May 31, 2006

Jaxon's Wine Dinner Series presents a wine tasting event to benefit the UTEP Alumni Association at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 3 at the Original Jaxon's restaurant on 4799 N. Mesa.

The featured wines include Sophia Coppola Blanc de Blancs, Ravenswood Chardonnay, Chateau Julien Pinot Grigio, Chateau Julien Sangiovese and Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon. Appetizers will be served.

Cost is $40 per person. Seating is limited, so reservations are required. Call 351-8247 to RSVP.

--David Peregrino
--photo courtesy of Jaxon's

May 30, 2006 

Thousands of spectators attended the KLAQ BalloonFest over the Memorial Day weekend.

After being closed on Monday for Memorial Day, the UTEP campus is once again bustling with activity.

The three-day weekend offered an opportunity for the community to enjoy events like the KLAQ BalloonFest at Wet 'n' Wild Water World in Anthony, N.M., to gather with friends and family for cookouts, and take the time to honor soldiers who sacrificed their lives for our country.

The Memorial Day weekend is the traditional kick-off to summer vacation. At UTEP, however, many students were back on campus Tuesday for the summer session's first day of classes.

Summer Deadlines and Important Dates

Slide Show: KLAQ BalloonFest

--David Peregrino
--photo by Chuck and Amanda Flores

May 26, 2006

 

After a full season of sell-out shows, the UTEP Dinner Theatre hopes to end this year’s run on a high note with “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

 

The theater’s 12-member cast of students and community actors will present the famed musical, featuring everything from calypso to country western, July 7-23.

 

“Joseph” was originally produced as a 20-minute musical composition for London school children in 1968 and later grew into a full production off Broadway. In 1983, the Dinner Theatre presented the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber play for the first time. Since then, the theater has presented the Biblical tale of a young man named Joseph and his multi-colored coat numerous times.

 

Favored by his father, Joseph is seen as an obstacle by his jealous brothers. They plot against him and sell him into slavery. Soon after, he is jailed by his owner. He is set free by the Pharaoh, who wishes to use Joseph’s gift of interpreting dreams to further his power in Egypt.

 

Tickets go on sale Tuesday, June 6 at the UTEP Ticket Center and all Ticketmaster outlets. Prices range from $6.50 to $29.50. For more information, call 915/747-6060 or 915/747-5234. 

 

-Laura S. Ruelas

May 26, 2006


College of Education and the STEP UP Project hosted a Learning Communities Social on May 20 for UTEP students who plan to become teachers.

More than 100 students participated in the social that included a cookout and workshops about overcoming obstacles, becoming a teacher and academic success at UTEP.

The college, which produces over 80 percent of the teachers in local schools, said the social was an opportunity for students to meet and greet staff and peers.

May 25, 2006

Engineering students Pratish Parbhoo and Roberto Tavarez have been awarded Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE) scholarships for 2006-07. The scholarships pay $750 each semester.

Parbhoo, a metallurgical and materials engineering major, carries a 4.0 GPA. He is treasurer of the UTEP chapter of the American Foundry Society. Parbhoo also is an Eagle Scout and holds a third degree brown belt in Kempo karate. He plans to graduate in December 2006.

 
Mechanical engineering major Tavarez has a 3.9 GPA. He is a member of the UTEP chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering and will participate in a summer internship with Exxon Mobil this summer. Tavarez plans to graduate in December 2007.

For more information: www.tspe.org

--Horizons Staff Report

May 23, 2006

1966 NCAA champions Togo Railey, left, and Willie Cager unveiled the new AT&T Yellow Pages cover.

The new AT&T Yellow Pages for El Paso is now being delivered to more than 600,000 homes, businesses and government offices in the area.

The cover of the book features a salute to "Glory Road," the Disney film released earlier this year that tells the story of Don Haskins and his 1966 NCAA basketball champions. Team members Togo Railey and Willie Cager recently unveiled the cover of the book during a ceremony on the UTEP campus.

The DVD release of "Glory Road" is slated for June 6.

For more information about "Glory Road" and the 1966 Texas Western College champs, visit www.utep.edu/gloryroad.

--David Peregrino
--photo by Chad Puerling

May 23, 2006 Durandurdu Physics Assistant Professor Murat Durandurdu recently published a paper in the Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. Durandurdu's paper, "Transition pathway in GaAs under uniaxial stress: an ab initio study," documents the behavior of the alloy gallium arsenide under high stresses. Gallium arsenide is a semiconducting material used in electronics. The paper is available for download in the Journal of Physics' online edition. Durandurdu's research interests include computational materials physics and nanotechnology. For more information: UTEP Department of Physics. --David Peregrino

May 23, 2006

Murr

TMS, the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, has chosen metallurgy professor Lawrence "Larry" Murr as recipient of the 2007 Educator Award.

The society recognized Murr for his outstanding contributions to education, metallurgical engineering and materials engineering.

Murr will be formally presented with the award during the 136th TMS Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla. in February.

For more information:
TMS Web site
Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering

--David Peregrino

May 19, 2006

The International Space Station

John “Danny” Olivas, a 1989 UTEP graduate who became a NASA astronaut in 1998, is scheduled to make his first-ever flight into space.  

Olivas, who was raised in El Paso and earned a mechanical engineering degree at UTEP, was picked to join the crew of shuttle mission STS-117, scheduled for launch in February 2007. During the mission, Olivas and his fellow astronauts will continue work on the International Space Station.  

Olivas will be the first UTEP graduate to travel into space.  

Olivas

“Anyone who knew me when I was a kid in El Paso would never have picked me to be in this position,” Olivas said, “But with hard work and determination you can accomplish anything you want to accomplish.”  

To prepare for his flight, Olivas will have a full schedule of classes, training and physicals.   “I hit the ground running,” he said. “I’ve been doing extensive training; two days after the (flight crew) announcement I was in the simulator, and this morning I was at the lab, learning hardware and understanding the task I’ll be doing.”  

Though he recognizes people view life as an astronaut as glamorous and exciting, Olivas believes he is just an ordinary man doing his job.  

“I sort of see myself as a construction worker,” he said with a laugh. “I just get to do construction in space and take a different vehicle to work.”

For more information: www.nasa.gov/shuttle

-- Kimberly A. Miller
-- photos courtesy of NASA

Departments of Defense, Homeland Security Support UTEP Research


May 19, 2006

Kyle Susa	Guadalupe Corral

 

Two UTEP psychology doctoral students have been awarded major fellowships from the departments of Defense and Homeland Security for research on human behavior and eyewitness memory.

 

Guadalupe “Lupe” Corral will receive $30,000 a year for three years under the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship from the Department of Defense. Kyle Susa was awarded a Department of Homeland Security Fellowship of nearly $28,000 a year for three years.

 

Part of Corral’s research involves monitoring brain activity to determine whether criminal suspects or others are being truthful when questioned. Corral, a mother of two young children, said the fellowship will ease the financial burden of pursuing a doctoral degree.

 

“This fellowship is perfect. I can build ties to the NDSEG, further my research and work at UTEP and be with my family,” said Corral, who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sociology from UTEP.

 

Susa will research methods to improve a person’s ability to identify and recognize faces, a skill of special importance to law enforcement officials charged with securing our nation’s borders.

 

“I believe that psychology plays as strong of a role in advancing the mission of protecting our homeland as does any other science. I consider it quite an honor to be working with an institution as prestigious as the Department of Homeland Security,” Susa said.

 

Susa, 27, a Wisconsin native, earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and secondary education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He worked as a high school psychology teacher before enrolling at UTEP to pursue his doctorate.

 

 

-Laura S. Ruelas

-Photos by Laura Trejo

May 18, 2006

The first stage of the parking garage is expected to be completed by spring 2007.

“No Thru Traffic,” “Road Closed” and “Detour” are some of the signs people driving around campus might see for several weeks.

Sun Bowl Drive between University Avenue and Dawson Drive will be closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until mid-August.

The work, which includes widening and raising the elevation of the road by four feet, is part of the construction of UTEP’s first-ever parking garage.

“We will be adding a lane to help with traffic flow into the garage and we will also create sidewalks to help with pedestrian traffic,” said Greg McNicol, associate vice president of Finance and Administration with Facilities Services.

Motorists will be allowed to use Sun Bowl Drive from Schuster Avenue to University Avenue and Mesa Street to Glory Road. Students and visitors will have access to parking lot A-3 on the south side of the Sun Bowl to get to the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts and other campus buildings.

McNicol said construction of the parking garage is on schedule and running smoothly. The first portion of the garage is expected to open by spring 2007 and will accommodate approximately 825 vehicles. By late summer of 2007, nearly 1,700 parking spaces will be available in and around the five-level parking garage, which includes rooftop parking.

The construction project also includes a beautification plan.

“We will be adding landscaping to a new median created on Sun Bowl Drive, with trees, greenery and more. It will look really nice in the end,” McNicol said.

For more information about the Sun Bowl Drive closure, call the UTEP Police Department at 915/747-5611.
 
See a map of the road closure and alternate routes...

-Laura S. Ruelas
-Photo by J.R. Hernandez

May 17, 2006

Biology Research Professor Lillian Mayberry, left, supports university programs through donations to the UTEP Fund. Microbiology major Luis Mario Aguirre-Palma is continuing his studies thanks to a scholarship supported by the UTEP Fund.

Microbiology major Luis Mario Aguirre-Palma almost gave up his dream of becoming a cancer researcher. A scholarship supported by UTEP employees kept his hopes afloat.

Faculty and staff who believe in and support students and university programs participate in the Family Campaign, a program sustained by donations from university employees.
 
“We’re asking our students to contribute more and more to their education and this is an opportunity for our faculty and staff to help them succeed,” said Scott Whittet, director of The UTEP Fund, which is part of the Family Campaign. “They can make a difference in a student’s life whether it’s helping them pay for books or ensuring that they stay in school.”

Read more...

--Laura Cruz
--photo by J.R. Hernandez

May 16, 2006

Lt. Jaime Rodriguez, Lt. Michael McGowan and Lt. Juan Camacho were sworn into the U.S. Army by Lt. Col. Johnee Carr on May 12.

Seven ROTC students took their commissioning oath to become second lieutenants in the United States Army during a ceremony at the Undergraduate Learning Center on May 12.

Led by battalion commander Lt. Col. Johnee Carr, the soldiers were sworn into the military before family and friends. The seven were Juan Camacho, Janet Chaney, Sean Dexter, Michael McGowan, Mark Renteria, Jaime Rodriguez and John Salas.

“I’ve always wanted to join the Army since high school, but I knew I had to get my education first,” said Camacho, 27, who is studying to get his master’s in chemistry. “My family emigrated from (Torreon, Mexico), and joining the Army is a way for me to give back to my adoptive country that has given us so much.”

May 16, 2006

Visiting family and friends from Bhutan attended the graduation ceremonies of Sonam Wangchuk (center) and his sister, Dechen Wangmo (second to right).

Although it is thousands of miles from their home, UTEP has always brought a familiar sense of comfort to siblings Sonam Wangchuk and Dechen Wangmo.
 

“I feel very much at home on this campus,” said Dechen. She and her brother are natives of Bhutan, the Himalayan country that inspired UTEP's unique architecture.

 

Family and friends from Bhutan traveled to El Paso last week to celebrate the graduations of Dechen and Sonam. Dechen earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and her brother received an M.B.A. in general business.

UTEP graduate Dechen Wangmo and her family were honored during a private luncheon at the Hoover House hosted by UTEP President Diana Natalicio.

 

Traveling for the first time to the Sun City was a momentous occasion for their parents.

 

“We’re very happy, more than happy. There are no words to describe how proud we are of (Dechen and Sonam),” said their father, Tenzin Jigme. “We’re so thankful to UTEP and President Natalicio. She has been very kind to all of us. We're happy our children graduated from here.”

 

-Laura S. Ruelas

-Photos by J.R. Hernandez

May 15, 2006


Nearly 1,700 candidates for degrees celebrated their academic accomplishments on Saturday, May 13 at UTEP’s 2006 spring commencement ceremonies.

The Don Haskins Center resonated with cheers and applause from thousands of family members and friends as they watched their loved one cross the stage.

Commencement speaker Gilberto Perez, president of U.S. operations for CEMEX, told the students to take their dreams and the strong foundation UTEP helped create, and build an extraordinary future.
 
“You represent the future – not just your future and that of your family, but the future of this country and, indeed, the world,” Perez said. “You represent the possibility and promise of a new wave of opportunity that the world has never seen before.”

UTEP President Diana Natalicio said “you, our graduates, are the real proof of the quality of this university.”
 
“Your futures will reflect this institution’s level of academic rigor and attainment. Please be aware of our hopes for you, and be assured of the joy we will feel when you succeed,” she added. “The world needs you and your knowledge.  Go out from this commencement – this beginning – and use what you have learned here to the fullest."

Photo Gallery: Spring Commencement 2006

May 15, 2006

UTEP senior Mircea Bogdan took first place in the 5,000-meter run. Stephen Samoei placed second and Japheth Ng'ojoy placed third to sweep the event.

In a dramatic finish, sprinter Daniel Ward outpaced Houston’s Kolee Latson by 48-tenths of a second to win the 1,600-meter relay Saturday at Kidd Field.

The win gave UTEP the men’s track and field team the C-USA Championship.

The men’s team won the three-day meet with 222 points to Houston’s 218.5. The women’s team had its top conference finish in school history placing second with 109 points behind Houston’s 125.

Moments after crossing the finish line Daniel Ward and his relay team celebrate the win.

Senior Correy Harrison may have had the most rewarding day of any Miner. Saturday morning he walked across the stage to receive his bachelor’s in criminal justice and then threw a personal-best to win the discus event in the afternoon.

Junior Mickael Hanany won the meet’s High Point Award and was voted by the coaches as the meet's outstanding performer for his hat trick in the high jump, long jump and triple jump. Churandy Martina, the nation's top 100-meter sprinter, won the 100- and 200-meter dash, and anchored UTEP's 4x100-meter relay team to victory.

Juniors Fatimoh Muhammed and Jenny Holmroos took the gold and silver in the 800. And senior Olatunde Okusanya rebounded from an injury-riddled career to win the 400-meter.

Track and field Head Coach Bob Kitchens, who has led the Miners to nine conference titles, was named C-USA Men’s Outdoor Coach of the Year.

For complete results, visit http://www.utepathletics.com

May 12, 2006


UTEP faculty and staff received quick check-ups on Wednesday during the May Health Expo at the El Paso Natural Gas Conference Center.

Health experts tested UTEP employees’ blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels. The event was sponsored by Human Resource Services.

May 12, 2006

CAMP students participated in several activities throughout the year to help them build strong team and leadership skills.

Call it a camp of confidence.

 

The College Assistance Migrant Program, which helps students from migrant families succeed in college, this month honored a group of students who’ve completed their freshman year.

 

“CAMP helped me to be acquainted with the campus and people. It provided us with comfort and confidence, which will help us succeed here,” said Claudia Ochoa, one of about 30 students to participate in the program this year.

 

The federally funded program provides academic, financial and social support to students from migrant families who are often the first in their families to attend college. The 4-year-old program helps turn nervous, often insecure freshmen to confident students with the tools to succeed. More than 130 students have participated in UTEP’s migrant program since its inception.

 

The honored students enrolled as freshmen during the summer of 2005, taking six to seven credit hours to start. During the summer, they got to know UTEP, participated in leadership challenges and built relationships with fellow students, faculty and staff.

 

Over the fall and spring semesters that followed, the students learned more than study skills and a few basics. They learned about themselves.

 

Students attended College Success Seminars and participated in a career inventory, a test with a series of personality questions that helps them pinpoint their interests and strengths.

Counselors also help students understand and follow their degree plans so they progress toward their degrees more efficiently.

 

“We helped give them a bird’s eye view of what type of major and job best suits them,” said CAMP coordinator and counselor Rueben Moreno. “We also educate students on the college majors that are available to them via all six colleges here at UTEP.”

 

-Laura S. Ruelas

-Photo by J.R. Hernandez

May 11, 2006

More than 1,400 candidates for degrees will celebrate their academic success on Saturday, May 13 at the University of Texas at El Paso’s 2006 spring commencement ceremonies.

The Don Haskins Center will vibrate with cheer from thousands of family members and friends as the newly minted graduates are honored for their accomplishments.

Nearly 300 students who will complete their degrees this summer will also participate in the ceremonies.

The 10 a.m. ceremony will honor students from the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Engineering and Science. The 3 p.m. ceremony will honor students from the Colleges of Education, Business Administration and Health Sciences.

For more information about attending commencement, visit www.utep.edu/commencement

May 10, 2006


UTEP students put away their books for a few hours Tuesday night taking a break from studying for finals. They munched on free treats at the Midnight Breakfast event.

Hundreds of students gathered at UTEP’s El Paso Natural Gas Conference Center to satisfy their hunger, unwind and socialize with friends. Students enjoyed music, free giveaways and were treated to traditional breakfast meals served by faculty and staff. The event was sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs.

Photo Gallery: Midnight Breakfast

May 9, 2006


The UTEP Miners and the Texas Longhorns will face off at the Sun Bowl in 2008, the schools announced this week.

UTEP and University of Texas at Austin football teams have signed a two-year contract to play each other in the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

The Longhorns are scheduled to challenge the Miners in El Paso on Sept. 6, 2008. UTEP will play the return game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin on Sept. 26, 2009.

UTEP Director of Athletics Bob Stull said he worked with Texas Senior Associate Athletic Director for Sports Programs Butch Worley for the last two years. The deal will pit the two schools against one another for the first time in more than 70 years.

“We were finally able to work out an arrangement that will be beneficial for both of us,” Stull said. “Texas will be coming to the Sun Bowl in 2008 in what should be one of the most anticipated games in UTEP history. There will be a great deal of excitement surrounding the game.”


Stull said it is natural that the two schools would renew a long-dormant rivalry.

“We’re both a part of the UT system, and there are a lot of Texas alumni and fans in El Paso,” he said.

UTEP and Texas haven’t squared off in football since 1933. Texas leads the competition 2-0, with both previous meetings taking place in Austin. 

Texas is coming off a 12-0, national championship season. The Longhorns also captured national crowns in 1963, 1969 and 1970, and have played in 45 bowl games in their history. Among NCAA Division I-A schools, only Alabama has had more bowl appearances with 53.

The Miners have played 12 bowls, including the past two years at the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and the EV1.net Bowl in Houston.

UTEP continues to strongly upgrade its nonconference schedule under the direction of third-year head coach Mike Price. The Miners will host another Big 12 power house, Texas Tech, on Sept. 9, 2006.

“It’s great for our players, our program and our fans that we can bring an opponent the caliber of Texas to El Paso,” Price said.

May 3, 2006

Martina	Bogdan

Make plans to see some of the world's best male and female athletes at the C-USA Track and Field Championship, May 11-13 at UTEP's Kidd Field.

Ranked No. 3 in the country by Trackwire.com, the Miner men's team boasts Churandy Martina, the nation's top 100-meter sprinter, and Mircea Bogdan, the defending national champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Ticket prices range from $3 to $15.

For ticket information, call UTEP Athletics at 915/747-6150 or purchase your tickets at the event.

Schedule of Events (pdf)

--David Peregrino
--photos courtesy of UTEP Athletics

May 2, 2006

 

Voice professor Dr. Hugh Cardon with Alejandra Pedraza, who was recently awarded with the Presser Foundation Scholarship.

As the school year comes to an end, every department is honoring their best students.

 

The Department of Music hosted their Spring 2006 Honors Recital to showcase the hard work and talent of their brightest stars. Several music and voice students performed classical, traditional and original compositions during the hour-long recital.

 

Ryan Snodgrass and Vanessa Voce were inducted to Pi Kappa Lamba, an honorary society for students displaying the highest level of musical and academic achievement. Both were also presented with certificates recognizing them as outstanding students in the department.

 

Alejandra Pedraza, a senior in vocal performance, earned the biggest award of the semester—the Presser Foundation Scholarship. The $4,200 scholarship was a big surprise to the 23-year-old native of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua.

 

“I was speechless, because I never heard about it before and I never applied for it. They told me how I was nominated for the scholarship. I feel very honored and thankful first of all to God, and secondly to all the professors who nominated me,” said Pedraza. She plans on using the scholarship to help complete her degree at UTEP

 

-Laura S. Ruelas

-Photo by J.R. Hernandez

May 1, 2006

 

UTEP professor Joel Murray lectures on "Screenwriting and The Hollywood Paradigm."

Making it big in Hollywood or the art world is just a dream to many, but some UTEP students inched their way to stardom during the  “Border Frames Film and Photography Festival,” held this weekend at the Union Cinema.

 

The festival was organized by the Entertainment and Arts Media Productions organization at UTEP. EAMedia promotes original productions by local talent in diverse areas of entertainment and art. The group focuses on moviemaking, theater, visual arts, music production as well as networking, marketing and production skills.

 

“We promote independent projects, but we’re trying to reach out to the whole border community now, because El Paso is thriving (in the arts) and we know there is big talent and resources out there,” said Yaz Barraza, president of EAMedia.

 

During the free two-day event, photographers, filmmakers and playwrights gave lectures on various topics, including “Film Distribution,” “How to Make a Career in Photography” and “Digitalstorm: Animation and Visual Effects.”

Joel Murray, assistant professor in the Theatre, Dance and Film Department, was "Border Frames'" first guest lecturer. Well known for his success in play writing and directing UTEP productions, Murray advised his audience to always allow some room for error, be it personal or professional.

 

“(You) sometimes become so engaged in you work, your world is your screenplay. But you have to be comfortable making mistakes,” Murray said.

 

“Border Frames” also included screenings of eight short films and one feature film. A photography exhibition and casting sessions were also some of the many events at this year’s festival.

 

-Laura S. Ruelas

-Photos by J.R. Hernandez