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ACADEMIC NOTEBOOK
Learning tools in Zambia
When James Meernik, UNT associate professor of polit-
ical science, first visited Bauleni Primary School in Lusaka,
Zambia, he noticed the classrooms lacked electricity, running
water and school supplies. Many classrooms had no win-
dows, and a few lacked roofs.
"The children weren't required to go to school, but they
did anyway," Meernik says. "They set up study groups when
there wasn't enough room for them in the classes. They des-
perately want an education."
That 1993 visit led Meernik to team up with Sherri
Steward, a Grapevine High School science teacher, to raise
money, collect school supplies and embark on an ambitious
water-supply project for the school. Like Meernik, Steward
had visited Zambia as part of a Rotary International Group
Study Exchange. The two delivered more than $10,000
worth of school supplies in July 1995.
This summer Meernik and Steward made another trip
and provided the school with calculators, chalkboards,
chalk, notebooks, pencils, paper, markers and other class-
room necessities.
During their 10-day visit, Meernik and Steward helped
the school establish its first working well. "We decided we
wanted to do something more permanent," Meernik says.
"The most obvious was to build a water well."
The Grapevine Rotary Club raised funds for the projects.
The Moscow State
Conservatory recently
broke its long-standing
policy of not allowing its
professors to hold joint
appointments and asked
Vladimir Viardo, UNT
artist in residence and
professor of piano, to
rejoin its ranks. Viardo
worked at the Moscow
Conservatory for 13 years
before leaving his home-
land to come to UNT 10
years ago. His reappoint-
ment began Sept. 1 and is
expected to foster even
greater exchange between
the two institutions.
John Paul Eddy, profes-
sor of counseling, develop-
ment and higher education,
has received the Notable
Achievement Award from
the Association of Coun-
selors and Educators in
Government. The award is
the highest citation given
by the national association.
Eddy was honored for his
work at universities, private
agencies and government
institutions since 1954. He
has also written nearly 40
books and more than 400
journal articles. Eddy was
recognized this spring at
the national convention of
the Association of Coun-
selors and Educators in
Government, an affiliate of
the American Counseling
Association.
Environmental scientists
and professionals from
~li
across the country will con-
vene at UNT Sept. 18-20
for a workshop on environ-
mental ethics. The seminar,
which will be held at UNT's
new Environmental
Education, Science and
Technology Building, is
sponsored by the university's
Center for Environmental
Philosophy and the UNT
environmental science
program. The keynote
speaker is John Lemons
of the University of New
England's department
of life sciences, editor of
Scientific Uncertainty and
Environmental Problem
Solving. For more informa-
tion, call (940) 565-2727.
The Center for Play
Therapy is sponsoring a
play therapy conference
Oct. 23 at UNT. The
featured speaker is Charles
Schaefer, founder and for-
mer chair of the board of
directors of the Association
for Play Therapy. The con-
ference is open to teachers,
Fall 1998 13
