Newsletter1b Rich 102009 Online

Fall 2009 Semester Volume 1, Issue 1 A Tribute to Bill McCarthy

Reaching the Pinnacle/ 575-646-6052 NSF Grant # HRD-0622930

Welcome By RTP Staff

As excited as I am to be a part of the Reaching the Pinnacle (RTP) team, I struggle with my new role as Principle Investigator (PI) on the project. I was originally brought into the RTP project as Co-PI because Bill and I shared the same vision: to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. His focus was to increase the number of students with disabilities entering careers in science, technology,

RTP News goals in STEM professions. At NMSU, UNMLA, and UTEP, project mentors receive training, mentoring, and stipends to further their own academic success and the academic success of the high school students with whom they At Reaching the Pinnacle (RTP) mentor. Other activities include we strive to assist persons with a summer camp (RASSI) and dis-abilities improve their lives Partner Projects. by offering them Science, Technology, Engineering and Bill was my friend, my mentor, Mathematics Education opand my hero. I miss seeing him portunities. We are one of six at the end of the conference RADs or Regional Alliances for table with his baseball cap on persons with Disabilities around backward, his unique leader-ship the United States funded by the style, and his encourage-ment to National Science Foundation.

Our first issue is dedicated to Bill, our leader and hero. we will remember you.

Individual Highlights: Welcome tribute

1

What’s Happening

2

Mentors

3

SCIENCE

4

TECH TALK

5

Friends of RTP

6

Our primary goal is to increase the numbers of persons with disabilities working as degree By Elissa Poel, PI professionals in STEM fields. We accomplish this mission by working at all levels of education from elementary school through university studies, including graduate degree candidates. Our

various

programs

have

Tribute to Dr. William McCarthy

RTP News

Page 3 of 7

RTP: Increasing the number of individuals with Mentor News disabilities entering science, technology, RTP started off the fall semester engineering, with high hopes and for the Mentorship Program.careers Currently mathematic

RTP has 72 Mentors across 17 campuses and the numbers are likely to grow. Recruitment efforts all across the RTP region By Jackie Sanders are slowly but surely getting the word out that RTP is looking for highly qualified students with September 2009 disabilities who are interested in STEM majors. September 17th RASEM Conference Room: Visit by Dr. Roberts and Dr. Hanlon, RTP external evaluators Work has begun on Mentor Projects and the focus this year October 2009 will shift to high schools. The National Science Foundation is October 23rd, 7:30-3:15 at Las Cruces High School: NEA-NM Las targeting high school students in Cruces Public Schools; Randy and Elissa will present highlights the hope that they will decide to of RTP. attend college, and hopefully study something in a STEM field. WHAT’S HAPPENING February 2010 RTP mentors are college February 17-20, 2010; Baltimore, Maryland: Learning students majoring in STEM fields Disabilities Association of America (LDA); 47th Annual who also have some identifiable, International Conference;. Randy and Elissa will present documentable disability. The highlights of RTP. experience, insight and attitude You may also want to they share with younger noteVisit, business or 2010: Site National Science Foundation students is very valuableFebruary, and economic trends, or helpful. In a competitive society make predictions for all people need skills and March your customers or 2010 strategies to cope with the By Randy Larry, Director, clients. March 18-21, 2010: National Science Teachers Association, difficulties and barriers RTP on the If the newsletter is PA; Randy will present the Teacher of the Year road to success. Mentors Philadelphia, offer distributed internally, March 20 morning session titled unique and relevant insightsAward and at the Saturday, you might comment “Science – Abled Breakfast”. support to younger students upon new procedures following in their footsteps, while or improvements to also themselves benefitting from the business. Sales the journey even as they help figures or earnings will others along the way. show how your Most people have mentors of one kind or another on their road in life. RTP hopes to give opportunities to students with disabilities to experience mentoring that is sensitive to their specific needs, and can

business is growing. Some newsletters include a column that is updated every issue, for instance, an advice column, a book review, a letter from the president, or an editorial. You can also profile new employees

Asteroids and Comets and Meteors, Oh My! RTP News

Page 4 of 7

Science Corner Science Corner this week addresses the question of celestial objects such as asteroids, comets and Paid Summer U.S. Dept. of meteoroids hitting Internships: the By Rich Turietta Defense; U.S. citizenship is required earth. First off,Thelet’s our And Research Science,get Mathematics for Transformation (SMART) Scholarshipdefinitions straight. is a DoD program Accordingfor-Service to Programthe aimed to increase the number of civilian hubblesite web page: scientists and engineers working at DoD http://hubblesite.org/refer laboratories. The program offers: ence_desk/faq/answer.php * STEM undergraduate & graduate .id=22&cat=solarsystem support the following * Full are tuitioncorrect and education related fees * Portable scholarships definitions: 1) meteor: the and fellowships * Cash award up to $41,000 depending on flash of light in the sky prior educational experience caused by a meteoroid, 2) * Paid summer internships meteoroid:* Health debrisInsurance causing reimbursement a meteor,allowance typically a $1,200 pieceper calendar year up to of interplanetary matter * Book allowance of $1,000/academic year from a few any-where * Mentoring millimeters up to a kilometer * Employment in size,placement 3) after graduation meteorite: any part of a Applications for 2010 accepted until meteoroid December that survives 15, 2009. For more details the fall through earth’s contact: JoAnn Wright, (410) 436-4594; atmosphere [email protected] and lands on or visit the earth, http://www.asee.org/fellowships/smart/ 4) asteroid: a larger chunk of rock that comes from the asteroid belt and finally, 5) comet: an asteroid-like object covered with ice, methane, ammonia and other compounds that have a fuzzy, cloud-like shell called a coma which sometimes is visible in the sky as a tail . Okay, now for our discussion… It turns out that thousands of objects enter the earth’s atmos-phere every day (meteoroids), around the clock. Some of them leave bright trails you can see (meteors). Most of these ob-jects are too

Your headline is n important part of the newsletter and should be considered carefully. In words, it Inaafew competitive should accurately society all represent contents peoplethe need of the story and skills and draw readers into the story. strategies to Develop the headline cope with the before you write the difficulties and story. This way, the barriers on the you headline will help

road to success..

Examples of possible

headlines include Product Wins Industry Award, New Product Can Save You Time, Membership Drive Exceeds Goals, and New Office Opens Near You. While your main goal of distributing a newsletter might be to sell your product or service, the key to a successful newsletter

RTP RTP News News

Page Page 5 5 of of 7 7

“If the earth were struck by a really Tech Talk large object forget it, Assistive it’s Technology devices over. Goodbye. were first developed as a But, that is not need to assist likely, individuals so I would notwith disabilities in accessing their worry about it. environment at home, at school, or in the workplace. As the technology race ensues, the devices once specific to this population now aligns with the concept of universal design to provide access for the majority. A variety of devices (over 29,000) are now available today to meet individual needs. Individuals with disabilities no longer have to sit on the sidelines only

By Elissa Poel

Kindle II (Photo courtesy of Google images and amazon) Portable Reader Amazon Kindle Kindle DX

Price $399

Scree n Size 6”

Weigh t 10.3 oz.

Batter y 30 hours

$489

7.7

Nook

$259

7.7

11.2 oz.

eBookwis e – 1150

$140

5.5”

18 oz.

15 hours

Sony PRS-500

$280

6”

9 oz.

Sony Pocket

$199

5”

8 oz.

IRexiLiad Coming …. Fujitsu FlepiaNot Yet Available Samsung Papyrus

$699

8.1”

13.7 oz.

7500 page turns 7500 page turns 15 hours

$102 5

8”

$299

N/A

Features SD memory card; audio Auto rotate, PDF, text to speech

Downloa d 3G access 3G; direct downloa d

2G

40 hours N/A

Memor y 200 books 3500 books

N/A

USB, headphones, expandable microSD slot 64MB Rechargeabl Internal Ineabattery; few words, itmodem should accuately SD memory represent the contents card; oftouchscreen the story and draw 64MB readers Audio into the story. PC Develop the headline before you write the This way, the 512MB story. Adobe, PDF, PC & Word, will helpMac headline you BBeB® Book keep the story 256MB focused. Audio; WiFi; touchscreen Examples of possible headlines include Product Wins Industry Blue Tooth; Award, WiFi New Product Can Save You Time, Membership Drive 512MB Exceeds Touch Goals, and New Office Opens Near Screen; You. scheduler, memo pad,of using One benefit calendar, contact list,

RTP News

Portable readers: The wave of the future? Can they help in college?

Friends of RTP

Page 6 of 7

For more information on Electronic Readers, visit the following websites: http://www.electronic-reader.com/?page=1 http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/technology_news/42323 44.html http://www.electronic-reader.com/content/samsung-papyruselectronic-reader http://ebook-reader-guide.com/? gclid=CP7A7Oa7wZwCFSYoawodWw7-ng

F r ien ds o

Thank you for your support during the RASSI Summer Camp that was held on August 3-7, 2009 at NMSU.

F r ien d

VFW Post 10124 (Post Commander: Dee Angel) Dee Gee’s Deli (Owner: Eric Elsberg )

Hooter’s Restaurant (Manager: Mike Torres)

Albertson’s Food Store #925 (Manager: Doug Heavner) Dominos Pizza, Main St. Store (Manager: Eric Rooney) Lowes #58 Solano Square (Manager: Bennie Rivera)

Pic Quik Store #14/Santa Fe Grill (Manager: Jay Williams)

We’re on the Web Soon!

Keep an eye on: Rtp.nmsu.edu