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This fall, voters in southwest New Mexico will be asked to invest in the state’s public colleges, universities and specialty schools. General Obligation Bond C (referred to as GO Bond 3 and formerly known as GO Bond C) is asking voters to approve nearly $215.6 million or needed renovations, upgrades and improvements. Voting "yes" on GO Bond 3 will not increase property tax rates. Approval of Bond 3 will mean an allocation of $4 million for Western New Mexico University, which will fund the expansion of healthcare training programs. Also, passage of Bond 3 is estimated to create more jobs in construction and architecture while boosting local economies and gross receipts tax revenue. In Grant County, WNMU would use GO Bonds to renovate and upgrade its historic Graham Gym and make needed improvements to Old James Road, an important throughway in the heart of the campus. In Luna County, GO Bonds would help complete the new WNMU | Deming Learning Center, including construction...

Western New Mexico University McCray Gallery of Contemporary Art opened the 2022-23 season this week with “Beyond Metal” by metal artist Linda Joanou. Designed to showcase diverse artists working in a variety of media, the gallery’s 2022-23 season boasts exhibits by up-and-coming artists and features work by names such as Salvador Dalí. This fall’s first installment of the WNMU Cultural Affairs Edwina and Charles Milner Women in the Arts Lecture and Exhibit Series, this show brings metal sculptures of bronze, copper, and steel together with a hanging array of recycled bicycle tires to create a whimsical and inspiring installation. Joanou will lecture in Light Hall Auditorium at 6 p.m. A reception at the gallery will follow. “Beyond Metal” will hang until Thursday, October 6. Renowned artist-activist Shirley Klinghoffer’s “CRT Revisited” will open at WNMU McCray Gallery of Contemporary Art on Thursday, October 20. Inspired by the hospital armatures used as...

When she completes her exchange program at Western New Mexico University, Melissa Zenil will have marketing degrees from the WNMU School of Business and from her university in Hermosillo, Mexico. “I came to be interested in marketing because it was the creative side of business,” she said. “You apply arts and colors to business. If you added a little bit of marketing, it could be fun.” The differences between her hometown and Silver City are many. “The weather is cooler here. The place where I came from is bigger. For me, it’s a big change,” Melissa said. Her hobbies include growing plants, reading and listening to...

WNMU student Monica Jose of Laguna Pueblo was selected as a participant in the first offering in New Mexico of the Golden Apple Scholars Program. DW Risdon, who is an associate professor in the WNMU College of Education, said that four of the original cadre of candidates are WNMU students. The Golden Apple Scholars program is a multi-year teacher preparation program that recruits, prepares, and supports New Mexico residents who attend New Mexico colleges and universities and commit to teaching in New Mexico schools. Through the program's institute, students can take advantage of paid professional development opportunities that occur each summer during their undergraduate years and also continually develop in their early years of teaching through mentorship. “Applications for a second cohort are being accepted through the first week in October and it would be great to have more Mustangs in the next group,” said a spokesperson for Golden Apple. Anyone interested in...

Marian Valle arrived at Western New Mexico University ahead of the fall semester, eager to begin her exchange program. She is from Caborca, Mexico, where she studies business at her university’s local campus. An agreement between her hometown institution and WNMU allows her to spend a few semesters in Silver City and earn a dual degree—a bachelor’s in business from this American university as well as a degree from her school in Sonora. This program seems like an obvious avenue toward her life goals. “Since I was a little kid, I always dreamed of having my own company and traveling the world,” Valle said. Only she and one other Mexican student applied for the competitive opportunity this year, and they were selected based on their grades, their resumes, and their ability to speak English. Waiting on the confirmation of scholarships and student visas is a process that takes a lot of time and patience, Valle said. Now that she’s here, “Everything is...

The Western New Mexico University School of Nursing will put a nearly $1.1-million-award from the New Mexico Higher Education Department toward the expansion of its programs. “Teamwork was essential to this success,” said Dr. Kimberly Petrovic, who is Associate Dean for the WNMU School of Nursing and Kinesiology. Key to the process of requesting and ultimately securing this grant funding, she said, were a host of nursing faculty members, university leaders, and supporters from across the entire WNMU academic spectrum. A portion of the funding is designated for technology in the simulation labs at the main campus and WNMU | Deming, a percentage earmarked for faculty and staff compensation and professional development, and more concentrated on developing holistic coaching, mentoring, instructional and tutoring systems to recruit, retain and prepare pre-nursing students for successful completion of their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and entry to the...

Zoë Chatterton studies sociology and Spanish, hopes to work with LGBTQ youth in a nonprofit setting, captains the Mustang volleyball team, and is part of the university's Millennium III honors program. The junior from Portland, Oregon, transferred to Western New Mexico University last fall and spent this past summer as a research assistant to WNMU Assistant Professor of Sociology Dr. Andreea Nica. “I like being as involved as possible,” she said. Chatterton helped Dr. Nica with preliminary research into family exiting and emotional intimacy. The two presented their framework at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association in Los Angeles earlier this month. “We presented as part of a roundtable focus on family topics. Because this is preliminary research, the feedback from other scholars was huge,” she said. Chatterton had completed a research methods class with Dr. Dara Naphan-Kingery, also of the WNMU Social Sciences and Cultural Studies Department. But...

Western New Mexico University announced the groundbreaking of a new softball field on Friday, promising players a state-of-the-art facility that rivals other DII softball complexes and also ensuring fans an improved experience. WNMU leadership, including President Dr. Joseph Shepard and Mustang Athletics Director Scott Noble, gave an overview of the project, which is focused on the installation of an artificial turf field but includes construction of new dugouts and a press box, installation of new bleachers and field lighting, addition of a 12,000-square-foot parking lot, and infrastructure updates. Mustang softball coach Ashley Hickman spoke of the anticipated impact on the program overall as well as on the individual student-athletes who will benefit from practice and play on a new field. The ceremony had been planned for the existing softball field but was moved indoors in response to rainy weather. In addition to the 24 student-strong Mustang softball team, WNMU leaders...

Karol Bernal completed her bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy at WNMU this spring, and she’ll enroll in the WNMU Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with the aim of concentrating in writing. “I like reading and wanted to study words and books. Philosophy is always relevant,” she said. During her undergraduate program, Karol worked as a tutor in the WNMU Writing Center. “It let me see what I want out of writing and gave me an idea of these kinds of jobs: editing or writing-related jobs,” she said. “It let me know how I like to interact with people and how to be more specific in my suggestions while putting myself in their shoes.” Born in Colombia, Karol moved to the U.S. at age nine and today lives in Carlsbad, where she attends classes online. She said that while reading and writing is second nature to her, a formal education was helpful. As was the whole college experience, which taught her discipline and accountability. “I’m part of the...