Sul Ross State University
A Member of the Texas State University System

News Release for Oct. 27, 2009

RIO GRANDE COLLEGE VP VELA RESIGNS

Dr. Joel E. Vela, Vice President of Sul Ross State University-Rio Grande College, has announced his resignation, effective Dec. 31, 2009.

"It is time for a change; I am stepping down to return to the classroom, and because my academic training and professional experiences are best suited to programs in Alpine, I have requested a teaching assignment there," he said, "but I thank the faculty and staff of the Rio Grande College as well as the wonderful communities of Uvalde, Eagle Pass and Del Rio for their support."

Prior to his service as vice president, Vela served as president, both at Mount Hood Community College in Oregon and Palo Alto College in San Antonio, as well as in various capacities at North Lake College in the Dallas Community College District.

Sul Ross State University President Ricardo Maestas said, "Sul Ross State University-Rio Grande College is grateful for Dr. Vela's service and leadership over the past eight years, and the University is pleased to honor his request to teach and will assign him to the Alpine campus."

Maestas added that he will freeze the vice president's position for the time being to take time to better understand the issues facing Rio Grande College.

"These communities and our students at Rio Grande College are a very important part of what Sul Ross State University is," he said, "and I want to make sure that we move forward together in providing optimal educational opportunities and programs for them."

For more information, contact Bob Parvin, (830) 758-5040.

OCT. 30 BACH'S LUNCH PERFORMANCE IN SUL ROSS' STUDIO THEATER

The Sul Ross State University Music Department will present a Bach's Lunch recital Friday, Oct. 30 at noon in the Studio Theater, Francois Fine Arts Building.

The program will feature faculty performing classical chamber pieces, along with the the new Sul Ross Mariachi Ensemble "Lobos Del Desierto." The audience is invited to bring their own box lunches to enjoy during this free recital.

For more information, contact Erin Lippard, (432) 837-8222 or elippard@sulross.edu.

SUL ROSS MUSIC DEPARTMENT, ALPINE METHODIST CHURCH TO SPONSOR HYMN FESTIVAL

The Sul Ross State University Music Department and First United Methodist Church, Alpine, will host a Festival of Hymns Thursday, Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m. at the church, 208 E. Sul Ross Ave.

Michael Burkhardt, noted organist and composer, will be a featured performer. He will be joined by Dr. Donald Callen Freed, Sul Ross associate professor of Music; Carol Wallace, Sul Ross lecturer in Music, as pianist and choral accompanist; and Rex Wilson, retired Sul Ross professor of Music and FUMC music director; Pastor Jane Vaughn and the assembled congregation.

The festival will feature vocal solos, organ and piano duets and original works as well as traditional hymns. The public is invited.

For more information, contact Freed, (432) 837-8216 or dfreed@sulross.edu.

3 SUL ROSS QEP PILOT PROJECTS AWARDED FUNDING

Three pilot projects, totaling $2,153, have been funded through the Sul Ross State University Center for Outdoor Learning and Faculty Development. The awards are related to the university's Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), engaging outdoor learning and critical thinking.

Award recipients are: Patricia Harveson, "Geocaching Using GPS and Critical Thinking Skills"; Robbie Ray, "Area Perimeter on the Mall and Fractions with Chocolate"; and Kathy Stein and Julie Vega, "ACE Semester Writing Project Using the Mall, Digital Camera, and Peer Review" (a continuation from last year).

Requests were judged using the following criteria: potential for enhancing student engagement with an academic class or classes (1-10 points), potential for enhancing critical thinking or other significant academic learning (1-10 points), potential for accurate assessment of these increases in student learning (1-10 points), potential for collaboration (1-10 points), potential for increasing outdoor learning opportunities (1-5 points), and potential for other (determined on a case-by-case basis, 1-5 points). The Application for Pilot Project Funding can be found on the Outdoor Learning/Faculty Support website at http://www.sulross.edu/pages/6701.asp.

The awards are chosen by academic deans Dr. Melanie A. Croy, Professional Studies; Dr. Jim Case, Arts and Sciences; and Dr. Robert Kinucan, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences;; Liz Garcia, dean of Student Life; and Christian Celis, Student Government Association president.

The Center for Outdoor Learning and Faculty Development is still accepting applications with $2,897 still available. In addition, funding is also available from the Center for undergraduate travel related to outdoor learning and critical thinking.

Submit applications ASAP to Donna Greene, ACR 102, Box C-8, dgreene@sulross.edu, or (432) 837-8233.

SUL ROSS' RITZI PUBLISHES BOOK CHAPTER ON BAT ECTOPARASITES

Dr. Christopher Ritzi, Sul Ross State University assistant professor of Biology, recently published a book chapter on bat ectoparasites in the book "Behavior and Ecological Methods for the Study of Bats," edited by T. Kunz and S. Parsons.

The book, the second edition published 20 years after its predecessor, covers the basic techniques in studying bat biology, from how to catch and net bats, to aging and sexing, to studying their diet and energy dynamics. Because of the broad basic nature of the text, it covers all the topics one needs to be able to start or continue studying bat biology in the field, regardless of whether the reader is an amateur naturalist or a professional researcher. The text is fully illustrated, with each chapter contributed by the leading experts in their respective fields of bat biology.

The chapter co-authored by Ritzi is titled "Collecting and Preserving Bat Ectoparasites for Ecological Study." Co-authors John O. Whitaker, Jr. of Indiana State University and Carl Dick of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Ill., worked together to create a modern synthesis of known bat ectoparasitic knowledge for future research to build upon and utilize.

The chapter discusses the importance of ectoparasites to animal ecology, host specificity, and the effects that ectoparasites have on their hosts. It then proceeds to outline and explain various methods for collecting these parasites, and ways to store them for use in museum or molecular studies. The chapter also discusses useful methods for analyzing parasitic data, as well as suggesting future areas in which additional research is needed. The last section of the chapter, although arguably the most important, is a key to major groups of ectoparasites, with discussions and illustrations of mainly of the parasites found on bats.

The majority of the photographs in this section are ones that have been taken by Ritzi over the years he has studied these fascinating organisms. It is hoped that this book will encourage future biologists, and open new avenues in the realms of bat ecology.

For more information, contact Ritzi, (432) 837-8112.

GIFT TO THE MUSEUM OF THE BIG BEND HONORS BETTY BYERLEY

The Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Ross State University recently received The Betty Byerley Retablo Collection given by Leon Geddis Byerley of Midland, in memory of his wife.

According to Museum director Larry Francell, "This is an important addition to the museum as we develop our collections of the art and traditions of the Borderlands and Mexico and acquire important artifacts relevant to the Big Bend of Texas."

Retablos are one form of the religious art of Mexico. Painted on tin, these small, personal devotional paintings were purchased from artists/peddlers, who offered them door to door or sold them at stands set up around village churches during holidays and feast days. Retablos may depict Christ, Mary, the Virgin of Guadalupe, the Holy Family, the Trinity, as well as the Saints. These paintings were placed in home altars and were appealed to for help in times of trouble and thanked for life's blessings.

Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Miller was born Oct. 17, 1927 and was raised on her family's ranch in far West Texas near Valentine. Her parents, Espy and Lucy Miller, purchased a home in Fort Davis in 1930 and Betty and her older brother, Clay Espy Miller, and sister, Lucy Miller, graduated from Fort Davis High School. She attended Texas State College for Women in Denton and the University of Texas at Austin.

She married Leon Geddis Byerley, Jr. and in 1952 they moved to Midland where they raised three children; Beth, Geddis, and Dan. Though her college major was health and physical education, her other lifelong passion was archaeology. She pursued this interest through reading, involvement in the Midland Archaeological Society and the Museum of the Southwest, and in their travels to the Mediterranean, Turkey, Egypt, North Africa, Scandinavia and Great Britain.

The Byerleys made many trips to Mexico to visit archaeological sites and museums. The artistic traditions and religious devotion of the people fascinated Betty and they began collecting retablos in the 1960s. Leon framed many in his own hand-carved frames. Betty died of cancer in 1996.

The museum plans an exhibit in June 2010 that will utilize the retablos.

"My mother would have enjoyed all the exhibits on the history and archaeology of Far West Texas," said Beth Byerley Francell, Fort Davis, Betty's eldest daughter. "She would be proud to see her collection at Sul Ross, which has grown to be such an outstanding educational institution in the beautiful region where she grew up."

For more information, please call Mary Bones, (432) 837-8734.

WILDENTHAL BROTHERS TO RECEIVE SUL ROSS DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS

Brothers Kern and Hobson Wildenthal, whose impressive higher education careers began in Alpine, will receive Distinguished Alumni Awards during Sul Ross State University's Homecoming Nov. 7.

Dr. Hobson Wildenthal, Garland, a 1958 Sul Ross graduate, has served 17 years as the chief academic officer -- Executive Vice President and Provost -- for the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Kern Wildenthal, Dallas, who graduated in 1960, retired in 2008 after 22 years as President of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. They are the sons of the late Bryan Wildenthal, Sul Ross' fifth President (1952-65).

R. Keith Martin, executive director and chief executive officer of the San Antonio Livestock Exposition, Inc. (SALE), will receive the Slingin' Sammy Baugh Award for Outstanding Service.

Martin, San Antonio, has been a major supporter of Sul Ross and its agricultural programs as the SALE CEO for the past nine years. Through the years SALE has donated over $87 million to agricultural education, including more than $1 million to Sul Ross through improvements, grants and scholarships. SALE remains the largest single contributor to Sul Ross in scholarships, more than $850,000.

Hobson Wildenthal

After graduating from Alpine High School in 1955, Hobson Wildenthal enrolled at Sul Ross, receiving a B.A. in 1958 in English and Mathematics. He received a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Kansas in 1964 and specialized in experimental and theoretical nuclear structure physics.

Wildenthal's research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation for 20 years. His teaching career included stops at Rice University, a postdoctoral fellowship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Texas A&M University, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Drexel University, where he was head of the Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science.

In 1987, Wildenthal became Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of New Mexico. In 1992, he was named chief academic officer at the University of Texas at Dallas.

He has served as a consultant and visiting professor/scientist at the University of Munich; Institute for Heavy-ion Research, Darmstadt, Germany; University of Paris, Nuclear Science Advisory Committee, National Science Foundation; Oxford University; University of Pennsylvania; University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Wildenthal has 180 refereed journal publications, 18 review articles and two edited books to his credit.

Among his numerous awards and honors are Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Kansas; Senior U.S. Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany; Chairman of the Gordon Research Conference, Nuclear Structure Physics; and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship.

Wildenthal and his wife, Adele, have five children, Rebecca, Bryan, Lora, Kerry and Andrea; and five grandchildren, James, Justin, Vera, Sophie and Walter.

Kern Wildenthal

Younger brother Kern graduated from Alpine High School in 1958, completed his B.A. in English at Sul Ross in two years (1960) and was accepted at U.T. Southwestern Medical Center at the age of 18, receiving his M.D. in 1964. He earned a Ph.D. in Medicine from the University of Cambridge (England) in 1970.

He returned to UT Southwestern Medical Center as an assistant professor in 1970, and was later promoted to associate and full professorships. He was named Dean in 1976 and President in 1986. He retired in 2008, but continues to serve as President of the Southwestern Medical Foundation.

During his presidential tenure, UT Southwestern's endowment increased from $40 million to $1.3 billion; the physical size of the medical center more than tripled, to 8 million square feet; and the campus expanded from 65 acres to 231 acres. UT Southwestern's faculty include four active Nobel laureates, 17 members of the National Academy of Sciences and 19 members of the Institute of Medicine of the NAS, including Wildenthal.

Awards and honors include selection as a Guggenheim Fellow, Institute of Medicine and membership in the Texas Business Hall of Fame. Wildenthal is active in professional organizations and volunteer groups, including the Dallas Opera, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Citizens Council, Dallas Center for the Performing Arts and the Dallas Opera, where he serves as president.

He and his wife, Marnie, have two daughters, three granddaughters and two grandsons.

R. Keith Martin

Martin, the SALE CEO for the past nine years, began his relationship with the San Antonio Livestock Exposition in 1969 as a volunteer. His support of agriculture is extensive, and he also serves as chairman of the board of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and interim CEO and commissioner. He is a member of the board of trustees for the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy.

A recipient of the Hall of Fame Distinguished Service Award from Texas Tech University, Martin also serves on the boards of the Happy Hill Farm Academy and Home; Texas FFA Foundation; Texas Wildlife Association; San Antonio Police Training Advisory Board; Lytle State Bank; and is a member of the Texas Rangers Association Foundation.

SUL ROSS HOSTS FALL CARNIVAL OCT. 29

Sul Ross State University Campus Activities will host the annual Fall Carnival on the Mall, Thursday, Oct. 29, 4:30-7 p.m.

The student organization fund raiser will feature food, prizes, games and a costume contest. The event is open to the public.

Costume contest categories include: Sul Ross students, community members and children fourth grade and younger.

For more information, contact Campus Activities, (432) 837-8191.

"LOBOS: THE NEXT GENERATION" SUL ROSS HOMECOMING THEME NOV. 2-8

Sul Ross alumni, students, staff, faculty and friends will celebrate "Lobos: The Next Generation" during Homecoming 2009, scheduled Nov. 2-8.

The annual celebration includes the parade, daily student events, induction of three new members into the athletic Hall of Honor and presentation of two Distinguished Alumni Awards and the Slingin' Sammy Baugh Award for Outstanding Service.

Nineteen candidates -- 12 women and seven men -- will seek Sul Ross State University's 2009 Homecoming Queen and King crowns. Voting by the student body will be conducted Thursday-Friday, Oct. 29-30. Candidates will be introduced and finalists announced Monday, Nov. 2 during a performance by comedian Pete Lee. The 8 p.m. event will be held in the Espino Conference Center of the Morgan University Center.

Final voting will be conducted Thursday-Friday, Nov. 5-6. Reigning Queen Celina Candelaria and King James Aldridge, both of El Paso, will crown their successors during halftime of the Sul Ross-Mississippi College football game Saturday, Nov. 7.

Queen candidates, their hometowns and sponsors are: April Arellano, Fabens, Extreme Rebels; Addie Bencomo, Fort Davis, Independent; Mia Bonin, Katy, Independent; Priscilla Frausto, El Paso, Sully Productions; Jessica Lien, Midland, Independent; Samantha Medina, San Antonio, Students Recycling and Serving Society; Lizbeth Pereyra, El Paso, Independent; Janet Perez, Odessa, Baptist Student Ministry; Clariza Pina, Presidio, Newman Club; Melissa Ramirez, Presidio, Student Development; Anya Reyes, Austin, Sul Ross Theatrical Society; and Sandra Torres, Castroville, Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

King candidates include: Christian Celis, Marfa/Guanajuato, Mexico, Student Government Association; James Gude, Temple, Student Development; Rolando Hernandez, Presidio, Lobo Legacy; Andy Hulsey, El Paso, Independent; Robert Powell, Houston, Sul Ross Theatrical Society; Ricardo Vera, Hebbronville, Newman Club; and Mitchell Waechter, Devine, Baptist Student Ministry.

Brothers Dr. Hobson Wildenthal, chief academic officer of the University of Texas at Dallas, and Dr. Kern Wildenthal, recently retired as President of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, have been selected as 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients. R. Keith Martin, chief executive officer of the San Antonio Livestock Exposition (SALE), will receive the Slingin' Sammy Baugh Award for Outstanding Service to Sul Ross during Homecoming festivities.

The Hall of Honor/Distinguished Alumni banquet will be held Saturday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m. in the Morgan University Center's Espino Conference Center. Tickets for Distinguished Alumni/Hall of Honor/Outstanding Service Banquet will cost $20 per person.

Joining the Athletic Hall of Honor will be former tennis All-American Janna McHazlett, LaGrange; women's basketball star April Ramirez, Corpus Christi; and former football standout Maurice Stephens, Corinth. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, a student organization Homecoming derby starts at 5:30 p.m. on the Mall, with students competing in various obstacle challenges.

Student organizations will paint the Bar-SR-Bar Wednesday, Nov. 4, beginning at 5:30 p.m. At 6 p.m., Sul Ross hosts Hardin-Simmons University in American Southwest Conference volleyball.

On Thursday, Nov. 5, the annual pep rally and bonfire activities start at 7:30 p.m. at the field adjacent to Kokernot Park.

On Friday, Nov. 6, Homecoming registration will be open from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on the Morgan UC first floor. The $40 per person packet includes a commemorative T-shirt, admission to the Homecoming luncheon, Welcome Social, pre-game lunch, football game, President's reception and Sunday farewell brunch. A Homecoming lunch will be served from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Morgan UC Dining Services. Cost is $6.50 per person.

The Sul Ross Alumni Association will hold its annual meeting at 1 p.m. in the UC, Room 210. A campus tour will begin at 3 p.m. at the Morgan UC. A Lobo Burger-Off showdown will be held on the Mall from 3-5 p.m.. A Homecoming Welcome social begins at 7 p.m. in the Morgan UC second floor foyer. At 9 p.m., the lighting of the Bar-SR-Bar will be held.

On Saturday, Nov. 7, the annual Homecoming parade will be held at 10:30 a.m., proceeding from the Alpine Civic Center, east on Holland Ave. to Jackson Field. Bryan and Kern Wildenthal will serve as Grand Marshals. A pre-game barbeque will be held on the Mall starting at 11 a.m.

At 1 p.m., the Lobos will battle Mississippi College in an American Southwest Conference football game. Coronation of the 2009 Homecoming Queen and King will be held at halftime. A 6:30 p.m. reception at the Museum of the Big Bend will precede the 7:30 p.m. Hall of Honor/Distinguished Alumni banquet.

On Sunday, Nov. 8, a farewell brunch buffet is scheduled from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the UC Dining Services.

For more information, contact Saul Garza, (432) 837-8697 or visit www.sulross.edu/homecoming.

JANNA MCHAZLETT, APRIL RAMIREZ, MAURICE STEPHENS TO JOIN SRSU HALL OF HONOR

Maurice Stephens, Corinth, a Lobo football standout in the early 1980s; All-American tennis player Janna McHazlett, LaGrange; and April Ramirez, Corpus Christi, who holds numerous Lady Lobo basketball records, are the 2009 Athletic Hall of Honor inductees.

They will be honored at the annual induction banquet Saturday, Nov. 7 during Homecoming. This year's class increases Hall of Honor membership to 112.

McHazlett, a Crystal City native and 1994 graduate, played tennis for Sul Ross in 1991 and 1992 after transferring from Incarnate Word. She was a cornerstone of the 1992 Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA) championship team and posted an overall 24-2 singles won-lost record while at Sul Ross.

She won the NAIA District 8 singles championship and qualified for the NAIA National Tennis Tournament. At that tournament she made it to the round of 16, earning her All-American honors. McHazlett was named academic all-conference in 1992 and 1993 and is the only Sul Ross tennis player to attain All-American status. She and her husband Andy live, teach and coach in La Grange. They have three sons, Corbin, Morgan and Jared.

"Attending Sul Ross allowed me the opportunity to receive a great education with demanding, yet personable professors," she said. "I have taken the experiences I gained in both academics and athletics and have used them to guide me in the field of education and coaching for the past 15 years."

Ramirez, Corpus Christi, graduated in 2005 with a B.S. in Kinesiology. She set and holds nine all-time Lady Lobo basketball records and one American Southwest Conference standard.

While at Sul Ross, Ramirez was named ASC Freshman of the Year, was named to three ASC All-West Division first teams, was twice named an All-ASC first team selection and during her senior season, was the ASC West Division Most Valuable Player. During her career she received ASC Player of the Week honors six times and was an Academic All-Conference choice. She holds the ASC career mark of 42 double-doubles (points and rebounds), is third in career rebounds and ninth in points scored.

She holds Sul Ross career records in points (1,526); rebounds (871); and steals (328); rebound average (9.36); field goals attempted (1,380); and field goals made (582). She ranks fourth in career assists. As a Lady Lobo, Ramirez also won three team MVP awards and two defensive player honors. During her senior season, she led the Lady Lobos to a 15-9 won-lost record.

"Of course, breaking records is memorable, but I couldn't have done it without my team," Ramirez said. "I would definitely have to say that our last couple of road trips were ones to remember. We had never beaten Mary Hardin-Baylor or McMurry on their home courts and we beat them both....It was a great way to end a career."

Stephens, a Liberty Hill native, returned to Sul Ross to earn a B.A. in General Studies in May 2009. He was a standout on four TIAA champion Lobo football teams, playing in 1981-82 and 1984-85. He earned NAIA All-American Honorable Mention in 1982 and was an All-TIAA running back in 1982, 1984 and 1985.

He joined Larry and Andrew Hill in the first-team All-TIAA backfield in 1982 and shares Andrew Hill's record of four touchdowns in one game. He still holds the mark of 205 kickoff return yards in a single contest, set in 1985 against New Mexico Highlands. His 200 career points and 33 touchdowns from 1981-85 were Lobo records until eclipsed by T.J. Barber in 2007.

Stephens' 72 pass receptions are still the single-season record for a Lobo running back, and he has the longest kickoff return (100 yards) for a touchdown.

"The particular game that stands out to me is my last game of my career," he said. "During my entire career I wanted to return kickoffs but wasn't allowed to....I was able to talk the coach in letting me return them...(and) during this game I returned one for 100 yards and broke the record for return yardage in a game."

Stephens presently works as a personal trainer. He has four children, Shelby, Hayden, Alexanne and Taylor.