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Grant County native Raquel Parga is finishing up a forest-wildlife degree at WNMU, doing her senior practicum with Heart of the Gila, and raising an almost two-year-old son. “I’ve overcome some obstacles in my life but I’m still going strong with my degree,” she said. Feeling fortunate to have been born in a place surrounded by forest, Raquel chose to stay in her hometown and pursue a bachelor’s in hopes of working in hydrology or ecology with the U.S. Forest Service. “I always loved being outside. The world seems kind of small at times, but when you’re out there, it’s so vast,” she said. Raquel opted to do eco-monitoring for Heart of the Gila “since the Gila River is one of our biggest assets here.” Over the past month, she has been in the field, testing the waters for PH levels, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids and so on. The experience has opened her eyes to how much of the hands-on and classroom work she does at WNMU applies in the real...

The new greenhouse under construction outside Harlan Hall is thanks to the U.S. Department of Agriculture grant the university obtained last summer to build a research program in nano-enabled agriculture. The facility will enable WNMU undergraduate research experiences that explore solutions to global problems hindering the industry’s ability to sustain the growing population. But this grant also supports undergraduate students looking into ways to achieve food security and improve the sustainability of agriculture. In partnership with former WNMU natural sciences faculty member Dr. Illya Medina Velo, the university’s Dr. Bill Norris, Goyce Koeppl and Chala Werber are continuing to lead students in testing nano materials on local soil to improve agricultural practices....

The newly installed bronze sculpture at The Gardens near Light Hall is a tribute to the many generations Western New Mexico University has served since 1893. A trio of WNMU alumni spent six months creating “Ice Cream Girls” to pay homage to one local child’s sweetest memory and to the spirit of community that this institution represents. One summer in the 1930s, sisters Martha and Charley sat outside Light Hall while their mother was in class. A professor walked by and acted on his regret that they waited in the hot sun without ice cream. That experience was integral to their eventual pursuit of education at WNMU and to their lifelong investment in the local community. Before becoming a middle school teacher, Martha went on to make a name for the Lady Mustangs on athletic courts across the region as one of the first inducted into the Women’s Athletic Association Hall of Fame. Charley first worked at married student housing on campus and later worked at a downtown...

Since she started teaching in the Western New Mexico University Math and Computer Science Department in 2013, Tanya Rivers has worked to engage the whole community in math, working at the legislative level and empowering learners at the family level. During a ceremony on Thursday, June 10, Rivers will be presented with an Air Force Research Laboratory New Mexico Tech Engagement Office award, meant to honor a New Mexican dedicated to fostering the love of STEM in local kids through meaningful interaction. Rivers is being recognized for her dedication to fracturing stereotypes about math and improving access to education by introducing math and computer programming to young girls through Expanding Your Horizons workshops and leading events at Science Olympiad — both youth STEM education events at WNMU. The award also demonstrates the region’s appreciation of Rivers’ efforts to facilitate successful Family Math Learning nights in conjunction with math and computer...

The WNMU Chapter of Circle K International is made up of Mustang leaders with hearts for service. These students belong to the 12,600 member-strong network, which is sponsored by Kiwanis International, and are active locally and also involved with the organization at a regional level. Immediate Past President Ariana belonged to Key Club, the high school iteration of Kiwanis, and continued her habit of volunteering through the college club, successfully recruiting many of the chapter’s current members. “As a double major in nursing and rehab services, I’ve always had a love and passion for giving to others,” she said. Now current Chapter President Jozette “Zoey” Jarrott is holding the club together during a period of virtual meetings and sparse community events. “We’re trying to focus on service projects,” she said. “This spring, we held an officer appreciation event, delivering care packages to departments around southwest New Mexico.” They were...

Four outstanding educators were selected to be included in the Western New Mexico University School of Education Hall of Fame and inducted during a virtual ceremony this spring. The 2020-2021 WNMU School of Education Hall of Fame inductees are Monica Ortiz Baca, Cindy Murphy Lee, Leland D. Miller and Mr. Darwin K. Bleak. Baca is a three-time graduate of WNMU. She earned a bachelor’s in elementary education in 1983, a master’s in counseling in 1996, and a master’s in interdisciplinary studies in 1998. WNMU recognized Baca for her 38 years of dedication to teaching elementary and special education and for service to her community of Chandler, Arizona, where she both lives and teachers. Her nomination read, “Mrs. Baca provides a safe and supportive place for her students, a place of refuge from the storms of life.” Lee graduated from WNMU with a bachelor’s in botany in 1981 and a master’s in secondary education in 1993. The WNMU School of Education recognized Lee for...