Press Releases

A new chapter of the nation’s largest leadership honor society was initiated at Western New Mexico University with an induction ceremony of more than 70 students on Saturday, May 6. The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) ceremony was the culmination of preparation of several months for students and staff that were looking to create new student leadership opportunities at WNMU. “The goal for us is to get students to analyze their life goals, helping them decide their majors, and improve their leadership skills to benefit our campus and community,” said Dayana Baez, 21, president of the WNMU Chapter. Baez, a junior majoring in chemistry and math, along with several other newly inducted chapter officers were the main proponents of bringing NSLS to WNMU. Nicki Vasquez, 20, a sophomore majoring in kinesiology, is the chapter vice-president. Vasquez is hoping that future programming is created targeting the Hispanic campus population. “I know for a fact...

More than 400 students will be earning certificate, associate, baccalaureate and master degrees at the spring commencement ceremony taking place Friday, May 12 in Old James Stadium. The event begins at 3:00 p.m. and can be viewed live online here. Silver City, NM High School Equivalency – Garret Buxton, Jaylene Lawrence, Adam Medina, Ruth Moyer, Samantha Overcahier, Jerome Ortiz, Levi Owen, Clarissa Porras, Estrella Ramirez, Michelle Tafoya, Anthony Verovich Certificate – Ian Hille Associate Degree – Cynthia S. Adolf, Brandon Allensworth, Manuel Altamirano, Leslie Amber Carwile, Cristian Casillas, Daniel “Skyler” Ellis, Christina Marie Estrada, Teressa Olyvia Gallegos, Jean Marie Gardner, Annabella Gomez, Crystal Renee Jimenez, Jesse C. Jimenez Jr., Madison Jones, Mitchell Joy, Larry Martinez, Cameron Maurer, Tamara Lynn McGrath, Alexander Montes, Roman Montes, Ronita Rodgers, Allison Louisa Sedillos, Julie Ann Simmons, Stuart Tow, Jazmina E. Villegas,...

Five Western New Mexico University students were recognized for their contributions inside and outside the classroom, with an induction into the annual Student Hall of Fame. The 2017 inductee class included David Cota, Casey Dickens, Claudia Osuna, Ryan Ruiz, and Timothy Stillman. David Cota is a graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Studies program. He transferred from Cochise College before earning a bachelor degree in criminal justice at WNMU. As an undergraduate, Cota was involved in student leadership positions including serving as a resident assistant and judicial hearing officer. Cota contributed to several non-profit organizations as a regular volunteer with the Silver City Gospel Mission and the Silver Care Center. Cota is originally from Douglas, Arizona. Casey Dickens will be graduating this month as an honor student with a degree in English. During her time at WNMU, she served as President of Sigma Tau Delta and a member of the ALAS Committee. Dickens is an...

Western New Mexico University will induct three career educators into the School of Education Hall of Fame during the 2017 spring commencement ceremony activities. With nearly a century of combined educator experience in southwest New Mexico, Peggy Sue Larisch, Roberto A. Martinez, and Richard H. Moore will be recognized for their distinguished contributions to the classroom as alumni from WNMU. Peggy Sue Larisch earned two degrees from WNMU in 1983 and 1985. She is being recognized for 29 years of service as a computer science and math teacher at Silver High School and WNMU. Larisch implemented her passion for life-long learning by taking her students on annual trips to the Los Alamos National Laboratory Super Computing Challenge. Larisch was a sponsor for several classes, and supported many student activities including bake sales, car washes, and dances. She was a sponsor for cheerleading and the dance team. Roberto A. Martinez retired after more than 35 years as a...

Former cable news commentator and current investment analyst and writer Cody Willard will deliver the keynote commencement speech on Friday, May 12 during the spring commencement ceremonies. Willard is familiar to television viewers as the former anchor of the highly-rated Fox Business Happy Hour, on the Fox Business Network. His other TV experience includes serving as the Wall Street correspondent on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. A writer and blogger, Willard currently serves as editor of TradingWithCody.com, and the Wall Street Journal’s Revolution Investing Newsletter. He is an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University where he teaches a class called “Revolutionomics” focused on technology and business. Residing in New York City, Willard is the CEO of an app company called The IAm App that develops apps for hundreds of celebrities including Neil Patrick Harris and Carly Simon. Willard’s diverse career includes being a Starbucks barista and a backup guitar...

Western New Mexico University is hosting Music In the Gardens, a free community concert on Friday, May 5 featuring the critically acclaimed collective Birds of Chicago. Currently on a nationwide tour, Birds of Chicago is considered Silver City favorites, delivering exciting live performances in recent years. The group is recognized for its interpretation of melodies in the gospel tradition, with a modern twist. Music In the Gardens will open with a performance by local artists Melanie Zipin and the Sugar Leafs. The outdoor concert will take place at The Gardens, a new outdoor venue adjacent to Light Hall on College Avenue. Music begins at 6:00 p.m. and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating. The event is sponsored by the WNMU Office of Cultural Affairs. For more information, contact...

Dr. Felipe Ortego, Scholar-in-Residence at Western New Mexico University, will lecture on the lasting mysteries of Hamlet, the 400-year-old classic tragedy by William Shakespeare. The WNMU Lecture Series event will take place on Thursday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. in Light Hall Auditorium. Admission is free. The lecture will focus on the mysteries found in the text of Hamlet, the story of a Danish Prince, which has successfully been performed in theaters throughout the world for four centuries. The play touches on several themes including politics, theology, and morality in 17th century England. Ortego is a nationally renowned academic, with a distinguished career in writing, teaching, and activism. He is considered the principal scholar of the Chicano Renaissance, and the founder of Chicano literary history having written the first study in the field, in 1971. The event is sponsored by the Southwest Festival of the Written Word, Western Institute for Lifelong Learning (WILL),...

The Board of Regents at Western New Mexico University voted to pass a modest increase in tuition for the upcoming academic year, a vote that all Board members verbally indicated were reluctant to approve. Tuition for undergraduate, in-state students will increase by $7.79 per credit hour, while student fees will decrease by $1.12 per credit hour, equivalent to a 2.71% increase in tuition and fees for the 2017-2018 academic year. With the new tuition and fee schedule, full-time, New Mexico resident students will pay $3,412.13 per semester, leaving cost of attending WNMU among the lowest in the country. The Board of Regents also approved a continuum of the existing Tuition Guarantee program which allows full time students earning a 2.0 grade point average a set tuition schedule for eight semesters. In addition to voting on tuition, board members also approved the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. “This budget is about looking towards the future,” said Dr. Joseph...

The Great Race, Western New Mexico University’s longest standing and most popular tradition, will be celebrating a key milestone, 50 consecutive years, with a Mustang Festival event on Saturday, April 29, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Old James Stadium. The free, community event will include live music, food vendors, carnival games, and the opportunity to experience the Great Race competition. Teams will be competing on a route that circles the university campus three times with the start line at the footsteps of the Fine Arts Center Theater. Opening ceremonies for the race begin at 10:30 a.m. with a balloon release and remarks by some of the original event commissioners from the inaugural race in 1967. “Every year our students look forward to the Great Race as an opportunity to come together and celebrate community and friendly competition,” said Abe Villarreal, WNMU Director of Communications. “This year has extra significance because of the presence of special...

The historic sounds of Cuba will be performed live by the Grammy award-winning group Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Piñeiro, on Wednesday, April 26 at 7:00 p.m., in Light Hall Theater. Interpreting son, Cuba’s national music genre, Septeto Nacional was founded by the late Ignacio Piñeiro, considered the father of this quintessential Cuban style. The seven-member group is now directed by Francisco Oropeza, a bongo virtuoso. For more than eight decades, Septeto Nacional has garnered a reputation as a national treasure for Cuba, interpreting a timeless repertoire, familiar to dancers around the world. Seating is limited. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchase by calling the Western New Mexico University Office of Cultural Affairs at 575-538-6469 or online at wnmu.edu/culture. The event is sponsored by AMP Concerts, the Western Institute for Lifelong Learning, and the WNMU Office of Cultural...