UTEP 's "go ld en d eca de" o f athl eti cs when it wo n t wo Sun Bow ls ('65, '67), a nd NCAA cha mpi o ns hip s in ba s ketball ('6 6) a nd c ro ss co untr y ('69)

McCa rt y was pr ece d ed in d eath by hi s w ife, Ma ri ett a, hi s t wo children and a grandchild. He is surviv ed b y severa l gen e ration s o f famil y ~

Gladys R. Shaw

AN INSPI RAT ION TO STUDEN TS

By Stephanie Sanchez

Gladys R. Shaw's legacy wi ll li ve on in eve ry student she taught as th ey impa ct the li ves of others, her colleagues and fri end s sa id Shaw, director of UTE P's St ud ent Support Services Pro gram (SSSP), died Sept. 29. To respect her reser ve d personality, her age and cause of death were not disclosed Soon after her 1957 graduation from New Mex ico Highland s Uni versi t y with a mast e r's d eg ree in bu s in ess a nd education, Shaw becam e assoc iate director of UTE P's Upward Bou nd , a federa ll y funded pro gra m for at-risk yout h.

"Gla d ys was one of th e first people I met on my very first day on cam pu s (as an und ergraduate)," said Ga ry Edens, int erim v ice president fo r Stude nt Affairs at UTEP. He shar ed with her hi s co n ce rns th at he was not college materi a l, but she li ste ned to him lo ng e nough that he convinced him se lf that he could mak e it. She in s pir ed

man y s tud ents through th e yea rs to be li eve in themsel ves.

"S he he lp ed me und erstand that throu gh ha rd work, determination and throu gh real focus in yo ur academics, you could s ucceed in college," Edens said Tit a Yanar, dir ec tor of UTEP 's Upwa rd Bound , described Shaw as gregari ous, humbl e and ded icated.

"It 's thanks to her e ffort s that hundr eds and hundreds of stud ent s have had th e benefit o f the se se r vices," sa id Yanar , wh o worked closely wit h Shaw. "S he was perso nall y respo nsibl e for th e s uccess of hundr ed s of students who we re ab le to fathom this chall enge a nd be successfu l "

Sh aw led UT EP 's Tu to rin g a nd Lea rnin g Ce nt er from 1982 to 2001 and beca me th e director of SSS P in 1993.

Paula Ford

A DEDI C ATED TE ACHE R

By Laura L. Acosta

Paul a Ford 's passion for her research was a n inspiration to the stude nt s she mento red, the co ll eag ues she wor ked w ith , and the family she loved.

Ford , Ph .D. , assistant professor of health sc ien ces at UTEP, died Oc t. 8 after a t woyea r battl e with brea st ca ncer.

"S he was a very energetic, loving person ," Ford's husband , Bill Ha rgrove, Ph .D. , dir ecto r of UTEP's Center fo r Environmental Reso urc e Management, to ld The Pro specto r. "She was passionate about her wo rk a nd teaching es pec iall y. Her stud ent s we re ex tr emely important to her. "

Si n ce jo inin g UTEP in 2009, Ford m ad e a n impact on facu lt y, s taff and stud ent s who were in spired b y her wo rk , her tea chin g and h er stru gg le, a nd her legacy wi ll li ve o n at th e Unive r sity through the Pau la Ford Sc holar s hip Fund for stu d ents in UTEP 's public hea lth sc iences program.

Ford' s dedication to her s tud ents was palp able.

Terri An chond o, an interdisciplinary h ea lth sc ien ces doctoral stu d ent , was Ford 's fir s t graduate stu dent.

"S he rev iewe d my thes is man y tim es whi le undergoing chemoth e rapy, " Anchondo sa id. "S he sh owe d so mu ch s tr ength and not once eve r comp la in ed about fee lin g ill. Dr. Ford 's focus and dedi ca ti o n to h er career is in s pirational and 1 am privil ege d to ha ve been her student. "

Am ir Kamel , a health sciences doct oral st ud ent , cred it s Ford w ith gui din g him to hi s re searc h goa ls and en co uraging him whenever s he saw him stru gglin g.

"I ha ve to say one aspec t of trul y leadin g a h app y life is bein g passionate about what you do, and Dr. Ford had that, " h e sa id. "S he was pa ss ionate abo ut h er work and kn ew how to make ot he rs see how imp ortant her work was."

Robert W. "Bobby" "Beto " Brooks Jr. (B.S.E.E. '75) Scottsdale, Ariz.; March 24, 2011.

Alfred J. Rydzewski (B B.A. '83) El Paso; April 12, 2011.

Scott Merton Pepper (B.B.A. '86) San Angelo, Texas; April 18, 2011.

David B. Mussey (B S.Ed '87) Ruidoso, N.M.; May 11, 2011.

Paul G Wendler (B.A. '54) Roslindale, Mass; May 13, 2011.

Francis P. Smith Ill (B.A. ' 71) Elgin. Texas; May 19, 2011.

Bill J. Todd (B .B.A. '54) Houston; May 19, 2011

William S. Porter, Sr. (B S M E. '79) Monument, Colo.; May 26, 2011.

Arturo Borunda Jr. (B.S.Ed. '85) Sunland Park, N.M.; May 30, 2011.

Marjorie A. Thurston (B.A. '42; M.A. '60) El Paso; June 2.2011.

Mary L. "Mary Lou " Aho (M.A. '56) Dallas; June 4, 2011.

Compiled

Felix Canales (B S '60) El Paso; June 4. 2011.

Peter L. Grattan II (B.B.A. '41) Silver City, N.M.; June 4,2011.

Sarah Kathryn Williams (B.S.Ed. '83) El Paso; June 5, 2011.

J.D. Partridge (B .A. ' 52) El Paso; June 6, 2011.

Richard B Wessling, Jr. (M A. ' 77) El Paso; June 9, 2011.

B. Frances Schulenburg Hemphill (B.A. '72) Crete, 111, June 9, 2011.

Edward Turner (B.B.A. '96) El Paso; June 11, 2011.

Genoveva Villalobos (B.S.Ed. '90) El Paso; June 12, 2011.

Lucio Neftali Cano (B.B.A. '71) El Paso; June 14, 2011.

Harvey Garvin, Jr. (B.B.A. '51) Odessa, Texas; June 14, 2011.

Margaret Ann "Peggy " Schillinger (B.A. '54) El Paso; June 16, 2011.

Richard M. Hallmark (B.S. '66) Kenai, Alaska; June 17, 2011.

by

Eugene K. Reyes

Thomas J. Garcia (B.S.N. '85) El Paso; June 21, 2011.

Justin A. "Tony" Hodges (B.A. '05) El Paso, June 21, 2011.

Jorge L. Dieppa (M.A. '93) El Paso; July 5, 2011.

Donald C. "Don " Lance (B.A. '43) Altamonte Springs, Fla.; July 11, 2011

Nancy Jane LaRock (B.B.A. '89) El Paso; July 14, 2011.

Betty Jean Lord (B S Ed '69) Green Valley, Ariz; July 14, 2011.

Minnie Ann McKee (M .A. '55) El Paso; July 14, 2011.

Rosemary Katherine Kourey (B .S.Ed . '70) El Paso; July 15, 2011.

Jeffrey Stephen Edmonson (B.A. '79) Roswell, N.M.; July 17, 2011.

Maria Luisa Escajeda Hornedo (B.A. '38) El Paso; July 20, 2011.

David Mackie (M.Ed '70) Rio Rancho, N.M.; July 21, 2011.

Robert Rea Miller Jr. (B.B.A '50) El Paso; July 21, 2011.

Carmen V. Chavez (B.B .A. '76) Anacortes, Wash.; July 23, 2011.

Armando Garcia (B.B.A. '08) El Paso; July 23, 2011.

Willard L. McDaniel (B .B.A. '60) El Paso; July 23, 2011.

Burnadine Grove Kohn (B.A. '75) El Paso; July 25, 2011.

Samuel P. Drake Jr. (M .B.A. '77) El Paso; July 28, 2011.

Gustavus Addison Morgan Ill (B.S.E.E '02) Salt Lake City, Utah; July 29, 2011

Estela B Ibarra (B.A. '39; M.A. '56) El Paso; July 30, 2011.

Edward A. "Ed " Eberhardt (B.B.A. '78) El Paso; July 31, 2011.

Lynn Edward Parsons (B B A '60) El Paso, July 31, 2011

Yvonne Wakeem Milligan (B S Ed. '62) El Paso; Aug 4, 2011.

Francisco M. "frank " Cordero (B .S.M.I. '42) El Paso; Aug 5, 2011.

Christopher Alex Woodhouse (B .M. '93) El Paso, Aug 7, 2011.

Norman Elmer Eiting (B.S.E.E. '59) Heber City, Utah; Aug. OB, 2011

Peter V. Baehr (B .S.E.E . '51) Yachats, Ore; Aug 9, 2011.

Coleen Shamaley (B.S Ed. '72) El Paso; Aug 11, 2011.

Rosemary "Dittoe" Lyons (B .S.Ed . '70 ; M.A. '70) El Paso; Aug 12, 2011.

Elvia Zavala (B.B A '06) El Paso; Aug. 17, 2011.

Frank B. Serrano (B .B.A. '50) The Woodlands, Texas; Aug 18, 2011.

Linda Hollenshead Knox (B.S.Ed . '65) Anthony, N.M.; Aug 18,2011.

Agustin Solis (B.A. '83) El Paso; Aug 21, 2011.

Elizabeth M. Wiehe (B .S.Ed . '76) El f'"aso; Aug 25, 2011

The University of Texas at El Paso asked Facebook fans to submit photos of themselves wearing UTEP gear during their travels around the world. Here are some of the photos submitted.

Allison Vega, aUTEP student, is shown in Sydney, Australia, during summer 2010. She's in front of the Sydney Opera House.

2 Daniel Montoya, aUTEP alum, is standing on Victoria Peak, overlooking Hong Kong and the Victoria Harbour

Rosemary Saucedo, aUTEP student, poses with her father, Jaime Saucedo, at the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico. It is home of the animated character Smokey Bear

1 Mitzel Aveytia, aUTEP alumna, is in Paradise Harbor, Antarctica, in December 2007. She was among other then-UTEP students who traveled to Antarctica as part of the International Polar Year - Research and Educational Opportunities in Antarctica for Minorities

John Murillo and Mike Martinez, both UTEP alumni, are standing in front of the University of Texas Tower in Austin

b Manny Rodriguez, aUTEP alumnus, is in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower.

UTEP alumnus Jaime Alfonso Contreras is in front of the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

The University of Texas at El Paso

UTEP O ortunit Da s

Ma 2-3

The American Dream combines hard work, educat ion and se izing the right opportunities The University of Texas at El Paso has created a successful model that helps residents of the Paso del Norte region and beyond to achieve that dream As a result, organizers of Opportunity Nat ion, an economic and soc ial mobility initiative, chose UTEP as one of12 sites around the nat ion to discuss integrat ion of academ ic goals and industry needs to create o p portunity for the res idents of the region

PL006 8N028 61764

MRS Il.JOHHE U THOMPSOM 3315 GFtBEL FIVE EL PASO T>~ 79904-1007

On~ 2 and 3, some of the brightest minds in education, business, heelth care, non -pronts, and the military will participate in UTEP Opportunity Days to develop a synergistic, grass-roots plan for success. It also will indude a visit to the University by thousands of area youth and will condude with a frn communitywide pore, that promises to be one of the biggest of the year.

8rigltt Minds Will DNom Big at UTEP's Opportunity Days. opportunity.utep.eclu