Date:
7/20/2005
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 505.562.2253
PORTALES–Eastern New Mexico University alumnus Dr. Gary Calton and his wife, Sandra, recently donated a large amount of scientific equipment to the Science Department at Eastern. The estimated value of the equipment totals over $500,000, and includes equipment ranging from beakers to centrifuges and from incubators to ultra-freezers.
Dr. Manuel Varela, associate professor of biology says, "It was likeChristmas day opening up the boxes and distributing the equipment to very grateful people. Dr. Calton is a very kind and generous human being."
Calton has enjoyed a very successful career and has many scientific inventions to his credit. He earned a bachelor of science in chemistry in 1965 as well as a masterof science in chemistry in 1968 from ENMU. He is also president of the biotechnology company AuRx, and has served as president of Calwood Nutritionals, which developed Nutramine, a nutritional supplement formulated for kidney disease patients and those with the early signs of kidney disease. A Mexican pharmaceutical company just licensed the AuRx technology which provides an "effective cure" for genital herpes. His wife, Sandra, earned her bachelor of science in biology at Eastern in 1967. She is a CPA and serves as vice president and chief financial officer of all of these companies.
Among the equipment donated, some of the more notable items are incubators,used for growing cultures, a thermocycler, used to analyze DNA, and anultra-freezer, which can cool to temperatures of -80 Celsius. According to Varela, the ultra-freezer is quite a gift in itself because the science department can now store tissue and bacterial samples. "This is a great item to receive. It is very expensive. Without this donation, it would have been a long time until the university could have afforded equipment like this."
Varela saysthat this is a gift everyone will benefit from. "Molecular and cellular biologists will receive the bulk of the equipment, but the microbiologists as well as organic and biochemists will benefit aswell."
Varela adds, "This equipment will allow us to do experiments that we have not been able to dobefore. It also expands our teaching and research capabilities,especially in the area of immunity. This equipment makes us capable of research that other universities in New Mexico can do in the area of biomedical research, and may even include some experiments that they cannot perform."
Calton also has roots in eastern New Mexico. Raised in Portales, his mother and father founded Calton Furniture, the family business his brother and sister still run today. His brother, Bill Calton, retired from Eastern after serving as a professor of mathematics for over 30 years.
Dr.Steven Gamble, ENMU president, sums up the magnanimous donation. "The donation of this equipment will help us move forward, especially in the area of faculty research. We are very grateful to Dr. Calton for his very generous donation."