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UTEP Students to Present Research to NASA
• The five graduate and two undergraduate students in UTEP’s Center for the Advancement of Space Safety and Mission Assurance Research (CASSMAR) will present the results from the first phase of their research on pieces of Space Shuttle Columbia to subject matter experts at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
During this Technical Interchange Meeting, which takes place Aug. 19 and 20, the students also will propose to perform more advanced, in-depth materials characterization techniques on selected components to further their understanding of how spacecraft materials respond to the aggressive conditions of re-entry.
CASSMAR serves as a cross-functional, multidisciplinary center focused on risk reduction research to make commercial spaceflight safe and successful.
Since August 2013, CASSMAR research has primarily focused on the characterization of materials behavior observed on specimens recovered from Space Shuttle Columbia after it was destroyed during re-entry on Feb. 1, 2003.
Speech Language Pathology Students Volunteer at Summer Camps
• Graduate student clinicians at The University of Texas at El Paso volunteered at several summer camps to help children with fluency challenges, hearing impairments and autism spectrum disorders to prepare for a successful school year.
In June, Christopher Roosmalen and four of his fellow graduate students from UTEP’s Speech Language Pathology program helped children who stutter practice the fluency strategies they learned in speech therapy during the school year at a fluency camp organized by the Socorro Independent School District.
Students in kindergarten through fifth grade gathered at Sierra Vista Elementary School for one week to practice various strategies, such as breathing exercises and relaxation techniques to help them speak slowly and steadily.
Press Events/Photo Opportunities On Campus:
New Exhibit Celebrates the Beauty of Bhutan, Partnership with UTEP
• As the headquarters for the UTEP Centennial Celebration, the Centennial Museum and Welcome Center will present the newest exhibit in the Centennial Exhibit Series, “Bhutan: Jewel of the Himalayas / Photography by Mark Paulda,” with a public opening at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16.
UTEP has had a special connection with the Kingdom of Bhutan for almost 100 years. The inspiration for the University’s unique Bhutanese architecture is credited to Kathleen Worrell, wife of the school’s first dean, who was fascinated with a photo essay on Bhutan that appeared in the April 1914 issue of The National Geographic Magazine.
Mark Paulda is a fine art photographer, world traveler and best-selling author. His first book, Celebrating El Paso, with TCU Press, visually chronicles El Paso and continues to be a fast-selling book for the publisher. His newest book, El Paso 120: Edge of the Southwest is scheduled for release this fall.
Information: 915-747-5565 or 915-747-6669.
“Bhutan on Campus” Walking Tour Showcases Bhutan’s Influence on UTEP Campus
• The Centennial Tour Series was created to showcase UTEP’s rich history and beautiful campus throughout the University’s Centennial Celebration in 2014. Each month, a new tour will focus on a different aspect of UTEP. The theme for the August tour is “Bhutan on Campus.” The tour will be offered to the public at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 16 and Saturday, Aug. 23.
The “Bhutan on Campus” tour was designed by Ann Horak, Ph.D., director of UTEP’s Religious Studies Program. Horak, who has traveled to the Kingdom of Bhutan, will lead the tours and highlight many of the Bhutanese symbols and authentic artifacts that can be found on the UTEP campus, such as a Bhutanese prayer wheel, Bhutanese flags and imported tapestries. The tour will begin with a short presentation at the Centennial Museum.
The tours are free and open to the public.
RSVP: Maribel Villalva at 915-747-6669 or email at mvillalva2@utep.edu.