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Online Registration for Sul Ross's Mid-Winter and Spring 2011 is open!

Call or email Gwen Sullivan (gsullivan@sulross.edu, 432.837.8351) or Kendall Craig (kcraig@sulross.edu, 432.837.8105) for assistance. You can view class schedules here.


Are you a Midland College student planning to enroll for the first time at Sul Ross in Mid-Winter or Spring 2011 through the Science Initiative program?

Meet these requirements to ensure you meet admission requirements and are eligible to register:

1. Complete the Texas Common Application, available here, but don't pay the registration fee. As part of the Science Initiative program, your registration fee will be waived, but you must contact Gwen Sullivan at gsullivan@sulross.edu or 432.837.8351 to initiate the fee waiver.

2. Complete the forms listed on the Student Checklist page. Fax or email the Prospective Student Data Sheet and the Student Agreement/Release Form to Gwen Sullivan. Fax: 432.837.8350; email gsullivan@sulross.edu.

3. Order your transcripts. Send originals to Gwen Sullivan at Sul Ross State University, Mailstop: Box C-95, Alpine, TX 79832. If you have already sent them directly to Sul Ross's Enrollment Services office, please notify Gwen Sullivan at 432.837.8351 or gsullivan@sulross.edu.

4. Schedule a telephone conference with your Sul Ross academic advisor to get your degree plan in order. The Sul Ross phone and email directory is here.

5. Watch for an Acceptance Letter. The letter contains important information, including your Sul Ross student identification number (commonly called an A Number) and your password so you can register for classes. Contact Gwen Sullivan or another member of the Science Initiative for assistance with registration.

6. After you register for classes, contact Midland College's Director of Financial Aid, Ms. Latisha Williams,  at 432.685.4757, lwill@midland.edu, or in SSC224 to complete an important financial aid document, even if you don't plan to apply for or use aid money.


Looking forward to Spring (and Mid-Winter)

Click here to see the Sul Ross State University Mid-Winter 2010 schedule

Click here to see the Sul Ross State University Spring 2011 schedule

Click here to see the Spring 2011 Academic Calendar

Click here to see the Fall 2010 Academic Calendar

Watch this website for the online registration schedule.

Lady Phasmida goes to Town

photo courtesy Gwen Sullivan



Lady Phasmida gets an Education

photo courtesy Gwen Sullivan



Taking Herpetology, Zoology, or Mammology?

That's your esteemed Professor, Dr. Steven Platt, in the following photo. Dr. Platt recently returned from a summer-long research trip to Myanmar. That's Dr. Platt in the center.

Photo courtesy U Win Ko Ko

Pictured, left to right: Party Panda, Dr. Platt, Tigger Knock-Off.

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Important Dates

Last Day to Pay Tuition At Sul Ross State University is the 12th class day, Friday, September 10, 2010. If your account balance is not cleared by that date, you will be dropped. Please call Enrollment Services at 432.837.8050 (office hours - 8am to 4pm) if you have questions.

Last day to apply to student teach in Spring 2011 is Monday, September 20, 2010.

Last day to apply for Spring 2011 Graduation is Friday, September 24, 2010.

Last day to drop a course with a "W" is Friday, November 12, 2010. Call Enrollment Services at 432.837.8050 (office hours - 8am to 4pm). Course drop must be processed before 4pm.

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Thursday 9/2/10 Schedule Will NOT Be Modified

If you are a Science Initiative student taking Sul Ross classes at Midland College, your class schedule will NOT be modified on Thursday, September 2, 2010. Stick to your regular class schedule!

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SRSU Late Registration & Schedule Changes for Fall 2010 continue until Monday, August 30, 2010 at 4:00 PM

Note that self-registration ended on Tuesday, August 23, 2010. Now, all late registration and schedule changes must be handled by Enrollment Services at 432.837.8050. If you need additional assistance, contact Gwen Sullivan at 432.837.8351 or gsullivan@sulross.edu.

To see the entire academic calendar and other important deadlines, click her: http://www.sulross.edu/cgi-bin/calendar.pl.

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SRSU First Day of Class for Fall 2010 is Wednesday, August 25, 2010; Last day to self-register for Fall 2010 using Banner is Tuesday, August 23, 2010.

Activities Calendar Excerpts and Other Information

Members of The National Hispanic Institute (NHI) have been present on the Sul Ross State University Campus this week participating in many activities including the Big Bend Great Debate. The Ballet Folklorico de Oaxaca, in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Mexico's declaration of independence from Spain, performed at Marshall Auditorium on Tuesday night, July 13. To read more about the NHI's mission, please click the NHI website link.

Way Out West Book Festival on July 29-30, 2010 with special guests, authors Denise Chavez (ticketed event on July 30) and David Morrell (ticketed event on July 31). Ms. Chavez will perform a special after-dinner reading on July 30 and Mr. Morrell will deliver the keynote address on July 31. The Flatlanders with Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock will perform on July 31 at the Gallego Center at Sul Ross. Concert proceeds benefit the Alpine Public Library. For more information about the Way Out West Book Festival and the list of authors who will participate, visit the website link.

If you are a Midland College student who has recently applied for admission to Sul Ross State University through the Science Initiative program, please watch for your acceptance letter from Sul Ross, which will include your student ID number (your "A number") and your PIN. If you receive a letter or message stating that you have a hold on your account until you attend a Sul Ross orientation, please call Gwen Sullivan at 432.837.8351 to make arrangements to have the orientation hold lifted. You are not required to attend Sul Ross's orientation under the Science Initiative. The hold will prevent you from registering for classes, so it's important to have it lifted.

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Mathematicians from Sul Ross to visit Midland College

On Thursday, July 8, David Martin, Ph.D., Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Mathematics, along with Lloyd Moyo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Eric Holt Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and Kendall Craig, Project Director, will travel to Midland College to visit with students interested in taking mathematics classes through the Science Initiative program. Pizza will be provided. Students are asked to go to the Math Lab, Room 124, in the Marie Hall Academic Building at Midland College at 11:30 am. 

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Fall 2010 Math Courses offered under MC/SRSU Science Initiative

Math 2330: Linear Algebra / MW 2-3:15pm / Instructor: Dr. Kris Jorgenson / We will use the mathematics of vectors and matrices to solve linear equations, vector equations, find eigenvalues, determinants, and other tools important to mathematics applications to the areas of chemistry, traffic networks, dynamic systems such as predator-prey models or Markov chains, computer graphics, geometric problems, and least-squares solutions to find curves of best fit, along with others. Some technology will be used during the 2nd half of the semester. Prerequisite: Trigonometry

Math 3350: History of Math / Web-Delivered / Instructor: Dr. David Martin / A web-based semi-self paced upper-division course covering the foundations of mathematics. Spanning almost four-thousand years of mathematics, we will discuss the works of the early Egyptians and Babylonians, Euclid, Diophantus, Fibonacci, Cardan, Tartaglia, Descartes, Leibniz, Newton, Pascal, Bernoulli, Fermat, Euler, Gauss, and Hilbert. By studying the work fo these masters, a deeper understanding and appreciation of current mathematics will be gained. Prerequisite: Calc II

Math 4340: Mathematical Statistics / TR12:30-1:45pm / Instructor: Dr. Eric Holt / Students will study the quantification of uncertainty in a calculus-based format. Probability topics covered will include random variables, expectation, and the central limit theorem. This will allow for a practical yet in-depth treatment of the following statistical topics: parameter estimation, confidence intervals, regression, and hypothesis testing. The class will involve the traditional lecture setting as well as Microsoft Excel labs and student projects. Prerequisite: Calc II / Co-requisite: Calc III

Math 4360: Complex Variables I / TR 9:30-10:45am / Instructor: Dr. Lloyd Moyo / This is an introductory course dealing with functions of one complex variable. Topics will include the Algebra of Complex Numbers, Polar Representation of Complex Numbers, Topology of Complex Numbers, Complex Functions as Mappings, Limits and Continuity, Differentiability, Cauchy-Riemann Equations, Analytic Functions, Harmonic Functions, Elementary Functions of a Complex Variable, Contour Integrals, Cauchy-Goursat Theorem, Cauchy Integral Theorem, Taylor and Laurent Series, Isolated Singularities, and the Residue Theorem and its Applications. Prerequisite: Calc III

Math 3101: Departmental Seminar / F 2-2:50pm / A forum for the presentation and discussion of results from various disciplines relating to Computer Science and Mathematics. Presentations will be made by visitors, faculty, and students. Students enrolled for credit in the departmental seminar will be expected to make a least one oral presentation during the semester. Prerequisite: Upper Division standing.

Contact Gwen Sullivan in Alpine at 432.837.8351 / gsullivan@sulross.edu for more information.

 

Sul Ross Science Initiative Adopts a Recycling Mini-Bin

The staff members of the Sul Ross Science Initiative are committed to Planet Earth and the City of Alpine, Texas. Twice a week, someone from the department collects the bottles, cans, paper, and plastic from the mini-bin in front of City Hall, and then takes everything to the Hal Flanders Recycling Center.

If you want to learn about recycling in Alpine, visit the Hal Flanders Recycling Center website to get guidelines and benefits plus the center's hours and location.

Photo courtesy David Sullivan

Gwen Sullivan at the mini-bin adopted by the Sul Ross Science Initiative.

Summer II and Fall 2010 Registration Continue at Sul Ross

 

Fall 2010

First day of class: 8/25/10. Regular registration ends: 8/24/10 at 4pm. Late registration ends: 8/30/10 at 4pm. Click here for a comprehensive list of registration dates and deadlines. Click here for instructions for using Banner to register online.

Summer II 2010

First day of class: 7/5/10. Late registration and schedule changes end: 7/9/10 at 4pm. Click here for a comprehensive list of registration dates and deadlines. Click here for instructions for using Banner to register online.

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Excerpted from Sul Ross State University's newspaper, The Skyline:

Sul Ross Geology Student Jonathan Dyess Secures Teaching Assistantship

Sul Ross Geology student, Jonathan Dyess of San Angelo, secured a Teaching Assistantship at the University of Minnesota.

Dyess will pursue his doctorate beginning in Fall 2010. Dyess' research project, "Electromagnetic Characterization of Naturally-Occurring Zeolytes with an Emphasis on Passive Detection and Shielding of Undersea Vehicles" involves the characterization of naturally-occurring minerals or "zeolytes" which have industrial, environmental, and defense applications.

Sul Ross geology professor Dr. Kevin Urbanczyk and Dyess have been collaborating with Dr. Grady Blount and Dr. Terri Sauncy from Angelo State University on the project.

Boquillas Canyon River Trip

The Sul Ross State University Geology Advanced GIS class participated in a five-day river trip to Boquillas Canyon in Big Bend National Park, traveling 33 miles on the Rio Grande river from Rio Grande Village to La Linda. Click here for photos and more information.

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Fall 2010

First day of class: 8/25/10. Regular registration ends: 8/24/10 at 4pm. Late registration ends: 8/30/10 at 4pm. Click here for a comprehensive list of registration dates and deadlines. Click here for instructions for using Banner to register online.

Summer II 2010

First day of class: 7/5/10. Late registration and schedule changes end: 7/9/10 at 4pm. Click here for a comprehensive list of registration dates and deadlines. Click here for instructions for using Banner to register online.

Summer I 2010

First day of class: 6/1/10. Late registration and schedule changes end: 6/4/10 4pm. Click here for a comprehensive list of registration dates and deadlines. Click here for instructions for using Banner to register online.

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Spring 2010 Final Exams Schedule for Sul Ross State University, Alpine Campus

Click here to see the Final Exams Schedule for the Alpine campus.

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APRIL 23, 2010 UPDATE Three Advanced Physical Science Courses to be offered at Midland College Fall 2010

As part of the Midland College - Sul Ross State University Science Initiative, three geology courses will be offered for Sul Ross credit on the Midland College Campus. These courses can be applied towards earning a BS degree through Sul Ross while attending classes at Midland College. Courses are presented on the Midland College Campus by live interative televised lectures by Sul Ross faculty, and laboratory sections are also on the Midland College campus with hands-on materials, taught by a live instructor.

To learn more about the Science Initiative or to sign up, contact Brandi Bell at Midland College, 432.685.6454 or bbell@sulross.edu.

Course descriptions:

Geol 3408 Stratigraphy & Sedimentation Dr. David Rohr drohr@sulross.edu MW 6-7pm, lab time to be announced. Lab to meet on the Midland College campus. This course covers the processes and sedimentation, describes the characteristics of sedimentary rocks formed in major sedimentary environments, and discusses the fundamental principles of stratigraphy. Prerequisite: Historical Geology. Stratigraphy & Sedimentation is one of the required advanced courses for the Sul Ross BS-Geology, but can be taken as part of the Geology Minor under the BS-Biology degree.

Geol 4311 Volcanoes of the Southwest Dr. J. Whitford-Stark jlwstark@sulross.edu MWF 10-10:50am, no lab. Explore the styles of volcanism and the hazards posed to humans. What are the chances of a volcano erupting tomorrow in West Texas? Examples of past volcanic features in West Texas and the Southwest will be examined. Volcanoes of the Southwest is one of the advanced elective courses for the Sul Ross BS-Geology, but can be taken as part of the Geology Minor under the BS-Biology degree.

Chem 3402 Forensive Chemistry Dr. Avinash Rangra arangra@sulross.edu TuTh 2-3:15pm, lab time to be announced. Lab to meet on the Midland College campus. A laboratory course designed to teach students interested in law enforcement professions the metholodolgies such as filtration, recrystallization, titration, pH determination, and chemical reactions. Students will use the optical microscope for testing pieces of evidence, develop and lift latent fingerprints, perform micro-testing of drugs, and utilize a novel technique developed at Sul Ross for the preparation of hair fibers.

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BASS Colloquium this Wednesday, April 21, 2010, at 3:30 pm in Lawrence Hall 300

Press Release -

The Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences’ Spring Colloquium will feature Dr. Lester D. Langley, Research Professor Emeritus of the University of Georgia, speaking on “Who Is An American?,” which looks at the term “American” in its broadest sense. The BASS Colloquium will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21, 2010, in Lawrence Hall 300. It is free and open to the public.

Lester Langley is a native of Borger, Texas, and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from West Texas State University. He received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Kansas in 1965. After holding faculty positions at the University of Kansas, Texas A & M University, and Central Washington State University, he joined the faculty of the University of Georgia in 1970, moving through the ranks from associate professor to professor and finally research professor before his retirement in 2000.  Since his retirement he has been a visiting professor at Texas A & M and the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Langley is a highly respected historian of Latin American history and relations between the United States and Latin America.  He is the author of numerous books and articles.  His most recent books include the 2nd edition of America and the Americas: the United States in the Western Hemisphere (2010), Simón Bolívar: Venezuelan Rebel, American Revolutionary (2009), (as co-editor with David Bushnell), Simón Bolívar: Essays on the Life and Legacy of the Liberator (2008), The Americas in the Modern Age (2003) and The Americas in the Age of Revolution, 1750-1850 (1996).  His book MexAmerica: Two Countries, One Future was selected as one of the "other notable books of the year" by the New York Times in December 1988. Much of his early work was on the Caribbean including: The Cuban Policy of the United States: A Brief History (1968), Struggle for the American Mediterranean: United States-European Rivalry in the Gulf-Caribbean, 1776-1904 (1976), The United States and the Caribbean,1900-1970 (1980), The United States and the Caribbean in the Twentieth Century (1982, 1985, 1989), and The Banana Wars: United States Intervention in the Caribbean, 1898-1934 (1983, 1985). In other books, Langley focused on Central America and Mexico, including:  Central America: the Real Stakes (1985), Mexico and the United States: The Fragile Relationship (1991, 1994), and The Banana Men: American Mercenaries and Entrepreneurs in Central America, 1880-1930, (with Thomas D. Schoonover, 1994).

Dr. Langley lives in San Angelo but spends a lot of him time in the Davis Mountains.

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 APRIL 19, 2010 Update: Sul Ross Biology and Geology Students Recognized at Texas Academy of Science Meeting

Photo courtesy of Dr. Christopher Ritzi

In March, 2010, Sul Ross students made presentations at the 113th annual Texas Academy of Science meeting in Stephenville at Tarleton State University.

Victoria Mancha of Alpine won honorable mention in the undergraduate poster competition, while Amy Brown of Alpine placed third in the graduate oral presentation. In addition, Sul Ross was chosen to host the 2012 TAS annual meeting.
Presentations ranged over various categories, including botany, geology, ecology, and zoology. Presenters included:

Victoria Mancha and Dr. James Zech: Coal ball analysis: variations in the peel technique (poster).
Patsy Roberts of Alpine and Dr. James Zech: The Vascular Plants of Indian Springs and Cienega of Chinati Mountains State Natural Area, Presidio County, Based on sampling from late February 2009 through April 2009 (poster).
Alisa Lanning of Sugar Land and Dr. Steven Platt: Seasonal variation in the daily activities and time budgets of the American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) in Big Bend National Park, (oral presentation).
Jonathan Dyess of San Angelo: Spectral analysis and principal component analysis of the Buck Hill Volcanic Group, Trans-Pecos Texas (oral presentation).
Amy Brown and Dr. Kevin Urbanczyk: A geochemical study of the igneous aquifers of West Texas (oral presentation).
Phil Frederick of Clinton, Ill.: Late ordovician through middle silurian gastropoda of the Eastern Great Basin (oral presentation).
Karin Nilsen of Alpine and Dr. Christopher Ritzi: Insect survey of three artificial ecological zone gardens (oral presentation).
Lucia DeLaRosa of San Antonio and Dr. Steven Platt: A demographic study of the kinosternon flavescens in West Texas (oral presentation).
Sheryl Bitner, Alvin and Dr. Christopher Ritzi: Ectoparasites of mus musculus around Alpine with notes on the ectoparasites associated with other rodent species (poster).
Other Sul Ross students in attendance included Lance Chambers, Clarkston, Wash.; Amanda Gutierrez, El Paso; and Alice Harris, Gatesville. 

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APRIL 15, 2010 16th Annual H. J. Cottle Lecture, 1pm, University Center Espino Conference Room

Speaker: Dr. Geoffrey A. Clark, Regents' Professor for School of Human Evolution & Social Change at Arizona State University.  Topic: "Evolution, Creation Science, and the Demon Haunted World." Reception to follow.

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APRIL 9, 2010 Dr. Bob Trentham presented talk at Sul Ross

Dr. Bob Trentham (right), Director of the Center for Energy and Economic Diversification in Odessa, Texas, talks with Geology students Grant Wills, Ricardo Vera, and Joey Dishron (left to right). Trentham, who is also on the faculty at the University of Texas-Permian Basin, discussed new developments and the long-term outlook for Permian Basin oilfields. His visit to Sul Ross was sponsored by the CCRAA STEM Grant and the Department of Earth and Physical Sciences.

Photo courtesy of Dr. David Rohr

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APRIL 7, 2010 Dr. Bob Trentham to present at Sul Ross "New Developments and Long-Term Outlook for Permian Basin Oilfields"

Wednesday, April 7 at 7pm in Warnock Science Building Room 101 - Dr. Bob Trentham is the Director of the Center of Energy and Economic Diversification and Professor of Geology at University of Texas-Permian Basin. Dr. Trentham's research interests include outcrop studies of the producing formations in the Permian Basin, the inter-relationship of naturally occuring salt dissolution with production associated dissolution in the development of sinks and sag at the surface, karsted carbonate oil and gas reservoirs, and the hydrology of West Texas. Dr. Trentham's visit is sponsored by the Science Initiative, the CCRAA STEM Grant, and the Department of Earth and Physical Sciences.

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APRIL 2, 2010 Updates

The Geology Club climbed Baldy Peak on top of Mount Livermore in the Davis Mountains on Saturday, March 27. Chris Pipes, Davis Mountains Project Director, and the Nature Conservancy provided the opportunity to The Geology Club, which meets at 1pm on Mondays in WSB101.

Nine Biology and Geology students made presentations at the 2010 Texas Academy of Science (TAS) annual meeting at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. Sul Ross State University was chosen to host the 2012 TAS annual meeting.

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APRIL 1, 2010 Midland College Visit

Dr. David Rohr, Earth and Physical Sciences Department Chair and Professor of Geology, meets with prospective MC-SRSU Science Initiative students at Midland College on March 31, 2010. 

Photo courtesy of Kendall Craig

Dr. Christopher Ritzi, Biology Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Biology, and Dr. David Martin, Computer Science and Mathematics Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Mathematics, have lunch with prospective MC-SRSU Science Initiative students at Midland College on March 31, 2010.

Photo courtesy of Kendall Craig

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MARCH 30, 2010 Dr. Ball hosts next Astronomy Viewing Session and Sul Ross to Offer Archaeological Field School

Dr. Rayford Ball, Associate Professor of Physics, and the Astronomy Program, are hosting the next Astronomy Viewing Session, the third session in a series of four. Today at 3pm, participants will look at the Sun through a Coronado solar-filtered telescope, which was purchased by the CCRAA STEM Grant. Dr. Ball will setup the telescope on the hilltop north of the Mountainside Dorms.  The next nighttime viewing will be on Thursday, April 15, 2010, at 7:30 pm. Watch this website for more information.

The Center for Big Bend Studies will conduct a five-week archaeological field school from June 1 to July 1, 2010 in Terrell County north of Dryden at the Nature Conservancy's Independence Creek Preserve. The field school is a six-credit hour course. For more information about the course content, tuition, fees, application, and registration, please contact Susan Chisholm, Administrative Assistant at The Center For Big Bend Studies, at 432.837.8179 or schisholm@sulross.edu. The registration deadline is May 30, 2010.

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MARCH 29, 2010 I-2-I Technologies onsite

I-2-I Technologies is onsite this week to install new equipment in the Distance Education classroom located in Warnock Science Building Room 101. Testing of the new equipment should be completed on Wednesday, March 31.

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MARCH 26, 2010 Next Week's Travel Plans

Jesse Moore Kelsch, Project Coordinator, and Tomas Hernandez, Project Director, for the CCRAA STEM Co-Op Grant, a cooperative between Midland College and Sul Ross State University, will travel to Washington, D. C. to attend the Title III, Title V, and CCRAA Project Directors' Conference.

On Tuesday, March 30, 2010, Dr. Md Kalam, Assistant Professor in Earth and Physical Sciences, will travel to Midland College to meet with Biochemistry students at Midland College.  Dr. Lloyd Moyo, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, will travel to Midland College to teach his Geometry 3301 class back to his students at Sul Ross.

On Wednesday, March 31, 2010, Dr. David Rohr, Earth and Physical Sciences Department Chair and Professor of Geology, Dr. Christopher Ritzi, Biology Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Biology, and Kendall Craig, Curriculum Development Specialist and CCRAA STEM Project Director and Midland College-Sul Ross State University Science Initiative & College Readiness (P-16) Advisor are traveling to Midland College to meet with Dr. Margaret Wade and to discuss laboratory materials exchanges for Distance Education labs.

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MARCH 25, 2010 Dr. Zech's Arts and Sciences Spring 2010 Lecture a Hit!

The typically private Dr. Jim Zech gave all who attended the Arts and Sciences Spring 2010 Lecture a glimpse into his life and past work. Dr. Jim Case, Dean of Arts and Sciences, started the Spring lecture series in 2004 as a forum for showcasing the research and publications by members of the Department of Arts and Sciences. "Dr. Zech's presentation was funny, educational, and poignant, and we laughed 'til we cried," said one attendee. Special guest at the presentation was Dr. Zech's mother, Mrs. Gerry Zech.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Jim Zech

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MARCH 24, 2010 A Michigan Yankee in Sul Ross's Court 

From the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences at Sul Ross State University, Dr. Jim Case:

"DR. JIM ZECH TO PRESENT 2010 ARTS AND SCIENCES SPRING LECTURE

On Wednesday,  March 24 at 3:30 p.m. in Warnock Science Building 101, Dr. Jim Zech, Professor of Biology, will present the 2010 Arts and Sciences Spring Lecture.  Dr. Zech’s lecture is entitled “A Michigan Yankee in Sul Ross’s Court” and will focus on Dr. Zech’s research with rare plants at Sul Ross, as well as emphasizing his development as a field botanist.  Dr. Zech will also comment on the life lessons he has learned during his career at Sul Ross.  Dr. Zech earned his Ph.D. degree from The Ohio State University, his Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees from Central Michigan University, and his Associate of Arts degree from Grand Rapids Junior College.  Dr. Zech has maintained an active research agenda during his years at Sul Ross which has resulted in numerous publications, presentation, and grants.  Dr. Jim Case, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, noted that “Dr. Zech’s career at Sul Ross has not only been a career of commendable research, but  Dr. Zech has also distinguished himself in the classroom as an excellent professor. “

The School of Arts and Sciences Spring Lecture began in Spring, 2007, to recognize excellence in research and performance being accomplished in each of the academic departments in the school.  Dr. Case explained that “the convocation is meant to honor all the faculty in the school who have engaged in research and performance during the past year, but each Spring a senior member of the faculty is asked to present to an assembly of Arts and Sciences faculty, staff, and students.  The entire university community is invited. ”  Previous presenters have been Dr. Wayne Sheehan (Professor of History), Dr. David Rohr (Professor of Geology), and Dr. Nelson Sager (Professor of English).   The Spring, 2011 presenter will be Prof. Carol Fairlie, Professor of Art." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MARCH 21, 2010 The Geology 1402 Field Trip

Photo by Dr. David Rohr and reprinted with permission from the Sul Ross Skyline

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MARCH 18, 2010 Announcement of Upcoming events

Thursday, March 18 @ 7:30 pm - read details for location        Dr. Rayford Ball, Associate Professor of Physics, and the Astronomy Program are hosting the first in a series of viewings of interesting objects in our night and day skies. Tonight's viewings include the Orion Region, Mars, the Pleiades Cluster, and the General Sky. Dr. Ball will be using a 10" Meade telescope, which was purchased recently by the Sul Ross CCRAA STEM Grant. Dr. Ball will setup the telescope near the intersection on the hilltop north of the Mountainside Dorms. Future nighttime viewings include the Moon, Venus, Saturn, and Mercury, and one daytime look of the Sun. The Sun viewing will be through a Coronado solar-filtered telescope, which was also purchased by the CCRAA STEM Grant. Dates and times for future viewings will be posted on this website.

Wednesday, March 24 @ 3:30 pm - WSB101      Dr. James Zech, Professor of Biology and H. J. Cottle Lecture Series Director, will deliver the Arts & Sciences Spring Lecture in the Warnock Science Building in Room 101.

To view the complete Sul Ross State University activities calendar, click here.

MC Spring Break - week of March 15, 2010

SRSU Spring Break - week of March 8, 2010

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FEBRUARY 18, 2010  Range and Wildlife Students Win Awards at Wildlife Society

Twenty SRSU wildlife students attended the 2010 Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society Conference in Galveston, Texas, Feb. 18-20.

Travis Bryan received the first place award in the Work Photo category of the conference's photography contest. Sarah Jewett of Pipe Creek, Texas, was recognized as the Outstanding Student Member of the SRSU Range and Wildlife Club. Jewett is a senior Animal Science major and the secretary for the SRSU Range and Wildlife Club. Madeleine Cantu of Deer Park, Texas, won the Colin Caruthers Memorial Scholarship, a $2,000 cash award for the outstanding undergraduate in Natural Resource Management. The scholarship is sponsored by the Caruthers family and the Dallas Ecological Foundation.

The SRSU Range and Wildlife Club won the second place Professional Development Award sponsored by the Texas Wildlife Association. The award, which includes a plaque and $1,000 cash gift, is given to the organization that exhibits professional leadership by participating in or leading community-involved activities and volunteer work throughout the year.

Advisor Dr. Louis Harveson was inaugurated as the new Texas Chapter president. For more information about the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society or the SRSU Range and Wildlife Club, contact Dr. Harveson, 432.837.8098 or harveson@sulross.edu.

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FEBRUARY 17, 2010 McNair Scholars Present at OSU

McNair Scholars Mark Tyson of Bryan, Texas, and Karen Chavira of El Paso, Texas, presented their undergraduate research at the Oklahoma State University Research Conference, Feb. 17-19, in Stillwater, OK.

Tyson, a Natural Resource Management Student, was invited to present his paper "Comparison of Population Estimators for Desert Mule Deer in West Texas." Tyson's research, conducted last summer, was mentored by Dr. Louis Harveson.

Chavira, a current graduate student in Liberal Arts with a B.A. in Spanish from SRSU, presented her academic poster "Revolutionary Violence and Ethnic Conflict along the Texas/Mexican Border, 1910-1920." Chavira conducted her research last summer under mentor Dr. Mark Saka.

For more information, contact Mary Bennett, 432.837.9054 or mbennett@sulross.edu.

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NOVEMBER 03, 2009 LAST Day to Sched-Mod is Friday the 6th...

Last day to drop classes or withdraw from the Fall 2009 Semester will be on Friday November 6th at 4:00pm.

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OCTOBER 28, 2009 McNair-Tafoya Symposium

After a summer of research, Sul Ross State University students are preparing to present their work at the second Annual McNair-Tafoya Symposium, scheduled Wednesday, Oct. 28.
This year’s symposium will be recognizing excellence in undergraduate research in the school of Arts and Sciences. Oral and poster presentations will be held in the Espino Conference Center of the Vic and Mary Jane Morgan University Center, beginning at 3 p.m.
Five students involved in the Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program will give oral presentations on their findings: Sheryl Bitner, Alvin, “Ectoparasites of Mus musculus around Alpine, TX with Notes on the Ectoparasites Associated with Other Rodent Species”; Madeleine Cantu, Deer Park, “Comparison of Habitat Use and Species Diversity Surrounding Earthen Tanks in the Trans-Pecos Region of Texas”; Lucia De La Rosa, San Antonio, “A Demographic Study of the Yellow mud Turtle Kinosternon flavescens in West Texas”; Joan King, Taylor, “Mathematical Analysis of Musical Notes”; and Mark Tyson, Alpine,“Comparison of Population Estimators for Desert Mule Deer in West Texas.”
Poster presentations include Lorenzo Barcena, Alpine; Bitner; Joey Cabezuela, Van Horn; Cantu; Karen Chavira, Alpine; De La Rosa; Bryan Dominguez, El Paso; Rafi Guillen, Alpine; Dauna Hodnett, Fort Davis; King, Victoria Mancha, Alpine; Angela Muniz, Marfa; RoseAnn Rodriguez, Waxahachie; and Tyson.
The symposium is dedicated to Dr. Jesus Tafoya, a Sul Ross professor who died in 2008 and was a mentor to students involved in the program.
The McNair Program, named after Ronald E. McNair, the first African American astronaut is designed to assist low income, first generation, and/or under represented students earn doctoral degrees. The program assists students to prepare for and pass the GRE, LSAT, and MCAT tests, as well as apply for doctoral programs at other institutions.
For more information, contact Mary Bennett, 9054 or mbennett@sulross.edu.


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OCTOBER 20, 2009 * S.I. Course Update Pending...

Promotional image for SRSU course Science in CinemaFollowing the unscheduled dismantling of our original website resources, we resolved to update and post an improved course offering schedule.  That time is now at hand, and we should see a prototype as early as this weekend... 

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November 04, 2009 * Animal Science Grad Student Honored...

Sul Ross State University graduate student Misty Sumner, Kent, was recently named a Wildlife Society Fellow by the national organization during its annual conference in Monterey, Calif.

The Wildlife Society Fellows Program recognizes members who have distinguished themselves through exceptional service to their profession. Fellow appointments are for life.

Sumner, who is a wildlife biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, was nominated by Steve Demarais of the Mississippi State University Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Demarais’ nomination praised Sumner’s commitment to the promotion of wildlife management and education. The nomination noted that she used annual leave and paid her own expenses to maintain professional involvement in Texas Wildlife Society (TWS) activities, chapter meetings and as an instructor in the annual Wildlife Camp.

“She is committed to promoting TWS programs and especially student involvement,” Demairais’ nomination stated. “Her involvement in the Texas Chapter’s Wildlife Camp has helped promote conservation among hundreds of high school students.”

Sumner, who is completing her Sul Master’s degree at Sul Ross, is presently conducting research on mature mule deer bucks on the Jobe Ranch near Kent.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOVEMBER 04, 2009 * Dr. Steven Platt Talk at MC

Scheduled at MC in the Wagner & Brown Auditorium for Wednesday, November 4th at 7:00 PM.  Come learn about the trials and tribulations of a real crocodile hunter

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OCTOBER 08, 2009 * Sul Ross Biology Faculty Papers Published

Sul Ross State University Biology faculty members Steven Platt, Christopher Ritzi, and Martin Terry all published scientific papers recently over a variety of topics in journals ranging from regional to international focus.The papers discussed topics such as mammals, crocodiles, ectoparasites, and succulents.

Platt, along with Z. Fast Horse, T. R. Rainwater, and S.M. Miller, published “Distribution Records and Comments on Mammals in Western South Dakota” in the Western North American Naturalist. This paper reported on the presence or absence  of mammals found in counties and regions in South Dakota, in an attempt to better document the mammalian biodiversity of that region. 

Platt also published another paper with T. R. Rainwater,“Possible Decline of an American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) Population on Turneffe Atoll, Belize” in the most recent issue of the Herpetological Bulletin. This paper documented data indicating that this population of crocs might not be as healthy and stable as previously believed.

Ritzi coauthored a paper with E. W. Valdez and J. O. Whitaker, Jr., “Ectoparasites of the Occult Bat, Myotis occultus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), in New Mexico and Southern Colorado,”also published in the most recent issue of the Western North American Naturalist. The paperdocuments the first official records of several parasitic mites from this unique and cryptic bat species. 

In addition to this bat ectoparasite paper, two of Ritzi’s photographs of ectoparasites were published in the book “Bats of Missouri,” released this month by the Indiana State University Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation. The photos of a flea and a bat wing mite help to illustrate to general readers what sorts of ectoparasites are found on bats, and should help the lay reader to recognize these animals when they are off the host.

Terry also coauthored a paper recently, describing a new species of succulent, Echeveria tamaulipana, which was discovered in the mountains of Tamaulipas near the state capital of Ciudad Victoria. The paper, “New Species of Echeveria (Crassulacease) from Tamaulipas, Mexico” was published in Spanish in the Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, Volume 80 with his Mexican co-authors from the Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas, J. G. Martinez-Ávalos, and A. Mora-Olivo. 

The paper includes both drawn plates and color photos of this new species, which is related to the more commonly cultivated ornamental known as “hen and chicks.” Terry noted that a local relative of this plant exists in the Trans-Pecos Texas, Echeveria strictiflora, which also has a similar morphology.

For more information about these topics or other biological information, please contact the Biology office, 8112.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 * Mathematicians on the Scene at MC

Drs. David Martin and Lloyd Moyo visited the Midland College  Campus to discuss Math offerings currently in production as well as plans for the future.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2009 * BIG Science Initiative Information Session at MC

Dr. Jim Case (Dean of Arts and Sciences, SRSU) joined with Dr. Margaret Wade and Brandi Bell to lead a multi-discipline discussion of the Science Initiative program.  Discussion included new offerings made possible by the CCRAA Cooperative Grant.

Dr. James F. Scudday, retired Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biology, passed away this morning.  Dr. Scudday retired May 31, 1995, after teaching biology courses and conducting research at the university for 31 years.

SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 * E. O. Wilson Talk at MC

Scheduled @ SRSU as the fourth talk in the CCRAA Lecture Series, a large number of Biology, Geology, faculty and staff from SRSU travelled to MC for an amazing talk from the father of Sociobiology.

AUGUST 31, 2009 * WSB 321 online for testing at SRSU

Scheduled room experiments by Drs. Rayford Ball, Chris Ritzi, and Karen Waggoner are commencing following the latest visits from i2i Technologies.  The completed room will feature improved monitor arrangements and tools.

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