Northern News

What’s happening on campus and in the Northern Colorado community

UNC Recognized Nationally for Excellence in Teacher Education

THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION of State Colleges and Universities recognized the University of Northern Colorado for its leadership and innovation by selecting the university as one of three recipients of the 2007 Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Teacher Education. UNC received the award for the innovative and exemplary manner in which elementary and secondary teacher education programs have designed and implemented a comprehensive assessment system, “Assessment and Program Innovation for Quality Teacher Preparation.” The system permits ongoing and continuous improvement of programs, high-quality feedback to teacher candidates, and excellent, technologically sophisticated role models of assessments for prospective classroom teachers. “We are honored to be selected by our peers for the Christa McAuliffe Award,” said Kay Norton, UNC president. “Teacher education represents a mission-critical area of the university that can be traced back to our institution’s earliest beginnings. This award speaks to the devoted and knowledgeable faculty who serve a vital role in delivering a top-notch education to our future teachers and who transform lives along the way.” The award, named in honor of Christa McAuliffe, a teacher who died in the 1986 Challenger disaster, was first presented in the 1980s.

McNair Scholars Program Receives $1 Million Grant

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION awarded the university a $1 million, four year grant to continue the McNair Scholars Program. UNC was one of 181 institutions selected for funding out of 318 that applied. The McNair Scholars Program provides undergraduate research opportunities designed to prepare eligible juniors and seniors for graduate school. The federally funded TRIO program is dedicated to increasing access to doctoral education among currently underrepresented groups. Since 2000, 71 percent of graduating UNC McNair Scholars have been accepted into graduate school. This is the fourth time since the UNC program began in 1995 that it will receive grant funding from the Department of Education. For more information, visit www.unco.edu/mcnair.

Documenting China: Contemporary Photography and Social Change

Jan. 23–Feb. 15. Mariani Gallery, UNC School of Art and Design
DEVELOPED BY THE BATES COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART in Lewiston, Maine, “Documenting China: Contemporary Photography and Social Change” was organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. An opening reception will be held Jan. 23, 4–6 pm. The exhibit is part of the “Pathways to China” program that aims to deepen audiences’ knowledge of the people, events and places that underscore the importance of Chinese culture in global civilization. For more information, visit www.arts.unco.edu/china08.

PVA Dean Chosen for Fulbright Program

ANDREW JAY SVEDLOW , dean of the College of Performing and Visual Arts and professor of art and design at UNC, was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in Japan for June 2007. The Japan-United States Educational Commission oversees the Fulbright International Education Administrator Program, which provides opportunities for higher education administrators in the U.S. to gain firsthand knowledge of the academic infrastructure and culture of Japan to create lasting collaborations and connections between institutions of higher education in both countries. Svedlow was selected through a national competition along with five other American higher-education administrators to participate in this intensive month long program. Svedlow said he was delighted to gain an inside view of how social changes, and economic and corporate decisions impact higher education in Japan. Through the program, he met with presidents of Japanese universities, government officials, college students, Japanese international education administrators, as well as parents of students in Japanese universities. He also made special connections with programs in the arts at higher-education institutions in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya and Hiroshima. Svedlow traveled to Japan with colleagues from Virginia Tech, the University of California system, University of Washington, Brigham Young University and Georgia Tech.

Honor Society, Advisor Earn National Awards

UNC’S CHAPTER of the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society has been recognized as a top performer and its advisor named the country’s most outstanding by Sigma Delta Pi. Pictured at right, Efraín E. Garza, assistant professor of Hispanic studies, was awarded the 2007 Minaya Álvar Fáñez Award for overseeing UNC’s chapter of Sigma Delta Pi. According to Sigma Delta Pi, Garza’s impressive involvement with UNC’s honor society set him apart from the hundreds of others considered for the 2007 award. Nationally, there are 546 chapters of the honor society. Each May, chapters of Sigma Delta Pi are asked to submit an annual report detailing their activities and projects from the academic year. This year, UNC was one of 13 chosen as honor chapters for the caliber of projects that reflect the Sigma Delta Pi mission of honoring excellence in the study of the Spanish language, contributing to cultural understanding and upholding the goals of the society.

Education Leader Appointed to Board Of Trustees

GOV. BILL RITTER appointed respected educator Darlene LeDoux to UNC’s Board of Trustees. The Lakewood resident replaces Gary Reiff after his initial four-year term expired. LeDoux previously served as a Northern Colorado trustee from 1993-97. “I’m proud to return to UNC and continue to serve citizens and students as a member of the Board of Trustees,” LeDoux said. “It’s an exciting opportunity to ensure we’re meeting and building the needs of students and stakeholders and building on UNC’s mission.” LeDoux has spent 28 years as a leader in secondary and elementary schools, and in education administration in metro Denver. She currently serves as principal of Archuleta Elementary School in Denver Public Schools. She previously served in DPS as advisor to the chief operations officer from 2006-07, assistant superintendent on special assignment as principal of North High School(2003-06) and assistant superintendent—school community partnerships (2002-03). She’s the former human resources director for Cherry Creek Schools, was a bilingual and English as a Second Language teacher in DPS and started her career as a first-grade teacher at Northeast Elementary in Brighton. LeDoux earned a PhD from the University of Colorado in education, administration, supervision, curriculum and instruction; a master’s from CU in bilingual/ESL education; and a bachelor’s from UNC in elementary education with an emphasis in special education and bilingual ESL education. LeDoux and her husband, Rene Renteria, have two daughters who attend UNC.

UNC Professor to Head ACDA Division

GALEN DARROUGH, professor of music, has been elected president of the Southwestern Division of the American Choral Directors Association for the 2008-10 term. His principal responsibility will be to carry out the 2010 ACDA Southwestern Division convention that will feature clinics, presentations, honor choir performances, and auditioned choirs from all over the country. Darrough has served ACDA previously as Colorado state president, and most recently as assistant program chair for the 2007 national convention held in Miami.

Norton Elected to Board of International Student Exchange Program

UNC PRESIDENT KAY NORTON is one of four new members elected to the Board of Directors of the International Student Exchange Program, the world’s largest network of post-secondary institutions providing international educational experiences for students. Norton joins J. Timothy Cloyd, president, Hendrix College (Ark.); Donald R. Eastman III , president, Eckerd College (Fla.); and Eun Mee Kim, professor of international studies, Ewha Woman’s University (South Korea) as the newest members of the board that oversees 275 member institutions in the United States and 38 countries. “It’s important for us to prepare our students to be successful in today’s global economy,” Norton said. “I’m delighted to be invited to serve on the board of an outstanding organization dedicated to furthering that cause.”

Professor’s Course Named Top 10 in Country

PROFESSOR ESTER GON ZÁLEZ’S “Introduction to Hispanic Literature” has been named one of the top 10 Spanish literature courses in the nation by the College Board Advanced Placement’s course study conducted by the Educational Policy Improvement Center. González is professor of Hispanic studies in the School of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies. Her course will serve as a model for National Advanced Placement high school courses, both for content and for teaching practices. González’s class introduces students to prominent contemporary writers and includes theatre, novel, short story and poetry in translation.

Colorado Rockies President Speaks at Business Plus Event

KELI MCGREGOR, president of the National League Champion Colorado Rockies, spoke at a Business Plus luncheon in November about “Leadership That Makes a Difference.” McGregor, now in his sixth year as president of the Rockies, has served the organization for 14 years, starting in October 1993 as senior director of operations and becoming senior vice president (1996) and then executive vice president (1998) before taking over the helm in 2001. In his various capacities, he has been responsible for the overall day-to-day operation of the team’s business since 1995. The Business Plus Speaker Series is sponsored by the UNC Foundation, the Monfort College of Business, the Monfort Institute and the Northern Colorado Business Report. Upcoming speakers include Peter Senge, senior lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of the bestselling book, The Fifth Discipline, on Feb. 14; and Debbie Collard, director of Business Excellence for The Boeing Co., on April 3. For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.uncfoundation.org.

Mortar Board Chapter Receives Two Awards

THE GOLD KEY CHAPTER of Mortar Board at the University of Northern Colorado was presented with the Golden Torch Award and Project Excellence Award for the 2006-07 academic year at the organization’s national conference. UNC’s chapter was one of only 28 chapters to take home the Golden Torch Award, selected for going above and beyond timeliness and excellence while exemplifying the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service. The chapter also received a Project Excellence Award for its alumni reception as well as its Trick or Treat for Books project, which coincides with Mortar Board’s national project, “Reading is Leading.” Mortar Board is a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. Since its founding in 1918, the organization has grown from the four founding chapters to 223 chartered collegiate and 25 active alumni chapters with nearly 250,000 initiated members across the nation. The Gold Key chapter at UNC was founded in 1972.

CEBS Faculty Receive More than $600,000 in Project Funding Grants

FACULTY MEMBERS in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences received more than $600,000 in grant funding to carry out two projects. “The Applied Statistics and Research Methods” in the School of Research, Leadership and Technology received a five-year, $500,000 grant for a demonstration research project through the Adolescent and Family Life Funding Act (Title XX of the Department of Health and Human Services). The project will be directed by Assistant Professor Jamis Perrett and co-directed by Assistant Professor Lisa Rue. The School of Teacher Education, in collaboration with the Hispanic Studies Program, the Center for International Education and the Sponsored Programs and Academic Research Center, received $145,800 as part of a partnership between UNC and Georgetown University to implement a professional development program funded by the United States Agency for International Development. The program, under the direction of Professor Madeline Milian, will bring 18 teachers from Central America and the Caribbean to UNC from January through June 2008.

Ritter Appoints Instructor to Commission

GOV. BILL RITTER recently appointed Reo Leslie, an adjunct faculty member in African studies and director of the Colorado School for Family Therapy, to a two-year term on the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice. The 12-member commission is composed of experts in criminal justice, corrections, mental health, drug abuse, victims’ rights, higher education and local government. The commission will undertake a comprehensive analysis of Colorado’s criminal code, sentencing laws, prevention programs and other aspects of the criminal justice system. It will provide annual reports to the governor, Legislature and the chief justice of the state Supreme Court.

Rosenberry Writers’ Conference

The University of Northern Colorado Rosenberry Writers’ Conference is dedicated to promoting cultural creativity and diversity through free public readings and classroom conversations that identify and support exceptional contemporary writers. These events focus on crossing the boundaries between campus and community, between writer and reader, and between text and genre. This year’s conference (March 3-9) will feature nationally acclaimed writers: poet Robert Hass; environmentalist David Quammen; Sneed B. Collard II, a writer of juvenile books on the environment; and Kirk Johnson, curator of the Denver Natural History Museum. The conference was named for its benefactor, Walter Rosenberry, a teacher and philanthropist who was president of the Walter S. Rosenberry II Charitable Foundation. Rosenberry also provided scholarships for Hispanic teacher candidates accepted into the Cumbres teacher-training program at UNC. For for information, contact the School of English Language and Literature at 970.351.2971.

Associate Professor Of Geography to Share Half-Million-Dollar Grant

UNC ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF GEOGRAPHY Phil Klein (above) is part of a team of three geographers awarded $495,481 by the National Science Foundation to develop an online center for global geography education. Klein will collaborate on the grant with colleagues from the American Association of Geographers and Texas State University. This past summer, Klein co-directed with colleague James Dunn the country’s first online graduate certificate in Geography Education at UNC. Klein’s latest project supported by NSF will expand on the role of advancing teacher education.

Lightfoot Named Associate Dean

JAY LIGHT FOOT, professor of computer information systems, was named associate dean for the Monfort College of Business. He replaces Tim Jares, who is now interim dean. Lightfoot’s primary responsibilities as associate dean are to lead the college’s assessment initiatives, including its Baldrige performance excellence system and MCB assessment, assurance of learning, curriculum overview, course and student evaluations, admissions, continuation and graduation standards, and AA CSB accreditation and maintenance. Lightfoot has been at the college since 1991. He graduated with a PhD in management science/information systems from the University of Colorado in 1990.