UNM professor F. Chris Garcia was recently honored by the American Political Science Association for his contribution to the field of Latino politics and overall dedication to political science profession.
Garcia is one of five political scientists in the nation to receive the fifth annual Frank J. Goodnow Award for Distinguished Service. He said he was flattered when the executive director of the association told him he was a recipient.
"To be recognized for something one enjoys doing is always a great pleasure," Garcia said.
He said the award came as a complete surprise to him because of the number of political scientists in the United States. He said 7,000 political scientists alone attended the association's meeting.
The association's Web site states that Garcia was chosen for the award because he contributed to the field of Latino politics, served the profession and documented the growth of the discipline for 30 years.
It stated that Garcia "entered the profession at a time when Latinos were absent from the leadership of learned societies, and by his example he pioneered the role of Latinos in the political science profession."
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Garcia, who has written 10 books and numerous articles, has been widely quoted in many journals and magazines, including The Economist. He said that when he began in the profession, very few Latino or Hispanic political scientists had emerged and virtually no studies of Latino politics had surfaced.
"I had the good fortune to be in on the early stages on the deviation of that field of study, so I think it always helps to be in on the beginning of a new field of discipline," he said.
Garcia said he was very proud to be able to move studies of Latino politics forward because Hispanics were a very neglected group in the political science field until the 1970s.
"I was just fortunate enough to be in on the ground floor of the study of Latinos in politics," he said.
Garcia, who is a UNM graduate, said he has taught at the University since the beginning of his career because of his deep roots in New Mexico. He has dozens of relatives in his hometown of Albuquerque.
He said he has a special attachment to UNM because it was where he earned his undergraduate and master's level education.
"I feel a special obligation to the people of New Mexico and to this University," Garcia said. "I owe them a lot."
Garcia said that despite his efforts in the field of political science, his first priority is his students' education. He said he has always tried to be the very best scholar he can be and has taken teaching very seriously.
He said he strives for a balance between research, teaching and service. He was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 1980 to 1986, provost from 1987 to 1990 and was recognized with the Regents' Meritorious Service Medal in 1996. He also served as interim provost in 1998.
Garcia said that despite his success, he's not ready to stop teaching political science.
He said he is still conducting research and is now compiling two books about Hispanic political culture and the political culture of New Mexico, among other things.
"There's a few new classes I'd like to try before retirement, so that's what's so great at being at the University," Garcia said. "You're just constantly running into interesting people and interesting ideas and new areas to explore and one has the freedom to do so."
He said he can't imagine that any other job or profession would provide as many opportunities for him to pursue his own interests.
"There will always be some new areas to explore and that's what I'm looking forward to," Garcia said.
