The UNM Board of Regents has approved changes to the health benefits plan for University employees despite strong opposition from staff members. As a result of the changes approved by the board, health care costs for UNM employees will increase by an average of 4.5 percent beginning July 1, University officials said.
The Science and Technology Corporation at UNM, a branch of the University invested in the creation of local intellectual and technological properties, held its first ever Innovation Fair on Tuesday to expose students to new opportunities. The event invited startup companies in New Mexico as well as UNM students who are looking for internships in the entrepreneurial or technology field. The potential and interest was meant to be mutual, as students provide a unique opportunity for companies present at the fair, said Rob DelCampo, executive director at UNM's Innovation Academy and a professor at the Anderson School of Management.
Yemane Asmerom , a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and director of the Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory, was recognized as one of 70 Geological Society of America Fellows, according to a UNM press release. The Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry are recognizing Asmerom with the honorary title of Geochemistry Fellow, according to the release. The award is given to scientists who have, over years, made a major contribution to the field.
The Associated Students of UNM held its first ever State of ASUNM address on Friday, allowing ASUNM President Jenna Hagengruber to give an update on issues involving the student government and the University as a whole. ASUNM Sen. Gabe Gallegos said ASUNM wanted to host an event where they could inform attendees of pressing issues that impact them.
According to a University press release,UNM Assistant Professor of English Cristyn Elder has been elected by the National Council of Writing Program Administrators to the executive board. One of three newly elected members, Elder will begin a three-year term on July 1, according to the release. The CWPA Board oversees the organization, develops policies and also engages in special projects and initiatives
According to a UNM press release, the University of New Mexico Adapted Sports Festival is set for Saturday, April 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center. The festival focuses on promoting physical activity and sports for those with disabilities, injury or illness, according to the release. It is additionally used to raise awareness of disability sports and physical activity throughout Bernalillo County.
According to a UNM press release, the Biology Department will host its 25th annual Research Day and Open House on Thursday and Friday. The annual event is a showcase for student research, celebrating discovery and education in the biological sciences, according to the release.
UNM IT recently launched MyUNM 2.0 to replace the former version of the University website that is utilized campus-wide. IT Chief Information Officer Gilbert Gonzales said he initially requested a change when he noticed that the underlying website portal technology had not been altered much since 1998.
The 2016-17 GPSA presidential candidates presented their agendas to the GPSA Council in a meeting held in SUB Ballroom-A on Saturday. The meeting gave prospective candidates a chance to introduce themselves the council and to discuss the annual GPSA budget. Sally Barker, a public administration graduate student and a presidential candidate, said these are unsettling times for the University.
How will the $157 tuition hike affect you?
For the second consecutive year, medical students at the UNM Health Sciences Center will see a little more money in their wallets as the Board of Regents approved a one percent decrease in tuition just a couple of hours before approving a tuition increase for students on main campus. The result is a loss of $67,000 in potential tuition revenue. According to the HSC budget, even after the tuition cut, the HSC is still projected to make about $24.3 million via tuition from all HSC academic programs.
Anderson School of Management recruiter Lisa Beauchene has taken steps to bridge the gap between the pueblos of New Mexico and the business school. The Daily Lobo sat down with Beauchene to talk about the inaugural meeting of the All Pueblo Council of Governors at the Anderson School of Management, what goes into being a recruiter and how her background shaped her for that position.
The third annual LoboTHON, UNM's philanthropic 13.1 hour Dance Marathon, will be held on April 2 at noon in Johnson Gym to help raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. LoboTHON is both an event and organization that hosts events all year, the dance marathon is the biggest event the organization hosts. Matthew Davoudzadeh, executive director of LoboTHON, said it provides a way to celebrate all the other events throughout the year while raising money for the Children's Miracle Hospital in the process.
For the third year in a row, students from the Anderson School of Management returned from the Small Business Institute’s Project of the Year Competition in New Orleans with accolades in hand. This time around, the students enjoyed two third-place finishes: one in the Graduate/Specialized category, the other in the Graduate/Comprehensive category.
A group of UNM graduate students are facilitating access to education for girls going to school in Pakistan and Afghanistan — two countries marred by war and violence. The students provide lectures to girls in primary schools in Pakistan and facilitate their access to an education by providing financial support.
UNM’s Brain & Behavioral Health Institute and the New Mexico Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association collaborated on a conference titled “Dementia Capable Providers: Person-Centered Solutions” that is currently running though Thursday morning. The conference, which will end at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, aims to share the latest research in the field with public health policy makers and health care providers.
Researchers are conducting behavioral health screenings in different health care settings across New Mexico to identify substance use and mental health issues among patients and to increase patients' access to convenient and evidence-based treatment. The New Mexico Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment program, also helps train peer-supporters for substance abuse and mental health patients. The project is funded by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to the State of New Mexico Behavioral Health Services Division. The UNM researchers are partnering with them on the five-year grant.
Undergraduates will be paying a bit more to attend school in the fall, albeit not as much as they could have been paying. At the annual Budget Summit on Tuesday, the UNM Board of Regents voted unanimously to increase tuition by 2.5 percent, to about $5,286 for the 2016-2017 school year. Students will also pay about $157 more in fees next year, an increase of about 10.5 percent, stemming from the approval of renovations to Johnson Center, Anderson School of Management and Smith Plaza.
Before voting to increase undergraduate student tuition by 2.5 percent, the UNM Board of Regents elected to hold off on voting for an online course delivery fee redistribution proposal, in order to do some fine-tuning. Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management Terry Babbitt presented the proposal at Tuesday’s UNM Board of Regents’ annual Budget Summit, saying that it would help the University’s presence in the online classroom medium. “We’re trying to be competitive in the distance education environment,” Babbitt said.
Over Spring Break, the Anderson School of Management played host to a meeting of the All Pueblo Council of Governors for the first time. The meeting was held for informational purposes, as the council members in attendance numbered one shy of a quorum, thus no voting action was able to take place. A formal council discussion was held after an introduction by University President Bob Frank and a brief powerpoint presentation by Craig White, interim dean of the Anderson School of Management.
Solutions by The State News
