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“Other students would go to me if they didn’t understand the lesson,” says secondary education major Erick Olivas about how his own schooling influenced his interest in becoming a teacher, “They would say to me, ‘You explain this so well.’ That is kind of where it started.” Olivas, who is a first-generation college student originally from Chihuahua, lives in Santa Clara and divides his time between his home town and the WNMU campus in Silver City. While he works with his father on the weekends and enjoys playing pool with friends in the Life Lounge on campus, like most college students he spends much of his time studying. His hard work and potential as a teacher resulted in him recently being named a Golden Apple Scholar. Golden Apple is a non-profit that makes a “material difference in resolving the teacher shortage through its Scholars and Accelerators programs by expanding the pipeline of highly effective, diverse educators,” according to the...

Former U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman gave a talk titled, “The Breakdown in Congressional Governing Norms, and Impediments to Serving the Public Interest” on the WNMU campus of on Friday, March 31. The presentation was based on his book “Breakdown: Lessons for a Congress in Crisis,” published in 2022, and was sponsored by WNMU in conjunction with the 2023 New Mexico History Conference in Silver City. The evening opened with introductions by WNMU President Joe Shepard and History Professor Scott Fritz and concluded with a question-and-answer session and book signing. Bingaman, who grew up in Silver City, was elected to the Senate in 1982. During his time as a Senator, he served on the Finance Committee, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the Joint Economic Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which he chaired at the time of his retirement from the Senate in 2013. In his presentation, Bingaman summarized the ways that Congress has changed...

On March 27, WNMU held a Scholarship Luncheon in Graham Gym. Sponsored by WNMU Foundation, the event serves to celebrate both the students awarded scholarships and those whose generosity supports them. The luncheon provides students an “opportunity to be recognized and to meet the donors, faculty and staff who make scholarship support available,” said Jodi Edens-Crocker, Senior Executive Director of WNMU Foundation and Alumni Affairs. At the luncheon, scholarship students had a chance to personally thank the donors behind the scholarships and to share with them what the support has meant to their academic careers. While traditionally an annual event, this is the first time the luncheon has been held since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Said George Turner, Scholarship Coordinator for WNMU Foundation, “It was great to see all those individuals re-connected and back to an important event of comradery with faculty/staff, donors, and future alums.” Turner noted that the event is...

Social work is a calling for Courtney Pierce. Growing up in a civically-minded community in Portsmouth, VA, Pierce expected to go into the business world, and her undergraduate degrees are in that field. But Pierce is now completing her Master of Social Work degree online at WNMU while working in the Anti-Trafficking Department at Samaritan House in Virginia, a large anti-violence organization that serves domestic violence, sexual assault, homelessness and trafficking survivors. Pierce’s research for her MSW program at WNMU stems from this work and is rooted in restorative justice practices. As chair of the Black and African American Committee at Samaritan House, she has hosted Black men in a series of townhall conversations designed to better understand the intersections of gender, race, and power. Topics in these outreach efforts have included power and privilege, domestic partner violence, and vulnerability. Pierce has teamed with fellow committee member Stephenie...

A celebration of the life of Ron Reed (1958-2022) and dedication of a memorial bench was held Friday, March 31 on the WNMU campus. Reed served as Director of Facilities and Maintenance at the university and was a beloved member of the WNMU community. Originally from Alamagordo, NM, Reed traveled widely, both with the Merchant Marines as a young adult and while living at various times in Pennsylvania, New York, the Bay Islands of Honduras, and Colorado, where he met his wife, Merritt. Reed eventually found his way to Silver City where he became known for his compassion, dignity, and hard work. On Friday, following the dedication service outside Light Hall, family and friends gathered in the Sunset Room of the Student Memorial Building to share remembrances of Reed. The memorial bench dedicated to him, which is located near the Raven sculpture outside Light Hall, will be a lasting testament to his importance to the WNMU...

Western New Mexico University may not seem the obvious landing spot for a student who has wanted to be a marine biologist since the fifth grade. For first-year zoology major Imani Taylor, however, attending WNMU was an easy decision. “It’s really hard to find a school with a zoology program,” said Taylor, “and fortunately WNMU did.” WNMU has the only zoology program in New Mexico. Taylor chose zoology because the field allows her to combine her love of animals with her interest in aquatic life. Growing up she always had animals in and around her home—common pets like dogs and cats, but also guinea pigs, chickens and rabbits. She also has a passion for marine animals and a deep-rooted curiosity about the mysteries of the ocean depths. Said Taylor, “People say we have only found 5% of it, but I think, ‘How do you actually know?'” Her commitment to zoology and especially marine biology is also fueled by environmental concerns. “I always saw the ocean and felt...

When eight students first brainstormed the idea of the Great Race in 1967, they could only imagine that the race would become an annual event enduring well over 50 years. But this April, WNMU will continue the tradition with a week-long slate of activities. Ashley Templeton, Student Leadership Coordinator at WNMU, has been working with students to plan and coordinate the event, and she expects a busy week. She describes Great Race as a large-scale event and said that it brings an “air of excitement” to campus. As in previous years, the event is designed not only to provide entertainment, but to further the sense of community. This is what Rebeca Portillo Parra, a ’22 graduate and current MBA student, found last year. Portillo Parra, who is originally from Mexico, helped push the car for the “Little Rascals” team last year. “I had the opportunity to make new friends and bond with them,” said Portillo Parra, “This tradition is unique and it's interesting how...

Two new members have officially joined the Western New Mexico University Board of Regents. Dalva Lon Moellenberg, who manages the Santa Fe office of law firm Gallagher and Kennedy, was appointed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and confirmed by the Senate. Moellenberg received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado and a law degree from Arizona State University. His legal practice focuses primarily on regulated industries such as mining and water rights as well as administrative law. Moellenberg’s appointment is confirmed on the heels of the end of term for outgoing regent Janice Baca-Argabright, who served with distinction as a member of the WNMU board since her appointment in 2011."I'm looking forward to the perspectives and vision Regent Moellenberg will bring to our board and university community and grateful for the years of hard work, passion and professionalism of outgoing Regent Baca-Argabright who will be missed but will forever remain a member of our...

Few universities have their own in-house publishing arm, and even fewer showcase student writing, research, and creative endeavors as a regular feature of the press’ production. But highlighting undergraduate student work is exactly what Mimbres Press of WNMU does through its journal, The Maverick. The Maverick was first conceived as an online journal by now-editor-in-chief Yen Chu.  Chu began her service to Mimbres Press in 2021 as a student member of the press’ advisory board. Nominated for the board seat by her English professor, Dr. Kate Oubre, and ultimately chosen for the position, Chu realized that the press offered an opportunity for greater student involvement. “After a lot of research and deliberation,” said Chu, “I decided the best course of action would be to start an annual journal of undergraduate student work: The Maverick.” Since that time, Chu has worked with the journal’s faculty liaison, Professor of English Composition Heather Frankland, and with...

Danielle Romero never imagined she would devote her career to studying the Mimbres culture of the American Southwest. Romero, the Director of WNMU Museum, began her graduate degree in anthropology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with an interest in Egyptian ceramics.  In February, however, Romero was excited to receive into the museum’s collection a substantial donation of Mimbres artifacts, including numerous items from the Elk Ridge Ruin in the Mimbres valley. “This is the second largest collection for the museum besides NAN Ranch,” said Romero, referring to the museum’s collection of the largest and most complete body of materials in existence from a single prehistoric Mimbres site.  Like the NAN Ranch collection, Romero said, the new donation is an “academic collection with field notes and context information that will be available to researchers.” The donation came from Human Systems Research (HSR), a nonprofit archeological organization based in Las...