Grant Harper '49 of Redrock, N.M., was inducted into the Hidalgo Cowboy Hall of Fame for 2004. Harper, who served in World War II in the Army Infantry in France, worked as county agent in Roosevelt County and Doña Ana County several years before returning to ranching and farming in Redrock.
Alexander Turner '50 has made the Wall of Honor at the Smithsonian Institution's Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Turner helped develop the B-29 "Superfortress" that played a critical role in World War II, and later went on to become one of the early "rocket scientists." He worked on the Polaris and M-1 missiles; the Supersonic Transport (SST); the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM); the Saturn, Apollo and Delta rockets; the Tomahawk missile; the YF-22 fighter plane; the Boeing 747 airplane; components of the Space Shuttle; and the European Tornado bomber that was deployed in both Gulf wars. In 1982 Turner was awarded the coveted A.F. Davis silver medal as the engineer who had "contributed the most to progress in the field of structural design in America."
Michael Reischman '67 '69 of Edgewater, Md., was named deputy assistant director for engineering at the National Science Foundation. Reischman previously worked at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., as research professor on assignment at NASA headquarters as director of university programs in the Office of Aeronautics. His academic career included stays at the University of South Carolina, where he was associate dean for research and economic development, and at Penn State's College of Engineering, where he was associate dean for graduate studies and research. He also worked for many years at the Office of Naval Research.
Walter F. (Frank) Glover '68 of Melrose, N.M., retired from the Farm Service Agency in January 2005. He served 37 years with the agency in offices throughout New Mexico, most recently as District III director in Clovis, N.M.
William (Bill) C. Rigsby '70 of Anderson, S.C., pastor of North Anderson Baptist Church for the last 13 ˝ years, also has served the last seven years on the adjunct faculty of the Religion Department at Anderson College in Anderson. Rigsby has been in the ministry for 28 years.
Dan Arvizu '73 of Chicago, Ill., was named director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. He was also appointed senior vice president at Midwest Research Institute, based in Kansas City, which operates NREL for the U.S. Department of Energy. Arvizu, former senior vice president and chief technology officer for the engineering and design firm CH2M Hill, also serves on the National Science Board and was named one of the "Top 50 Most Important Hispanics in Business and Technology" by Hispanic Magazine.
Bruce Morrison '73 of Lincoln, Neb., was appointed chief of the Wildlife Diseases Section for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Morrison has consulted with agencies worldwide and participated in national and international efforts to identify and manage diseases in free-ranging wildlife. He was recently appointed to the USDA Wildlife Services Advisory Committee and to the USGS Wildlife Advisory Team.
Deena J. Gonzalez '74 of Los Angeles, Calif., is co-editor of The Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States, published in June 2005. Gonzalez teaches at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and also is the author of Refusing the Favor: The Spanish-Mexican Women of Santa Fe, 1820-1880, published in 1999.
Charlie Siepel '75 of Lordsburg, N.M., has been selected to oversee Cooperative Extension Service programs in nine counties as the Southwest District department head for New Mexico State University. Siepel worked for four years in the fertilizer, chemical and farm equipment business, then became an extension agent and program director in Knox County, Texas. He joined the NMSU Extension Service in Hidalgo County in 1983.
Nancy (Jester) Cathey '77 of Las Cruces was recalled to active service as the executive officer of the U.S. Military Hospital in Kuwait. Cathey is a captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve.
Freddie J. Romero '78 of Roswell, N.M., was appointed by Gov. Bill Richardson as judge in New Mexico's Fifth Judicial District in Chavez County. Romero has practiced law in New Mexico for more than 23 years. He serves on the New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners and was two-term president of the Roswell Hispano Chamber of Commerce.
Curtis A. Chambellan '79 of Albuquerque was recently promoted to colonel, U.S. Army Reserve. Chambellan was commissioned through the Army ROTC program at New Mexico State University. Col. Chambellan is assigned to the U.S. Army Reserve Individual Ready Reserve Program.
Susan L. Payne '79 of Albuquerque earned a Ph.D. with distinction in language, literacy and socio-cultural studies in October 2004 from the University of New Mexico. Payne taught with the Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Berlin, Germany, and is a national board certified teacher. She is director of the Secondary Intern Program at the University of New Mexico.
Mike Butkovich '80 of Gallup, N.M., was selected as Principal of the Year for 2003 by the New Mexico Coalition of School Administrators. Butkovich began his teaching career by teaching special education and American history at Gallup Middle School for two years, then went on to coach basketball and football at Gallup High School for 13 years, before becoming principal at Gallup Junior High School and assistant principal and principal at Gallup High School.
Michael C. Latimer '86 of Portsmouth, Va., was elected secretary-treasurer of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. Latimer is a clinical coordinator and advanced radiography program instructor at the Naval School of Health Sciences in Portsmouth.
Jess Ward '87 of Albuquerque, has become supervisor of the Water Rights District I in Albuquerque for the New Mexico State Engineer's Office. Ward previously held the positions of engineering manager, water-resource technician, engineering specialist and water-resources master for the Albuquerque and Las Cruces offices. Throughout his career, Ward has been involved in the preparation of surface and groundwater rules and regulations and water-rights criteria.
Monica Flores '88 '90 of Folsom, Calif., is the new dean of instruction at Folsom Lake College, California's newest community college.
Steve Walters '88 of Salt Lake City, Utah, has joined Energy Strategies, a consulting firm that provides energy-related services to large western consumers of electricity and natural gas. Walters is a professional engineer (PE) and certified project management professional.
Karen R. LaQuey '89 of Carlsbad, N.M., has been promoted to director of financial aid at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas. LaQuey has been employed at Wayland for the past eight years and previously served as associate director. She began her career at Wayland as scholarship coordinator.
Frankie Romero '89 of McCall, Idaho, was named program manager for the McCall Smokejumpers in McCall, the largest of the U.S. Forest Service's seven smokejumper bases.
Steve Wamel '89 '96 of Bloomfield, N.M., celebrated his first wedding anniversary in January 2005. For the past eight years Wamel has been the Technical Education Center coordinator at San Juan College in Farmington, N.M. In addition, for the past five years he has served as director of the Carl D. Perkins project at San Juan College, overseeing career and technical education programs.
Dolores Vermillion '90 of Hatch, N.M., has worked for the Hatch Courier in New Mexico as a reporter and sales representative. Vermillion has also worked at Department of Defense Dependents Schools in Germany; KNXN Radio in Sierra Vista, Ariz.; Cox Communications in Sierra Vista, Ariz.; and for the Mountain View News in Sierra Vista, Ariz.
Richard Flores '91 of Las Vegas, N.M., was recently elected district attorney for the 4th Judicial District in New Mexico, which includes the counties of San Miguel, Mora and Guadalupe.
John Brown '92 of Pavas, Costa Rica, was named vice chancellor of faculty and research for Latin American University of Science and Technology in San Jose, Costa Rica. Brown joined the university in 1994 as an adjunct faculty member in the Education Department.
Wayne Cox '93 of Humble City, N.M., was selected as county extension and 4-H agricultural agent for Lea County where he will lead youth and agricultural programs for New Mexico State University's Cooperative Extension Service. Cox was a professor of agriculture and livestock judging team coach from 1995 to 2004 at New Mexico Junior College. He is a member of the Lea County Fair Board and the National Livestock Coaches Association.
Clarissa D. Gonzalez '94 of Roswell, N.M., was named director of marketing at Eastern New Mexico Medical Center in Roswell. Gonzalez was formerly the public relations officer for the city of Roswell.
Christopher W. Hickman '94 '95 of Albuquerque was named the Outstanding Young Electrical Engineer for 2005 by Eta Kappa Nu, the honor society for electrical and computer engineers. Hickman, executive director of engineering and technology for the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM), was cited for his contributions to utility management and his involvement with the Native American community.
Ruben Gonzalez '95 of El Paso, Texas, has become vice president of project management at SamCorp. Gonzalez has helped manage the construction of Marty Robbins Park, the expansion of the El Paso convention center and the Downtown State Office Building.
Roxana Chacon '97 of Las Cruces was named Outstanding Lawyer of the Year by the New Mexico Bar Association in 2003. Chacon is an associate attorney for Miller Stratvert, P.A. in Las Cruces.
Brian S. Colón '98 of Albuquerque was named the 2004 Outstanding Lawyer of the Year by the New Mexico Bar Association. He is an associate attorney for Aguilar Law Offices, P.C. in Albuquerque.
Heather L. Zimmerman '99, of Nicholasville, Ky., has joined the staff of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture in the Department of Family Studies. She also is working on her master's degree in community and leadership development.
Sara S. Torres '00 '04 of Columbia, Mo., is the K-12 science and health coordinator for the Columbia Public School District. Torres was formerly a science teacher at Lange Middle School in Columbia, Sierra Middle School in Las Cruces and Gadsden Middle School in Anthony, N.M. Torres works with 91 health and science teachers, helping to choose curriculum that supports the district, state and national standards.
Robert W. Rakoff '04 of Norfolk, Va., received his commission as a naval officer after completing Officer Candidate School at Officer Training Command in Pensacola, Fla. |
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