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UNM professor awarded for excellence in mentoring

Sayyed Shah | September 16

UNM Political Science Professor Lonna Atkeson has been honored with the Society for Political Methodology’s 2015 Excellence in Mentoring Award, according to a UNM press release. “The committee wishes to recognize Dr. Atkeson, for her longstanding work serving as a mentor and advisor to a diverse set of students. Her commitment to her students is clear and significant; Dr. Atkeson recognizes that mentoring is important in and out of the classroom, and that mentoring continues long after students receive their degrees,” the award committee wrote in citation for Atkeson, according to the statement.

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University of New Mexico, Mississippi Valley State partner for cultural exchange

Fin Martinez | September 16

UNM and Mississippi Valley State University have formed a partnership to facilitate cultural exchange, joining the two institutions to provide students with the opportunity to visit the other college campus and experience what they have to offer. “(The partnership) will allow our students to attend a historically black university,” said Dr. Jozie De Leon, UNM's vice president of equity and inclusion. “What we’re going to do is alternate, so the first year MVSU students will come here in the summer for four to six weeks.” MVSU and UNM differ greatly in diversity enrollment. Last fall, MVSU had a total of 1,722 African-American undergraduate students, and only 22 Hispanic students, according to the university's website. While UNM had 4,728 Hispanic and only 558 African-American undergrads, according to the division for equity and inclusion.

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UNM to rename Hodgin Hall Alumni Center Plaza

Sayyed Shah | September 16

UNM approved the Naming Selection Committee’s recommendation to rename Hodgin Hall Alumni Center Plaza, according to a UNM press release. The plaza will be known as Dr. Karen Abraham Courtyard to honor the retiring associate vice president of alumni relations and the executive director of the UNM Alumni Association, according to the statement. “During her tenure, Abraham has worked with the Alumni Association Board of Directors, staff and community leaders to achieve long-term sustainability for the Association through the establishment of a $7 million endowment; renovate Hodgin Hall Alumni Center to preserve the University’s history kept within its walls; has bestowed hundreds of alums with awards and has grown the Alumni Association scholarship programs,” according to the release.

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UNM Regents approve selling $100M in institutional bonds for renovations

David Lynch | September 15

On Friday the UNM Board of Regents voted in favor of selling $100 million in institutional bonds beginning next year, which is the first step in funding several improvement projects on campus, including Johnson Center renovations. The bonds will be split in two portions: $55 million, which will be used to fund renovations to Johnson, Anderson School of Management and Smith Plaza, will be sold in January; the other $45 million, which will be allocated toward a new Physics and Astronomy Interdisciplinary Science building and expansions to the children’s care center, will be sold a year later.

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Late UNM Honors professor had fun with students, unorthodox classes

David Lynch | September 15

Ed DeSantis, former lecturer at the Honors College, passed away last week, leaving behind memories of a caring and insightful individual to those he met during his time at UNM. Honors College professor Dr. Leslie Donovan said DeSantis was at UNM for more than 25 years before retiring after the 2010-2011 school year. Before teaching in the Honors College, he was associate dean in the School of Graduate Studies, and he also held the position of faculty senate president in the mid-2000s.

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Sports Issue: What do you do to stay active?

Elizabeth Sanchez | September 14

Some UNM students talk with Elizabeth Sanchez about how they stay active in their busy lives.

Students of the Recreational Services Getaway Adventures program spend time at the White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo during one of their outings. Whitewater kayaking is the next adventure planned for Sept. 26-27.

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Sports Issue: Program gives UNM community chance to explore the state

Elizabeth Sanchez | September 14

You start at the Los Alamos Ice Rink. After a few hours of outdoor skating, the brisk air cooling your nose, you sip on hot cocoa and take a lunch break. Then, you pack up and take a scenic drive with the rest of the group to relax at Jemez Springs Bath House for a soak, or to socialize at Los Ojos pub. Cristina Miller, a senior nutrition and dietetics major, participated in this Skate and Soak Getaway Adventure, among many others offered by the University.

UNM students exercise at the bottom level of the Johnson Center’s weight room during Friday night’s open hours. The multilevel weight room carries some equipment but during busy times during the week students have trouble finding open spaces.

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Sports Issue: Johnson Center in dire state, administrators say

Denicia Aragon | September 14

Hundreds of UNM students visit the Johnson Center every day, either to attend a class, practice personal fitness, participate in recreational activities or practice and play for a school sport. For the amount of students using the building daily, the limited amount of space, outdated circuitry, confusing floor plan, and not-so-Americans with Disabilities Act-friendly layout are only the most apparent things that prove Johnson Center is in a dire need of a renovation.

A sign hangs at the entrance to the Manzanita Counseling Center. The center offers free services and is ran by graduate students who are under the supervision of licensed counselors.

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Manzanita offers other options for counseling service

Marielle Dent | September 11

Many UNM students who seek on-campus counseling are not aware of all of their options. They opt for the more well-known services at Student Health and Counseling or even the Counseling, Assistance and Referral Services; but few use the Manzanita Counseling Center.

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Campus briefs for Sept. 11

Fin Martinez | September 11

The Office of the Chief Information Officer at UNM is collaborating with CNM to sponsor a Mobile Apps Contest. The contest provides students from both schools the opportunity to apply their skills for developing apps for the community.

During Wednesday evening’s ASUNM Senate meeting, Kyle Stepp approaches the ASUNM board in defense of President Jenna Hagengruber’s decision to hire Kyle Biederwolf as the Emerging Lobo Leaders executive director.

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Things to know from Wednesday's ASUNM Senate meeting

David Lynch | September 10

ASUNM held their second full Senate meeting of the fall semester on Wednesday evening, and although no major pieces of legislation were presented, several appropriations and president appointments were presented for approval, and the LoboRESPECT Advocacy Center got an opening date, courtesy of Dean of Students Tomás Aguirre.

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City Council to take second attempt at pot law

Matthew Reisen | September 10

For the second time, the Albuquerque City Council will vote on a bill to decriminalize marijuana. This new development comes after an overwhelming citizen vote that showed the majority of Albuquerque residents support decriminalization. Albuquerque City Councilors Rey Garduño and Isaac Benton will introduce a bill to decriminalize marijuana on Sept. 9 with full council consideration taking place on Sept. 21.

Justyna Tafoya looks at informational pamphlets laid out by CASAA during Fetal Alcohol Syndrome awareness day. Jerome Romero and other event volunteers handed out free pizza to anyone that took a short quiz at their table.

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FASD event warns students of alcohol risks during pregnancy

Fin Martinez | September 10

The UNM Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions hosted a Fetal Alcohol Syndrome awareness day to inform students and the general public about the syndrome. Jerome Romero, CASAA education and outreach manager, said he believes that the event brought the issue of FAS to public consciousness.

Gov. Susana Martinez looks at Wednesday’s panel of speakers during a conference held in the SUB. Martinez was the keynote speaker, addressing challenges the state of New Mexico faces with higher education.

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Governor addresses UNM on state of education

David Lynch | September 10

New Mexico Gov. Susanna Martinez came to UNM on Wednesday to outline some of her initiatives for higher education across the state, in hopes that new policies will be implemented to help college students finish their studies on time. “We are falling far short of one of the key expectations that New Mexicans have of us: to see students graduate and graduate on time,” she said.

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U.S. urged to take on bigger refugee load

Sayyed Shah | September 10

At a time when the European Union is debating plans for dealing with a major refugee influx from the Middle East, a UNM professor is helping refugees feel at home in the United States. Jessica Goodkind, associate professor at the Department of Sociology, is pairing up refugee families with UNM students to help them resettle in the U.S. as part of the “Refugee Well-Being Project.”

Vince Calhoun explains how a magneto encephalography (MEG) machine operates. Magneto encephalography (MEG) which is, equipment that measures the magnetic field changes produced by bundles of neurons firing in the brain.

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UNM researchers begin studying teen brains

Matt Reisen | September 9

The Mind Research Network at UNM is beginning to study adolescent brain development, and is being funded by a program that strives to create employment opportunities while also conducting research projects. Vince Calhoun, professor of electrical computer engineering and executive science officer at the Mind Research Network, said he is the principal investigator for a new $5.9 million research grant from the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. The four-year project, which started Aug. 1, will begin scanning child participants in October, he said. “The goal is to look at a rapidly changing period of time, the adolescent period between the ages of 9 and 14 years old,” Calhoun said. “(We want to) really try to understand what’s going on in the brain in terms of all the different changes that are occurring.”

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TEDxABQ announces speaker line up for Popejoy event

Sayyed Shah | September 9

TEDxABQ , a nonprofit organization that brings together New Mexico’s most exciting people to share inspiring ideas, has announced its lineup of speakers for its annual event on Saturday at Popejoy Hall. According to a TEDxABQ press release, the event, themed “On Your Mark” will highlight 20 homegrown ideas from New Mexico’s scientists, artists, activists, educators, healthcare advocates and community members. “Created in the spirit of TED’s mission, ‘ideas worth spreading,’ the TEDxABQ program is designed to give New Mexico’s communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level,” according to the statement.

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UNM's blue recycling bins to get a facelift

David Lynch | September 8

As part of an ongoing initiative to become more environmentally friendly, UNM is improving the visibility and overall appearance of its blue recycling bins around main campus, according to a University press release. The bins are getting a fresh coat of the trademark blue shade of paint that is associated with the general recycling enterprise, along with the “new UNM Recycling bright green footprint logo,” the release stated. Mary Clark, sustainability manager at UNM, said that the improvement in the bins’ look could make the difference  between whether a student recycles something or throws it in the trash.

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UNM West to open new HSC

David Lynch | September 8

The UNM Board of Regents recently approved a news health sciences education building at the University’s branch in Rio Rancho, according to the Albuquerque Journal. The branch currently services about 1,500 students, according to the article, but UNM West CEO Wynn Goering said that some potential students have had to be turned away due to space constraints, which the new facility would address. “UNM’s nursing program downtown takes about one out of five qualified applicants because they don’t have room, literally, to do any more,” Goering told  the Journal.

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Contest to bring SNL personality to UNM opens

David Lynch | September 8

UNM students can vote for Kenan Thompson, a veteran member of Saturday Night Live, to appear at UNM as part of a national competition held in a collaboration between NBCUniversal and Comcast. The contest is available to colleges nationwide, and students can vote by visiting xfinityprofessors.com, according to an email sent to the Daily Lobo. According to the email, students can vote and increase their chances of winning by “participating in a series of tasks such as taking an online quiz or watching a video.