Story Idea:
UTEP Receives $1.2 Million Grant to Prepare Bilingual Speech Language Pathologists
• UTEP has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to prepare English-Spanish speaking speech language pathologists who will provide culturally and linguistically competent services to bilingual populations.
Connie Summers, Ph.D., and Vanessa Mueller, Ph.D., assistant professors in the Speech Language Pathology program, were awarded $1.2 million for their grant titled, “Preparing Bilingually Certified Speech Language Pathologists.”
Funds will be distributed over the next five years and will be used to support 24 students in the graduate program in speech language pathology who also are pursuing a Certificate in Bilingual Speech-Language Pathology (English/Spanish). Approximately 66 percent of students in the Speech Language Pathology master’s program are bilingual. UTEP has offered a Certificate in Bilingual Speech-Language Pathology (English/Spanish) since 2006.
Program participants will commit to working in pediatric settings for two years following their graduation from UTEP.
Campus Spotlight:
UTEP to Lead Development of Health Impact Assessment Program for Border Region
UTEP will lead the development of a health impact assessment (HIA) program for the border region. The primary goal will be to build capacity in the region to conduct HIAs and to promote their use as a tool to look at the potential health impacts of proposed infrastructure improvements or policy changes.
UTEP’s program will focus on water, sanitation and public transportation improvements. It has three components: 1) HIA training for students at UTEP and New Mexico State University; 2) an HIA focused on plans to extend public transportation from Las Cruces to the communities of Sunland Park, Santa Teresa, Anthony, and Chaparral, New Mexico; and 3) development and pilot testing of a model for assessing health impacts of water and sanitation in border communities using the case of the colonia Las Pampas, near Presidio, Texas.
The colonia Las Pampas relies on hauled water from the City of Presidio. The HIA in southern New Mexico will evaluate the impacts of public transportation on access to health care, jobs and education for low-income residents. This new project builds on the experience of UTEP in leading the demonstration of HIA as a tool for water and sanitation projects in the village of Vinton, Texas. Extending their success to the border region calls for a bigger investment but holds much promise for improving decision making surrounding infrastructure projects that would impact public health in the border region.
UTEP received a grant of $250,000 from the Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts based in Washington, D.C., to develop the program. UTEP’s Center for Environmental Resources Management (CERM) will lead the project in collaboration with the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC), the Pan American Health Organization, New Mexico State University (NMSU), the South Central Regional Transportation District of New Mexico and the city of Presidio.
BECC leaders plan to use an HIA process for many of their environmental infrastructure projects. The model developed for water and sanitation improvements will be especially useful to BECC in order to evaluate impacts of their infrastructure projects in the U.S.-Mexico border region.
The Health Impact Project is dedicated to promoting the use of health impact assessments in the United States. More information, including a searchable map of HIA activity, is available at www.healthimpactproject.org.
Business Announcements:
• Christine Chen, the new director of the Occupational Therapy Program in UTEP’s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, is part of a multidisciplinary core team of rehabilitation professionals that recently has been awarded a $1,059,855 grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).
The title of the grant is “Better Rehabilitation Through Better Characterization of Treatments: Development of the Manual for Rehabilitation Treatment Specification,” and involves researchers from the Albert Einstein Healthcare Network. The grant’s principal investigator is John Whyte, M.D., Ph.D.
Researchers plan to develop standardized procedures by which rehabilitation clinicians, educators and researchers may specify rehabilitation treatments according to their targeted effects (changes in functioning), mechanisms of action (how those changes are produced), and active ingredients (what needs to be done in treatment at what intensity and frequency to achieve those changes).
Before joining UTEP in August 2014, Chen was an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Programs in Occupational Therapy at Columbia University. She also held faculty appointments at New York University and the University at Buffalo. She has served as a research scientist at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and as a research assistant professor and faculty fellow in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University.
• Mark Lusk, Ed.D., will receive the Albert Armendariz, Sr. Lifetime Achievement in Human Rights Award from the Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project at its Eighth Annual Fiesta Fronteriza on Oct. 31 at the Camino Real Hotel.
Lusk is a professor in the Department of Social Work at UTEP. Among his areas of expertise is child welfare in developing nations with an emphasis on street children and violence against children, particularly in Latin America. His work has taken him to more than two dozen countries on projects sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. State Department, the Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, the Ford Foundation, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project (PCRP) promotes racial, social and economic justice through education and litigation. PCRP strives to foster equality, secure justice, ensure diversity and strengthen communities.
• The Ph.D. Project, a nonprofit group working to increase diversity of business school faculty to encourage, mentor, support and enhance the preparation of tomorrow’s leaders, has inducted Associate Professor of Computer Information Systems Laura Hall, Ph.D., into its Hall of Fame. Hall is the first tenured Hispanic female professor in the field of Information Systems in the country.
Hall first worked with the Ph.D. Project as a doctoral student member in 1994 and more recently as a charter member, participating in almost every Ph.D. Project conference. The program cited her devotion to mentoring students at UTEP and across the country, guiding them on pathways toward finishing their undergraduate degrees and entering graduate programs.
In 2012, the University of Texas Board of Regents selected Hall for its prestigious Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award, the highest honor bestowed by the group across the Texas system. In her 18 years at UTEP, Hall has overseen more than 350 community-based projects with her undergraduates. She earned her doctorate from Florida State University in 1997.
The Ph.D. Project Hall of Fame was established in 2011 to recognize a select few who have inspired many. These individuals have sustained an unwavering commitment to The Ph.D. Project’s mission and their positive leadership has resulted in significant encouragement and impact within the project’s nationwide network of minority business doctoral students and faculty.
Press Events/Photo Opportunities On Campus:
Tuesday, Oct. 21
7 p.m.
Undergraduate Learning Center, room 126
2014 Humanities Lecture
Robert B. and Lorez M. Price Memorial and Mary Smith Price Memorial present: The 2014 Humanities Lecture “NASA Technology Explores the World of the Bible: Multispectral Imaging of Ancient Manuscripts.
Multispectral imaging uses a broad spectrum of light to distinguish and project the images of letters on ancient papyri charred by fire and volcanic eruptions or damaged by time. It is now used extensively in the recovery of ancient texts, adding new insight into the development of ancient texts such as the Bible.
L. Michael White, Ph.D., is the R.N. Smith Professor of Classics and Religious Studies at The University of Texas at Austin.
Co-sponsored by the Humanities Program, the Dean of Liberal Arts, Religious Studies Program and Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Society.
Wednesday, Oct. 22
Noon – 1 p.m.
Health Sciences and Nursing Building, room 211
The Healthy Exchange: “Effects of Electrical Pulse Stimulation”
As part of the Healthy Exchanges hosted by The University of Texas at El Paso and the Center for Interdisciplinary Health Research and Evaluation (CIHRE), the Oct. 22 lecture will cover the topic “Effects of Electrical Pulse Stimulation on In-Vitro Measurement of Mitochondrial Content and Lipid in Human Myotubes.”
The speaker will be doctoral student Daniel Conde, from UTEP’s Department of Kinesiology.
The Healthy Exchange is free and open to students, faculty and community members.
For more information, please contact Andrea Rodríguez at 915-747-7294.
7 p.m.
UTEP Dinner Theatre
Footloose
A stage musical based on the hit movie about a city boy who moves to a small town where dancing is forbidden, Footloose comes to The University of Texas at El Paso’s Dinner Theatre Friday, Oct. 17 through Sunday, Nov. 2.
The menu is chicken parmesan with angel hair pasta, julienned vegetables, garden salad with house dressing, snowflake dinner rolls, iced tea and coffee, and apple crisp a la mode with a caramel topping.
Ticket prices for Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday dinner performances are:
$41.50 for adults;
$39.50 for UTEP Faculty, Staff, Students and Alumni Association members, Groups (20+), children (4-12 years old), non-UTEP students and military;
$31.50 for UTEP students.
There is a limit of four tickets per UTEP faculty, staff, student and Alumni Association member ID and per military ID. There is a limit of one ticket per UTEP student ID.
Tickets are available at the UTEP Ticket Center and at all Ticketmaster outlets in El Paso. Charge tickets by phone by calling the UTEP Ticket Center 915-747-5234 or the Ticketmaster Charge by Phone Line at 1-800-745-3000.
The UTEP Dinner Theatre’s facilities are partially accessible to the disabled; however, tables 27 through 51 are not accessible.
For more information, please call 914-747-6060.
Thursday, Oct. 23
5 – 7 p.m.
Fox Fine Arts Center — Glass Gallery, room 373
Opening Reception for the Street Photography of David Smith-Soto
Borderzine.com, a digital publication at UTEP that focuses on achieving diversity in news media, announces an exhibit of photographs by UTEP journalism professor David Smith-Soto at the Glass Gallery of the Fox Fine Arts Center on the UTEP campus, Oct. 23-31.
An opening reception of the exhibit from 5 until 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 will help celebrate the sixth anniversary of Borderzine, an award-winning web news portal and online community for Latino student journalists. Attendees will learn about the online publication’s future plans and programs, and have an opportunity to help send UTEP multimedia journalism students to news internships throughout the United States.
The 24 prints from Smith-Soto’s 60 years of street photography were taken during his travels as a journalist in Latin American, European and U.S. cities. They include images from Oaxaca, Juárez, Guatemala, Tangier, Paris and Madrid.
The show includes photographs by UTEP students as well as a rare photograph of the Beatles given to Smith-Soto as a gift by his childhood friend, American photographer Mike Mitchell. Mitchell earned worldwide fame in 2011 when his series of photographs of the Beatles’ first U.S. concert in 1964 were auctioned by Christies auction house in New York.
For more information, please contact Angel Cancino at 915-226-2616 or angel@borderzine.com.
6 – 7:30 p.m.
Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center Auditorium
Lecture: “Fausto Fernández on Risks, Rewards and the Artist’s Integrity”
The event is open to the public. For more information, please contact the Rubin Center at 915-747-6151.
7 p.m.
Don Haskins Center
La Ley “Retour” Concert
Grammy award-winning rockers La Ley will bring their “Retour” show to the Don Haskins Center. Presented by VIP Events and UTEP, the concert will feature opening bands Moderatto and Belanova.
Acclaimed worldwide and originally hailing from Chile, La Ley has toured globally since the 1980s when original members Andres Bobe, Beto Cuevas, Rodrigo Aboitiz and Mauricio Claveria first recorded together. They rose to the top of Spanish rock charts and have continued to entertain fans both new and old with their unique mix of passionate lyrics, memorable tunes and outstanding live performances.
Throughout their exceptional career, La Ley has released seven albums and been lauded with three Grammy awards. The band is now comprised of Beto Cuevas, Mauricio Claveria and Pedro Frugone.
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, and the University Ticket Center, or by calling 915-747-5234. Prices are $90, $55, $35, and $25 plus applicable service fees.
Media can contact Julian E. Valdes at UTEP Special Events, 915-747-5481 or jevaldes@utep.edu.
7 p.m.
Union Cinema — Union Building East
“Get Reel” Film Series – Guardians of the Galaxy
The “Get Reel” film series continues with Guardians of the Galaxy, rated PG-13 and starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper.
The film is open to the public. General admission for individual films is $2, and $1 for UTEP faculty, staff, students and alumni with valid ID. A season pass for all 12 films is available to the public for $20, while UTEP faculty, staff and students can purchase a pass for $10.
At the concession stand, guests can buy various bargain-priced snacks to enjoy during the screenings. For instance, a three-item combo that comes with a 12 oz. can of soda, popcorn and a hot dog is available for just $5. As part of the Centennial Celebration, the cinema is offering a refillable popcorn cup for an initial price of $2.50; each additional refill is only $1.50.
The UTEP Union Cinema is located on the first floor of the Union Building East on the UTEP campus and is ADA accessible. All films will have closed captioning.
For visitors to the UTEP campus, parking is available at the UTEP Sun Bowl Parking Garage or in the S-1 parking lot. For a complete listing of all on-campus parking options, see the “Visitor Parking” section at parking.utep.edu.
For more information, call Union Services at 915-747-5711 or visit www.facebook.com/UTEPUnion.
7 p.m.
UTEP Dinner Theatre
Footloose
7-11 p.m.
Peter and Margaret de Wetter Center
Centennial Tour Series “Haunted Campus”
Multiple tours will be offered between 7 and 11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 and Friday, Oct. 24. Interested participants should arrive at the UTEP Alumni Lodge and line up for the next available tour between those hours. Each tour will last approximately 45 minutes to an hour. The tour is not recommended for children under the age of 11.
The tour is a fundraiser for the Student Alumni Association. In advance, tickets are $8 for UTEP student, alumni or members of the armed forces with valid ID and $10 for the general public. At the door, tickets are $10 for UTEP student, alumni or members of the armed forces with valid ID and $15 for the general public. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Peter and Margaret De Wetter Center (Alumni Relations Office), located on University Avenue, next to Leech Grove.
For more information, please call the Alumni Office at 915-747-8600.
7:30 p.m.
Wise Family Theatre — Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
The Taming of the Shrew — UTEP Faculty and Staff Night
The Taming of the Shrew, written by William Shakespeare and directed by Chuck Gorden, has two sisters with opposite love lives: Bianca has men running after her, while her shrewish sister Kate has men running away from her. The fireworks begin when the smug, bragging Petruchio plans to marry Kate.
Shakespeare’s classic take on the battle of the sexes gets a Mambo Italiano treatment in UTEP’s production where the action will be set in New York’s Little Italy of 1964. Get ready for pasta, pompadours, Presley and Louis Prima.
Individual tickets are $13 for adults; $11 for UTEP faculty and staff, seniors, military, non-UTEP students, groups (10+) and UTEP alumni with card; and $9 for UTEP students and children (4-12 years old).
For Faculty and Staff Night, UTEP faculty and staff with valid ID are eligible for a buy-one-get-one free offer.
For more information, please visit www.theatredance.utep.edu or call 915-747-5118.
7:30 – 9 p.m.
Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
Opera UTEP presents Sweeney Todd
Opera UTEP presents Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. This music is the story of Benjamin Barker, a person who seeks revenge against the man who destroyed his family. Consumed by rage at the loss of his beloved wife, Lucy, and child, Johana, Barker takes on the pseudonym of Sweeney Todd and his reign of terror begins.
Parental guidance is suggested.
Ticket prices are $12 for adults; $8 for students and military; and free for UTEP faculty and staff.
For more information, please contact Juan-Héctor Pereira, D.M.A., at jhpereira@utep.edu or 915-747-6220.
Friday, Oct. 24
7 p.m.
Union Cinema — Union Building East
“Get Reel” Film Series – Guardians of the Galaxy
7 p.m.
UTEP Dinner Theatre
Footloose
7 p.m.
University Field
Women’s Soccer vs. FAU
The University of Texas at El Paso women’s soccer team will face off against FAU in a conference event.
7-11 p.m.
Peter and Margaret de Wetter Center
Centennial Tour Series “Haunted Campus”
7:30 p.m.
Wise Family Theatre — Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
The Taming of the Shrew – Military Night
7:30 – 9 p.m.
Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
Opera UTEP presents Sweeney Todd
Saturday, Oct. 25
8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Centennial Museum
SunScape 2014
SunScape is a one-day class for gardeners of any level who are interested in using native plants for harmonious gardening in the desert. Presenters include regional horticultural professionals such as John White, botanical curator of the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens, and Oscar Mestas, West Texas regional forester with the Texas Forest Service. Participants will learn useful gardening tips and take a tour of the beautiful Chihuahuan Desert Gardens.
Registration is $35 and the class is limited to 25 participants. The deadline to register is Thursday, Oct. 23 and participants are encouraged to bring a sack lunch.
The Centennial Museum is located on the UTEP campus at the corner of University Avenue and Wiggins Road
For more information, call 915-747-8994.
11 a.m.
Peter and Margaret de Wetter Center
Centennial Tour Series “Haunted Campus” (abridged tour)
A free “Haunted Campus” tour will be offered at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25. This abridged tour will be open to people of all ages. It will begin and end at the Peter and Margaret de Wetter Center (Alumni Lodge) and will not include the Haunted House.
For more information, please call the Alumni Office at 915-747-8600.
7 p.m.
UTEP Dinner Theatre
Footloose
7:30 p.m.
Wise Family Theatre — Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
The Taming of the Shrew – El Paso City and County Employee Night
8 – 10 p.m.
Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
Opera UTEP presents Sweeney Todd
Sunday, Oct. 26
Noon
University Field
Women’s Soccer vs. FIU
The University of Texas at El Paso women’s soccer team will face off against FIU in a conference event.
2:30 p.m.
Wise Family Theatre — Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
The Taming of the Shrew – GECU Employee Night
2:30 p.m.
UTEP Dinner Theatre
Footloose – No Dinner Matinee Performance
2:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall
Opera UTEP presents Sweeney Todd