In Brief: the Great ShakeOut, Downtown Lecture Series, 'Super-Earths' on The Conversation, HSI Faculty Seed Grants, Seal of Excelencia

In Brief: the Great ShakeOut, Downtown Lecture Series, 'Super-Earths' on The Conversation, HSI Faculty Seed Grants, Seal of Excelencia

By University Communications
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The "drop, cover, hold on" drill will take place at 10:20 a.m. on Oct. 20.
The "drop, cover, hold on" drill will take place at 10:20 a.m. on Oct. 20.
Downtown Lecture Series speakers will take on topics including drag performance, 19th-century sex scandals, reproductive justice and how gender and sexuality are taught, or not taught, in schools.
Downtown Lecture Series speakers will take on topics including drag performance, 19th-century sex scandals, reproductive justice and how gender and sexuality are taught, or not taught, in schools.
In an article on the Conversation, Chris Impey says astronomers believe the universe contains billions of "Super-Earths."
In an article on the Conversation, Chris Impey says astronomers believe the universe contains billions of "Super-Earths."
The University of Arizona and the Universidad ITESO in Guadalajara, Mexico, worked with Wixarika Indigenous students and communities as part of the HSI Faculty Seed Grant Program 2021 project.
The University of Arizona and the Universidad ITESO in Guadalajara, Mexico, worked with Wixarika Indigenous students and communities as part of the HSI Faculty Seed Grant Program 2021 project.
The University was one of nine to receive the inaugural Seal of Exclencia in 2019, and has now been recertified for another three years.
The University was one of nine to receive the inaugural Seal of Exclencia in 2019, and has now been recertified for another three years.

Prepare for earthquakes with the Great Arizona ShakeOut

The campus community is encouraged to take part in the Great Arizona ShakeOut, billed as the largest earthquake drill in Arizona history. State leaders are hoping that faculty, staff and students will participate in a two-minute "drop, cover and hold on" exercise at 10:20 a.m. on Oct. 20 to practice how to protect themselves in the event of an earthquake.

The Great ShakeOut, which happens around the world, is organized by the Earthquake Country Alliance, a public-private partnership of people, organizations and regional alliances focusing on earthquake and tsunami preparedness, mitigation and resiliency.

In the event of an earthquake, the organization says you should drop where you are onto your hands and knees; cover your head and neck with one arm and hand and crawl under a sturdy table or desk, if available; and hold onto the desk or table until the shaking stops. If you don't have something sturdy to crawl under, hold onto your head and neck with both arms and hands.

More than 61,000 people in Arizona so far are registered to participate. Those looking to take part in the drill can find more information on how to participate and register online.


Downtown lecture series to look at sexualities

This year's Downtown Lecture Series, hosted by the University's College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, will focus on the theme "sexualities," exploring the complex ways that gender and sexuality shape our lives, from the intimate to the institutional.

Speakers for this year's series will address the cultural impacts of drag performance, 19th-century sex scandals, reproductive justice and how gender and sexuality are taught, or not taught, in schools. The talks will be held on Oct. 12, 19, 26 and Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. at the Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.

The series is sponsored by the Stonewall Fund at the community Foundation for Southern Arizona.

In-person attendees can register online for free tickets. The talks will also be recorded for those who can't attend, with livestream links available on the lecture series website.

Find more information about the series on the University's news website.


Chris Impey writes about 'super-Earths' on The Conversation

Each month, faculty members and researchers from across the University share their expertise on The Conversation, an independent, not-for-profit news source committed to communicating the work of scholars. The Conversation makes all of its articles available at no charge to any news organization that wants to republish them. In addition, The Associated Press distributes The Conversation articles to newsrooms across the United States.

To recognize University of Arizona scholars who are contributing to The Conversation's goal of informing public debate "with knowledge-based journalism that is responsible, ethical and supported by evidence," the Office of University Communications regularly posts links to the articles that have been published on The Conversation.

In September, one new article was published on The Conversation:

Sept. 23, 2022
Super-Earths are bigger, more common and more habitable than Earth itself – and astronomers are discovering more of the billions they think are out there
Newly discovered super-Earths add to the list of planets around other stars that offer the best chance of finding life. An astronomer explains what makes these super-Earths such excellent candidates.

Chris Impey
Distinguished Professor, Department of Astronomy

Read previous articles published on The Conversation:

Representatives from The Conversation will be visiting the University of Arizona campus Oct. 19-20 to discuss several new initiatives and opportunities.

 

Interested in submitting an article? Go to the sign up link on The Conversation website to create a username and password. Do a keyword search to see what has been written on the topic you have in mind. Fill out the online pitch form. (Scholars who would like to talk through an idea before submitting a pitch can send an email to conversation@arizona.edu.)


New HSI Faculty Seed Grants total $140,000

Six projects will share $140,000 in funding through the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Faculty Seed Grant program. The initiative is a partnership among Research, Innovation and Impact, the Office of the Provost, Faculty Affairs and Hispanic Serving Institute Initiatives.

The program aims to support scholarly research and creative work among faculty members that enriches the University's designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and advances scholarship that directly impacts queer, trans, Black, Indigenous and people of color populations, and fulfills the University's purpose and values.

"The scholarship and creative work that each of the seed grant recipients engages in demonstrates how 'servingness' and a shared commitment to our HSI designation is enacted across academic disciplines," said Judy Marquez Kiyama, associate vice provost for faculty development. "Their work has already resulted in significant impact, and I am eager to witness these projects grow in the future."

When Amanda Cheromiah, a research associate in the Department of Educational Policy Studies and Practice, began a research partnership with Indigenous communities in Mexico, she planned to exchange best practices for serving Native American students. What she and her team came away with was a rich cultural experience and an appreciation for the similarities between the two worlds.

"We have many cultural shared values," Cheromiah said during a webinar she gave in April about her seed grant-funded project studying the similarities in experiences of Indigenous students at higher education institutions. Cheromiah is the former director of Native Student Outreach, Access and Resiliency, a mentoring program grounded in Indigenous teachings and Ways of Knowing.

The "Indigenous Communities in the Americas: Learning and Thriving Together Through Higher Education" project was among seven proposals funded in 2021. The project, in partnership with Native SOAR, Universidad ITESO in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and the Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration.

Tara Sklar, professor, and Shefali Milczarek-Desai, associate scholar, both in the James E. Rogers College of Law, also received funding last year for their research project, "Racial Justice in Long-Term Care: Amplifying the Voices of Immigrant Workers."

Through the project, dozens of immigrant and migrant women who work as health care aides were interviewed and therefore given a platform to share their voices. The University researchers' work and subsequent findings would not have been possible without the HSI seed grant funding, they said.

The HSI Faculty Seed Grant Program is open to all faculty members, including tenure-eligible, tenured, continuing-eligible, continuing status and career-track faculty across all disciplines and ranks. Early-career scholars are prioritized.

Funded proposals also prioritize existing partnerships or collaborations with other Minority-Serving Institutions, including HSIs, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions.

Find more information and application guidelines on the Faculty Seed Grants webpage.


University recertified with Seal of Excelencia

Excelencia in Education, an organization focused on accelerating Latino student success, has again awarded the University its Seal of Excelencia, recognizing service and commitment to Latino students.

The University was one of nine to receive the inaugural Seal of Exclencia in 2019. Each of those universities was recertified for another three years. The seal recognizes the University's efforts in enrolling, retaining and providing financial support for Latino students, as well as representing Latinos in administration, faculty and staff ranks.

Washington, D.C.-based Exclencia in Education was founded in 2004 with the mission of accelerating Latino student success in higher education. Now in its fourth year, the Seal of Excelencia national certification process is designed to support and encourage institutional transformation to serve Latino, and all, students.

The organization also named the Knowledge River program, housed in the School of Information and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, a 2022 Example of Excelencia finalist. The Example of Excelencia awards highlight evidence-based practices that improve Latino student success in higher education. Knowledge River specializes in educating professionals in the information field who have experience with and are committed to the information needs of communities of color.

Read more about the recertification on the University's news website.

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