Our popular monthly lecture series continues for the Spring semester with four timely topics. All talks will be held at 5:00 PM at the UNM Conference Center, 1634 University Blvd. NE, which offers ample free, convenient parking. Refreshments are offered at 4:30 – come early and meet the speakers!

	Ms. Peggy Johnson, New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, Socorro, NM, Thursday, January 13: "Water in the Desert: Thoughts on Sustainable Development."
	Professor Michael Zeilik, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, Thursday, February 10: "Astronomy in the Pueblo World."
	Professor J. David Rogers, University of California, Berkeley, CA, Thursday, March 9: "St. Francis Dam Failure in California: Who Is Responsible?"

Professor Lovell A. Jones, University of Texas, Houston, TX, Thursday, April 13: "Diet, Hormones, Ethnicity, and Breast Cancer."

The Science and Society Series of Public Talks is co-sponsored by the Sigma Xi Headquarters, the Office of the Associate Provost for Research, the Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences, the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Pharmacy, and Education, the School of Engineering, the Institute for Nuclear Waste Management, the General Honors Program, UNM Conference Center, as well as the Albuquerque Section of IEEE and the membership of our UNM Sigma Xi Chapter. Thanks to our members for their continued support. We encourage all our members, as well as their friends and families, to take advantage of this wonderful educational resource, which your dues help to fund. Your attendance at these functions serves to encourage others to participate

UNM Chapter delegate Harjit Ahluwalia reports highlights from the 1999 Forum and Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN, 4-7 November, 1999.

The 1999 Sigma Xi Forum addressed Reshaping Undergraduate Science & Engineering Education with the theme Tools for Better Learning. It was a 2-day session, involving two Plenary Sessions (Why Inquiry?; Shaping the Future), Invited Sessions on Inquiry in Large Classes; Research Experiences; Project Based Learning; Inquiry in Small Classes; Role of the Professional Societies in Education Reform; Tools for Assessing Inquiry-Based Learning; Learning Science by Doing Science; Can Teaching Science in K-12 Classroom be an Effective Tool for Learning Undergraduate Science? Etc. Thirteen Contributed workshops including Investigative Learning: Putting Laboratory First; Peer Instruction: Getting Students to Think in Class; Tools for Thinking; Bringing Real World Issues into Science & Engineering Classrooms; Chem Connections; Changes Across the Curriculum: One Course at a Time; Using Inquiry Guided in Large Classes; Engineering Course Based on ABET 2000 Criteria; Problem-Based Learning in Undergraduate Science; Etc. Sessions were interspersed with Roundtable Discussions on such topics as A Thematic Approach for Instruction of an Undergraduate Science Course to Non-Science Majors; Teaching Entering Freshmen about the Scientific Method; Using Information Techniques in Undergraduate Education and Student Research, etc.

The character of the Annual Meeting reflected changes due to the new structure of Sigma Xi.

	Sigma Xi is now comprised of six regions (each represented by a Director and an Associate Director) and five Constituency Groups (Baccalaureate Colleges, Canadian/International, Comprehensive Colleges and Universities, Industries/ State & Federal Labs, Research & Doctoral Universities,) each having a Director and an Associate Director.
	The McGovern Lecturer was Hon. Rush Holt (D-NJ) who spoke on The Future of Science Education.
	The Young Investigator Award went to Laura Landweber, Princeton University; her lecture topic: Computing with DNA and RNA.
	The Proctor Prize Lecture was given by Lynn Margolis, University of Massachusetts, who discussed Symbiogenesis.
	There were the usual Workshops on interesting topics, such as K-12 Outreach Programs in Sigma Xi Chapters; Issues for Grad Students from Under-represented Groups; Alliances Through Networking; Etc.
	The new President-Elect is Mary Anne Fox, Chancellor: North Carolina State University.

The 2000 Annual Forum/Meeting will be held November 8-12, 2000 in Albuquerque!

Membership dues for FY2001 (July 1, 2000 – June 30, 2001) will be as follows:

	Regular Members: $50.00
	Combined Members: First member in a household pays $50, second pays $25
	Emeritus Members: $25
	Students: $20
	Life Members: $1,075 (payable in 3 installments: $450, 325,300)
	UNM Chapter Local Dues remain at $2
	Initiation fee for new members: $7.50 (one-time charge)

Our chapter urgently needs a talented soul to upgrade and maintain our web page. Please contact Prof. Ahluwalia (277-2941; hsa@unm.edu) if you’d like to help, or perhaps have a skilled student who loves creating web pages.

Our Chapter currently has 388 active members. Our active membership provides financial support to the chapter in three ways:

	A Uniform Increment of Local Support from National Sigma Xi Headquarters, paid equally to all chapters, determined by total Society membership
	A Per Capita Increment of Local Support from National Sigma Xi Headquarters, determined by Chapter active membership
	Local Dues

Chapter activities, such as our popular Science and Society Public Lectures, depend on our active membership. You can easily and effortlessly help increase our membership:

	Nominate colleagues
	Nominate research students
	Encourage inactive colleagues to re-activate (back dues are not collected! Can be done painlessly at www.sigmaxi.org.) Be sure they specify the UNM Chapter (SW 120).
	Nomination forms, re-activation, and all one needs to know is available at the Sigma Xi Website www.sigmaxi.org.
	Promote the benefits of membership, including American Scientist.

Annually the UNM Chapter honors an Outstanding Graduate Researcher and a Superior Undergraduate Student. Please nominate your outstanding students for these honors, which also include monetary awards. The honor benefits your department as well as the worthy student. Additionally we honor an Outstanding High School Science and/or Math Teacher. Please send nominations for all these awards to Prof. David Dunlap, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy.

The annual joint Sigma Xi – IEEE Awards Banquet will be held in Rm C, UNM Conference Center, on Monday, May 15, 6 – 9 PM. You will receive an advance reservation form by mail. It is important for our membership to attend the banquet in support of new initiates and awardees. Your show of support and participation in Chapter activities will serve to encourage the new members to maintain active membership and keep the Chapter finances healthy (see above!)

CHAPTER BOARD MEMBERS

	President: Prof. Harjit S. Ahluwalia, Physics and Astronomy, 277-2941, e-mail hsa@unm.edu, Banquet Coordinator, Chapter Delegate, Public Talks
	Vice President: Prof. David H. Dunlap, Physics and Astronomy, 277-2120, e-mail dunlap@unm.edu, Awards Coordinator
	Secretary: Prof. Walter Gerstle, Civil Engineering, 277-3458, e-mail gerstle@unm.edu, Membership
	Treasurer: Dr. Jacqueline H. Ericksen, 867-2751, e-mail jhericksen@uswest.net, Newsletter
	Chapter Liaison: Prof. Michael Zeilik, Physics and Astronomy, 277-4442, e-mail zeilik@unm.edu, Undergraduate Education
	Program Advisors:
	Prof. Emeritus William A. Gross, Mechanical Engineering, 277-6297, e-mail wgross@unm.edu
	Prof. Timothy J. Ross, Civil Engineering, 277-3459, e-mail ross@unm.edu
	Prof. David Emin, Physics and Astronomy, 277-2210, e-mail emin@unm.edu
	Prof. Sally E. Ruybal, Community Health Nursing, 277-1185, e-mail sruybal@salud.unm.edu
	Prof. Lynette Cofer, Psychology, 277-3235, e-mail lfcofer@unm.edu (on sabbatical).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNM SIGMA XI YOUNG INVESTIGATOR AWARD

UNM Chapter is seeking nominations for a new award, the UNM Sigma Xi Young Investigator Award. The recipient will receive a certificate of recognition and $1000. The award will be patterned after the Sigma Xi Young Investigator Award, and the recipient of the UNM award will be submitted to Southwest Regional Director Antonio Pita as our nominee for the national award.

The National Young Investigator Award includes a certificate of recognition and $5,000. The award was presented to its first recipient at the 1998 Annual Meeting. The award will alternate between the physical sciences, including engineering and mathematics, and the life sciences, including social sciences.

Any active (dues-paying) member of Sigma Xi within 10 years of his/her highest earned degree at the time of nomination is eligible. Active membership in Sigma Xi is also a requirement for nominators.

To nominate a researcher, do the following:

1. Supply a letter of nomination that explains why the individual is being nominated for this award, including their scientific accomplishments, the relevance of their research, and the nominee’s ability to communicate their work to the general public.
2. Arrange to have three letters of recommendation forwarded in support of the nomination.
3. Forward nominations and letters of recommendation to Harjit Ahluwalia, Department of Physics and Astronomy.