Author Archives: Linda Brown

Since its founding in 2011, the Silver City CLAY Festival has offered events and activities for experienced ceramicists as well as those completely new to clay. One of the highlights of this year’s festival was a WNMU-hosted workshop with Diné artist Jared Tso. Tso, who comes from a family of Navajo potters, led participants in an exploration of traditional clay practices that included digging clay at NAN Ranch in the Mimbres Valley, learning forming techniques such as pinching and coiling, and pit firing. Now based in northeastern Arizona, Tso grew up in eastern Washington, and has been in the southwest since 2014. He came to New Mexico to get his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from UNM and worked as an engineer for several years. “I did clay in the background during that time,” he said, “and I started doing so many shows—and doing so much work after work—that I decided to go back for an MFA.” While his art has evolved over time, there are...

For six weeks this summer, WNMU is hosting the Preservation Archaeology Museum and Survey Field School, a joint venture between the university, Archaeology Southwest, and the University of Arizona. Twelve archaeology students from across the country are taking part in the field school, which introduces participants to archaeological analysis and field techniques as well as to the methods and approaches used to interpret archaeological data and apply them to anthropological questions. WNMU Museum Director Danielle Romero and Karen Schollmeyer, who is a preservation archaeologist with Archaeology Southwest, are jointly leading the field school. As part of the course, students have a chance to visit NAN Ranch, the site of a Mimbres Mogollon pueblo that was excavated in the 1970s and 80s by a team led by Professor of Archaeology Harry Shafer of Texas A&M University. According to Romero, students at NAN Ranch are “redoing the survey that was done in the 70s, and anything else that the...

By Josh Brown Western New Mexico University Director of Golf Operations and Head Men's and Women's Coach, Kent Beatty, has announced his retirement. For the last 27 years the newly titled, "Golf Coach Emeritus," Beatty has directed both the Men's and Women's Golf programs at WNMU and developed a system stressing that great golf, solid classroom performance, and learning people skills, will increase his players chances of success. That success was clearly seen in his tenure, as Beatty has taken his teams to 14 NCAA Championships, has mentored eight All-Americans, 17 academic all-Americans and five PGA golf professionals including DP World Tour Winner Calum Hill. Beatty was also named RMAC Women's Golf Coach of the Century in May 2009, along with numerous Conference Coach of the Year awards from the PacWest, Heartland, RMAC, and most recently, Lone Star Conference. "I just want to thank all those who played for me, coached with me, and to WNMU for allowing me to do...

Western New Mexico University President Dr. Joseph Shepard hosted a delegation of administrators from the Autonomous University of Chihuahua to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two universities, July 16, 2024. The memorandum provides a pathway for academic, scientific, and technological collaboration between the two institutions, including the opportunity for students at either university to earn dual degrees. The memorandum also provides for research projects and activities engaged in by faculty, staff, or researchers from either institution conducted at the other, and it encourages the joint development of seminars, conferences and workshops. WNMU has dozens of MOUs with international universities, corporations and countries. Other MOUs have led to a number of international students studying at WNMU, WNMU students studying abroad, faculty exchanges with international universities, and collaborative, co-hosted events on the WNMU campus. WNMU President...

The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents met on Monday, July 15, 2024, and presented their evaluation of university President Dr. Joseph Shepard for the 2024 fiscal year. They rated his performance as exceeding expectations and meeting the conditions of a retention bonus stipulated in President Shepard’s contract. Regent Vice Chair Lyndon Haviland provided an overview of the extensive review process and shared the board’s conclusions. “We were unified in our assessment of Dr. Shepard,” she said. “We collectively believe that in this time, Dr. Shepard has been extraordinary.” The board also set performance objectives for the coming year. In his report, President Shepard provided updates on a number of university events and initiatives and said that the university’s enrollment numbers for the fall semester showed an increase of approximately 70 students over the same time last year. “Our enrollment continues to track in a favorable direction,” he said....

Several WNMU students are enjoying the opportunity to study abroad this year. The university’s study abroad program offers opportunities for students to study a variety of subjects in countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica and Spain. One student who has recently returned from studying in Mexico, Solomon Lazzell, said the program he was in was challenging but rewarding. At WNMU, Lazzell is studying nursing, but at Anáhuac University Cancún, he was in a medicine program. “It was a lot more difficult because I was dropped into a program for medicine students,” he said. “That was very difficult. I had to work really hard to catch up.” Lazzell said that while the experience was challenging academically, it was enjoyable to have the opportunity to practice conversation. “I had a roommate who was from Peru, and he only spoke Spanish,” he explained, “so I was really pushing myself out of my comfort zone—trying to communicate with people that I would not otherwise be...

Western New Mexico University and Freeport-McMoRan have taken a significant step towards promoting sustainability and reducing carbon emissions by installing four electric vehicle (EV) chargers on the WNMU campus. Each charger is capable of charging two vehicles at a time. These chargers, which are free to use and available to the public, are intended to support the community in transitioning towards a more environmentally friendly transportation system. Located in the Fine Arts Center Theatre parking lot, near Ben Altamirano Field and the solar array, the EV units are Livingston Chargeport rapid chargers, offering a charging power of 50 kilowatts, according to Kevin Matthes, Assistant Vice President of Facilities and Operations at WNMU. With a total budgeted cost of $406,731, this project demonstrates the university’s commitment to investing in sustainable infrastructure for the benefit of its students, faculty, staff, and the wider community. Since the first charging session...

WNMU offices will be closed July 4-5 in observance of the national...

WNMU graduate student and College of Education Academic Advisor Juanwon Anderson-Verdell was recently invited to give the commencement speech for Centinela TK-8 School in Inglewood, CA. Anderson-Verdell graduated from the school himself, and was invited back by his former 6th-grade teacher. His former teacher felt that the speech would be a good way for Anderson-Verdell to give back to his community. “That is something I really value,” he said, “knowing the circumstances in my community and how students don’t see people like me come back.” That community, Inglewood, is part of the larger Los Angeles metropolitan area and has seen a number of social challenges over the years. “Inglewood is a high-level gang activity place with a strong police presence,” said Anderson-Verdell, “It was hard navigating that” growing up. Succeeding in that environment was especially challenging for Anderson-Verdell because he grew up without his parents as part of his life....

On Wednesday, June 26, a fleet of four trucks and a large passenger van made their way from the Western New Mexico University campus to Ruidoso and the Mescalero Apache Reservation to deliver donations to benefit those affected by the South Fork and Salt Fires. The donations were the result of a partnership with a number of area agencies and individuals, including Freeport-McMoRan, Walmart, Albertson’s, the Food Basket, the Commons Center for Food Security and Sustainability, the Silver City Gospel Mission, the families of the WNMU Early Childhood Center and the 24 Club. In addition to corporate and agency gifts, numerous Grant County individuals donated items that included nonperishable food, water, sports drinks, clothes, pet items, toiletries, and hygiene products. The South Fork and Salt Fires were first spotted on June 17 on Mescalero Apache land. As the fires approached Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs and other population centers, approximately 8,000 people were evacuated from...