|
Media highlights for the week of Nov. 12-18, 2005
A sampling of NAU programs, professors, students, staff and alumni appearing in the news
Health NAU, UA make plans for terror attack, disease outbreak
Scientists from Northern Arizona University and University of Arizona are part of a consortium that will develop information and plans to help save lives in case of a bioterrorist attack or an outbreak of infectious diseases. Paul Keim, NAU professor of biological sciences and Cowden Endowed Chair in microbiology, and Dave Wagner, assistant professor of biological sciences and associate director of NAU's Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics, will work with other researchers in the center for Advancing Microbrial Risk Assessment.
Dayton Business Journal (Dayton, OH), 11/18/2005
[this clip appeared in numerous business journals nationwide]
Lance Armstrong meets with cancer survivors
To persist in the face of adversity takes strength and bravery—two characteristics that Brian Remas exudes. Brian didn't expect doctors to discover cysts inside his brain stem and perform eight brain surgeries by the time he was 17. He had the chance to meet with someone who had faced hardship head-on and conquered it—one pedal at a time—when seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong met with him on Sept. 29. In each major city, there was a small group of "guest riders" with connections to the cancer battle. They were able to cycle with the tour team for a short distance. Brian, now 19, rode in recognition of his own struggle. It was pretty cool," said Brian, who is attending Northern Arizona University. "We rode for about two miles."
San Diego Union-Tribune (San Diego, CA), 11/18/2005
Guest column: For starters, learn to run comfortably
A guest column by Jack Daniels, dubbed the "world's best coach" by Runner's World Magazine. He is the head running coach at the Center for High Altitude Training at NAU.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 11/18/2005
Guest column: Unfolding tragedy drives immigrants toward US
A guest column by Valley resident Clara Lovett, president emerita of Northern Arizona University and former president of the American Association for Higher Education.
The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), 11/18/2005
NAU gets grant to help high school students get to college
The Northern Arizona University College of Education has received a $537,700 grant from the Arizona Department of Education as part of a national initiative aimed at helping students from economically disadvantaged areas finish high school and go on to college.
Business First (Louisville, KY), 11/18/2005
[this clip appeared in numerous business journals nationwide]
NAU prepares to teach teachers in West Valley
Looking to meet the demand for elementary school teachers, Northern Arizona University's West Maricopa site will be offering its first undergraduate program—in elementary, of course."Our site has offered mostly graduate studies programs, but we saw a lot of demand for elementary education programs," said Norma Peru-Ray, program coordinator for NAU West Maricopa Campus. "We already have 17 students on track to start in fall '06 and 10 in fall '07, even though classes are nearly a year or two away," Peru-Ray said. In all, she's anticipating at least 20 students will begin the program each fall in the first couple of years, and the number likely will grow thereafter.
West Valley View (Litchfield Park, AZ), 11/18/2005
Holiday crafts fair to benefit United Way
The annual Mountain Campus Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair will fill Northern Arizona University's Old Main Art Gallery and Ashurst Auditorium with the spirit of the season while benefiting the NAU United Way Campaign. "People look forward to the crafts fair every year," said Cindy Grider, business manager in University Police and chair of the committee organizing the craft fair. "Where else can you can get most of your holiday shopping done while also making a difference in the community?"
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 11/17/2005
NAU Theater produces serious slapstick with 'He Who Gets Slapped'
Slapstick takes center stage this weekend when NAU Theatre performs Leonid Andreyev's 1915 Russian classic 'He Who Gets Slappped,' directed by Northern Arizona University theater professor Bob Yowell.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 11/17/2005
Mesa mom, son don NAU cap and gown
Cheri DeLeo will attend two college graduation ceremonies in December. One is for her son, Nicolas. The other is for herself. At 44, the east Mesa resident has achieved a goal she once considered unreachable because she had a family that came first. After four years of classes through a Northern Arizona State University program in Apache Junction, and experience as an instructional assistant in the Mesa school district, she will finally don a cap and gown. DeLeo is wrapping up student teaching requirements at Gold Canyon Elementary School, where she teaches reading to fifth-graders. She plans to hunt for jobs at local elementary schools. Ideally, she'd like to teach students in grades two through four because 'they still are just so eager to learn.'' Nicolas, 22, will receive a degree in business administration finance from NAU's main campus in Flagstaff. 'Out of our family, we are the first to graduate college,'' she said.
East Valley Tribune (Mesa, AZ), 11/16/2005
NAU signs Winslow standout Ben
Winslow senior guard Levyna Ben, a key contributor on back-to-back state championship clubs, has signed a letter of intent to play at NAU, Lumberjacks coach Laurie Kelly announced. NAU also signed 6-foot-1 Liana Boer of Sterling Heights, Mich., in the early signing period for 2006-07. The Jacks are expected to sign one more player. "We are really excited to have a player from northern Arizona join our team," said Kelly. "Levyna has the ability to play at the one or the two, and has a lot of versatility. She's very offensively minded and is a scorer, and also has strong ball-handling skills. Winslow has a very strong program with a winning tradition, and we feel she is a very good addition to our program."
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 11/16/2005
New special education teacher for Watervliet High School
Watervliet High School has a new teacher aiming to assist students in their educational progress. Mary Thomas has been named the new special education teacher for the school Thomas graduated from Northern Arizona University in December 2004. "I always wanted to be a teacher," says Thomas. "Having a son with special needs inspired me to become a special education teacher. I like that I can work with kids in a smaller environment and be able to have a real impact on kids with special needs."
Tri-City Record (Watervliet, MI), 11/16/2005
Photo: A Symphony of Water
The NAU Symphony Orchestra performs Sunday afternoon at Ardrey Auditorium. The Augua Musica concert was the second performance for the 2005-2006 season.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 11/16/2005
Sharing her artistic legacy at MNA
Joella Jean Mahoney, who has spent the last 50 years painting scenes from the Colorado Plateau, wants to share her artistic legacy much in the way Museum of Northern Arizona co-founder Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton did. Mahoney's exhibit of 33 pieces, a 'Passionate Vision' opened at MNA Sept. 17 and continues through Jan. 29. Her work captures the essence of the Colorado Plateau landscapes and fuses the geological, the emotional and the spiritual soul of the region. 'I was from Chicago, by way of California,' Mahoney said. 'I saw Arizona for the first time when I stepped off the train in Flagstaff to attend college." Mahoney graduated from Arizona State College, now Northern Arizona University, in 1955.
Navaho-Hopi Observer (Flagstaff, AZ), 11/16/2005
A game of inches
College football interest in general, and Wildcat football in particular, played a significant role in one UA graduate's survival of last week's deadly blasts in Amman, Jordan. Jim Bedwell was staying at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Amman on business on Nov. 10. The 52-year-old Phoenix native sought an Internet connection in the hotel's business center—about 100 feet away from Ground Zero—and logged onto www.CatTracks.net, a Web site geared to Wildcat fans. Ten minutes later, a suicide bomber walked into the hotel lobby and blew himself up. 'At first, I was stunned,' said Bedwell, a 1979 UA graduate who was unhurt. 'Luckily I was at the terminal furthest from a big, glass wall.' As Bedwell was standing on the street, a Jordanian man noticed that the American was wearing a sweater that read 'NAU,' where his son is a college freshman. Turns out, the man is also a UA grad. 'He said 'Northern Arizona University,' and I did a double-take,' Bedwell said. 'He's now a businessman in Amman, and we stood outside the hotel talking about Tucson, and stuff.'
KMSB-TV (Tucson, AZ), 11/15/2005
Drive seeks warm clothes, coats
The third annual Winter Clothing Drive, sponsored by Northern Arizona University's Classified Staff Advisory Council, began Monday and runs through Dec. 8. Organizers are hoping to collect new and gently used coats, sweatshirts, scarves, gloves, hats, socks, etc. for men, women and children. Donations will benefit Sunshine Rescue Mission, Hope Cottage Women and Children's Mission, Sharon Manor and Northland Family Help Center.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 11/15/2005
Flag's international flavor celebrated
New tastes, numerous informational programs and a display of various cultures—that is what to be expected from the international week, which officially opened Monday. With 164 international students from 69 countries attending classes at the Northern Arizona University, there is plenty to celebrate. "We would like to emphasize that this is a community event as well as a University event. All festival activities are open to the public," said Molly Munger, NAU director of community relations.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 11/15/2005
At pollution site here, scientists hope bacteria are doing the dirty work
Arizona researchers may have discovered a dirty, hungry little secret that could save the state countless dollars in cleanup costs at a Tucson Superfund site. Researchers from the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University are sampling wells at a state Superfund site just west of Park Avenue. The researchers are looking to see whether, amid the toxic solvents and diesel fuel, resident helpful bacteria are already chewing up the mess. If so, they could save the state millions of dollars—and head off a plume of contamination seeping toward the UA's drinking water wells. "We see plenty of evidence that micro-organisms that can degrade TCE are present at that site, said Maribeth Watwood, a biology professor and researcher at NAU. Watwood has participated in previous successful efforts to bioremediate chlorinated solvents at the Department of Energy's Idaho National Lab in the eastern part of that state. "The bioremediation campaign up there has saved millions of dollars," she said.
Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ), 11/14/2005
[this clip also ran on KMSB-TV in Tucson
Bacteria might aid in contamination cleanup
University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University researchers are sampling wells at a state Superfund site near the UA campus to see if bacteria are already chewing up chlorinated solvents, including cancer-causing TCE. "We see plenty of evidence that micro-organisms that can degrade TCE are present at that site," said Maribeth Watwood, a biology professor and researcher at NAU.
KVOA-TV (Tucson, AZ), 11/14/2005
Going global with international week
Activities celebrating International Education Week will run from today to Friday at Wester Illinois University. Carla Paciotto, education and interdisciplinary studies professor, stressed the importance of international studies. "In some countries, they treat diversity like a negative thing," Paciotto said. "I like to look at how schools preserve—or kill—languages." Born in a town not too far from Rome, Pociotto came to the United States almost 11 years ago. She received her master's and doctorate degrees from Northern Arizona University. She has long been a proponent of language and international study.
Western Courier, Western Illinois University (Macomb, IL), 11/14/2005
No two learning styles alike
When Sara Aleman says that Flagstaff educators need to learn how to teach students with different learning styles, she knows what she's talking about. Aleman, the newest member of the FUSD governing board, was born in the Mexican state of Durango. "We all learn differently," she said. "I spoke no English. Spanish was my first language. I don't remember learning English, it just happened." Now a professor of social work and sociology at Northern Arizona University, Aleman uses an old Mexican saying to express the individuality of people. "Cada cabeza es un mundo" she said. In English, the phrase translates to "every head or brain is a different world."
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 11/14/2005
Porterville's Hunter commits to Northern Arizona
Cory Hunter has stood out all of her life. At 6-foot-3, the Porterville High senior has caught the eye of many basketball and volleyball coaches around the Valley. Now she's receiving a full scholarship to play volleyball at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz., in the fall of 2006. For Hunter, standing out in a crowd is something she has grown to love. "I don't ever remember being small," Hunter, 17, said. "I always got teased and now I don't care if you tease me because look where I am now."
Porterville Recorder (Porterville, CA), 11/14/2005
Americans not as polarized on immigration as some politicians
There is little doubt that America has a dysfunctional immigration system. But based on recent polls, there's also little doubt that Americans want to fix it with more than just a hard-line approach that rounds up all the illegal entrants and sends them back to Mexico. When NAU's Social Research Lab conducted its annual poll of Arizonans last month, the only clear consensus was that immigration is the top public policy concern of more than one-third of those polled.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 11/13/2005
Domestic homicides due more scrutiny
Getting agencies together to discuss where the system failed and where it can be improved is difficult, says Neil Websdale, professor of criminal justice at Northern Arizona University. The process opens the agencies up to lawsuits without protection. "(A fatality review team) allows the community to review questionable systematic processes," Websdale said. "It opens an area of inquiry never opened before. It has tremendous potential....Let's get at the systems' processes on how to stop this in a non-accusatory way," Websdale said. "You get folks talking to each other. And in domestic violence, that's hard."
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 11/13/2005
Land bought to link species
Tourists and truckers recognize Interstate 10 as the fastest route between Coachella Valley desert cities and the bustling sprawl of the Inland Empire. Conservationists want to make sure it doesn't become a road to speedy extinction for what remains of Southern California's most majestic wild animals. That's why they just spent $6million for 731 acres of land on both sides of Interstate 10 west of the windmills. Identifying, mapping and preserving the land ensures future habitat for mountain lions, which can require up to 200 square miles each to roam. "If the San Jacintos become isolated, you will have no mountain lions there," said Paul Beier, a biologist and mountain lion expert at Northern Arizona University. The range, he said, only has enough room for about a dozen or so lions. Access to other ranges is important in finding new mates and providing a place for offspring to colonize. "They still need new genetic material," Beier said. "It is the stuff of evolution that allows them to adapt."
The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, CA), 11/13/2005
Lifelong learner shares
Daniel Barajas laughs when he considers how the school that he now serves as director of community education is where his own educational career began - all the way back to preschool. "I practically grew up at Arizona Western College," he said. "I've been a lifelong learner here." Barajas returned to AWC three years ago, this time as an educator himself. He graduated in 2001 with a master's degree from Northern Arizona University's campus in Tucson. "It turned out that education was the best fit after all," he said.
Yuma Sun (Yuma, AZ), 11/13/2005
Gabriel Yaiva at Red Ribbon week in Tuba City
Gabriel Yaiva, a Hopi/Navajo hip-hop artist was a featured performer during the Red Ribbon week activities at Tuba City District giving a frank discussion about his own personal conflict with drugs and gang violence during his younger years in Shiprock on the Navajo reservation. Yaiva related to the TC Junior High students his high school drinking and gang activity, that eventually led to his almost fatal stabbing. "The light bulb moment for me came when I was lying in the emergency room with my mom praying over me, hoping I wouldn't die from the knife wounds to my stomach," he said. Yaiva has since cleaned up his act, quit all alcohol and drug activity for the past 10 years and started hitting the books which will result in a bachelor of arts degree from Northern Arizona University this coming May 2006 in both American Indian Studies and Economics.
Navaho-Hopi Observer (Flagstaff, AZ), 11/12/2005
Gov. wants pledge illegal migrants not hired
Governor Janet Napolitano signed a law creating the state crime of immigrant smuggling and declared a state of emergency in the state's four border counties, freeing up money to help authorities confront illegal crossings. But she vetoed a few immigration proposals earlier this year, saying they wouldn't lessen Arizona's immigration problems. The immigration issue was brought to her doorstep and it wasn't an issue she campaigned on a few years ago, said Fred Solop, a political science professor and pollster at Northern Arizona University.
Tucson Citizen (Tucson, AZ), 11/12/2005
Today's final hurrah for NAU seniors
'We will win.' So said the NAU football team as it concluded its Thursday practice at the Skydome. This three-word chant underscores the team's commitment to having a strong showing in its final home game of the season today against Idaho State. The chant was senior receiver Simirone Wade's idea, fellow senior Philo Sanchez said.
Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), 11/12/2005
|
