Press Releases

Grant County community members with disabilities will be participating in Hoops 4 Hope, an afternoon of indoor games on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, at 6 p.m. in Western New Mexico University's Intramural Gym (1000 W. College Ave.). The sixth annual event is open to any member of the community with a learning or physical disability. Attendees will receive a free t-shirt and a pizza dinner. The goal of the annual event is to accomplish four hopes: a hope to bring students together to learn about people with disabilities, a hope to build common ground among different people through athletics, a hope to have students feel comfortable with people of different backgrounds, and a hope to learn more about how we interact with each other as humans. Reserve a spot by emailing Abe.Villarreal@wnmu.edu with the participant's name and shirt size. For more info about Western New Mexico University's Hoops 4 Hope event, call...

Western New Mexico University associate professor Dr. Alexandra Neves and three Western New Mexico University students presented "Teachers' Transformation and Intercultural Competence: Who Benefits?" at the National Association of Bilingual Education conference in Albuquerque this past weekend. The student presenters included Elizabeth Ann Long, Alfredo Reyes and Michele Scott, who are all online students. "The presentation originated from a class called Current Issues in Language Minority Education that these students took last summer. In that class, we covered the many issues in educating linguistically minority children in public schools and invited teachers to reflect on their roles as educators to create spaces where all children succeed. A big part of that is giving teachers the opportunity to explicitly challenge beliefs and attitudes that perpetuate unfair educational practices. This is key for future and current educators. We all met in Albuquerque for the conference...

On Saturday, March 10, 2018, the public is invited to participate in the One Million Bones - Silver City art project, which is in the process of being installed - through collaboration and participation - at its permanent site above Bear Mountain Lodge (60 Bear Mountain Ranch Rd.). From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Community Day, people will gather in mass to carry more of the handcrafted ceramic bones to the meadow where they'll lay for eternity. "Until each bone is placed, everyone is encouraged to visit the lodge, load up a bag, and make the peaceful trek to the bones' permanent resting spot. It's a hands-on way to remember victims of genocide and mass atrocities and also mindfully reject the recurrence of such evils," said Faye McCalmont, Special Assistant to the President for Cultural Affairs. People travel from out of state to participate, and some locals hike to the site with packs full of ceramic bones on a regular basis. "Recently, a horse pack train spent three days carrying...

The Western New Mexico University's Child Development Center and Growing Tree was recently awarded five stars. After a vigorous accreditation program review for renewal, the university's early childhood programs were classified in the National Association for the Education of Young Children's uppermost tier. The five-year renewal process assesses 10 standard areas: relationships, curriculum, teaching practices, assessment of child progress, health, teachers, families, community relationships and physical environment. Seven out of 10 areas received perfect scores, with the remaining areas receiving nothing lower than 86 percent. "This accreditation allows us to apply for grant funds to keep the cost of high-quality care and education to families, particularly Western New Mexico University students, at a low rate," said Elaine Howard, Lab Site Program Administrator. The National Association for the Education of Young Children sets the standards for all Early Learning Programs...

The University Foundation is hosting its sixth annual Scholarship Gala on March 3, 2018, honoring Western New Mexico University's 125th Anniversary with an "1893" Victorian-themed event. Guests are encouraged to embrace the Victorian period of dress or wear black-tie apparel for an evening of fine dining, dancing and entertainment. It's not too late to make a reservation. The Scholarship Gala begins at 6 p.m. in historic Graham Gym on campus. The evening will include a Victorian-inspired six-course meal, silent auction, complimentary bar and dancing to the live music of the Diamond Empire Band. "Each year, this event brings our community and Western New Mexico University leaders together for an evening of camaraderie and support of our deserving students, raising funds for private scholarships. This year we are celebrating 125 years of serving our students and recognizing the work the University Foundation is accomplishing by building a culture of philanthropy" said Jodi...

In honor of National Women's History Month, The Center for Gender Equity and Social Justice at Western New Mexico University is hosting events to empower, celebrate and honor women March 5-8, 2018. The third annual F Week! showcases leaders, speakers, musicians and artists from diverse backgrounds, and this year's headliners include Target's Corporate Social Responsibility Program Officer and performance artist La Chica Boom. "For F Week!, we always try to highlight aspects of womanhood: Care, Leadership, Beautifully Diverse and Trailblazing," said Dr. Lydia Huerta, co-director of The Center for Gender Equity and Social Justice. F Week! begins at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 5, in Light Hall when speaker Dr. Denise Mitten, Professor of Sustainability Education and head of the Adventure Education Master of Arts Program at Prescott College, takes the stage. Sponsored by WNMU Outdoor Program and The Center, Dr. Mitten's talk, "How Women Outdoors Contribute to Care and Sustainable...

New Mexican poet Jimmy Santiago Baca will read from his work in Light Hall Auditorium at Western New Mexico University (1000 W. College Ave.) at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 1, 2018. As part of a Literacy Link-Leamos Poetry Program, Baca will also do a reading at the Grant County Detention Center on Friday, March 2, and those who attend the talk on campus can purchase one of Baca's books for an inmate at the jail. "Mr. Baca is an inspiration not only to our university and the community but also to everyone. A harsh beginning in life does not have to define who you are and what you can become. It's rare to see someone who celebrates life more than Mr. Baca through his contribution to education and social justice. He is an example for us to follow," said Dr. Wen-chi Chen, Chair of the Behavioral Sciences Department, which is co-sponsoring Baca's visit along with the Humanities Department. Baca first began writing poetry as a young man in prison. At age 21, he'd been convicted on...

Eric Lowe, who is the current editor of "The Mustang" student newspaper, wrote about the need for donations that students can take to the Dominican Republic when they participate in Student Life's upcoming Alternative Spring Break. Below is an abbreviated version of his original article, which you can read on "The Mustang" here. In March, five students and one staff member from Western New Mexico University's Department of Student Life will take an Alternative Spring Break in the Dominican Republic. For the second year, a group of students will spend the week out of class performing community service projects while immersing themselves in another culture. "The students are feeling all sorts of emotions. They're nervous to fly, excited to be in another country, anticipating trying new things, and ready for all the surprises the week may bring," Warren said. In order to pull this off, students need support in support of donations from Western New Mexico University's staff,...

Western New Mexico University will celebrate women in STEM with nightly demonstrations and presentations from Monday, Feb. 26 through Thursday, March 1. From speakers and roundtable discussions to scholarship giveaways and tours of campus science facilities, the event showcases Western New Mexico University faculty, students and alumni. All talks begin at 6 p.m. in Miller Library on campus (1000 W. College Ave.). Each is preceded by a 5 o'clock presentation or demonstration by local female scientists and followed by a recruitment event with food and a Women in STEM Spin Trivia game, where attendees are entered for a chance to win a scholarship. Dr. Manda Jost, Western New Mexico University biology professor, will give public tours of Department of Natural Science labs Monday, Feb. 26. She will also be part of the research showcase, which includes natural scientists Dr. Lynn Haugen, Dr. Jan Frye, Dr. Corrie Neighbors, and Dr. Kathy Whiteman, in Miller Library. During her talk...

The 7th Natural History of the Gila Symposium is Feb. 22-24, 2018, on the Western New Mexico University Campus (1000 W. College Ave.) in Silver City. The symposium's 41 presentations and three field trips are free to attend. Presented by scientists and conservationists, the talks will highlight research done on the Gila Region, land management and policy in this area, and education in southwest New Mexico and southeast Arizona, while the field trips will focus on archaeology, geology and ethnobotany. Garrett VeneKlasen of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation will give a keynote presentation in the Besse-Forward Global Resource Center auditorium on Thursday afternoon, and Friday morning's keynote is by Dr. Esteban H. Muldavin, who is Director of the New Mexico Natural Heritage Program. Seven authors, including Western New Mexico University Professor Emeritus Sharman Russell, will do readings during a Creative Voice session from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22, in Miller...