A plate fit for adventure

Earlier this year, voters selected a revised Western New Mexico University collegiate license plate design. Winning by a landslide was The Overlander, a theme fit for journeys on high-mountain roads and trips off the beaten path. It’s available through the MVD right...

Fall Reopening Plan

As the start of a new academic year approaches, we face collective challenges in unprecedented times, but as always, the Western New Mexico University mission of providing meaningful education, training and lifelong learning experiences remain as true today as it did more than a century ago. In all likelihood, we are many months away from developing a vaccine for COVID-19. This is not unusual given the complexities of developing vaccines for viruses and adequately testing them. I share this with you because our way of providing education has been severely disrupted by the pandemic before us and arguably will be so for the fall semester and...

Spring 2019 Academic Symposium Highlights: Research & Reporting

  Student: Aundrea Romero Major: Environmental Sustainability & Biological Science Year: First year @ WNMU, third year in college   For this year’s student academic symposium, environmental sustainability and biological science major Aundrea Romero decided to run an analysis of the saltcedar plant population and growth within the Grand Canyon and how this invasive species has impacted native fauna and flora. “Hikers and other tourists that visit the Grand Canyon have been unknowingly spreading this intrusive plant throughout the Grand Canyon by stepping on the plant and spreading its buds down the Colorado River or further into the park,” she said. Introduced into North America from Germany in the early 19th century, the saltcedar was brought to the U.S. for ornamental home adornment and quickly began to spread throughout intermountain regions of the U.S., including areas of Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. In presenting her research...

Associate Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court Barbara J. Vigil Will Address Western New Mexico University’s Graduates

Western New Mexico University will graduate 315 of its students this spring. Of those, 236 graduates will walk across the Old James Stadium stage during the spring commencement ceremony on Friday, May 10, at 2 p.m. They will receive their diplomas then shake hands with WNMU President Dr. Joseph Shepard and New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Barbara J. Vigil, WNMU’s spring commencement speaker. Native New Mexican Justice Vigil was born and raised in Santa Fe and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from New Mexico State University, her law degree from the University of New Mexico and has been a licensed attorney for more than 28 years. During her 19 years on the bench, Justice Vigil has served on both the First Judicial District Court, comprised of Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos Counties, and the New Mexico Supreme Court benches.  As a district court judge, Justice Vigil presided over the Children’s and Family Court, as well as the civil docket, presiding...

Art, Creativity and Big Dreams

One artist, a home schooled duel-enrollment student at WNMU preparing for her freshman year, the other, a WNMU senior planning for her next steps following May’s graduation, but the connection that has drawn them together is the Western New Mexico University Expressive Arts program. This year’s juried art show at WNMU’s McCray Gallery was judged by local artist, author and radio personality Paula Giesler and included 55 students’ work, ranging from clay and ink to watercolor and oil. This year’s big winners are WNMU senior Patricia Countryman, who took best in show for her sculpture, The House that Built Me, and in-coming freshman Abby Egge-Ogas, first place winner and the recipient of the New Mexico Watercolor Society’s award for her piece, Sakura. Patricia Countryman’s creative process was nurtured through her strict, traditional upbringing in Douglas, Arizona, where she grew up as the eldest of four and used creativity as an escape. “I was always looking for...

Student Research and Professional Development Funds Announces Summer Scholars program.

Summer Opportunity for Students!   The SRPD Funds Committee is proud to announce the 3rd year of the Summer Scholars program. Please consider learning more about this and submitting a proposal by the deadline, March 22nd, 2019. SRPD Funds is the proud supporter of the Summer Scholars program which is heading into its third year. We hope to fund more students than ever as they actualize their scholarly passions in research and creative projects. Up to $3000 stipends for students, equipment budgets, and up to $500 mentor stipends. If you have ideas for research, a creative project, or an original, scholarly project that you want to dedicate part of your summer too, please allow SRPD Funds to support...

Five Mustangs to be inducted into Student Hall of Fame

Please join us in congratulating this year’s inductees into the Student Hall of Fame!  The Hall of Fame is reserved for those students who have demonstrated integrity and achievement through leadership activities, community involvement, participation in campus life, and scholarship while attending Western New Mexico University.  As a result of their exceptional impact on the campus community, these student leaders distinguish themselves from many other outstanding students. The 2017 inductees are David Cota, Casey Dickens, Claudia Osuna, Ryan Ruiz, and Timothy Stillman. Join us Wednesday, May 3 at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Memorial Center 3rd floor meeting...

F Week events focus on feminism, female empowerment & Bingo

The Center for Gender Equity at Western New Mexico University is hosting F Week, a series of events which focus on feminism and empowering women beginning March 6. “These series of events will empower women through transformative programming. The Center’s student coordinators are hopeful that numerous individuals will be in attendance of the events which will occur from March 6 to March 9," Center’s Graduate Assistant Lauren Dazey said. "Through the empowerment of women, we want to aid in achieving equal pay and breaking the ever-present glass ceiling. The Center also wishes to bust the myth about feminism and show that anyone has the potential to be a feminist, regardless of your gender.” March 6 An Introduction to F Week: What Does Feminism Mean to You?, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Student Memorial Center 3rd floor. Bingo!, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Student Memorial Center 2nd floor where you can practice your bingo skills inspired by online bingo site...

Students form search and rescue club

Mustang Search and Rescue, a student club formed in Fall 2016, was certified as an official resource by New Mexico State Police Search and Rescue on January 13, 2017. With this recognition, Mustang Search and Rescue team members became eligible to participate in search and rescue (SAR) missions run under the jurisdiction of New Mexico State Police. To prepare for SAR mission assignments, several Mustang SAR members obtained their NM SAR Field Certification on Saturday, February 4. Other team members will also be obtaining Field Certification in the near future. Under the SAR Act of 1978, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is responsible for SAR activities in the State of New Mexico.  The New Mexico State Police (NMSP) division of DPS is tasked with the management and administration of SAR operations. When a mission occurs, a NMSP SAR Incident Commander is responsible for managing the incident, within the guidelines of the Incident Command System, and maintaining the...

Writing Center available to students

Have a writing assignment? Don’t know where to start? Need help with citations? Need help with grammar? We know that writing doesn’t come easy for many people. We can help you with all stages of the writing process from brainstorming to final editing and everything in between. Bring your assignment sheet with you, any ideas or drafts you may have, and stop on by. Our tutors will be happy to help. At the WRITING CENTER, we are much more than a proofreading service (though we can help you learn to proofread, too). Our primary goal is to help you become a more confident and skillful with words and ideas. We will help you identify your difficulties and give you some concrete tools you can use to sharpen your writing. You can expect helpful and friendly tutors who will involve you and your ideas in your tutoring session. We are open Monday-Thursday 10am-7pm and Friday 10am-2pm. We are located on the first floor of Miller Library. Walk-in, or make an...