2006, Winter by UNM Alumni Association

winter 2006

gifts for a lifetime In this special issue, Mirage takes a look at some generous alumni who give to UNM. And we give you a pullout calendar

magazine

showing some current students whose colleges benefit from alumni gifts.

The

University

New

Mexico

A l u m n i

A s s o c i a t i o n

the time of their Principal Points:

alumni donors

unm

College/School: Education Gifts: College of Education,

BY GREG JOHNSTON

verything you’d want from a university, we got that from UNM,” says Aileen Garcia, ’92 MA, remembering her days as an intern in the Santa Fe Public Schools. “People really cared and they wanted to be sure that I was successful.” While working on her master’s degree in education administration in 1992, Aileen was placed in the College of Education (COE) internship with four other students. She says the group was the first of its kind and marked a turning point in her life. Soon after earning her advanced degree, Aileen applied for and was chosen as principal of a downtown Santa Fe school, Carlos Gilbert Elementary. The assignment was especially satisfying, because the school was named after Aileen’s uncle, who had served on the school board several years earlier, but had passed away. Before accepting the administrative job, Aileen had taught in Las Vegas, Gallup, Socorro, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, and in Georgia and Alabama. She has served on the New Mexico Public Education Commission and is an adjunct professor at UNM. Behind these accomplishments, Aileen says, is her family. “The work ethic, the support, the love that I received from them—everything that I have is the result of the family that I grew up in, the family that I live in now. It all goes back to the gift of family.” Aileen now serves on the advancement council for the College of Education. She and her husband, Bill, hosted a summer reception for COE alumni at their Santa Fe home, attended by COE Dean Viola Florez, among others. “I really admire Dean Florez,” says Aileen. “What is so impressive is that she is involving the community in the university, which I hadn’t seen before. I believe for education to be successful, whether it’s secondary or higher education, you need to involve the community.” Norman Johnson

King Library, Lobo Club, unrestricted

Aileen Garcia “E

Winter 2006, Volume 24, Number 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO; Louis Caldera, President; Karen A. Abraham, Director, Alumni Relations; UNM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Angie Vachio, President, Albuquerque; Roberto Ortega, President-Elect, Albuquerque; Lillian Montoya-Rael, Treasurer, Santa Fe; Coleman Travelstead, Past-President, Albuquerque; Gene Baca, Corrales; Michelle Hernandez, Albuquerque; Ruth Schifani, Albuquerque; Judy Zanotti, Albuquerque. MIRAGE is published three times a year, in April, August, and December, by the University of New Mexico Alumni Association for the University’s alumni and friends. Address all correspondence to UNM Alumni Relations Office, MSC 01-1160, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM 87131-0001. Send all Album information to the attention of Margaret Weinrod. Send all changes of address to the attention of Records. Send all other correspondence to the attention of Mary Conrad. To comply with the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, UNM provides this publication in alternative formats. If you have special needs and require an auxiliary aid or service, please contact Mary Conrad. Phone: 800-258-6866 (800-ALUM-UNM) or 505-277-5808. E-mail to Mary Conrad: mconrad@unm.edu or alumni@unm.edu. Web address: www.unmalumni.com

M I R A G E

m a g a z i n e

Guided Light:

lives College/School: Law

Norman Johnson

Gifts: Popejoy Hall, Law, Scholarships

Brian Colón F

BY MARY CONRAD

or Brian Colón, ’01 JD, it’s all about perspective. “Any success I’ve enjoyed has the fingerprints of many others on it,” says Brian. Brian grew up in Valencia County, New Mexico, where he began working with his parents’ small business at age 10. Upon Brian’s graduation from high school, his family moved to Florida because of his father’s muscular dystrophy. Brian says the decision to remain in New Mexico and attend NMSU was “black and white,” despite a desire to stay near his dad. Once at NMSU, the straight path to a degree began to veer. Always looking for the big entrepreneurial venture, Brian became more interested in building car-washes and running his cellular business. “I was a lone wolf at 18. I couldn’t have enjoyed any success had people not embraced me,” says Brian. Those people include the Balidos and the families of Gene Sais and Jerry Faulkner, all of Valencia County, who helped Brian with the transition from high school to college and encouraged him while he was at NMSU. Another of those people was Larry Sheffield, former chair of the Doña Ana Republican Party, who sat Brian down and asked him, “What’s it going to take to keep you on track?” He then walked into the bank and said, “This is my guy.” (That, despite Brian’s unwavering allegiance to the Democratic Party.) Still, classes came and went, until Brian began ordering cellular equipment from a Los Angeles wholesaler with a Philippine saleswoman named Aleli. When Aleli visited Brian in Las Cruces, he took her all over New Mexico. “I figured if I could get her to fall in love with the beauty of the state, I could get her to fall in love with me too,” Brian says. “By the end of a few days, it was obvious we were a match.” The couple were married nearly 10 years ago, and now have a young son, Rafael. But Brian gained more than a family: he gained a bellwether for his education and career. “My life is divided between ‘before and after Aleli.’ She propped me up and got me out the door, making every day livable,” he says. Brian finished his bachelor’s degree and enrolled in UNM Law School. At UNM Brian became president of the Graduate and Professional Students Association. “I try to live a life of service,” says Brian, “and student government was an effective way to do that.” To his list of life’s “guiding lights,” Brian adds Esteban Aguilar, who hired him at Aguilar Law Offices in 2001. “He’s a phenomenal individual,” says Brian, “who has been very generous to UNM because of his love of the law school.” Brian has followed Esteban’s example. “Aleli says she knows we won’t be wealthy because for every dollar we make, I give away two!” says Brian. These days, as chair of the Popejoy Hall leadership team, Brian is not just giving funds but raising them as well. “Popejoy provides young people an opportunity to reach out and touch places outside our state’s four corners,” says Brian. “It opens their eyes to a new vision.” He adds, “Through my gifts to Popejoy and the law school, I hope to honor the folks who have helped me along the way.”

w i n t e r

2 0 0 6

alumni donors College: Fine Arts

Chris Schueler T

M I R A G E

m a g a z i n e

BY GREG JOHNSTON

elevision producer/director Chris Schueler, ’85 MA, credits relationships formed at UNM with helping him build a foundation for his continuing work with New Mexico youth. The owner of Christopher Productions in Albuquerque, Chris says his efforts to effect social change for today’s youth were influenced by three UNM professors: Robert Hartung of Theatre Arts, Everett Rogers of Communication and Journalism, and Paul Nathanson of the School of Law. Soon after moving to New Mexico in the early 1980s, Chris attended the UNM production of Candide. “I was blown away by the quality of the play and I went backstage to meet Hartung, who had directed it. He said, ‘Come to UNM,’ and that’s when I started my master’s program,” Chris says. “Bob Hartung’s ability to always be positive and to assume that his students can all do great work was to me a huge gift. To witness what he did and how he did it made me want to be like him. His gift to me influenced how I try to produce and direct as I interact with young people.” In 1991, Chris hooked up with Nathanson and began projects revolving around youth social issues and community concerns. One of the projects that came to fruition was “News 101,” regular news stories on KRQE-TV that were completely produced by New Mexico high school students. Chris says it was Nathanson who helped him understand how to use the news media to create social change. “We wanted to turn (“News 101”) into documentaries that were important to youth and by youth.” That work then brought Chris together with Rogers, known for his research in communication theory. “He took me to lunch in ’92 or ’93 and said, ‘We need your work in India,’” Chris remembers. “A year later I found myself in the middle of India with Ev, doing some amazing work with the people there. His ability to examine issues from a worldwide perspective and see things through a variety of eyes really has created what I do now.” Chris continues to be inspired through his collaborations with young people. “There is so much wisdom and energy there that I don’t know which comes first,” he says. “As we get older we get jaded. These teenagers know that they can make a difference and they do.” Norman Johnson

Gifts: Theater, Alumni Association

Teens & Television:

the time of their

unm

College/School: University Studies, Public Administration Gifts: Alumni Association Scholarships for Fine Arts and Public Administration

B Y T E R RY G U G L I O T TA

s far as secrets of the University of New Mexico are concerned, probably no one knows more than Anne Brown, ’71 BUS, ’79 MPA. As far as telling those secrets is concerned, Anne is a Southern Woman who would never spill a word. University Secretary for 13 years, Anne was on the Advisory Council for Presidents Davis, Farer, Perovich, and May. She served as secretary for the regents and the faculty. She prepared commencement ceremonies affecting more than 50,000 students. If it hadn’t been for a cook at Pryor Field in Decatur, Alabama, Anne would never have come to work at UNM. Nor would she—along with her predecessor, John Durrie—have left behind a meticulous set of records dating back to the university’s creation in 1889. Nor would she have met Arnold Wood Brown, ’62 MA, ’69 EdD, her love of 56 years. It was 1944. Thousands of soldiers had passed through Momma K’s cafeteria line at Pryor Field. Momma was the local matchmaker. She picked Arnold for Anne, a University of Alabama junior. They went on a blind date and quickly began seeing each other on a regular basis. They went to movies, service clubs, and dances. Anne and Arnold fell in love and traveled to New York City to meet Arnold’s mom, Kitty. Anne and Kitty became instant friends. Anne decided to stay in New York. She got an apartment and began training to be a tour guide at Rockefeller Center. Meanwhile, Arnold left for active duty flying B-17s in the 8th Air Force. When Arnold returned on a brief furlough, he and Anne married. Until Arnold’s retirement from the service, he and Anne moved often, eventually settling in Albuquerque. Arnold completed his doctorate of education, and Anne began working in the University Secretary’s Office while finishing her undergraduate degree. University Secretary John Durrie was a stickler for detail who “came to work every day with a list of things to do,” recalls Anne. “He taught me how to organize and keep records.” Bachelor’s degree in hand, Anne went on to earn her master’s degree in public administration. Anne studied under Ferrel Heady, who, as president of the university from 1968 to 1975, had been her boss. “He was a delight because of his subtle sense of humor,” Anne says. Arnold went on to pursue a second career with Albuquerque Public Schools. He also pursued his love of painting, filling the Browns’ home with his watercolors. After Arnold’s death in 2000, Anne says she was in a position to give something back to the university, endowing two scholarships in the areas most important to the couple: public administration and fine arts. Anne’s only regret about her experience as University Secretary was not being able to work more with students. Providing scholarships has given Anne the opportunity to watch some students attain their dreams. Norman Johnson

Southern Ways:

lives

Anne Brown A

w i n t e r

2 0 0 6

alumni donors

College/School: Medicine

Physician Philanthropist:

the time of their

unm

Gifts: Carrie Tingley Hospital, Presidential Scholarships,

Norman Johnson

School of Medicine

M I R A G E

m a g a z i n e

Elizabeth Szalay T

BY MARY CONRAD

he residents of Rancho La Colorada, Mexico, were puzzled by the doctors building latrines in their village. Elizabeth Szalay, ’74 BS, ’78 MD, was among those wielding a trowel. On the board of St. Anthony’s Alliance—an organization focused upon health-enhancing interventions in underserved regions of the world—Elizabeth and other volunteers put their words into action. Elizabeth has also performed surgery for the indigent in Guayaquil, Ecuador, under the auspices of Project Perfect World. A pediatric orthopedist at UNM’s Carrie Tingley Hospital and an associate professor at the UNM School of Medicine, Elizabeth regularly puts the wellbeing of others first. She chose orthopedics because “everything you do is directed toward improving your patients’ quality of life.” Elizabeth’s current research is in pediatric bone density, including the relationship between fractures in children and calcium intake. The forearm-fracture rate of children has doubled since 1970, Elizabeth says. During the same period, their milk consumption in favor of soft drinks has halved. Elizabeth wants to establish the connection. She says she is “frightened about the future,” especially since children acquire most of their bone density between the ages of 12 and 14. Hurricane Rita is en route to the Texas coast as Elizabeth speaks. From 1988 to 2000, Elizabeth served as medical director of the Hughen/Bob Hope School for handicapped kids in Port Arthur, in the storm’s beeline. Always thinking of others, she worries about how the kids will evacuate. “I keep wondering if they got all those kids out of there,” she says. “They were getting them on buses and letting them take their pets. It broke my heart when the kids who withstood Katrina had to leave their pets behind.” Philanthropy’s spirit fills Elizabeth, who has been on the receiving end as well as the giving. “When I was a student at UNM, I was helped by the university with scholarships,” she says. “Remembering how important that was to me makes me want to give.” Elizabeth directs her gifts not just to Carrie Tingley and the medical school, but to Presidential Scholarships. She hopes her gifts will help move UNM to the national forefront in research while supporting its diverse student population. After graduating from medical school, Elizabeth did a rotation in San Antonio with a pediatric orthopedist, Kaye Wilkins, “who changed my life,” she says. “Kay gave me my love of pediatric orthopedics by his example and dedication. He is still my mentor. Now he has turned his focus into serving pediatric orthopedic needs in underserved people of the world. He recently asked me to go to Iraq. He is very unselfish.” It would seem that the generosity of those who care and give knows no limits.

College/School: Engineering Gifts: Presidential Scholarships

Michael Emerson & Kathryn Naassan

aking a connection and establishing a positive bond can enhance chances of success whether in a marriage, a business deal, or a scholarship gift. Michael Emerson, ’86 BSME, and Kathryn Naassan, ’87 BSME, are fortunate to have been involved in all three. Without that winning combination, they might not be where they are today. “We complement each other and that’s the biggest point to make,” says Kathy. “We both have our strengths and weaknesses, just like anyone else. We’ve been able to create a terrific team in a career sense and in a family sense. I wouldn’t have achieved what I’ve been able to achieve without Mike being there.” “It’s the same for me,” says Mike. “It’s that rare marriage where we’re around each other 24 hours a day. There’s one day since 1989 when she was on a trip and I couldn’t get hold of her. Otherwise we’ve talked to each other everyday. We make sure no matter how busy we are we always have time for family.” Both Kathy and Mike graduated from UNM with BS degrees in mechanical engineering, Kathy in 1987 and Mike in 1986. They both work in Albuquerque for ARES Corporation, a national engineering and risk assessment firm. The company has been involved with myriad projects, and has focused most recently on the space shuttle’s return to flight. “We’ve been building from two people in our house up to about a hundred people in the state of New Mexico,” says Kathy, who, along with Mike, helped to get ARES’ Albuquerque office established. “Seeing that growth and being a part of making that happen has been of tremendous value for us.” Kathy and Mike have also been involved with myriad causes over the years before deciding where to focus their fundraising efforts. The decision came one day after Mike received a letter in the mail from UNM, indicating that he had once been a Presidential Scholar and asking if he’d consider becoming a sponsor. “I said, ‘Wow, that’s a great thing to do!’ You’re helping someone directly. I was helped and now I can help a student,” Mike recalls. In 1998, Kathy and he became full sponsors. “The more I got involved with UNM the more I decided that’s where I want to focus my time, outside of work and family,” Mike says. In 2002, he was elected to the board of directors of the UNM Foundation. He now chairs the Friends of the Presidential Scholarship Program, a team of dedicated community leaders and other volunteers who help raise money for the PSP. “It is very rewarding to have that hands-on support of a student, getting to see the student progress and knowing exactly where your money is going,” Mike says of the PSP. “I like volunteering and doing other things,” says Mike, “but I also like being the most effective I can be. I find it’s easier to do that at UNM.” “UNM is doing great things,” adds Kathy. “It’s very rewarding (to see the) value to the students and sponsors.”

Norman Johnson

Student to Sponsor:

lives

BY STEVE CARR

w i n t e r

2 0 0 6

the time of their College/School: University College Gifts: Lobo Club, Ski Team

M I R A G E

m a g a z i n e

Wayne Harley W

BY STEVE CARR

ayne Harley, ’71 BUS, has worked hard for more than 40 years to get where he is now—retired with numerous interests. But he still remembers going with his dad to the Lobo football games at Zimmerman Field when he was about 7. He remembers watching Don Perkins, Jim Cromartie, and company. That’s when his love affair with the Lobos started. “It’s just gone on throughout my life,” he says. From the days of Perkins and Cromartie came the days of Harley and George Brooks, Lobo ski coach—although at the time, there wasn’t a ski team. Harley and Brooks played a role in changing that. “It was back in the fall of 1969 when I met George Brooks,” says Wayne. “He said, ‘I want to get a ski team together.’ It had been tried before but it had never got to a varsity status. I said ‘Great, let’s do it.’ He kind of took the bull by the horns and ramrodded it through.” With the help of many others, the team managed club status for two years before it became officially recognized and gained varsity status during Wayne’s senior year. More than 30 years later, Brooks led the team to the first national championship in school history. “I went to Tahoe and Sugar Bowl to see it and boy, what a thrill,” says Wayne. “It was something. It was pretty neat. I was real happy for George. He worked hard at it.” After graduating from college in 1971, Wayne went to work for his dad, Joseph, owner of Baldridge Lumber Supply, which was recently sold after a half century as an Albuquerque mainstay. “My dad had an outside sales position available,” Wayne recalls. “He said, ‘This is where your future is,’ and so I took it. That was a big turning point in my life. The ski business is great, but you’re not going to make a lot of money. I liked the lumber business. I enjoyed the selling so I jumped right in. I took over when my dad had his heart attack in 1988.” Wayne operated the business until April 2005 when it was bought out. Nowadays, he spends much of his time hunting, fishing, shooting competitively, and building a house in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Wayne has continued his support of Lobo athletics and the ski program throughout the years. “My dad and I have been longtime members of the Lobo Club, maybe back to its inception,” says Wayne. “We’ve always supported all of UNM’s sports and Lobo athletics, but our favorite is the ski team.” Over the years Brooks and Harley have continued their friendship, which has continued to benefit the ski program. Wayne has sponsored the UNM Corporate Cup, a series of ski races held each winter. Corporations throughout the state sign up teams to compete at New Mexico ski areas. The registration proceeds and sponsorships go to the ski program. “It’s returning to the community,” says Wayne. “The business was part of the community. The community supported my business, my family, and myself, and so it’s a good way to say thank you. Skiing did a lot for me and I’m returning the favor.” Norman Johnson

Championing the Lobos:

alumni donors

unm

2006calendar

MARLEIGH GARCIA Working for a BA in English and psychology, Marleigh was smitten by life abroad after spending a semester in Australia. She hopes to teach English in the Japanese Exchange and Teaching program after she graduates in May 2006.

gifts of a lifetime

The University of New Mexico | Alumni Association

goodwill and generosity.

of their own, an aggregate of

of a whole. They form a community

Sometimes our gifts are a small part

to the recipient until years later.

Often their importance isn’t clear

gifts and their consequences.

correspondence between our

Often there’s no one-to-one

receives them.

Often we don’t know who

that trusts the future.

come from a place in our heart

Some of our most important gifts

gifts of a lifetime

their own gifts of a lifetime with UNM.

names of fellow alumni who have shared

Alumni Center, you are greeted with the

When you enter Hodgin Hall, the UNM

Your gifts to UNM are for their lifetime..

every day.

These students open your gifts

Look at the students in this calendar.

here for those who follow us.

declare through our gifts that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re

little wary, to trust the future, to

It makes us feel good, if not a

S P E N D I E R

A R T S

S C I E N C E S

the gift of knowledge:

— K A T H R I N

comfortable when I first came to the US and UNM.

”

paid but also because caring teammates and a great head coach helped me feel

My skiing scholarship has helped me not only because I get my education

“

Norman Johnson

tues

wed

thurs

fri

Donor: Stephanie Bennett-Smith, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;63 BA, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;66 MA

january2006

mon

sun

sat

Engagement.

and Community

for Public Service

University Committee

representative on the

undergraduate

Lettermen and the

president of Student

to the community as

already giving back

research. Kathrin is

and a career in

studies in bio-physics

hopes for graduate

her motivated. She

opportunity keeps

student has such an

not every Austrian

awareness that

Kathrin says her

most of us. But

would be beyond

applied mathematics

studies in physics and

and competition with

athletic training

ombining

— M I C H A E L

N U R S I N G

the gift of caring:

that benefits society.

”

S A N C H E Z

My motivation is to be able to provide for my family by working in a profession

“

Norman Johnson

tues

wed

fri

Donor: Josephine Waconda, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;76 BSNU

thurs

february2006

mon

sun

sat

nurse anesthetist.

to become a certified

graduate school and

nursing studies in

plans to continue his

his church. Mike

He is also active in

into his schedule.

a flight attendant

trying to fit work as

the community while

charitable work in

Mike participates in

Nurse Association,

of the Student

in 2007. A member

plans to graduate

students, with

both nursing

wife are

ike and his

— B A Y L O R

D E L

R O S A R I O

E D U C A T I O N

the gift of learning:

a lifesaver.

”

My graduate assistantship and, this year, the Regents Scholarship have been

“

Norman Johnson

tues

wed

march2006

mon

sun

fri

Donor: Aileen Garcia, ’92 MA

thurs

sat

organization each year.

graduate student

of his department’s

squeeze in presidency

he has managed to

in grad school, but

him hopping while

children have kept

Baylor’s two young

public school principal.

soon to become a

publication, and hopes

days of this calendar’s

his doctorate within

anticipates receiving

US at age 10, Baylor

who moved to the

A native of Manila

personal growth.

professional and

Baylor sought

in a public school,

education teacher

as a special

fter five years

— V A N E S S A

F I N E

A R T S

the gift of creativity:

can do it!

”

R E Y E S

I want my son to see that if Mama can do it (earn a college degree), he

“

Norman Johnson

tues

april2006

mon

sun

wed

fri

Donor: Chris Schueler, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;85 BA

thurs

sat

her son.

by the need to support

Vanessa is motivated

family to go to college,

One of the first in her

jobs become available.

dance department as

meet, working in the

pressed to make ends

scholarship. She is

qualify for a lottery

high school, she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

in college right after

Vanessa didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enroll

studies. Because

her 2-year-old and her

her hands full with

mother, Vanessa has

teacher. A single

become a flamenco

Then she hopes to

styles and techniques.

Spanish flamenco

in Spain, learning

she longs to study

graduating in 2008,

flamenco dance. After

her calling in

anessa has found

— T I F F A N Y

E .

P H A R M A C Y

the gift of well-being:

at the Chinese Culture Center..

”

L I N

take on leadership roles, and to continue learning martial arts from my father

learning, to have time to become involved within school and outside of school, to

The Regents Scholarship has enabled me to concentrate on school and

“

Norman Johnson

tues

may2006

mon

sun

wed

fri

Donor: Madeline King, ’02 PharmD

thurs

sat

iffany applies the same concentration to her pharmacy studies as she does to her martial arts lessons. Her dedication to both fields stems from her childhood. Tiffany hopes to complete her Pharm D —as pharmacy students refer to their doctorate—in May 2008. Tiffany says time constraints are always a challenge, as she tries to balance studies with two jobs—one at an out-patient pharmacy and the other helping her father teach martial arts to children at the Chinese Culture Center. A Regents’ Scholarship—covering all her schooling costs—has enabled Tiffany to focus upon school and learning and to take on leadership roles.

Something that motivates me to continue to work hard is wanting

— J O S H U A

S I M P L I C I O

E N G I N E E R I N G

the gift of understanding:

far in life.

”

to succeed. I want to let those who didn’t believe in me see that I can get

“

Norman Johnson

tues

june2006

mon

sun

thurs

fri

Donors: Mike Emerson, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;86 BSE & Kathryn Naassan, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;87 BSE

wed

sat

his field.

begin working in

graduate degree or

will either pursue a

graduation, Joshua

Scholarships. After

Bridge, and SIMES

the help of the Zuni,

attends college with

Engineering. Joshua

of Automotive

Formula Society

involved with the

hopes to become

students. He also

and hard-of-hearing

taking notes for deaf

schedule, he adds

a week!) Into a busy

8 a.m. classes five days

his studies. (He has

to managing time for

Joshua is adjusting

mechanical engineering,

majoring in

freshman

”

B E G A Y

P U B L I C A D M I N I S T R AT I O N

the giftofaccomplishment

— W I L L I E

By earning a master’s degree, I want to empower my children in their

future studies.

“

Norman Johnson

tues

july2006

mon

sun

wed

fri

Donor: Anne Brown, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;71 BUS, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;79 MPA

thurs

sat

wenty years out from his undergraduate degree, Willie returned to school with an eye to advancement in a government position in resource or emergency management. A forester, Willie works at the Southwest Coordinator Center for the BIA, responding to fire and all-risk needs. He was an early responder to Hurricane Katrina. One of his first challenges in returning to school, he says, was to ask questions without worry. Receiving the Anne Brown Scholarship boosted his self-esteem and has pushed him to compete for other merit-based scholarships. Married with four kids, Willie balances family, a full-time job, and school. Willie anticipates completing his MPA in spring 2006.

L A W

the gift of justice:

— G A I L

”

C H A S E Y

My husband, a lawyer, says he started law school 50 years before I did!

“

Norman Johnson

tues

wed

august2006

mon

sun

thurs

Donor: Brian Colón, ’01 JD

fri

sat

the state legislature.

to continue serving in

in Albuquerque and

plans to practice law

JD in May 2008, Gail

After receiving her

of her classmates.

scholarships to many

the importance of

Gail recognizes

scholarship herself,

in the gaps. Not on

audiotapes help fill

Gail says class

sessions is daunting,

studies with legislative

desire. While balancing

fulfilling a lifelong

school this year—

she enrolled in law

special education,

doctoral degree in

of a master’s and a

Already the holder

on challenges.

Gail Chasey thrives

State Legislature,

to the New Mexico

as a representative

n her eighth year

— C H E R I S E

F I N E

M A N A G E M E N T

the gift of vision:

I desire.

”

I’m driven to always excel, and I know that I can achieve anything

“

Norman Johnson

tues

wed

fri

Donor: Larry Abraham, ’76 BBA

thurs

september2006

mon

sun

sat

fter graduating with a BBA in December 2005, Cherise plans to earn her MBA and work in sports marketing. A huge football and basketball fan, Cherise is interested in what goes on behind the scenes and what makes an event successful. Financially, the Lottery Scholarship has helped Cherise make it through college. Emotionally, Cherise’s family and friends have kept her motivated “to never give up.” Time-management has presented a challenge as she balances her class-work with volunteering on behalf of children and teens. In addition, Cherise has begun an internship with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, part of the NBA Development League.

” L O N G

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

the gift of fulfillment:

— B R I A N

A degree is going to get me where I want to go in life.

“

Norman Johnson

tues

wed

october2006

mon

sun

fri

Donor: Wayne Harley, ’71 BUS

thurs

sat

we felt the urge to help.”

transplant, “because

need of a bone-marrow

Wells, a little girl in

on campus for Kailee

a bone-marrow drive

two blood drives and

and a friend organized

the US Army. Brian

either law school or

2007, he will enter

Brian’s graduation in

teach math. Upon

in May, accredited to

graduate from UNM

Brian’s fiancé will

and a future in law.

studying for the LSAT

business, Brian is also

American jewelry

cadet with a Native

BUS program. An ROTC

management in his

and entrepreneurial

and science, religion,

combines military history

interests, Brian

ith multifaceted

— J U L I O

D O M I N G U E Z

A R C H I T E C T U R E

the gift of growth:

on my degree.

”

my parents—who are behind me 100 percent—motivate me to keep working

My Mexican heritage, setting an example for my two younger sisters, and

“

Norman Johnson

tues

wed

fri

Donor: Thomas Schoeman, ’ 73 BARC

thurs

november2006

mon

sun

sat

iving is a way of life for Julio, who gives generously of his time and who pursues his studies with his family in mind. Julio volunteers for the TVI Literacy Program and serves on the board of the Mountain View Neighborhood Association. He also helps the college counselor at Rio Grande High School recruit minority students. Julio works for the South Valley Partners for Environmental Justice. Julio was recently named a finalist in an international competition for his self-sufficient housing design. Close to finishing his bachelor’s degree, he hopes to pursue a master’s degree in architecture with a design-build emphasis.

” — C H R I S

M E D I C I N E

the gift of healing:

I really want to be a doctor .

“

Q U I N T A N A

Norman Johnson

tues

wed

fri

Donor: Elizabeth Szalay, ’74 BS, ’78 MD

thurs

december2006

mon

sun

sat

“i

in internal medicine.

undertake a residency

in 2006, and will

become Dr. Quintana

grounded. Chris will

help keep Chris

interested in medicine

middle-school kids

and working with

the Amigos program

bilingual tutor with

Volunteering as a

keep Chris motivated.

share to improve it

hoping to do his

of healthcare and

the current state

Chris. But seeing

enjoy doing,” says

accustomed to and

the things you are

to give up

t’s not easy

acknowledge the following individuals and sponsors

he UNM Alumni Association would like to thank and

alumni who graduated

The Heritage Club honors

the group’s annual dinner.

into the Heritage Club at

Class of 1955 was inducted

Thursday evening, the

or more years ago.

for making this year’s homecoming a huge success.

place around campus.

the day as voting took

campaigned throughout

Queen candidates

Contest. The King and

the Campus Decorating

had taken top honors in

that Special Programs/CEP

SUB. It was announced

appreciation lunch at the

staff-alumni enjoyed an

than 250 faculty- and

On Wednesday, more

hour celebration.

Alumni met for a happy

Bookstore, and Young

mural contest at the UNM

activities with a chalk

students kicked off their

On Monday, October 3,

October 3-8.

Past, Building the Future,”

“Reflections: Honoring the

UNM’s 80th homecoming,

and staff celebrated

from the university 50

lumni, students,

reflections on reflections

Nick Layman

AAA New Mexico Karen Abraham Albuquerque Economic Development, Inc.

Auction Donors

106.1 – The Sports Animal 770 KOB AM Albuquerque City Transit Bright Ideas – Lesley Ann and Harold Kinney, June Wilhelm Citadel Southwest Radio Garcia’s Tents – Steve Garcia Lithexcel – Waleed Ashoo, Danny Vigil National Distributing Southwest Airlines

Gifts in Kind

All Sports Trophies, Inc. Barraclough & Associates Stephen Bass & Laura Hueter Bass Tucker & Karen Bayless Jim & Yvonne Beckley John & Suzette Brooks George Chew Fred Chreist, Jr. Frontier Restaurant Annette & Fred Gorenz Maria Griego-Raby David N. Hernandez William & Susan Littlefield Bob & Betsy Murphy The Nature Conservancy, Tom Cherones Ronald L. Peters Jim Ritchie Cindy & Tommy Roberts Judith A. Rogala Florrie & Bob Stamm Tom & Lois Stephens Coleman Travelstead Robert & Elizabeth Wertheim UNM Los Angeles Chapter

Homecoming 100 Club

Jeff Otis

Homecoming Poster Artist

MBNA Liberty Mutual UNM Division of Student Affairs – Eliseo Torres, Walter Miller

Cherry & Silver Sponsors

Albuquerque Little Theater Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid Hotel All Sports Trophies, Inc. Apple Canyon Steve Archibeque Ashton’s Salon Avila Retail Vince & Elisa Baca Best Western Inn & Suites Bien Mur Indian Market Center Blue Sky Systems Bueno Brand Food Products Butterfield Jewelers Le Cafe Miche Cannon’s Sweet Hots Chez D’Or Chick’s Harley Davidson Clampitt Paper Clean, Inc. Coaches Sport Grill Comcast Cable Comfort Foods/Desert Gardens Patrick Conroy Cooperage/Scarpa’s Creamland Dairies Dee’s Cheesecake Factory George Chew Daniel L. DeFazio, DDS, PC Defined Fitness Dion’s Pizza Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum Fairfield Inn/Albuquerque Hilton Frank Frost Photography Gardenswartz Team Sales Gin Mill Restaurant & Tavern Graphic Connection Graze by Jennifer Jones Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce Heart and Soul Salon by Mario Nancy Herring & Matthew Segura Hinkle Family Fun Center Hyatt Tamaya Hotel Il Vicino Inn of the Mountain Gods Casino & Resort Isotopes Baseball Club Jeanne’s Cosmetics, Gifts & Jewelry

John Corporation Kim Jew Photography Studio KRQE TV Laffs Comedy Café Liberty Gym, Inc Lobo Store/Uptown Lobo Store Los Cuates Del Norte New Mexican Foods Tim & Sue MacEachen Manning Florist Melba Floral Studio Mercedes Benz/Porsche/Audi of Albuquerque Merle Norman Cosmetics Lillian Montoya-Rael National Restaurant Supply New Mexico Look New Mexico Symphony Orchestra New Mexico Zoological Society, Inc, Now We’re Cooking David Polansky La Posada de Albuquerque Radisson Hotel & Conference Center Rainbow Ryders, Inc. El Rancho de las Golondrinas The Range Cafe at Wyoming Veronica Reed Route 66 Dry Cleaners Sadie’s Sagebrush Inn Sandia Peak Ski Area/Sandia Peak Tramway/Santa Fe Ski Area Santa Fe Opera Santa Fe Southern Railway Savory Fare Scalo Northern Italian Grill Sign & Image Factory, LLC Southwest Airlines Sport Systems Stone Age Climbing Gym Sunny’s Hallmark Ten Thousand Waves Terra Firma TGI Friday’s Charlene Chavez Tunney UNM Alumni Association UNM Bookstore UNM Center for the Arts/Popejoy Hall UNM Communications and Marketing UNM Foundation

place later in the afternoon

Steve Archibeque, Homecoming Chair Steve Carr, Publicity, LoboZone Tailgate Lisa Delgado, Campus Involvement Jennifer Gomez-Chavez, LoboZone Tailgate Nancy Herring, Silent Auction Michelle Hurley, Alumni Reunions Brittany Jaeger, ASUNM President Ryan Lindquist, Student Activities Matt Maez, Student Chair Danny Milo, Young Alumni Debbie Morris, Student Activities, PSL David Polansky, LoboZone Tailgate Eleanor Sanchez, Campus Involvement Wende Schwingendorf, Publicity Danny Vigil, Silent Auction Joe Weiss, Athletics Susan Wilson, Publicity Kristin Munson, Alumni Reunions Jennifer Riordan, Silent Auction Frieda Stewart, Class of ‘55 Maria Wolfe, Staff

Kim Feldman – UNM Alumni Lettermen Judith Stauber – Foundation for Jewish Life on Campus Debbie Morris – Past Student Leaders Danny Milo – Young Alumni Lisa McHale – Anderson School of Management and School of Public Administration John Miller – School of Architecture and Planning Debbie Dobson – College of Arts and Sciences

Reunion Coordinators

alumni reunions took

Homecoming Committee

the mood afterwards.

display helped to brighten

rush. A blazing fireworks

BYU in a final downfield

battle, the Lobos fell to

fans. Despite a courageous

King in front of 39,000+

Homecoming Queen and

Tixier were crowned

Maralyn Beck and Tyler

programs. At halftime,

Scholarship Fund and

UNM Alumni Association

raised over $13,000 for the

game. The Silent Auction

UNM vs. BYU football

Silent Auction before the

at the annual Tailgate and

showed their Lobo spirit

Alumni and fans

in Hollywood Dance.

convened for the Howlin’

alumni and students

and evening, after which

the Homecoming Court

with a pep rally at which

moved into high gear

books. The students

reminiscing over memory

Union Building and

brunch at the Student

of 1955 meeting for

was announced. Over 20

Friday saw the Class

UNM Lobo Athletic Department UNM Los Alamos UNM Men’s Basketball UNM Office of the President UNM Ski Team UNM Spirit Marching Band UNM Theatre & Dance/Center for the Arts UNM Track & Field UNM University Libraries UNM Women’s Basketball Weems Galleries Yvonne’s Sweet Treats Zinc Bar

Robin Abeles Albuquerque Hilton Albuquerque Petroleum Club Steve Archibeque, Contest Judge Best Western Airport Inn & Suites Rodney Bowe, Hillary Smith and Sweetlife Abel Cuevas Scott Dotson, Athletics Enterprise Rent-a-car Fairfield Inn by Marriott Paul Fowler Graphic Connection, Scott Creagan

We Couldn’t Do It Without You!

Margaret Duran – College of Education Steve Zoncki – School of Engineering Jennifer Gomez-Chavez – College Enrichment Program Susan Brake – Marching Band Alumni Rosemary Gregory, Marlena Bermel – College of Nursing Kim Henson – School of Public Administration Rosalie Otero, Beth Hanes – University Honors Program Frieda Stewart – Class of ‘55

Graphic Industries, Greg Edgeington Homewood Suites by Hilton Ketner Design, Kelly Ketner Nick Layman, Photography Lobo Louie Lobo Lucy The March Company Donese Mayfield Danny Milo, Contest Judge Mike Pakaluk Printworks, Kathi Bowler The Rev. Ned Ross Eleanor Sanchez, Contest Judge Sig’s Food and Drink UNM Athletics, Rudy Davalos UNM Bookstore UNM Center for the Arts Ovation Series UNM Daily Lobo UNM Dean of Students Office UNM Lobo Club, Darrin Dunn UNM Marching Band UNM Office of Institutional Advancement UNM Parking and Transportation UNM Physical Plant UNM Police Department UNM President’s Office Joe, Florence, and Andrea Archibeque Summer Brown Wayne Chew Mark Maes Hughie Mahedy Jerry Modisette Therese and Joe Mondragon Leo Moya Amy O’Donnell Robin Packer Dave Polansky Sherry Reeder Bernadette, Amanda, and Alyssa Robinson

Volunteers

UNM Press UNM Public Affairs/Campus News UNM ROTC Units UNM Spirit Group UNM Student Activities, Debbie Morris UNM Student Homecoming Committee UNM Student Union – Aramark UNM Student Union Catering, Ly Flock UNM Ticket Office UNM Trailblazers Omar Villanueva Karen Abraham Donna Balduini Elaine Chew Mary Conrad Miranda Eastham Tara Edwards Kim Feldman Rita Fristoe Marleigh Garcia Trish Jacquez Merlyn Liberty Sue MacEachen Gina Maes Josh Peterson Chris Polansky Frieda Stewart Charlene Tunney Margaret Weinrod Maria Wolfe

Alumni Relations Staff

Christina Sessa Patrick Stewart Van Tate Tom Tunney Christina Whitaker

Nick Layman

US District Judge, right.

Armijo, ’73 BA, ‘75 JD,

Honorable M. Christina

Lobo Award went to the

’87 JD. The Mortar Board

Lujan Grisham, ’82 BUS,

Secretary of Health Michelle

’74 BA; and New Mexico

columnist Jim Belshaw,

’73 JD; Albuquerque Journal

Briggs Cheney, ’69 BABA,

Lovejoy, ’85 AAED; attorney

Commissioner Lynda

New Mexico Public Regulation

’70 MS, ’73 PhD, ’85 MBA;

Waneta Tuttle, ’67 BS,

scientist-entrepreneur

Michelle Coons, ’83 BABA;

were, left to right, banker

year’s Zia Award recipients

Board Lobo Award. This

Zia Awards and the Mortar

of the Alumni Association

Breakfast to honor recipients

traditional All University

and guests gathered at the

More than 150 alumni

All University Pride:

I Ground has just been broken on the new George Pearl Hall, the building that will house the UNM School of Architecture and Planning. This building is being constructed on what has been the parking area just west of the UNM Bookstore. As one of the projects made possible by the bond issue, the new facility will provide students in our growing Architecture program a wonderful space for learning and working with community groups on planning activities. On our north campus, construction at University Hospital continues, and the Domenici Education Building is now well underway. I am particularly proud that the National Cancer Institute recently named the UNM Cancer Research & Treatment Center as an NCI Cancer Center. This means that UNM joins an exclusive group of institutionsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; those which have passed a competitive peer-review process

and which conduct outstanding cancer research focused on translating discoveries into better cancer treatments. In addition, the National Science Foundation and the National Cancer Institute have announced that UNM is one of four universities chosen to share $12.8 million in grants to establish integrative training environments for doctoral students to study nanoscience technology with applications for cancer research. We are also reaching out to middle- and high-school students by sponsoring events such as the New Mexico Young Researchers banquet, a statewide celebration of the participants in regional, state, and international science and engineering fairs. In addition, we plan to participate in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair to be held in Albuquerque in 2007.

the new calendar year, the face of the UNM campus continues to grow and change.

enhancing public service and modernizing our facilities. In fact, as we move into

realizing several of our important prioritiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;improving undergraduate education,

I am pleased to report that a great deal of time and effort have been dedicated to

Sincerely, Louis Caldera, President University of New Mexico

In the area of public service, Dr. Michael Morris is working with Special Assistant to the President Breda Bova on a plan to organize collaborative efforts with other partners to grapple with pressing problems and needs facing the state of New Mexico. The resulting committee will advise me on matters related to public outreach and community service. The range of activities on campus is enormous, and I urge you to come back to visit and learn more about how you can become involved. Our faculty, staff, and students greatly value your ongoing support as UNM continues to evolve into an institution more closely linked with our community and the world.

UNM: Evolving & Involving

our gift, large or small, affirms your

• Memorial Gifts

• Planned Gifts

gifts for a lifetime faith in the future of your alma mater.

Whether by mail, phone, or online, we invite

There are many ways to give. Unrestricted gifts

you to make your gift to UNM.

• Endowments

allow the President and deans to fund their top priorities, seizing opportunities in teaching and research. Your interest in a particular field of study may lead you to support a specific college or program. Scholarships make a profound

UNM Foundation Inc.

1 University of New Mexico

difference in the lives of our students.

You might want to consider these options:

Albuquerque NM 87131-0001

MSC 07 4260

• The Annual Fund

• University Libraries

• The UNM Alumni Association

www.unm.edu/foundation

Email: giving@unm.edu

505-277-4503 or 800-UNM-FUND (866-3863)

• Your School or College

• Presidential Scholarship Program

unm

College/School: Nursing Gifts: Nursing

BY LAURIE MELLAS

ome professionals aspire to be honored for their work while others toil giving no thought to recognition. A career nurse and longtime Indian Health Services administrator, Josephine Waconda, ’76 BSNU, has repeatedly been caught unawares receiving awards such as the Center for New Mexico Nursing Excellence Award, Governor’s Award for Outstanding Women, and UNM Centennial Distinguished Alumni Award. “I never knew when mine were coming,” says Josephine, also honored by the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women and National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association. The first Native American woman ranked assistant surgeon general in the US Public Health Service, Josephine is nationally known for upgrading healthcare for pueblos and tribes in the Southwest. She retired in 1997 after 42 years in healthcare, the last 10 as director of Indian Health Services for New Mexico, southern Colorado, and El Paso, Texas. Meeting community need was a perpetual challenge, says Josephine, who mobilized community health groups to subsidize government services. “As director, I had responsibility for everything—clinics and hospitals, facilities, water, waste disposal, immunization rates, nutrition and diabetes programs,” she says. Josephine, a Pueblo Indian of Laguna and Isleta heritage, established thriving clinics at pueblos where conditions had been far below standard. “We were living 25 years behind the times yet we were 40 miles from Albuquerque,” she says. She taught staff how to provide basic clinical services such as ordering medications and sterilizing equipment. “You have to know how to initiate a response in people,” she says of her success. “You don’t tell them, you work with them. We are in this together. In our culture, we work as a whole.” Trained as a registered nurse in 1955 at Albuquerque’s Regina School of Nursing, Josephine received an IHS scholarship in 1972 to pursue a bachelor’s in nursing. “I had to start with English 101. UNM didn’t give me one credit for 15 years in nursing,” she laughs, Already a mother of four, she earned her BA along with family nurse practitioner certification. “I’ve always been interested in health,” Josephine says. “My parents were teachers who worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and taught on the Laguna Reservation. My dad was the first Native American graduate of UNM in 1940.” Josephine’s father, who secured voting rights for Native Americans in New Mexico in 1948, instilled the importance of education, she says. Her brother, Michael H. Trujillo, is a UNM School of Medicine graduate. Of her four children, two are Lobos. Josephine serves on the College of Nursing Community Advisory Board and the UNM Geriatric Education Center Executive Board. She is chair of both the New Mexico Indian Nurses Association and the Isleta Pueblo Health Board. She hopes the gifts she bestows on UNM will assist native students. Health services have improved in Native American communities, she says, but at Isleta Pueblo where she and her husband, John, reside, the clinic does not have a native doctor. “We have a long way to go to recruit Native Americans to the health profession,” she says. Norman Johnson

Meeting Native Needs:

alumni donors

lives

Josephine Waconda S

w i n t e r

2 0 0 6

the time of their First Impressions:

alumni donors

unm

College: Arts & Sciences Gifts: Harwood Museum,

Norman Johnson

American Studies Department

M I R A G E

m a g a z i n e

BY MARY CONRAD

Stephanie Bennett-Smith T

he former president of Smith College, Jill Ker Conway, began life in the Australian outback. That never-ending expanse of grassland and sky would underlay her perception, thought, and vision regardless of her physical distance from it. In her memoirs, she wrote about “the inner landscape of the mind, the unspoken, unanalyzed relationship to the order of creation which governs our psyches at the deepest level.” The former president of Centenary College, Stephanie Bennett-Smith, ’63 BA, ’66 MA, began life in Albuquerque’s high desert, making childhood visits to her grandmother’s home in Taos. New Mexico’s play of mountain, sky, and desert became part of her essence. “Growing up in an environment that open and vast influenced my world and my way of thinking,” says Stephanie. So, too, did her experience—familial and academic—at UNM. Stephanie’s father, Claude Stephen “Casey” Mitchell, worked as an editor of The Daily Lobo while attending UNM. Her mother, Nelle Mitchell, worked at the university for 20 years as supervisor of records. Stephanie’s first job, at 13, was stamping registration cards. Her uncle, William Kunkel, was on the music faculty. Her brother, Stephen Mitchell, earned both his bachelor’s and his master’s degrees in civil engineering at UNM, and has served on the UNM Foundation Board. And two cousins attended UNM. But her relationships with three faculty mentors, Ernest Baughman and Delbert Wylder of the English department and George Winston Smith of history, would be pivotal in her career. “They believed in me,” Stephanie says, “at a time when women in higher education were rare. Their gift was of one of confidence.” With that gift, Stephanie set forth to earn her doctorate in American Civilization at the University of Iowa, to teach at Loretto Heights and Albion Colleges, and then to move into higher ed administration, first as dean of Westhampton College at the University of Richmond and ultimately as president of Centenary until her retirement in 2001. “I wouldn’t be the person I am today were it not for UNM,” says Stephanie, who now serves on the UNM Foundation Board. “In terms of intellectual curiosity, it taught me how to study, to persevere, to dig deeper. It was a wonderful, enriching environment.” The bond of place and experience influenced Stephanie and her husband, Orin Smith, in choosing their Taos home—where they spend two months of the year—an historic adobe compound abutting the Harwood Museum of Art of the University of New Mexico. It also influenced their generous support of the museum, on whose board of trustees Stephanie now serves. “It’s a museum with a great history, a wonderful tradition, and a promising future that is ready for growth and infusion,” says Stephanie. “We like to give where we can see the impact and have fun interacting with the people who benefit.”

Sparkplug:

lives College: Anderson Schools of Management

Norman Johnson

Gifts: Lobo Club, Presidential Scholars

Larry Abraham L

B Y C A R O LY N G O N Z A L E S

arry Abraham, ’76 BBA, put entrepreneurial spirit into practice before he got out of college. “I opened a storage business while I was still in school. I was always looking for business ideas,” he says. Larry’s business interests have included retail, manufacturing, ranching, real estate, and residential and commercial construction. His current business venture is Cellular and More, but his drive today is more about making a difference than making a buck. Larry credits UNM with giving him the discipline needed to be successful as well as the opportunity to establish enduring friendships and relationships. “There were only seven of us in a particular finance class. We are still friends today,” he says. As a student of finance, marketing, and economics, Larry sees the university’s value to the entire state. “UNM is the economic engine for the state of New Mexico,” he says. Larry says that his education “paid off” for him and so he considers it his responsibility to give back. “People may not realize until 15 or 20 years after graduation that the university had a direct impact on their overall success. Their success is a reflection of their education and experiences,” he says. Larry says that while not everyone can contribute to the university monetarily, everyone can contribute in one way or another. “Once you succeed, it’s difficult to know exactly how the university helped you. Some can give money, others can give of their time, talent, wisdom, and knowledge,” he says. Larry’s gifts come from his heart, head, and hands. Following in his father’s footsteps, he’s a founding member of the Popejoy Society. As past president of the UNM Lobo Club, he spent 10 years fundraising for UNM athletics. “I hope to spark interest in at least one person, give that person the opportunities I’ve had at UNM. Hopefully that person will, in turn, give back to the university as well,” he says. Larry makes a difference in his community too. Currently he is mayor of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, a community of 6,000 in Albuquerque’s North Valley, where his goal is to develop a stronger identity for the village and help people develop a deeper sense of pride in their community. “Los Ranchos is diverse and dynamic. We have many well-educated people, including many who work in some capacity at UNM,” he says. A challenge he faces is maintaining the rural setting of the North Valley alongside encroaching urbanization. Larry is an art collector with a particular affinity for Native American art. Claiming no art skills in his own right, he has an enduring appreciation for the vibrant colors and subjects of Yellowman, Rabbit, and Peña. The larger-than-life figures looking down from the canvases on the walls in Larry’s home effectively challenge all who glance at them. Larry is equally colorful and direct, challenging those around him to succeed where their talents lead them and give back along the way.

w i n t e r

2 0 0 6

the time of their Giving Example:

alumni donors

unm

College/School: Pharmacy

M I R A G E

m a g a z i n e

BY MARY CONRAD

ever underestimate the power of example. For Madeline King, ’02 PharmD, it molded her life and in turn is shaping the lives of others. Madeline’s grandmother, Helen Reyes, a Navajo living on the reservation, survived two husbands, one killed in World War I, the other in World War II. Undaunted, she moved to Gallup, determined to support her family. Working as a nursing assistant, she ultimately bought a house and was the mainstay of her four children. “I can’t even imagine what that would be like,” says Madeline, “to be a minority, female, single parent in the 60s. Her example inspired us all.” While she can’t put herself in her grandmother’s shoes, she does wear her grandmother’s determination. “I’m very competitive,” admits Madeline, an in-patient clinical pharmacist at Albuquerque’s Veterans Administration Hospital. “Even though my parents always said education was important, I was the one who pushed myself to be top of my class.” Madeline and her husband, Jason King, met while Madeline was a freshman at UNM and Jason was playing basketball as a senior at Tularosa High. They became a duo, then a trio in 1997, when their daughter, Amber, was born. Their early years were the “hardest times,” says Madeline, “juggling school, work, and a child. We always knew we were meant to be together, and now the work has paid off.” At the VA, Madeline makes rounds with a multi-disciplinary team of doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and others. The outdated concept of a pharmacist dispensing pills is changing, she says. Automation has taken over many of their former tasks so pharmacists are better able to serve as drug-information resources. Madeline chose to practice at the VA after a post-graduate residency there. “Vets are wonderful people,” she says, “genuine, respectful, and thankful. Everybody who is working at the VA is working to help them.” Now Madeline’s example at the VA informs and inspires other aspiring and new pharmacists. “My position at the VA is an education position,” she says. Students attend medical rounds with her, making presentations to the staff. “When they’re on my rotation, I hope they’ll see a different side of pharmacy. Hopefully, they’ll want to learn more, and most of all, they’ll realize how much learning there still is after school. Pharmacy is constantly changing.” Madeline met Pharmacy Dean John A. Pieper—who came to UNM after Madeline had graduated—at a conference in Atlanta. “I attribute my involvement with the school now to Dean Pieper,” she says. “He invites alumni to contribute to the college through experience, externships, clinical rotations, internships. He reaches out to pharmacists.” Pieper asked Madeline to serve first as a guest interviewer and later as a permanent member of the pharmacy admissions committee. As one of the committee’s younger interviewers, Madeline says she has “a different perspective on what pharmacy school is now.” A member of the College of Pharmacy’s Pacesetters’ Circle (for new graduates who make gifts of $250 or more), Madeline enjoys meeting the pharmacy students in a relaxed environment. “We have the opportunity to meet the students we’re investing in, to offer our support, to let them know we’re here,” she says. “I want to make sure any contribution I give to the school now will turn out better pharmacists.” Norman Johnson

Gifts: Pharmacy

Madeline King N

College/School: Architecture Gifts: Architecture, Annual Fund

B Y C A R O LY N G O N Z A L E S

homas Schoeman,’73 BARC, grew up in New York City and attended a local junior college before coming to UNM. “I was extremely poor and was fortunate to receive a $1,000 scholarship at UNM. It was a lot of money at the time,” he recalls. Tom considers his time at UNM significant. “New Mexico culture has so much to offer. I was exposed to fine art and architecture and learned to design in the desert environment,” he says. He moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1979 despite having friends tell him he was crazy to do so. It proved to be a monumental move. “Las Vegas is constantly growing, an environment architects need to practice their skills,” Tom says. The city isn’t the only thing growing in the Nevada desert. As senior designer and president of JMA Architecture Studios for the past 20 years, Tom has grown the company from 20 people to 200. “I was fortunate to find a position where the partners were looking to retire. I had to learn the business and marketing side of the practice on my own. The company had been run as a small local practice. As president, I reorganized to the studio format,” he says. The studio format allows design teams to focus on specific project areas. The hospitality studio is currently working on high-rise residential towers varying from 18 to 75 stories. The education studio is working on a tech campus with a broadcast facility including a computer center, while the health care studio designed a VA hospital and a long-term acute-care center. The other studios are commercial, interiors, and public facilities. The studio format gives the company the opportunity to work on major projects in the region, he says. JMA Architecture Studios has done well. It was ranked the 108th largest architectural firm in the country last year. “I expect we’ll be higher this next year—around 75th,” Tom says. They also received the West Mountain Region Firm of the Year. With an additional office in San Diego, they are looking to expand regionally—in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, and more extensively in California. Although Tom contributed to the building fund for the new UNM School of Architecture and Planning, it was hardly his first or exclusive philanthropic endeavor. In Las Vegas he is a supporter of the opera and the philharmonic. He sits on the board of directors of the Nevada Desert Research Institute and he and his wife, Susan, support Opportunity Village, a not-for-profit organization assisting those with intellectual disabilities. “In giving, you receive 10 times more than you get,” he says. He also provides scholarships for architects, one for a graduating high school student interested in pursuing architecture and another for an undergraduate wishing to pursue graduate level architectural study. Both are based upon academic achievement and financial need. Growth in New Mexico is horizontal as opposed to Tom’s and JMA’s “urban vertical.” UNM’s new School of Architecture and Planning will represent modernity amid the Pueblo Revival style prevalent at UNM. The building will complement neighboring buildings and, with the Bookstore, provide a gateway to the campus. Tom’s gift helps build that welcome to UNM and provides the opportunity to educate future generations of architects. Norman Johnson

Desert Designer:

lives

Thomas Schoeman T

w i n t e r

2 0 0 6

alumni news

unm

A Grand Gift: Hodgin Hall By Angie Vachio, ’75 MA, President, UNM Alumni Association he UNM Alumni Association received a magnificent gift this year. It gives me great pleasure to announce to you the designation of Hodgin Hall as the UNM Alumni Center. We are very grateful to those who made this gift possible: the UNM Board of Regents and UNM President Louis Caldera, along with a host of others through the years. The first building on campus, Hodgin Hall was built in 1892. Originally a red-brick schoolhouse, it was converted to the Pueblo style we’re familiar with today in 1904 under the directive of UNM President William Tight. It continued to house classes until 1974, when it was scheduled for demolition. A group of alumni rose to the building’s defense and raised funds for its restoration and renovation. We are thrilled to be given this marvelous building, so dear to our hearts and history, for the use of alumni programming.

Just imagine!

Educational Travel Adventures 2006 www.unmalumni.com/edtravel/travel.htm

Following is the lineup of our new educational travel opportunities coming up in 2006. We hope to see you on one of these trips in the near future! January 27 – February 7 Cruise the Panama Canal February 1 - 14 Treasures of Indochina March 24 – April 1 Paris City Holiday April 7 - 14 Peru, featuring Machu Picchu May 18 – 29 Alumni Campus Abroad – Greek Islands

December 3

Chicago Chapter Hot Chile Nights Pot Luck Party

December 4

Seattle Chapter Holiday Pot Luck

December 4

NY Area Chapter Holiday Pot Luck

December 10 Austin Chapter Holiday Pot Luck December 10 Denver Chapter 2nd Saturday Lobo Breakfast December 10 Los Angeles Chapter – Lobos vs. Washington at the Pond December tbd Austin Chapter Lobo Post-Season Bowl Party

2006 January 11

Denver Chapter Basketball Viewing Party – Lobos vs. Wyoming

January 14

Denver Chapter 2nd Saturday Lobo Breakfast

January 25

San Diego Chapter Basketball Bash – Lobos at SDSU

January 25

Los Angeles Chapter Road Trip to San Diego – Lobo B-ball

February 4

Denver Chapter Basketball Viewing Party – Lobos vs. Utah

February 11

Denver Chapter 2nd Saturday Lobo Breakfast

February 25

Norcal Chapter Lobo Day Pot Luck

July 9 - 18 Family Adventure in Costa Rica

February 25

Denver Chapter Basketball Viewing Party – Lobos vs. SDSU

February 25

Los Angeles Chapter – San Antonio Winery Tour and Dinner

September 5 - 13 Alumni Campus Abroad – Portugal

February 26

Austin Chapter Lobo Day Event

March 6

Chicago Chapter Community Service Day –

October 13 – 21 Lakes & Mountains Switzerland & Northern Italy November 9 - 17 Prague/Budapest Escapade Trips and dates are subject to change. For additional information, contact Charlene Chavez at the Alumni Relations Office at 505-277-5808 or 800-258-6866. 14

Moving into ’06 Alumni Chapter Events

M I R A G E

m a g a z i n e

Chicago Food Depository March 11

Denver Chapter 2nd Saturday Lobo Breakfast

March 8-11

Mountain West Basketball Tournament in Denver

March 26

Washington, DC Chapter Lobo Day Brunch

April 2

Seattle Chapter Lobo Day Event

April 7

Austin Chapter Bill & Karen’s Birthday Wildflower Tour

April 8

Los Angeles Chapter Lobo Day Event

lobo gear

unm

Nike scarf and gloves set, red/black scarf reversible “New Mexico” red gloves One size fits all $30

Jansport hood sweatshirt, black S-XL $52

Find more gear and gifts at www.unmalumni.com Order online or call 800-981-BOOK or 505-277-5451 Gear fleece pull-over, red S-XL $48

Russell crew sweatshirt, red S-XXL $39.95

Lobo Season! Vantage polo, tan or black S-XL $56

Jansport tee shirt, charcoal S-XL $15 • XXL $17

Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid The University of New Mexico Alumni Association

Permit No. 222

MSC 01-1160

Burl., Vt. 05401

1 University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131-0001

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Don’t

give

the

irs

your

ira!

taxes. Simply making the “University of New Mexico Foundation, Inc.” a beneficiary of your IRA can lead to a tremendous gift to the college, school, or program at UNM that you designate.

s av i n g a n D g i v i n g : a W i n - W i n C o m b i n at i o n

We encourage you to discuss this possibility and others with your family and advisors, then give us a call. Our Planned Giving

You have undoubtedly saved for your

Office is available to answer any questions

retirement in various ways—possibly

you may have. Call 1-505-277-9604 or

through an individual retirement account

e-mail susanmm@unm.edu.

(IRA). This will be of great benefit to you and your spouse. But if given to the next generation, well over half of your hard-earned assets may go to pay

Visit our website: http://plannedgiving.unm.edu

On the cover: The Joys of Giving and Receiving: Kathryn Naassan and Mike Emerson (see page 7) experience firsthand the impact of their generosity. They sponsor the Presidential Scholarships of UNM juniors Ryan Hook and Heather Dodson. Ryan is working for a BBA in accounting, and Heather, a BA in criminology. Ryan plans to become a CPA, while Heather—hoping to have it figured out by this spring—may go into criminal research.