Panelists Discuss Water Issues
UTEP welcomes Middle East delegation
March 29, 2007
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Photo by Laura Trejo |
| Mahmoud Abu Jaber, mayor of Mua'z Bin Jabel in Jordan, presented a plaque of appreciation to Robert Osegueda, vice president for research at UTEP, during a special meeting March 26. |
The UTEP community and the public learned more about managing shared water resources in border regions during a special presentation by experts from the Middle East last weekend.
The visiting delegates from Israel, Palestine and Jordan participated in a panel discussion regarding water use, the implications of land development and the preservation of natural spaces on Saturday, March 24 at the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts. The panelists included Mahmoud Abu Jaber, mayor of Mua’z Bin Jabel in Jordan; Mungeth Mehyar, chairman of Friends of the Earth-Middle East; Nader al-Khateeb, general director of Water and Environment Development Organization; and Michal Sagive, coordinator of the Good Water Neighbors Program in Tel-Aviv.
“The U.S.-Mexico border region shares similarities with the Jordan River basin,” said Ed Hamlyn, program coordinator and manager for the Center for Environmental Resource Management. “Their visit gives them insight into the Rio Grande’s plight and what could possibly happen to their river in the future.”
After a weekend tour of the El Paso area, the delegates visited with UTEP faculty, staff and students on Monday, March 26 to share information about developing and sustaining cross-border linkages and water resources.
-Laura S. Ruelas |
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March 27, 2007
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Photo by J.R. Hernandez |
UTEP officials have announced that phase one of construction along portions of Oregon Street and Glory Road is on schedule.
The construction is part of a city project. A new drainage and sewer system will replace the damaged system that collapsed in that area following heavy rains last summer.
During phase one, Oregon Street from the Miner Village entrance on Oregon to Boston Avenue will be closed. This phase is expected to continue through late April.
Miner Village residents are asked to use the Robinson Avenue entrance and exit across from Memorial Gym during this phase of construction.
Miner Metro Shuttle stops will continue to operate during construction. During this time, the east shuttle will be re-routed around the construction to Mesa Street.
Depending on weather conditions, construction may require temporary closure of Glory Road. Until construction is complete, drivers are encouraged to plan ahead when traveling in the area.
-Laura S. Ruelas |
Festival to Highlight New Filmmakers
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March 27, 2007
Area filmmakers will have a chance to shine during the university’s first Sun City Film Festival.
The festival will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 31 in the Union Cinema, Union Building East, First Floor. Admission is free to the public.
Festival organizers selected films from 21 local filmmakers. More than three dozen short videos will be shown during the event. The film categories include narratives, documentaries, experimental, and animated videos.
The non-competitive festival is intended to be an opportunity for local filmmakers to show their work to a wider audience and gain feedback.
The event will also include a special panel of women filmmakers, led by UTEP film professor Shiela Skaff.
The festival is sponsored by the UTEP Department of Communication and the Department of Theatre, Dance and Film.
For more information, call 915/747-7690.
-Laura S. Ruelas |
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March 26, 2007
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file photo | Musicians are fine-tuning their instruments and singers are readying their vocal cords for the upcoming Spring Gala at UTEP.
The fourth annual concert features the UTEP wind symphony, orchestra, chorale, lab band, guitar ensemble and many others. The event is set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 24 in the Magoffin Auditorium.
Titled “A Musical Homecoming,” the event will pay tribute to UTEP music alumnus and retiring faculty member Hugh Cardon and internationally-renowned composer and director Randy Van Horne.
Cardon has sung throughout the U.S. and Mexico during his tenure at UTEP. Van Horne, an El Paso native and UTEP alum, is the mastermind behind the ensemble who sang the theme songs for "The Flintstones," "The Jetsons," "Yogi Bear," and other classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons.
Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for students, military and seniors. They are available at UTEP Ticket Center, all Ticketmaster outlets, and at the door on the day of the concert. For further information, call 915/747-5606. -Laura S. Ruelas |
Miners Open Spring Drills
March 23, 2007
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| Photo by J.R. Hernandez |
The Miners were back on Glory Field Thursday, holding the first of 16 spring practices in preparation for the 2007 season.
The team is returning 40 letterwinners, 20 of whom have started games at the collegiate level. After a disappointing 5-7 record last year, the Miners are looking to establish themselves again as a Conference USA power.
Part of this season's intrigue will be the competition to replace departed quarterback Jordan Palmer, UTEP's all-time passing leader. Five players -- Lorne Sam, Kyle Wright, Brandis Dew, James Thomas II and Trevor Vittatoe -- are competing for the position.
The public is welcome to stop by and watch the spring drills. There will be 16 practices in total, scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m.
The Miners will wrap things up with a Spring Game on Friday, April 20 at 7 p.m. in the Sun Bowl.
Photo Gallery: First Spring Practice
--David Peregrino |
Softball Defeats No. 7 ASU
March 22, 2007
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Photo by Chad Puerling |
| The softball team celebrated a sweep of No. 7 Arizona State on Wednesday at Helen of Troy Field. |
The UTEP softball team swept No. 7 Arizona State 5-4 and 8-7 on Wednesday at Helen of Troy Field, the first defeat of a ranked opponent in school history.
UTEP is now 21-10 and 3-3 in Conference USA.
Pitcher Stacie Townsend earned both wins, upping her season record to 8-0. Townsend also hit a walk-off home run in the seventh inning to lock the first win, 5-4.
"You can't really describe how big this is," said co-head coach Kathleen Rodriguez. "Arizona State is a program that has been established as one of the best programs in the nation for quite a while."
UTEP will travel to Birmingham, Ala. on Saturday to take on the UAB Blazers.
Photo Gallery: Miners Sweep ASU
--David Peregrino |
March 22, 2007
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Photo courtesy of NASA |
| Atlantis sits inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, while repair work continues on the external tank. | NASA plans to decide a new launch date for shuttle mission STS-117 on April 10, officials said during a media teleconference on Wednesday.
UTEP graduate Danny Olivas is one of the six-member crew for STS-117, which will attach a truss segment to the International Space Station.
Technicians are still repairing damage to Space Shuttle Atlantis' external fuel tank caused by a hail storm on Feb. 26 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch was originally scheduled for March 16.
NASA managers said more testing and analysis is needed to decide if they will use the repaired tank for the mission, or replace it with another one. The next available launch window runs from late April through late May.
As they await word on a new launch date, Olivas and his crew will continue training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
"During this 'launch delay' time frame, we will continue to train as we’ve done, although now it’s more for maintaining proficiency," Olivas said.
For more information about Olivas and his mission, visit www.utep.edu/dannyolivas.
--David Peregrino |
UTEP Strengthens Bond with Bhutan
| March 20, 2007
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| UTEP President Diana Natalicio, far left, met with secretary of the Royal Civil Service Commission, Dasho Bap Kesang, far right, in Thimphu, Bhutan. |
UTEP President Diana Natalicio is visiting Bhutan and strengthening the university’s ties to the Himalayan Kingdom.
Dasho Bap Kesang, secretary of the Royal Civil Service Commission, and Natalicio signed a memorandum of understanding in Thimphu on March 16 that creates a faculty exchange program and extends scholarships to Bhutanese students wishing to study at UTEP. Under the agreement, UTEP will offer four competitive scholarships to graduate and undergraduate students.
Over the years, UTEP has enrolled several students from Bhutan. The agreement will open the doors for more Bhutanese students to attend the university.
The agreement will also help create internship opportunities in Bhutan for UTEP students.
“We at UTEP have a special interest in Bhutan because of the legacy of our architecture,” Natalicio told Kuensel Online, a Bhutanese electronic news site. UTEP’s architecture was inspired by Bhutan, whose fortresses were featured in a National Geographic article in the early 1900s.
“I think that the signing of the (memorandum) will create a special opportunity not just for Bhutan, but for our students at UTEP.”
– Laura Cruz |
March 19, 2007
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University Communications file photo |
UTEP’s first Fast Track Nursing graduates have successfully passed the National Council Licensure EXamination (NCLEX) for registered nurses.
The eight graduates of the Accelerated Fast Track Bachelor of Science in Nursing program passed the test. The innovative program allows college graduates looking for a career change to become nurses in just 15 months.
A limited number of qualified students are admitted each May to study traditional nursing courses in an intense, full-time program taught by highly qualified clinical and tenured UTEP faculty.
For more information about the program, call 915/747-8325.
– Laura Cruz
March 18, 2007
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| Photo by J.R. Hernandez |
Engineering and geology students gathered to whitewash the "M" on the mountain near the Sun Bowl during the TCM Day celebration on Friday, March 9.
TCM Day honors UTEP's mining heritage and is the university's oldest annual tradition, dating back to the days when the school was known as the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy.
The students paint themselves and parts of the campus green in preparation for a full day of activities, including singing, games and the kissing of the Blarney Stone. The celebration honors St. Patrick, the patron saint of engineers.
--David Peregrino |
| March 14, 2007
Tickets are going fast for the upcoming production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “CATS,” UTEP Dinner Theatre officials said.
The show will have a one month run, beginning April 13.
“CATS” is based on T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats." A tribe of junkyard cats known as the Jellicles celebrate a special night with song, poetry and dance. The audiences are the “humans,” allowed to witness the cats' rituals and take a peak into the world of Victoria, Munkustrap, Old Deuteronomy, and the rest of the Jellicle tribe.
Dinner performances are at 7 p.m. Special discount matinee performances are on Sundays; dates and times vary. Tickets are still available. Sold-out performances include April 13, 20, 28-29 and May 3. Additional shows may be added in the future. Ticket prices range from $10-$35; special discounts are available for UTEP faculty/staff/students, groups of 20 or more, and children under 12.
For more information, call 915/747-6060 or visit www.utep.edu/udt.
-Laura S. Ruelas |
Reshaping Physical Education
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March 12, 2007
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Photos by J.R. Hernandez |
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Dave Appel, a representative of heart rate monitor manufacturer
Polar USA, explained how teachers can use the company’s
software to measure fitness levels. |
UTEP faculty recently joined area physical education teachers to learn about a new approach to children’s health and fitness.
El Paso Independent School District’s Guillen Middle School plans to launch a new P.E. program that will have students wear heart rate monitors so they can track their fitness levels. The pilot program may eventually reshape physical education curriculum in El Paso.
UTEP College of Health Science faculty attended a workshop with Guillen and other EPISD teachers to learn more about the heart rate monitors and the software used to design fitness programs. The professors said they plan to integrate the heart rate monitor technology into university courses to better prepare future P.E. teachers.
Polar USA, a fitness products manufacturer, is providing the heart rate monitors and software that will be used in the program. In addition to heart rate data, the program will measure students’ weight, height and body mass index to evaluate fitness.
“We want to empower the kids, while using math and science, to learn about staying in shape,” said Don Disney, El Paso Independent School District health and physical education facilitator.
Disney said instead of competing against one another, students will compete against themselves during their physical education classes with the help of a heart rate monitor and a list of personal fitness goals.
"P.E. has always been about who can run the fastest, but what we don't realize is that the kid who walks may be getting more of a workout than the one that comes in first place," Aoy Elementary School physical education teacher Adrian Flores said.
Harry Meeuwsen, Ph.D., College of Health Science interim dean, said the university is excited about being part of the program because it will help UTEP students preparing to be P.E. teachers learn how to effectively use the Polar equipment as part of an overall program.
“We’re responsible for educating the physical education teachers for much of the community,” Meeuwsen said. “If we don’t teach our students this technology they are not going to be very useful to the schools.”
– Laura Cruz |
Murr Receives 2007 Educator of Year Award
March 8, 2007
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| Murr | TMS, the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, presented UTEP metallurgy professor Dr. Lawrence "Larry" Murr with the organization's 2007 Educator Award during its annual conference in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 25-March 1.
Murr is chair of UTEP's Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Program.
The society recognized Murr for his outstanding contributions to education, metallurgical engineering and materials engineering.
For more information, visit www.tms.org.
--David Peregrino |
Texas Western College Championship on DVD
March 7, 2007
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| Image by NCAA on Demand | It's taken more than 40 years, but it is here at last.
The film of the legendary Texas Western College (now UTEP) win over Kentucky in the 1966 NCAA basketball championship is now available to fans on DVD.
The NCAA and media company Thought Equity Motion, in association with CBS Sports, announced today the launch of NCAA on Demand, a new source of video content of NCAA sports championships, some dating back to the 1930s.
NCAA on Demand has taken the Texas Western versus Kentucky game film, originally filmed without sound, and synchronized it with an audio broadcast of the game to create the DVD. The DVD is available for $24.99 at www.ncaaondemand.com.
--David Peregrino |
Philosophy Professor Honored
| March 7, 2007
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Photo by Chad Puerling |
Dr. John Haddox (center) was greeted with a standing ovation during a
dinner held in his honor on March 2. |
This year professor John “Jack” Haddox celebrates 50 years of service in the UTEP Philosophy Department.
His department held a special conference March 1-3 at UTEP to commemorate the milestone.
“He has been so influential to our department, peers and students. We wanted to share his work and story with everyone,” said Jules Simon, chair of the Philosophy Department.
The three-day conference included nationally recognized scholars, UTEP colleagues, students and friends. They presented academic papers and participated in panel discussions about Haddox’s internationally recognized work in modern Latin American and Native American philosophy. The published author’s works have been used in classrooms across the country for many years.
Haddox began his career at the Texas Western College (now UTEP) in 1957. Over the past 50 years, he has earned the UTEP Faculty Research Award and Faculty Teaching Award. He has made more than 20 trips with students to Europe, Latin America and Mexico to study ancient cultures and philosophies. He has lectured in universities around the world, in countries such as Brazil, Mexico, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom.
“The thing that I love about UTEP is that so many of our students are the first in their family to graduate. I can’t believe I get to be a part of that and have so much fun, too,” said Haddox.
Born on Aug. 9, 1929, in Pawnee, Okla., his passion for Native American studies began as an young teen, when he was adopted in the local Pawnee Tribe. He was given the Pawnee name Kiwakootiwati, which means “Walking Fox.” He served in the Army, and earned degrees in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame before beginning his career at UTEP.
-Laura S. Ruelas |
Miners Out of C-USA Tournament
March 7, 2007
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Photo by J.R. Hernandez |
| Stefon Jackson was named second team All-Conference USA. | The Miner men's basketball team ended its season with a 77-74 loss to Rice in the opening round of the Conference USA Tournament on Wednesday in Memphis, Tenn.
The Miners finished with a 14-17 record. But next season looks brighter for the team, because they will return with an experienced group and some new recruits. The Miners are losing only one senior, Kevin Henderson.
"I'm very optimistic and have a great outlook for next season because of the players we are returning," said first-year head coach Tony Barbee. "We have a great group of recruits and newcomers coming in, but the returnees have the advantage of playing under me for one year. They know the system now."
Sophomore guard Stefon Jackson was named to the All-Conference USA second team on Monday. Jackson set UTEP sophomore records for points (561) and 20-point games (16) this season. He is averaging 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Women's basketball
The Miner women's team lost to Rice 56-46 in the quarterfinals of the C-USA Tournament on March 2.
With a strong 22-8 record, the team may have a chance to play in the postseason if it receives an invitation from the NCAA or Women's NIT committees. The tournament committees will announce their selections on March 12.
--David Peregrino |
UTEP and Parkland High School Strengthen Collaboration
| March 6, 2007
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Photo by J.R. Hernandez |
UTEP Provost Richard Jarvis greets Parkland teacher Sheryl
Voelsch-Brumley. |
Parkland High School’s Engineering, Math and Science Magnet School teachers met with UTEP professors earlier this month to strengthen the newly created partnership between the school and university.
UTEP Provost Richard Jarvis, Ph.D., spoke to high school teachers about the importance of helping students earn a degree and the opportunities available at UTEP and El Paso Community College.
Over 120 high school teachers attended workshops that organizers said will help create new strategies to increase the number of Parkland students who attend UTEP.
UTEP professors from at least 11 departments, including the departments of Languages and Linguistics, Math, History and Science, gave presentations about their respective fields and how the teachers can help students succeed in each subject.
Organizers said they also hope to help Parkland become a top-rate magnet school while helping the high school educators improve their teaching and leadership skills.
For more information about the partnership, call 915/747-5460.
– Laura Cruz |
March 5, 2007
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Photos by J.R. Hernandez |
| Adam Anderson drives the truck known as Tazmanian Devil. |
The rip-roaring sounds of high-powered, 11-foot-tall trucks filled the Sun Bowl Stadium on Saturday, March 3, during the Monster Jam show.
The monster trucks, ATV and tough-truck riders energized the crowd with high jumps, speed racing and plenty of dust-kicking action. Built for short, high-powered bursts of speed, the custom-built monster trucks typically sit atop 66-inch-tall tires and weigh a minimum of 9,000 pounds.
Twenty-one-year-old Adam Anderson, who drives the truck known as Tazmanian Devil, said he is thrilled about touring with Monster Jam.
“The tour has been lots of fun. I’ve done well in all my races, and it’s probably my best season yet,” Anderson said during a media preview of the show Friday.
He is the son of Dennis Anderson, creator of the world famous Grave Digger monster truck, which has been a crowd favorite for the last 25 years.
“My dad has been in the business a long time. It was natural for me to follow,” Adam Anderson said. He said he hopes the family tradition will continue with his 17-year-old brother, who is just one year shy of the legal age required for all tour drivers.
Presented by the United States Hot Rod Association (USHRA) and LiveNation, Monster Jam featured monster trucks Grave Digger, Maximum Destruction, El Toro Loco, Batman, Air Force, Cyborg and many others.
For more information about Monster Jam, visit www.monsterjamonline.com
-Laura S. Ruelas |
Basketball in the Spotlight
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March 2, 2007
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Photo by Chad Puerling
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| UTEP senior Kevin Henderson |
Fans got a taste of some March Madness on Thursday, a day packed with UTEP basketball action.
The women's team won their opening round game in the C-USA tournament, knocking off Memphis 84-75 in Tulsa, Okla. And in a game broadcast nationally on ESPN, the Miner men played hard against sixth-ranked Memphis before falling to the Tigers 78-67.
The fifth-seeded women's team boosted their record to 22-7 and advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will take on No. 4 seed Rice at 2:30 p.m. MST today. Freshman star Jareica Hughes scored a game-high 22 points in the win over Memphis.
The Miner men are now 14-15 and 6-9 in C-USA. They will finish regular season play on the road Saturday against Houston. The game will be broadcast in El Paso on Time Warner Cable MetroSports Southwest Channel 24 at 6 p.m. MST.
The women's game at 2:30 p.m. today will be broadcast in El Paso on KHRO 1650 AM. Also, a free audio feed will be available on www.utepathletics.com.
--David Peregrino
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