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While academic opportunities are what brought first-year student Logan Eastman to WNMU, the Gila is what has made him feel at home. Brought up in Tijeras, NM, east of Albuquerque, Eastman has lived his entire life close to nature. “Growing up, I was living in the Cibola National Forest,” said Eastman, “so I have always lived in a location where I had these huge, beautiful trees around me that were protected. And so for me is another nice backyard to have.” But the Gila is also serving as a laboratory for Eastman, a Zoology major. He described a recent field trip to Cherry Creek in the Gila National Forest with Professors Eric Casler and Bill Norris. “We drove in vans and we went into Cherry Creek for one of our assignments in one of our labs,” he said. The class collected samples of leaves from different trees to study. While all of nature interests Eastman, he has a particular passion for insects, and for ants especially. Ants, he said “are just fascinating when...

Graduate student in Social Work Jia Rowland (BSW ’22) attended the Global Placemaking Summit in Mexico City, November 1-5. Her attendance was made possible by WNMU Student Research and Professional Development funding. “Placemaking is really as simple as it sounds,” said Rowland. “It’s making space. . . In oppressed communities, in indigenous populations, they don’t have bike lanes, they don’t have sidewalks, and that is going to keep people from having third places—places that aren’t workplaces, that aren’t schools . . . places just to be.” The summit brought together people from around the world to “share their experiences and ideas on how to create more livable, inclusive, and sustainable public spaces,” according to the event organizers. Rowland’s interest in placemaking is tied to her own sense of place as a Midwesterner who now calls New Mexico home. “I love New Mexico,” she said, “I love the Gila. I love camping, hiking, being outside,...

WNMU will be on a holiday schedule December 21-January 2, with most university offices closed and others open on a limited basis. During this time, Undergraduate Admissions, Graduate Admissions/Outreach Programs, Financial Aid, Registrar, and the Advising Center will be open M-F, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, but closed December 25 and January...

In a season of holidays, it is easy to overlook December 20, which is recognized as International Human Solidarity Day. Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005, International Human Solidarity Day was created to promote the values of solidarity and cooperation among people across the globe. These values are shared by the diverse family of students, faculty and alumni of WNMU who have been working together to strengthen cross-cultural understanding. One of these people is MBA student Rita Escalante Alegria (BS ’22), who serves as co-president of the International Student Association. Escalante, who is from Sonora, Mexico, is one of the students that worked to establish the new International Student Association on campus. This student organization has collaborated with the Admissions office to create an orientation program geared toward international students, and they have organized other events, such as a panel discussion at this year’s WNMU Academic and...

A Deming educator and WNMU alumna has won the prestigious Milken Educator Award. Magali Gomez (BSW ’12, MSW ’17, MAT ’23) earned the award because she has “established herself as a steadfast teacher leader and inspiring mentor who works every day to support her colleagues and achieve notable academic and personal growth for her students,” according to a news release from the Milken Family Foundation, which sponsors the awards. The Milken Educator Awards target early- to mid-career teachers who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and who offer strong long-range potential for professional and policy leadership. The award comes with an unrestricted $25,000 prize. In addition to the monetary award, recipients join a cadre of other Milken Educators and receive powerful mentorship opportunities. Gomez works at Ruben S. Torres Elementary in Deming, where she teaches fifth grade students bilingually in both Spanish and English, and teaching in a small town has...

WNMU awarded two honorary doctorates at this year’s fall Commencement, one to former NM Representative Rodolpho Martinez (BS ’78) and another to former director of the Legislative Finance Committee David Abbey. Rodolpho Martinez Born in Santa Rita, NM, Martinez worked in the mining industry for Kennecott Copper and Phelps Dodge, retiring as a senior planner for the electrical department in 2006. In addition to that career, Martinez has also been involved in public service for more than 27 years. He has served as a Bayard city councilor, mayor, county commission chair, and as NM 39th Legislative District Representative. Martinez is a US Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War. He has received the “Profile of Courage” award from the Vietnam Veterans of America NM State Council, and he has continued to advocate on behalf of veterans. Martinez said that one of the greatest challenges of his time in the Legislature was weathering the years when there was no capital outlay...

This fall, 371 students earned degrees or certificates from Western New Mexico University, and the Mustang community celebrated their achievement through a hybrid commencement ceremony that once again allowed for the participation of both graduates on campus and those living and attending WNMU at a distance. Of the graduates who received diplomas from WNMU this fall, 206 chose to participate in this year’s fall graduation ceremony on December 8, 2023, with 141 walking across the Fine Arts Center Theatre stage and 65 participating over Zoom. WNMU awarded 78 associate degrees, 119 bachelor’s degrees, 136 master’s degrees, 49 graduate certificates, 10 undergraduate certificates and 13 fast track certificates. Additionally, 77 WNMU undergraduates across all programs graduated with honors, including members of the WNMU Honors Program. To earn the distinction, students in a graduate program must receive a 4.0 GPA, and students graduating with an undergraduate degree or...

The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents awarded emeritus designation to two retiring WNMU employees, approved new programs as part of the university’s five-year plan and heard from faculty, staff and student leadership representatives during their meeting, conducted in a hybrid manner, Thursday, December 7, 2023. With no old business to consider, the regents spent a portion of the meeting hearing updates from across campus as presented by Faculty Senate President Dr. Scott Smith, Staff Senate President Adele Springer and Associated Students of WNMU President Elizabeth Gonzales. Regent Chair Dr. Mary Hotvedt presided over the meeting from the Seminar Room located in the university’s Student Memorial Building along with Student Regent Trent Jones, with Regents Dr. Lyndon Haviland and Dal Moellenberg joining virtually and Dr. Dan Lopez not present. During his report, President Dr. Joseph Shepard informed the board of a recent article regarding the university’s...

When Kimberly Woodard (BS ’03, MAIS ‘08) began work as the WNMU Student Services Coordinator in August, she had never run a food pantry before. Now, managing the One Stop on campus is one of her essential job responsibilities. Woodard, whose background is in social work, has embraced the challenges of her new position enthusiastically. In particular, she has established, or in some cases re-established, relationships with a number of statewide and community partners. One of those partnerships is with Roadrunner Food Bank, the largest food bank in New Mexico, which currently makes deliveries to the One Stop twice a month. “In December they will be bringing a mobile food pantry to campus,” Woodward said. At this mobile event, each household served will be eligible to take home 40 pounds of food. The One Stop also partners with St. Francis Newman Center, the Gospel Mission and the Commons Center for Food Security and Sustainability. The latter has a commercial kitchen,...

The 19th WNMU Academic and Research Symposium and Career Fair was held Tuesday, Nov. 28 and Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. The symposium, which provides a showcase for student academic and creative achievement, took place in the J. Cloyd Miller Library. Occurring in conjunction with the symposium was a career fair that brought in a number of area employers. Students had an opportunity to learn about working for the various employers and about openings available. According to Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Kate Oubre, the symposium provides students with an opportunity to become more confident public speakers. “It is an opportunity for students to practice public presentation in a different way than they do in a classroom,” said Oubre. Oubre acknowledged that presenting one’s work publicly can feel quite daunting, so the organizing committee works to ensure that the symposium brings some levity and fun. “We have a...