UNMG Summer Kids' College Set

GALLUP - The schedule for the Summer 2011 Kids' College at the University of New Mexico-Gallup has been announced.
Payment for all classes is required for registration. There will be no refunds unless the class is canceled. All classes require a minimum of 12 enrollments for the class to make.
Computers. Ages 7 and up
Learn the basics of computers, keyboarding skills, Microsoft programs and creating a PowerPoint. June 13-16, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon, Roosevelt Elementary Room 12, 400 E. Logan. Fee: $25; instructor: Esther Sanchez
Bugs and Frogs. Ages 5 and up
Follow Mother Nature and spring into action. You will study and create art for indoor and outdoor use. We will be making bug jars, magnifying glasses, flower pots, frog games, bug catchers and much more creature fun. June 13-16, Monday-Thursday, noon to 3 p.m., Roosevelt Elementary School Room 12, 400 E. Logan. Fee: $25; instructor: Esther Sanchez.
Burning/Wood burning. Ages 7 and up.
Learn how to use a wood burner, create patterns and pictures on wood while using your creativity and/or designing pictures using carbon paper. June 20-23, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon., Roosevelt Elementary School Room 12, 400 E. Logan. Fee: $25; instructor: Esther Sanchez.
Ceramics. Ages 5 and up.
It's an artful experience! Children of all ages are welcome. We provide stencils, sponges, tools, ideas, coaching and a lot of encouragement. It's creative fun to paint pottery! No experience needed; it's as easy as 1-2-3! Choose a ceramic piece, pick your design, select your colors, and create your masterpiece. June 20-23, Monday-Thursday, noon-3 p.m. Roosevelt Elementary Room 12, 400 E. Logan. Fee, $25; instructor: Esther Sanchez.
Arts and Crafts for Kids. Ages 5 and up
Do you like to make things with your hands? Then this class is for you. You'll spend time making magnets, origami, robots and lots of other fun crafts. June 20-23, Monday-Thursday, noon-3 p.m., Chief Manuelito Middle School Gym, 325 Rico Street. Fee: $25; instructor; Nancy Bruker.
Journey into the Solar System. Ages 5 and up
Explore the solar system while learning fascinating facts. Construct planets and other awesome art projects. June 27-30, 9 a.m.-noon., Roosevelt Elementary School Room 12, 400 E. Logan. Fee: $25; instructor: Esther Sanchez.
Pirates, Facts, Legends and Crafts. Ages 5 and up
Ahoy, Mates! Sail into this exciting class and design your own pirate coin, flag, compass and your very own pirate chest. Lots of hands-on projects are planned to go with this class. On the final day of class, students will come dressed as pirates and go on an actual treasure hunt. Arrr, don't miss this class; there is too much fun to be had! I'll be looking for you, Mate! June 27-30, Monday-Thursday. Noon-3 p.m. Roosevelt Elementary School Room 12, 400 E. Logan. Fee: $25; instructor, Lisa Blanco.
Sports Fun. Ages 5 and up
Students will learn the rules and have fun in non-competitive games such as volleyball, soccer, basketball, doge ball and many others. June 27-30, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-noon. Chief Manuelito Middle School Gym, 325 Rico St. Fee: $25; instructor: Nancy Bruker.
July 4-7- no classes. Independence Day holiday.
Castles and Knights. Ages 5 and up.
The class will have you stepping back into the days of dragons, castles and knights. Students will create their own castle, design a shield and even prepare some medieval food. Have you ever wondered what a knight's code is? Enroll in this class today and get the information to this and many other cool facts. July 11-14, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.- noon. Roosevelt Elementary Room 12, 400 E. Logan. Fee, $25; instructor: Lisa Blanco.
Fun with Old Jeans. Ages 5 and up.
Come and find ways to make new projects out of old jeans. This class will keep you busy designing purses, placemats and many other cool projects. Get ready to write down all your secrets in the denim diary you will make. Be sure and bring a few pictures that you can use to make denim magnets. This is a great hands-on class that will keep you busy from the minute you get there to the minute you leave. July 11-14, Monday-Thursday, noon-3 p.m. Roosevelt Elementary School Room 12, 400 E. Logan. Fee: $25; instructor: Lisa Blanco.
Painting for Kids. Ages 5 and up
Dip your brush into paint and let the creativity begin. Students will work with a variety of paint, such as watercolors, acrylic and even spray paint. Participants will learn how to mix paints to make new colors. They will paint on a variety of surfaces, such as paper, canvas, glass and fabric. July 11-14, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-noon., Chief Manuelito Middle School Gym, 325 Rico St. Fee: $25; instructor: Nancy Bruker.
Wild Wild West. Ages 5 and up
Saddle up and head out on the dusty trails of the Wild West. During this class students will make their own covered wagon, pan for gold, and cook a cowboy meal, as well as make cow chip cookies. Lots of hands-on projects for this class. Look forward to seeing you there, partner! July 18-21, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon., Roosevelt Elementary Room 12, 400 E. Logan. Fee, $25; instructor: Lisa Blanco.
Cooking for Kids. Ages 5 and up
Kids learn how to make fun and interesting breakfasts and lunches for themselves. July 18-July 21, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon., Chief Manuelito Middle School Gym, 325 Rico St. Fee: $25; instructor: Nancy Bruker.
Decoupage—Layered Paper Art. Ages 5 and up
Decoupage is a fun way for kids to explore their creativity. Decoupage is simply covering of an object with paper cut-outs and sealing with a glue finish. Students will decoupage plates, a jewelry box, bulletin board, placemats and much more. Join us for this fun class and take home some cool projects. July 18-21, Monday-Thursday, noon to 3 p.m., Roosevelt Elementary Room 12, 400 E. Logan. Fee: $25; instructor: Lisa Blanco.
Science Projects. Ages 5 and up
Students will learn a variety of fun and interesting science facts including volcanoes, tornadoes and much more. July 25-28, Monday-Thursday, noon to 3 p.m., Chief Manuelito Middle School Gym, 325 Rico St. Fee: $25; instructors: Nancy Bruker.
Call Louise Lopez at (505)863-7743 or Denise Silva at (505)863-7738 for more information.

UNM to Promote BBA Degree at Gallup Branch on May 3

GALLUP - The University of New Mexico's Anderson School of Management will be promoting its Bachelor of Business Administration program on the Gallup campus on Tuesday, May 3.The BBA prepares the graduate for careers in business, politics, and local, state and federal government agencies.

Theresa Torres, Student Services manager for UNM, will be on hand most of the day to talk about UNM's degree concentrations in Operational Management, Accounting, Human Resource Management and Entrepreneurial Studies. The schedule is as follows: 8:30-10; noon-2 p.m.; and 5-7 p.m. All sessions are to be hosted by Torres.

Locations will be announced. For more information or to RSVP, call 505.863.7554.

Intercultural Day Due at UNMG

GALLUP - The University of New Mexico-Gallup Student Senate is hosting the second annual International Cultural Festival in the Gurley Hall commons
April 25-28.


Clubs are asked to pick a country of their choice to showcase at this festival. No country will be duplicated. Booths will have information, food samples or sales or demonstrations. Judges, picked by the Student Senate, will choose the top displays and prizes will be awarded.


Winners will be announced April 29 at 3 p.m. in Gurley Hall commons.

Prizes will be as follows: first, $500 allocation to the club; second, $300 allocation to the club; third, $200 allocation to the club.

The countries the Senate hopes will be represented are many of the native countries of the college's students: Mexico, Italy, German, Guatemala, Polynesia, Croatia, Russia, England, Brazil, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Canada, China, Thailand, Palestine, Iraq, Spain and countries in Africa.

New Member Sworn in on UNMG Local Board

New Local Board member Edwin Begay is sworn in by Judge Henrietta Soland on March 18. 

GALLUP - Edwin Begay, elected Feb. 1 to the University of New Mexico-Gallup Local Board, was sworn in at his first board meeting on March 18 by Judge Henrietta Soland.

Theresa Dowling, Position 5, at-large for McKinley County, was re-elected to the board. Dowling was also elected chair at the March 18 meeting. This is her third four- year term.

Also re-elected was Virginia Chavez, Position 4, Zuni School District. She was also chosen as vice chair by her fellow board members.

Other members include June Shack, secretary, Position 3, Zuni; and Gloria Skeet de Cruz, Position 2, Gallup McKinley School District.

The board is composed of persons interested in higher education in McKinley County. Each member serves a four-year term. Terms are staggered so there is an election every two years.

The board acts in an advisory capacity to the Board of Regents in all matters pertaining to the conduct of the Gallup campus. They also approve an annual budget for UNMG for recommendation to the Board of Regents.

Other duties include providing approval and certification for the tax levy, as required by state law, to the McKinley County Commission; calling election for tax levies for the Gallup Campus, after approval of the Board of Regents; and calling elections for board positions pursuant to the Branch Community College Act, Section 21-14-2.1, NMSA 1978.

Registration Starts April 18

GALLUP - Registration for the summer and fall semesters at the University of New Mexico-Gallup starts on April 18.

Potential students interested in financial aid should visit the college in person and talk to an advisor prior to registering. New students must also visit with an academic advisor prior to registering.

For more information, contact the Registration Department at 505.863.7524 or email reg@gallup.unm.edu.

UNM Sets Four Corners Education Conference

GALLUP - The Four Corners Education Conference - a collaborative effort among several educational entities in this region - is planned for Friday, May 6, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the University of New Mexico-Gallup campus.

Among those meeting to build partnerships, discuss issues and look for solutions to educational challenges in this region include the University of New Mexico, Arizona State University - Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Indian Education Division - New Mexico Public Education, Native American Community Academy and Teach for America.

Presenters include Quinton Roman Nose, president-elect of the National Indian Education Association and president of the Tribal Education Departments National Assembly; Deborah Jackson-Dennison, superintendent of Window Rock Unified School District; Richard Howell, dean, University of New Mexico, College of Education; Kara Bobroff, principal, Native American Community Academy; Robert Cook, managing director of Teach for America's Native Achievement Initiative; and Edmund Lano, program manager, New Mexico Indian Education Division.

UNM-Gallup's student drum group will open the session.

For more information, contact NateMorrison@teachforamerica.org.

Deadline Extended for NSF 'Roads to Achieving a Degree in Science' Application

GALLUP - The deadline to apply for the "Roads to Achieving a Degree in Science" scholarship at the University of New Mexico-Gallup has been extended to May 6.

The branch campus received the RADS grant in the fall of last year. Funded for five years in the amount of $552,000, the grant is meant to increase the number of students entering UNMG with the intention of majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or the so-called STEM disciplines. It is also meant to increase the number of UNMG students transferring to STEM programs at four-year institutions.

Ten scholarships will be available for the fall semester to eligible STEM students. Ten scholarships will be awarded each year.

For more information, contact Chris Platero, assistant professor in Physics, Calvin Hall 226, 863-7536; or Kamala Sharma, associate professor in chemistry, Calvin Hall 271B, 863-7585.

'It's About Time': 1st UNMG Entrepreneur Expo

High school and college students, as well as community members were all represented in the Entrepreneur Expo. Seven local entrepreneurs entered displays about their work and business ideas on March 25 during the Entrepreneur Expo. Jonathan Helf of Vanderwagen won first place prize of $1500 for his display illustrating his business making and selling recycled tire composters and sifters.

GALLUP - The first-ever Entrepreneur Expo at the University of New Mexico-Gallup appears to have created some buzz, with attendees as well as participants expressing enthusiasm for the way the event played out. But organizers, while pleased with both attendance and participation, say they'd like to get more buy-in from the local business community.

The Expo, held March 25 in Gurley Hall, featured seven displays (an eighth applicant signed up but was a no show), and attendance from UNMG students, local community members, representatives from local organizations and schools.

"They said, 'It's about time something like this happened,'" said Al Henderson, lecturer with the college's Entrepreneurship program and the organizer of the event, referring to the entrepreneurs as well as those in attendance.

Henderson had hoped for at least 25 displays when he began planning the Expo in late 2010, and had hoped a considerable number of those would be in high school and college. As it turned out, there were only three displays from high school and college students; the other four were non-students. Because of the numbers, Henderson's advisory team, the Rural Entrepreneur Institute, decided to divide the prize money among all the recipients.

First prize of $1500 went to Jonathan Helf of Vanderwagen, who displayed a homemade composter created from recycled tires, and a compost sifter set on top of a wheelbarrow. Second prize of $1000 went to Robin Lasiloo of Zuni, an instructor in graphic arts at UNMG, who with a partner owns DogWorld, a graphic arts firm. Third place prize of $700 went to Shaina Roanhorse, a welder, for her display of "Welding for a Green Economy."

The judges selected the winners on how well they understood and could articulate the story of their product. They also looked at how new the product or idea is.

"The judges did a one-on-one dialogue with each exhibitor," Henderson said. "It took them two hours to get through. They did a thorough job."

Henderson said one factor that may have led to fewer entries was fear that ideas might be stolen, explaining, "It's an uphill battle convincing entrepreneurs that the Expo is a safe way "to get moving, instead of just talking and thinking."

Henderson thinks one solution to overcoming exhibitor reticence might be educating them about the patenting process. In fact, one of the presenters, Dan Allen of Science and Technology Corporation of UNM, gave a presentation about obtaining patents—information that could help potential exhibitors gain assurance that their ideas will be protected.

Key speakers at the Expo were John Freisinger, Technology Ventures Corp. of Albuquerque, a nonprofit corporation that helps start-up companies go into the commercial market in a variety of technology areas, and Penny Emerson, owner of Native Resource Development, which houses three different companies: one that transports patients to hospitals; a janitorial service company; and a home-care company.

Henderson said he hopes next year the local business community will show greater support for the Expo, and by doing so, encourage more entrepreneurs to participate. For more information on the Expo just passed, or for information on plans for the Expo next year, call Henderson at (505)863-7634 or email at ahenderson@gallup.unm.edu.