Author Archives: Abe Villarreal

The computer as it was known in 1987 would be unrecognizable today. No one knows better than April Matthews who has been at Western New Mexico University for the last 28 years, witnessing the many transformations of the computer for nearly three decades. She was recently named the WNMU Employee of the Year. “In the beginning we had a COW, a computer on wheels,” said Matthews, Academic Computing Manager. “It was pretty wild.” The COW would be wheeled from room-to-room by a professor who would display the information onto a projector using a smart panel. “Those were our computer labs in the 1980s,” said Matthews. Today, Matthews oversees nearly 300 computers, mainly for student and faculty use in classrooms and in two labs. “It’s a fast changing job and we have to stay on the cutting edge always trying to figure out how to implement the latest change,” said Matthews. Matthews was recognized as the Employee of the Year by her peers who acknowledged the...

Officials from the Universidad Tecnologica de Camargo (UTCam), a Mexican university based in the state of Chihuahua, visited the Silver City campus on Monday to sign an agreement of understanding with Western New Mexico University. UTCam is a new, public university, established in 2012. The university’s mission focuses on creating professions that support the development of the region of Camargo, in the State of Chihuahua. The agreement has four points of cooperation including the exchange of faculty members and students for study and research; the practice of joint research activities and publications; the exchange of scholars to participate in conferences and symposiums; and the exchange of information in fields of interests to both universities. The agreement is the latest in a string of signed memorandum of understandings between WNMU and more than a dozen universities across Mexico and Latin America. “We are in a very good position to benefit from this...

Every calendar holiday, Dr. Felipe Ortego y Gasca sends an email to his colleagues at Western New Mexico University. The email is simple and includes an attachment with a short write up. Ortego, a professor of English and the university’s Scholar-in-Residence, is sharing thoughts on history and social issues he feels are important to his readers. Now he’s turning 90, and he finds himself the same way he has for several years, behind a computer screen and a keyboard, contributing his ideas on current issues important to culture and society. “Felipe is a rare combination of academic, activist and a person with sustained creativity,” said Dr. Jack Crocker, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at WNMU. “His intellect and experience are an important legacy to our university.” Considered the principal scholar of the Chicano Renaissance, Ortego is the founder of Chicano literary history having written the first study in the field, Backgrounds of Mexican...

A new school year brings a new leadership team for the School of Business at Western New Mexico University and with that comes a change in direction. As the School of Business focuses on an upcoming reaccreditation in 2018, new faculty members and a new associate dean will be sharpening their focus on what programs are viable for incoming students. “I’m very excited and optimistic about the future for the School of Business given the organization and creation of programs that benefit our students and community,” said Dr. Miguel Vicéns, the school’s new Associate Dean. Vicéns is in his third year as an assistant professor of Management at WNMU. He has served as the director of the MBA program and the university representative for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Vicens is planning ambitious goals including program improvements and greater involvement in the community. “I’m confident that as a team, we will be successful in...

Western New Mexico University alumni will be teeing up for the fifth consecutive golf tournament, hoping to raise thousands of dollars for student scholarships.  The fifth annual Alumni Scholarship Golf Tournament will take place on Friday, September 30 during Homecoming weekend. More than 120 golfers participated in 2015 and more than $77,000 has been raised in the previous four events. Monies raised benefit the Earn To Learn Scholarship, helping students find jobs on campus, and the general scholarship fund. Interested golfers can register for $125 individually or as a foursome at $400. Fees include greens, tee prize, golf car, range balls, refreshments, complimentary breakfast, and attendance to the awards luncheon hosted by Burger Time. Area businesses can support the event through a tee-sign sponsorship ranging from $75 to $125. In addition, raffle tickets for a seven-day cruise for two with Royal Caribbean, or a seven-day Cancun resort vacation for two are being sold at the...

The Outdoor Program at Western New Mexico University will initiate a season of outdoor adventures with an overnight trip to City of Rocks and Faywood Hot Springs on Saturday, August 20. The weekend camping trip is the first of several ventures for WNMU students, employees and members of the Western Institute for Lifelong Learning (WILL). “We’re excited to begin a new semester of adventures for our new and returning Mustangs and for community members that are part of the WILL program,” said Dr. Kathy Whiteman, Outdoor Program Director. Community members that are paid members of the Western Institute for Lifelong Learning are able to participate in Outdoor Program trips because they are covered under WNMU’s insurance policy. “These trips are usually short in length and very affordable,” said Whiteman. “For a minimal fee, participants can register for a trip that includes transportation, insurance, permit and park fees, all gear and food.” Upcoming trips include a...

As parents drop off their students at Western New Mexico University during new student orientation, a rescued hawk will simultaneously be released back into the wilderness, symbolizing the new found freedom of the newest residents of the Silver City community. WNMU has partnered with Gila Wildfire Rescue for the releasing event, which will take place Tuesday, August 9 at 1:00 p.m. on Ridge Road, just outside the city limits. “This is an exciting initiative that showcases the importance of growth and development by our students, who have chosen WNMU as a place to spread their wings,” said Isaac Brundage, Vice President for Student Affairs. Several hundred incoming students make up the Class of 2020 which will begin fall classes on August 15, and who will be on campus throughout the preceding week for New Student Orientation. Dennis and Denise Miller with Gila Wildlife Rescue, directors of a local animal rescue and rehabilitation center, will be releasing a Swainson’s...

For the sixth consecutive year Western New Mexico University will team up with the Silver City MainStreet Project to host the Welcome Back Bash on Saturday, August 13. Offering socialization for both new and returning students, the event signifies the exciting arrival of the fall semester with music, games and dancing in historic downtown Silver City. WNMU President Joseph Shepard will deliver a State of the University Address at 5:30 p.m. inside Gifts, Gowns & More; located on Bullard Street next to the Morning Star parking lot. After updating the community with an account of current and future happenings, the downtown party will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Morning Star parking lot with live music by the Brandon Perrault Band. The event will include family games and information booths by local organizations. Community groups and small businesses can register to have free booth space by contacting 575.538.6336...

It was November of 2015 and Xavier Ayers was at the end of a record-breaking season with the Western New Mexico University Mustang football team. His first two years playing as a wide receiver were accompanied with injuries including a torn left and right AC joint in his shoulder. His desire to continue majoring in business was fading and returning to the football field seemed unlikely. “I wanted to go in a new direction so I turned to photography,” said Ayers. “Deciding to focus on the arts was a domino effect and one thing led to another.” With a new focus for his junior year, Ayers returned to football and changed his area of study to fine arts. Success both on and off the field quickly followed the 22-year-old Santa Fe native. Ayers recently completed a mural at The Stache House, a popular downtown barbershop in downtown Albuquerque. “I’ve always like to draw but painting was something that seemed out of reach,” said Ayers. “Once I signed up for the class and...

The summer focus on international students continues at Western New Mexico University with the latest group of campus visitors from the Mexican State of Sinaloa. A group of 16 students and visiting professors from the Universidad de Occidente (UdeO) in Los Mochis, Mexico, is enrolled in a two-week intensive English program that also includes a focus on International Business. The students are earning master degrees in their home university, which requires that they participate in an international exchange program like the one offered through WNMU’s Language Institute. “We know that your institution has a strong program in teaching English and saw this as an opportunity to partner with your school,” said Karla Moreno, UdeO professor. “Our students will now have now more of a global perspective.” UdeO signed a memorandum of understanding with WNMU in October 2015 creating a partnership between the two institutions for student and faculty exchanges. The visiting students...