The Associated Students of the University of New Mexico held its first meeting of the spring semester last Wednesday night in the Letterman Meeting Room at WisePies Arena. Although there was minimal legislative business, which is common for the first meetings of the semester, here are the main takeaways of last week’s meeting.
During September 2015, Brandi Fink, assistant professor at the UNM Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, began a research study exploring a pattern between alcohol and domestic violence. “We hope to learn why intimate partner violence (IPV) is more likely to occur when people are drinking alcohol,” Fink said. “IPV is a serious public health problem, and we are hoping to identify new ways to intervene with this problem.” Fink said her collaborators included Eric Claus of the Mind Research Network, as well as James Cavanagh and Derek Hamilton of the UNM Department of Psychology.
A recent issue of preLaw Magazine named the University of New Mexico School of Law as number one in the country for public defenders and prosecutors. The magazine listed the school high on the list because of its strong faculty, curriculum and financial help for the students, according to a UNM press release. The study is based 50 percent on employment, 40 percent on curriculum and 10 percent on financial. Financial itself is 40 percent based on public salary, 40 percent debt and 20 percent on a Loan Repayment Assistance Program, according to the release.
Welcome Back Days at UNM are a way for students, both new and returning, to learn about all UNM has to offer. For the occasion, the Student Union Building Atrium was filled with bright booths, signs and students lured by free drinks and curiosity. Ryan Lindquist, associate director for the Student Activities Center, said that the event takes place on two different days, Jan. 20 and 27. The first day was centered around Greek life and departments, Lindquist said. It was directed towards the entire UNM community (faculty, staff and students), letting everyone know what department resources are on campus and giving students the opportunity to learn about Greek life.
The UNM Health Sciences Center has established a new medical center to deal with the increasing number of cases of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia in New Mexico. The center was established Jan.1, UNM officials said. The UNM Health Sciences Center’s Memory and Aging Center (UMAC) will be operational in the coming two to three months, UNMHSC officials said.
An event hosted at UNM aims to recruit more females into the energy industry. “Women in Power,” an event hosted by The New Mexico Oil and Gas Association (NMOGA) and the New Mexico Energy Forum, was held in the SUB this week. The event, which was open to the UNM community, sought to bring together career-minded, female college students and influential leaders in the oil and gas industry to explore employment opportunities for women, said vice president and director of communications for NMOGA Wally Drangmeister.
UNM students need to be aware of craigslist scammers who have been targeting individuals looking for nearby housing. Attorney General Hector Balderas issued a Scam Alert this week in response to a recent uptick in reports of Craigslist apartment scams from consumers across New Mexico.
Next month, the University of New Mexico Healthy and Fit Children’s Clinic’s partner, the Live Fit Family Challenge Program, will begin sessions. Sylvia Negrete, the director and founder of the bilingual clinic, said she began the program in 2009 when she noticed many children were visiting her with obesity-related issues and discovered there were no programs in New Mexico dedicated to this community. In order to be part of the clinic, children must have a Body Mass Index greater than or equal to 85 percent and be between the ages of two and 17, she said. The “comprehensive, multidisciplinary clinic” provides families with education on weight gain through nutritionists, medical providers, physical activity counselors/providers, full medical evaluations and more.
Ian Rabinowitz, a professor in UNM’s Division of Hematology/Oncology, has been honored with the 2016 Eisenberg Award. According to a UNM Health Sciences Center press release, the award honors a New Mexican cancer survivor whose work with Cancer Services of New Mexico has benefited other New Mexican cancer patients. "Dr. Rabinowitz made tremendous contributions to Cancer Services of New Mexico before he began his personal cancer journey, and he has continued to be an important part of our organization since his diagnosis,” the statement quoted CSNM President Kathleen Kreider as saying.
A sophomore computer science major, is among the winners of the L. Ron Hubbard Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contest. Camber Arnhart $500 for her submission of two digital art pieces and one traditional pencil piece. Arnhart said she is extremely grateful for her success and believes the contest will create new opportunities for her future.
Researchers at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center have started clinical trials using an aggressive treatment approach to treat pancreatic cancer, according to a UNMHSC press release. The clinical trials combine the latest in chemotherapy and radiation treatment with immunotherapy, a novel treatment which harnesses the body's immune system to help fight cancer, according to the press release.
Two UNM researchers, Xuexian Yang and Vince Calhoun, have been recognized as “Highly Cited Researchers” for 2015 by Thomson Reuters, according to a UNM press release. Thomson Reuters is an intellectual property and business firm that lists highly cited researchers in different fields, according to the press release.
In his welcome back email on the first day of classes for the spring semester, University President Bob Frank announced that, due to widespread safety concerns, the University of New Mexico is placing an interim ban on the use, possession and storage of hoverboards on all UNM campuses. This temporary ban is in place until the University can assess and research the safety of the self-balancing scooters, informally known as “hoverboards”, and develop a long-term policy, Frank said.
Hundreds of people gathered Sunday afternoon to celebrate the life of student-athlete Markel Byrd, the Lobo football player who died in a car accident in December. Among those in attendance was head football coach Bob Davie, the first person to speak and share his memories about Byrd. Davie remarked on the turnout for the memorial, which was held in the SUB Ballroom, saying it’s a confirmation of the impact Byrd, and his loss, has had on the entire community.
What do you think about the recent ban on hover boards from UNM campus?
A local man was sentenced to a maximum of 18 years in prison for multiple charges for taking the lives of two UNM students and harming two others. Last week’s sentence stemmed from Joshua Leal’s role in the November 2014 car crash that took the lives of UNM students Briana Hillard and Matthew Grant, and put seniors Joseph Mendoza and Julia Thompson in the hospital. According to the District Attorney’s office, a plea agreement would put Leal in prison for a minimum of 12 years, with the remaining six at the discretion of the court. However, Judge Brett Loveless, who presided over the sentencing, imposed the full 18 years in the Department of Corrections.
The Department of Communication and Journalism added a new entrepreneurial media course this semester. The course, CJ 393, is being taught by both Communication & Journalism professor of practice Michael Marcotte and instructor Carolyn Flynn. The course is focused on innovation and media entrepreneurship, combining business and journalism to keep up with the modern needs of the field. "Many people entering journalism will at some point or another probably start their own business or be an entrepreneur...so we want to offer something to equip students to navigate this rapidly changing market," Flynn said.
The UNM Communication and Marketing Department held an event in the SUB ballroom C to rollout the new UNM brand concept. The brand concept has been introduced to the University in order to increase enrollment and create awareness about the offerings of UNM, UNM officials said. “We have challenged ourselves to consider and reflect upon who we are, what we do and why it matters – in other words, to develop the UNM brand for the 21st century.
University of New Mexico Associate Professor of Sociology Jessica Goodkind spearheaded the Refugee Well-being Project (RWP) here on campus in 2006, and it has since blossomed into a program that benefits all parties involved. Goodkind said by enrolling in her Health and Social Inequalities two-semester course, student volunteers can work directly with refugee families while other volunteers assist with different aspects of the project. When students volunteer for RWP, they must commit to nine months of work, she said, and after two and a half months in class, students are paired with refugee families from November through May. After this pairing they focus on learning and advocacy, as students help guide them through acclimating to their new lifestyles.
Lottery scholarship woes are front and center as the New Mexico legislative session ramps up. Associated Students of UNM President Jenna Hagengruber said that currently the lottery is only able to fund about 95 percent of tuition for qualifying students for the scholarship instead of the previous practice of 100 percent funding. The lottery funds are depleting quickly, she said, and while the Liquor Excise Tax has been able to provide a supplemental $19 million to lottery funds, that source of funding is set to expire at the end of next year.
Solutions by The State News
