DAILY LOBO new mexico
Smell my pits!
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The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
April 27, 2010
Parent Association offers scholarships by Jennifer Gignac Daily Lobo
Jory Vander Galien / Daily Lobo Lightning touches down over Northwest Albuquerque last summer.
Students amass eons of ions into project by Kallie Red-Horse Daily Lobo
UNM undergraduate research on lightning is creating a spark in the scientific community. Students at the Configurable Space Microsystems Innovations & Applications Center (COSMIAC) are designing instruments that will be used to study ionospheric activity. COSMIAC Director Steve Suddarth said the students are working on creating devices not available in the technological world. “What we have been working on is the next generation of trying to measure how much of this ionization of upper atmospheric molecules is actually taking place,” he said. “We cannot
find anything out there in the industry that has the performance of what they are designing in a lightweight package. These students have to be the first to do that.” The ionosphere, an upper layer of the atmosphere named for its composition of charged ions, is involved in transmitting radio waves, Suddarth said. “GPS signals have to go through the ionosphere to get to our receivers,” he said. “Depending on how much of that charging of this upper atmosphere has happened, those signals get bent and delayed by different amounts. When that happens that affects the accuracy of our GPS systems.” Understanding ionospheric activity is es-
sential to creating more reliable GPS systems, Suddarth said. “There are military and all kinds of other reasons that we care about the accuracy of GPS,” he said. “Knowing the condition of the ionosphere tells us a lot about the accuracy of systems like GPS. It could cause an airplane to fly into a mountain or a ship to run aground.” Barry Crow, student researcher, said this project is the climax of everything they have learned in the electrical engineering field. “Although other people have ventured down the same path, we are taking it a step further with a higher frequency range of lightning that
see Lightning page 3
Tuition increases paint a bleak picture for many students in the 2010-11 academic year, but UNM’s Parent Association is offering a life vest for students drowning in debt. Maria Probasco, Parent Association president, said the Parent Association is offering six $1,000 scholarships to students. “We wanted to promote student success and academic excellence and be a supportive role in students’ education,” Probasco said. “It’s about engaging parents and keeping them connected to help students complete their education.” To apply, visit parent.unm.edu and click on “scholarships.” Requirements: • Enrolled full time at the University of New Mexico • Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA • In sophomore, junior or senior year during award year (for undergraduates) • In master’s or doctoral program during award year (for graduates)
The Parent Association, comprised of parents of students and alumni, began its scholarship opportunity program last year. “The first year we began, we were able to award $3,500 in scholarship money within four scholarships. This year, we will award $6,000 to students,” Probasco said. The scholarships provide eligible students $500 per semester.
see Scholarship page 3
Love, not hate
Terrance Siemon / Daily Lobo Pastor Darrell Smith, bullhorn in hand, and members of the African-American community protested in front of the Bookstore. They were gathered in response to a racist comment left by a reader on the Daily Lobo website.
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 114
issue 144
Spotlight
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“Yesterday I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know.” ~Groucho Marx “Elephants are contagious.” ~Paul Eluard
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