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New app looks to improve campus safety at UNM

David Lynch | September 8

A new mobile app to stay safe on campus, called BlueLight, is available to students, according to a press release emailed to the Daily Lobo, . “[It] lets students share locations in real time and pings contacts when they get to their destination,” the release stated. “The app also routes emergency calls based on location and alerts emergency contacts via text.” A survey conducted by  BlueLight shows that mobile access is playing a bigger role in students feeling safe on university campuses nationwide.

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Self-employed students build analytics startup

Fin Martinez | September 4

Two UNM students have decided to bring their expertise into the world of independent software development. Forrest Shiloff, a junior business major, and Jeffery Gordon, a computer science grad student, are the heads of dataCloud LLC, a UNM-based software company startup with promising services and a bold vision. Shiloff is head of marketing; Gordon is the founder of the company. “What it comes down to is that this is a new realm of space within cyber-physical security,” Shiloff said.

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UNM goes greener

Sayyed Shah | September 4

Strengthening the University of New Mexico’s commitment to sustainability, 10 energy-saving VendingMiser devices have been installed across campus from resources provided by the Green Fund. According to the UNM Office of Sustainability Facebook page, VendingMisers are environmentally-friendly vending machines that “reduce power consumption and utility costs by up to 46 percent, while decreasing CO2 greenhouse gas emissions.” The Office of Sustainability worked with Pepsi and UNM Facilities Engineer Hans Barsun to choose the best locations for the greatest energy savings. Units have been installed in Dane Smith Hall, Student Services, Parish Library and Mitchell Hall, according to a UNM press release.

Orcilia Zúñiga Forbes, former UNM vice president for Student Affairs and vice president for Institutional Advancement.

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Former UNM vice president for student affairs dies

Sayyed Shah | September 4

Orcilia Zúñiga Forbes, former University of New Mexico vice president for student affairs and vice president for institutional advancement, died at her home in Portland, Ore. Aug. 28, at the age of 77, according to a UNM press release. Zúñiga Forbes's brother-in-law, Chuck Chavez, notified University officials of her death, according to the statement. “Starting at her head and looking down, Zúñiga Forbes was always neatly coifed, perfectly made up, stylishly and professionally dressed, stockings and...running shoes. Perhaps they were the secret to her administrative career in higher education. Always on the move, literally, she knew how to balance professionalism with comfort,” according to the statement.

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Symposium to honor services of UNM professor

Sayyed Shah | September 4

The UNM Department of Linguistics is arranging a special symposium to pay tribute to Phyllis Perrin Wilcox, a professor of linguistics. The symposium will be take place on Sunday, Sept. 13, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in SUB Ballroom A, according to a UNM press release. “Wilcox was the first instructor of American Sign Language at UNM, at a time when most people did not realize that ASL was a language. She went on to establish UNM's Signed Language Interpreting Program, one of the first Bachelor's-level preparation programs, and currently one of only 12 Bachelor programs to be nationally accredited,” the statement said.

UNM alumnus Isaac Neal is a Guidance, Navigation and Control Engineer at the Boeing Company in Albuquerque.

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UNM alumnus developing technology for military

Sayyed Shah | September 4

Isaac Neal, a University of New Mexico alumnus, is helping develop state-of-the-art laser technology designed to protect troops overseas. Neal currently works in the Laser & Electro-Optical Systems organization within The Boeing Company as a guidance, navigation and control engineer for the Compact Laser Weapon System project in Albuquerque, according to a UNM press release. The system will help the military and other consumers track and take precautionary measures against drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, that may pose a threat, according to the statement.

Patrick Pape instructs a class filled with students and law enforcement officials on the basics of cyber security. One topic of the class was how to look through hard drives to pinpoint certain things necessary for investigations.

News

Cybersecurity workshop draws students of various stripes from across state

David Lynch | September 3

Students, law enforcement officers, military personnel and others are congregating at the Anderson School of Management this week for a seminar about cybersecurity fundamentals, in hopes that they can apply it to their education or careers. The week-long course, formally called Advanced Digital Forensics, is a mix of lecture and hands-on activities based on the concepts of reverse engineering and network analysis, said Drew Hamilton, professor of computer science and engineering at Mississippi State University.

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Booming lottery bodes well for New Mexico's college students

Sayyed Shah | September 3

New Mexico Lottery scratcher sales increased by 14.54 percent in fiscal year 2015, which means more students at UNM could potentially benefit from the lottery scholarship, according to University Associate Vice President Terry Babbitt. According to a press release from New Mexico Lottery, $1 million in additional money was raised for college students this year from the increased sales.

The Sunport is a product four years in the making by a local Albuquerque team. If all goes to plan, creator Paul Droege said that they could begin shipping out in March.

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SunPort aims to change how consumers access solar power

David Lynch | September 3

According to the Energy Information Administration, 85 percent of all electricity in the United States in 2014 was generated via coal, natural gas and nuclear. Solar barely even gets any love among the seven percent of our power that comes from renewable energy resources – only 0.4 percent of our power came from the sun. The SunPort, a product made by a local Albuquerque startup team, is looking to change all of that on a global scale, and it’s as easy as just plugging it into an outlet, and the consumer is using solar.

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UNM research project examines modern impact of historical trauma

Sayyed Shah | September 2

A team of UNM researchers is exploring the impact of historical events on the collective and individual memories of Native American tribes. The research project, titled “Historical and Current Trauma: Examining Community Memories for the Health of a Nation,” is a community-based participatory research study conducted by the Seneca Nation and UNM’s School of Medicine and Department of Family & Community Medicine, according to a UNM press release. Dr. Tassy Parker, director for the Institute of Indigenous Knowledge & Development, is the principal investigator on the project.

Courtesy: Center for Disease Control and Prevention

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UNM School of Medicine to offer two new courses

Matthew Reisen | September 2

UNM is breaking ground this semester with two new courses in public health for students. Dr. Robert Scott Olds, professor of family and community medicine at UNM's School of Medicine, said the courses being offered are Introduction to Population Health and Global Health Challenges and Responses. Both elective courses are introductory and the first of their kind at the University. Each will be offered again in the spring as well, he said.

Jed Crandall, associate professor of computer science

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Associate prof. studies censorship, surveillance on the Internet

David Lynch | September 1

Subjects such as Internet censorship and freedoms are becoming increasingly discussed as modern society moves further and further into the Digital Age. Jed Crandall, an associate professor of computer science at UNM, studies incidences of censorship and surveillance on the Web to get an idea of where inconsistencies may lie. Some of Crandall’s research efforts involve studying Facebook censorship in certain countries, but his team is currently taking on a much bigger project: measuring Internet use daily over three years and attempting to log almost every instance of censorship on the Web. The Daily Lobo speaks with Crandall about these issues:

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UNM building receives LEED certification

Sayyed Shah | September 1

The UNM Health Sciences Center Business and Communications Center has received a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Certificate. According to a UNM press release, the 104,000-square-foot building that is home to Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) is the latest UNM building to go green and receive LEED Silver certification. Project ECHO, created by UNM professor of medicine Dr. Sanjeev Arora, is an innovative and collaborative “model of medical education and care management that empowers clinicians everywhere to provide better care to more people, right where they live." The initiative provides accessibility to health services in “rural and underserved areas” in 22 states and five countries outside of the United States.

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UNM College of Fine Arts host talk with artist Mel Chin

Sayyed Shah | September 1

The UNM College of Fine Arts is presenting "The Potential Project," a talk by guest artist Mel Chin, for “HABITAT: Exploring Climate Change Through the Arts,” a season-long collaboration offering an array of public programs this fall. The lecture will be hosted in partnership with 516 ARTS on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 5:30 p.m. in Keller Hall, Center for the Arts. Chin’s talk will focus on a response to climate change through a model of sustainable economic freedom coming from a people without national status, according to the statement.

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UNM chancellor receives medical award

Sayyed Shah | September 1

Paul B. Roth, chancellor for health sciences at the UNM, has received the 2015 Clinton P. Anderson Award from the American Lung Association in New Mexico. Roth, who is also CEO of the UNM Health System and dean of the UNM School of Medicine, is America’s longest-serving medical school dean and a nationally respected leader in medical education, according to a UNM HSC press release. “This award commemorates New Mexicans who have made real contributions to the health and well-being of our residents,” Duane Ross, chair of the American Lung Association’s state board of directors, said in the statement. “Paul Roth has advocated for broader access to quality health care throughout his long career.”

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UNM's HSC to host job fair

Sayyed Shah | September 1

The UNM Health Sciences Center will host its annual job fair on Thursday, Sept. 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the HSC North Campus Upper Plaza. The HSC Job Fair is open to all physicians, family nurse practitioners, midwives, nurses, physician assistants, social workers, pharmacists, nutritionists, dieticians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, dentists, dental hygienists, medical lab and radiology technicians, public health and EMS professionals, as well as health profession students from all New Mexico educational institutions, according to a UNM HSC press release.

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Scholarship allows students a chance to study abroad

Fin Martinez | August 31

Four UNM undergrads have been awarded the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which is given to only 800 students in the United States, allowing them the opportunity to study in other countries.

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Site puts UNM safety resources in one place

Elizabeth Sanchez | August 31

UNM has unveiled a new campus safety website, designed to make resources and information more readily available to students in order to better prepare the University population for emergencies. The website, campussafety.unm.edu, was created “to share important information with the entire campus community and enlist their support to enhance the safety and security of our campus,” said the University’s Emergency Manager Byron Piatt. "This is just one of the many ways that we are trying to make students, faculty, staff and visitors of our campus more aware of their surroundings and of resources that may be able to assist them."

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University College offers new supports

Sayyed Shah | August 28

UNM’s University College has created several programs to prepare students for gathering  in-depth knowledge and feel empowered by learning. Academic Foundations courses are designed to help students needing additional support in reading and math, and are intended to deliver not only content, but also to help students develop self-directed learning, according to a UNM press release.

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New Wendy's planned for South Campus area

Sayyed Shah | August 28

Students are voicing their approval of a potential new Wendy’s restaurant on South Campus. The consensus is that the opening of the eatery will provide more food options to the students who live near South Campus or park at South Lot. “I believe that opening a Wendy’s on South Campus is beneficial to our students, even if it is only for the mere reason of having food closer to our students who may live near South Campus, or spend a majority of (their) time in that vicinity,” ASUNM President Jenna Hagengruber said.