A native of Port Orchard, Washington, soprano Naomi Isabel Ruiz earned a Performer Diploma and a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Indiana University, where she studied with Patricia Wise. While a student at IU, Ms. Ruiz appeared with the Indiana University Opera Theatre as Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Antonia in A Wedding by Willam Bolcom. Additionally, she performed Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte under the guidance of Martina Arroyo and was seen in IU Opera Workshop productions directed by Carol Vaness. During her final year at IU, she taught voice class as an Associate Instructor. In 2007, she performed as a semi-finalist in the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition, was an IU Travel Grant Competition Award winner and won first place in the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Competition. Through Mu Phi Epsilon, Ms. Ruiz was awarded a 2007 Summer Scholarship and a 2006 International Brena Hazzard Voice Scholarship.

In the summer of 2007, Ms. Ruiz was invited to perform Mimì in La bohème with the Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Music Center. The summer of 2005, she was seen as Ännchen in Der Freischütz and Constance in Dialogues des Carmélites in BASOTI opera scene productions. Ms. Ruiz participated in the master class of Patricia Wise at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria in the summer of 2004. This summer, she was selected to participate in Timothy Noble's Charlie Creek Vocal Workshop.

As a McNair Scholar, Ms. Ruiz graduated cum laude with a BM in Choral Music Education from Central Washington University. While studying at CWU, she performed in newly composed one-act operas, including Obassan in Sedge Hats, the title role in Soul Catcher, in many opera scenes as well as the title role in Cinderella with Valley Musical Theatre.

As a first-year member of the Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program, Ms. Ruiz will perform Ines in Il trovatore by Verdi, Rosaura in The Adventures of Pinocchio by Dove, Berta in The Barber of Seville and will cover the role of Marguerite in Gounod's Faust.

Source: Minnesota Opera Staff Biographies

Dr. Crickette Sanz, a native of Bow, Wash., earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology (magna cum laude) in 1997 and her masters degree in experimental psychology in 1999 from CWU, where she also served as an assistant at the university’s Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI).

After she earned her PhD in anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis, Sanz went to the remote location hundreds of miles away from the nearest African village in northern Republic of Congo to study chimpanzees in the wild, along with Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) field researcher David Morgan, the founder of the study site.

The WCS goal was to keep researchers out of the central African rain forests for as long as possible. But, when the pristine forests of the Goualougo Triangle and its chimpanzees were threatened by logging, Morgan was sent in to document the biological significance of the area.

Based on their experiences, Sanz and Morgan wrote an article that is published in the International Journal of Primatology.

"During our research, we never encountered any other humans or even their traces, such as villages, campsites or paths," Sanz says. "Because of low human density in the northern Congo and the remote location of the Goualougo Triangle, it’s unlikely that these chimpanzees had ever encountered humans."

Typically, chimps in the wild need to be habituated to the presence of humans, which is a process that can take more than ten years. But, instead of running and hiding, these chimpanzees stared, crouched and moved closer to get a better view, slapped tree trunks or threw branches down to get a response and made inquisitive vocalizations. While conducting their on-going research, Sanz and Morgan minimize their presence in the forest as much as possible.

"Our camp is very basic and consists of only a few tents," Sanz notes. "We do not cut additional trails in the forests, but instead followed existing animal paths and only use pruning shears to cut back vegetation. And also, we have very strict protocols for observing the chimpanzees."

After discovering this naive chimpanzee population and their trust in humans -- as well as having other naive contacts with other primate species like gorillas and monkeys that could also be vulnerable to poachers and logging -- Sanz says there is an obligation to ensure the long-term protection of this unique area.

Visit her website www.eva.mpg.de/primat/staff/sanz/index.htmto learn more about her primate research.

Source: http://www.mangold-international.com/en/partner/scientific-council/crickette-sanz.html

Dr. Murataya graduated from Central Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Justice and then went on to obtain a Master of Public Administration from the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington. Dr. Murataya obtained his Ph.D. from Gonzaga University in Leadership Studies.

He has worked as a security officer, as a police officer for the city of Mabton and was later the Community Development officer for the Zillah Police department. He has also worked as a fraud investigator and a Housing Officer for the Sunnyside Housing Authority. He now is a Law and Justice Professor at Central Washington University

He has strong research interests in the Mexican criminal justice system; up until now has been researching the treatment of United States citizens incarcerated in Mexican prisons. He has also conducted surveys in Guadalajara, Jalisco and Morelia, Michoacán which attempt to measure citizenry satisfaction with police services. Dr. Murataya has co-authored, published, and presented articles in this area.

Source: www.cwu.edu