New Mexico Network for
WOMEN IN SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
PO Box 18073, Albuquerque, NM 87185
http://www.nmnwse.org/
THE NETWORK NEWS
March 2001
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New Mexico Network for
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NMNWSE Board of Directors
President
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I am realizing that this year is flying by rapidly and my term as your President is over half over. We have experienced achievements for NM Women in Science and Engineering, and we have experienced some frustrations as we realized that our dream of a professional seminar in June would have to wait for another year. Yet, we look forward to some of those ideas being introduced into our annual meeting in October.
Our "Expanding Your Horizons" Conferences have been a major part of our proud achievements. Two chapters have already held their conferences, and the northern chapter EYH will soon follow. The Silver City EYH was held on February 24, and was a great success thanks to the effort of Adrienne Dare, our NMNWSE board member. On March 3, the Central Chapter EYH, chaired by Linda McCormick, successfully offered 25 workshops for 380 students. On March 28 the Northern Chapter, under the chair of Dana Roberson, is offering approximately 15 workshops and are expecting approximately 150 students. The Southern Chapter is not able to offer an EYH conference this year.
Kim Linder, our Board member from the Central Chapter launched an advertising campaign for NMNWSE and the Central Chapter by obtaining from the Albuquerque Journal free advertising on the "brown wrapper" section of the paper. Approximately 12 women in the Albuquerque area have indicated interest in joining the Central Chapter. We salute the extra efforts by Kelly Bitner and Kim Linder to expand the membership of the Central Chapter.
Several of our members will serve as judges for the NM Science Fair held in Socorro on April 7, 2001. I will be there with you this year. Thank all of you for your efforts. Following the judging activities, we will hold our next NMNWSE Board meeting at 2 pm.
Lastly, we congratulate one of our NMNWSE board members, Alexine Salazar, on the birth of her son in February. Congratulations!
Congratulations to all of you for your support as we go into our 23rd year!
Margo
March, 2001
Some of you know me, but many do not. Now that I am co-editing the newsletter, it seemed like as good a time as any to introduce myself. I have been a member of the Network since 1998, when I volunteered at the Albuquerque EYH. I gave a run-through of my master's thesis defense at the annual meeting at the Sevilleta that year. Then in 1999, I became a member of the Board as Policies and Procedures Chair. There has been little activity in that area, so when the position was abolished late last year, I attained my current post.
Aside from my history as a member of NMNWSE, I am a Data Manager in the Museum of Southwestern Biology's Division of Fishes. Many of you may be unfamiliar with this facility in the UNM Biology Department. It is a repository for biological materials; kind of like a library for the natural world.
I came to New Mexico from the Washington, D.C. metro area, where I was active with a similar organization, the Women's Aquatic Network. While WAN's membership was more focused in terms of professional association, its goals were largely the same as NMNWSE. I really enjoyed the camaraderie among those women (and men), and hope to find that same level of support here.
There are many challenges that make the networking aspect of NMNWSE difficult. Not the least of these is the geographic distances which separate the membership. Also, the broad backgrounds and professional associations of the members can make organizing networking events a struggle.
There are, however, some easy ways that we can stay in touch and even become acquainted. The web page (www.nmnwse.org) is the most up-to-date and complete source of information, while the newsletter can be used more as a forum for the membership. Also, there is an email list available to the membership. To subscribe, send an email to nmnwse-l@unm.edu We encourage all members to contribute their ideas to the Board and the membership through these media.
I hope to meet more of you and look forward to seeing the Network become a network for all of us.
-Sara
Dear NMNWSE members,
New Mexico Network for Women in Science and Engineering Central Chapter
is coming out of hibernation!!
Please come to the first meeting of the re-awakened Central Chapter.
When: Sunday, April 1 at 3:00-4:30 (You'd be foolish not to come!)
Where: Kelly Bitner's House, 4409 Royene Ave NE ABQ, 268-1761
What: Networking and information with wine and snackies
Agenda
3:00 Networking
3:30 Presentations and discussion on "That Political Thing". How the political
system works from the amateur and professional view.
4:15 Discuss future meetings of Central Chapter
February 20, 2001
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 8:12 a.m. ET
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- School officials are reviewing a decision to ban a third-grader's science fair project which suggested students preferred a white Barbie doll over a black Barbie.
The Mesa Elementary School student's father, David Thielen, said his 8-year-old daughter was told the school's science fair was not the best forum for considering racial issues.
Now the school board has asked Superintendent George Garcia to look at the school's reaction to the girl's project and examine overall science fair policy.
Thielen's daughter, whose name he did not want released, dressed up a white Barbie and black Barbie in two different colored dresses. She asked 15 adults at her father's workplace which doll was prettier.
She then switched the dresses and asked 15 more adults. The doll wearing the lavender dress -- regardless of the doll's skin color -- was deemed prettiest by both groups.
When she asked fifth-graders at Mesa Elementary, all 15 in one class picked the white doll. In the second class, after the dresses were switched, nine of the 15 students picked the white doll.
Her conclusion: ``I discovered that most grown-ups liked the lavender dress on the black or white Barbie. On the other hand, kids mostly liked the white Barbie. Only six kids liked the black Barbie.''
Within an hour of setting up her display earlier this month, it was taken down. Several teachers and parents thought it would upset the school's minority students.
Thielen said school administrators violated his daughter's First Amendment rights, and he wants them to apologize. ``I would think the district would want to use the exhibit to discuss race rather than refuse to even talk about it,'' Thielen said.
The school's enrollment is about 93 percent white, 3 percent Asian, 3 percent Latino and 1 percent black, according to the district.
``Issues around race are sometimes more difficult to discuss,'' school board president Stan Garnett said. ``But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be talked about.''
February 3, 2001
The meeting was held at Kelly Bitner’s house in Albuquerque. Board members in attendance were: Margo Clark, Carol La Delfe, Karen Saenz, Wyona Turner, Angelique Neuman, Mary Campbell, Dana Roberson, Mercedes Agogino, and Sara Gottlieb.
J. Margo Clark called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m.
Minutes: were reviewed and a spelling correction was noted. Wyona made a motion to approve the minutes with this correction. Carol seconded it, and it was approved.
Tinka was unable to attend because of a conflict with the Los Alamos science fair. She sent a report to everyone by e-mail. Angelique moved to accept the Treasurer’s report, Carol seconded it, and it was passed.
Career books are being printed and they will be housed by Dana or Tinka.
Carol presented the new policy and procedure for the web master.
Duties and Responsibilities
Web Communications Chair
- Is a member of the Board of Directors and attends B of D meetings;
- Manages and maintains the Network web site according to procedure PRO(x)
- Contributes to furthering the work of the B of D and the Network.
01-PRO 9 (?) Web Site
The Network web site is maintained on an "as-needed" basis, with pertinent news, announcements, resource links, and any other information as desired by members or suggested by the web chair (web master).
Content may be placed on the site at the discretion of the webmaster. Questions of appropriate content will be decided by the Board of Directors.
The domain name, NMNWSE.ORG, was registered originally in November 1998. Registration is $35 per year, paid 2 years at a time, to Network Solutions, Inc.
Magnets for science fair, fund raising, and publicity.
Ann Mauzy reported that the Native American Science and Engineering Fair would be March 9-10 in Albuquerque.
The next board meeting would be after the Science Fair judging at NM Tech April 7 at 2 PM. Wyona will bring refreshments.
Meeting was adjourned by Margo at 12:15.