Profile: Dr. Hans J. Bohnert

Biochemistry Professor Hans Bohnert maintains a full program of plant research at the UA, while serving with the National Science Foundation in Washington from 1995 to 1997. For this year, he's the Program Director for the Division of Integrated Biology to help make decisions on research funding.

Research proposals are due twice a year to NSF. As Program Director, he selects outside reviewers and the review panel. The panel discusses and ranks reviewed proposals as either excellent, high priority, low priority or declined.

"The proposals rating an excellent are always funded, but funds allocated to the program usually run out about halfway through the 'high priority' category. Although proposals in this category should be funded, I have unenviable responsibility to make the final funding decision," Bohnert says.

His ongoing College of Agriculture research involves molecular biology and gene and plant engineering. Projects are funded by the Department of Energy and the Rockefeller Foundation, as well as other sources.

"I'm still interested in how plants survive water deficit (water stress)," Bohnert says. Many of the crops grown in Arizona originated in subtropical parts of the world where water is plentiful; their survival techniques often work to the plants' detriment in the harsh desert environment.

Twelve people work with him to study the mechanisms that help and deter salt- and drought- stress effects mechanisms such as oxygen radical scavenging, uptake and retention of water, active exclusion of salt, and sugar storage. The group has been able to provide a mechanistic understanding explaining how different mechanisms can make plants stress tolerant.

Bohnert describes his work as learning how the plant water channels function and how some plants control them better than others. Normally, osmotic pressure favors movement of the water to the outside. Take the water away or add salt to it, and this process is reversed. Some plants now make more water channels, which is self-destructive.

However, stress-adapted plants pursue the opposite strategy; they reduce the number of channels and keep the water. Once Bohnert and his team understand how the control works, they will transfer it to important crops.

"This is just one of several mechanisms, and we seem to have genes that control it. But water stress tolerance is the product of several mechanisms; thus we have now begun to transfer multiple genes for different mechanisms into model plants which do some increased tolerance," he says.

Bohnert earned his doctorate from the Heidelberg University in Germany. In 1990, he was named the College of Agriculture Scientist of the Year.

The United States Does Have a Culture

A deep-rooted notion in this country is that we don't have a "culture;" only the rest of the countries do. Culture is the emotional baggage that only other peoples carry. What we do is simply right, normal, and superior; their ways are wrong, abnormal and inferior.

I'm sorry to break this news to you, but all human beings act out their cultures. The way we talk, the way we walk, what we wear, what we eat, the way we think, and the way we go about our daily lives all are influenced by our cultural lenses. That might have been just fine if we lived in a single homogenous culture. We don't. We are interacting with people from all around the world. Our cultural blindness has led to ethnic slurs, blatant prejudices, awful stereotypes, racism, and even hate crimes.

Naturally "culture" invades our office. For example, employees often are sent to time management classes where they are taught techniques to get rid of people lingering in their office, such as keeping only one chair in our office. We learn that an investment of time in work is more valuable than investment in relationships. Many cultures, including Asian, Mexican, South American, Arab, Native American and others value human relationships much higher and put these relationships above a work focus.

If we are committed to increasing harmony and decreasing tensions, we must understand others by first understanding ourselves.

Syed Zafar, president of the Cultural Diversity Group, (713) 587-6933, writing in "Managing Diversity," 10/96

Hispanic Demographics

Since the U.S. Census first counted Hispanics in 1970, those who identify Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba as their country of origin have comprised about three-fourths of the total U.S. Hispanic population. Hispanics from other Latin-American nations and cultures are less well-understood, but they constitute one-quarter of an estimated $170 billion consumer market.

Hispanics who don't trace their origins to the three most common countries are increasing, growing by slightly more than two million between 1970 and 1990. Immigrants of the new wave were fleeing civil wars in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala and Colombia. Others come for jobs or to rejoin family members.

The 1990 census provided information on 12 nations of Hispanic origin, as well as "other" Central Americans and South Americans. Immigrants have always settled in America's largest cities; today's Hispanic immigrants are not much different. Six of the 12 Hispanic subgroups have more than 80 percent of their populations in the nation's 20 largest cities, and three others have between 70 and 79 percent of theirs.

Mexican Americans are the only exception to the urban rule, because many of their ancestors never immigrated. Many Mexicans became U.S. citizens in the 19th Century following the acquisition of Mexican territory by the United States. Almost all of this land was, and still is, rural or in small cities. Recent Mexican immigrants have settled in these same southwestern states.

"American Demographics" magazine

Steer Girls Toward Science

Women and minorities have few role models in technological professions. While women make up nearly half the U.S. labor force, fewer than 9 percent of engineers are women. Fewer than one-third of all computer specialists are women. The National Science Board reports that less than half the U.S. population even considers scientific research beneficial.

Why worry? Because most well-paying jobs today rely on some degree of technical knowledge. By the year 2000, new entrants to the workforce will be predominantly women and minorities the groups with the least science education.

To bridge the gender gap and ensure America's place at the cutting edge of technology, we need programs that encourage adults to value science as something exciting, vibrant, challenging, stimulating and rewarding. Once we sell the importance of science to parents, then they can sell it to their kids.

Dr. Debora M. Katz-Stone, who teaches physics and the U.S. Naval Academy, recommends the following:

  1. Read and talk science to your child. Male engineers say that their families encouraged them. However, women engineers say they had to look outside the family for inspiration.
  2. Take an interest yourself; parents need to continue to enjoy and participate in science.
  3. Set up science clubs. Non-scientists can make scientific participation a serious and fun hobby.
  4. Open the doors on research. Universities and research laboratories should be more accessible to the general public so people can see how their taxpayers' dollars are being spent.
  5. Corporations can better promote science.
  6. Establish gender-sensitive models.

We are a nation famous for its creativity. Telling our children to reach for the stars is not enough; we have to show them that the stars are indeed within their grasp.

Dr. Debora M. Katz-Stone, an editorial in the USA Today, 8/96

Surmounting Barriers Faced by Foreign-Born Workers

The more than 25 million foreign-born workers in the United States come from more than 100 countries. Many encounter barriers to employment, acceptance, and advancement to higher management. The major obstacles they face in the workplace include: 1) language barriers; 2) lack of familiarity with American work practices and cultures; 3) stereotypes about other cultures; and 4) a rising trend in anti-immigrant feelings.

Seattle columnists Tom McWhinnie, Katharine Esty, and Hy Resnick offer these suggestions:

"Work Matters," column in Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 101 Elliott Ave. W., Seattle, WA 98119

Stand Up and Be Counted

When it comes to diversity and pluralism, most of us see ourselves as the good guys, the committed, or members of the choir. We believe in diversity and the notion that "this is the right thing to do." We may even be offended if someone suggests that we are intolerant or anything other than "politically correct."

Yet, too many of us stay silent when it comes to taking positive actions to challenge the social environments in which we live and work. In our silence we fail to take a stand when there are indications of inequality or subtle privileges for members of certain groups to the exclusion of others.

By not "standing up to be counted," we join many others who say the right things but whose behavior is inconsistent, failing to support stated beliefs.

Some believe that a new movement is unfolding; it includes people who are working hard to:

Standing up about your beliefs does not indicate your need to be either a martyr or a villain. It should be viewed as an important step to open dialogue in areas of frequent discomfort.

Curtis E. Gear, Jr., Associate Director, Cooperative Extension System National Center for Diversity, 502-227-5904

What People of Color Face in Corporate America

In these days when talk of doing away with Affirmative Action programs is gaining popularity, Black people are still facing overt and covert discrimination in the workplace. Frank McCarthy, a self-confessed old, white male recruiting officer, shares what he has found:

Frank McCarthy, Xavier Associates, (508) 584-9414, reported in "Managing Diversity" 10/96

Resources

"Cultural Conflict: How to Reduce It!" includes information about diversity programming, cultural conflict and healthcare, recognizing and resolving conflict, and negotiation skills. Sponsored by The University of Arizona, January 17-18, 1997, at Hotel Park Tucson; registration $150 before January 1. More information from Jody Wood, National Center for Neurogenic Communication Disorders, (520) 621-1821.

"Understanding Learning Styles to Enhance Teaching and Program Development," includes information about understanding the significance, applications and limitations of various learning theories of multicultural programming. Sponsored by the National Center for Diversity, January 23-24, 1997, at Kentucky State University, Frankfort; registration $150. More information from (502) 227-5904.

"Worldviews: Global Forms of 'Being' Through Indigenous Knowledge," involves a perspective for interpreting the universe of human experience. Sponsored by the National Center for Diversity, Kentucky State University, Frankfort, February 20-21, 1997; registration $150. More information from (502) 227-5904.

"Five-State Multicultural Conference," designed to increase cultural awareness, build effective multi-ethnic organizational skills, and recruit and program for increased diversity. Sponsored by (among others) Kansas State University Extension Service, at Garden City, on March 20-21, 1997. For more information, call Dr. Donna Skinner at 316-276-9637, E-mail dskinner@gccc.cc.ks.us

Quote of the Month

"There are words that tend to be used primarily by men or by women. Speakers can overdo man- and women-talk to the point of excluding or boring part of the audience. A steady dose of 'he-man' sports and military slang can be a bit much for even a male group with 'absolutely gorgeous' patience. Speakers who use too many flowery and effusive adjectives won't 'get to first base' with the most feminine of female audiences."

Dr. George F. Simons, consultant and trainer with George Simons International

Vision:  To affect positive change in the CALS community by valuing differences and building respect.
The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities.


Content Questions/Comments: Billye Foster (billye@cals.arizona.edu) or Steven Crofts (scrofts@cals.arizona.edu)
Last Updated: 05/16/2005