Author Archives: Abe Villarreal

A recent push by foreign countries to send students to study abroad has helped galvanize efforts at Western New Mexico University to expand services to international students. The new Office of International Studies opened this fall semester with a purpose to facilitate registration to WNMU by international students and provide support services for these students. Currently at least 19 countries are represented by WNMU’s student population and Dr. Alexandra Neves, professor and director for the new office, hopes to see that number increase. “We want to internationalize the university,” Neves said. “If you look at all other universities in New Mexico, they have such an office and so we were falling behind in that sense.” Neves is pushing one of the university’s priorities to continue to grow partnerships with foreign institutions of higher education. Recent agreements with universities in Brazil, Mexico and Spain mark the beginning of such...

Debbie Maldonado, Director of Adult Education Services for Western New Mexico University, has been elected as the president-elect for the New Mexico Adult Education Association (NMAEA). The NMAEA board supports adult education communities throughout New Mexico. Maldonado leads the Silver City-based center, one of 26 in the state. WNMU’s Adult Education Services provides free adult learning programs to residents of Grant, Hidalgo, Luna and Sierra counties. “This is a great opportunity to connect with other adult education leaders in the state as we continue to expand services and programs that are needed in our communities,” said Maldonado. Nearly 400 community members enrolled in WNMU’s adult education programs in the 2013-2014 academic year. Those programs included technology courses and prep courses for the high school equivalency exam, formerly known as the G.E.D. As president-elect, Maldonado will work with members of NMAEA, assist in coordinating conferences,...

For the fourth consecutive year Western New Mexico University will team up with the Silver City MainStreet Project to host the Bash on Broadway on Saturday, August 16. 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. in the Silver City Museum outdoor patio.  After updating the community with an account of current and future happenings, Broadway Street will be closed between Bullard Street and Texas Street from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Live music will be provided by local band Hell To Pay. Community groups and small businesses can register to have free booth space by contacting 575.538.6336 or news@wnmu.edu. The fall semester begins Monday, August...

A public forum is scheduled for Wednesday, August 13 at 5:30 p.m. for community members to give input regarding scheduled campus lighting updates. One of the university master facilities plans and sustainability goals is to explore a campus wide and complete LED lighting upgrade on the exterior of all campus buildings and parking lots. This includes replacing existing outdated, problematic and inefficient light fixtures throughout the campus exterior in efforts to positively enhance a sense of wellbeing, safety, clarity, and improve energy efficiency that will dramatically lower the university’s operating cost. WNMU is inviting members of the community to share ideas and concepts that will help maximize the goal of enabling the university to be a more night sky friendly campus to its neighbors and community. The meeting will take place in the Global Resource Center auditorium. For more information, please contact 575.538.6336 or...

This year’s Silver City Clay Festival’s Clay Archaeology Panel, Clay is Life, will once again be hosted by Western New Mexico University Museum on the WNMU campus at the Besse-Forward Global Resource Center Auditorium on Saturday, August 2 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The 2014 Archaeology Clay Panelis designed to be a free-flowing panel discussion and audience Q&A with prominent archaeologists conducting research in the American Southwest on the many forms of clay found in archaeological sites throughout the prehistoric Southwest. The panel moderator will encourage audience members to ask questions relating to panelist’s research, current and past, and special topics. Special topics include the visibility of children in prehistory in the ceramic record; the analyses of pollen and other residues recovered from ceramics and the insights these analyses have into prehistoric cultural social networking, dynamics, and interaction when combined with other information and...

Western New Mexico University’s (WNMU) President Joseph Shepard presented the 2014 President’s Award to the Silver City League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council 8003.  The Council was honored for their longtime community service and dedication to education in Grant County and New Mexico. LULAC Council 8003 has been helping students achieve their potential by awarding educational scholarships to students wishing to continue their studies in higher education. With the vision of its original founders, Apolonio “Polo” and wife Donna Sierra, the council began hosting fundraisers to collect money for the annual student scholarships. The first award amount was $250 and quickly escalated to several $1,000 scholarships a year. “We’re proud to be able to recognize some of the most inspiring members of our community,” said Dr. Joseph Shepard, President of WNMU. “Without the relentless hard work this group has put forward year after year, many students...

The temporary closure of Cornali Field ended recently when park rules were posted at each entrance to the Virginia Street property, owned by Western New Mexico University. The posting of rules followed a community meeting led by WNMU President Joseph Shepard on July 1 where he heard from area residents who expressed interest in the continued use of Cornali Field as a dog park. The signs list 19 rules developed for the safety of the dogs and the dog owners when visiting Cornali Field. The temporary rules will be in place for a trial period of six months or until new rules are established. A committee of community members is being formed to help develop permanent rules and dog park hours. The advisory group is made up of area residents who signed up at the initial forum on July 1. WNMU is working with Silver City Animal Control and area enforcement personnel to develop effective enforcement measurements. Cornali Field Rules: A.Dog defecation is to be immediately removed by...

Western New Mexico University Museum and the Francis McCray Gallery of Contemporary Art will be the joint venues for Neo-Mimbreño 2014, a Silver City Clay Festival exhibition, on Saturday, August 2.  Neo-Mimbreño 2014 is a juried fine art exhibition of contemporary works influenced or inspired by designs of the ancient Mimbres potters of the Southwest. Artists entering the exhibition were encouraged to creatively reinterpret, personalize, or carry the Mimbreño vision into new formats and media. “Exhibiting Neo-Mimbreño 2014 at these two campus venues highlights the link between the past and the present; the prehistoric culture inspiring the artists featured in the University Museum’s permanent exhibition of Mimbres pottery and culture and the contemporary art created by the artists that personalizes the Mimbreño vision in new formats and media,” said Dr. Cynthia Ann Bettison, WNMU Museum Director. Silver City artists Diana Ingalls Leyba and Susan Berry are the...