Press Releases

Silver City, NM – More than 100 students, faculty and staff members at Western New Mexico University were pictured holding signs with the wording #BringBackOurGirls, in support of the safe return of 276 kidnapped Nigerian girls. Kidnapped by an Islamic militant group, the nearly 300 girls are aged 15 to 18 year old girls were kidnapped while attending a Nigerian school. The school was subsequently burned and many are thought to have been sold in mass marriages. WNMU students and employees are sharing the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag images in support of bringing awareness to an international social media campaign. “I hope that we can make a small difference in helping to bring knowledge and pressure to world officials through these pictures,” said Marc Villanueva, WNMU junior. Administration officials were also pictured with the hashtag campaign. “We value education very highly in this country, so it sad that these young ladies were kidnapped while in school,”...

Silver City, NM – Former US Senator Harrison Schmitt will deliver the keynote commencement address for the spring graduation ceremony on Friday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m. in Old James Stadium. A Silver City native, Schmitt received his B.S. from Caltech, studied as a Fulbright Scholar at Oslo and earned his Ph.D. at Harvard. Schmitt received Air Force jet pilot wings in 1965 and Navy helicopter wings in 1967. Selected for the Scientist-Astronaut program in 1965, Schmitt flew in space as Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 17, the last and longest Apollo mission to the moon. On December 11, 1972, Schmitt landed in the Valley of Taurus-Littrow as the only scientist and the last 12 men to set foot on the Moon. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1976, Schmitt served a six-year term. In addition to serving on corporate boards, he chaired the NASA Advisory Council from November 2005 to October 2008. Two students were selected to deliver the student response addresses. Tasha Cooper is earning a...

Silver City, NM – The Extended University has announced the summer classes offered through the Kids Kollege summer enrichment program. Seven classes for area youth aged 7 through 18 will be offered in two to three hour sessions throughout June and July. Registration for all classes is available by contacting Rebecca Estrada at 575.538.6149 or estradar@wnmu.edu. Funk Music (Ages 12 – 16) -       Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., from June 3 through July 3. Cost is $25 per student. Take a journey exploring the roots of this quintessential American music style. The course will include Funk music listening sessions and an opportunity for students to bring instruments to class. Outdoor “Plein Air” Painting (Ages 9-14) -       Thursdays and Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., June 5, 6, 12 and 13. Cost is $39 per student. Students will be doing “in the open air” painting. The focus will be on trees, plants, landscape drawing and...

Silver City, NM – The Western New Mexico University Police Academy is sponsoring a seven-hour seminar on Digital Forensics that is free and open to the public. The seminar runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14 and will repeat on May 15. Both sessions will be held in the Student Memorial Center Meeting Room. The seminar is “hands-on” as each student will be using a laptop computer during the presentation to learn topics such as how to crack passwords, “man in the middle” attacks, onion routing, steganography, and network traffic analysis. Register for one of the 20 seats available by contacting the WNMU Police Academy Director, Gilbert Najar, at 538-6266 or najarg@wnmu.edu. Western New Mexico University and Mississippi State University are collaborating on a National Science Foundation grant that provides funding to establish certificate programs in digital forensics and to provide training in the field to police officers and the general public...

Silver City, NM – More than 230 students are scheduled to present at the 9th Annual Academic/Research Symposium and Career Fair on Tuesday, May 6 in the Miller Library. Presentations will cover a wide array of subjects including Adaptive Aid in Occupational Therapy, Nursing Leadership and Sustainability in Education. Open to the public, the oral and poster presentations begin at 9:00 a.m. in the Miller Library. Opening remarks will be given by WNMU Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Felipe Ortego. An awards ceremony, following the presentations, is scheduled for 12:15pm. Local and regional businesses will also be present for the Career Fair occurring simultaneously. Attendees are recommended to bring resumes to share with employers. A program listing the complete presentation titles is available here:...

Silver City, NM – Tuition and fee rates where set for the new academic year by the Board of Regents at its April 28 meeting. Tuition for a full-time, in state student will be $148.42 per credit hour, representing an $8.40 or six percent increase. “Once again we made every possible effort to keep our tuition low and affordable for the students we serve,” said Isaac Brundage, Vice-President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. “With the new rate, we expect to maintain affordability while continuing to deliver quality in the classroom.” All students, regardless of their state of residency, can pay in-state tuition during the summer session. The Board, followed the recommendation of the Student Fees Committee, and approved a new student fee rate of $67.44 per credit hour, a $17.54 increase from the current rate. Housing and meal plan rates were also updated for the new year. Students will be offered five meal plan options, rather than two, with prices...

Silver City, NM – Five Western New Mexico University students will be inducted into the Student Hall of Fame with a ceremony on Thursday, May 1 at 3:00 p.m. in the Global Resource Center. Each year WNMU honors exemplary students who excel in several areas including leadership, academic achievement, community involvement and participation in campus life. The 2014 class of inductees are Kathryn (Ollie) Hoelscher, Anna Johnson, Erica Rasmussen, Edna Reyes and Marcos Villanueva. Kathryn (Ollie) Hoelscher is from Las Cruces, New Mexico. She is graduating in May with a baccalaureate degree in sociology with a minor in women’s studies. Hoelscher has been active in the Silver City community coordinating the One Billion Rising event, acting in the V-Day presentations, presenting at the annual Hunger For Knowledge fundraiser and coordinating Take Back The Night. In the last three years, Hoelscher has presented academic work at WNMU, Texas Tech University and the Association for...

Silver City, NM – Polynesian students at Western New Mexico University will be showcasing traditions in music and food at the second annual Polynesian Night on Saturday, May 3 at 6:00 p.m. in Old James Stadium. Organized by the Polynesian Club, at least 17 students can describe themselves as either 100 percent or part Polynesian. They originate from different ethnic backgrounds including Hawaiian, Tongan, New Zealand, Samoan, Tahitian and Fijian. The event will include musical performances by Polynesian Club members representing six islands. Club members will also cook and serve an authentic dinner including drinks and desserts. The cost is $5 per plate for community members. “We are very excited to extend a piece of our culture to the people of Grant County,” said Hanipale Seuga, Polynesian Club President. Pale’s hometown is Banning, California. He transferred to WNMU on a football scholarship. “If the people of Silver City cannot afford a trip to the islands, this is...

Silver City, NM – Marketing students at Western New Mexico University are not waiting to receive their degrees to begin advertising their newfound expertise in Silver City. Marketing professor Dr. Steve Walker and his students are paving the way for the newly introduced marketing degree program by partnering with several organizations in the community as promotions teams. A year ago, Walker introduced his students to group initiative opportunities by developing business models for Corre Caminos, a public transportation company in Grant County; and BikeWorks, a non-profit community bicycle workshop. This spring, his students are partnering with BikeWorks for its annual Pedalista! event and with the WNMU Outdoor Program. “One of the greatest criticisms I’ve heard from employers,” Walker said, “is that we, in education, put out students who can pass tests or quote material, but not apply it. With this program, the students are actually doing the work they’ll need...