HACER will post announcements of interest to Hispanics or other minorities.
9-19-02 Edward James Olmos Family Festival
	Edward James Olmos Presents The Houston Latino Book & Family Festival Advancing the cause of Latino Literacy Since 1997 George R. Brown Convention Center September 28-29, 2002 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. each day FREE Admission Celebrities, Entertainment, Authors, Seminars,Panel Discussions,Local TV & Radio Personalities, Something for Every Family Member HACER is hosting a booth and We need you to be there! If you want to help us out sign up for any of the following time slots. 9:30-12:30 12:30-3:30 3:30-6:30 If you can't stay the whole allotted time slot let us know what you can do ASAP. The more people we have the better.

8-30-02 Houston Scholars Program Mentors

I am recruiting volunteer tutors and mentors for the new Houston Scholars Program The majority of the 12 participants are of Mexican American descent, and it would be wonderful to establish a relationship with HACER to mentor and tutor these students. Please have students contact me if they are interested. The Houston Scholars Program (HSP) is a local boarding initiative for 9th through 12th grade students striving toward higher education. Through a joint collaboration, the Office of the Associate Provost Educational Outreach at Rice University will facilitate the academic and professional success of economically disadvantaged students participating in the program. HSP is aligned with Rice University and KIPP Academy to provide mentoring and education services including mentoring, transportation, boarding, college-placement, financial-aid counseling services and internships. Effective August 11, 2002 twelve students will reside during the school term in a residential facility developed from the Rice University residential college model. Program scholars attend selective private high schools in Houston including Episcopal High School, Kinkaid, and St. John's. The boarding facility is in close proximity to the Rice University campus. Thanks, Sharon L. Bush Educational Outreach Administrator Rice University Educational Outreach, MS 99 Office of the Associate Provost P. O. Box 1892 Houston, TX 77251-1892 Physical Address: 5620 Greenbriar, Suite 220 Houston, TX 77005-2659

8-28-02 Career Services Diversity Luncheon

Rice Career Services is hosting the annual Houston Area Career Fair & Minority Job Expo on Friday, Sept. 13th from 11 am to 5 pm at Autry Court. Once again we will hold a Diversity Luncheon the day of the fair. For Rice students, we will be serving lunch from 11:30am-1:30pm in Farnsworth Pavilion Friday, Sept. 13th. This is an excellent opportunity to meet with employers one on one. It's just a great way to network with employers who want to hire Rice students. We need members to represent HACER at the luncheon. List of organizations attending the fair. Accenture AIM AMD-Advanced Micro Devices Baylor College of Medicine Berwanger, Inc. BP Energy Burnes of Boston/Connoisseur Photo Albums & Frames BWXT Pantex ChevronTexaco Cinergy City of Houston Department of Public Works and Engineering DNF Safety Board El Paso Corporation Enterprise Rent-A-Car ERM-Southwest, Inc. Ernst & Young ExxonMobil Fairfield Industries Incorporated Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Florida Power & Light Company GHG Corporation Halliburton Hewitt Associates Hewlett - Packard Iconixx Intersil Corporation Japan Exchange and Teaching Program Katapultz, Inc. KBR (formerly Halliburton KBR) Lynntech Inc Lyondell / Equistar Chemicals Marsh Micron Technology, Inc. Microsoft Corporation Motorola National Instruments NetIQ Peace Corps Petrofac LLC Poly-America Quorum Business Solutions Rational Systems, LLC Reliant Energy RMT, Inc. SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) Shell Solvay America, Inc. Sponsors For Educational Opportunity Stone & Webster Teach For America Texas Instruments The Boston Consulting Group The Princeton Review Trilogy UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE Veritas DGC, Inc. ViaSat, Inc. Wyle Life Sciences Systems and Servi

8-28-02 Listen about the past Hispanic Professional Leadership Day on KPFT 90.1FM

Keep your pulse on Houston's Latino community by tuning into "LATINO VOICES," a unique LIVE! radio program (KPFT 90.1 FM Pacifica Radio, Aug. 28th, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.) hosted by Anna Nuñez. Tune in for important Latino news! Make your voice heard by calling 713-526-KPFT (5738) during the live radio program! TOPICS: LATINO COMMUNITY CALENDAR (plus info from: Sylvia Sierra & The Houston Calendar) FIESTAS PATRIAS - Breakfast & Parade (Dolores Gallegos) LABOR DAY MASS - SEIU & Office of Justice and Peace, Catholic Diocese (Adriana Cadena & Deacon Sam Dunning) COMMUNITY FAMILY CENTER (formerly Chicano Family Center) - Fatherhood Program (Eduardo Elizondo) TEJANO MUSIC IN HOUSTON -- Where is it? Find out! (Boogie Man & Jumpin' Jess -- Gus Garza on KPFT 90.1 FM Pacifica Radio - Every Tuesday night at 9:00 p.m.) CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF HOUSTON - Children's cultural activities! (Armando X. Orduña) HISPANIC PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DAY (Rice University) - Follow-up & hear inspiring speech by Keynote - Debra Rosado Shaw (Juan Padron & David Medina) "LATINO VOICES," a unique LIVE! Latino community dialogue KPFT 90.1 FM Pacifica Radio Wednesday, August 28, 2002 (soon to air EVERY Wednesday, 10-11 a.m.!) 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Hosted by Anna Nuñez Listen to KPFT Live! - INTERNET CONNECTION AVAILABLE! ADELANTE TODOS! Anna Nuñez

8-26-02 HACER Retreat

Want to learn some leadership skills? Want to bond with fellow HACER members? Want to take a tour of the Eastside of Houston? If this sounds even remotely interesting to you, then you need to join us at our HACER retreat this weekend!!! The purpose of the retreat is to get to know each other better, acquire some leadership skills, learn more about Hispanics at Rice and Houston, and to start the year off with a bang. We will have icebreaker games, a leadership session, and a tour of the Houston's eastside which will be given by our own Josef Sifuentes. Date: THIS WEEKEND!!! August 30-31 Time: from 6:30 pm Friday - 5:00 pm Saturday We'll be back in time for the Rice-UH football game. Location: We will meet at the RMC circular drive around 6pm on Friday. We'll go out to dinner at a local restaurant then head to Talento Bilingue de Houston (close to Minute Maid Stadium) where we will spend the night. Don't forget your sleeping bag and pillow. Cost: Free for the first 25 people. If more people are interested, we may change this limit. We will keep you posted!! You will need money for dinner Friday night for sure! Transportation: Carpooling shouldn't be a problem. Please let us know if you can drive. Waiver: After you have received an attendance confirmation email from HACER, you need to sign a waiver ASAP. Print out the form from the following link and bring it with you on Friday. www.ruf.rice.edu/~stact/travel_waivers/waiver_dom.html The deadline to reply is Wednesday at noon. Please include your name, email, phone number, car (y/n), and college. We hope to hear from you soon!!! Freshmen that means you too!! Enjoy the first week of classes and then come chill with us!! The HACER Officers

8-26-02 Pen Pal Program with BSA

Greetings and Welcome back! Last year HACER participated in the pen pal program with BSA. If you're still interested in participating, please try to give me list of names and info so that I can pair the kids with Rice students. A weekly-corresponding pen-pal program that pairs Rice students with students from a local elementary school. At the end of the school year, the children meet their pen-pals in a day of food, fun, and games. While the time commitment may seem insignificant, it can make a huge difference in the life of an at-risk child. There are 82 second and third graders and 4 teachers participating in the program this year. Principal Denise Richards Fairchild Elementary School 8701 Delilah Houston, TX 77003-3827 The first BSA meeting is scheduled for this thursday, so feel free to drop in! Sincerely, Angela Sims

8-25-02 New "Latin American Art" course

The art and art history department is offering a new course titled "Latin American Art: Independence to the Present." Would it be possible to circulate information about the course through HACER? The class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00 -3:15 PM in Sewall Hall, room 207A. I have attached a course description. Thank you. Sincerely, Nancy Deffebach Latin American Art: Independence to the Present HART 375 TTH 2:00-3:15 PM Sewall Hall 207A This course studies the work of leading visual artists working in Latin America during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The range and diversity of Latin American art will be emphasized and explored. We will look at work in a variety of media: mural painting, easel painting, architecture, prints, sculpture, photography, film, installations, and conceptual art. The work will be discussed in terms of contextual historical, political, social, and cultural developments. We will consider the construction of national identity, the debate between national and international currents in art, the relationship between media and message, the role of public art, and the reception of Latin American art in the United States.

8-14-02 Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals seeks student representatives

We are trying to recruit students to serve as student liaisons on the board of the Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals. Is there a student journalism group or a way of inviting students to join our organization? It's $15/yr for students and they receive beaucoup benefits in the way of scholarship opportunities, networking and mentor relationships, professional development and internship opportunities. We'd like to have all the local universities represented. Give me a call or e-mail me about whom I should contact or follow-up with. Thanks for your time! Celeste Zamora Media Relations, UH-Downtown 713-221-8083 phone 713-288-1292 pager

8-8-02 Family Resource Center seeks bilingual student mentors

ESCAPE Family Resource Center is looking for advanced colleague students to work evenings and Saturdays with our 0 to 3 years of age groups. Bilingual a plus. $10 per hour. We are also looking for bilingual (English-Spanish a must) college degreed and master level people to work as part- time educators in our child abuse prevention classes. We offer good remuneration. Alix Cadavid Program Specialist ESCAPE Family Resource Center 3210 Eastside Houston, TX 77098

8-7-02 Bilingual Reading Research project seeks bilingual examiners

My name is Alina Shardonofsky and I work at the Center for Academic and Reading Skills at the University of Texas Houston Health Science Center. I have a question that perhaps you might be able to assist me with. I am a School Coordinator for a Bilingual Reading Research project and we are looking to hire some examiners for our first wave of testing that will begin in the fall. The research is done at elementary schools with k-2 graders that speak both Spanish and English and testing is done in both languages. We would like to advertise for the position and would like to put up flyers on campus at Rice. I was not sure about the posting policy and was wondering if we need approval to post. Are there certain spots that might be the best or most appropriate places to advertise? Since this is a bilingual project, we are looking to hire people that are fluent in both Spanish and English and that have had some experience working with children. Thank you so much for your help! Sincerely, Alina Shardonofsky

7-18-02 Bilingual Spelling Competition looking for programmer

Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Ricardo Paras, a bilingual educator and founder of the Youth Education for the 21st Century, a non-profit organization that promotes a Regional Bilingual Spelling Competition. The purpose of the event is to cultivate and foster awareness on the importance of bilingualism. This unique annual event, conducted at Rice University, is the first of its kind in the nation and perhaps in the world. Students are required to spell words in Spanish, translate and spell them in English. For the last five years, we have touched the lives of over 86,400 children annually. Our goal is to conduct this worthwhile project at the state and nation level, and ultimately as an international event. We are seeking your help in finding someone with computer experience to help us develop a program for this year's competition. We would welcome your participation in this worthwhile educational program. The potential positive impact that our mutual association would have in our global community would be immeasurable. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, Ricardo Paras, President

4-28-02 SOLAR Leadership Award

The Society of Latino Alumni of Rice (SOLAR) presents the SOLAR Leadership Award for 2002 to qualified undergraduate juniors and seniors who have demonstrated high leadership at Rice University and active participation in the advancement of Latinos. Scholarships are in the amount of $250 and will be disbursed to recipients at the annual POSADA event in Fall of 2002. To qualify you must be a registered member of HACER and agree to become a registered member of SOLAR upon graduation and to serve on the SOLAR scholarship committee for one year. To compete for the award, please submit a current resume and write an essay on one of the topics described below. Your application, resume, and essay must be turned in or mailed by November 1st, 2002 to: The SOLAR Leadership Award Committee c/o Office of Alumni Affairs, MS 520 Rice University 6100 Main Street Houston, Texas 77005 Select one of the following topics for your essay: What is your definition of leadership? How have you demonstrated these characteristics at Rice and in your community? How did your community help you get to where you are today? What have you done to give back to your community? Please describe an experience or circumstance where you overcame adversity. Please limit your essay to a minimum of 1 page and a maximum of 2 pages. Format the essay with a 12 point font (minimum), single-space, and 1 inch margins. Only the first fifty applications will be reviewed by the SOLAR Leadership Award scholarship committee. Download the application.

4-27-02 End of Year Clothing Drive

HACER is sponsoring a clothing drive from April 26 - May 5. We would really appreciate it if you could donate some or your clothes as well as tell your friends from your respective colleges and from your other organizations about it. The boxes are located around each college commons. If you believe the green boxes should be placed in a more visible place feel free to move them. I still need people to help me go door to door and ask for unwanted clothes next Saturday and Sunday. Please, if anyone is willing to do that with me, e-mail Victor Castillo P.S. Many colleges have a lost & found as well as piles of unwanted clothes in the laundry room. Could you please ask your college to donate them?

4-26-02 Apply to join SAC!

STUDENT ADMISSION COUNCIL Find your niche with one of our committees: Campus Tours High School Recruitment Minority Interests On-Campus Programs Overnight Hosting Web Communications Pick up an application and sign up for an interview in the admissions office, Lovett Hall Entrance C. Or sign up online. Application deadline Monday, April 29 @ 5 pm Questions? Email SAC co-directors: Cindy Guadalupe Ricardo Zednik www.ruf.rice.edu/~ricesac

4-10-02 Become a mentor or tutor for the Hines Scholars Program

I am working to help pilot a new education outreach initiative in August, 2002. Rice University (Educational Outreach) has entered into a collaboration with Hines Associates and Kipp Academy resulting in The Hines Scholars Program. Talented Chicano students from Kipp Academy who are enrolled in Houston area private High Schools _ (Strake Jesuit, St. John's, Episcopal, and St. Agnes) will reside in a boarding facility in the Rice neighborhood and have an opportunity to interact with Rice students and faculty. I need your assistance in identifying potential Resident Associates. Resident Associates will live at the facility "RENT FREE" - one bedroom and a private bath, to facilitate the delivery of mentoring and tutoring services, in addition to serving as a role model for the 12 program participants. Two Resident Associate positions are available and will be paid a stipend of approximately $2,000 a semester. Resident Associates have to be age 21 before August, 2002. In addition, tutors (especially math and english) and mentors are needed who are bi-lingual. Tutors and mentors will be provided dinner at the facility on any day they work with students - including weekends. For the Resident Associates (2 paid positions available with free room and board and a $2000/semester stipend) -- The program will begin August 1, 2002 with move-in on that date. The facility is located at 1401 Castlecourt at Yukon, south of Richmond and east of Mandel, about 7 minutes. Male students are especially encouraged to apply!!! Students (undergraduate or graduate) would need to be 21, and have a drivers license, could use the Suburban to come to campus to attend classes. We could make other arrangements for transportation to campus as needed. Students can nominate themselves for Resident Associates - but I would strongly prefer a recommendation from advisors who know the students' strengths, etc. I would like to have all recommendations realistically by next Friday, April 19, so that interviews can be completed before classes end and selections can be made before finals. A formal application is not required, just a resume of the student's academic and life experiences and an unofficial copy of their transcript. Tutors and mentors will be "volunteers" with no monetary compensation. However, the Scholars Program van will be available to pick up students and take them to the facility and bring them back to campus if transportation is a problem. Tutors and mentors are encouraged to have meals with the students. There are 12 students in the program pilot. We can use as many tutors and mentors that are available. Flexible schedules are fine - (1 hour a week up to interaction several times a week including weekends). Thanks, Sharon L. Bush Educational Outreach Administrator Rice University Educational Outreach, MS 99 Office of the Associate Provost P. O. Box 1892 Houston, TX 77251-1892 Physical Address: 5620 Greenbriar, Suite 220 Houston, TX 77005-2659

4-7-02 Breast Cancer Walk

I am doing a 3-day walk April 26-29 (60 miles) to raise awareness about breast cancer prevention and raise money for a cure. I have been training hard because it is a cause I deeply believe in. But I am really struggling with raising the $2,000 I need to participate because some major donors I had counted on have fallen through in the last minute. I would really appreciate any help you could give me, no matter how small. Please donate any amount you can ($5, $10, $25) and let your friends, family, professors, and co-workers know about it also. I need to have the money by Monday April 22 to be able to participate. This is a disease that touches all of our lives, and together, we, the members of HACER can make a difference. Thank you to those who have already donated and to Josef Sifuentes for designing my t-shirt. What are you waiting for! Many thanks, Naturaleza Moore

3-19-02 O-week Diversity Facilitators Needed

BECOME AN O-WEEK DIVERSITY FACILITATOR! Are you a Rice undergrad? Pick up an application in your college or at the OMA office You can also download the application in PDF format. Complete it by Wednesday March 20th and return it to the OMA office. Become a crucial part of O-week! Diversity at Rice and nurturing it from the start is a vital part of O-week (Aug 18, 2002 to Aug 25). We need energetic, involved and dedicated individuals like you to participate. Have an impact on Freshmen and get all the benefits of O-week without having to get up at 6am for Academic Advising meetings! Please feel free to direct your questions to: Naturaleza Moore Eddie Leza this year's AWESOME Diversity Coordinators! Pick up an application TODAY!

3-15-02 "Night at the Sanctuary"

The Rice University Black Student's Association would like to invite you to the third open-mic night of the year. "Night at the Sanctuary" Next Friday, March 22nd The event will feature open-mic poetry, freestyle rapping, and spoken word all supported by the live house band "1-2,1-2 and the crew". We will have refreshments provided by Boilman's catering and the Rice Coffeehouse. The band will get started about 9:00PM as doors open and the poetry should start around 9:30. For more information: Vasco Bridges, BSA Publicity Chair www.owlnet.rice.edu/~vasco/poetry/index.htm

3-14-02 Buy a Bean - Support Guatemala 2002!

This May the Community Involvement Center will sponsor its sixth annual International Summer Service Project. For the third year in a row, thirteen Rice students and two staff advisors will travel to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, located in the Highlands, west of Guatemala City. For two weeks, students will be immersed in the rich Guatemalan culture while working alongside the indigenous people of the area. The focus of the groups' volunteer efforts are reforestation, coffee bean production, and construction projects. Students will also have the opportunity to learn about the history and politics of Guatemala, one of the most impoverished nations in Central America. For more information about the trip, please visit the CIC's web site at www.ruf.rice.edu/~service The students are extremely excited about this once in a lifetime opportunity to interact and learn from another culture through community service. We are facing a great task in raising the funds necessary for the trip; the trip costs approximately $1200 per student. Our first fundraiser is "Buy a Bean." A wall of coffee beans is currently being displayed in the RMC between the campus store and the convenience store/Subway. For each $5 donation a bean will be added to the wall with the donor's name. You may make a donation in cash or in the form of a check made out to "CIC Service Council - Rice." Please contact one of the student participants (listed below) or the Community Involvement Center (MS 527, x4970) to make your donation. Please contact the CIC if you would like to receive a receipt for your charitable gift. Student Participants: Andie Hartman, Amy Benford, John Chao, Sarah Cook, Felicia Dixon, Hanna Garth, Shirin Hakimzadeh, Max Lambert, Serena Rodriguez, Ryan Simonak, Wei-Han Tan, Christina Tran, Megan Walker Thank you! --Stacy Rasmussen [Editor's note: HACER has donated $50 to support the 2002 CIC Summer Service Project.]

3-14-02 Ethnic Studies: a Panel Discussion

Ethnic Studies What is it? How would it benefit us? Do we need it here at Rice? When: Friday, March 15 Time: 12-1:00pm Where: Farnsworth Pavilion Lunch Provided Panelists: Dr. Lynne Huffer, FREN and WGST Dr. Jose Aranda, ENGL and WGST Dr. Richard Smith, HIST and ASIA Ishmeal Bradley, Wiess '02, Ethnic Studies Task Force Stephen Chao, Will Rice '02, Ethnic Studies Task Force Sponsored by the Ethnic Studies Task Force, NAACP, and ADVANCE For more information: ishmeal bradley

2-24-02 HACER Elections

HACER elections are in three weeks. It is now time to begin thinking about what role you would like to play in HACER next year. Whether you are a senior or freshmen, you can actively make a difference in this organization. The only prerequisite to run is that you have paid your HACER dues. The positions that can be filled are those of: President: oversees all HACER activities and serves as the liaison with the administration, and all other organizations on campus, sits on the President's Council of Minority Affairs, Diversity Council, and other councils. Internal Vice President: oversees all on-campus activities which include Posada, pre-O-week reception, Culture Fair, etc. External Vice President: oversees all off-campus activities which include conferences, networking with other universities, non-profit organizations like the Institute of Hispanic Culture, and corporations like Univision. Secretary: oversees meeting minutes, announcements, publicity, emails, website, newsletter, etc. Treasurer: oversees budget, fundraising, dues, etc. Outreach Coordinator: organizes tutoring opportunities, toy drive, project pumpkin, and anything dealing with community service working in conjunction with the Community Involvement Center. Historian: oversees and maintains scrapbook, HACER history including recording events, etc. The timeline for elections is as follows: 1. Friday, March 1, 2002 5 pm: A written blurb is to be submitted to Maricela Alarcon no later than 5pm stating your name, declaring desired position in office, and a brief synopsis of your plans, ideas, reasons for running and qualifications. 2. Thursday, March 13, 2002, 7pm: A platform session will take place in the Student Organization Office Space were members will come to hear and ask questions of the people running. Candidates who submitted a blurb will be given time explain their ideas. 3. Thursday, March 20, 2002, 7pm: During the HACER meeting, members will be given the opportunity to vote. Votes will be counted by two officers not running and counting will be overseen by a faculty sponsor. The incoming HACER officers will be announced by email no later than one hour after the meeting has been adjourned. PLEASE NOTE: Only those members who have paid their dues will be allowed to vote. Contact Treasurer Cindy Guadalupe about paying your dues.

2-21-02 AGEP summer research program

The Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Program offers exciting summer research opportunities for math, science, and engineering majors. In addition to conducting research with Rice University faculty and graduate students, participants also engage in mentoring and professional development activities. The program will run from May 31, 2002 through August 10, 2002. Participation carries a stipend of $3000 for the summer, and we also supplement the housing costs for lodging at Rice's new graduate apartments. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2002. All participants must prove proof of health insurance, and participants must be a US citizen or permanent resident. An application and more information can be obtained from the following website: http://rgs.rice.edu/Grad/agep Sincerely, Theresa Chatman Project Manager

2-20-02 Bilingual readers needed for study

Dear all, I am recruiting individuals for my dissertation who are fluent speakers of both English and Spanish, AND whom are able to read with approximately *equal fluency* in both languages. I need adults between 18 and 40 years with no history of sensory or neurological problems. Participants will be paid $40/session and will be asked to read words aloud in both languages while their brain activity is recorded using magnetic source imaging (MSI), a completely safe and noninvasive imaging technique. If you have any friends or colleagues who are English-Spanish bilinguals, AND whom consider themselves to be about equally fluent readers in both languages, please send them my way! Thanks! Rob Davis

2-12-02 Artists for "Night at the Sanctuary"

Calling all ARTISTS!!! Night at the Sanctuary presents its second showcase of poets, lyricists, and artists! This event will be held at Sammy's on Saturday, February 23rd, during Vision's Weekend, at 8:30 p.m. We need artists, who are willing to share their drawings, paintings, portraits, etc. to please contact us at x1635. Please let us know if you are interested by Monday, February 18. For more information about Night at the Sanctuary: http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~vasco Thanks, Anjeanette and Leira

2-6-02 Mellon Undergraduate Fellows Program

The Mellon Undergraduate Fellows Program at Rice University is currently accepting applications from students interested in participating in a mentored program that prepares them for entering Ph.D. programs in selected disciplines after they graduate from Rice University. Eligible fields are Humanities, Anthropology, Mathematics, Mathematical Sciences, Statistics, Physics, Geology, Ecology, and Earth Sciences. Applicants should normally be completing their sophomore year as a student at Rice University. Selection will be based on a number of attributes including but not limited to academic standing and potential, life experiences and interests, commitment to building bridges in multicultural settings, and interest in pursuing graduate education. Students who participate in the program receive a yearly stipend of $1,600, work closely with a faculty mentor for two years, and are also eligible for participation in summer fellowship programs at the end of their sophomore or junior years. Finalists will be interviewed. Announcements will be made in March. Application forms and additional information about the program can be obtained online at http://dacnetdev.rice.edu/depts/outreach/mellon/ or from Dr. Roland B. Smith, Jr., Associate Provost, Room 313A, Lovett Hall. Application deadline is FEBRUARY 22,2002

2-4-02 Mexican-American volunteers for spina bifida research

Dear Hacer, I am a Rice graduate now working in Developmental Pediatrics for the University of Texas - Houston. One of the projects we are currently conducting studies children with spina bifida (an opening in the spine) and hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain). Spina bifida is a birth defect which occurs frequently among the Mexican population. We want to compare the the genes of healthy Mexican individuals with no history of this birth defect in their family with the genes of families with a member with spina bifida. All information is kept confidential. Would you as an organization or as individuals be willing to participate in this study? (Mexican-Americans under age 25) It would involve giving a small sample of blood. Each individual would receive $15 as compensation. You would be welcome to come to our office at the corner of Fannin and Galen, or the study coordinator, Irene Townsend, R.N., could come on campus to discuss the research and collect blood. This is a wonderful opportunity to further the research on spina bifida and its prevention. Please respond to Irene Townsend or myself. Jennifer Griffin and Irene Townsed, R.N.