News

“Being regent is a very good job for me. It brings together my academic experience and my experience at Western with my political knowledge of the state and my in-depth knowledge of the community,” says Mary Hotvedt, Ph.D., the newest member of the WNMU Board of Regents. As an anthropologist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Dr. Hotvedt was in private practice as a counselor, researcher and consultant for 24 years. Plus, she’s been a teacher in various forms all throughout her life, having worked in academia for institutions worldwide. She became an adjunct professor at WNMU in 2010 and stepped down when New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham appointed her to serve as a member of the WNMU Board of Regents last March. Dr. Hotvedt prioritizes education above all else at WNMU. “The most important thing to me about the university’s success is that it has to be academically of the best standard — demanding the best of the faculty and of the students. I’m...

New Associate Dean for the WNMU School of Nursing and Kinesiology Dr. Kimberly Petrovic brings an extensive background and level head to some of the university’s most innovative and impactful programs. With a Ph.D., MSN, MA, and RN, Dr. Petrovic is leading WNMU in offering a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, training working nurses with master’s degrees, and — soon — educating master’s-prepared nurses to be primary care providers as Family Nurse Practitioners in rural settings. “My leadership style is more of a circle rather than a pyramid,” she said. “We are all seasoned nurses and to not make use of everyone’s expertise and experiences is foolish.” Dr. Petrovic’s professional focus on geriatrics and gerontology is applicable particularly to New Mexico’s rural areas, which have aging populations. “As we go through the life course, we gain a lot of things, but we lose a lot of things as well,” she said, noting her interest is in helping patients keep their...

With women leading the way, students and professors are engaging in a variety of independent research projects at WNMU. From the two professors measuring the impact of a whole-family approach to math education to the social work faculty member who studied a population that crosses the border for schooling, faculty are investigating what interests them. Others, like Drs. Jennifer Johnston and Corrie Neighbors, mentor student researchers while also making their own queries. Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Jennifer Johnston’s study of the relationship between news coverage and mass shootings led to a national campaign requesting the media adopt a policy discouraging the use of any mass shooter’s name or likeness due to the evidence that perpetrators are motivated by a desire for fame. Dr. Johnston has presented her findings across the nation, making frequent media appearances herself, and even sharing her expertise with the Federal Commission on School Safety in 2018. With...

The WNMU humanities department presented an innovative instructional model dubbed “Fusion Courses” to other higher education leaders in the state last week at a conference (link to https://nmhear.nmsu.edu/) focused on assessment and retention. Four faculty members discussed how the university’s English, composition, communication, and philosophy programs have all integrated this pedagogical approach within their curriculum, bringing together online and face-to-face classes through the use of technology. “Fusion courses facilitate interaction between students in both media with each other,” says Associate Professor of Speech and Communication Dr. Benjamin Cline, who shared how he used a fusion course to teach Small Group Communication, promoting collaboration through zoom and lecture capture. This model combines the best practices from both online and face-to-face teaching. WNMU Humanities Chair Kate Oubre and past chair John Gist together birthed the model, which...

Twenty-seven years ago, WNMU Chief of Staff Julie Morales took a job as a media services specialist in Miller Library and headed up the Public Information Office and Alumni Affairs before accepting a position in the university president’s office. She grew into the role she fills today, which entails providing support to the president and the board of regents, leading special projects, working with legal counsel, overseeing Title IX, acting as the chief WNMU records custodian, obtaining governmental liquor licenses, plus “anything else that comes up — and it usually does,” Morales said. She attributes her success to her knack for following through, communicating well, paying attention to details, and asking questions. But Morales’ love for the work she does is the primary reason she has risen to the top at WNMU. “You get to see the students transform from the timid freshman into the confident senior ready to tackle the world,” she said. Western New Mexico University...

Western New Mexico University Freshman To Represent State, Nation at Championships A Western New Mexico University Mustang cross country runner will be representing Team USA at the 2020 Pan Am Cross Country Championships on Saturday, February 29, 2020. The Pan Am Cross Country Cup is in Victoria, Canada, where Daniel Beam and the five other Team USA runners in his category will navigate a hilly and sandy 8-kilometer course. Beam’s placement at the 2020 USATF Cross Country Championships in San Diego, California, a few weeks ago assured him the chance to race for the red, white and blue. “I’m really excited to be going. Obviously, I’d like to do well — run a smart race and maybe help Team USA bring home the gold for the men’s 8k race,” he said. Other U20 Team USATF runners include Evan Bishop of East Grand Rapids High School, Lucas Chung of St. Mary’s College, Alex Comerford of Syracuse University, Corey Gorgas of Northern Arizona University, and Jacob...

Kaissa Duran has worked as a pharmacy tech for nine years. She started as a delivery driver at Silver Rexall Drugstore, is now the lead tech at CVS Pharmacy, and has her sights set on pharmacy school. “I love science. All the classes I’ve taken at WNMU have taught me a lot and gotten me ready for the next step,” said the chemistry major and cell and molecular biology minor. Kaissa will graduate this spring and is giving herself a year to take the PCAT and get admitted to a program. In the meantime, she’s conducting research with WNMU faculty mentor Dr. Shiva Kyasa. She received funding from the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation to look into the decomposition of magic mouthwash, a solution prescribed to treat sores. “The rinse is a mixture of Benadryl, Maalox and lidocaine, which all have expiration dates of two years. Once it’s mixed, it can only be used for two weeks. I’m going to analyze it through GC-MS, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry,”she...

A Western New Mexico University Mustang cross country runner will be representing Team USA at the 2020 Pan Am Cross Country Championships on Saturday, February 29, 2020. The Pan Am Cross Country Cup is in Victoria, Canada, where Beam and the five other Team USA runners will navigate a hilly and sandy 8-kilometer course. KRQE News 13 in Albuquerque recently shared his story. Watch below and read the full piece here....

Public Invited To Campus for “Power Structures” Opening Reception on Thursday Evening Western New Mexico University artists in residence for ceramics Atziry A. Apodaca and Natalie Rae Good will show their work for a limited time at WNMU Francis McCray Gallery of Contemporary Art starting Thursday, February 13. “Power Structures” exhibits what the two have created throughout their residencies so far. While not strictly thematic, the show’s name nods to the overlaps of both physical structures and the structures of state, politics, and perspective, which they each highlight in their distinct artistic focuses. The exhibit opens with a reception at the WNMU McCray Gallery on Thursday, February 13, at 4:30 p.m. It will be on display during gallery hours Friday, February 14, from 12:15 to 3:15 p.m. and on Saturday by appointment. “‘Power Structures’ is a one-weekend show,” Apodaca said. Originally from El Paso, Texas, Apodaca lived in Cuidad Juarez for most of...

Starting Monday, February 10, Western New Mexico University students will offer tax help to low-income individuals and families in the southwest corner of the state. This is the 38th year WNMU students have run the local Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, which is supported by Tax Help NM. This free service is for people whose household income is $56,000 or less. The volunteers — WNMU business and accounting students by day — are certified by the IRS and are trained to help taxpayers identify tax credits. “Students get real-life tax preparation filing experience by participating in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program,” said Ashley Montenegro, the adjunct WNMU instructor and certified public accountant who sponsors this program. “Students finish their degrees having filed 50 to 100 tax returns already. The community benefits because, as long as they meet the requirements, they don’t have to pay for our students’ help.” The Volunteer Income Tax...